Carter David: General Debate 
Carter David: General Debate 
[Volume:625;Page:20483] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (National) 
: 
 I note that the Minister Mr Jim Sutton is still in the House so I also intend to devote my comments to the foot-and-mouth disease scare that is on at the moment. I say at the outset that a biosecurity scare such as foot-and-mouth disease is the most perilous thing that could face this economy. I have long argued that in an instance like this the most important thing for politicians to do is to leave the politics out of the situation and to concentrate on the issue. Yet today Jim Sutton Marian Hobbs and Phil Goff have taken cheap shots and tried to bring politics into the issue. As the farmers around New Zealand face the threat of foot-and-mouth the last thing they want is to see the Minister of Agriculture who is also the Minister for Biosecurity attempting to play cheap political shots. It lowers the Minister incredibly. 
I have given him every warning. He has fired the first shot and I will not hesitate from now on to make sure that we keep the issue open and make sure he performs substantially better than he did on  
Breakfast  
this morning. I have had dozens of calls and emails to my office today following Jim Sutton’s performance on  
Breakfast 
. I will quote just one from a man who copied his email to Mr Sutton and said to him: “you are an idiot: a stumbling bumbling fool. 
“I suggest that you contact the Prime Minister at the earliest opportunity to request that she appoint a more intelligent Minister to front this issue. Your clear lack of intellect threatens to do more harm to New Zealand farming than any foot and mouth outbreak ever could.” 
That is the confidence in which a New Zealand farmer holds Jim Sutton and it is typical of the comments we have received all day following the Minister’s performance. It is little wonder because the farmers of New Zealand face a very significant scare today and Jim Sutton has come into the House and attempted to play cheap dirty politics by quoting one sentence from a significant interview that Don Brash gave yesterday and taking it completely out of context. 
Jim Sutton knows that Don Brash did say that he was surprised at the reaction when the scare looked like a hoax but that he went on to say he completely supported the Government’s action. Jim Sutton knows that yet he has taken the opportunity to play politics with biosecurity. It lowers my estimation of that Minister completely. But he will not be in office long because the foot-and-mouth issue has only temporarily taken the focus off the duplicity of the Prime Minister. She made some comments to the  
Sunday Star-Times  
and now will not front up to the House and repeat them. 
Hon Jim Sutton 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think you know the point I will make. Today the Opposition has ceaselessly accused people calling them liars saying they lied asking if someone lied and mentioning duplicity. This is not a direction this debate should be allowed to take. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the member. I heard what Mr David Carter said and I was considering it under personal reflections. I ask the member to withdraw that statement. I saw it as a personal reflection. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Speaking to the point of order Mr Speaker I referred to the duplicity of the Prime Minister. You are not suggesting that I have to withdraw that I hope. 
Rodney Hide 
: I am reading through the list of unparliamentary language. It is quite a long list but it does not include “duplicity”. Are you suggesting Mr Assistant Speaker that you will rule that one cannot accuse someone in this House of being duplicitous? 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The concern was that it was seen by members on the Government side of the House as a personal reflection. They have drawn it to my attention. Given that it was seen as a personal reflection I have asked the member to withdraw. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Mr Speaker now that the Minister of Agriculture has satisfactorily interrupted my speech I wonder if you could tell me how much time I have left. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member has 1 minute and 20 seconds remaining. 
Government Member 
: He hasn’t withdrawn. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Would the member withdraw. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: I withdraw. Time and time again over the last few days the Prime Minister has been asked about what she said to Oskar Alley and what she said to the  
Sunday Star-Times 
. 
She is not prepared to come into the House and level with the public of New Zealand about what she said. That is why there is so much heat and doubt about this issue. She could clear it up tomorrow by coming into the House and answering the questions. There will be a lot of questions on the Order Paper tomorrow because New Zealanders want to know the answer. At the moment we are not getting— 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: They don’t. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: Judith Tizard is right. Labour does not want us to know the answer because it knows there is something at risk. One cannot read little snippets of information from a confidential Cabinet paper to a  
Sunday Star-Times  
reporter and then say that one has done so on the condition that one is reported in the article as saying “no comment”. The Prime Minister has a history of setting out to get rid of people like Peter Doone and Kit Richards whom she does not like. New Zealanders are now aware of her habits and they have had enough of them.