Peters: When Will They Ever Learn?
new-zealand-first-party
Wed Apr 20 2011 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Peters: When Will They Ever Learn?
Wednesday, 20 April 2011, 5:18 pm
Speech: New Zealand First Party
EMBARGOED AGAINST DELIVERY
Rt. Hon Winston Peters
Leader NZ First
Address to: Maraetai Grey Power
Maraetai Bowling Club
162 Maraetai Dr
Date: 20th April 2011
Time: 11.30am
“When Will They Ever Learn?”
Today I would like to talk about our country, New Zealand, the Land of the Long White Cloud, Aotearoa, what it means to us and how it's under threat.
Our history shows we have a proud tradition of inclusiveness, caring for each other and a close connection with the land.
We are proud of our agriculture and our tourism, our athletes and our breathtaking natural environment.
Our easy access to our beaches, forests and National Parks are for the healing and enjoyment of us all.
The land itself is the source of our prosperity, and part of our collective soul.
We are proud to consider that all New Zealanders have equal rights to a fair deal in the justice system and that we aspire to an egalitarian ideal of equality of opportunity.
It may be a fact of life that as someone in George Orwell's Animal Farm famously said “some are more equal than others” but it was not always like that here.
Richard John Seddon's government and later governments from Michael Joseph Savage onwards tried to ensure that the racial, religious and economic divisions of other countries were not repeated here.
Many of the members of parliament who formed these enlightened governments were returned soldiers who had served in the hellholes of the world.
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They had seen the terrible carnage of war and the dreadful aftermath as people struggled to rebuild their ruined countries and restore their shattered lives.
These former servicemen and women came home determined to protect their country and to save their people from the horrors they had witnessed.
Whatever their political persuasion, they pushed ahead with policies of improving housing, health, (especially children) education, trade training and employment.
They also developed better agriculture, forestry, communications, transport systems, roads, power stations and state departments whose sole purpose was public service.
These representatives of the people were giants in our history books and the people who served them as public officials always put service ahead of private reward.
It came as shock in 1984 when a government was elected which did not share our traditional values and which cared only about money and half baked theories about making more of it – for some people – while the rest of the people had to rely on the trickle down process. (We've all learnt what that means!)
Money in itself is worth nothing. It is no longer a precious metal like gold.
That 1984 government began to flog off our assets for something as worthless as scraps of printed paper or signatures on pieces of paper.
They were like Esau in the Bible who sold his heritage for 'a mess of potage' (in today's language a plate of lentil soup).
It was as though a revolution had been started to undo the good works of those previous governments.
State service became dirty words. Words like free market – free trade - privatisation – and globalisation became the catch cries.
In 1990 another government came along promising to put things back together again – but they only made it worse because they got caught up in the same political, social and economic madness.
Fast forward to 2008 and it's been back to the future – yet again.
After promising to keep to traditional values this National led government is heading back to the worst case scenarios of the eighties and nineties.
The remaining assets are up for grabs again, our priceless farmland is being flogged off, the rich are getting big tax cuts and the rest of you have to learn to budget better.
This is not a fair government. It does not follow in the footsteps of those New Zealanders who built this country.
Let me give you an example.
In the last Budget the government gave its mates some big tax cuts.
Look for example, at the boss of the Australian bank Westpac in New Zealand.
His salary is $5.6 million dollars. That's right 5.6million dollars.
When National handed out tax cuts – the bank boss got more than $5,000 a week extra.
That's right $5,000 a week extra because of his tax cut.
Now for the unfairness of it all.
National recently lifted the minimum wage by 25 cents an hour to $13 an hour.
That means someone on the minimum wage – and there are thousands of them – now receives just over $27,000 a year.
That amounts to about $437 a week take home pay.
It's not hard to see the people this government is looking after.
If you are a bank boss on $5.6million you get an extra five thousand a week.
If you are on the minimum wage – you get an extra 25 cents an hour.
It's easy to spot the winner in this simple game of social arithmetic!
The cost of living is soaring out of control for many people.
A trip to the supermarket has become a very expensive business.
The price of petrol for your car is now way over two dollars a litre.
Your power bills are rising by at least ten percent and so is the cost of your telephone.
