Maharey Steve: General Debate 
Maharey Steve: General Debate 
[Volume:632;Page:3994] 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 As winter closes in and the darkness settles across New Zealand those few people who are followers of John Key—the rich and the restless of the nation—are not satisfied. Last year those people put their faith in Dr Don Brash who now seems to reside in Bondi Beach. They had hoped by now to be enjoying their extraordinarily large tax cuts and to be observing a strategic deficit being used to privatise to cut back on social services and to create an environment where they could once again gain from all of the public enterprise that has taken place in this country. As they choked back their champagne they realised their dream has not come true. They spent so much money last year. They even had to go and spend time with the Exclusive Brethren whose only virtue was that they were rich too—and all for nothing. 
To make matters worse they know that on 1 July this year they are going to have to watch being put in place a whole range of policies that the extremely rich get nothing from. On 1 July they will watch ordinary Kiwis gain a great deal because they voted a Labour-led Government back into office. It is enough I have heard to make these extremely rich people like John Key shift to Australia pay higher taxes higher accident compensation charges higher childcare charges and higher charges for selling their eight or nine houses—and they would do all those things just in spite because all their efforts have come to nothing. 
We thought today that we would begin to make their pain worse by telling them exactly what will happen on 1 July. On 1 July the amount of money going to early childhood education will rise by $30 million. 
Darren Hughes 
: Are they for it or against it? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The National Party was against it because it would have had to fund tax cuts and would not have been able to pay for it. On 1 July primary health organisations will roll out for 45 to 64-year-olds—it will not affect me but it will affect people like Mrs King who has just crept into the age group. That age group will be watching their subsidies go up and the costs to the doctor go down. Therefore their visits to the doctor will be cheaper. 
On 1 July the manifesto promise to extend the paid parental leave entitlement to self-employed New Zealanders will come in. This was opposed by the National Party because it needed the money for tax cuts. On 1 July the phase-out of asset testing for people in residential homes will begin. The first $150000 of assets will now be exempt and that will rise by $10000 per year. That was opposed by the National Party because it needed the money for tax cuts. The National Government actually brought in all those changes of course so to be consistent National wants to leave the system as it is. On 1 July the rates rebate scheme will mean that 300000 low-income New Zealanders will become eligible for $500 to be deducted from their rates bill. That has been opposed by the National Party because it needed the money for tax cuts. 
On top of all that I just remind the sobbing friends of John Key that the amounts paid out under the Working for Families package went up on 1 April interest-free loans came in on 1 April superannuation went up on 1 April business tax changes came in on 1 April—all opposed by the National Party because it needed the money for tax cuts. 
Next week we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Labour Party and we are to have one helluva party. For over 90 years the Labour movement has represented progress for ordinary decent Kiwis not for those limousine liberals who ride around with John Key worrying about why they cannot get more tax cuts for the rich. Labour will celebrate its 90th anniversary next week and the National Party will sob.