van de Molen TimTIM VAN DE MOLEN (National—Waikato): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. It is interesting to see some of these discussions and I just pick up on that most recent point from Dr Duncan Webb with regards to the roads—having absolute disregard for the value of the significant investment we've seen in the roading over the last stage of Government.Hon Member: That's right—meaningless roads".TIM VAN DE MOLEN: "Meaningless roads"—meaningless roads—I encourage that member to get out to the regions to understand the value of that contribution. In my electorate the Waikato has been a recipient very gratefully of significant investment in infrastructure in that regard and so I would encourage that member as I say to look a little bit deeper and realise there is much more to the nationwide economy the strength of what New Zealand has to offer than his so-called meaningless roads.In addition to that we have seen this Government now shifting that focus away from the regions. Business confidence is slumping and there is growing uncertainty within the provinces. Again we see that in the rural towns. What we really need to see—if we're looking to grow the economy to encourage investment to have prosperity then we should be encouraging that through a much more collaborative clear direct message from this Government and that's clearly lacking. Investment is dripping away from the provinces. We see a $3 billion regional slush fund. We've no idea where that has been allocated at this point.Andrew Falloon: Northland—Northland.TIM VAN DE MOLEN: Northland's getting some of it and that's great for them but actually what's the process around that? And then there are the trees. We still don't know where that's looking either. This lack of clarity is a significant concern and what's underpinning a reduction in business confidence across the country.As we're seeing that business confidence slump the Government continues to fail to provide any transparency around that funding and those allocations. As a result businesses again are unsure where to go what sort of investment they will make. They are some of the basics that we need to be considering. The Government get up and they say "Hey look this is fantastic. We're doing all these wonderful things investing a few extra million here and a little bit over here."—a lot into foreign aid by the way but not so much into health and education. But aside from that what we are not seeing is ongoing support.Dr Deborah Russell: Not so much into health and education?TIM VAN DE MOLEN: The member across the Chamber seems surprised by that statement and yet tomorrow we're going to have teachers protesting in the streets because of lack of support and investment into their futures from this Government—a Government that campaigned long and hard on raising their incomes massively and yet what is it now now that they've actually ended up in Government where they didn't expect to be? They're failing to deliver again not just on the salaries of teachers but actually on a whole range of other aspects: the fees-free tertiary education but even schools. They were going to wipe school donations. That was going to happen in the first Budget. Where is it? It's a broken promise this Government has not delivered.We have instead seen $2.8 billion towards tertiary education—and untargeted in that the first year of tertiary education's where we already experience the highest number of dropouts in that education space. Why couldn't they be more targeted? If for whatever reason they were determined—and obviously they were—to progress with such a path it should have been the final year of study to encourage people to actually reward their hard work and determination. That's what would have been seen from this side of the House: constant reward for hard work and determination. We're not seeing it from this Government and it's no wonder now we're seeing more people on benefits as a result of that as well.The economy is struggling as a result of this Government. I've mentioned it already with the economy and the lack of confidence in businesses and we are now facing uncertain times in the agriculture space as well. If we look at the changes in priorities there we're moving away from water storage projects—projects that were going to provide significant benefits into those regions benefits that were economic social and environmental benefits. When you can help to regulate the minimum flows of those rivers this provides huge environmental gains for those areas. On top of that it's additional jobs into our horticultural sectors into our agriculture sectors and yet this Government has just turned off the tap—no more water for those projects—Hon Willie Jackson: Oh sit down.TIM VAN DE MOLEN: —and that's disappointing to see. Mr Jackson pooh-poohs that. He clearly doesn't care about the regions—not at all. Here's a great opportunity for that Government to have demonstrated some support and there's no one on that side to stand up for the regions. Mr Jackson perhaps could get out of Auckland and go and see what else happens around the countryside. I welcome him down to the Waikato anytime he wants to see the impact of some of this Government's decisions on the people at the coalface working day in day out to provide the best they can for their families and yet not being supported.Although I suppose in the Waikato it could be a lot worse; we could be in Auckland and have a regional fuel tax to pay. We've seen that again the Auckland Council failed to actually meet their stated promises of reducing their costs which would have negated the need for any regional fuel tax and yet we've seen that implemented to bail out that council when they haven't been able to meet their own standards. That fuel tax is hurting the people who are working the hardest. Those families on low incomes having to perhaps travel a bit further in a car that's not as economical—they're now facing significant more cost to do that. They're not earning more and that's another reason why we're seeing confidence around the country starting to waver. There's a lot of uncertainty. What is this Government going to be doing? Those are the sorts of questions that people are asking. There's no clarity and ongoing question marks continue to be raised across a whole range of sectors.Now I touched briefly on the transport before and that's one I want to come back to as well. We heard Dr Webb pooh-poohing those investments into the roads of national significance—four-lane projects that have provided huge incentives and stimulus into the regions. They have a massive opportunity to provide connectivity within the regions and that was the extent of what was being delivered along with a whole range of safety benefits reduced congestion and better access within the communities that those roads connect. We've seen projects such as the extension of the Waikato Expressway from near Cambridge down to Piarere in my electorate and also across to the Kaimai Range. Those two projects would have been instrumental in helping to support the growth that we're seeing in the wider Waikato region. What we're seeing now is a focus on a couple of trams trundling up the line from Hamilton to Auckland and then a few more back and forward in Auckland itself. Well actually that's not going to fix the problem. The capacity that those transport options will provide is absolutely insignificant in terms of the greater issue and we are seeing unfortunately a significant under-appreciation of where the challenges are from this Government.This continues to be a broad-ranging issue that they're facing across all sorts of portfolio areas. Quite frankly it is disappointing when we sit on this side of the House and see that lack of initiative. Just look at the number of working groups that have been set up for example. There are far too many out there which clearly demonstrates there was a lack of work done in Opposition by the now Government in determining where their priorities would be. We have seen now all sorts of ad hoc policies being thrown out without actually understanding what the consequences of those are.Hon Willie Jackson: Give us an example.TIM VAN DE MOLEN: Oil and gas would be a great example of that—again hurting the regions.Hon Member: No thought given.TIM VAN DE MOLEN: No thought whatsoever; no analysis and yet we're hearing from this Government they're supporting the regions. Well unfortunately they're not and what they're doing is time after time demonstrating a lack of support. They can talk all they like but you cannot talk your way out of something you've acted your way into. That would be my message to Mr Jackson and his team. I'd encourage you to get out there to understand what's actually happening in rural New Zealand and to provide an appropriate set of policies to support that.That's exactly what's been happening on this side of the House. We have a very strong team that has been working long and hard throughout our relatively short time in Opposition to ensure that it is indeed short and our leader has been driving that through a range of roadshows that have demonstrated a real connection with New Zealand. Up and down the length of the country we're understanding we are listening to what is needed and I would encourage this Government to do the same.This Budget has been an absolute disappointment. Regional New Zealand—all of New Zealand—can and should feel let down by this and it's disappointing in the first effort from this Government."