Wong Pansy: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Wong Pansy: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:629;Page:1103] 
PANSY WONG (National) 
: 
 Today is supposed to be the “Big Day Out” for the Prime Minister with her opening statement for a third-term Labour Government. All Georgina Beyer could say in her speech was that it was a pretty good statement. That is like a student getting a report card that says “He or she tries hard.” when a teacher is running out of comments to make to the parents. What a bunch of despondent and dispirited-looking Labour caucus members! I saw them forcing themselves to sit through that dry statement of the Prime Minister. It was supposed to be a happy day for them but they knew that Labour is in trouble. My colleague David Bennett for example the MP for Hamilton East can tell them that Dianne Yates and 10 others have lost their seats. They know that the word on the street is not good for Labour. The public are worried about the lack of safety and about the economy going into recession and all Labour can do is talk itself up. 
Labour knows it is in trouble because its fortune lies with the Prime Minister Helen Clark but Helen Clark has used up her credits with the public. The commentators may associate her with the words “strong leadership” but did they ever associate the New Zealand Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark with the words “integrity” or “honesty”? No they did not. Leadership implies there is a need for integrity. Actually I agree with Georgina Beyer. I have no problem with the Prime Minister taking credit for securing the Rugby World Cup for New Zealand. I have no problem with the Prime Minister taking credit for good weather for good international commodity prices and for the economy of the last 6 years. I think she can take credit for that. 
All I really object to is the fact that she cannot take the blame when her mistakes are so obvious. A real leader will shoulder responsibility. Why can she not tell the charity that wants her to do a painting that she cannot paint? Why does she have to sign her name on the painting? Why can she not say whether she told a Sunday paper about what Peter Doone said or did not say to the police who stopped his partner while driving. Why can Helen Clark not now just save taxpayers’ money and front up to the Electoral Commission to say that the Labour Party made a mistake and say it will pay back $440000 of taxpayers’ money. That is what New Zealand needs: a leader who takes the credit but who can also take the blame when it is due. Why does she have to put a civilian driver and members of our police force through the courts for not noticing that they were speeding at 160 kilometres per hour? Members of the public are all wearing a smile. It is not good; they know they cannot trust the Prime Minister. She may be strong but she is not trustworthy. That is why Labour Party members know they are in trouble. 
Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I notice that all afternoon National MPs have gone far outside the Standing Orders in making comments. We have just heard two comments in a row from Mrs Wong—I am making a point of order so she might want to take her seat—and referring to any member as not being trustworthy is right outside the Standing Orders. MPs should not be able to debate that with you Mr Assistant Speaker. If you instruct them to withdraw and apologise that is exactly what they should do. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the honourable member for his point of order. I ask Pansy Wong to desist and to continue with her speech. 
PANSY WONG 
: So the Labour caucus is worried because its members cannot rely on Helen Clark to carry credit with the public. That is why they are desperately trying to look for new stars and new policies. Let me demonstrate how some of the new stars think. [ 
Interruption 
] Sorry—Harry Duynhoven is not on my list. I want to talk about a new star the Hon David Cunliffe. In an edition of the  
Indian Newslink 
 a headline states: “Reprieve for overstayers on the cards”. Apparently the Hon David Cunliffe said that the number of overstayers—21000—is getting out of hand so he will look at a scheme to allow those overstayers to regularise their status. They will have to reapply under a number of conditions systems and rules that could be harsher than for those applying for permanent residence from abroad. So those overstayers have failed their existing immigration criteria but this Minister of Immigration has said he will give them another chance. They can reapply under a set of harsher rules. What sort of logical thinking is that? 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
PANSY WONG 
: Before the break I was saying that in 2000 Labour put in place a conditional amnesty that was supposed to solve the problem of the large number of overstayers. But we have just heard that the new Minister of Immigration—the new star of Labour—revealed to  
Indian 
Newslink 
 that the Government is having a problem with 21000 overstayers. However the proposal is incredible. The new Minister has said that he will ask those overstayers to reapply to become permanent residents which sounds reasonable—but under a tougher set of conditions. I fail to understand that because if those overstayers could pass under the current criteria they would not be overstayers so how can they get residence under a tougher set of rules? It is like teachers saying they have a student who cannot do well in year 10 so they will put the student in year 13 where maybe he or she can do better. With that kind of logic it is no wonder the Labour caucus is worrying. 
The Prime Minister promised that one of the priorities was to have a new look at regulations. Well let me share a personal frustration that happened last Waitangi Day. I had friends from overseas come to visit beautiful Auckland Central so I decided to show off our restaurants and treat them to some nice pieces of juicy New Zealand prime steak. I rang over 10 restaurants and they were closed. They were small owner-operator businesses with two or three staff and they told me they could not afford to open. It was not worth their while to open because of the provisions of the Holidays Act regarding public holidays. What is the Government doing to small business operators who choose to operate in the tourism and hospitality industry which is a 7-day-a-week business? I made 10 phone calls and I can tell members that every phone call ended with the owner-operator telling me that we should get rid of Labour. I think the Labour caucus should be very worried. 
The Prime Minister also promised that one of the other top priorities was to review— 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Review? 
PANSY WONG 
:—not just review but do a major review—the structure of business taxation. If the Ministerial Panel on Business Compliance Costs is anything to go by I would say that the business sector should not hold its hopes high because 2 years after appointing the panel people in small business do not feel that compliance costs have gone down. Indeed Business New Zealand has done a survey and it has identified some areas of concern relating to skills shortages. That situation has come about because of a lack of competitiveness in the New Zealand economy resulting from a high tax burden rigid employment law and the Resource Management Act making development difficult. 
So I would say that it is no wonder on this first day of debate on the Prime Minister’s statement that we have seen a whole group of very despondent Labour caucus members who know that their front bench will not deliver new policies and new initiatives. All the 11 Labour MPs who lost their seats know that the word on the street is that the public has no confidence that Labour has the policy and energy or most important integrity and honesty to lead New Zealand to face these new sets of challenges. I can understand that the only comment made by Georgina Beyer on the Prime Minister’s statement was that it was a pretty good speech. That is about right—well she tries hard. I think the Hon Phil Goff should get his aspirations up. I think that Labour members are starting to look at the Hon Phil Goff. 
Hon Member 
: Are they? 
PANSY WONG 
: Oh yes. I see that the Hon Phil Goff has the numbers person out there doing the work and it should be an interesting year for Labour.