Robson Matt: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Robson Matt: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:610;Page:7819] 
1. Hon MATT ROBSON (Deputy Leader—Progressive) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: What steps has the coalition Government taken to develop a set of economic indicators that will objectively measure economic development and New Zealand’s growth? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 On Thursday of last week I released two Ministry of Economic Development reports. The first is on economic benchmark indicators. The second outlines the progress this coalition Government has made in assisting the New Zealand economy to prosper and develop. For the first time in New Zealand this coalition Government has compiled a set of 17 indicators that will measure objectively not just the health of the New Zealand economy but the progress we are making in continuing the high rates of growth we have achieved over the last 4 years. 
Hon Matt Robson 
: What are the key indicators? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The Ministry of Economic Development has identified 17 indicators including labour productivity research and development gross domestic product educational attainment and international openness among many others that I do not have time to go into now. Labour productivity in New Zealand is low by OECD standards yet it is a key contributor to living standards. Although our labour productivity rates are still low they have picked up in the last few years. Our research and development particularly in the private sector has been low by international standards although recent trends are encouraging. 
John Key 
: Do the indicators include an 18th category of lunatic fringe policies and broken promises; if so what does the Minister predict will be the impact on economic growth of the Government’s impending support of 4 weeks’ minimum holiday legislation the imposition of 17 tax increases since 1999 and the current practice of giving huge lumps of corporate welfare to wealthy multinationals or deadbeat companies like Matauri X? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The proof of this pudding is in the eating and during question No. 5 this afternoon the Minister for Social Development and Employment will answer a question on some other indicators that are very positive. It behoves this House sometimes to celebrate success even if it is from political opponents and I wish the Opposition would start practising that. 
Mark Peck 
: In the light of the last question could the Minister tell the House what the significance of the indicators is? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Those indicators put the Government of New Zealand in the role of an honest broker as far as the economic performance of the country is concerned. Until now Governments have reported a series of statistical results over a range of factors which may or may not have significant impacts on our economy. For the first time we have identified those indicators that measure economic performance and that need to be developed so that New Zealand can continue to climb up the OECD ladder. 
Rod Donald 
: Which of those indicators will ensure that the Government can tell whether today’s growth is genuinely sustainable or is simply passing problems to the next generation as has been the case for example with dioxins contaminating soil and water chlorofluorocarbons damaging the ozone layer and greenhouse gas emissions changing the climate; if none of them do that when will the Government develop such indicators? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Not only has the Government developed measurements for economic development but also it has developed measurements for social development and will announce later this year some measures for cultural development. I think this Government can hold its head up very high in terms of the achievements it has made across the whole spectrum of development issues. New Zealand is better in terms of the well-being of its individuals the progress of its economic development the regions of the country being at such strength and the environment of New Zealand being in good heart and is looking to the future to build on the progress that has already been made. 
Rod Donald 
: When will the Government have economic indicators that ensure that the costs of crime accidents pollution and resource depletion do not add to growth and does he agree with the United Nations  
System of National Accounts  
handbook that it is important accurately to subtract the negatives in order to measure an economy’s real performance? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: That is the precise reason there are 17 economic indicators. There are social well-being indicators and there are cultural indicators and in my view all of them are pointing in the right direction.