Dyson Ruth: General Debate 
Dyson Ruth: General Debate 
[Volume:633;Page:4643] 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 After hearing that contribution which was well considered and thoughtful—even though I might not agree with many of the points made—I find it very difficult to imagine how much that member must miss his former colleague Tau Henare who made the previous contribution to the House. The difference in style and in the ability to get anything progressed in this Parliament has never been more stark than when listening to the Hon Brian Donnelly preceded by Tau Henare. 
This has been another very very bad week for the current leader of the National Party culminating in his being pushed around quite literally by his deputy leader who has a very well-known reputation for assisting people down the stairs—particularly people who do not want to go down any stairs. But doing it in front of the entire House and therefore in front of the entire nation during question time is just extraordinary. 
Every week Dr Brash proves to the nation and the caucus that he does not have what it takes to be the leader. Every week he provides us with more evidence that he is not up to being the leader. Every week he provides us with policy contradiction and double standards—fresh off the back of the National Party’s extraordinary “cool” marketing presentation as was outlined to the House the week before the National Party conference. It is a marketing campaign that by the way Dr Brash had not seen 3 days before it was presented to his own party conference. He had not even seen it. Mind you we should not be surprised about that. This is the same Dr Brash who called a press conference—he was not door-stopped; he specifically called a press conference—to explain the email story. Then part way through the conference when he was challenged about the content of his own email he said to the journalist that he actually did not have a copy of that email. He was provided with a copy and then proceeded to read it out to the entire group at the press conference. Should we be surprised that that member had not even seen his own marketing campaign which was presented just 3 days afterwards to his own party conference? 
That “cool” presentation talked about a number of things such as encouraging the new women members of the National Party—and old members of the National Party—to try to get their faces on the front page of  
Woman’s Day 
 and  
New Idea 
. If that party could come up with one new idea then members may well deserve to get their photos on the front cover but at the moment they have not. 
One of the other ideas that was presented to the National Party during the “cool” presentation was that National MPs align themselves to charities and non-governmental organisations so they could cosy up to them and say: “We’re your friends. We’ll help you.” That was very interesting news to one charity. I received an email from a very very reputable organisation which stated: “I saw in last week’s  
Dominion Post 
 that National Party MPs were being encouraged to get involved with charities.” It sounds like a good idea; of course they would have to be told to do it. “I have approached National Party MPs asking them if they would assist with a charity collection.” What was the answer? “To date I have had only one reply which said that that particular person was unavailable to help.” That is the response that a genuine reputable not-for-profit organisation in New Zealand got when the National Party was fronted up to deliver. 
New Zealanders do not want a marketing campaign and they do not want to see the soft airbrushed face of Judith Collins on the front pages of their magazines; they want action. When this organisation asked for action what it got from the National Party was “No we are too busy.” Well I would like one member of that caucus to show some genuine commitment to not-for-profit organisations and to deliver but no one will. 
The cool marketing campaign which their leader did not even know about is not going very well with the public so far. Then we led on to the “bedrock” speech. I have to commend Dr Brash for the name of his speech. It is a fantastic name. Bedrock is the town in which the Flintstones—the Stone Age cartoon characters Fred and Wilma and Barney Rubble—live. Nothing suits that member more than the Stone Age.