Bennett David: General Debate 
Bennett David: General Debate 
[Volume:647;Page:16158] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 The newest member of this House raised the issue of leadership in his speech and the issue of leadership in the Labour Party is about who is going to lead the Labour Party. Labour does not have to worry about leadership anywhere else but in the Labour Party. I want to give that member a history lesson. Let us go back to 11 June 1996. On that fateful day a number of senior front-bench Labour Party MPs—actually five front-bench MPs—went to Ms Clark as Leader of the Opposition as she was then and asked her to resign. Guess who was part of that famous five group? Mr Phil Goff led the challenge. He has wanted to be the leader of that party from day one when he first came into this House. In 1996 he showed his cards. He went in with Cullen King and a few others and went for that job but he did not get it. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will use members’ full names. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Mr Goff is now trying again. This is another time for him to have a go. 
Let us look at what was said back then in July 1996 about Mr Goff. He met Ms Clark on 28 May to suggest that with Labour’s poll rating at around 16 percent she might like to reconsider whether she was the best person to lead the party. Do not those words sound familiar to the ones we heard a few days ago? Mr Goff said that he believed he did nothing wrong and has no regret for what he did that day. In fact Mr Goff was quoted as saying: “You will find nothing on record from me during my time as a member of Parliament where I have said anything that might embarrass any leader who I have served or any party of which I am a member.” Is that right? Well I am sure he embarrassed his leader last week. 
He also said: “I have said nothing to you but the truth.” Well the truth is that he wants the leadership position. The truth is that Labour is in trouble. It knows it has problems it knows it needs a new leader and he is standing up because he wants to have that job. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Will he get it? 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Well he did try again. In 1999 another takeover bid for Ms Clark’s job resurfaced after Mr Goff had invited MPs to his Auckland house for a barbecue. But no Ms Clark was not invited to that barbecue was she—the so-called party at Phil’s? However it did not lead to any challenge— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member has been here long enough. He should know that he must address a person by his or her full name title or portfolio. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: I was just quoting from the article. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No the member cannot get around the use of what is considered to be unparliamentary or the other use of titles by trying to ride over Speakers’ rulings and there are Speakers’ rulings on that. The member will use full names. 
Hon Paul Swain 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I appreciate that ruling which we agree with. But the other point is that when you are on your feet the member whom you are addressing should be seated not standing. I would like to bring that to your attention as well. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Thank you Mr Swain. You are absolutely right. When the Speaker stands the member should be seated. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: The so-called party at Mr Phil Goff’s did not however lead to any challenge and in that year there was no challenge to Clark. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will be seated. The member has done it again. He has one more chance or he will have a yellow card. The next time his speech will be terminated. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: Mr Goff has shown a history of wanting to have leadership of the Labour Party. He has gone out there on numerous occasions since 1996 wanting to become the leader and this is just another example of that. Mr Goff is presenting himself as the natural leader for the Labour Party. Labour has to be asking some tough questions at its caucus meetings because it is in real trouble. It is backtracking on some of its big issues. It is backtracking on the emissions trading scheme. It is making legislation in name only with no practical implementation in the first couple of years. Labour is backtracking on its petrol taxes. It is not having any petrol taxes next year because it knows it is going into an election while people are hurting. Why are people hurting? It is because this Government has sat around for the best part of 8 or 9 years in good economic times and done nothing to build an economy that will progress this country through what we will come into over the next couple of years. This Government has sat through an increase in the debt levels in New Zealand high interest rates and a commodity boom that means it is difficult for New Zealanders with our low incomes to purchase goods on the international market and it has not given anyone a tax cut. It has not given anyone a chance to go out and progress his or her own business and make a go of it in this world. 
Unemployment will rise over the next year under this Government. It has already started in the first quarter of this year and will continue for the remainder of the year. The property market downturn has started and the Labour Party is just sitting back looking at that. Labour’s Budget tomorrow will not deliver anything for hard-working New Zealanders. Any tax cuts will be just a token effort by the Labour Party to try to neutralise any policy that National will come out with later in the year. Labour knows it is in trouble. Labour knows that it has a leader who is not performing and it has Mr Goff sitting in the wings wanting to take over.