Auchinvole Chris: General Debate 
Auchinvole Chris: General Debate 
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CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National) 
: 
 Let us stay with primary products that essential growth feature of our economy. We have heard what Labour has to say about agriculture and this hurts when I know that a person such as the Speaker dedicates himself to increasing the production from the country’s rural sector in a selfless— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Tireless. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: —tireless effort to make sure things go well. Primary products are 71 percent of our exports $3.6 billion up from the previous year. 
National supports farmers; farmers are supported by National. As an ex-farmer myself—and I have milked my share of cows—and as someone who dedicated many years working in harmony with the Speaker in the New Zealand Dairy Board to increase New Zealand’s exports wherever we could I am deeply concerned that Labour is abandoning farmers. 
As we have already heard David Lange said it was a twilight industry. He could not have been “wronger”. But Labour continues to consider that it knows best. Its caucus is almost devoid of farming experience—almost devoid. It only has one person qualified to speak on farming and he was my little gift back to the Labour Party at the last election. We gave him back because we thought it had no rural voice at all. Twenty-one percent was all you achieved from the rural vote; 21 percent. Does that not tell you that you have a problem? But no Labour still considers it knows best. It considers that farmers are not paying enough tax. It considers that farmers should be paying more GST and is this not a sound we know so well from Labour: “Gimme your money gimme your money.”? It just wants to take it. 
Farmers are fighting for New Zealand’s future; they can do without an enemy within and that is what they have on that side of the House the health of the economy versus Labour political point-scoring. Surely I would appeal to the Leader of the Opposition Mr Shearer to take a bipartisan approach and to realise what is best for the country rather than a little political point-scoring. Will Labour do that? I doubt it because it considers that it knows best whereas National’s policies are: just as it wants to put money out we want to put money in. We are investing in the primary sector and we believe in its importance. We know that the primary sector can only be good for our economy and we are committed to policies that will achieve that and David Cunliffe knows that. He knows our Rural Broadband Initiative will be of great use to our rural areas. He knows that we are investing in the Primary Growth Partnership which is now over $5 billion. We are investing in cleaning up our rural lakes our rivers our waterways and our aquifers and we are tackling greenhouse gas emissions through further investment in the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases which you have heard of from other speakers. 
But let us just touch on something that is dear to most New Zealanders’ hearts: foreign ownership. I believe that in his speech Mr Shearer referred to it. Let us give some figures. This is quoting so if I may I will read it lest I have committed it incorrectly to my memory. In 9 years of Labour— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Long years. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: —9 long years of Labour how many hectares were sold to foreigners? 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Tell us. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: No I really do not want to tell you but I shall I shall I shall: 660000 hectares were sold to foreigners over the 9 years of Labour—660000 hectares. After 3 years of National it was a mere 100000 under exceptional circumstances and if that is carried on during 9 years of our time it will still be only half what Labour had in its 9-year period. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: So how can they say it is wrong when they did that? 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE 
: Well Labour members do say it is wrong because again they know best. Just as Labour knew when it was examining the employment relations system for immigrants to pick fruit when it decided that it would determine when the fruit was ready. Fruit does not work like that. Talking of fruit I would just like to illustrate the point: small apples picked from a tree in my own garden we call this “the Labour tree”; large apples picked from a tree in my own garden in Moana we call this “the National tree”.