Gallagher Martin: General Debate 
Gallagher Martin: General Debate 
[Volume:632;Page:3998] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I rise with huge pleasure in the general debate this afternoon to acknowledge and celebrate the announcement of the wonderful things that will happen on 1 July. Before I do so I want briefly to acknowledge the tragic recent events in Auckland. I take this opportunity not to go anywhere near politicising such tragedy but to acknowledge the wonderful work in my own community of groups that are working around issues of family violence and to pay a heartfelt tribute to organisations such as Parentline the Institute for Child Protection Studies our Family Start teams the New Zealand Police our Family Violence Intervention Programme—all of these wonderful people in our community who are doing their best. I also want to honour the wonderful work of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services in my own city. 
Hamilton in the Waikato is on a fabulous roll as a result of the work of this Government. It was very nice to hear the Minister for Sport and Recreation Trevor Mallard in response to a question in the House from my good colleague Sue Moroney the other day talk about the wonderful impact of partnership between central and local government and the community in terms of some of the big events that will be attracted to the Waikato. I congratulate all of those who have been responsible for bringing the rowing world cup to Karapiro. I particularly congratulate Mayor Michael Redman and his team on bringing the wonderful V8 Supercar race to the area. Along with the Minister for Sport and Recreation and the Government I honour the wonderful people in the Waikato who have brought these events here. I went to the National Agricultural Fieldays—another wonderful event. We are on a roll. Unlike the Leader of the Opposition who is sunning himself on Bondi Beach—who has taken off his pinstriped suit for a bit of midwinter tan—we are on a roll. We are here working for this country; we are not selling this country out. 
I am so proud to be part of the Labour Party to be part of the 90th anniversary celebrations when we look back on the achievements of New Zealand’s oldest political party. When we gather in Parliament next week it will not be a black shirt and tie do of the elites of this country of the people who want to sell this country out and buzz off and sun themselves on Bondi Beach as the Leader of the Opposition does; it will be to celebrate our achievement and our commitment to this nation. I am so proud to be a member of this Government. 
We will be celebrating the announcement of the Labour-led Government’s policies to come into effect on 1 July that will further improve the quality of life of Kiwi families—the Kiwi battlers the people we represent not the black shirt and tie penguin-suited crowd on the other side of the House. We have built things that will bolster our economy and build our national identity. Early education subsidies will be increased—achievement; tick the box. Primary health organisation funding—cheaper doctors’ visits will be rolled out to the 45 to 64-year-old age group. Paid parental leave will be extended to the self-employed—tick the box. Rates rebates schemes for our elderly and lower-income people will come in—tick the box. Just the other day I visited schools in my electorate to hand out books as part of Government Book Week. This Government actually cares. 
I was amazed when I heard Mr Key say that he would make a rare visit to Palmerston North. Mr Key should go back to his own electorate—the one he does not live in. He should visit that electorate because the Government members of Parliament are in their electorates working rolling up their sleeves and getting on with it. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Who wrote this speech? 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: I wrote this speech because I am so proud to be a Waikato member and Waikato is on a roll. Let me tell the House about the $200 million that the Government has allocated to Waikato transport in addition to the record transport spending in the Waikato. The Government is awake and alive unlike the previous National Government which was in a coma. It was in a deep-induced coma when it came to the transport needs of the Waikato. Let me tell the House about that particular roll-out—about that particular achievement.