O'Connor Damien: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
O'Connor Damien: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:623;Page:18275] 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister for Racing) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to get up at the start of this year a very very important year for this country and of course for this Government. I would actually like to acknowledge the ACT party. I do not do that very often but I have to say that most of its members are down here to support a woman speaker Deborah Coddington who just gave a speech. I did not agree with everything she said but I have to acknowledge that the ACT party is behind its female members unlike the National Party— 
Stephen Franks 
: We’re behind them. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I am sure ACT is. This year New Zealand gets to scrutinise the Government and it gets to scrutinise the Opposition. We are very very happy to stand on our record. Our record is a proud one. New Zealand is now in the best economic situation it has ever been in. We are in a modern age with modern communications and modern facilities. We have strong economic growth and we have an increasing number of people who are proud to be New Zealanders. 
As I said the public will scrutinise the Opposition. What a sorry sad state Her Majesty’s loyal Opposition is in at the moment. I think that anyone observing Parliament over the last week or two will be in despair because we do need a reasonable Opposition in order to have a very good Government. We have a good Government and I guess unless at least the guys can front up—because the girls will not be there; they are not allowed; no party for them—and at least come up with some alternative policies we will end up with a one-horse show and I am sure New Zealanders do not want that. In the meantime we will get on and do what we do best and that is govern this country. 
The country has to look at Don Brash. This is the man who is the alternative Prime Minister to Helen Clark. Well Don Brash has got it wrong time after time after time. He got it wrong last year when he sacked Georgina te Heuheu a very reasonable responsible person. Don Brash got it wrong when he criticised this Government’s response to the tsunami. He was so mean-spirited that he was not prepared to commit to an international exercise to try to help those desperate people. Don Brash got it wrong when he sacked Lynda Scott. She is off now. Some say that she was a bright star in Parliament but she is off. He certainly got it wrong with Katherine Rich. Although we do not agree with her philosophy she brought a huge amount of experience talent and energy to this place. But she disagreed with Don Brash when he tried to beat up on beneficiaries. 
In my view someone who tries to do that is a very very low life. Most of us on this side of the House understand that accidents occur people get pregnant or they might be struck down by a sudden illness such as cancer. It is not necessarily their own fault; these things occur. Someone might pack his bags and leave his wife with the kids. Where do they go for help? Back in the dark old days they did not have anywhere to go but thankfully we now have the domestic purposes benefit. Thankfully because of the Labour Government we have support systems in this country to make us fair-minded and to make this country the place that we are proud to call New Zealand. 
It is very very clear that that would not be the case under Don Brash. He has kicked out Katherine Rich and replaced her with Judith Collins. Judith Collins says that there was nothing wrong with Don Brash’s speech. Every fair-minded New Zealander will be horrified with that and with the team that will present itself at the election as the alternative Government. One can imagine John Key and Don Brash the macroeconomic managers— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: No it isn’t. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Winston Peters will put himself up as an alternative as well and good luck to him. I have to acknowledge that he is certainly better than that other mob. We will have John Key and Don Brash the macroeconomic managers all tied up with economic management interest rates and what should happen. But what about the people? I ask Don Brash John Key and National Party members: what about the people? Some National members must feel very very uncomfortable. Lindsay Tisch looks very uncomfortable. Even David Carter looks very uncomfortable because in his rural portfolio he knows that the farmers in the rural industries require people. 
We are proud as a Government to stand on our record of injecting huge amounts of money into health and of providing better services for people up and down this country be they in urban or rural areas. I must take the opportunity to speak briefly about my portfolio areas. As the Minister for Rural Affairs I am very proud to represent a sector in this country that is the backbone of our economy—there is no doubt about that. I say to Mr Carter and Mr Eckhoff that the people who live in rural areas—not the industries which they will speak of—support those industries and drive this economy. 
Those people have accidents they have illnesses and they require good health systems. What we hear from Mr Carter and Mr Eckhoff is that the market will deliver that. They would privatise as they intended through the 1990s our health system our roads and our infrastructure and then expect the minority of people in this country who live in rural areas to pay for their own services. Well we do not believe that. Traditionally as a party we have not been seen as the friend of farmers but that has changed. Does Mr Carter know why? He should go and ask the farmers because they understand that they need support through infrastructure to run their businesses. The National Party ignored that throughout the 1990s and that is why it got the royal kick from the rural sector. Labour has come in and increased funding for roading for rural education— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Where? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I can tell Mr Peters that we have increased funding around every region in this country. If Mr Peters got out of Tauranga he would understand that he would be slowed down by roadworks all over this country. It takes half an hour longer to get anywhere these days because the Government has committed to road funding and I am proud to be part of a Government that has done that. 
We have upgraded hospitals in Thames Masterton Levin Dunstan Hawera and Kaitaia. All of those areas now have secure health services. We have put more money in to retain and attract general practitioners and nurses into rural areas because without those basic services we will not have people living in rural New Zealand to provide support for agriculture and horticulture. 
Labour members are proud to stand on this record. There have been a large number of initiatives particularly in the area of rural health-care. One of the most innovative initiatives has been this Government’s support of the mobile surgical services bus. I mention that briefly because it does not matter whether one is in Te Puia in Takaka or in Gore— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How many? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Just one. If Mr Peters ever drove on the roads at night he might see it. During the day it is carrying out vital surgery in every rural nook and cranny in this country. We support rural health services. We support rural education services. When members go around this country on the hustings this year people will acknowledge that this Government has delivered for rural New Zealand. The National Party and its mates in the ACT party would go back to selling off the Crown jewels—often for a song—and selling off our infrastructure and then expect farmers farm workers and all of those providing services to pay market prices. As a Government— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Who did that? You fellas did. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Mr Peters might understand that some of the reforms of the 1980s the restructuring of the 1990s and now the revitalisation of rural New Zealand under this Labour-led Government are going to lead this country into a prosperous future and I am sure the people of this country understand that as well.