Calder Cam: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Calder Cam: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:660;Page:8970] 
Dr CAM CALDER (National) 
: 
 It is a huge pleasure to rise and speak in support of the Prime Minister’s statement. I thank the Hon Darren Hughes for his dynamic diatribe. John Key leads a Government that is principled pragmatic and committed to finding solutions to the many challenges facing our nation—a nation that sadly has woefully underperformed under the previous arthritic administration. 
Despite in the years 2000 to 2007 enjoying some of the best global economic conditions in generations this country lagged in its tradable sector performance. The sectors that drive our overseas earnings and that grow the economic cake—forestry agriculture fishing and manufacturing—failed to deliver under the late benighted Labour administration. It failed to deliver year after year. Instead the long-suffering New Zealand public was treated to the spectacle of an ailing administration crouched around a simmering cauldron of bile and dogma casting legislative spells and incantations seemingly seeking to strip New Zealanders of their birthright of self-belief and initiative and any ideas of personal responsibility. The country woke up in the second term of the Labour administration but Labour though lost and forlorn limped into a third term teetering on the brink of irrelevancy for 3 more dark and dismal years—3 more years of attempting to plaster over condone or ignore evidence of mismanagement misdeeds and manifest malfeasance within its ranks. Perhaps the most egregious example of Labour’s arrogance self-interest and contempt for New Zealanders was the Electoral Finance Act. 
The people have spoken and we are acting to address their concerns. The days of gloom doom and despondency and a diet of wormwood and gall are behind us. New Zealand is looking at a brighter future. John Key leads a Government that is committed to unlocking the treasure trove of vast and varied potential that beats within the heart of every New Zealander. We applaud and this Government will reward the pursuit and attainment of excellence. This year we will be rattling the cage a little as we maintain a focus on the economy and on jobs and act to reshape the mesh in different areas and different levels to lift the long-term performance of our economy. We are acting to make New Zealand a more prosperous country capable of providing well-paid jobs and a better standard of living for us all and to provide the world-class public services needed to give opportunity and security to New Zealanders and their families. 
At the heart of the Government’s economic plan lie six main engines. Members may have heard us mention them before: a tax system that is growth enhancing; better more efficient public services; support for science innovation and trade; better regulation including the regulations relating to natural resources; investment in infrastructure; and improved education and skills. 
We are acutely conscious that New Zealand’s wealth is ultimately generated by the private sector. The Manukau-Manurewa area where I am privileged to be National’s support MP is a perfect example of the mix of small firms big companies and sole traders that generate the jobs the profits and the return on investment that drive our economy. The Government agrees with the Tax Working Group that New Zealand relies heavily on taxes most harmful to growth—as intimated earlier by the Hon Steven Joyce—particularly corporate and personal income taxes. There is a hole in the tax base around the taxation of property and real risks to the sustainability of the tax revenue base itself. We need and New Zealanders deserve a tax system that encourages savings and boosts the productivity of investment that is fair that is easy to comply with and to administer and that encourages people to work hard improve their skills and get ahead right here in New Zealand. We will be announcing measures to achieve these ends as part of the Budget in May. 
We are also acutely conscious that New Zealand’s future economic performance depends to a large extent on generating and using new ideas. As a country we have a proud track record of innovation and New Zealand companies regularly produce world-beating products and services. We aim to support those companies. This year the Government will alongside industry invest up to $40 million in the Primary Growth Partnership in research and innovation to boost New Zealand’s primary forestry and food sectors. We are also investing significantly in the domestic Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases to drive much-needed investigation of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The potential value of intellectual capital generated in this field is enormous. We believe that Crown research institutes are centres of excellence that could do more to drive growth. We will be introducing measures to facilitate the commercial realisation of their research and knowledge and thus grow the economic cake. These are just two spaces we are working in. 
We promised a brighter future; we are acting in these and many other areas to create a more prosperous nation and to make that brighter future a reality. We are not perfect. We do not have a magic wand and we cannot change things overnight but the feedback I am receiving from the hard-working citizens of the Manurewa electorate tells me that our efforts are making a difference. Let me tell members of my experience there just 2 days ago. On Monday just before 6.30 a.m. I was at the Manurewa Train Station meeting members of the electorate and offering them a copy of this Government’s 2009 report card. Being hard-working individuals ambitious for themselves and their children they read it avidly. Standing on the platform as the sun rose over Manurewa those commuters read of the multitude of initiatives taken to deliver New Zealanders from the worst effects of the recession; to lay the foundation stones of a flexible robust and growing economy; to deliver better health care sooner and more conveniently; to help keep them safe in their communities; and to lift educational standards in our schools. They read for instance of the $7.5 billion spent on infrastructure in roads houses schools and broadband and the nearly 17000 youth opportunities provided in work and training for 16 to 24-year-olds over the next 2 years to help cushion them from the worst effects of the recession. The commuters learnt of the 180000 homes to be insulated in the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart campaign. 
We are a trading nation and this year the Government will continue to open up New Zealand exporters’ access to world markets. We want to make it easier for New Zealanders to sell their goods overseas so that they can create more jobs back home. In 2009 we signed free-trade agreements with Malaysia and with the 10 countries of the ASEAN bloc. We will soon be signing agreements with Hong Kong and with the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Government will also press ahead with perhaps our most important trade negotiation—that of working towards a free-trade agreement with the United States through the Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement. We will also be undertaking important trade negotiations with India and Korea. Efforts on the multilateral front will continue as we strive for a conclusion to the Doha rounds. 
We are looking at reforming legislation. We have completed the first stage of the Resource Management Act reforms and have taken decisive action to sort out the electricity sector. We have published the Electricity Industry Bill which contains major reforms to New Zealand’s electricity system and is now with the Finance and Expenditure Committee. This bill contains a suite of changes to New Zealand’s electricity system to improve competition and constrain price increases to increase security of supply and to ensure effective and streamlined governance in the sector. 
As the Zen master said to the hot dog vendor “Make me one with everything.” The Prime Minister’s statement makes no attempt to detail everything we will be doing but it clearly outlines that this year we will be putting our foot on the accelerator in a number of key areas to drive this country to a brighter future. I relish being part of the John Key team. Thank you.