Dean Jacqui: Imprest Supply DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDean Jacqui: Imprest Supply Debate[Sitting date: 06 August 2013. Volume:692;Page:12389. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Third ReadingJACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki):I want to first congratulate the new member for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and welcome her to the House to what is a robust debating chamber. I do hope that the new member enjoys her time in Parliament. I did sit and enjoy the member’s maiden statement last evening. It was a good speech. It was a Labour speech and it called very strongly for quality jobs for that member’s electorate and I could not disagree with that. In fact I could not agree more with that call for quality jobs so I am a little surprised that the call for quality jobs by that member in her maiden statement is not really supported by the actions of the Labour Party.My colleague Sam Lotu-Iiga very helpfully passed on some information that I am very interested in. He was able to tell me that on Stuff’s work website this morning there were 16255 jobs offered for all of New Zealand. Of those there were 12956 full-time jobs on offer on that website. Those are just the advertised ones obviously. There are many other jobs out there for those people and there are a number of people who cannot work or choose not to work full-time. There are well over 1000 part-time jobs on offer well over 2000 contracting jobs on offer and 128 casual jobs on offer. Go to the website have a look go down have an interview and see how you go. I know that that member was encouraging people in her electorate to have a go and to find work.I was also a little dismayed with that speech and the lack of support by the Labour Party for the sentiments expressed in that member’s speech. Moana Mackey for example who I know assisted the member in her campaign efforts around the Gisborne area has been unrelentingly—unrelentingly—against any further oil and gas exploration on the North Island’s East Coast. The member Moana Mackey spares no occasion to oppose oil and gas exploration which makes me wonder how many jobs for New Zealanders are involved in oil and gas exploration on the East Coast of New Zealand. How many economic opportunities arise—Hon Michael Woodhouse: Quality jobs.JACQUI DEAN: —quality jobs as my colleague mentions. They are quality jobs well-paying jobs jobs that have a future jobs that have a training pathway and jobs that will provide security for families.Why is it then that on the one hand one member of the Labour Party is calling for quality jobs in her new electorate but on the other hand the rest of the Labour Party is actively—actively—campaigning against those very quality jobs? They are jobs yes but they are also careers. Why is it that on the one hand Labour decries the lack of job opportunities when clearly there are jobs out there but on the other hand the rest of the caucus not just one member but the rest of the caucus is actively—and I could bring some speeches to the House. In fact I might do that and table them at a later date—perhaps this afternoon. They are actively campaigning against the very thing that will underpin the economic—Carol Beaumont: How about regional economic development?JACQUI DEAN: They do not like it—they do not like it. Labour members do not like this Government pointing out the obvious. In fact Labour does not like any policies that are going to promote jobs and are going to promote growth in the New Zealand economy.Let us just go through a few of those policies that Labour will oppose. Of course Labour plans if it gets into Government which seems less and less likely as it is sitting on 29 percent—it is bad to be back in the 20s. But in the event—[Interruption ] Well yes. But in the event that it ever did take a junior partnership with the Greens to form—to deform—a coalition Government from hell the first thing they would do would be to dramatically increase the effect of the emissions trading scheme. Of course they would do that on our trade-exposed businesses. We work in a global economy but Labour yes it plans to lead the world in the emissions trading scheme and absolutely hobble all our trade-exposed economies including our manufacturing and including our agricultural industries. So that is the first thing it will do. It will also impose additional costs on New Zealand households. The impact of its changes to the emissions trading scheme would have something to the effect of an increase of around $500 per annum to the New Zealand household. How does that sit with the new member? How does that policy go with her?Labour plans to introduce a capital gains tax on all productive businesses. What kind of impact is that going to have on productive business? Well I will tell you what impact it is going to have. It is going to suppress investment so I would call that a very anti-growth policy.Labour together with the Greens intends on abandoning sensible monetary policy. They want to intervene they want to interfere and they want to print money because they think that is the answer—deep thinkers over on that side of the House. Of course what impact will that have? It will force down the value of the New Zealand dollar for a while and completely destroy any credibility that the New Zealand economy has in the international market place.Labour and the Greens—or the Greens and Labour I should now say because the polls are really shifting the balance across the other side—would propose to nationalise the power industry. Well what a bright idea that one was. That would have the immediate impact of destroying any competition within the power industry—that competition that is now just coming in. It is being very effective. You can see that with the reforms that the Hon Gerry Brownlee has brought in. We now have an electricity market that is working far better than anything the previous Labour Government could achieve in its last 9 years. It would absolutely destroy and discourage any investment in the New Zealand electricity industry. Innovation? Do not bother. Investment? Why would you bother when there is a single electricity purchaser who is going to wipe out any incentives for any kind of innovation in the New Zealand electricity industry? What is going to happen? I will tell you what is going to happen. The price of electricity is going to rise. It is another anti-growth anti-competitive dog-whistle policy ill-considered not thought through and destined to fail. And guess what? My constituents in Waitaki can see right through it.Labour and the Greens want to borrow more money. They want to borrow more money. They want to indebt future generations of New Zealanders so that they can buy nice stuff now. That is what Labour wants to do. It wants to go back to that borrow hope and spend policy that it was so effective at in the 2000s. Labour wants to go backthere again. Well I can tell you that New Zealanders are wiser than that. They have chosen a Government that has got sound economic growth policies.So what are this Government’s economic growth policies? Unlike Labour which does not frankly know what it stands for or where it wants to go—or in fact who its leader should be; it still has that little problem looming over it it is very confused about that—this Government is absolutely united. We know what we need to do. We need to build a more competitive economy. We need to build a productive economy that gives New Zealand businesses the tools that they need to grow and invest and by the way create more jobs and hire more staff.The reality for New Zealand is that we are a very small nation at the bottom of the world. We are an exporting nation—we always will be—based on agriculture and National is supporting businesses. Our intention is to support businesses so that they can have an impact on the world stage and so that they can compete internationally for trade coming to New Zealand. Our Minister of Trade Tim Groser has been extremely effective in opening up new markets to New Zealand business. The results are beginning to show and this country is absolutely on the right track. We have got a very strong level of confidence in the New Zealand economy. Our economy is in good shape. Thank you.