Ardern Shane: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ardern Shane: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 14 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4350. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country) 
: 
 If there was ever an example of why a bursary should be given back to a university and an apology should be sent with it for ever accepting it the member who just resumed his seat David Cunliffe is probably a good example. He is a Harvard graduate now returned from overseas as the new agriculture spokesman for Labour from the seat I think of New Lynn in west Auckland—a wonderful combination. The last time the member spoke to a farmer was probably before he went off overseas to further his education. 
Why do we not look at some of the things that have happened? The member mentioned that there have been no new detector dogs trained. Well I am pleased to announce to the member that there are now five new dogs that have just been trained and made available in Wellington Airport alone I understand for the very purpose that he spoke of. 
But let us talk about some of the bigger issues: over half a billion dollars of Government and industry investment in the Primary Growth Partnership. If we look at how we can lift the standard of living in New Zealand overwhelmingly it is going to be by growing the areas that we are best at which are our primary industries—our agricultural exports the exports from this country. So how do you innovate how do you develop products and how do you meet market expectations? Well by investing in research and development. Developing the Primary Growth Partnership and investing now close to half a billion dollars in that is I guess the single biggest contribution that the State can make towards growing exports. 
As for tackling greenhouse gas emissions I do not think there is anybody in the Chamber who suggests that we should not do everything we can as an export nation as an agricultural nation to look at how we can make a sensible contribution—not the Labour-type contribution of just taxing and hoping that something comes right but a sensible contribution. Putting $50 million into the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre is much more likely to return a dividend on that investment. Our involvement in and the investments made in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases mean that New Zealand is now being described all over the world as a leader in this field. Just imagine that: under Labour we were described as dragging our feet not having an environmental policy and not looking in this area but looking backwards; we are now seen as leaders in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases. That is a very very positive response from this Government. 
There will be $80 million in savings over 4 years from the combination of the industries that the member just spoke of and he suggested that somehow this was negative and somehow this was dumbing down our primary sector. I would suggest to you that just the opposite of what the member suggested is happening and it is very good to see that. 
So what have we done here in Parliament in terms of the legislative programme that is going to be useful and part of this greater growth in the primary sector? Well the passing of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill. There will be no greater investment in New Zealand’s growth than the work that was done to enhance the country’s biggest export earner which is our dairy industry—26 percent of our exports come from that sector. I note that someone from the Green side of the Chamber or someone over here chimed in on that. Let us just have a look at what our opponents are talking about in regard to an alternative view of what we should be doing. The first thing they are talking about is a capital gains tax. I would like to know how that will grow our export earnings and grow our primary sector. I have been interested to listen to the comments— 
Iain Lees-Galloway 
: Haven’t you been listening? 
SHANE ARDERN 
: Well I have been. I have not heard anything sensible: higher income taxes no support for irrigation and an agricultural emissions tax. Well you know how does that reduce greenhouse gases—a drop in farm values through the increase of taxes? I have heard about no more 90-day trials for new employees and rural New Zealand stuck in the dial-up age because Labour opposes the broadband roll-out that this Government is involved in. Less road construction— 
Iain Lees-Galloway 
: Oh because there are so many roads being built in the regions! 
SHANE ARDERN 
: Well look I have listened to the arguments about how we could have better development by enhancing public transport.