O'Connor Damien: General Debate 
O'Connor Damien: General Debate 
[Volume:632;Page:4211] 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Corrections) 
: 
 This is a very important week for leadership. This week we had the Local Government New Zealand conference with leaders from around this country meeting in Wellington. Back in Parliament we have Labour leadership on the back of the celebrations of our 90th year showing the lead in this country. And this weekend in Christchurch we have the National Party conference. [ 
Interruption 
] Members ask why it is in Christchurch. The reason as Mr Key would know is that in Auckland as the  
New Zealand Herald  
states the drums are quietly beating. The Auckland-based party stalwarts are gathering opinions as to the chances of winning the next election with the current leadership in place. 
This weekend in Christchurch Don Brash will attempt to salvage his flagging leadership. It is going down the gurgler. Today he attempted to tell the rest of the country what leadership should be about at the very time he is flagging in the polls. There are only a couple of areas in which I have ever seen Don Brash show leadership in his entire time as the leader of the National Party. One goes back to the outbreak of that unfortunate war in Iraq and what Don Brash and his colleague Simon Power said. I quote Simon Power first: “The National Party has always been international in its outlook. Without reservation we will support our close allies Australia the United States and Britain when and wheresoever our commitment is called upon.” Don Brash showing true leadership said: “I think I would have done what President Bush did.” That is about the only sign of leadership we have seen in Don Brash’s period in charge of the National Party. In every other area he has done a flip-flop. 
There is one area where I can acknowledge he has been consistent in his indications—it is not clear policy—and it is that if he were ever to get the chance of being Prime Minister he would sell anything he could get his hands on. He would sell Landcorp and he would sell our electricity assets. This week in the House claims were made that we would be better off with privatised prisons. We have known for quite some time that the National Party is committed to selling State assets and New Zealanders should be reminded of that time and time again. But I have to say as hard as that will be his most recent attempt at a sales job will be a flop: “selling our female MPs”. If Dr Brash has ever bought into a loser that has to be it. That will be the biggest challenge Don Brash will face. The three MPs are pictured here—Dr Jackie Blue Jacqui Dean and Judith Collins. In themselves they are not bad people. They are misguided in the wrong party and certainly led by the wrong person. 
I have to say to Dr Brash that his leadership is pathetic. The conference in Christchurch will be facing a very difficult challenge. That challenge is: “Do we dump you now or do we dump you in the future?”. I will leave that little dilemma to the wonderful members who will attend the National Party conference in Christchurch. 
One of the sad things I have learnt today from my colleague Trevor Mallard is that the National Party in its desperation will stoop so low as to abuse wonderful organisations such as CanTeen—organisations that go out and help challenged young teenagers who are facing the biggest battle of their lives. That cynical bunch of politicians desperate as they are and led by someone who is absolutely hopeless is prepared to abuse an organisation that struggles for funding. That organisation is one I have been in contact with on a regular basis. It is an organisation that is supporting young New Zealanders to battle for their lives and that is helping— 
John Key 
: We’re out their helping not sitting in Wellington warming our seats. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: —and John Key just sits there and makes cynical snide remarks because he is quite happy as an MP as a member who thinks he is the incoming leader of the National Party to abuse organisations like that. I am simply ashamed that any political party in this House would do that. Those members will not sell the leadership of the National Party they will not sell the female members of the National Party and they will not show any leadership to New Zealand into the future because their leadership is finished.