Upston Louise: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Upston Louise: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 29 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4875. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupo) 
: 
 One of the things that seems to be a challenge for Opposition members in this House is their inability to connect the dots. The dots go like this: economic growth leads to increased exports which leads to increased jobs which means higher wages for families and for children which means more children out of poverty. I am somewhat challenged that Opposition members do not seem to get the basics which is connecting those fundamental dots. 
We have heard quite a lot in this debate in the House about the challenges with children. As a mother and as a constituent MP it is always very challenging to deal with cases of families who are not doing well. But particularly with the Green members I find it incredibly frustrating when time after time after time on any of the opportunities that lead to jobs that lead to higher wages that lead to increased exports for this country they say no. Well I challenge the Greens in this House: if you are serious about lifting children out of poverty just say yes. Just say yes. Even once would be a hallelujah moment in this House. Just say yes— 
Hon Member 
: Or even maybe. 
LOUISE UPSTON 
: —or even maybe. There are a number of things that we have done in terms of protecting children and in terms of supporting families in need. We are realistic about the times that we are in. It would be lovely if we did not have tough economic times. It would be great if we did not. But this side of the House is just getting on dealing with the realities dealing with the challenges and dealing with the circumstances that we are facing. It is not an option as the Government to ignore those conditions. 
But one thing that is very very simple—and yes it was stated clearly in the report that those Opposition members like to refer to in this debate—is the strong focus on the benefits of work. Let me say that again. The poverty report states the benefits of work. We on this side of the House do not think that work is a dirty word. We actually see that work provides opportunities. Minister Paula Bennett has done just extraordinary work. She has tackled this whole area with complete gusto with guts and with courage and she has got on and done the job. 
There were announcements this week around the requirement for drug testing so that beneficiaries are work-ready. Do you know what? I have had so many constituents say to me that they thought that was already the case. They were absolutely stunned. I had a constituent in my office who said that she has to have a drug test to be in paid work. She has a younger brother whom she is so desperately trying to support. She is so desperately trying to support him to get into a job. He has been on and off the dole and she is trying to support him to get a job but one of the challenges is that he is smoking too much dope. She is desperately trying to support him and she said: “Absolutely—yippee!” when the Minister announced that finally we will be doing drug testing to enable people to be ready for work which is exactly what the welfare system is there for. It is to support people while they are out of work and support them we must. 
But the flip side of that is we cannot support people with a generous welfare system if our economy is not growing. I am going to go back to joining those dots. We cannot have a fantastic welfare system that supports the vulnerable that supports those in need unless we have an economy that is growing and exports that are growing. 
Just in the last couple of weeks in the Taupo electorate one of the things that I have been really proud of is having the trade Minister Tim Groser in the electorate. What his connections provide what he provides as our Minister of Trade is the opportunity for our exports to grow. We have got targets—to make exports 30 to 40 percent of GDP by 2025. But what that actually requires is a solid plan. Underneath these targets there is a significant amount of work that has gone into then breaking those down to ask how we get from where we are now in 2012 to achieving those targets in 2025. Being able to be involved in discussions with industry and businesses about growing is what it is all about.