Sio Su'a William: General Debate 
Sio Su'a William: General Debate 
[Volume:647;Page:16157] 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO (Labour) 
: 
 Malo Mr Assistant Speaker and members of the House. The political discussions throughout Manukau City by ordinary people by workers by citizens—the hard-working citizens of that city—in the last few weeks have been generally centred on three themes. The first theme is around who is going to be the better leader. Who provides strong leadership? The second theme is around sound responsible and robust policies—policies that are real policies that have substance and policies aimed at taking everyone with us so that no one is left behind. The third theme is around which political party is going to be able to form a Government come election time this year. 
When it comes to leadership let me say a few things. Manukau residents know well how hard working the Prime Minister is. They know her commitment and her dedication. The diverse communities of Manukau—and we have about 184 groups—admire her strong and decisive leadership style. Leadership is the key to our communities throughout Manukau. Leadership provides a vision of a better tomorrow. Leadership enables people to stand together in hard times and provides hope and aspiration to the younger generation. Leadership is about uniting our communities and going forward. 
I was asked by one or two of my friends at one particular discussion last week what National was like. They asked me what National’s leaders were like. Frankly I had to say to them with the greatest respect to my colleagues on the other side “They are hard to pin down.” One young man said to me: “It must be like trying to catch eels.” That is exactly what it is like. These young people understand when we say that National does not know what its policies are. And it is policies that are the other matter that will be important in addition to leadership—good leadership strong leadership and leadership that unites our community. 
So I come to policy. Policy is significant and the health policies of this Government have improved the livelihoods of many in our communities from young people to middle-income earners to the elderly folk. That is something that we celebrate and are grateful to this Government for. It is interesting that in this coming Budget this Government has more money to put into cancer treatment immunisation programmes and for patients to receive elective services. These are the kinds of policies that resonate with our communities in Manukau. 
One has to ask what sorts of policies the National Party will have in terms of health. What is its policy in terms of health care in terms of prescription costs and in terms of elective surgery? What is its policy on those issues? What is its policy on housing? Many of our communities have benefited from the income-related housing policy of this Labour-led Government. But we have to ask National what its housing policy is. Will it go back to its policies of the 1990s and sell off housing stock to its friends—its rich friends its business friends? What is its policy on industrial relations? We have not heard anything and workers throughout Manukau City will be listening for that kind of policy and whether National has one. What is National’s policy on State assets? We heard at one point in time it was prepared to sell off State assets. Then it said no then it said it would sell them off and maybe in its first term. What is its real position on that? Again our young people are going to say that dealing with the National Party is like trying to catch eels. 
What is National’s policy on Pacific affairs? What is its policy on Maori affairs? As I look across at Georgina te Heuheu I feel sorry for her particularly given National’s policy of abolishing the Maori seats. 
The last theme is about the team—the team that will be able to form a Government. The Labour Party was able to form a Government because of its working relationship with New Zealand First the Greens and United Future. It is the only party that has been able to show our country what leadership is about and how to provide a Government under an MMP system. Members on the other side of the House are talking about getting rid of MMP—oh no I forgot they want a referendum first.