Mallard Trevor: Appropriation (2005/06 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
Mallard Trevor: Appropriation (2005/06 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
[Volume:627;Page:22222] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Associate Minister of Finance) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Finance 
: I move  
That the Appropriation (2005/06 Estimates) Bill be now read a third time and the Imprest Supply (Second for 2005/06) Bill be now read a second time 
. I think we have witnessed something just now that is particularly interesting: an Opposition that a week or two ago was so keen to go to an election and now is not even prepared to support the Imprest Supply bill in order to clear the decks for that election. That is an interesting approach and I think that an Opposition that a couple of weeks ago— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not like to interrupt the member mid-speech—in fact at the very beginning of his speech—but I do so because it is quite plain that unless we seek leave for this debate to be wide-ranging he will have nothing at all of any material value to offer the House. Accordingly I seek leave for this to be a very wide-ranging debate without limitation— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: That is not a point of order. But the House is the master of its own destiny. The member is seeking leave. Is there any objection to that course? There is. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I have not finished. I have not put my whole leave yet. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: It is already a wide-ranging debate. What is the member going on about? He is being dopey. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: No I want it to be a very wide-ranging debate. Quite often Mr Assistant Speaker you will say that members can range across all matters that relate to the Government’s financial policies when it comes to a bill like this. But I think there are issues about trust integrity and experience that the Government will not want to face too much discussion on—issues that I would be very happy to have brought in here particularly the one about the integrity of the Prime Minister who of course has shopped five policemen in the South Island. That is what I am seeking leave for. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! I am on my feet. It is a wide-ranging debate. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: We can see now why the National Party is in real trouble. Leaving aside the poll results for a second I just say that when the leader of the Opposition was asked whether he thought his dithering on Iraq and other issues was responsible for National’s dive in the polls what did he say? He said: “I can’t say.” Then what happened tonight? When asked whether Mr Goff was correct when he accused Lockwood Smith of asking American senators for support in order to push National Party pro-nuclear policy what did Dr Brash say? He said: “I can neither confirm nor deny.” Well well well! I can see Simon Power smiling because he is vindicated to a certain extent. What a sad Opposition and what a difference a week makes in politics! 
Ron Mark 
: Oh come on! You can’t leave New Zealand First out of that. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No and to be fair to New Zealand First members I do not regard them as being a major part of the Opposition. But I think it is fair to say that at the appropriate points in time when it has been important and when the principles have been right New Zealand First has supported the Government and I do want to give it credit for doing that. It is not blind in its opposition in the way we have seen the party opposite to be. I ask members opposite whether Kirkcaldie and Stains has had a sale this week and whether orange is the colour of the ties on sale. What is the story? Why is such a high proportion of National Party front-bench members wearing orange ties today? It is an interesting approach. They used to have blue ones then they had green ones and now they have orange ones. They are getting ready to stop. 
I return to the debate. It is clear that our economy has been going through a period of sustained solid growth that is well above OECD averages for the past 5 or 6 years. Between March 2000 and March 2005 260000 new jobs were created—[ 
Interruption 
] The member says some of them are casual and he is absolutely right. But for a lot of people in my electorate getting 40 45 or 50 hours of casual work and money in the pocket to buy a house pay the rent and pay the bills actually makes a difference. That might not make a difference to some of the New Zealand First members who have a silver spoon in their mouth but it makes a lot of difference to us. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Is it appropriate for a member to refer to working 50 hours a week as “casual” labour when we know that working 50 hours a week should be a full-time job and there is no such thing as a 50-hour-a-week casual job? 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I am on my feet. That is not a point of order. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: That just shows how out of touch members of New Zealand First are. A number of people have two and three jobs that build up to 50 hours a week. That is not an ideal situation—it is one that is certainly improving—but that member would deny those people those jobs and that is very very sad. And the member is now complaining because he does not get redundancy. Well he will get 3 months’ pay if he is not careful with that sort of approach. I am not sure where he is on Winston Peters’ list. Has New Zealand First put its list out yet? 
Hon Member 
: No no no. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: It has not put the list out. New Zealand First is a bit sneaky; it is waiting until the dissolution of Parliament so that Barbara Stewart and a number of others including Ross Meurant cannot complain. 
Simon Power 
: Susan Baragwanath. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Who? Not seriously. 
Simon Power 
: Read the newspapers. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Oh that would be very sad. That actually cracks me up. I always thought she was a Tory. 
Darren Hughes 
: Get on to National’s tax policy. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well I actually had a spot in my speech for the National tax policy because John Key promised that 3 days after the date of the election was announced we would have the National Party tax policy. Have we got it yet? We do not have it because it does not add up. I think that Bill English has a good point in his— 
Ron Mark 
: He’s the future leader. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I do not know whether National’s leader will be Bill English whether Bill English will be John Key’s deputy whether John Key will be Simon Power’s deputy or whether Simon Power will be Katherine Rich’s deputy— 
Darren Hughes 
: What about Gerry Brownlee? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: For goodness sake! The idea of Gerry Brownlee being on the front bench in 3 months’ time does not bear contemplation. But I will say that this Imprest Supply Bill will ensure that we do have enough money to implement the decisions taken after the finalisation of these estimates to cover the demand-driven expenses and other risks and contingencies that will face the Government between now and later in the year. It seeks authority to incur expenses of $1800 million and capital expenditure of $1300 million. That is a similar amount to the amount sought last year other than of course the treatment of GST which has changed over that period of time. 
There is a change and I think it is important to note that this bill seeks approval for the aggregate net asset holding of departments and Offices of Parliament to exceed the thresholds set in the Appropriation (2005/06 Estimates) bill. Approval for that is sought for an aggregate net asset holding of $16000 million. 
It is interesting that as we progress and improve our arrangements that things are made clearer. There is a lot of money in the estimates for education. I am particularly proud as the Minister of Education as well as an Associate Minister of Finance that the resourcing that is going in— 
Ron Mark 
: How come kids leaving school still can’t read? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think it is fair to say that there is a decreasing proportion of kids whose literacy skills are not the best. But the member also knows—because I know that Brian Donnelly told him—that our kids’ literacy is third in the OECD. 
 Our 15-year-olds are right up at the top of the OECD. 
Ron Mark 
: Except the ones who can’t read. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I refer to the ones who can read. Literacy is the ability to read. The member might recognise illiteracy as being a condition he is slightly more familiar with. The point I am making is that— 
Ron Mark 
: What do you mean by that? I can read the writing on the wall for Labour. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Well I have actually looked at a poll trend over the last week or so for New Zealand First and if that trend keeps going for another 2 weeks that member will be in a particularly interesting position. 
I say to John Key that some people are looking forward to his contribution. I think that a lot of people now—especially given the happenings earlier in the day—are looking forward to this speech staking out his position for the period after the election which would involve his shifting about two or three places to his left within the Chamber. There are some very high expectations on that relatively new member now. I regret the fact that urgent public business will stop me from staying to enjoy his speech but I am looking forward to reports that once again he will outshine Don Brash in the House today.