Kuriger Barbara: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKuriger Barbara: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 12 April 2016. Volume:713;Page:10365. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.BARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country) to the Minister of Finance: What steps is the Government taking to lift capital spending in transport education and other core public infrastructure?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance): In recent years the Government has accelerated capital spending. The total investment by Government over the next 2 years is expected to be $11.5 billion $4 billion more than was spent over the previous 2 years. The reason for the increase is that the Government has brought into effect much more rigorous ways of assessing capital investment and we now have more confidence in the quality of capital investment propositions that we are seeing. Spending over the next 2 years includes $2.6 billion on transport $1.7 billion in Canterbury $1.4 billion on schools and $400 million on ultra-fast broadband.Barbara Kuriger: What will be some of the other consequences of the Government’s lift in capital spending?Hon BILL ENGLISH: The Government has a choice between the level of investment in infrastructure and other capital investment like information technology versus the amount and timing of debt rate repayment. All things being equal the lift in capital spending will mean a slightly higher debt track than would otherwise have been the case and potentially a later start date for paying down debt. The Government has lifted this capital spending though because of the quality of the initiatives—that is we believe they are sound investments in the future growth of the economy. At the same time we remain on track to meet the fiscal target of net debt of around 20 percent of GDP by 2020.Barbara Kuriger: How has the Government’s investment in infrastructure been making a difference in regions like Taranaki - King Country?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I have some information relevant to Taranaki - King Country. Earlier this year the Government announced that it is accelerating the Awakino Gorge tunnel bypass as well as the Mount Messenger bypass with these investments totalling around $100 million. As the member knows it is often pointed out that these are vital freight links into the Taranaki region. These are just one example of the accelerated regional roading programme that covers Gisborne the West Coast Horowhenua Otago and Northland.Barbara Kuriger: How is the increasing infrastructure investment supporting jobs growth?Hon BILL ENGLISH: We are lifting our investment partly because surrounding our workers with capital will over time boost productivity and lift wages. We are seeing significant job growth. Treasury estimates that the Government’s roads of national significance programme will involve around 35000 construction jobs and a further 4000 jobs are expected from the ongoing roll-out of ultra-fast and rural broadband. However long after the jobs of constructing have gone because the projects are finished the ongoing economic benefits of this consistent pipeline of high-quality investment will be paying off for the economy.