Adams Amy: General Debate 
Adams Amy: General Debate 
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AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) 
: 
 The previous speaker the Hon Lianne Dalziel spoke at some length about the Christchurch earthquakes and I want to start on that same point. I want to point out that today marks 8 months since the first earthquake ripped through Canterbury and began what has been without question the toughest period ever I believe for our region and it will continue to be so for some time. In fact the rebuilding of Canterbury is quite rightly one of the most important priorities for this Government not only for this year but also for many years to come. It was heartening to hear the Minister of Finance Bill English talk today about the $5.5 billion we will see allocated to the job of rebuilding my province of Canterbury in this year’s Budget. That $5.5 billion covers off things like our contribution to the rebuilding of local infrastructure and insurance excesses on schools hospitals and other Government buildings within the region. It deals with things like land remediation costs as identified after the September quake temporary housing demolition costs ACC costs income support and business support. 
One of the things I think is most interesting—and in a way one would never want to have to learn it—is that these earthquakes have really brought into sharp focus how important it is to have a strong and resilient economy. In the days immediately following those earthquakes both in September and on 22 February the one thing we needed to be able to do as a Government—and we did do—was to say to people straight away that we were there to support them that we would provide the housing they needed and that we could provide business support. Immediately after both earthquakes there was a package available which anyone could access that ensured that their incomes would not be lost. Any employer could ensure that they could put wages in their employees’ bank accounts in the weeks ahead. I can tell members that that is the sort of comfort and support Cantabrians needed. That sort of thing costs a Government greatly but it is a cost we are happy to pay. It tells us how important it is to get this economy back on track to rebuild the strength of our economy to get Government finances under control to get away from the excessive orgy of consumption and debt that we saw through the early 2000s and to get the economy on to a footing that can sustain these darkest of times. 
The earthquakes will put back the path to surplus a little but it is a path we are very much on. I for one would never trade the support and the rebuilding of Christchurch for a slightly quicker path. But we must get Canterbury rebuilt and we must get this economy back on track. That is exactly what the Budget on 19 May will deliver. It will focus on growth and it will focus on growth that is meaningful not Government spending policy analysts and more handouts from the Government. It will build on growth that comes from the productive sector: the farmers the manufacturers the small businesses and the people who actually pay taxes in this country. Remember them—the ones who pay for all the stuff the crowd opposite wants to spend? Members opposite are really good at standing up and spending. They are really good at that. Every opportunity Labour gets to kick the people who pay taxes it takes it. Well not us. 
National understands that real growth means supporting people who pay tax. That is what it means and that is what this Budget will be focused on. It will mean getting Government spending under control. Any party that thinks we can fix an economy by spending more and more and borrowing more and more is in “loony land”. That is no surprise given that that is pretty much where Phil Goff lives. We have to get this economy focused on growth wages and sustainable jobs. We have to get in behind the people of this country who pay taxes every week and we have to make sure we can look them in the eye and say that every single dollar of tax they have paid will be spent as if it was our own money. We will make sure we get the best outcomes for that spend. That is what this Government is focused on. We will get back to surplus. It was interesting to hear Phil Goff complain bitterly this afternoon that we are borrowing $300 million a week when he has already committed were he to be re-elected—not that it will happen—to spending billions and billions of dollars more. We know where that money will come from. It will come from debt. 
Dr Cam Calder 
: He’s going to take the GST off carrots. 
AMY ADAMS 
: He will take the GST off blackcurrants and that will fix it. No he will borrow more and he will put this economy back into recession and that is why New Zealand will reject him once more in November.