Moroney Sue: General Debate 
Moroney Sue: General Debate 
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SUE MORONEY (Labour) 
: 
 It is a great pleasure to be able to participate once again in the general debate. Last time I spoke in the general debate I was musing about the time of year. Yes it is still springtime. I was talking about how springtime is my favourite time of the year most importantly because that is the time of the year when the Labour Party has its conference. What a fabulous conference it was. 
Last time I talked in this general debate I was looking forward to the conference; now I would like to reflect on what a fabulous conference it was. It was the best-attended conference in 20 years. Yes it was held in provincial New Zealand—in Rotorua. My colleague the MP for Rotorua Steve Chadwick hosted a fantastic conference that was full of people from real New Zealand—people who came from across the board. We had great diversity because that is the sort of party the Labour Party is. We have that sort of diversity that can inform our decision making. That is why we get decisions right. I also thank the Mayor of Rotorua who spoke at our conference and outlined just how well his city is doing under this Labour Government with all its forethought planning and vision. 
The other thing that happens in springtime that is dear to my heart is the Melbourne Cup. That has come and gone. We know who the winner was. The race has been run and we know who the winner was unlike National members who do not know the winner of the “spring roll”. National members have a traditional “spring roll” whereby they start to debate who their leader should or should not be. It has been going on since well before the Melbourne Cup. It still is not completed and that party is paralysed as a result. 
Hon Georgina te Heuheu 
: Talk about something you know. 
SUE MORONEY 
: I do know a bit about the Melbourne Cup and I know a bit about how races are won so I will use a horse racing analogy to explain what I observe is happening opposite. I am also very pleased to note that this is the third time in this general debate that a member on this side of the House has used a horse racing analogy to explain what is going on in the National Party caucus. I am thrilled to bits that I have had that sort of influence on my colleagues; they are thinking about horse racing analogies. I have one of my own. 
Darien Fenton 
: What about the donkeys on the other side? 
SUE MORONEY 
: No I will not talk about donkeys. It is thoroughbreds that I am used to talking about but in this case I will talk about the National Party. 
A large field left the gates. No one knew exactly how many horses were in the field and who was lined up. They have been out of the stalls for some time and have been jostling for position. That always happens in a horse race—horses jump out and start jostling for position. But the National members have kept jostling for position and jostling for position and jostling for position. They are coming round into the home straight and guess what? They are still jostling for position. No clear leader is really emerging. So while all this is going on the punters of course are swapping horses. I think that in this analogy the punters are the back-benchers of the National Party. They are not really too sure who they are betting on. Perhaps they keep swapping their bets around because the leadership challenge that we were all expecting still has not happened. 
The other thing that I have learnt in my time of being involved in horse racing is that timing is everything. Timing one’s run is very important. Now John Key should study a few horse races because if he had he may have got his timing right. He might have worked out that a few weeks ago when a poll came out saying that National Party supporters preferred him over the current leader Don Brash that was the gap opening up in the home straight. That was the gap that he should have been able to power through. But did he take the gap? No. He could not take the gap. Perhaps he needs blinkers or a shadow blind or one of those other techniques that horse racing trainers use because he certainly does not seem to have the courage to take the gap. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member can never challenge someone’s courage as it is a personal reflection. The member will withdraw and apologise. 
SUE MORONEY 
: I withdraw and apologise. John Key certainly has not spotted the gap and he has not had the acceleration to be able to take that gap when it opened up for him. 
So he has shown to us that he does not have the right attitude; he does not have that winning attitude that is required. He has been held up when the gap opened up and he does not have that burning desire to win. If he does not have that burning desire to win to lead his own pack then the member really should not consider thinking that he could ever lead this country. Because if he cannot even design his own career and work out when to make a move and get his timing right on that what chance does he have of getting the timing right for critical decisions for this country? 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.