Bridges Simon: Adjournment — Sittings of the House 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bridges Simon: Adjournment — Sittings of the House 
[Sitting date: 12 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7494. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Consumer Affairs) 
: 
 Mr Speaker my very merry Christmas wishes to you and everyone in this precinct. I am sad to say that that is about as much Christmas cheer as you are going to get out of me this afternoon because the reality is that we have heard some appalling speeches from the other side of the House. We had an angry little speech from Ms Ardern over there who seems to have absolutely no concept of where money comes from or the fact that we have had a global financial crisis. We have been dealing with that as best we can and actually our numbers are holding up exceptionally well. We have had from Metiria Turei over there a rendition—the long version—of her Christmas holidays over the years. I have not quite worked out the actual reason for that. We have heard from David Parker who has given us his score of his leader between 7 and 11. I am not quite sure why he gave a range but I think it is because he is no longer sure of his numbers. 
But I think the real story this year politically inside this House is an absolute contrast between a party on this side that is soberly and correctly getting on with the business— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Soberly? Isn’t Maggie Barry on your side? 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: Well I am not talking about you Trevor. It gets on with the business of Government in the worst economic times for many many years with good numbers and there is a shambles on the other side over there the Opposition which cannot work out what is going on and which seems to be caught up in sideshows personality disputes and egos. 
Let us start with the Labour Party. Of course we know that it has had a leadership contest between David and David. I do not want to dwell on that. As interesting as it is it is old ground. But here is the real issue: Labour Party members changed their rules they had a vote and they have entrenched a loser as their leader. They have entrenched a loser as their leader. That is what they have done. The real story is that they hated Cunliffe so much—they hated him so much—that they decided they had to stick with the loser that they have got. 
Hon Annette King 
: You wait and see. 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: Annette King says: “You wait and see.” Well here is what Labour Party lovey Judy Callingham—who is married to one Brian Edwards and who is a friend a personal friend I would say to the members opposite—said very recently as quoted by the  
New Zealand Herald 
: “… broadcasting guru Ian Fraser has ‘done wonders for his speech-making’ ”—this is about David Shearer—“ ‘but no voice or media coach can change the brain patterns and that’s what’s affecting his non-scripted material.’ ” It is the brain patterns the synapses going between his brain. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Does Simon have any of those? Any brain patterns at all? 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: What was Judy Callingham talking about? Let me put this simply for Trevor Mallard. Labour Party lovey Judy Callingham was painting the real picture when it comes to David Shearer: he is thick. He is thick and they are stuck with him due to their hatred of Cunliffe. So I say to the Labour Party: “Look do anything. Do something in February. Change your leader. Go Grant. Go Annette as a caretaker leader. But don’t stick with the loser that you’ve got because he is a loser who’s got problems with his synapses.” 
While we are on it let us go to some of the other parties. There is the Green Party and the real leader of the Green Party is Russel Norman ladies and gentlemen. He is doing so well with his “bluewash”—with his sensible moderate and financially literate discussion. But the hubris got to him he could not help it and suddenly he is talking about the funny money—he is talking about the funny money. Then the real beauty that will come back to that party is that he decided in the thrill of the moment that he would make it quite clear that he wants to be Minister of Finance. He wants to be deputy leader. He had a dream and that is what he wanted. 
Grant Robertson 
: The angry Simon won’t get into Cabinet. 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: What is very clear to me is that that soft support in Mount Eden and the Khandallahs—probably where Grant Robertson lives—and the middle-class housewives will be scared by this guy as Minister of Finance. That is the way it is going. 
Then of course we have the New Zealand First Party— 
Le’aufa’amulia 
 Asenati Lole-Taylor 
: What a good party that one. 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES 
: —and the issues with Brendan. We will see where that goes. Brendan Horan says he represents the people of Tauranga. Well let me tell you Asenati he does not represent the people of Tauranga OK? The people who voted for him they voted for him because they thought he was Winston’s son OK? They thought he was Winston’s son but that is not where it is going. So on this side we have a party that is focusing on the real issues and getting on with business and we have sideshows personality disorders and egos on that side.