Coleman Jonathan: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Coleman Jonathan: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 24 March 2010. Volume:661;Page:9767. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 I move  
That the House take note of miscellaneous business 
. News just in from Great Barrier Island: Phil Goff is there on yet another tour. I do not know how many tours he has made this year but I recall that he has been on the “Axe the Tax” tour and the Harley Davidson tour. Of course we are looking forward to the valedictory tour soon because Labour members cannot wait to see that happen. They know that they are in a dire situation. They know that they have not got a chance with Phil Goff at the helm. 
It will be interesting to hear what is actually happening on Great Barrier Island today because I predict that Mr Goff will not be talking about the 74 mines on public land that he was part of authorising under the previous Government. He will not be telling the good people of Great Barrier Island about the Pike River mine. He will not be talking about gold and gem concessions in Paparoa National Park. No I think he will be turning on one of his usual acts where he pretends to be at one with the local people. 
But you know the reality of it all is that Phil Goff I believe does not have any real problem with mining. I do not believe that he has any objection at all. What he does not like is the idea of New Zealanders becoming wealthier and doing better because he is the leader of the party of zero aspiration. The problem for Labour members is that if New Zealanders do better and become wealthier their party does not get in. Fundamentally they do not want to see New Zealand doing better because while New Zealand is doing better there is no way that Labour will get a run on the Treasury benches from the electorate. There is something fundamental in everything that the Labour Party says: it is against everything but we do not know what it is for. Phil Goff went on the “Axe the Tax” bus but he could not say whether he would reverse a rise in GST. He cannot tell us whether he will reverse any of the changes to the welfare system that will make New Zealanders get out there work harder and further their lot in life. 
If the New Zealand public decides that mining on conservation land can go ahead I bet that if Phil Goff gets the chance he will not turn that decision round because Phil Goff is an opportunist who is running out of opportunities. Darren Hughes over there is nodding—he is quite happy. Members opposite know that things are getting worse and worse for them. They have seen what has happened in Australia with Tony Abbott who is someone in Opposition who actually believes in something and they are thinking that if they put Trevor Mallard up as leader they might start getting some traction. The public cannot stand Trevor Mallard but at least they know what he stands for. With Phil Goff they are in real danger. With him they have someone who has been all over the paddock. When he is on Great Barrier Island today I do not think he will be talking about the time when he was part of a hard-right Labour Government in the 1980s when he was demanding hard-right reforms. He likes to distance himself from Roger Douglas these days but that is his political pedigree. When we look at Phil Goff’s record over the years we see that yes he has gone back and forth many times on many things. 
The one thing he has not managed to do while he has been the Leader of the Opposition is outline a plan for growing the economy. What our Prime Minister has done is say that New Zealand has to do better as a country. We have to earn more. We have to provide incentives for people to get off welfare and better themselves in life. There is a coherent plan. Every week the Government is rolling out policies that will make New Zealanders better off and wealthier and give us the income we need to pay for social services hospitals and the police force. Labour members want to keep the people in South Auckland subjugated and below the radar. They want to maintain the huge welfare spend. Their basic tactic is to tell people on a benefit not to worry because Labour will look after them; all they have to do is vote Labour not get above their station in life and not do a little bit better. They should not listen to Mr Key. They should not get their kids educated properly so that they can get a university degree and realise their potential. No Labour wants to keep them there on the bottom level. 
I do not think Mr Goff will today be telling the people of Great Barrier Island how last year he was very happy to take the Labour caucus down to Blackball to celebrate Labour’s mining roots because he says one thing and does another depending on whom he is talking to.