Auchinvole Chris: Budget Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Auchinvole Chris: Budget Debate 
[Sitting date: 29 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2607. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 Normally I say what a pleasure it is to follow on from a previous speaker but I am afraid on this occasion I do not intend to say that because I was very disappointed in the depths to which that member Damien O’Connor went in seeking to make some sort of a snide personal point. I am very disappointed. I had thought better of him; I am sure his family did too. However we get disappointed in life.  
But I rise to speak in favour of the Appropriation (2012/13 Estimates) Bill—the Budget delivered by this Government for the brighter future that this Budget and the Government seeks to protect particularly from the sort of criticism that we have been hearing from the other side of the House. Let us not be misled: we do have to protect the future from that sort of needless senseless groundless criticism. It needs to be protected from an Opposition party whose scant regard for our future prosperity was manifest in its own period in Government—and its scant regard for the future prosperity of our children and grandchildren. Our need to protect them from that party is confused and of concern because we do not know why it is adopting the approach it is taking.  
Those members sit on the cross benches on the Opposition benches as sirens singing for our nation to shipwreck but this is a tune we are glad to change. And goodness me the singing sirens—what an astonishing performance we have had— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: You think they look like sirens? 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Well some of them—it requires the Hon Maurice Williamson a little bit of imagination I would agree. I would agree especially when you hear the Hon Clayton Cosgrove singing. Goodness me. And then from New Zealand First—oh such hand-wringing such an end of the world such accusations. One only has to look back a little bit over the years in Parliament to wonder at such sounds coming from New Zealand First of all parties. 
Andrew Little 
: Tell us about the Budget. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: You want to talk about the Budget? I am very happy to do that and I will do it for Mr Little because I know he is keen to see New Zealand’s future develop. This Budget Andrew promotes economic growth. It forecasts growth at about 3 percent over the next 4 years. That is higher than Europe at 0.5 percent; higher than the UK at just over 1 percent; higher than Japan at 1.5 percent; and higher than the US and Canada at 2 percent. We are expected to have around the same growth rate as Australia—about 3 percent.  
The Green Party represented by Gareth Hughes’ speech spoke of the Budget as not promoting growth. He could not be “wronger”! Responsibly managing Government finances in testing times and keeping the Government on track for surplus in 2014-15 is the task of this Budget. Our move towards surplus safeguards our international credibility and helps for instance to keep our interest rates lower for longer. Did Labour do that? No. It takes the pressure off the exchange rate. I will say that again: it takes the pressure off the exchange rate. Did Labour do that? Oh no. It reduces future finance costs. I will say that bit again: it reduces future finance costs. Did Labour do that? Oh no. Labour members have gone wonderfully quiet.  
This Budget has been received positively by Standard and Poor’s Fitch Ratings and Moody’s. It is not just National who says it is a good idea; the people who measure these things say it is. This represents a huge turn-round given the impacts of the 2008 recession the global financial crisis and—wait for it—the thing that in Labour-land never happened the Canterbury earthquakes. The growth is based on strong fundamentals and our sound economic and financial institutions rather than the money-burning fiscal irrationality of Labour—and we all had to endure that.  
The Labour Opposition proposes a capital gains tax on all businesses the reason—the only reason I have heard from it—being that other people do it as if that makes it perfect in every way. It proposes the cancellation of a successful 90-day trial period which would put 60000 jobs created in the past 2 years at serious risk. Do you want to talk about that a little bit longer? Do you want to talk about that? Where do we hear criticism of that 90-day trial period? Thank you Mr Speaker I am sure you want to talk about it but does the Labour Opposition want to talk about it? 
Andrew Little 
: Yes. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Oh I am sure you do—except that it has worked. It gets into work people who would not get to work otherwise. Oh yes!  
The Labour Opposition proposed extra transport charges and lifting interest rates by borrowing billions more which would have put at risk the positive economic growth this nation has enjoyed in nine of the past 10 quarters under this Government. Do you want me to say that bit again? Nine of the past 10 quarters under this Government. The Labour Opposition proposes minimum wage increases that would cost thousands of jobs. The Labour Opposition has shown that it has the wrong recipe for building a more competitive international economy.  
Why is that? Why is it? I am sure those members are well-meaning people except for the previous speaker; I do not think he meant well at all. But normally Labour speakers mean well so why is it that they get it horribly wrong? It is because they are trying to answer their trade union masters rather than the economic reality. We all know about self-seeking trade unionists and how they lurk in the Opposition benches lurking there.  
This Budget maintains our commitment to rebuilding Christchurch. Almost $1.6 billion of the $5.5 billion Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Fund was spent in 2010-11. Most of the remaining funding is expected to be spent by 2015. But Cantabrians are not the only ones who will be supported through hard times. We will keep protecting vulnerable New Zealanders through Working for Families New Zealand superannuation and welfare benefits. I was remarkably proud of the Prime Minister when we realised that we had gone into recession during Labour’s last term and he said: “We must support the vulnerable. We must support those who are on benefits and entitlements.” And he has done that—he has done that. We will continue to support people to help themselves investing $287.5 million on education and training. This is an investment in the people and the future of New Zealand.  
Another vital role of this Budget is to ensure that the great work that has been done in the health field is continued. Let us remember that the Hon Tony Ryall was a spokesperson on health an attack politician on that side of the House. He did a wonderful job in speaking about the frailties the infirmities and the need for change in health. He then made that transformation of becoming a very effective Minister of Health—let us be honest about it all party politics aside; he is an outstanding Minister—and then he got a second term as health Minister. So it is amazing. Over 4 years we will commit almost $1.5 billion extra to our public health service. This will develop far more operations. This will continue to support the growth in health services.  
Just to finalise this Budget allows the Government to reprioritise $65 million in operating expenditure over the next 4 years as well as—what is it—$73 billion in Government expenditure overall contributing to 33100 offenders accessing drug and alcohol treatment in prisons 7855 more rehabilitation places 2950 more prisoners in education and training 7500 prisoners in community offender support to find real jobs 41100 more rehabilitation places for community offenders and 6000 more integration support programme places. This Budget allows the Government to take the vital steps in addressing prisoner reoffending.  
These steps in health in law and order in the rebuilding of Christchurch and in every other field of government will build the brighter future that we campaigned on that we have protected and that we on this side of the House are so proud of. This Budget invests in New Zealand’s future. It will stimulate new jobs and deliver better services for families while keeping the Government on track to surplus in 2014-15. I encourage those on the cross benches and those on the Opposition benches to join us and say: “Well done Mr English and well done Mr John Key’s National-led Government.” Thank you.