Simpson Scott: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Simpson Scott: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Sitting date: 30 January 2013. Volume:687;Page:7659. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 It is a great pleasure this evening to stand in the House in support of a very good speech yesterday by the Prime Minister the Hon John Key. It was a wonderful speech. It was a speech of aspiration of positiveness and of ambition for our country in troubled difficult times the most difficult financial and economic situation since the Great Depression. What it is is a wonderful example of the clear focused and aspirational approach of this Government in so many areas that we have seen over the last several years but last year in particular. 
I would like to just commence my comments this evening by extending happy New Year wishes to members of the House and of course to all presiding officers of the House. It was poignant to hear Speaker Smith in his last question time today leave question time to applause from across the House because I think he has done a particularly outstanding job. It does not seem like 30 years ago that as a very very very young National member I attended his selection meeting in Dargaville. It was interesting that there are three people who now sit in this Chamber who were at that meeting. Obviously there was Lockwood Smith himself me as a very junior backbench MP and the Rt Hon Winston Peters was there. Of course Winston was a contender for that selection— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: You must use the member’s full name or his title. 
SCOTT SIMPSON 
: The Rt Hon Winston Peters was a contender for that selection. That is the sort of history that goes back a long way. Dr The Hon Lockwood Smith has I think— 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: Right honourable. 
SCOTT SIMPSON 
: —right honourable I am being told by the member for Tauranga—done a particularly good job and a job that we can be proud of. It has been a pleasure to watch his progress over those 30 years and it will be a distinct pleasure to continue watching his progress as he represents New Zealand in London. 
I want to congratulate my colleagues Michael Woodhouse Nikki Kaye and Nick Smith on their Cabinet promotions. Nick Smith of course is returning to Cabinet after a respite on the backbenches. Of course to our new whips Louise Upston Tim Macindoe and Jami-Lee Ross—there is some debate in the backbenches of the National Party as to what to call the third whip. Do we call him the “junior junior whip”? Or do we call him “Whip-it”? Or do we call him “Little Flick”? 
Hon Chester Borrows 
: “Cracker”. 
SCOTT SIMPSON 
: Or “Cracker”? These are weighty issues that occupy the minds of some of us sitting on the backbenches. I think that we will talk to him in terms of “junior junior whip”—something along those lines. I would like to record my thanks to Kate Wilkinson and Phil Heatley for their contributions around the Cabinet table. They have made great contributions to our country and to this Parliament. 
The speech that the Prime Minister gave yesterday in his statement to Parliament represented absolutely all the best aspects of strong stable Government—aspirational visionary leadership well defined and focused on a brighter future for our nation for our children and for our grandchildren. I am very proud to be a part of that team. It is going to be very clear—in fact it is clear from the speech—that the economy remains front and centre for our ambitious plans in 2013. It is going to be a busy year ahead. There is going to be a lot of action; a big full legislative agenda and lots of positive things to come out of this Parliament on behalf of New Zealand and also for the good people of Coromandel. 
Of course I have the very great privilege and pleasure of representing that very beautiful electorate and last night my colleague Simon O’Connor from Tamaki was kind enough to say that it was Coromandel that was the electorate where most New Zealanders want to go on holiday. Indeed we have seen record numbers of New Zealanders coming to holiday this summer in Coromandel. Official figures released today by the Thames-Coromandel District Council indicate that in just the Whangamata Tairua and Pauanui areas somewhere between 65000 and 75000 people have visited and holidayed in just that small part of the Coromandel electorate this year. That is the equivalent of a small city. It is enormously good for our local economy and it has been a good summer for the electorate. 
 This year we will be seeing some of the real benefits of this Government’s forward thinking in terms of positive impacts for the people of Coromandel. Aquaculture is a very big part of the plan for Coromandel. New Zealand’s next billion-dollar primary business will be aquaculture. A recent economic impact report quantified actually what we already knew and that is that aquaculture is a major employer and provides very important economic benefits to the Coromandel region. New Zealand aquaculture exports alone generated over $300 million worth of earnings in the year ended September 2011. That is approximately 20 percent of the total seafood export revenues. The industry has a target goal of reaching that $1 billion level by 2025. I am very confident that in Coromandel we will be able to add to that because it is well known and well researched that in fact global consumer demand for seafood will almost double from 45 million tonnes to 85 million tonnes by the year 2015. That will reap for our country more than $60 million in GDP and provide in Coromandel an extra 350 regional jobs—jobs that are important to the future of the electorate. 
The Hauraki Rail Trail has been an outstanding and stunning success in my area this summer. Literally tens of thousands of people have taken the opportunity to use the trail which runs between Thames and Paeroa and then from Paeroa to Te Aroha and then back to Paeroa and on to Waihi. That has been a stunning success. It is a scenic attraction it is on Auckland’s doorstep and it is going to provide great opportunities for my electorate. 
The debate on local government reform will occupy much time in Coromandel this year as the regional councils—the Thames-Coromandel District Council Matamata-Piako District Council Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Hauraki District Council—all decide what their futures are going to be. And of course our hard-working farmers will continue to provide the economic backbone for the entire region. As my colleague Paul Hutchison said many of them are struggling now with temperatures and conditions that are far too dry for them. 
In conclusion I want to spend just a minute or two talking about the justice portfolio so ably led by the Hon Judith Collins because she is doing an outstanding job on behalf of New Zealanders. New Zealanders deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities. Under Judith Collins’ careful tutelage she will make sure that they are safe in their homes. National under John Key and Judith Collins is building a safer New Zealand. We have embarked on a comprehensive programme of reform to protect communities prevent crime and put victims first. There are 600 extra police and they are doing a good job. 
This year the Government’s plan is to continue making progress with a number of pieces of legislation to amongst other things make it harder for those accused of the most serious offences to get bail. We will be reducing the number of parole hearings for prisoners who are actually unlikely to be released. We have got a full legislative agenda for the year ahead under the very capable leadership of Prime Minister John Key and I am very proud to stand in support of his premiership and this National Party’s activity for the year.