Chadwick Steve: General Debate 
Chadwick Steve: General Debate 
[Volume:634;Page:6101] 
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 It is great to be taking a call in this debate and to have been incredibly flattered by the Opposition today whose members are busting to come to the Labour Party conference in Rotorua this weekend. Well they are not welcome because that conference is going to be focusing on building a better future for New Zealand and New Zealand families. National members can listen to the policies when they drop out as pearls of wisdom but they do not have any idea at all about policy. We have not even seen a little wee pearl of wisdom there. 
We will be talking about what we have done in Government to transform the economy. We have dropped unemployment to the lowest level in the Western World. That is what we will be talking about and that did not happen by accident. We are investing in health education and policing. As my colleague said we are maintaining our reputation overseas with our leader over in the Pacific Islands Forum. We are a proud principled independent and nuclear-free nation—and if the Opposition ever got into Government it would be the first thing to go. We are still delivering to the people of New Zealand and we are not destroying their morale or their sense of pride in who they are as New Zealanders. 
But it is spring and spring is an interesting time for Opposition members. Lots of things happen and not just spring rolls—they start to roll. That is what happens. In November 1997 Jenny Shipley overthrew Jim Bolger. On 8 October 2001 Shipley stepped down. On 9 October Bill English was elected leader. On 28 October Don Brash replaced Bill English as leader. What else will happen this spring while Labour is busy dealing to its policies and to its membership out there? There is a change in the wind; the change is there for the ghost who walks Dr Brash. Matthew Hooton has already said he does not think that National can ever win with Don Brash. 
We are all asking ourselves why John Key cut short his visit to America. He came back here saying that he had some things he had to focus on. Perhaps the issue he is worried about—if he is going to be the next leader—is what National’s relationship is with the Exclusive Brethren. He might get it right. He might also ask how men who profess to know about business do not understand their party’s spending on GST. That needs to be put right and that money needs to be paid back. He may also have to deal with National’s refusal to pay money it overspent on broadcasting. There are lots of things for John Key to get right and we will be watching with great interest. But one lesson I think he may need to know as a new wannabe leader is that tax cuts will not buy more surgery for New Zealanders. They will not buy more teachers more social workers or more police and they will not buy Herceptin. 
I want to focus on our leadership at the conference. It is secure and it is actively working out in the regions to build confidence. We will show them confidence in Rotorua this weekend. Our party membership is up and our policies are still delivering and they are still inspiring mum and dad Kiwis. We can look at KiwiSaver. It actually has New Zealanders terribly excited about starting to turn into a savings economy. What a great thing for this country! We will show the fruits of our Labour policies in Rotorua this weekend. We will be looking at things like economic transformation. 
In my electorate Rotorua we are seeing tourism surviving against a lowering trend in the rest of the country. We are looking at issues like the lakes restoration in our area. Forestry and manufacturing are confident with a new planer mill opened at Red Stag Timber by the Prime Minister just last month. We are looking at trans-Tasman passenger services. The board of the council’s bright economy strategy is looking at energy cogeneration bio-fuels and thermal energy production. These things are happening under a Labour Government with policies that help them happen. Unemployment in this region as in all regions of New Zealand is at an all-time low level. Today’s announcement at the Pacific Islands Forum about seasonal fruit pickers being able to come to New Zealand is fantastic for our kiwifruit and blueberry industries. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.