Peck Mark: General Debates 
Peck Mark: General Debates 
[Volume:619;Page:15255] 
MARK PECK (Labour—Invercargill) 
: 
 I have some questions for Don Brash and I wonder whether he will answer those questions as I go through them. 
Hon David Carter 
: I can answer. 
John Key 
: We can answer. 
MARK PECK 
: I do not want the quislings in the front row who are pretending to be Don Brash to answer the question; I want Don Brash to answer. The first question is: why is it that from June this year he has asked only four primary questions in the House before today? 
Simon Power 
: He’s down in Invercargill getting votes. 
MARK PECK 
: If the rabble on the front bench could just be quiet! Even Don Brash says that it is impossible to rank the front bench. I want Don Brash to explain why since June this year he has asked only four primary questions until today. And why did he flog John Key’s question today after John Key did all the work on it yesterday? I would like to ask him those particular questions but I cannot hear any answer from Don Brash. I would happily yield my call right now to Don Brash if he would like to answer those questions. 
I have another question for Don Brash. I want him to tell me now—perhaps he could tell me by way of interjection—whether it is National’s policy to get rid of the nuclear ban by lunchtime. Is that the policy? He is being very quiet. I cannot hear a response from him and I would be quite happy right now to yield my position to Don Brash if he would answer that particular question. Why did Dr Brash not stick up for his MP from Tamaki Clem Simich? Can he please tell us? There is no answer—there is absolutely no answer to that particular question. I have a very good question for him. Why did he go to Australia and bag our country to the Aussies? Why did he—Dr Brash the Leader of the Opposition—go to Australia and bag our country to Australians? That is the closest thing to treachery one can get in the House—we do not like Australians! The only thing we like about Australians is when we take the Bledisloe Cup from them! 
We saw a cartoon that shows Don Brash going through immigration in Australia with a sign over his back that says “The end is nigh we are doomed” and an Aussie immigration man saying: “He says his name is Brash and he’s got a message of encouragement for Australian investors and tourists when he is in charge.” Where was the message of encouragement? Fran O’Sullivan got it right when she said: “At least he could have outlined a prescription for things to do.” And before the rich person over there starts saying: “What about Clark?” let me say that Helen Clark wherever she went in the world set out a prescription of hope for this country as she talked to international audiences. Not once did she bag our nation to the Australians. 
I am not finished with Don Brash yet. I want him to tell the House how he ranks his front bench. Who are the people on his front bench who are any good? [ 
Interruption 
] That was absolutely not an answer at all. But that is not unusual. When we look at the front bench we see really only one person National’s “Key” spokesperson who is really looking forward to taking over the position. I ask Don Brash this question: does he agree with John Key’s assessment of the superannuation fund or will it like the nuclear policy be gone by lunchtime? 
I am getting a little tired of Dr Brash not answering these questions. I want to ask him one very direct question: how can he put his hand out on pay day and take his pay? I want Dr Brash to tell me how he fills in his days in this place. I know he is going to Invercargill to speak to a Rotary club. I know that because the club cannot sell the tickets. It has had to advertise to get people to buy tickets. What a wimpy Leader of the Opposition!