Parmar Parmjeet: Debate on Prime Minister’s StatementText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParmar Parmjeet: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement[Sitting date: 12 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1580. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr PARMJEET PARMAR (National):It is with pleasure that I rise to take part in this debate on the Prime Minister’s statement. I am really proud to be part of this team in Government because when the National-led Government presented its first Budget in 2009 it did so against the backdrop of a sharp recession that began in early 2008 and the impact of the worst global financial crisis since the 1930s. In the absence of policy change the outlook was going to be endless debt and exploding levels of Government debt. On top of this New Zealand experienced the Canterbury earthquakes and a series of finance company failures.So the Government’s plan throughout this period was to support the economy in the short term by running operating deficits reflecting lower tax revenue and higher spending on items such as benefits. This approach of the Government provided that extra support to the economy when it was needed the most and cushioned New Zealanders and their families in the recession when this was required. However the Government did so within a clear framework of helping Kiwis get ahead and getting net Government debt below 20 percent by 2020. Now our GDP growth is among the highest in the OECD and is expected to average almost 3 percent over the next 5 years.New Zealand is doing well compared with most other countries. Interest rates are staying lower for longer. Household disposable income is rising faster than inflation rising by 9 percent in real terms in the last 4 years and is forecast to increase by another 9 percent over the next 4 years. Unemployment is forecast to drop to 4.5 percent by 2018. Employment is growing. Yes employment is growing. Eighty thousand more people are employed than a year ago and 217000 more people are employed than 5 years ago. This Government knows how to create the environment where businesses can prosper and have the confidence of investing more in their businesses and employing more staff. New Zealand recorded 3.9 percent economic growth over the year to June which was one of the higher rates among developed countries.The New Zealand economy provides an amazing opportunity for businesses and investments. The investment opportunities are endless. New Zealand is recognised globally as being a safe place to invest and do business. We are growing new industries such as information and communications technology and high-tech manufacturing and strengthening existing ones such as the food industry tourism and international education. And we are making strides in areas such as welfare education health and law and order to help improve the lives of New Zealanders and their families. I cannot express how thrilled the communities in Mount Roskill and around Auckland get when I tell them about the National Government’s HomeStart package which will be up and running from 1 April this year. It will help around 90000 homebuyers into their first house over the next 5 years. What I hear from wider communities when I am out and about is that the National-led Government is a Government that delivers what we said we would. Yes the National-led Government is a Government that delivers what we said we would.My own very recent experience—I am still in the process of looking for a suitable space to lease out and set up my out-of-Parliament office but there is a very small number of vacant commercial properties and then they are not available in the area I am keen on. Despite this being a little time-consuming it does provide a perspective of how good our economy is doing at the moment. This is because nearly all commercial buildings are occupied by businesses that are finding a high level of success. Such a high occupancy of commercial buildings is a practical sign of a brilliant economy.This Government under the leadership of the Rt Hon John Key is working in the interests of every New Zealander. Under a National Government New Zealand is in good shape and is getting better. This is due to the hard work and positive attitude of New Zealanders. It is also because of the stability and confidence that have come from 6 years of a strong and stable Government. We are taking the next steps to lock in the gains of the last 6 years to create a long-term lift in New Zealand’s prosperity. There is much to do as we have heard from the Prime Minister and Ministers and we have 3 busy years ahead of us. Thank you.