Collins Judith: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Collins Judith: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 19 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5376. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 It is always a pleasure to follow the member Te Ururoa Flavell who has just resumed his seat. He is always a thoughtful member and although we do not always agree on things he is a gentleman and I think a valued member of this House. 
I acknowledge that today is Women’s Suffrage Day and I am going to indulge myself by actually mentioning a few stunning women in New Zealand. Obviously I acknowledge our head of State the Queen and her 60 years of service. I would like to acknowledge all women members of Parliament across the House for their contributions. I would specifically like to mention two women leaders in the House and that is the Hon Tariana Turia and Metiria Turei who is very keen on “Planet Key”—and who can blame her? I also acknowledge the women members of Cabinet: the Hon Hekia Parata Paula Bennett Anne Tolley Kate Wilkinson Amy Adams as well as Jo Goodhew our Minister of Women’s Affairs who does a sterling job. I also acknowledge in the judiciary the heads of bench: the Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias; the Chief High Court Judge Helen Winkelmann; and the Chief District Court Judge Jan-Marie Doogue—all appointments by a National-led Government. And can I acknowledge all the hard-working mothers and grandmothers who help make all things possible. 
It would be remiss of me not to mention the very first woman Prime Minister New Zealand has ever had the Rt Hon Dame Jenny Shipley. I must say that Jenny Shipley is a woman of strength and vision—a woman I am proud to call a friend. I would like to acknowledge Jenny for the contribution she has made to this House and for what she has done since. 
Unfortunately today we have had the Labour Party mired in muck all the way through question time. Were those members talking about the things people want to talk about? Were they talking about the work that Te Ururoa Flavell talked about? Did they care about the people of Kawerau? No not one bit. What they cared about was wallowing down in the muck. Actually whatever happened to David Shearer leading a Labour Party that supposedly does not want to talk about “gotcha politics”? Whatever happened to that? Whatever happened to the “Mr Clean” Shearer? Well he has gone. The entire Opposition should resign. In fact what those members should do is put the Greens in there because they are far more competent than the Labour Party even though they have half the number of members. Frankly even Winston Peters is starting to look pretty good after the Labour Party and that is saying something. 
What I can say is what this Government is doing. We are just getting on with the business—we are getting on with the business. We have a 30-year low in crime which is down to 1982 levels. We have tougher sentences for criminals and for crimes against children and we have brought in legislation to help save the community from our worst recidivist violent offenders. We have done all of those sorts of things. 
We have got the health system working. The health system is working. We have put $2 billion extra into it since we have been in Government and we have got the health system working. 
Mr Flavell made a very good point about the economy. This is the Government that kept the  
Hobbits 
 in New Zealand. We kept them away from the  
Hobbit  
haters on the other side of the House—the people who wanted to destroy our film industry in New Zealand by scaring away the little hobbits. Well they will be the first people on the red carpet turning up to the premiere trying to get their photo with Peter Jackson will they not? Gosh I hope he cannot be bothered with them because quite frankly that is what they are. 
One of the other points that I heard today in the House was about inflation and what has happened to inflation. Let us have a look at this: we have the lowest inflation rate since 1999—yes—and the lowest interest rates in 40 years. What does that mean for ordinary New Zealanders? It means that if they have got a $200000 mortgage which for most New Zealanders is actually pretty standard they are actually now paying $200 a week less on their mortgage than they were when Labour was in Government. 
I have heard the people on the other side suggesting that we drop the exchange rate and that we do all these sorts of things as though it would actually be effective. Well I will tell them what it would do: interest rates would go up the cost of living would go up transport would go up and oil would go up. Everything would go up and that party over there represented by Mr Peters would be turning round and saying “Well why aren’t you doing something about it?”. That is in fact the answer. 
This Government is getting on to the business. The other side is talking and whingeing and moaning. We are doing the job and that is what New Zealanders want us to do.