King Annette: General Debate 
King Annette: General Debate 
[Volume:637;Page:7984] 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of State Services) 
: 
 What a month we have had. What a month of U-turns fast and fancy footwork some loose lips and contradictions and large doses of blatherskite. That was from the co-leadership of the National Party. 
People are now starting to call John Key “Jandal John” “Mr Flip-Flop” and he will soon graduate to “Mr Slip-Slop” as well. Just take a look at what has happened over the last few weeks. He has done a U-turn on market rentals for State houses; he has done a flip-flop on Iraq; he has had a contradiction on the air strike force; he has done a U-turn on the foreshore and seabed; he has had a contradiction on the Employment Relations Act; he has had a flip-flop on climate change; he has done a U-turn on nukes; he has had a contradiction on civil unions. And that happened in a mere few weeks since he became the leader of the National Party. What we have had is policy on the hoof. So much for democracy in the National Party caucus. Its members do not get much say over what the leader is going to announce as policy at any time. The policy is what the leader says. It seems to me that the party is rapidly becoming a pinker shade of blue. 
It has been an extraordinary month. Just imagine how National Party backbenchers are feeling at this moment. As I look across at them—when they are there—I can see that they feel they have no role no responsibilities and no decision making. They are supposed to represent the new faces of the National Party. Well I have to tell members that they are increasingly looking like the collective grumpy face of the National Party. The smiley face has been replaced by Mr Grumpy. 
We have people like my old friend Mark Blumsky who was the previous mayor of this great city. He has been written out of any effective role in the National Party. He expected promotion with the new leadership and so he should have. He was the Mayor of Wellington the capital city of New Zealand. He had dealt with complex issues. He has the smarts and he could sell shoes to Imelda Marcos. What happened to Mr Blumsky? He has been written out of the script. He is bored. He is brassed off. He is out of this Parliament and I say: “Go well Mark.” 
Then there is Chester Borrows a thoroughly nice bloke and I know that because we come from the same stock. He is a former police officer and highly regarded. But what happened to him this week? He was set up by a very jealous colleague Mr Power. Mr Power was the spokesperson on police but he got the bump by the new leader. Chester Borrows was put in place because John Key wanted to make good with the police after Mr Power had done so much damage to the police service with the comments that he was making. 
John Key dumped Mr Power put in place Chester Borrows and what happened this week? He was given a bum steer by Mr Power. He handed him information that Mr Power got from a parliamentary question but he did not give him all the information. What happened? Mr Borrows put out a press statement about speeding tickets around schools and he got it wrong. He got it wrong because the tickets related to the Speed Kills Kids programme; that is what it was about; he said it was revenue gathering. The backlash has been severe from the police officers and from the parents. They say they like the policy. He was set up and he was set up by a very jealous front-bench member. 
It is not a happy caucus that we have across the way there. In fact its members are full of jealousy they are full of anger and they are full of frustration. Very large amounts of Polyfilla are being used to cover the cracks and that is evident to any observer. Brian Connell who sits on the outside of the National Party—he is not allowed in the door—is on the way out. John Hayes who sits at the back of the House watches his former Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade colleague get the promotion while he gets to make cameo speeches on unimportant bills. Dr Paul Hutchison who is a man of talent and integrity had the health portfolio taken off him and given to Tony Ryall who only ever plays gutter politics. 
John Key is telling New Zealanders that it is time for a change. I ask: a change to what? There is no policy. There is no principle. This is no time for a change.