McKelvie Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMcKelvie Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16469. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.IAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei)to the Minister for Economic Development: What recent reports has he received on the manufacturing sector?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development):Thank you for the question. Yesterday Statistics New Zealand released its Economic Survey of Manufacturing for the December 2013 quarter. I am pleased to report to the House that the total manufacturing sales volumes rose 5.7 percent in the quarter. This is the largest seasonal-adjusted increase since March 1995. Meat and dairy product manufacturing rose 15 percent which is obviously good but what is really good is that the whole sector of manufacturing expanded. Sales for eight of the other 12 manufacturing industries rose in the quarter. For example transport was up nearly 6 percent furniture was up 6.2 percent and seafood was up 2.7 percent. It is fair to say this is undeniably very disappointing for those trying to manufacture the manufacturing crisis.Ian McKelvie: What other reports has he seen on the manufacturing sector?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well I have also seen the most recent BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Manufacturing Index—Hon David Parker: Non-primary exports are down.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: —somebody should give this guy a question so he can ask about the crisis—which measures whether the sector is expanding or contracting. The index currently stands at 56.2. It has now been in expansion for 16 consecutive months. I have also seen a survey of small and medium sized manufacturers by Mind Your Own Business. Its latest research shows that in the last 12 months manufacturing small to medium sized enterprises have seen more revenue growth than any other sector and in 2014 “they expect to do even better.” With a continuing high New Zealand dollar and a fragile global economy it has undoubtedly been difficult for some manufacturers and exporters so the continued growth in the sector is a real testament to manufacturing businesses and their workers. Sadly I think the Opposition—Hon David Cunliffe: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am loath to interrupt the Minister but there has been something of a habit in this question time for a range of Ministers to drone on and on and on in a seeming competition to give the longest answer to a parliamentary—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I thank the member for his very helpful comment. Some answers have been significantly longer than they need to be in answering the question.Ian McKelvie: What steps has the Government taken to further grow the manufacturing sector?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: This is a very important sector and we have a remarkable number of innovative companies in the high and medium-high technology industries that are carving out market share on the world stage in tough international markets. The Government’s Business Growth Agenda—Hon David Cunliffe: The what?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: —contains something like 58 separate initiatives. You might learn something Mr Cunliffe; I will slow down for you. There are 58 separate initiatives to encourage greater business investment in research and development which is at the heart of the sector’s success. This includes establishing Callaghan Innovation; lifting research and development co-funding to $142 million a year; the introduction of repayable funding for start-up technology companies distributed by new private sector technology-led incubators; new grants to help companies take on—Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I can anticipate the point of order and it is that the answer is going on too long.Hon David Parker: This has happened all question time and every time it has taken a point of order for you to agree—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. I will make a decision as to when I think the answer has gone on too long. I think the member has on both occasions recently raised the question. I am always eternally hopeful that answers are about to come to an end. I am inclined to think they are and then the Ministers get a second breath of wind and continue. It is not helpful to have long answers and members should take note that lengthy answers do lead to the possibility of disorder in the House.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I would certainly accept your point. It is just that in this particular instance the Leader of the Opposition was declaring his lack of knowledge of the plan and I thought it was important—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not helpful. I do note that in that very lengthy answer the Minister did get his second breath of wind when there was an interjection. If members want shorter answers that is helped if they do not interject during question time.Hon David Cunliffe: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It may assist the Opposition if the length of answers is deemed to be appropriate by your good self if we were to ensure that our questions were of a similar length. That would rebalance things between the Government and the Opposition but it might not lead to good order in the House.Mr SPEAKER: One of the problems today is that some of the questions have been quite long as well.