Pugh Maureen: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePugh Maureen: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 01 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11572. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MAUREEN PUGH (National): It is a great pleasure for me to stand and speak to this Budget Bill English’s eighth and my first. It was with some anticipation that I waited for Budget day. It was almost like a child waiting for Christmas excited about the potential that this package held for me—and not just for me but for the people of New Zealand. I was not disappointed. With rising surpluses and falling debt this gives the country the ability to make choices it simply did not have 8 years ago.The benefits from this Budget are spread across the whole country and throughout all sectors. For Innovate New Zealand there is $761 million to help grow and diversify the economy. We all know that if we do not keep moving ahead we are in fact standing still or moving backwards because the rest of the world will overtake us. To invest in innovation is an absolute essential for us. The broadband initiatives: a $2 billion investment into ultra-fast broadband and the Rural Broadband Initiative. This has already created 4000 jobs across New Zealand. It is extending out into the rural areas of New Zealand and making us more connected making us more competitive.Public infrastructure like transport and schools receive a $2.1 billion investment. That is absolutely massive and essential and recognised by this Government. There is $1.44 billion extra for education over the next 4 years. This brings our investment next year to a record $11 billion in education. Tourism—this is one that is near and dear to my heart because of the area that I live in on the West Coast. Thirty-seven million dollars will go into small regional communities that have pressures on them brought about by the success of our investment into tourism and promotion. Small communities will be able to access funding for small projects like car-parks and public toilets—the things that tourists and the success of tourism bring into our rural communities. This will be great news for West Coast - Tasman I can assure you.Health of course is an absolutely outstanding winner in this Budget—$2.2 billion extra over the next 4 years. I am particularly proud that I can stand here with the knowledge that $9.7 million extra was found to support the new Greymouth hospital. This now brings that budget to $77.8 million. This is a huge relief to the people of the West Coast. I am so grateful that this Government recognised that need. On top of that we have also recognised that an extra $3 million will be going into the West Coast District Health Board for its operational costs—a big thankyou to Minister Coleman for recognising that.Another good news story that is heading into West Coast - Tasman is the project that will see a new road bridge across the Taramakau River. No longer will we have to share our bridge with the train although it is quaint and often a tourist attraction. I have witnessed many times a campervan stopped in the middle of the road and a tourist standing in the middle of the train tracks photographing the train coming towards them. In terms of health and safety I think it is an extremely good investment and I look forward to that day as well.What worries me is that all of the gains that are made by this Government in tourism in goldmining which is a huge employer on the coast in dairying—another massive investment on the West Coast—and in forestry and fisheries will be put at risk if the unholy alliance of the “Reds” and Greens which gives us that muddy brown colour ever gets its hands on it. We know how the Greens influence Labour Party policy. When I promoted the West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Bill that went through this House under urgency in 2014 we did not get the support that we needed or wanted. Fortunately—Chris Bishop: You weren’t even in Parliament.MAUREEN PUGH: Correct. I was not even in Parliament but this Government recognised a common-sense solution to a natural event. We got that legislation through.Bill English you have delivered a fantastic Budget. It is solid and it is sensible. Thank you.