Address in reply debate - Video 74

And protecting the climate

threw actions to reduce

short lived climate pollutants.

[Speaker] That concludes oral questions

I call on the order of the day

to the addressing reply to both.

Interrupted debate on the addressing

reply and the amendment proposed to it.

[Speaker] The Rt Honourable Winston Peters

Mr Speaker five weeks ago

the government was sworn in

on the 26th of October.

Since then there has been hectic weeks of

briefings and requesting papers

and changing policy directions.

And we and this government are committed

to governing for the many not the few.

To ensuring economic programmes

uplift the mass majority

and not a small elite.

We are resolved to einsure

that economic plans

come with a responsible

human face.

Mr Speaker, what we have seen

in contrast of the course

is a bitter Party,

imploding on itself,

knowing full well that

when the fights start

many people in the backbench

will not have seen

anything unlike it in the past

because that's what's going to happen.

And when you look at the

frontbench of the National Party

you can see why they're

no longer in government.

They singularly, collectively

lack the talent and the ability

and it shows when they make claims of

being a dynamic opposition.

We have seen dynamic oppositions

in the past led by people like

Muldoon and Lange and others,

But we have not seen a replication of that

in this House since Parliament

has come back, post the election.

The fact that you have got to ask

six thousands questions...

...six thousand questions

suggested, after nine years of government

you had no idea what you were doing

in the first place.

Six thousand questions!

I think that's more questions

that I've asked from my whole career!

(INTERJECTION)

Or possibly not

(laughs)

And all we are're getting there is

a diet of cynicism and doubt

blackguarding the new

governments political policies

and plans, throwing cold water

on visions and aspirations

and bad mouthing the future of

a country called New Zealand.

It put's one in mind that famous line in

The Mikado.

"The idiot who praises"

"With enthusiastic tone"

"All centuries but this"

"and every country but his own"

Now, there's one who especially does this

is a man whose name is Finlayson.

He waited until I was out of the country

and then he attacked me.

(INTERJECTION)

He waited, until I was out of the country

halfway around the world

and he launches his

personal attack.

and he said I acted for

the National Party when it

expelled you, way back early '90's.

Funny about that, because on day one

of the court case they sort an adjournment

their case collapsed!

Collapsed in total!

He was the legal advisor.

Well let me tell you, the greatest

legal mind in the whole Commonwealth,

namely.....

himself.....and yours truly from Rongotai

From Rongotai

lines up in Rongotai four times in a row

and four times in a row, the smart people

of Rongotai rejected him!

And so should the National Party!

This is a man who made himself a QC.

Made himself a QC!

Didn't wait for the profession

to make him a QC.

No he thought he, I'll make myself one

(INTERRUPTION)

Beg your pardon?

(INTERRUPTION)

Is that the man from Pakuranga?

(HOUSE ERUPTS)

Is he?

Helensville?

Well he sounds as stupid!

That's why I made a mistake.

Oh I see

Listen sunshine...

I can even say this

[Speaker] ORDER!

I'll be here long after your gone.

[Speaker] Order!

[Speaker] I'm on my feet.

I think we'll have a bit of order thank you

that is not helpful.

[Peters] It is most unhelpful

when you lead with your chin

And let me tell ya, you know when....

[Speaker] It's not my chin

[Peters] Ah yes, quite right there.

And in this case...decidedly so

It's his chin!

that's the one I'm talking about.

In fact, if I came from Helensville

where the last incumbent member

visited about once every six months,

I wouldn't be shouting from the treetops

like that member is.

Helensville's a place that's never

seen an MP.

In fact the last MP there

didn't know that the

biggest controversy coming

in the country was a

New Zealand electorate

in the form of Kim.Com

Kim.Com had been to his office twice

and he told everybody he

didn't know about it.

And offshore, in comes the overseas

security brigade and there was an

international raid on Kim.Com's home

and his predecessor said

he neither knew about it

as the head of the GCSB

or the head of the SIS.

I hope that member's an improvement

from what I've just seen, I don't think so.

I don't think so.

But I want to say to that member

that his colleagues

sitting back with him

were forewarned

before the last election

as to what was going to happen.

I told all those members there

that they're gonna be

in the backbench for

a long, long, long time.

At least he could have the decency

of acknowledging a forecast

and a prediction that came right.

(laughter)

As it will!

And I want to say this,

that member will have to

do a whole lot more

about judging the lack of

talent in front of him up here

if he ever wants to see his

his Party come back

in government

'Cos this Party over there is tired

the whole frontbench will not last

and even now

any signs of strife

and the backstabbing has started

Oh yes, you can hear those

knives on the grindstone.

And this is not...this is not

an alternative government

we're looking at right now.

I want to make it very clear

I want to make it very, very clear

that we have plans for

regional recovery

We have plans for

infrastructural investment

and we have plans to restore our

health and education system

and it's resources.

As I travel around the country

and I do extensively

far more than that member there.

Let me say what is the

most amazing comment I get.

Thank god you guys turned up

and made the right decision

Now, I'm a humble man...

(Laughter)

And I say to them,

when I evaluated

and my colleagues evaluated

the alternatives

the sense of going

with the conscience

against the blind ideology

that doesn't work, was profound.

And we made the right decision!

And wearing a blue tie is

is not going to save that member now!

(APPLAUSE)