Hayes John: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hayes John: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 04 April 2012. Volume:679;Page:1661. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa) 
: 
 There are times when I sit in this House and I am totally ashamed. This afternoon was one of them when the “Fu Manchu” of the New Zealand First Party set out a racist and xenophobic attack on foreign exchange purchases in this country. He did not say a word about the Americans who have come in and bought up the Te Kairanga Vineyard in Martinborough or a farm and tourist resort in the lower Wairarapa. He has not said a word about the Camerons buying things. He has not said a word about the Indian people people from India who own businesses in my electorate the Samoans who drive taxis—you can go on and on and on because there are people across the Wairarapa electorate who come from all parts of the world. They are welcome and we all work together.  
The “Fu Manchu” of the New Zealand First Party is quite wrong to try to light a fire of emotion in this country. If an investor comes into this country there are two things to remember: one is that Parliament is elected by the whole community; secondly local bodies are elected by communities; and thirdly the land cannot be taken anywhere. It is bought and sold in New Zealand and I have got examples like Glenburn Station on the Wairarapa coast which was owned by Americans and is now back in New Zealand hands.  
We have just got to understand that this is good solid democracy in this country. We have got great rules and regulations and it is in the hands of the community. I reject totally the comments from New Zealand First on this effort this afternoon to light essentially a racist fire. It is wrong.  
I was interested that Brian Edwards has obviously stopped supporting Grant Robertson now and is actually giving speaking lessons to the Leader of the Opposition. I congratulate the Leader of the Opposition on his improved presentation in this House in his speech this afternoon. But he needs to get his facts right because 25 percent of the workforce in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade are actually not being fired.  
Let us get some facts straight here. The State Sector Act requires the chief executive of an agency to be responsible for changes within that agency and that is the purview of John Allen chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. That is the first thing. The second point I would make is that John Allen and his senior leadership team put on the table for his staff a business plan. 
Hon Annette King 
: And to the Minister. He gave it to the Minister. 
JOHN HAYES 
: Yes the Minister got it once it was on the table. It came from the senior leadership team and it went to the Minister at that point.  
A consultation document is exactly that. People put it on the table they invite staff to give their ideas and that is the process that has been being followed. All sorts of efforts have been made by David Shearer and Phil Goff to try to cause trouble by saying that this is happening and that is happening and we are only going to have two staff in New Delhi. It is a nonsense. We have on the table a consultation document.  
This document has been considered over the first couple of days of this week by the ministry’s 47 heads of mission who came back to New Zealand for a 2-day meeting with their senior leadership team. That has been really good for team building; I have been told that today. There was no suggestion that 25 percent of the staff are being cut; that is simply the Leader of the Opposition getting his facts wrong as Phil Goff did earlier in the week by asserting that $200000 had been spent on this exercise. That is not the case at all. The actual figure has worked out at $154000 not the $200000 that David Shearer was pushing around in the House yesterday.  
I have had an opportunity to talk to a number of the heads of mission. They say that the exercise has been extremely useful. It has created a great team effort and people are solidly behind and respecting of their chief executive. 
Grant Robertson 
: Not the ones I’m talking to John. 
JOHN HAYES 
: Well you are only talking to the ones Mr Robertson who are leaking documents. In the days when you and I worked in that ministry the collegial glue of— 
Grant Robertson 
: That’s right. Ruined by Murray McCully. 
JOHN HAYES 
: No not at all. It was the Official Secrets Act that actually stopped leaking back in those days. There is a general acceptance across the ministry that change is required that it is necessary and that huge gains can be made by moving administration from the back office to the front office and that is what this Government is wanting to do. Thank you.