Collins Judith: General Debate 
Collins Judith: General Debate 
[Volume:667;Page:14429] 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 The Hon Annette King who has just resumed her seat has bravely asked what leadership is. Well she might well ask that of herself. She then regaled us with a lecture on moral leadership. Frankly I will not take that from a key member of a Labour Government that would have to have been the most morally bankrupt Government we have ever seen certainly in my lifetime. That Government gave us the Electoral Finance Act which was all about shutting down opposition. It was a Government that bent weaved and twisted. I sat through question time after question time under the previous Labour Government with David Cunliffe twisting and weaving when questions were very decisively and succinctly asked of him regarding Taito Phillip Field. I remember those. I remember Helen Clark’s many excuses as Prime Minister. She said that people were just helping others. Yes right! 
Annette King has asked very clearly a question regarding Phil Goff’s leadership—that is what she was really asking. She is really asking the Labour Party whether it will stand by its leader Phil Goff. She asked questions about how a leader can have one view today and another view the next day. Let us ask about that. Phil Goff flip-flopped on supporting the trade of holiday leave for cash. This is what he said on 20 July this year: “I don’t have huge objections to that.” Yet a few weeks later on  
The Nation 
 on 14 August he said: “We wouldn’t make it tradable.” That is a complete and utter flip-flop so well might the Hon Annette King ask about leadership as did the 17 members of the Labour Party the detail of which the Hon Chris Carter will want to share with us no doubt. By the way where is he? Where is Chris Carter? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member should not be referring to the absence of another member. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Thank you Mr Speaker; you are quite right absolutely. It is very interesting. I am looking forward to hearing more of the Hon Chris Carter and the 17. Who is leaving already? We already know that Helen Clark has left Michael Cullen has left and we know Chris Carter has shifted. We know that the Hon Winnie Laban has left and that the Hon George Hawkins will be going as are Lynne Pillay and the Hon Pete Hodgson. So who will be left? Who is part of the 17? Well Sue Moroney is definitely part of the 17 and Brendon Burns will want to be part of the 17 because those members want to know what it is like to be in Government. Well under Phil Goff there will be a long wait ahead. 
In the meantime while those members are meeting behind closed doors talking about leadership and stabbing each other in the back we are just getting on on this side of the House with governing the country. I have heard Labour members give us lectures about the price of food. Let us have a look at that issue. In the last 2 years of the previous Labour Government food prices overall went up 15 percent. That is in the last 2 years; 15 percent. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: How much? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: It was 15 percent. In the last 2 years of the National-led Government food prices went up by 5 percent. Is that not amazing—one-third? Yet do we ever hear that from Labour members? 
Let us look at these good honest foods. In the last 2 years under the previous Labour Government vegetable prices went up 21 percent but in the last 2 years of the National-led Government they have gone down 6 percent. There is not a peep out of Labour members about that. Let us look at another good food—fresh milk. The cost went up 23 percent in the last 2 years of the Labour Government but it has gone up only 7 percent under National. Let us look at eggs; eggs are a good food. There was a 19 percent cost increase under Labour but a 6 percent decrease under National. Cheese—I remember lectures on cheese from Labour members. The price of cheese increased 50 percent—that is 5-0 percent—under Labour and minus 3 percent under National. For goodness’ sake! 
National is definitely the party of the people unlike the Labour Party—the party of the elite. Labour Party members tiki-toured around the country on the taxpayers’ back of course talking about Labour’s “Axe the Tax” stance. Members will remember that will they not? 
Chris Auchinvole 
: I do. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Mr Auchinvole remembers that. Mr Goff then decided that he was not going to axe the tax after all. I wish he had told the taxpayers and they could have saved the petrol. Then we had Mr Mallard talking about “a very silly bill to take GST off ‘Healthy Food’” saying: “Just imagine trying to define that. And how much of each we are allowed each hour/day/week before GST ticks in. And the army of inspectors to check the food. And the increase in GST…” blah-blah-blah. He said that on 22 April this year and now we have Labour members and Mr Goff in particular saying they are going to remove the tax on food.