Foss Craig: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFoss Craig: General Debate[Sitting date: 04 November 2015. Volume:709;Page:7701. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CRAIG FOSS (Minister of Statistics): Seven years the National Party has been in Government—7 years with one leader and one deputy leader providing consistency certainty and aspiration for all of New Zealand. Compare this with the Labour Party—five leaders trying to oppose our leader John Key. Helen Clark—remember the good old days Labour? Phil Goff—what happened there? Mr Shearer—“Snapper Shearer”—and Mr Cunliffe. Those were the days. And of course now Mr Little. One deputy leader under National while we have been in Government and I do not know how many deputy leaders under Labour. I was trying to write them down before. And of course there are all the wannabe leaders all the wannabe deputy leaders—Mr Parker Mr Robertson Mr Jones of course and of course Mr Nash and Jacinda Ardern. It seems like half the caucus over there perhaps even more want to be leader or deputy leader. The factions are still alive.New Zealand is just so much better off—so much better off—for having had a National Government in power over the last 7 years. Under every single measure under every single metric New Zealand is in a better place and a better space than it was when we inherited government from the previous regime. We continue to have solid and consistent support across New Zealand because we engage because we consult because we do what we say we will do and we do not do anything that we do not take to the electorate—from economics economic growth a Consumers Price Index of around zero percent as opposed to 5 percent under Labour.Our economic growth has been one of the best in the OECD in recent years. We have a lower taxation environment moving from PAYE to consumption taxes. Education attainment is much much improved. Welfare reform is providing incentives for our people. The Better Public Services policy is driving reform through Government getting a better deal for all New Zealanders and particularly taxpayers. We are coming into surplus. We do not hear Labour talking about that any more. The list continues.And of course exports. There are free-trade agreements opening up markets for New Zealand—the Taiwan closer economic partnership the Korea free-trade agreement and of course the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Why on earth Opposition members do not support the Trans-Pacific Partnership I do not know but they seem to be very quiet on the potential for a free-trade agreement with the European Union. Let us see if they support that one. As Helen Clark even said how on earth could a New Zealand Prime Minister or Leader of the Opposition wake up one morning and not be part of an agreement for 40 percent of the global economy or 800 million potential customers? How on earth could Labour reverse a long-standing bipartisan position? How could New Zealand be left out?Speaking of being left out Mr Nash is making a bit of a play I see. He has resorted to blogging to try to get his points of view across for Labour. Apparently the most pressing issue in New Zealand right now is Mr Nash’s thoughts to the Labour Party members which is actually pretty good advice. Quite why they ignore him I do not know but he is doing the “Playbook”—he is doing the “Playbook”. He has got a profile up. He investigated organising and forming another political party. He has got a book under way I understand. I hope all Labour Party members read that book. I am having a lot of fun working out what the title to Mr Nash’s book might be.We have had 7 years of consistent certain leadership for New Zealand; five leaders under Labour over the last 7 years. New Zealand is now a confident positive aspirational place—a Rugby World Cup - winning country by the way. It is confident and ambitious for our future our people and we do not accept—we do not accept—the rose-tinted glasses of how socialism once apparently was under previous Labour regimes. If they only read Mr Nash’s advice perhaps then their fortunes might turn.