Cullen Michael: General Debates 
Cullen Michael: General Debates 
[Volume:617;Page:12852] 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Deputy Prime Minister) 
: 
 I want to turn to National Party members at this point because they have got themselves into a pretty pickle. They have decided to have this whole new policy of everything—it is called “neither confirm nor deny”. For a long time they languished in insignificance and nobody took any notice of them; then suddenly someone is taking notice of them and they have found it has got an awful lot harder because people are starting to take notice of what they are saying. 
In respect of the Holidays Act only a few months ago Dr Brash promised he would repeal the fourth week’s holiday. The weekend he gave a speech on the Holidays Act he did not mention repealing the fourth week’s holiday. He was suddenly no longer comfortable with repealing the fourth week’s holiday. 
They are now in a total blue funk over nuclear-free status and defence issues. Their problem is simple—they have the love that dare not speak its name in this respect. We know they want to declare their undying love for the United States. They will go wherever the US will go—no matter what no matter where no matter what the price even if it is Simon Power’s head the man who is on his way to becoming a cabin boy on a US naval vessel. Dr Brash said: “I have a personal view and at this point I’m not expressing it.” What is really going on is that they are trying to sing the words of the “Star Spangled Banner” to the tune of “God Defend New Zealand” and it is not coming out quite right as far as the public is concerned. 
Then enter on the stage Simon Power or “Nuclear Power” as he is now known to all New Zealanders. “Without reservation” he said “we will support our close allies.” Wherever the US goes we go; wherever Britain goes we go; wherever Australia goes we go; and if they go in different directions we’ll go in different directions as well at the same time! He made the great mistake of National Party politics—he told the truth. He should have learnt by now. He has been there long enough. One should never do that in the National Party. 
Who can doubt that what he said is what they all want to say in the National Party. Goodness me even Dr Lockwood Smith’s smile gets bigger when he sees a picture of a United States political leader—if that is at all possible. We know that Dr Brash said to US congressmen: “If it was up to me by lunchtime the nuclear-free legislation would go.” He has now complained that he was misreported. Now he is starting to say “I simply do not recall what I said.”—only a few months ago! 
Here we have Dr Brash in America where it is: “Hail to the Chief” and at home in New Zealand it is: “Hail to the Chiefs”. We know what he thinks because he said: “I frankly am uncomfortable with where we are currently.” When Dr Brash says that he is uncomfortable he means that he is opposed to it. That is “Brashspeak” for being opposed to something. We all know what he wants to do. He wants to lift the nuclear-free ban. He wants those American ships in here. He wants to buddy-up so he can brush up on his mid-Pacific accent and then he can move on and hope to get some kind of free-trade deal in the future. 
He took a very brave position and said: “I’ll do nothing without a mandate.” In other words as long as he is in Opposition the nuclear-free legislation will not change but if he is elected to Government the nuclear-free legislation will change. It is a very brave stance to take to say: “I’ll do nothing without a mandate.” in a democracy! As for Iraq last year Dr Brash said: “I think I would have done what President Bush did.” He now feels “very uncomfortable” with where we currently are. It seems to me that he is a man who lives his life in discomfort. 
 So what is the National Party’s policy on war? “We’ll go to war if the United States asks us to. No hesitation. We’re off.” A year later we will feel “very uncomfortable” about having gone to war! This National Party has peaked too early indeed. It is very clear that when the horror of Government faces National members when they have to have a position on something other than bashing Maori they are not up to the job at all. All they are able to do on any issue is feel uncomfortable.