Jones Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Jones Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:663;Page:11601] 
5. 
Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: What steps is he taking in the 2010-11 financial year to foster innovation firm growth and an export-led recovery? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 I am doing many things. In particular last year I announced the establishment of the International Growth Fund. The fund is targeted at firms that New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has assessed as most likely to contribute to New Zealand’s long-term growth. In the 2010-11 financial year funding will rise to $30 million from the $9 million provided in 2009-10 during which time we were in transition from previous types of grants. Science and innovation are at the heart of the Government’s economic agenda and I have worked with my colleague the Hon Dr Mapp on our budget package which is aimed at lifting firms’ investment in research and development. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Why has the Government stopped talking about reducing the earnings gap between Australians and New Zealanders and is this evidence of the abandonment of the step change strategy? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: No—far from it in fact. The successes of the Government’s programme to increase our export base can be seen in the annual trade balance to the year ended April 2010 which was a surplus of some $161 million or 0.5 percent of exports compared with the average deficit of 10.8 percent of exports for the previous 10 financial years. I think the Government’s policies are working very well when it comes to raising our income through having more exports. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Given that esteemed commentators from the Business and Economic Research group have said to take out dairy take out forestry and take out fish are there any export levers for growth? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I totally reject that. I do not know what the member has been reading but he may be interested to know that for example oil is now one of our biggest export earners. It was third biggest in 2008 and fourth biggest in 2009 and is likely to be an even larger contributor in years to come. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Is the $226 million reduction in his budget from 2008-09 to 2009-10 evidence of innovation firm growth and an export-led recovery; if so how? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I think the member has got his figures quite wrong. We have gone from $53 million down to $30 million. I repeat for him that the April figure for our export or merchandise trade balance showed a surplus for the first time in 10 years. The member should be asking me why we did not take out more. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Kia ora tatou e te Whare. Talofa lava; malo le soifua. What role has the Ministry of Economic Development had in the deal with the foreign oil and gas company Petrobras which awarded it the sole right to explore and drill in the Raukumara basin; and what responsibility does the Minister have to ensure there was consultation with the hapu from within Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Ngati Porou about how that proposal fosters their innovation and growth? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Firstly the oil is a Crown reserve mineral so the Crown has every right to ensure that that resource is well explored; the benefits that come from it are accrued to all New Zealanders. I am reliably informed that consultation with the iwi started in September 2008 and that there was a period of some 40 days when there was an expectation that there might have been some response from the iwi. None was forthcoming during that time. At a meeting earlier this year there was an undertaking to let the iwi know when the block offer was being announced. There was a slip-up that I must take responsibility for and I have apologised to Dr Mahuika and to Mr Gage for that slip-up. But I point out that much of that block—the vast majority of that block—is in the exclusive economic zone not the foreshore and seabed.