Heatley Phil: General Debate 
Heatley Phil: General Debate 
[Volume:631;Page:3560] 
PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
: 
 I would like to reflect on the fact that the only question the National Party is asking today— 
Hon Member 
: What’s that? 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: Well it is the same question the whole country is asking: what does the Labour Government do when it has a tough month or is in a tough spot? We know what Labour members do when they are in a tough spot. The very first thing they do is send their Minister of Energy to Paris. And why do they send their Minister of Energy to Paris? 
Hon Member 
: Why? 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: I will tell members why. The reason is that there are hot showers in Paris the lights are on in Paris and the power is running in Paris—and it is not running here in New Zealand. So this Government has sent the Minister of Energy to Paris. 
The second thing Government members do when they are in a tight spot is make Winston Peters the Minister of Foreign Affairs so that he will stop shooting Asians. That is what they do. That is the second thing they do when they are in a tight spot. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was an outrageous comment for the member to make. Not only would it harm our international reputation if someone were to take that member seriously—which is probably highly unlikely—but the point is that he should not be making those sorts of outrageous statements. If National cannot do better than that it should put the member down and put up somebody else who has some competence. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Can I just say that members make disparaging remarks about each other all the time. If it is a personal reflection it is out of order and if the member is taking exception under Standing Order 116 “Personal reflections” I will ask the member to withdraw and apologise. The member will withdraw and apologise. 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: I withdraw and apologise. Everyone knows that the member is the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs. The real Minister is Phil Goff and I apologise to that member as well. 
What else does Labour do when it gets into a tough spot and has a tough month? Well of course Michael Cullen goes on the managed exit list. He joins an illustrious group of people on that list. Actually Michael Cullen is unsure of whether he will stay or go but he joins Ann Hartley on the list. Michael Cullen and Ann Hartley are on the managed exit list along with Jill Pettis Dianne Yates and Russell Fairbrother. We also know that Jim Sutton was offered the post in Ottawa but he has declined it because he believes he is so invaluable to Labour that he should stay. 
So with the Minister of Energy overseas the lights out in the South Island and everyone having cold showers with the Minister of Finance Michael Cullen joining Ann Hartley Jill Pettis Dianne Yates Russell Fairbrother and Jim Sutton on the managed exit list with Marian Hobbs saying that Wellington has been shafted by Labour and with Taito Phillip Field saying that his future is in the lap of the gods we are in a very interesting situation indeed. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: It’s like Schindler’s list—it’s getting longer and longer. 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: It is like Schindler’s list. One Minister who is in a tough spot—and in whom I have been taking a particular interest—is the Minister of Housing. I have been chasing the Minister of Housing around the paddock for a couple of months now on the issue— 
Hon Member 
: What a ghastly thought. 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: It is a ghastly thought—thank goodness I never caught him. He has been telling this House through questions for oral answer telling me through answers to formal parliamentary questions and telling the media that the chairman of the Housing New Zealand Corporation found out about the whistleblower’s gagging order on the same day as the Minister did—7 April. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Same day? 
PHIL HEATLEY 
: That is exactly the same day. Apparently the Minister went into a lock-up “please explain” meeting on 9 April to discuss this gagging clause which he and the corporation were aghast about and was told at that meeting—where attendees were locked up for several hours—that the chairman found out about the gagging order on the same day as he did. He was told that the chairman did not break the no-surprises policy—as the Prime Minister explained—but that the chairman found out on the same day as he did. Well we discovered yesterday after months of posing questions to the Minister and receiving denials and confirmations that the chairman found out on the same day as the Minister did that on the eve of the Minister of Housing’s departure overseas on some junket the chairman of the Housing New Zealand Corporation in fact knew about that gagging order over 2 weeks before he told the Minister and over 2 weeks before this Minister told the media and this House.