What about car licensing – your rates or rent? Everything is going up in leaps and bounds.
But this government gives huge tax cuts to the rich and increases taxes on food and the necessaries of life for families.
The top 20 percent of the population are doing OK – some are doing very well indeed because of their tax cuts and tax dodges.
The rest of the people are being fed a steady stream of public relations waffle to make them FEEL they are doing well.
This government has the biggest and most effective public relations machine in the history of New Zealand.
It is supported by two overseas owned newspaper chains, a string of private radio stations and a television network.
But our message will get out loud and clear – and part of that message is that we will once again be called on to save the foreshore and seabed around this country for future generations.
Foreshore and Seabed
One of the most serious mistakes made by this government was taking the rightful ownership of the foreshore and seabed away from the people and leaving it in legal limbo.
When this issue of ownership cropped up a few years ago, we approached Labour and told them we would help fix it up.
Our solution was simple. Crown ownership and the recognition of customary rights for Maori.
There was never any suggestion that any particular individual or group of individuals could or should establish any form of ownership.
Let's face it. Generations of New Zealanders, both Maori and non-Maori regarded the coastline as a treasure to be enjoyed and a wonderful source of food.
Enter the Maori Party with a separatist agenda and a burning desire to justify its racist existence.
They went to the National Party and said we will give you our support if you give us the foreshore and seabed.
That's exactly what has happened!
But of course what they forgot to tell you is that ordinary New Zealanders – both Maori and non-Maori won’t get even a bucket of sand or a scrap of seaweed out of the deal.
It's all going to the Maori Party's puppetmasters. The ones who pull the strings.
The Treaty travellers and corporate Maori. They will be going for title and they will be going to extract the last dollar they can out of the whole sordid exercise.
These are the politics of cronyism, racism and separatism.
There is no place for these attitudes in New Zealand.
Superannuation
Over the past week there has been another attack on superannuation with Treasury warning that something has to be done to address the issues of an ageing population.
As usual there has been talk about raising the age of eligibility or means testing the pension.
Our advice to you is take nothing for granted.
There are teams of highly paid people in government circles working out how to keep pension costs down.
Senior citizens have seen it all before.
You will all remember how Bill English started cutting superannuation when he was Jenny Shipley's finance minister.
Leopards don’t change their spots.
And don’t forget this is the same Bill English who is using the low wages paid to New Zealanders as a tactical approach to attract more industry to New Zealand.
It just shows this government is not sincere when it talks about New Zealand achieving wage parity with Australia.
The minister himself of course does not mind a few perks. Remember how he received $130,000 of taxpayers money for living in his own house?
New Zealand First does not regard senior citizens as a burden on the state.
We recognise the contribution you have made and want you to live out your lives in some comfort and contentment.
When we hear stories about pensioners being forced to eat pet food it makes us wonder what those men who went off to fight for democracy would have thought!
Only recently the prime minister said that people who could not live on $300 a week were not budgeting properly.
That was the comment of a politician who does not live in the real world.
Conclusion
New Zealand First is needed back in Parliament.
This is why:
We believe in one rule of law for all citizens.
We believe the foreshore and seabed should belong to us all.
We believe in looking after our young and our old.
We believe that an adequate pension is a right – not a privilege
We believe there should be a job for everyone who can work and wants to.
We believe that New Zealand should be owned by New Zealanders.
We believe that our farmland must be protected from foreign buyers.
We believe that our companies should be controlled in New Zealand – not in some foreign board room.
And most of all we believe we should honour and follow our uniquely New Zealand way of life.
Past generations – our parents and grandparents – and their parents and grandparents created “God's Own” country in the South Pacific.
If you don’t want to vote for Labour, vote for New Zealand First.
If you don’t want the others vote for New Zealand First.
If we have to, and if that is what New Zealand First decides, we will be pleased to sit on the cross benches guarding the interests of ALL New Zealanders.
We have done it before.
National and Labour can look after themselves.
We will support legislation that's in line with New Zealand First policies.
And we will always support any policy or idea that's good for the country – no matter where it comes from.
It's time NZ went back it’s our rightful place in the great scheme of things.
New Zealand First is ready, willing and able to rise to the challenge.
Give us your support and we will help take you there.
ENDS
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