Wall Louisa: General Debate 
Wall Louisa: General Debate 
[Volume:646;Page:15510] 
LOUISA WALL (Labour) 
: 
 Kia ora Mr Assistant Speaker. It is my great pleasure to engage in a general debate for the first time. It is an honour for me to be part of a Labour team that has a plan for the future and we have the policies and people to prove it. On 1 April many of our policies came to fruition and it is worth noting that National voted against every one. So what happened on 1 April? The business tax rate was cut to 30c in the dollar; National voted against it. KiwiSaver employer contributions and employer tax credits began—and I note that over 500000 hard-working New Zealanders have joined KiwiSaver—but National members voted against it. They did not vote against it just once—oh no they voted against it 40 times. 
Hon Members 
: Forty? 
LOUISA WALL 
: Yes 40 times and now through their slippery behaviour Mr Key has said that he—and I presume his party given he is the leader—was always in support of KiwiSaver. Yeah right! The 15 percent research and development tax credit began; National voted against it. The minimum wage rose to $12 an hour effectively ending youth rates. This means a great deal to working New Zealanders and I note that when we became Government in 1999 the minimum wage was $7 for adults and $4.20 for under-20s. Today it is $12 and that amount will not end here. But National voted against it. The amount of superannuation has been increased; National voted against it. There is now an automatic consumer price index annual adjustment to Working for Families benefits and student allowances but surprise surprise—National voted against it. 
I note that right-wing commentator Matt Hooton said recently that National seemed to not be able to answer fairly simple questions—not just about the detail of policy but even about the general direction of policy. Does National think that New Zealanders do not care about policy? 
So what is National’s plan for the future under the leadership of John Key? I will let him speak for himself. About student loans Mr Key said in November 2005: “an unaffordable and irresponsible cost to the country!”; and in January 2008 Mr Key said: “We will keep interest-free student loans for tertiary students.” That is great Labour policy. About being nuclear-free Mr Key in October 2003 said: “bad news for economic growth and for our job market”. Mr Key in September 2007 said: “we’re going to stick with the anti-nuclear legislation.” What great Labour policy! Mr Key in February 2006 said that KiwiSaver was “fundamentally flawed” and “a glorified Christmas club”. Mr Key in August 2007 said that KiwiSaver “was probably gonna be successful and not too bad”. Again that is more great Labour policy. 
As John Armstrong recently wrote: “Forget about National sleepwalking to victory. The party seems to have gone into suspended animation.” The country is well served by this Labour-led Government. I am proud to belong to it. Our leadership is sound and it has been fantastic watching our Prime Minister perform on the international stage yet again. Our policy is substantial as I have outlined this afternoon and future-focused which is very important. And by Mr Key’s own words it is clear that he agrees with our policy. So why do we need change? The reality is that we do not and more and more Kiwis are realising that. 
I now want to talk about my electorate. I am standing in the wonderful electorate of Tamaki Makaurau and I am looking forward to working with the people of South Auckland west Auckland north Auckland and east Auckland and ensuring that this Labour-led Government continues to build on the fantastic policies that we have had since we became the Government in 1999. 
I want to highlight the difference between Labour and National yet again in our Maori policy. We will not be getting rid of the Maori seats. That is a huge difference between our Labour-led Government and the Opposition. Kia ora. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.