Cosgrove Clayton: Taxation (Annual Rates and Urgent Measures) Bill — In Committee 
Cosgrove Clayton: Taxation (Annual Rates and Urgent Measures) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:628;Page:751] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Associate Minister of Finance) 
: 
 I want to respond briefly to that traditional vein-popping speech made by Dr Lockwood Smith. He talked about the Treasurer’s place in history as we address the setting of the tax rates. Well I just remind Dr Smith that he was one of the three who auditioned for the National Party spokespersonship on finance but did not make it then lost the foreign affairs spokesmanship and then Tim Groser came along and stole the ball gown from him and took trade. 
I say to him that these tax rates today set the platform for our policies which this Government won an election on. I note that Dr Smith did not answer the challenge that Dr Cullen put to him—where would the cuts have been made by a National Government? How many schools would it have closed and how many nurses would it have disposed of? During the election campaign members opposite went around the country saying that Labour had taken on all these policy wonks and consultants and that they would be gutting the public service yet they knew deep down—and as Dr Cullen pointed out Bill English knew this—that the vast majority of public servants under this Government are front line such as police and nurses and others in jobs that help the country’s infrastructure. So where would National have made the cuts? If it was not going to make cuts then is it today surrendering and backing off on its spending promises? 
Dr Smith talked about prudent fiscal management when it was Dr Smith’s party that went into an election promising to spend billions of dollars and based in large part on borrowing. Even the National candidate in my electorate would not admit it when confronted by John Key’s own words poll-driven and said all around the country that it was based on borrowing. No one in the National Party would admit it. So I ask the House and the people of New Zealand to reflect on the legacy of fiscal management and the integrity around Dr Smith’s statements. 
These tax rates build on Labour’s commitments and this Government unlike that mob opposite has a habit of keeping its promises and has a habit of delivering to the people when it fronts up to an election and beyond. So I ask people to judge. When we are talking about a place in history I will be proud to stand up as an Associate Minister of Finance alongside Dr Cullen and say that we delivered on what we said we would do and that we were fiscally prudent. I said about two Budgets ago when Bill English attacked the Labour Party—I am a little bit of a scholar of history—for being too tight I never thought in my wildest dreams I would hear Bill English a National Party front-bench spokesperson or anyone from the National Party attack a Labour Government for being too fiscally tight. Traditionally National tries to say that Labour blows the lot. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Spending has been massive. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I invite the member to have a look at his own party’s manifesto. I invite him to get to his feet again and tell us what he would cut out of his manifesto the manifesto that he took to the people of Waimakariri and others right around the country and said: “This is what we will do. This is how much we will spend on defence on prisons on education.” although they were a bit short on education. When people asked what National’s education policy was the candidate would stand and say: “We are for high standards.” and sit down. The candidate in my electorate used to do that regularly. She used to say: “We are for excellence in education.” and then sit down. She would never tell us where the dollars were coming from. In the last election National told us how much it would spend on defence prisons and education but then said it would gut the public service which in code meant gut teachers. National cannot have it both ways. It cannot say it wants excellence in education cut taxes— 
Darren Hughes 
: And nurses. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: —and nurses and then say it would borrow a heap of dough to pay for its election promises and then like some sort of road to Damascus experience say that the National Party that Dr Smith represents is somehow fiscally prudent. Give me a break! 
The problem with that arrogant crew opposite is that they think people are silly they think communities cannot see through them or add up. I recall one time when I was on the radio with National’s deputy leader and he made the inappropriate comment that New Zealanders do not understand Budgets or how the economy works or a set of Government books. I said to Mr Brownlee that Kiwis who can balance their own wage book their own housekeeping money and buy their groceries understand how the economy works. What an arrogant statement from the deputy leader. When we went around the country during the election campaign we knew that people understood that if we spend the lot and if we cut taxes and have less revenue we would have to cut Government services. That crew opposite could not con the people of New Zealand.