Young Jonathan: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Young Jonathan: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:660;Page:8709] 
JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) 
: 
 We live in a globally connected and fast-changing world that comes with its risks and opportunities both of them great challenges. If we can keep in step or better still move a step ahead the opportunities for this country are enormous. If we fall behind as we have over the last decade the risks are enormous. 
As the Prime Minister said today in his statement to Parliament: “We have a lot of things going for us as a country. We are rich in natural resources we are one of the best food producers in the world we have a beautiful landscape and we are home to some of the smartest and hardest-working people in the world. However we have not been making the most of our strengths” because “In recent times New Zealand incomes have fallen further and further behind the countries we like to compare ourselves with including Australia.” The statement went on to say: “The Government is committed to turning things around and in particular to closing the gap with Australia.” 
We are not achieving our best potential. There is a gap between New Zealand and Australia that needs to be closed. In fact the New Zealand Educational Institute acknowledges that the gap between those who succeed and those who are failing in our education system is wide compared with most other high-performing countries. We are not ahead and we are not abreast. We have fallen behind in significant sectors of our society. We have a culture of underachieving in New Zealand which this Government wants to turn around. As a Government we will bring reforms through in 2010 that will unlock greater opportunities for us as a country as families and as individuals. Change is usually uncomfortable but is often necessary. I remember that one agent of social change said that to change the future we have to disturb the present. We must bring change in what we do and how we do things. 
We inherited an economy that had gone into recession in early 2008. Government spending had increased by 50 percent in the previous 5 years. Spending had increased at double the rate of economic growth and Government revenue. This was short-term happiness like a drug. The tradable sector—that is exporters or industries competing with imports—has been in recession for 5 years contracting by about 10 percent over that time. There have been almost no net jobs created in the tradable side of the economy for the past 10 years. By contrast the non-tradable sector—that is domestic industries not competing with exports including the Government—has grown by 15 percent in the past 5 years. The part of the economy that provides national income has declined while the part that requires that income has grown. It is simple mathematics. It sounds to me that some rot has set in there. It sounds as if fiscal decay has been eating into the health of our economy. 
It is one of the reasons why we now face cash deficits of between $10 billion and $12 billion for each of the next number of 4 years meaning that we need to borrow approximately $240 million a week. This year the Government will get this economy healthy and strong again. We will do this through a number of strategies highlighted by the Prime Minister today. They will be detailed in due course especially around the time of the Budget on 20 May this year. This year the Government will continue to open up New Zealand exporters’ access to world markets. The Government will put considerable energy to attaining those trade agreements because New Zealand’s future economic prosperity depends on them. New Zealand exports already support a significant proportion of jobs here in our country. By increasing our access to world markets we have the potential to create more of the high-quality and well-paid jobs that New Zealanders seek. 
We live in a dynamic world of constant change and in constant competition. We must adapt or we will die. I remember famous US author Isaac Asimov and members will recall this quote who said: “The only constant is change continuing change inevitable change that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is but the world as it will be.” While Mr Goff bleated on—well he is a wealthy farmer—about the average New Zealander the Prime Minister talked about making that New Zealander above average. I know what side of the House I want to stand on. Today the Prime Minister has presented to us a work plan for 2010. It is tangible practical and plausible because it takes into account the state of the nation as it is. It identifies the areas that are holding us back. But his plan is also aspirational because it sets a high goal. It is inspirational because it takes into account the world as it will be and our nation as it ought to be. 
Like the Prime Minister I never want to eat the crumbs off Australia’s plate. I have too many Aussie mates over there who would just love us Kiwis to be satisfied with that. Goodness me with that sort of attitude pretty soon we would be happy with them beating us at the Rugby World Cup. No we are at least equal to them. We do not want the crumbs; we will have the Moreton Bay bugs off their barbies and take back our pavlova as well and then we will beat them at the Rugby World Cup to boot. We have to start thinking that New Zealand is the lucky country—and we have water. The world is changing and this country needs to make a step change to keep up. 
Because of the speed of change that happens in our world our children are now being educated to live and work in a world that does not yet exist. All parents know their kids are brighter than them or so my son tells me. Our kids every single one of them need to be prepared for the future that is incessantly approaching them from over the horizon. This year we will make legislative and funding changes to modernise our secondary schools. Because we live in a globally connected and competitive world we need to ensure that no one slips between the cracks in our education system. That is why national standards are critical to the unlocking of opportunity and success for our young people. 
Literacy and numeracy are the foundation disciplines and skills that lead us into every other discipline of learning. We cannot study medicine engineering horticulture finance or law without strong literacy and numeracy skills. We cannot train to be builders plumbers electricians or civil engineers without strong literacy and numeracy skills. Without those skills we can have only low-paid employment. The fact is that one in five of our students are failing. If we look at Maori and Pasifika students we see that the figure is even more frightening. It is of great concern to us. In 2007 nearly one in five school leavers left without National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) level 1. More than one-third—34 percent—of school leavers left without NCEA level 2. According to the Ministry of Education educational and job prospects would be limited for those who leave school without NCEA level 2. 
We will focus on increasing the number of children in our poor communities and in our Pasifika and Maori populations who attend early childhood education. We will improve the training of our teachers both in our training institutions and in professional development programmes. We will refocus the tens of millions of dollars currently aimed at struggling students. We will support national standards with further reforms to ensure that children who need extra support get it. 
Labour ought to support our changes. Labour members said in 1999 that every child in New Zealand should have access to schooling that enables them to reach their full potential in life but that is not what we have now. Even the New Zealand Educational Institute acknowledges that the gap between those who succeed and those who fail in our education system is wider that it ought to be in comparison with those nations we compare ourselves to. In terms of fulfilling the promises that we gave the people of New Zealand 2009 was a remarkable year of progress for the Government. The one promise we are focusing on in 2010 through a myriad of paths and strategies is simply this: to give New Zealanders a brighter future. Thank you.