Brownlee Gerry: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBrownlee Gerry: General Debate[Sitting date: 01 July 2015. Volume:706;Page:4989. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery): That was an audition before Parliament by Chris Hipkins. This has been the week where we have seen the dance of the deputies. Earlier this week we had the issue of Ron Mark New Zealand’s answer to George Speight having a go at ousting Winston Peters. Everyone thinks it is Tracey Martin but it is actually Winston Peters he wants to get rid of. Ron is one of those men who has got a lot of experience with a lot of parties. In fact just 18 months ago he would have been part of any party that would take him and we know that from discussions he had in all sorts of places around the country. So here we have this week poor old Tracey Martin coming under the pump from Ron Mark. The question is: what has Tracey Martin done? The answer is nothing which is probably the reason why Ron is in that sort of situation.But the most fascinating thing is that meanwhile over in Labour all of the deputies are starting to line up. We are seeing the parade of talent on the horizon. It is extraordinary and hot off the press we hear that one of the hot contenders now is Carmel Sepuloni making quite a strong bid. She is one of those experienced people who came back into Parliament just recently after a short burst some time ago only to announce to the whole Parliament: “Oh the Committee stage—that’s new. When did that happen?”. It is that sort of discovery that could be useful for a Labour Party deputy leader because they might accidently discover a little bit of caucus loyalty as well. Then there is the bolter from Christchurch—Megan Woods. I have to say Megan that that Kardashian-esque makeover screams ambition. Day after day this member comes into the House gives very cogent very passionate and very—you would say—well-structured but completely irrelevant speeches. She offers her argument with the most beautiful enunciation and frankly day after day week after week she wins the 7th form debating prize over and over again.It would be wrong of me to be too harsh on the next contender. I have to say a couple of things though. Nothing screams leadership ambition like Hollywood headshots on the front page of a weekly magazine. I have to say: did not Jacinda Ardern carry it well? I have to say that a lot of people on this side thought she carried that well—in fact so well that most people did not recognise her for some weeks after it was actually published. There is a problem here because so far this year there have been over 19 questions asked in the House on the issue of small business.Simon O’Connor: How many?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There have been 19 primary questions asked in the House by the National Party. They were patsies set up for the Opposition spokesperson. And what did we see? Utter failure—utter failure. Today there was an absolute sitter and what did we get? Not a thing—nothing at all. So my advice to Jacinda is to break away from Grant Robertson and his strange sort of machiavellian Walter Mitty - type world strike out on her own and see what might be possible.Then there is the other candidate the omnipresent and “omni-positional” Phil Twyford. One minute he is here in Wellington putting his arm around Grant Robertson in commiseration and next minute he is in Auckland anointing David Cunliffe with the red rose of socialism. This guy is everywhere. No one can do a 180 like our friend over there: “The Government should sell State houses. The Government shouldn’t sell State houses. The private sector should engage in social housing. The private sector shouldn’t engage in social housing.” Then we heard the classic today: “Interest rates are too high for young people to buy houses. Interest rates are so low now that young people can’t buy houses.” This man has got so many positions and so many twists and turns to him that it will be no surprise that after the deputy leadership vote is taken even when he loses it he will not believe it.Hon Annette King: Gerry!Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I save the best till last. So where does all that leave the Labour Party in its deputy leader quest? Well I look across at my old friend Annette King. She sits there loyally beside Mr Little—almost in agony sitting next to Mr Little. She is supposedly warming the seat for someone else. All I can say to her is that I am moved to predict: hang in there baby; soon you will be a queen.