Yates Dianne: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Yates Dianne: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:606;Page:3325] 
DIANNE YATES (NZ Labour—Hamilton East) 
: 
 I heard this afternoon in this House an absolutely amazing speech by the Leader of the Opposition. In fact we used to call him the “English patient”. I think he has now become part of that book set in Tasmania called  
English Passengers 
. In fact we on this side were even wondering who the new leader of the National Party will be. I have just heard it is going to be someone called William Pakeha or Wiremu Pakeha. The speech made by the Leader of the Opposition this afternoon must have been an absolutely total embarrassment for the Opposition. All I can say is that Bill English is an optimist because he believes in New Zealand and he is a realist because he stated that Labour would be a three-term Government at least. I think that was very good of Mr English but oh how embarrassing for the Opposition—just so totally embarrassing.  
Opposition members spend more time fighting each other than the Government because like their leader they realise what a waste of time that is. It is gaffe after gaffe after gaffe from the Opposition—an Opposition not worth worrying about. I listened to the Prime Minister’s speech today and I was proud. I was proud that she was ticking off the boxes of Labour policy on what this Government had delivered and what it would deliver on health education housing jobs and economic development.  
I want to talk about my electorate of Hamilton East because I like to talk about Hamilton East in this House. It is an electorate that I am very proud of and an electorate that produces a good deal of this nation’s export dollars. In the health area I want to thank the Hon Annette King for the undertaking to produce a neurosurgical unit in the Waikato at Waikato Hospital and for the negotiations that are going on there between Waikato and Auckland to produce that service—a service that is badly needed in a growing area of our country and an area that will serve people who are particularly subject to road accidents and head injuries. In relation to housing I want to say how much the improvements in housing and doing away with income-related rents has added to our community. Some people pointed out during the election that they had not realised that having a good housing policy affects families. It means that children’s lives are more stable. Children are staying on at the same school longer because their parents have— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Rubbish. It’s worse than ever. 
DIANNE YATES 
: It is not rubbish. I have contacted the local schools and we would be pleased for the member to come to Hamilton to see that the principals of the schools are saying there is greater stability.  
Can I also talk about jobs. We know that unemployment is below 5 percent. But I also want to point out something that came out of the leaky buildings inquiry and that is how good the Modern Apprenticeships scheme is going to be. We suffered for 9 years under a National Government that wanted to get rid of apprenticeships and what happened? There was a lowering of standards in the industry and deregulation that brought about a lowering of standards in building. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Not true. 
DIANNE YATES 
: I defy Mr Smith to get up and deny that. I want also to talk about education and I want to thank Trevor Mallard— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member challenged me to deny the fact that National reduced apprenticeships. In fact during National’s term the number of apprenticeships— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: No no. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Well the member invited me to do so. Her exact words were— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: That is not a point of order. 
DIANNE YATES 
: I want to talk about education and to thank the Minister of Education for a new school in Hamilton East. The city is growing particularly in the north-east and I am pleased to say that we have a brand new school with new students starting this February. I particularly want to thank the builders for getting the school finished on time. I want to thank Phil Cowie  
the new principal of Rototuna School and his new staff for the wonderful job they have done and the Ministry of Education for getting the school up and running and all the efforts that have gone into improving education in the Hamilton East electorate.  
I want also to talk about Innovation Park which has had the go-ahead and I want to thank Jim Anderton for the work he and Industry New Zealand have done on this regional development project which has the buy-in of people in the electorate and in the Waikato region. Innovation Park is going to create around 2500 jobs in Hamilton and we are particularly pleased that we have had the help of and have worked in partnership with Industry New Zealand the Hamilton City Council the local WEL Energy Trust and with people working together to bring about a change that will create jobs that will bring about innovation in our city. I know that Doug Woolerton will agree with me in saying that this will be a real boost for Hamilton.  
I have travelled to Auckland many times over the summer and it has taken about half an hour longer than usual. The reason it has taken over half an hour longer than usual is that there are numerous roadworks on the way—I see other members nodding in this House—as the four-laning between Hamilton and Auckland progresses at a very fast pace. The bridge to nowhere is now actually going somewhere. There has been a lot of fuss about taniwhas but I take the taniwha as a symbol of the difficulties of trying to build a road through a swamp. It is extremely difficult. Local people know that; we all know that. I congratulate the engineers who are working extremely hard to find ways of making that road through the swamp. A tremendous drainage system is going through there which has created added costs. I once again thank Transport Ministers Mark Gosche and now Paul Swain for the work that is being done there. If members do not believe me they should take a little detour at Ohinewai and see the massive road works that are going on there.  
I also want to talk about a couple of other issues one of which is the Responsible Gambling Bill. I particularly want to praise George Hawkins the Minister of Internal Affairs who has been working on the bill. Peter Dunne started off an inquiry into gambling about 15 years ago I think and nothing happened. There were several bills under National and they went to select committee but they died a natural death in this House and nothing happened. We now have a bill the Responsible Gambling Bill before this House. We have had an inquiry and the Minister of Internal Affairs George Hawkins has seen that there is actual progress on the bill. It is moving ahead. It will be back in this House and it will be passed this year. That has been called for by many people in relation to casinos and in relation to the proliferation of pokie-machines which many people particularly in the Hamilton East community are very concerned about. There is grave concern about that growth and I am pleased to be able to thank George Hawkins here tonight for the work that has been done on that legislation and for the fact that this Government is actually producing legislation that has been in the too-hard basket for many people for a good deal of time.  
Once again I say that good things are happening. Hamilton East is a symbol of what this Government is doing. We have an Innovation Park that is working on economic issues and on science and research turning ideas into money. We have a new school which shows the growth in education and the provisions that we are making. New roads are being built in our electorate. We have an addition to Waikato Hospital in that a neurosurgical unit is on the way and we have new jobs. We have jobs not only because of growth in the economy but once again because of this particular regional development in the Innovation Park. I am particularly thankful to the Ministers who have listened to my advocacy on behalf of people in the electorate and for the good work that Labour has done in producing legislation in producing growth and in listening to the people of this country.