Brown Peter: General Debate 
Brown Peter: General Debate 
[Volume:632;Page:4212] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 A few months ago we had an election and after an election there seems to be two things that are certain: first the Government and the parties that support it are held to account for what they achieve and secondly the Opposition particularly if they are three-time losers have a battle on who will lead them. That is what is happening in the National Party. The National Party is a sad sad shadow of what it once was. All we know for certain is that Don Brash will go. What we do not know is when he will go and we are waiting with bated breath to work out who will come after him. Will it be John Key? Will it be Bill English or Simon Power? Surely it will not be Maurice Williamson. We wait with bated breath because poor old Don Brash is simply not cutting it. He is not up to the task and every moment he spends in this House he proves that time and time again. On the reverse side of things— 
John Key 
: Do you guys have any policies left? 
PETER BROWN 
: I invite the member to study this. I will make it available to him by tabling it. It is New Zealand First’s record of achievement in the 9 months since agreeing to confidence and supply. Those members opposite should tell me whether this is false: that we have 1000 more police— 
John Key 
: Woof woof! 
PETER BROWN 
: That does not sound like a dog barking I say to Mr Key. We have 1000 more police and 250 support staff. The minimum rate of superannuation has been increased to 66 percent. This time next year we will have a golden age card. Already there is significant funding for elder care and there is more to come. 
There is a full review of the immigration legislation of this country—something we have been making a noise about for many a year. Surely the National Party wants to get on board and get the immigration laws correct. Do they? 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Yes they say they do. 
PETER BROWN 
: They do not know what they want to do. [ 
Interruption 
] Well we will speed it up and ensure their leader gets the very first one. We are increasing the minimum wage. By the year 2008 the minimum wage will be $12 an hour. We are supporting the Buy New Zealand Made campaign. 
Hon Member 
: That’s the Greens’. 
PETER BROWN 
: It is not the Greens’ with due respect. It is New Zealand First’s policy that the Greens—[ 
Interruption 
] We are in line with the Greens. We had it even before the Greens were the Greens. How does the member think we got our name—New Zealand First—for goodness’ sake! 
Next year will be an export year and there will be a toll-free Tauranga Harbour Bridge. We are not just full of waffle about what is going to happen in Tauranga. The people will get their bridge toll free. We are reducing gaming tax for racing. Members should go and ask the racing industry whether it appreciates Winston Peters in particular or New Zealand First. The member can scream— 
R Doug Woolerton 
: National had years to do that and never did a thing. 
PETER BROWN 
: It never did a thing. It tried to climb on the back of it after we got the thing going. But we actually achieved it. We have a bill to reduce the number of MPs—and I have to say to those honourable members opposite and to the members on the Labour front bench that if members of the public listened to this House during question time they would agree 100 percent to reducing the number of MPs. 
New Zealand First has a bill before the select committee to reduce the age of criminal responsibility. I guarantee that National members will support that. [ 
Interruption 
] Oh they will not? We have made it quite clear to the Labour Government that there will be no sales of strategic assets—none whatsoever. We have not lost sight of the fact that Labour sold them in 1984 and that National sold them in 1990.