Hayes John: Crown Entities Reform Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hayes John: Crown Entities Reform Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 04 October 2011. Volume:676;Page:21662. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) 
: 
 I think this debate needs a dose of honesty and integrity and a bit of plain speaking. First of all I am very pleased that the Crown Entities Reform Bill will apply to all New Zealanders equally. Secondly the point has been made in the House this afternoon that the removal of the Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) will cause huge trouble but that is just not the case. ALAC’s independent evidence-based advisory function is retained within the new entity—the Health Promotion Agency. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Yeah right! 
JOHN HAYES 
: Alcohol harm reduction programmes will continue to be funded through a levy on alcohol consumption. 
That member also said earlier in her somewhat fossilised view of the world that mental health services were going to be reduced. I tell her they are not. The functions of the Mental Health Commission will continue to be performed by the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner and we have specifically provided for the role of the Mental Health Commissioner within the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner. 
Let us just go back a bit. Under the 9 years of the Labour Government the number of public servants increased by 50 percent or by 1800 public servants per year. We have to keep in mind that this country is smaller than Australia. We have 4 million people. We cannot afford an unlimited non-capped Public Service. Before the last election National said: “No. 1 we’re going to reduce taxes No. 2 we’re going to simplify the RMA No. 3 we’re going to get rid of bureaucracy and red tape.” We said: “We’re going to improve infrastructure.” Go and have a look at Rimutaka Hill Road and see that improvement happening. We said: “We’re going to bring in standards for education and we’ve got NCEA. We’re going to reduce crime. We’re going to bring in broadband.” We have delivered those things but still we must remove the overcapacity of our Public Service. If we are going to chase John Key’s aspiration of achieving Australia’s income levels then we have to run a very efficient Government administration. The Government is committed to improving the efficiency coordination and quality of public services. 
It was said in the House two speakers ago that nobody from the Wairarapa would stand up and say there has been an improvement in health services. Well I invite that member to look at the delivery statement of the Wairarapa District Health Board which is second to none in this country in most areas of its operation. Certainly in 3 years I have not had a person come into my constituency office in Masterton and say they are not getting health service delivery. But “not getting health service delivery” was a consistent theme for the 3 years that I was in Opposition and when the Labour Government was in power. 
Second I think we have to focus Government efforts and funding on things that matter most to New Zealanders and on making sure that we do them well. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: Tax cuts for the wealthy. 
JOHN HAYES 
: OK you can talk about tax cuts. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member constantly brings me into the debate. You cannot use the word “you” or “your”. 
JOHN HAYES 
: Let us review the question around gift duty. This was a tax that cost $70 million a year to collect and in the last 12 months generated $1.7 million. It cost $70 million so it makes no sense to be in that space. 
We are going to continue to streamline bureaucracy and focus on front-line services. I particularly congratulate Tony Ryall and his people in the health sector for really doing that very well. This Government has a very clear focus—on efficiency coordination and the quality of public services. As managers of the economy as managers of people’s taxes we have a responsibility to the community to do that. 
I thoroughly commend this first reading of the bill and its provisions to the House. We want the State sector to be focused on very clear priorities we want it to deliver high-quality services and we want to eliminate waste across the public sector. Thank you.