Smith Nick: General Debate 
Smith Nick: General Debate 
[Volume:671;Page:17758] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 I move  
That the House take note of miscellaneous business 
. There could not be a greater contrast in these very difficult times between the positive and strong leadership from John Key and the desperate the divided and the dysfunctional Labour Party. 
Members opposite just do not seem to get it that here we are facing the worst global downturn since the Great Depression and the biggest natural disaster this country has faced in half a century as well as the awful mining tragedy at the Pike River mine. Now more than at any time we need strong disciplined and focused leadership. The Labour Party has proved in the last fortnight that it cannot manage itself let alone govern this country. Let us look at the contrast. 
Over the adjournment period the Prime Minister announced business and employment assistance for Christchurch. The Minister of Finance Bill English announced the delivery of more efficient and better public services. Gerry Brownlee announced decisions about Christchurch and the Government’s recovery plans for that city. In just 6 weeks exactly today since that massive quake struck Christchurch this Government has been focused on what matters: getting people’s water back on which is now at 100 percent; getting people’s houses connected back on the electricity which is now up to 99 percent; getting thousands of new heating systems so that people will be warm for winter; Anne Tolley is working on getting our schools up and running and children back to school; and getting the sewerage fixed which is back up now to 94 percent. It has been a sterling effort. I am proud of this Government and I am proud of those people doing the hard yards in Christchurch getting that city rebuilt. I compare the progress with cities like Kobe and San Francisco and I say that we compare very well in the progress that we have made in just 6 weeks. 
I note that there has been a new word added to New Zealand’s vocabulary—munted. I think it is because the people of Christchurch are too polite to use the f word when they describe buildings that have been wrecked. “Munted” is the perfect word to describe the Labour Party. Over the adjournment Labour has been dysfunctional it has been divided and it has been distracted. We have seen the Labour Party president attack the leader. We have seen MPs and candidates see that Goff just does not cut the mustard and has not managed things properly. We have seen torch-bearers for the left describing the Leader of the Opposition as the walking wounded and a Clayton’s leader. 
It has become worse this week with Labour manipulating its party list. What does that say about the standard of the list that Labour does not want the next five people on the list back in Parliament or are things so bad that those former Labour members do not want to be associated with the Labour caucus opposite? What is going on in respect of MMP is underhand it is a rort and it makes a farce of MMP. If Labour has so little confidence in its list perhaps it should let those slots go to parties in this Parliament that have competent fresh and talented people who want to make a contribution to this Parliament. On the National list we have at least a dozen who would be up to the task of making a contribution. 
Then we had the ridiculous spectacle of David Cunliffe demanding the resignation of the Minister of Finance over finance company collapses and the cost of the Crown Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme. We would think these problems were of Mr English’s making. I remind members opposite that 36 finance companies had gone to the wall even before we came into Government. I commend Bill English and Simon Power for doing the hard yards without focusing on blaming the previous Labour Government.