Joyce Steven: Address in Reply — Presentation to Governor-General 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Joyce Steven: Address in Reply — Presentation to Governor-General 
[Sitting date: 28 February 2012. Volume:677;Page:598. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 Thank you for the opportunity to speak here this afternoon as the final speaker in the Address in Reply debate. I have listened to the debate with great interest—pretty much all of it; every minute of it—and I have noticed I have to say quite a bit of what might be called more than moderate inconsistency on the other side of the House. It is more than moderate inconsistency. This is the other side of the House that demands on the one hand jobs jobs jobs which is right but then it says: “You cannot do anything that would create jobs. You cannot do that they cannot build that there you cannot explore for that you cannot invest in property here you cannot invest in this country.” Those are the things that the Opposition is saying. So on the one hand it is saying more jobs; on the other hand: “But don’t do anything. Whatever you do don’t do anything at all.” Very quickly if we follow that prescription we would be limiting our options once more pretty much as the previous Government did back in 2008 when it finally got down to only two things it could do to create jobs: subsidise them and train people. That was the end of it—subsidise people and train people. That was all it could do. It had the whole economy down to two things because they were the only two things it was prepared to accept. Various elements of the Greens and Labour said: “No you can’t do that. You can’t do that.” 
The reality is you cannot build an economy if you— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I came down from my room after I counted “you” being addressed seven times. Since I have been in the House— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No; the member will be seated. There has been a Speaker’s ruling made on that recently and the Speaker actually has the right to decide what happens.  
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The reality is— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Speaker’s rulings have been very clear. When people are addressing the Chair they do not use the word “you” because it involves the Speaker in debate. This Minister has now done it 11 times.  
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will be seated. As I mentioned there has been a new Speaker’s ruling and that decision is taken by the Speaker. It was made in 2008.  
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The reality is that it is impossible to build an economy— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I have made the ruling Mr Mallard.  
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Well that ruling has been subsequently overruled by Mr Speaker Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith who has ruled that members should not use “you” because that refers to the Speaker. I have heard him do that this year.  
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: All I can say in that case then is that I ask the member to continue his speech and to try to keep within the Standing Orders.  
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No references to sheep of any kind Mr Speaker from here. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! The member must not comment on any Speaker’s ruling. The member is out of order. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think calling you a sheep is totally inappropriate. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Frivolous interjections designed to break up a speech lead to disorder. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The reality is that it is impossible to build an economy by lopping off both arms and both legs before one starts. We therefore need to stop the endless debate about which industry will save us and which industry we can no longer have in this country and focus on all industries in which New Zealand has a natural advantage. Sadly the problem is with the Opposition. When it says it wants jobs it then goes on to oppose everything. Let us look at some of the list of things that have been opposed by various members of the other side of the House in just the last little while: making the most of our natural resources improving transport linkages that people are prepared to pay for building ultra-fast broadband filming the  
Hobbit 
 movies in New Zealand having an efficient port sector in this country having a mixed-ownership model to reduce debt building an international convention centre at no cost to taxpayers and accessing capital offshore. All of those things the Opposition—whether it is Labour the Greens or the Mana Party which is the new friend of Labour—does not want to happen. We have been down this road before. It basically means slowing growth even further and that is what this Opposition is in favour of. 
The reality is New Zealand needs more and higher-paying jobs and this Government is implementing a plan to do that. Jobs depend on businesses that are competitive that sell things of value that are unique or of better quality and that is what this Government is encouraging with a whole range of policies that are encouraging businesses and innovation. There is an innovation policy with investing in science and investing in the opportunities to grow innovative businesses. Sorting out the capital markets—this Government has done a huge amount in that space. We are providing reasonable access to the necessary raw materials for business. Investing in skilled people to work in businesses—this Government is very focused on that. The previous speaker the Minister of Education Hekia Parata listed a huge number of things that we are doing in that space. There are customers who want to buy our products and we are putting a big effort into export markets. We are also investing hugely in public infrastructure—things like transport ultra-fast broadband and the Rural Broadband Initiative. Those are the things you do if we want more and better jobs for New Zealanders and that is what is being done in this country. 
So what does Labour propose? Well so far not very much. Prior to the election its plan was to tax everything. It was going to have a complex capital gains tax. It was going to tax every business every farm and 1.8 million KiwiSaver accounts. It was going to have a new top tax rate. It was going to strengthen the emissions trading scheme. It was going to have a $15 an hour minimum wage. It was going to have all these extra costs on businesses and yet it has the temerity now to claim it wants more jobs. 
Actually we are not sure what Labour members believe in right now. Nobody knows any more. Apparently they have a new leader but nobody knows what he thinks. He cannot land on a position. He has not been seen to offer an opinion. He is wandering around in an aimless daze. “Dreamy Dave” they call him. No thoughts of his own a back story with no front story—that is what they are saying about the new leader of the Labour Party who is being desperately spun by his own staff as being a deliberate blank page—a deliberate blank page. Ah! A tricky plan. They search around for something for him to say and they have come up something—I saw it in an article last weekend—“You don’t wear your guns on the outside.” That is the news from the Leader of the Opposition. 
But he is only one of Labour’s grand strategists. It has other strategists. It has David Parker or “Denying Dave” who actually is desperately trying to pretend that the global financial crisis and the Canterbury earthquakes did not happen. He wanders down to the House most days and says: “Why is the Government not pumping up credit the way we did back in 2008 when I went tramping with Auntie Helen and we did all those things?”. Well his time has passed and desperate “Denying Dave” has missed his chance and he has nothing of relevance to say in 2012. 
Then there is “Dark Dave”. Then there is desperate “Dark Dave” the “K-Rudd” of the New Zealand Labour Party sitting there on the Opposition benches desperate to have another go. Actually he exhibits the only signs of Labour’s growth agenda. It is true to say that David Cunliffe is the only member of the Opposition who is showing any signs of a growth agenda and that is his lovely new beard. It is a little theatrical there is not a lot of substance. It also lacks— 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
]  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Points of order will be heard in silence. I call Chris Hipkins but it had better be a point of order. 
Chris Hipkins 
: It is indeed. When the Minister started his speech at 18 minutes past he was told he had 9½ minutes to go. His time should have finished about 30 seconds ago. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The Speaker is the sole determinant of time. I have the time. The member has 21 seconds remaining. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I had so much more to say about “Desperate Dave” and his lovely facial hair. All I can say is I hope he hangs on to it because it is the only sign of an economic growth agenda that this Opposition has. The reality is you cannot yell for jobs jobs jobs but then oppose every means by which growth can be achieved in the New Zealand economy. If you do that— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The member’s time has expired.