O'Connor Damien: General Debates 
O'Connor Damien: General Debates 
[Volume:614;Page:10381] 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister for Racing) 
: 
 As we approach the end of 2003 it is time to reflect on where we are as a country and where we are as a Government and how far we have come. When I came into this House 10 years ago unemployment under the National Government was 9.1 percent Maori unemployment was 21.8 percent and Pacific unemployment was 22.2 percent. Ten years on under a Labour-Progressive Government unemployment is 4.4 percent the lowest level in 15 years. We are proud of that record. We are a Government that is proud of its achievements. It is time to reflect on the situation that we find ourselves in at the moment. 
The Opposition is an important part of a democracy. Don Brash has had time to settle down into his position. “Settle down” is certainly the term I would use as well. Even the dead-cat bounce that we saw for a brief moment which saw a quick rise in the polls has moved on. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Move on. That’s all over. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: That is right. It is all over. It is all downhill now for Gerry Brownlee and Don Brash because New Zealanders understand that under that party’s policies it is all downhill. The average New Zealander will see a declining standard of living because Don Brash believes we are going to have to cut tax for the rich and take the extra taxes from the average New Zealander. He will sell our assets down the drain. He will sell them out and cut from under us the revenue-generation capacity we have built up. He has certainly reduced the expectations of National Party members. I will tell members a good story. 
Judith Collins 
: Oh. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Yes it is a little sad. There is a little sigh from the National Party over there. I went down into the heart of National Party country—down into Southland—on Monday. Bill English has been down there for a while. He has more time to be down there now. 
Jill Pettis 
: Is he really down there? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: He is on holiday down there. He does not seem to be working too hard. I would have expected the people down there in the heart of National Party country to have some real issues to take up with me. Well I went to Queenstown. There was joyous celebration at the fishing industry conference about the way we are managing fisheries into the future. In spite of what Mr Shirley says people in the industry know that our management of fisheries has been sound and sensible and will lead us into the future. We are not going to rush into faulty aquaculture legislation. We will take our time and make sure that it allows us to continue with the growth we are realising at this moment. 
I moved down to Lumsden another part of Bill English country. What are they talking about there? Are they preaching doom and gloom? No they are struggling with the issues of growth. They are appreciative of the efforts of this Government in the area of rural health—assisting general practitioners with rural rostering and locum support schemes and the development of primary health-care organisations which they know will support rural practitioners up and down the country. 
They were praising us for Project Probe the ability for school rural communities to connect with the world. That was in Lumsden in the heart of Bill English territory. Maybe their view is a little different from that of Don Brash. That would not surprise me. I went to Te Anau. I thought look here is a more isolated community in the heart of Bill English territory and perhaps these people have issues with the Government. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I’ve been everywhere man! 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I say to Mr Brownlee that they have not. They are singing our praises also because they have growth in tourism with better infrastructure in place supporting their schools their medical centres and their general practitioners. 
This Government has done amazing things in rural New Zealand. It is not traditionally seen as the heartland of Labour support but if we can go into Bill English heartland territory and be praised for the initiatives of this Government I feel sorry for the National Party as it struggles around the urban centres of this country. 
Even in Mr Gerry Brownlee’s own electorate of Fendalton they voted for Labour because they knew we can drive growth in this economy that means real wealth creation. As we approach 10 years on from 1993 when I came into this House this Government has turned round this economy and is starting to develop real New Zealand pride.