people who just can't get it. I have got a case at the moment, a couple
with their three children, one in a
wheelchair, who have been forced out
of their house, their lease has
expired, 15 houses they tried to
rent, couldn't rent. Unavailable,
couldn't
rent, couldn't rent. Unavailable, with
rent, couldn't rent. Unavailable, couldn't afford it, are now living
in a caravan park, can't get on the
Housing New Zealand list until
they're homeless. They are now
homeless, and this is just one of
many. There is a housing crisis,
there is an education crisis, there
is a huge hole in our health
funding. This Government is ignoring
all of those three. That's where
this election will be fought. I call
Meka Whaitiri. Tena koe.
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Meka Whaitiri. Tena koe. this
Meka Whaitiri. Tena koe. <SPEAKS TE REO
Meka Whaitiri. Tena koe.
<SPEAKS
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Mr
Mr Speaker, there are leaders, there are great leaders and there's Bill
English. Bill English may be the PM,
Mr Speaker, but he is definitely no
leader. The National Party members
themselves
leader. The National Party members leader.
leader. The National Party members themselves realise he is not John
Key, and they at realise and have
this - what they have got governing
this country is the B-Team. On this
side, sir, under Andrew Little, we
are preparing - we are preparing to
take The Treasury benches when we
come to 23 September, sir. We are
keen to take our message and our
policies to the people in New
Zealand. Now, why do I say Andrew
will be the next PM, sir? It's
because he has a history -- history
as a former union leader for
standing
as a former union leader for because
as a former union leader for standing up for people. That's what
Andrew brings to the role. He also
as a husband, a father of a teenage
boy realises the importance of
housing affordability like many on
this side do, and the importance of
education for the next generation,
sir. And as a cancer survivor,
Andrew Little has a passion for
making sure that we have the best
possible health system in this
country. As so, sir, we are ready.
We are ready to go to the polls. We
are ready to actually show to this
country what Labour can bring. And
my colleagues over here, and I quite
rightly agree - housing is a big
issue that we will take to the polls
as to who has the best plan to
address that, sir. And I wanted to
do in the time that I had, sir, and
talk about how housing impacts in
the electorates, in the regions. In
my electorate which goes from the
very top of East Coast right down to
wai-Mata, there is a shortage of
good rentals throughout my
electorate. Pretty much 90% of all
my constituents' issues, sir, are to
do with housing. I want to share
with you how it works. Literally
people are - are trying to get on
the housing waiting list but they
have to show they have actually gone
out to look for private rentals. And
when they literally aren't there,
sir, the next best thing is they get
put into hotels. Every hotel are
full with housing people who can't
get on the waiting list, which is
good and fine, sir, until you have a
major event in these towns and guess
what happens? Those people are out.
They're out in their cars or they're
sleeping on someone's couches until
the weekend or whatever the event is
over. That's the New Zealand and the
legacy that this Government for the
last eight years has provided and
some of the smaller towns throughout
the country, sir. That's in
Gisborne, in Napier, and that's
right down in Wainumata. Housing
shortage. I'm dismayed at some of
these communities who still have
shortage. I'm dismayed at some of these
shortage. I'm dismayed at some of Housing New Zealand houses emptied
and boarded up sir. Emptied and
boarded up. And yet we have been
told they're coming, wait, they're
coming. We have been waiting for
eight years, sir and I don't think
we're going to see any difference in
the next six months until we go to
the polls. Hosing is going to be a
big issue, sir. Yesterday, with my
colleague Stuart Nash, we tended
Waikato
colleague Stuart Nash, we tended colleague
colleague Stuart Nash, we tended Waikato Day and it was a -- Waitangi
Day and it was a great day to
celebrate with your civic leaders,
around what this country can be and
has the possibility to be if we have
the right leadership, sir. But right
now, under this National-led
Government I think too many New
Zealanders are missing out. Too many
New Zealanders are missing out. And
in my final closing, Mr Speaker, we
have a mirage party - I mean the
Maori Party, which is constantly
saying they're sitting at the table
of this Government and pushing the
needs
of this Government and pushing the Maori
of this Government and pushing the needs of our people. And our people
will know, sir, when we go to the
polls that we have have a rising
unemployment for Maori, we have
young Maori disengaged from any
learning, training or employment. We
have a high number of Maori not
owning their homes. That is the
legacy of this Parliament and our
people will know the truth is when
we go to the polls on 23 September.
The
The Hon
The Hon Nikki Kaye. Mr Speaker, firstly, can I just say thank you to
the many members of this House who
have been in touch with me over the
last four months since I have been
sick. It has been really beautiful,
actually, to receive those messages
and for all of those people
watching, that might have a negative
view of politics, I can tell you
that my view of many of the people
in this House, right across the
spectrum, is incredibly positive and
I just want to acknowledge all of
those people who have been in touch.
Can I also acknowledge the members
of the public as well - so many
beautiful messages and my heart goes
out to all of those people that are
going through, or have been through,
what I've been through. So, what a
difference four months can make, in
terms of politics. We have a new PM
and I do just want to take the
opportunity to acknowledge John Key.
I haven't had the opportunity to do
that. I know a lot of people in this
House want to rewrite history, but
he is an incredible man and he has
dedicated, I think, ten years of his
life to be leader of the National
Party and then eight years as PM.
And I think history will show the
incredible job that he has done,
whether it's through the GFC, or
whether it's through the Canterbury
earthquakes, and I just want to
acknowledge you, John. Then also, I
do just want to talk a bit about the
leadership. We've heard a lot from
Opposition members over the last
couple of hours about PM Bill
English and I just want to tell a
Opposition
English and I just want to tell a little bit of a story as to why I
actually got involved in politics
and involved with our current PM.
I'll never forget watching him leave
the building after we went to the
worst election result ever, and one
of the things that really I admired
about him was the way that he got
back up and he has always said the
reason that he did that was because
of his children and the example for
his children. So I guess my first
message to members of the Opposition
is, I know how this works. You guys
have a script which currently says,
"We need to say he is not a leader,
we need to say bad things about Bill
because then people are going to
vote for us and they are going to
prefer Andrew". Well, actually,
that's not going to work.
Because
Because this guy is the real deal. He is one of the greatest finance
ministers that we've ever had and he
is the architect of a lot of our
social policy. Bill English is a
great leader and New Zealanders are
seeing that and I have no doubt that
the polls will reflect that. Can I
also acknowledge Paula Bennett, our
new Deputy PM. In terms of the state
of the nation speeches I want to
make a few comments about that.
Prior to this PM's statement, I
don't think we could have seen a
better contrast from the Opposition
versus the Government. We announced
ultimately
versus the Government. We announced ultimately, you know, everything
that I've learned about politics -
it is about are you doing the things
that matter to people? Are you
ensuring that you do everything you
can to make people safer? Are you
doing everything that you can to
ensure that young people get the
best opportunities at school? Are
you doing everything that you can
...
... ..To
... ..To ensure that we raise wages so
that people have the best amount of
disposable income as possible. Our
PM's state of the nation was about