Tizard Judith: General Debate 
Tizard Judith: General Debate 
[Volume:624;Page:19248] 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Minister of Consumer Affairs) 
: 
 It is always a pleasure to follow Richard Prebble. I did after Sandra Lee beat him and then I beat her. I also note that he has—sadly in his last few months in Parliament—resorted to attacking public servants making up statistics and blethering. I really feel very sad for somebody who has tried his hardest to make a contribution to this country. I point out to Richard Prebble that unemployment is down 54 percent under this Government and that there are 100000 fewer New Zealanders on benefits in total. I am proud of what this Government has done and if the failed MP for Auckland Central who is also the failed MP for Wellington Central and who cannot even attract any of his own colleagues to listen to him in the House wants to talk nonsense like that—presumably in support of the National Party—then I just say that the Opposition is in a really tragic state. It has no dignity no policies no loyalty and no decency. It is a failed Opposition on every level. 
I will speak briefly about the idea of an Opposition being the Government-in-waiting. We all accept that the Auckland region is the economic powerhouse of the country. We all accept that if Auckland is working well it is to the benefit of all New Zealanders. If Auckland wastes money on failed policies and failed infrastructure on congestion and on difficulties then I say that every dollar wasted in Auckland is 66c not available to the country. This Government is the first in history that has accepted that we have to work with Auckland as we do with the rest of New Zealand. 
I have looked with great care at what the National Party is offering for Auckland. I will look first at infrastructure. The National Party will sell State-owned enterprises. Dr Brash has said that National has to pedal softly on this because it will not tell the truth about what it will do with infrastructure sales—with State-owned enterprises. It will still bring back the Better Transport Better Roads so-called policy which would have sold roads. It would sell the roads outside our houses and our businesses and make us buy back access. That is what National’s policy was up until 1999. 
What does National’s policy mean for energy supplies? It means National would flog off Transpower. So how on earth would we get better investment to ensure security of supply to Auckland and the rest of the country if National flogs off Transpower? Presumably it would also flog off the major energy generators so in a dry year we would not be able to say to Meridian Energy or Contact Energy that they should taihoa on using all that water in our lakes so that we do not have to burn coal. National would want to burn coal because that is the bottom line. It would flog off those State-owned enterprises that ensure we have some security in energy. 
It would flog off the roads and will stop the investment into Auckland’s motorways that this Government has seen. It would stop the investment into public transport. Maurice Williamson said that we should not do anything about public transport. We should not do anything about helping poor people getting on buses. They should get taxis. People with disabilities should get paid to use taxis because that was more efficient. 
What would National do in health? It would take away the coordination and support that this Government has put into primary health care not because it thinks that would help people’s health but because it does not care. It wants a country like America where if someone is too poor that person’s kid goes around with a club foot because that is what happens in a market health system. 
 Who in the National Party will speak for Auckland and Auckland businesses? Will Dr Brash do it? Will he do anything about better export opportunities? No he went to Australia and trashed us. He went to Australia our biggest market and trashed New Zealand. He said that New Zealand is on the road to becoming a banana republic. Who else? Maurice Williamson? We have already heard that Maurice Williamson does not believe in spending money on motorways or on public transport. Maurice Williamson will presumably be Auckland’s transport spokesperson. Perhaps we could have Richard Worth. But of course Richard Worth is a sacrificial pig. 
Darren Hughes 
: Lamb. 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: Lamb I am sorry. The National Party would be a failure for Auckland but this Government has made Auckland a great place to live.