Chadwick Steve: Budget Debate 
Chadwick Steve: Budget Debate 
[Volume:631;Page:3318] 
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 I am sad to follow that rather watery rhetoric from someone who was once a charismatic mayor and leader of the Wellington region—someone who looked excitedly at regional initiatives. This Budget is all about this Government delivering on its commitments and that is a great thing in terms of integrity. Above all it is about investing in our future and as a Labour member from the regions I am proud to see us investing in our future in the long term. We will be transforming New Zealand’s economy into a dynamic knowledge-based innovative economy. The Opposition knows that and it cannot stand it. 
I will talk about economic transformation. We accept that building on the strong economic growth of the last 6 years is not enough. This Budget is about announcing more of what we will do. In fact there is $2.1 billion more operating funding—not nothing—and $1.5 billion more capital funding. We are investing in an infrastructure that will be absolutely world-class. The Opposition knows it. The National Government did nothing about roading for 9 years. This Budget is about roads roads and roads. 
We are going to spend 8.4 times more on infrastructure and roading than members opposite ever spent or ever committed to spending. This will lead to roads to somewhere not to nowhere. [ 
Interruption 
] That member of the Opposition fell into using the rhetoric of his leader who talks down this economy and thinks tax cuts will cut the mustard. He talked down the economy and there he was—not “Bondi Bill” but “Poor old Bondi Bill over the hill”. Two-thirds of Australians say that rather than have tax cuts they would have preferred their last Budget to spend more on services. [ 
Interruption 
] One has to listen to Australia. I am not saying those members should go over there although perhaps it might be good if some do. 
These roads to somewhere happen only as a result of astute fiscal management. The sum of $1.3 billion is to be spent on State highway development and the good thing is that that funding is guaranteed for 5 years. It places those of us in the regions in a great place. In April I was at a regional Bay of Plenty MPs and mayors forum. Participants said that what they needed for planning in their neck of the woods in the Bay of Plenty—and Mr Clarkson will be delighted as I know his mayor will be—was long-term funding. This Budget provides for 5 years’ security of funding. We get on with it and what do we get? We get completion of the Tauranga Eastern Motorway and the Pyes Pa Road. It is a great thing. It will get our goods to market. And not only that—this Budget will help with developing export markets. What more can one do? People will be thrilled about the funding security and they will not be repeating the rhetoric that this Government is doing nothing about promoting goods to market. 
The focus though is not only on infrastructure roads and hospitals but also on investing in people and in workers. It is on health education and families.  
The 
Daily Post 
—my paper in Rotorua—asks: “Budget 2006—What are you going to get out of it?” I am not referring to you Mr Deputy Speaker although I am sure there is something in the Budget for everybody including the Deputy Speaker. The paper takes a personal approach and in the regions we are getting a great response. I will tell members what people are saying. The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce was thrilled with the extra funding for Modern Apprentices which would allow it to achieve an additional 3000 apprentices and hit its target of 14000 by 2008. Margriet Theron the President of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce said: “It’s great news for us.”. 
I ask members to listen to this: “That cannot come soon enough” the funding for jobs growth. [ 
Interruption 
] We have jobs growth in the Bay of Plenty I tell Mr Clarkson—the highest in the country. It is up today to 4.3 percent. Job growth in the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato is the highest in the country. What did we need to do to meet the jobs growth in the Bay of Plenty? We needed to look at skills-based training. “It cannot come soon enough considering the skills shortage that exists here in Rotorua.” Who said that? That comment came from the chamber of commerce in Rotorua. Members should listen to this: “This sounds like a very good investment budget.” 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Who said that? 
STEVE CHADWICK 
: That was on the front page of  
The Daily Post 
 and it was said by the chamber of commerce in Rotorua. 
I ask former Mayor Blumsky to listen to what the Rotorua District Council said. Mark Rawson of the economic development unit said: that $8.1 million for the Gateway programme in all schools is so encouraging for schools to showcase primary industry in our region such as forestry. One hundred and thirty thousand students in 400 schools will benefit. Who can say that this Budget did not deliver? Another great issue covered on the front page of  
The Daily Post 
 was the comment by Dr Tom Richardson the chief executive officer of Scion our Crown research institute. He said that $100 million to science research and technology including $1 million for energy biodiversity and biosecurity research was fantastic. But there is more—$13 million is to be spent on commercialisation of research. This is what he says about it: “It would bring stability in the form of ‘a streamlined and contestable funding process.’” 
One cannot rebut that. Our own Crown research institute has said that at long last the contestable funding model which gave us no long-term security in funding in science research and technology has been ditched and now it can get on with the business of developing our biomaterials future and biofuels. Bring it on! This is so exciting—it is front-page news in  
The Daily Post 
—as is the boost of $16 million a year for tourism in a tourism town to a total of $63 million. That funding has been welcomed by Rotorua Tourism marketing manager. Don Gunn in Rotorua said on the front page of  
The 
Daily Post 
 that this is very encouraging and they could do even more. 
Well I was in New Delhi a month ago and what did I see the night I arrived at the New Zealand embassy? I saw 16 entrants from the Department of Tourism in India into the World of Wearable Art Awards competition here in Wellington. It was absolutely amazing to see that in New Delhi. What was that all about? It was about the New Zealand identity and India wants to be part of it. It is a prestigious event and it is about building the national identity. When I got home I heard about Air New Zealand opening up flights direct from India to New Zealand next year. This is what we are getting on with doing. We are opening up our economy to a global economy. It is front-page stuff. As well as the national identity I am really proud to see money going into Creative New Zealand and The Royal New Zealand Ballet. I am also pleased to see the increase for Official Development Assistance. 
In conclusion—one cannot take the midwife out of me—families young and old benefit from this Budget. The measure of any society’s value system is the measure of investment in the young and the elderly and this Budget tops it off. The sum of $23 million is allocated for school-ready checks for 4-year-olds. If children cannot see or hear they cannot learn and this will help fix that. The sum of $16 million is allocated for a newborn hearing screening. Above all—and the icing on the cake—is the $126 million allocated for home-based support carers in the aged-care sector. This is a thumping good Labour Budget. I am proud to be a Labour member and I am proud to go out to my community and sell this Budget.