King Annette: General Debate 
King Annette: General Debate 
[Volume:647;Page:16148] 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 I move  
That the House take note of miscellaneous business 
. Everybody has heard the saying: “Bread today and jam tomorrow.” Well as we lead up to the 2008 election a cocky arrogant National Party—its members boasting about their poll ratings around the halls of Parliament squabbling over which ministerial house they want choosing their ministerial staff and selecting their new cars—is not interested in building for the future for a better New Zealand. It is all about “Jam now and to hell with the future.” The jam I have to say is for the National Party and its mates. Its mates are those people who have kept their opinions very quiet for the last 2 years but who are now emerging out of their very comfortable offices to praise to plot and to prepare for the return of a National Government—a Government they have been told that will implement their agenda. 
Their agenda I have to tell the people of New Zealand would rip the heart out of workers’ rights here in New Zealand. It is an agenda that would see a return to the master-servant relationship that was promised to the Exclusive Brethren in 2005. Already we have National members of Parliament going around speaking to business groups and telling them that they have big changes in mind for the Employment Relations Act. 
It is an agenda that promises a referendum on MMP. Who is asking for a referendum on MMP? The public of New Zealand are not asking for a referendum on MMP. The only people who want a referendum are the big backers of the National Party—those who have the money and who want to change the voting system here in this Parliament so that the small parties represented here will not be here any more. The first payback for the big backers of the National Party is John Key’s announcement that there will be a referendum on MMP. In respect of that referendum today I read in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 that “National might remind themselves a majority favour the present system”. This referendum will be a $3 million payback for the National Party’s big backers—the Business Roundtable Mr Graeme Hunt and others—who want to get rid of the small parties in this Parliament so that the National Party can once again become the “natural” party of Government. 
And then we have the sale of assets. It will be back on the agenda—mark my words. Of course National members are going to spend 3 years preparing themselves to sell the assets of New Zealand but they are going to get rid of them; there is no doubt about it. Rail will be gone Air New Zealand will be gone Television One will be sold our energy generation will be sold the Accident Compensation Corporation will be gone and many many more will go. People like Bill English Maurice Williamson Lockwood Smith Murray McCully and Tony Ryall are gagging at swallowing this political rat. What they are really promising the people of New Zealand is that they will be a non-Government for 3 years because they will change nothing and do nothing. They will just get ready to do it in their next term if they are elected. 
John Key has determined that he will win by doing whatever it takes—flip-flops bluster and ballyhoo. He will neutralise any issue he will mis-speak and he will fabricate. He will do anything to neutralise any political issue if it is going to lose a vote—and it does not matter even if it is a bedrock National Party policy. Of course the edict to National Party MPs is: “Don’t worry about principles. Don’t worry about policy. Don’t worry about integrity. Don’t worry about honesty. Win at all costs.” Their mantra is to win at all costs. And what a huge cost it would be to the people of New Zealand—people who look to a Government to ensure they are looked after. For 8 years this Government has been doing that with Working for Families KiwiSaver paid parental leave 4 weeks of holidays for Kiwis and affordable health care. The list goes on but now we have John Key promising everybody $50 a week in tax cuts.