Dyson Ruth: General Debate 
Dyson Ruth: General Debate 
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Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) 
: 
 Tomorrow is the National-led Government’s first Budget and every week we see 300 more New Zealanders losing their jobs. The member who has just resumed her seat Nicky Wagner has just wasted 5 minutes of the country’s life talking about crushing cars. It seriously beggars belief that when one person loses his or her job let alone 300 people every week crushing cars is considered to be the issue on which the entire Parliament should spend its time. Frankly it beggars belief. 
She also failed to tell the full truth which is no surprise at all and is entirely consistent with her behaviour and that of her colleagues. She said there had been total inaction over the last 9 years from the previous Labour Government but she failed—through a lapse of memory I am sure rather than through deliberately misleading the House—to mention the fact that the previous Labour Government took measures to take boy racers off the streets. One measure ensured that boy racers have their cars noise-tested. If the noise of their car is over 95 decibels they are required to bring it down to 90. We gave judges the power to take cars from boy racers who behave badly on their first offence not on their third offence as the “Crusher Bill” aims to. 
Despite that we certainly support the improved measures in the bill going to a select committee. Let us see whether those measures deliver. Let us see whether they will work. It is interesting that despite the member’s promise to the people of Canterbury—which I heard during the election campaign—to ensure that no vehicle over 90 decibels would be allowed on our streets and that cease and desist orders would be introduced neither of those measures was delivered. It was another broken promise. 
The people of New Zealand are looking for leadership from their Government in the Budget particularly in the area of jobs. This is a time when New Zealand more than ever needs a real jobs plan not just gimmicks. We do not want any more talkfests or rhetoric and words; we want a real plan and real action for jobs. The 9-day fortnight the cycleway and the equity fund have done nothing to stem the loss of jobs for New Zealanders. There is no greater gift a Government can give to an ordinary New Zealander than the dignity of a paid job. That is something National members should realise is within their grasp as a Government. Instead of leading the unemployment increase by pushing public servants out of jobs and ignoring the desperate need for support of New Zealand businesses they could be taking up the opportunity for leadership that the role of Government provides and give hard-working ordinary New Zealanders who are now in danger of losing their jobs that gift that dignity of a paid job. 
The only jobs John Key and Bill English seem to care about are their own and that is not good enough for the rest of New Zealand. Not everyone has the opportunity to come into Parliament. It is a privilege and a responsibility. Government members should take up that leadership opportunity and provide the country with a real plan for real jobs in the Budget tomorrow. The Government is leaving all the hard work and heavy lifting to ordinary New Zealanders who should not have to bear that huge responsibility on their own. 
We know that ordinary families are having to do more with less are suffering more stress and more anxiety and have less money. Uncertainty and stress are not the way in which we should treat New Zealand families. We should be providing them with the support they deserve and with certainty for the future. It is difficult for a family when it is facing mounting bills and mounting pressure.