Auchinvole Chris: General Debate 
Auchinvole Chris: General Debate 
[Volume:632;Page:4005] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 The only true way to measure the value of Government policies is on a comparative basis. 
Hon David Parker 
: In an election. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Exactly! I thought about this when I read of the 300 West Coasters being culled from the hospital waiting lists and 500 in Nelson at the Tasman end of the electorate. I made a quick comparison of the National caucus health team with the present Government’s health team. National has Tony Ryall who is experienced thorough and insightful. It has Dr Jackie Blue Dr Jonathan Coleman Dr Paul Hutchison and Jo Goodhew who is a registered nurse tutor. We have four health practitioners and an astute political leader. That is the National caucus health team. What has Labour got? A vet. It is no wonder that Labour culls patients like cattle. 
Let us look at the National caucus foreign affairs team. We have veteran Murray McCully career negotiator Tim Groser and career diplomat John Hayes. The present Labour-led Government’s foreign affairs team includes a list MP from New Zealand First who is not in Cabinet but who is a careering politician best described as a political chameleon of ever-changing hues. 
In agriculture the National caucus team has experienced farmers David Carter and Nathan Guy plus other members with a heap of primary production experience. Labour has Jim Anderton. Wow! When did he last milk a moo-cow if ever? 
One could go on and look at all the portfolios such as energy education law and commerce. In each and every portfolio National’s caucus is a Government in readiness. Labour knows that. The key to the country’s future—the key that can unlock doors that are locked with stifling over-regulation and compliance—is the finance portfolio. That is the key to success and National has its very own key—John Key. He has a solid record of success in each of his endeavours. He leads National’s finance team of Bill English Lockwood Smith and Craig Foss. The present Government line-up in finance is uncertain. But no matter who is put up the comparison is all in National’s favour. 
I note the reduced influence of Dr Cullen. Let us remember that I have been a member only since last September but I have come to realise that the erstwhile Dr Cullen is to Ms Clark what Hugh Watt was to Norman Kirk. Hugh Watt did the work but sadly received little recognition or more than cosmetic credit. It is not fair but what is fair on that side of the House? It looks as if someone else has designs on Dr Cullen’s position and that someone is purported to be Mr Mallard. Mr Mallard is the maestro Minister of Education who did for the Grey Valley schools. 
Like many of the present Government’s financial would-bes wannabes and never-weres Mr Mallard seems to believe that we can suddenly activate State-owned enterprises into becoming entrepreneurial enterprises in order to get more globally competitive firms. He says we need organisations of scale that can afford to have a few losses on the way. It is news to me that any successful business venture sets forth on the comfortable basis that it is OK to make a few losses on the way. That is a recipe for structural and leadership disaster. That is Eastern bloc economics without the laughs. The whole point of business development regardless of scale is not to take away risk but to take away uncertainty. That is what stimulates entrepreneurs to take away uncertainty and let them measure the risk and take it. 
Uncertainty is the currency this present Government deals in. It puts regulation as its paramount principle and uncertainty follows as surely as night follows day—the uncertainty of resource consent regulation change and cost compliance. Labour policies are like a giant pillow shoved over the face of aspiring businesses and Mr Mallard does not have the pinch punch or clarity to be even a mediocre pillow fighter within the suffocating Labour-led caucus. 
I ask to be allowed to make an impassioned plea to the present Prime Minister’s chief of staff to consider the reality that such a change will be an economic social commercial and financial disaster with overwhelming ramifications for the future of New Zealand. Labour should choose a replacement for Dr Cullen who can act with responsibility integrity and good commercial sense—someone like well I guess there lies the problem. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.