Mallard Trevor: General Debate 
Mallard Trevor: General Debate 
[Volume:621;Page:16321] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I am going to disagree with my colleague the senior Government whip and say that yesterday the Opposition was looking for leadership in the debate. Today we have the sort of speech that the Opposition should have had yesterday. Is it not sad that the failed woodwork teacher from Fendalton gives a better speech than the current Leader of the Opposition? He gave a better speech not a great speech not a wonderful speech but a significantly better speech than that from Don Brash. 
I have not been around here as long as Richard Prebble but I do not think I have ever seen such a high proportion of members of the National Party sitting in the House with their heads in their hands as I saw yesterday while Don Brash was speaking. I have never seen so many unhappy people. They had what was effectively a free hit. The right honourable gentleman from Tauranga got some hits in—he got some punches in. Again he was not absolutely brilliant but I am sure with a bit more experience he will do better. What was clear was that Don just did not have it yesterday and even he knew it. I had never seen someone slink out of the Chamber in such an embarrassed manner. He almost crawled to avoid looking into the eyes of any of his colleagues as he left. We could tell he was heading for the lobby to get his hanky out to cry like the poor little kid who could not do the assignment when he was at school. 
We all know now—I think most people know; and other people will find out tonight—that the National Party is not quite on to the thing that they thought they were on to. National members are not quite on to what they thought they were on to and they are in even bigger trouble than they thought they were a few days ago. Why? It is because they do not have a leader. Generally I do not quote the  
New Zealand 
Herald 
 because it does not always get it right but I think Emmerson got it right on 15 October in his cartoon: “The Don Brash record to date”— 
John Key 
: No one is listening. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I agree with John Key when he said that no one is listening to Don Brash. He goes to knock on the door in the evening and the lights go out and the shutters are closed. The people inside do not want to know about Don Brash. Why? 
Darren Hughes 
: Which house? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: It is one of John Key’s several mansions actually when Don comes calling. The Emmerson cartoon stated: “The Don Brash record to date … click! fear doom gloom click! fear doom gloom click!”. That sums up Don. The only answer that is left is—[ 
Interruption 
] The member is right—the answer to the question is not hard because he is the answer. John Key is the answer. We have seen the preparation occurring and we have seen the way that the media is being escorted around the country in order to see where that member grew up. We can see where he lives now we can see the contrast and we can see the soft spreads that he is paying for around the country in order to build his own profile. 
We have seen it before. I remember when Glenda Hughes did a lot of work for Bill and Mary English. They had a lot of soft publicity around the time but it did not work. The member should tell John Key that it does not work. But it did not stop the member from becoming the leader. When we look along the front bench there is no one there who can do the job other than Winston Peters.