Goudie Sandra: Budget Debate 
Goudie Sandra: Budget Debate 
[Volume:639;Page:9574] 
SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 One could be forgiven for wondering what the last speaker was talking about and one could be forgiven for wondering whether he supports this Budget because he showed no enthusiasm for the things it promotes. There was no enthusiasm no passion and no advancement of any ideas. We could hardly hear him. There was no emotion or words that remotely resembled any support for what this Budget is supposed to be doing. And he is one of the Government’s own members! 
No wonder my most excellent leader John Key in his first response to the Budget mentioned the UMR Insight poll. I was really taken with the UMR Insight poll. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous because it showed that the Labour Party had conducted a poll about itself. How wonderful! The poll asked what the legacy of Helen Clark and Michael Cullen would be. If that is not a case of: “Well we’re off now folks. How will you remember us?” I do not know what is. They will not be remembered for this Budget. 
So what are the public saying? Shane Jones commented on what people are saying but clearly he is not listening. They are not saying what he thinks they are saying. The public of New Zealand are saying they have become tired. That is what they are telling this Parliament but what do they mean by “tired”? I have here some quotes from people. “Tired” says: “The last financial year I earned $120000 through a lot of hard work and overtime but $40000 of this went to Dr Cullen through tax. After paying increasing rates and petrol taxes putting food on the table paying for my children’s education and other Government expenses I will be expected to find more money to put towards saving but not till it’s been taxed first. I thought that having a good job and investing for our future was a good thing. But the more you earn the more the Government takes. It’s no wonder some people choose to just stay on the benefit have their rent paid food debt travel etc. all paid for by the Government. Australia is looking really really good.” We all know that heaps of people are heading off to Australia. I think the tally is up to about 700 a week but can we blame them after seeing this Budget? 
I would like to pick up on the comments of my learned colleague Eric Roy about this Budget and what it actually does for farmers. He said that Crown spending will rise from $53 billion to $65 billion in 2010-11 and this growth in spending will continue to keep pressure on the economy. He said that other disappointments for farmers were the Government’s decision to abandon movements in thresholds in personal income tax rates and the imposition of another tax on fuel including diesel. Although State highways and public transport continue to get big funding increases the funding of rural roads continues to decline. 
Craig Macalister tax director of the Institute of Chartered Accountants estimates 115000 partnerships and sole traders will be missing out on these latest company tax cuts. He said: “This kind of structure is particularly popular for rural-based businesses and farmers. Business tax rates should not be changed in isolation especially in the New Zealand context. We’ve got a large number of sole traders and partnerships operating in New Zealand and lowering the company tax rate does nothing for them.” He went on to say: “But there is a real cost particularly for New Zealand farmers when it comes to moving assets from one entity to the new company. Assets needed to be realised when moved over to the new company—which could mean tax being levied on profits when they were transferred. This might not make much difference to a sole-trader painter or builder but for a farmer this could mean paying tax on hundreds of thousands of dollars of profit being realised on the livestock.” Do Government members understand any of those implications? I do not think they appreciate the huge contribution that the agricultural sector makes to this country. 
I have another quote from the public: “Flown the socialist coop to Singapore—It is little wonder after Cullen’s smoke and mirrors Budgets that many of us have left the country. This week’s effort from the finance Minister provides no further motivation to stay or return. After more than 40 years grafting in my homeland I now work in a country with a low tax rate and an economic optimism that is no longer visible in New Zealand. What a relief it is to be rewarded for personal effort rather than having a nanny State grudgingly offering small crumbs of gratitude.” 
And nanny State it is. Just the other day I heard an elderly couple say: “Well if people are going to buy their own home perhaps they could ask the Government what house they should buy.” The Government is telling them how to do everything else—not to smack their children; “save this” and “do that”. Perhaps it should be telling people how much to spend on their groceries at the supermarket. This is nanny State par excellence extraordinaire; call it what you will. The Government’s actions are certainly driving people out of the country or causing them to want to see the back of this Government and vote for National. We will give them that opportunity. We have some vision; clearly this Government does not. We can see that because it is trying to pinch all our policies—[ 
Interruption 
] Oh yes our charity policy. 
Hon Mita Ririnui 
: Ha ha! 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: The member may laugh but the New Zealand public are not that dumb. 
I shall quote the view of George Lim: “This Budget is not worth reading. Wait for the one next year! That should be interesting. This Government has been in power too long and besides continually displaying their arrogance they have gone totally deaf to public opinion. Replying to criticisms both from the Opposition and the public Cullen’s reaction has frequently been to insult those as either totally stupid or just plain dumb.” That is George Lim’s opinion of this current Government. 
The Government is not listening to public opinion. It just ignores it. Look at its Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill. There is huge public opposition but is this Government listening? No it went headlong into signing that agreement with Australia. Annette King really did the business on that one. There was no proper consultation with the New Zealand public through the Parliament or whatever. She just went ahead and did it. What about the smacking legislation? The Government totally ignored public opinion on that one as well. 
Then someone signed “Gunner” asks: “Why didn’t Labour offer a personal tax cut in the form of the portion we are required to invest in KiwiSaver? Many families can’t afford to contribute that percentage as they are facing higher mortgage costs petrol costs and increases in water rates and council rates. This sort of cut would mean Labour would still maintain their Stalinist control of our bleak lives and the country would save more as KiwiSaver would be compulsory and free.” He is wanting obviously to get rid of this current Government—and rightly so let us face it. 
A comment by “Wellington” states: “1.6 percent growth in 2009 is an absolute disgrace and Cullen and Bollard should resign immediately. The only creativity that Cullen can muster is how to cynically plan to buy votes to maintain a lame administration.” 
We know that Cullen has no vision. We know that all he can do is to be cynical. Well he has reached a dead-end street; he will be off the roads very very soon because he is not getting warranted or registered for his vehicle in the next year. He is out; we will take him off the roads. He will have no rubber left on his tyres by the time the next election comes. 
Someone called Peter says: “The concept of a savings scheme that has both a Government and employer top-up is nice. Finding 4 percent of your gross income to spare to pay the required contributions is another matter especially in the face of inflation fuelled by out-of-control public sector spending. It’s not going to get much voter approval. Labour are on the way out.” With that we absolutely agree. In the famous words of Donald Trump is it not— 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Yes. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
:—Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole; I did manage to squeeze his name in there three times. I would like to be able to say to them: “You’re fired!”. 
“Kiwi John” says: “The Budget proclamation says it all. This Government’s management of the economy will ensure that real gross domestic product growth will slow to 1.6 percent in the March 2009 year. Banana republics are doing better than this.” This is what members of the New Zealand public are saying. They know. And what comes after a banana—a lemon. That is what he is saying—get rid of this outfit before it is too late. 
Time after time members of the New Zealand public are saying that this is a bad Budget that it does nothing for New Zealand. There is no vision and there is nothing in it for the bulk of the population. I went to a Grey Power meeting and members asked what was in it for them. They cannot wait for the day to see the back of this Government and I will applaud that day.