Peters Winston: Appropriation (2004/05 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
Peters Winston: Appropriation (2004/05 Estimates) Bill — Third Reading Imprest Supply Debate 
[Volume:619;Page:14949] 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 In any viable democracy there should always be an alternative Government-in-waiting; in any viable democracy there should always be an alternative Prime Minister - in-waiting. The public today which do not support this Government will be extremely disappointed by what they have just heard or rather about what they did not hear. It was a very confused speech lauding Australia’s economic performance whilst berating his own country and never admitting why that is so—why Australia has done so much better. 
If members look at  
Hansard 
 for the May Budget debate they will see a prediction from New Zealand First that Don Brash would go out and make this comparison between Australia and this country but that he would not admit why Australia had done so much better since 1984 than the New Zealand. It is not an alternative Government or Prime Minister that goes around the country stirring up apathy. It is not an alternative to go around the country striving to put Mogadon out of business. It is not an alternative to go around the country totally underwhelming people. I can remember the great campaigns that National once ran with great leaders who had the ability to come into this House and stay here and win in this House. They had the ability to take the Opposition’s argument and place it before the nation. All we have had here is a beat-up month after month and the polls tell us what will happen now. 
It is true for Dr Brash to say that the economy grew by almost 5 percent in 1999. That is true—the economy did grow by almost 5 percent in 1999 despite the Asian crisis of 1997-1998 but whose Budget took it there? It was not National’s Budget. Whose Budget took it there? The Budget that acknowledged that US69c was far too high for an export nation and drove the dollar down. That and no other reason was why we had the success we have had. 
National has no economic policy—that is as clear as daylight today—though I am delighted that Dr Brash has finally found a vision. Members will remember that when he got the job he was asked what he understood being a New Zealander was. He said that he did not know. National has no policy and it is not right that “New Zealand Second” rushes around the country stealing the New Zealand First Party’s policies. That is what they have done—they have tried to steal our policies. I have even heard him today talking about low-quality immigration. I beg his pardon. This is someone who believes that we should have 10 million people here. He cannot explain why. He cannot say why— 
Hon Annette King 
: From Singapore. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Yes well I suppose “My wife was born in Singapore.” I mean what on earth does the National Party think it is doing as far as the right wing of politics in this country is concerned in providing that as an answer as an alternative Prime Minister and an alternative Government? That is the worst performance I have ever heard or seen in this country or in any other country. That embarrasses me because all around New Zealand I know of hundreds of thousands of people who do not like this Government who do not like its social policy who do not like how weird the Government is who do not like how kinky it is and who do not like all the sleaze and the sordidness of its policies. They do not like it and they are praying and hoping that somewhere else there is an alternative but they are not getting an answer and no amount of hype on behalf of the print media ownership in this country will change that. 
 New Zealand First is opposed to what is going on in this country in respect of our asset wealth and our asset sales. We are told that there is a boom in New Zealand at the moment except that 80 percent of New Zealanders cannot feel taste or smell it. Sure we have a boom all right it is a boom of consumption but look at the export figures and at productivity—it is simply not there. All the fundamentals by which great economies are measured are not to be found in the New Zealand economy. 
Craig McNair 
: What’s it like compared with Ireland? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Well it reminds me of the great boom of the Kirk Labour Government from 1972 to 1975. Things were going through the roof; the sky was the limit except that it was all about to bust because it was all based on consumption. What is the biggest investment today in New Zealand in terms of investment and capitalisation? It is housing. The last people I understood to live on housing were Hansel and Gretel. What we have here today is a Labour Party bringing in people in their tens of thousands on 110 points which is down from 195 points which means they do not need to have a job or any prospect of a job. Why would we bring in these tens of thousands of people who will not be placed in our economy if we were not hell-bent on providing consumption to back up our economic performance? 
R Doug Woolerton 
: And we’re still short of workers. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Oh yes we are still short of workers because the trouble is that we have 300000 people who cannot speak English at all. One in two of those people is not employed in the economy in a positive sense at all. Not so long ago—less than 5 years ago in fact—I recall the same Don Brash as Governor of the Reserve Bank telling New Zealanders to “tighten their belts”. Do members remember that? He told them to tighten their belts and not to request pay increases because he said that we had “looming stagflation”. That was said by the good doctor put up by the National Party as some sort of economic genius to run New Zealand’s economy. That is what he said 5 years ago. He also told people not to buy houses that it was a waste of investment. He said people should rent instead. Well let him try that today in Auckland Tauranga Nelson or Christchurch. However that is what he advocated and every time the economy showed any signs of getting some life he would choke it because he was obsessed with inflation. 
Today the same man says that Australian workers earn 30 percent more than New Zealand workers. Is that so? When will I see some economic analysis from some of these journalists over here as to the ridiculous nature of his comments about Australians? When will we see some honesty about what Australia did differently from us in 1984? In 1984 we had an economic revolution. Who supported it? Don Brash did. How do I know that? I know that because in 1987 when being mooted for the Kaimai by-election Don Brash said: “Oh no I can’t stand for National. I support Rogernomics. I support Roger Douglas.” Here we are today with an alternative—a National Opposition that still believes that Douglas was right; that still believes that Ruth Richardson of all people was right; and that still believes that somehow if only they were given power they would discover the magic bullet. 
However this party behind me is riven with dissension. Mr Key says that he is not for selling State assets. Don Brash is. Mr Key is not certain whether we should keep our savings fund but Don Brash is certain that we should get rid of it. What goes on here? How important is economics in any country? In any democracy that I know economics is the fundamental main part of everyday politics except that the National Party put its man in at No. 10. He is hardly lining up behind a bunch of political geniuses on the front bench. The current line-up would be the most bereft of talent I have ever seen in my time in politics and boy knowing the Labour Party that is saying something! But even so National’s finance spokesman cannot get past No. 10. Why on earth would that be? 
 Maybe it is because— 
Ron Mark 
: He may be there soon. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I wish “Don Key” all the best. The reality is that this is no job to learn on the job. People in this country hire people because they have experience. They know what happened yesterday. They understand the pitfalls. However today we have in this Parliament a so-called Opposition party led by someone who cannot find the parliamentary toilets and who does not understand for example what a primary health organisation might be. These are fundamental things. 
We have a National Party that should be able to beat Labour hands down except it has no economic policy its social policy is a steal from New Zealand First policy it steals New Zealand First speeches and regurgitates them out there without understanding them and worst of all it just wants power for power’s sake. That is no reason to be in Government.