Burton Mark: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Burton Mark: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:645;Page:14319] 
Hon MARK BURTON (Labour—Taupo) 
: 
 It is my pleasure and privilege to rise to speak in what is supposed to be the debate replying to the Prime Minister’s statement. Certainly there was everything to reply to for the Opposition. I have to say that I would have been disappointed if the member who has just resumed his seat Peter Brown had not mentioned shipping. It would have been out of character. I have to say also that I do not agree with a lot of what the member had to say. But this is a debate and I want at least to acknowledge that he entered into a debate. He had ideas he delivered them calmly and reasonably to this House and he put them forward for consideration and I want to compliment him on that. 
What a stark contrast to the efforts we have had from most of those members opposite. We had one from Sandra Goudie previously. I do not know how she can keep a straight face while regurgitating over and over again those same notes that we have now seen in the hands of 30 or so Opposition members repeating things that are simply untrue. Maybe in her case she simply does not know. 
I have to say that the rot started on day one. John Key got up. He had a great opportunity. This was the great opportunity to get up and deliver real substance. What did he do? He did nothing; absolutely nothing. He made jokes that we had to have a rent-a-crowd audience to laugh at. What did Colin Espiner say? Let us be fair. Colin Espiner is not someone who jumps instantly to the defence of the Government. Colin Espiner said: “Key failed to rise to the occasion yesterday.” That was his view on John Key’s performance in this all-important election year debate. He went on to say about this man who wants to be Prime Minister and I quote him again: “He failed to deliver. There was no substance and little in the way of new ideas or a vision for the country.” No substance no vision—and that was the best that the National Party had to offer in this debate. Since then it has been downhill from no vision and no substance. 
This Government has a big-picture policy set. We have rolled it out for 8 years. We have delivered on working New Zealand towards sustainable prosperous and long-term opportunities and secure futures for all New Zealand families whether they are young or old. That is the sort of work this Government has been about on behalf of New Zealanders and most important with New Zealanders for the last 8 years. 
Just as a few examples coming out of the last 12 months I say that 2007 was another year of major achievements such as widely extended affordable health-care and the introduction of 20 hours’ free early childhood education for 3 and 4-year-olds. Despite the daily efforts of members opposite that has been a resounding success from one end of this country to the other. Tens of thousands of young children are seeing the direct benefit of that policy. 
KiwiSaver is another one of those numerous areas. I could spend my 10 minutes going through the list of flip-flops we have seen from that side of the House and particularly from Mr Key and KiwiSaver is just one of them. In a matter of months well over 400000 Kiwis have joined KiwiSaver. It is an amazing success and of course that is why John Key has done one of his now daily flip-flops. 
There is a plan under way for a long-term genuinely sustainable New Zealand such as support for economic development through things like the business tax package. Interestingly what did the National Party do when— 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Voted against it. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: Its members voted against it. The National Party voted against tax relief for business. That is the track record of the National Party in 2007. 
There has been massive economic development such as telecommunications deregulation massive infrastructure investment and tertiary reforms. That is what ambition is about. We have only just begun. So much has been achieved as we have worked together as New Zealanders over the last 8 years with the sort of visionary leadership Helen Clark and Michael Cullen have provided that New Zealand can be proud of but there is much more to do. 
When I hear the word “ambition” come out of John Key’s mouth and its repetition by his caucus members one after the other it really makes me choke because we have not heard a single word—a single word—of ambition for New Zealand in any sense that matters. There is no substance no meaningful policy and no direction only bumper sticker one-liners. Well it simply will not do. This Government and this Labour Party have major ambition for New Zealand not only over the last 8 years but also going forward. 
What a wonderful example we saw of that in the Prime Minister’s address with a major funding boost for community-based organisations. This is not only because of the almost half-billion dollars of funding to be injected into that sector over the next 4 years but also and perhaps most important because of the long-term predictability and security of funding arrangements. There will be engagement with the sector to ensure the financial stability it needs the removal of unnecessary impediments to it getting on with the job will be locked in and there will be adjustments when costs hit the work being done. All of those things are built into that package. That is one of the most revolutionary steps forward for this sector in living memory and once the implications work their way through I think people will start to get some serious sense of what the word “ambition” means for New Zealand. 
Another area is the Schools Plus programme—creating and building schools for our future. They are not the sorts of things Mr Allan Peachey got up to say that he wanted to drag back to the future. That man must be feeling so bitter. There is he with all the ideas—not that I like his ideas but he does have some. 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: He hasn’t got any. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: Oh yes he has. To be fair Mr Peachey has some ideas. He wants to drag back bulk funding. He wants bulk funding. Even if they are old ideas at least he has some. The alternative is that National puts up someone who does not have a single idea for education. But then she is consistent with the National front bench; I guess she fits right in there. 
The B4 School checks are another major focus on the well-being of our young children. There have been so many policies over the last 8 years. 
This Government is not standing still; it is focusing on greater rights for victims of crime building on the work that has been done over the last 8 years. We also have the plan to increase the supply of affordable housing. I choke every time the National spokesperson gets up talks about housing and challenges the Government housing— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: I bet you do. It’s because of your track record. 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: The record I am talking about is that of the National Government during the 1990s when it sold 13000 houses. This Government has built houses. 
While I am talking about building houses I must say that one of the great flip-flops of the last little while has been the project in Hobsonville around the area where Mr Key comes from. Mr Key now claims to be supporting that development. He said: “But if you look at Government land well Hobsonville is in my electorate they’ve identified that as a place where affordable housing could be built. I agree with them …” That is what he said on 13 February this year. But as Duncan Garner noted: “Key’s position on Hobsonville is at its best much weaker than a year ago—at its worst Labour can rightly argue that he has flip flopped.” That probably is one of this year’s great political understatements. 
John Key is the man who described putting State houses in his electorate as being “economic vandalism”. We should never let that man stand with a straight face in this House talk about State housing and say he is proud of where he comes from—the hell he is! That is what John Key thinks of people who live in State houses. He does not want a bar of them in the heart of his electorate. He wants that piece of land carved up for the rich and affluent and no one else. The developers who are the friends of that man and the National Party want that. 
Well I say to John Key that he cannot have it both ways. This Government believes that every Kiwi of this generation and the next generation deserves a fair start and a good chance—the sort of chance that previous Labour Governments provided for Mr Key. That is the truth of the matter. Like so many of his kind he wants to pull up the ladder after he has enjoyed the benefits of that opportunity. The difference is plain: the ambition for New Zealand and New Zealanders resides firmly and clearly on this side of the House.