Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Leaders Debate #2: Twenty Five Questions
Five leaders, five questions each. Paul Holmes as inquisitor. Yes or no answers requested. The following questions were one of segments from the Second Leaders debate held last night on TV1.
Helen Clark
Q: Would you make Jim Anderton Deputy PM?
A: There is
every prospect of that
Q:Would you make Mr Peters
Treasurer in order to become govt?
A:No and nor did I
last time.
Q: Can you guarantee shorter waiting
lists in hospitals within three years?
A: By the end of
three years I want shorter waiting times, yes.
Q: If
having private insurers in ACC is providing better service
more cheaply for everyone will you insist on turning ACC
back into a state funded monopoly?
A: It won’t achieve
what you say and we will be restoring single public funding
– the answer is no because you cannot prove your assertion –
nowhere in the world can privatised schemes be shown to be
more cost effective.
Q: Was it worth upsetting the West
Coast?
A: I believe in those forests being protected and
I will do what I can to protect them and the economic
development of the West Coast – both can win.
Jim
Anderton
Q: Do you want to be Deputy PM?
A:
Yes
Q: When you say you will scrap the Student Loans
scheme will you write off around $4 billion in student
debt?
A: No because we will have an inquiry into
that.
Q: Will you go into government with Labour if Labour
will not change the Reserve Bank Act?
A: There are no
bottom lines. We’re going to work cooperatively with Labour
and be a much better govt than this lot.
Q: Should John
Hart go?
A: I think so.
Q: Do you seriously believe
your policies?
A: Do you want an answer to that?
Yes.
Richard Prebble
Q: If National says no
to your treaty policy will you accept that?
A:
Yes.
(…2 missed questions due to technical malfunction …Scoop will insert these when advised of what they were.)
Q: Did the Aramoana go aground?
A: No.
Q:
Will the rugby debacle reduce Jenny Shipley’s chance of
election?
A: No
Jenny Shipley
Q: Are you
comfortable with Richard Prebble’s treaty policies?
A:
We don’t agree with arbitrary termination. But we do agree
with getting it being done quickly and bringing it to a
conclusion
Q: If the price of a coalition agreement with
Mr Peters was for you to step down as National Party leader
would you?
A: No. I didn’t last time when he asked me to
and I don’t intend to again?
Q: Can we any longer tolerate
minority governments?
A: Yes.
Q: Should MPs who resign
from a party leave Parliament?
A: No. Jim didn’t. Mr
Double standard. Typical.
Q: Did you miss Mr Peters in the
Cabinet Room and would you go in there and do it all over
again?
A: How does one answer that. I would prefer not
to have Winston in the cabinet room but it is in the hands
of NZ voters.
Winston Peters
Q: Should I
bother with any of these questions?
A: Paul you get paid
enough to bother.
Q: If National is the government and you
can do it will you block reductions in tax?
A: Yes.
Q:
If Labour is the government and you can do it will you block
rises in tax?
A: Yes.
Q: Should Taine Randell
stay?
A: Look. The guy is falling pretty bad tonight why
am I going to worsen his state of mind?
Q: Can we trust
you?
A: If you can find anyone with the track record of
mine then you trust them more than me. But you will not. I
have been to the wire for what I believe. These people have
sold out countless
times.
Alastair Thompson
Scoop Publisher
Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.
Peter Dunne: Luxon Gets Out His Butcher's Knife - Briefly
Binoy Kampmark: Warring Against Encryption, Australia Is Coming For Your Communications
Gordon Campbell: On Fast Track Powers, Media Woes And The Tiktok Ban
Binoy Kampmark: Censorship Wars, Elon Musk, Safety Commissioners And Violent Content
Gordon Campbell: On The Public Sector Carnage, And Misogyny As Terrorism
Ramzy Baroud: NATO’s Never-ending War: The 75-Year-Old Bully Is Faltering