Coleman Jonathan: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Coleman Jonathan: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:656;Page:5498] 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Associate Minister of Tourism) 
: 
 Well I think that that contribution from Kelvin Davis really shows where the Labour Party is at. He started off his speech by saying he was in favour of the cycleway but by the end of it he was not quite sure. I think that is pretty indicative of a party that does not have any ideas of its own. It is a bit like what happened with the super-city. Labour started off by saying it was opposed to the super-city but now we have got to the point where Labour is in favour of it. So we can see who has the ball and is running with the play in the wider political debate. 
That situation is a bit like the situation on Saturday when we announced funding of $152 million for Job Ops. Labour said that it was OK but that it did not go far enough— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: It doesn’t. 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: You see—she says it does not go far enough. Of course part of that funding is the $5.3 million that will go into jobs for youth—created by the cycleway. I assume Labour members think that does not go far enough. There is a certain illogical thinking going on here because they are saying that Job Ops does not go far enough but the cycleway is part of Job Ops and they are saying that the cycleway goes too far. There is completely muddled thinking on that side of the Chamber. 
Those members do not have an idea between them. All they can do is rather flaccidly oppose anything that the National Government puts up. Quite frankly those guys are over a barrel and in deep trouble. If we look at this estimates debate we can see that the $50 million the Prime Minister has appropriated for the cycleway will contribute very positively to the economy. Those guys said today that they do not actually oppose the cycleway. They can see that it is popular out there. It is popular in a pan-political sense: it is popular with the left it is very popular with the Greens and it is popular with National supporters. Even Trevor Mallard loves it although I do not know whether that is actually a recommendation for anything. It will create jobs; there is no question about that. It will have a number of benefits. 
In respect of the cycleway seven Quick Start projects have been announced. They will be started over the summer and my colleague Jacqui Dean outlined where those projects will be. They will create immediate jobs for young New Zealanders and some of those New Zealanders will be on this Job Ops programme. But all those Labour guys can do now is argue over the detail because they have lost the substantive political argument. They have no alternatives. They want us to do something about jobs; here is $50 million that is doing something about jobs. It is producing jobs for young New Zealanders but all Labour members can do is quibble about the detail. It is either too much or it is not enough. They cannot make up their minds. 
I would very much like to hear from David Cunliffe. He has a lot to say about this stuff but I have not heard Labour’s shadow spokesperson on finance say one single thing—not one single thing—about what Labour would do to create jobs for New Zealanders. 
Nikki Kaye 
: Who is it? 
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: Well who is it—exactly! Labour members had 9 years managing this economy and they left us with a real hospital pass. We are now in the situation where someone who knows what he is talking about is managing the country—John Key. We have a finance Minister who knows what the demands are in terms of getting an economy back on the track and they are getting on with the job. 
The fact that John Key has take on the tourism portfolio is a sign of the importance of tourism to the New Zealand economy and I can tell members that that is an extremely popular move across the industry. It recognises how important this industry is for New Zealand’s economic development. Tourism earns 9.2 percent of GDP and 18 percent of our export income. It is right up there with the dairy industry. [ 
Interruption 
] Most important I tell Mr Davis tourism accounts for one in 10 New Zealand jobs. So down at the Viaduct Basin or down at Courtenay Place the people serving us our lattes the people driving cabs and the ushers working in theatres all have jobs that are tied to tourism. Unless we get this industry going and unless we make sure it has the right support those jobs will go. 
If we look at what the Government is doing with tourism—the $96 million that has been appropriated to tourism—we can see that it is all about job creation. Essentially the tourism industry is all about jobs. We have a great Minister of Tourism in the Prime Minister John Key; it is good for the industry. The $50 million that is going into the cycleway will be great for regional economies. The project is popular with the public and it is the right way ahead.