Phil Goff

"It's a bit hard to take this speech seriously. Phil Goff's an opposition leader looking for a headline," he said. "If he believed it, I'd probably take it a bit more seriously, but if he did believe it, he was obviously very quiet in the last nine years under a Labour government."

Read more: Goff accused of using race card | In this article: John Key, Orewa, The Dominion Post, Don Brash, and Pita Sharples

"Race is a red herring in this deal. It's about subsidies for big corporations, and I am not going to shy away from saying so," Mr Goff said. Mr Key's deal with the Maori Party was "cynical", "shabby and short-term"

Read more: Goff accused of using race card | In this article: John Key, Orewa, The Dominion Post, Don Brash, and Pita Sharples

"The original event last year was attended by Prime Minister Helen Clark and by Phil Goff, then Trade Minister and now Labour Leader, and I am pleased New Zealand and Japan are maintaining a strong commitment to this year's event. "When Phil Goff was there last year, he emphasised the shared values that underpin the relationship between our two countries, such as a common commitment to justice, democracy and international law, the strong people-to-people ties, and our shared interest in promoting the stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region," Lianne Dalziel said.

Read more: Japan New Zealand Forum to build on partnership | In this article: Lianne Dalziel, Democracy, Climate change, New Zealand Labour Party, Labour, Helen Clark, Japan, and Tokyo

"Mr Key also misrepresented a letter sent to him by Labour Leader Phil Goff offering Labour support for the date change. Mr Key claimed in the letter Phil Goff had "himself finally acknowledged that there were very serious problems facing the ACC Scheme". "That is wrong. The letter was subsequently tabled in the House so the public can judge the accuracy of John Key's claims themselves,"

Read more: ACC: National continues to tell different stories | In this article: John Key and New Zealand Labour Party

"Events will be held around the country this week to celebrate adult learning success stories, but the celebrations will be marred by the knowledge that many future potential success stories have had the rug pulled out from under them. "An OECD report due to be released tomorrow on the economic and social benefits of investing in education is expected to underscore further the foolishness of the decision. "Labour leader Phil Goff and MP Carol Beaumont will attend a meeting at Mt Roskill Intermediate tonight on the ACE cuts and yet another march is planned in Auckland this weekend," Maryan Street said.

Read more: Cloud hangs over Adult Learners' Week | In this article: Maryan Street, John Key, Bite the bullet, and Anne Tolley

"The process has been a shambles from beginning to end. But the prize must go to Nick Smith and John Key for underestimating the cost of National's ETS by $50 billion," Phil Goff said.

Read more: Shambolic unfair ETS will cost taxpayers billions | In this article: John Key

"I don't think somebody who behaves in that way and then uses obscene and racist comments against other ethnic groups has any place in this Parliament at all, and it is time that the Maori Party and John Key took this issue seriously," Mr Goff said. "I wouldn't have a person who behaved like that and spoke like that as a member of my caucus."

Read more: Pay it back, Harawira told | In this article: Lockwood Smith, John Key, Paris, Hawaii, Labour, and Brussels

"The Government, in full scaremonger mode, continues to paint ACC as being in deep trouble to justify its moves to whack Kiwis with a huge hike in levies. Submissions on next year's levy rates close tomorrow," Phil Goff said.

Read more: Final day to make Your voice heard on ACC | In this article: John Key

"That is what it does well, and that is what it should continue to do. As last week's Crown Accounts show, ACC has nearly $12 billion in assets and last year collected $1 billion more in levies than it spent on claims. "This continued growth in assets - which was anticipated as world share markets rebound, the pushing out full funding of ACC historic claims from 2014 to 2019, as Labour proposes, and a decline in work related injuries over each of the past three years means New Zealanders should not be faced with massive hikes in motor vehicle registration and petrol levy increases," Phil Goff said.

Read more: Final day to make Your voice heard on ACC | In this article: John Key

Goff said that the question "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" was "absolutely" the wrong question, and that "the question implies that if you vote `yes' that you're in favour of criminal sanctions being taken against reasonable parents - actually nobody believes that."

Read more: Phil Goff | In this article: New Zealand Labour Party, Helen Clark, Labour Party, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roger Douglas, Minister of Defence, Minister of Education, Minister of Justice, and Afghanistan War