Swain Paul: General Debate 
Swain Paul: General Debate 
[Volume:624;Page:19481] 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 I point out for those listening at home on their crystal sets that that was Simon Power. One thing we know is that he will see none of it because after the next election when the National Party goes through the bloodletting that will happen after a defeat Simon Power will be reshuffled and he will be sitting out in the lobby. He has been such a disappointment. He came in with such high hopes. The general story is that when the media writes a member up that member should be very very scared because what usually happens is that he or she will be on a very slippery slope. 
The real problem with the National Party now is the fact that most people can see that it is hopeless and will not make it in the next election. Commentator after commentator says this. John Armstrong said that the impression of the National Party now is that it does not think that it can win and its MPs are instead jostling in readiness for the bloody aftermath. That is what the story is. Even Don Brash himself has made that comment. He said: “National MPs backed me not just because they thought I could win but because they thought I could lose less badly and then take the fall.” What kind of leader says that? It is like running out on to the field to play a footy game aiming to get second and hoping that one does not lose by too much. That is the kind of inspiration he shows. 
Pete Hodgson has talked about the “helicopter Leader of the Opposition”. It was not just the fact that he helicoptered into a meeting. The problem here is that he is hardly ever here. He says that he is out shaking hands around the country. Of course what happened was that he helicoptered to that Federated Farmers meeting did not have time to shake hands with anybody read his speech hopped in the helicopter and went again. That is his idea of meeting the people. 
Of course there were many flip-flops and some of them were on the youth justice area. There was a big plan to try to get National up in the polls again. National had the idea that parents of delinquents could be ordered to attend parent courses and fined up to $2500 if they did not comply as part of National’s plan to clamp down on youth offending. So Don Brash the day after decided he would go on the radio to explain that. The presenter said: “All right Mr Brash so give me a typical kind of situation under which you think this policy would apply; a parenting order.” Mr Brash said: “Well I haven’t myself read in detail the stuff in the UK.” The presenter said: “Presumably the youth justice system was dealing with them in some other way anyway.” Dr Brash: “I can’t answer that question. I simply don’t know.” The problem is that if one is to try to sell a policy it is really important to know something about it before one goes on national radio and makes a fool of oneself. 
There has been enough talk about Dr Brash the corned beef the peas and the home-made pyjamas so let us have a look at the rest of it. Dr Brash said this: “I’ve got some very good people in my top two rows.” Well let us look at some of them. Of course the most able was Katherine Rich and she has gone. That shows that the National Party cannot work with independent strong-willed women. I did not agree with everything she said but one had to say that she was capable and she is now gone. Then of course there was the resurrection of old Gerry Brownlee. I thought it was a bit unfair on Gerry Brownlee when they said that he was not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. Given the dimness over there he is quite a bright bulb in their Christmas tree. 
What about Bill English? He was being so hopeless that he was dumped as the National Party leader. People forget that. Most people would say that he was quite a good reasonable provincial player but no captain of the All Blacks. I think that would be the thing that goes on his tomb. What about Nick Smith? He now wants to set up 25 “National Party holiday parks” around New Zealand. Can members imagine anything so frightening as a National Party camping ground? It would be like  
Hi-de-Hi! 
 on Valium. All the kids would be frightened. They would be running into the sea saying: “All these National Party people they’re out trying to organise us. They want us to do things and play games. My God why don’t they just leave us alone!” and that is what the rest of the country would say. Most people would be bored with it. Imagine having 25 National Party camping grounds around the country! The most important thing that that would ensure is that those grounds are never ever used. What about Tony Ryall? We call him Oscar over here because he looks like he is trying to earn one every time he talks in Parliament. The rest of them are completely hopeless. They will not be around after the next election.