Bennett Paula: General Debate 
Bennett Paula: General Debate 
[Volume:647;Page:15948] 
PAULA BENNETT (National) 
: 
 We are seeing a Government that is in meltdown. We are seeing a Government that is simply out of touch. That is a little sad because this is my first term and when I sat in this House for the first couple of years in a general debate we got to hear Labour members stand and talk about what was important to New Zealanders. They talked about education health and the economy things that were important to New Zealanders and that made a difference in the day-to-day lives of families. Now of course instead they stand up and squirm and try to find little examples. We should be flattered because instead they get up and talk about us. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: All the time. 
PAULA BENNETT 
: They talk about us all of the time but I suppose when they are trying to hide from their cover-up—so they are hiding the hiding they are doing through their cover-up—it is a simple case of talking about anything except what is actually going on on the day. 
What is going on on the day is actually quite frightening. New Zealanders expect to see a bit of responsibility from their Government. I am going to use a word that is not used often in this House—and I hope Mr Assistant Speaker does not pull me up—but it is called “integrity”. The head of a Government department resigned yesterday. She has been pulled up for corruption and for doing things that under investigation have proven to be quite disgraceful. But let us look at the example that that department has had. This is the department that was told to “lie in unison” by its very own Minister. This is the department that last year dealt with an MP who is now up in court on charges. Those are the examples that this department has had. So when the head of that department was telling her officials to let her family through and was putting out those requests for that corrupt practice to happen can we really blame her when we see the sort of example that has been passed down by Ministers and members? 
We saw the Hon David Cunliffe stand up in this House day after day last year and justify the actions of his then colleague Taito Phillip Field. When day after day he referred to a whitewash of a report and said that that was acceptable how can it be a surprise to this Labour Government that the public now questions its honesty when it comes to the report about Mary Anne Thompson? There can be absolutely no doubt that the public and this Opposition party will continue to ask questions because the public simply no longer believes this Government when it says that a report is being done that an independent inquiry is being held and that someone will be held to account. When no one holds anyone to be responsible how can we see accountability? When a Minister will not stand up and say “This is my department and I take responsibility for what happens within it.” how on earth can we have accountability to taxpayers? 
How on earth can we have accountability to taxpayers when the Minister of Finance will not tell taxpayers how much of their money has been spent on the railways when that number changes day to day and when as recently as yesterday in this House the Minister would not tell taxpayers how much of their money is being spent on buying back the railways? Let us debate whether it is the right thing to do. Bring it on! Let it be a topic for this election campaign. I am more than happy to go there. But let us do it with the facts. Let us do it with the facts and let us do it with some honesty because that is what New Zealanders want and expect. The out-of-touch Labour members should remember that it is not their money. Taxpayers’ money is being squandered daily and they deserve accountability and their Ministers to stand up and take some responsibility. 
That is the example we are being shown throughout the country. We have heard a few reporters say that the phone is off the hook. I say that the phone has fallen into the water and it has gone. They will not find the phone being answered let alone find people willing to listen to them.