12. Research and Development—Government SpendingDr PARMJEET PARMAR (National) to the Minister of Research Science and InnovationResearch and Development—Government Spending12. Dr PARMJEET PARMAR (National) to the Minister of Research Science and Innovation: What is her target for Government research and development spending over the next 3 years to help her achieve the coalition Government's goal of spending 2 percent of New Zealand GDP on research and development?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Research Science and Innovation): All Government expenditure on research development and innovation over the next three years will be part of a wider plan to reach a target of an economy-wide expenditure on R & D of 2 percent of GDP over the next two years. It is our objective that a high proportion of the growth necessary to achieve this will come from increased business expenditure on R & D because ours is especially low by OECD standards. But we recognise that businesses need support to do this and that's why we're committed to expenditure on an R & D tax credit and we remain committed to increasing overall investment in New Zealand's research science and innovation system.Dr Parmjeet Parmar: What will be the Government's share of her 2 percent of GDP target?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Currently business expenditure makes up about 55 percent of our total R & D spend which is extremely low compared to the OECD's average of 68 percent. Our plan is to put an R & D tax credit in place so we can increase—Hon Steven Joyce: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I've a genuine interest in this topic and I was listening to the question which I understand was in relation—Mr SPEAKER: Well no. The member will resume his seat. The member cannot have a point of order until the Minister has finished her answer.Hon Simon Bridges: Yes he can.Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Simon Bridges will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Simon Bridges: I withdraw and apologise. Point of order Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: The member's not going to relitigate the ruling I've just made.Hon Simon Bridges: Well—point of order Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: I think it might be safer if we let the Minister finish her answer.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The issue is that I don't want to fall foul of your other ruling so I must raise points of order at the first available opportunity.Mr SPEAKER: And what I suggest that the member does because it's already in his in-box is to read the ruling. Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I heard your ruling and I understand. I do want to raise a point of order in relation to what has happened but I understand and I want to respect your ruling that you've also given that I should not do it at this point of time but I do want to come back to it. So I'm seeking clarification and your help frankly to understand how I should proceed.Mr SPEAKER: Well if the member had read the ruling what he would have seen is that it is inappropriate for him to relitigate it now. If he thinks I have made an inappropriate ruling then he should seek to talk to me about it in my office privately. The ruling is very clear and it's consistent with at least 114 years of precedent.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Being an apologist for the Government.Hon Simon Bridges: Point of order.Mr SPEAKER: No before that we'll have Dr Smith stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I withdraw and apologise.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. What you said in that ruling that was very clear was that members have a duty to the public and to this House to make points of order primarily as I understood it in this House. Mr SPEAKER: The member will now resume his seat and look I don't want the primary teacher to come out in me but in the end members when they're advised to read a ruling should read the whole ruling to the end of the ruling and not quote parts of it back before they understand it. Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Thank you Mr Speaker. I'm going to begin my answer again if I can remember the question all the way back. The current mix of R & D spending in New Zealand is 45 percent Government expenditure with 55 percent expenditure coming from business. It is this Government's intention to lift business expenditure on R & D through measures such as the R & D tax credit because that's what successful innovative countries across the OECD look like.Hon Steven Joyce: Point of order Mr Speaker. Hon Simon Bridges: Point of order Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: Are they both points of order?Hon Steven Joyce: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I've listened to the answer in full. The question was in regards to what the Minister is going to do in relation to Government research and development. I believe the Minister answered by talking about what she wanted to do in business research and development. I wonder if she could be directed to the Government research and development.Mr SPEAKER: The Minister can have another go trying to address that narrow brief.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Thank you. Total Government funding as it was put in place under the previous Government on research and development would put us on a track to have R & D at 0.5 percent of GDP. Our Government's intention is to raise that expenditure to get that to 2 percent of GDP.Dr Parmjeet Parmar: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I specifically asked for the Government's share of her 2 percent of GDP target.Mr SPEAKER: Well no I think that was addressed in the earlier part of the question.Hon Member: No it wasn't.Mr SPEAKER: It certainly was. There were even numbers there.Dr Parmjeet Parmar: So is the Minister committing that the Government R & D spend will be increased from 0.5 percent of GDP to 2 percent of GDP?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The coalition Government's agreement was never to lift Government expenditure to 2 percent of GDP. The coalition Government's commitment was to lift R & D spending across both Government and the private sector to 2 percent of GDP. The fact that the member cannot get her head around that shows—Mr SPEAKER: No. Order! The member will resume her seat. The member had answered the question and didn't need to add anything on to the end.Hon Steven Joyce: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Again I was listening very carefully to that answer—before the gratuitous bit—and I'm sorry but in a previous supplementary the Minister has been asked What proportion will be the Government"—Mr SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat. I've ruled that it's been addressed. In fact I've stopped her for over-addressing it.Hon Member: Supplementary question?Mr SPEAKER: No the National Party has run out of supplementary questions."