Ngaro Alfred: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ngaro Alfred: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Sitting date: 12 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:7707. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
ALFRED NGARO (National) 
: 
 Can I start by first acknowledging you Mr Speaker in your new illustrious role. I like many of your colleagues wish you well on this journey of leadership. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues who have had promotions in the caucus and Government and wish you well in your respective roles. I also want to thank my other colleagues the Hon Kate Wilkinson and the Hon Phil Heatley for your fine leadership and service to the Government and most important to the people of New Zealand. 
New Zealand will be a good place to be in 2050. We might feel we are doing it hard in New Zealand but not only is it one of the best places in the world to be born in 2013 but we are also well positioned for the mega shifts taking place between now and 2050. These are the words from the executive editor of  
The 
Economist 
 Mr Daniel Franklin who spoke at a conference last year and ended his speech by saying that with good management and the right policies New Zealand could come through the current period of turbulent change in good shape. Dr Franklin’s comments about good management and the right policies affirm the inspiring vision of the National Government and the responsible and astute leadership of our Prime Minister the Rt Hon John Key. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! There is too much background noise. Those who want to have private conversations please do so outside the Chamber. 
ALFRED NGARO 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. Dr Franklin’s comments about good management and the right policies affirm the inspiring vision of the National Government and the responsible and astute leadership of our Prime Minister the Rt Hon John Key. 
The Government has four key priority areas. Firstly to responsibly manage the Government’s finances—that means living within our means. Jacqueline Ireland the chief executive of Colmar Brunton commented: “I believe that the recession and its aftermath have forced many businesses to look at their costs and rethink their strategy and those that have made good decisions are now far stronger leaner faster more productive and more agile.” It also means New Zealand earning a living and being sensible with taxpayers’ money. In conversations with people—from the beaches and camping grounds of the far north during the holidays to South Auckland communities and market places—they just want to know that we are being fair and just as a Government. In fact in my conversation with a leader of the Pasifika community he said to me: “Alfred we don’t want handouts. All we ask for is opportunity and we’ll do the rest. We’ll work hard.” They did ask me why the focus on the economy and making money as a priority was so important to this Government—a very good question. I simply replied that in our communities instead of the word “economy” we use other words that have the same meaning such as “prosperity”—in other words the opportunity to provide for your family to feed and clothe them and to help them sustain the quality of life we have come to enjoy in this country. Most important it will help us pay our way in this country and in this world. They got it. 
Secondly another key priority is to push ahead with the wide-ranging programme of reforms to create a more productive and competitive economy. Albert Brantley chief executive of Genesis Energy comments: “While the NZ economy has faced significant pressure over the past few years I am cautiously optimistic that this year we will begin to see an increase in business confidence …” which confirms Treasury’s Half-year Economic and Fiscal Update of the economy growing at a rate of 2.5 percent over the next 3 years. 
The third key strategy is to drive better results and better value for money from public services. Here are just some of the targets. In the justice sector this will mean 45000 fewer crimes 7500 fewer violent crimes and 600 fewer young people appearing in court each year from 2017 and also 600 extra police on the front line. Education targets—98 percent of all school entrants having participated in early childhood education by 2016 and 85 percent of all 18-year-olds having achieved National Certification of Educational Achievement level 2 or an equivalent qualification by 2017. Targets for social development—we began implementing our reform of the welfare system to bring about an unrelenting focus on work including greater work obligations for beneficiaries and more support to help people into work through a fairer welfare system. And health targets—more operations now at record levels. Thirty-five thousand more patients get elective treatment a year under National than under Labour. Elective surgery volumes have been increasing on average by around 8000 patients a year over the last few years. 
And lastly our fourth key strategy is to support the rebuilding of Christchurch. As the Prime Minister said in his speech out of adversity comes opportunity and as Christchurch is an area where $30 billion will be spent over the course of the next few years this is an excellent opportunity for the whole of New Zealand to support its redevelopment. One of those opportunities is our commitment to train more New Zealanders in vocational careers—particularly important as the rebuild of Christchurch pushes forward. Colin James commented that the most important aspect of 2013 will be the importance of jobs and bridging the gap between education and employment. This affects all of us in our families and even in our communities. So what is this Government doing? It is boosting skills and supporting jobs. There is a big opportunity in New Zealand over the next few years particularly with the rebuilding of Christchurch to train more New Zealanders in vocational careers that will set them up well for their futures. 
A week ago I was privileged to attend a celebration for Pasifika success in education and the Wellington launch of the Pasifika Education Plan 2013-2017 with the Minister of Education the Hon Hekia Parata and my colleague Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga at the Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano Samoa Church in Porirua. While I was there a young Samoan woman got up and said this: “I don’t like being called ‘underprivileged’ because I am privileged to have supportive parents. I am privileged to have great opportunities in this country of New Zealand to be able to succeed.” She went on to say that this year she is going on to Victoria University and through that if she gains a B average then she will be successful in gaining a scholarship to Scotland to the world-leading university in opera. There were also the Tau brothers who are twins who shared their stories of principles of success. Mafutaga one of the twins said this: “I want to be fast like Usain Bolt so my principle for success is ‘Dream Believe Achieve’.” In our communities our young people are looking for these opportunities and what is the opportunity for success? It is their attitude. 
So as a Government we are meeting this attitude of success. We have launched five new vocational pathways that clearly signpost the subjects that young people should take to prepare for vocational careers in construction manufacturing the primary sector the service sector and the social services. There will be over 4000 places available in trades and services academies and around 8700 Youth Guarantee places. We are also revitalising industry training to ensure that people have the right skills and training and that our system is responsive to trainees and employers. We are particularly focused on increasing opportunities for in-work training for all Kiwis by expanding and improving our apprenticeship training system. In respect of this system around apprenticeships being a tradesman and having come through apprenticeships myself I see the importance. I have worked with tertiary organisations like Unitec and the Manukau Institute of Technology and I see the importance that these schemes and scholarships have to young people in our communities. This is absolutely meeting a need and is relevant for the young people and families whom we experience every day as constituents in our communities. 
Our changes also include from 1 January 2014 combining Modern Apprenticeships and other apprenticeship-type training under an expanded and improved scheme called New Zealand Apprenticeships. These new apprenticeships will provide the same level of support and subsidy for all apprentices regardless of their age. We are boosting overall apprenticeships funding. The current top up for Modern Apprenticeships will be redistributed across all New Zealand apprentices as an extension to their learning subsidy. In addition overall subsidy payments will be increased by around $12 million in the first year rising over time. Increased funding for apprenticeships will allow industry training organisations to invest in quality education for apprentices lower fees for employers and encourage apprenticeships with growth. We are boosting the educational content of apprenticeships. At a minimum they will require a programme of 120 credits resulting in a level 4 qualification. We are setting clearer roles and performance expectations for industry training organisations and giving employers other options if the industry training organisations do not perform. We are lifting the profile and participation of apprenticeships by giving the first 10000 new apprentices who enrol after 1 April this year $1000 towards their tools—and jobs of course. 
In conclusion just this month  
The Economist 
 magazine had New Zealand ranked sixth overall on a measure of the health of society from economic indicators such as innovation to social ones such as inequality and crime. It is clear to say this: the world is full of opportunities for New Zealand over the next few years and we need to seize those opportunities with both hands. Thank you.