Quinn Paul: Budget Debate 
Quinn Paul: Budget Debate 
[Volume:673;Page:19124] 
PAUL QUINN (National) 
: 
 Can I join as one with other members in congratulating the Hon John Carter on his next career step and farewelling him. Others have spoken on this and I add my support to those comments. 
We have just heard a most extraordinary speech from the member who has just sat down. It was extraordinary. About the only part I could agree with him on was his last comment when he did not quote verbatim but referred to comments made by the immediate past Secretary to the Treasury John Whitehead about what was required to improve productivity. I agree with those comments. The sad reality is that there was negative productivity for the whole of the previous administration. I have the figures here I say to David. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: The member will refer to the member by his full name or his title. 
PAUL QUINN 
: I say to David Clendon that I have the figures here straight from Statistics New Zealand. The fact is that what this Government is doing is necessary to achieve the exact things that the previous speaker set out in his speech. That is exactly what we are doing. 
Although Opposition members like to prattle on about where the plan is I say to them that if they want this country to wallow in the misery of people under Stalin Khrushchev Brezhnev and their ilk then they can well wallow in that misery. But let me tell them that this Government and the people of this country acknowledge that we are getting on with the job of building a future based on a strong economy. This Budget follows and builds on the previous two Budgets and particularly on the last Budget which created an environment for the change process of savings and investment and established a coherent sustainable and equitable tax system. 
The Government’s job is to set the strategy to create the right environment in order that our entrepreneurs and business people can get on with the task of creating jobs and increasing exports and that is exactly what is happening. For the first time in about 8 years our tradable export sector through our good administration and guidance of this country in allowing export people to get on with their jobs has returned to the black. I will come back to that a bit later. The Government’s job is to allow people to pursue their dreams and their aspirations. It is not for the Government to run their lives. The Government’s job is to ensure equality of opportunity; it is not to do as the previous administration did which was to coordinate mediocrity. The Government’s job is to empower not prescribe. Let us remind ourselves that equality of opportunity does not guarantee equality of outcome as Metiria Turei might have us believe. Egalitarianism is not about mediocrity; it is about equality of opportunity. The Government’s job is to provide the tools and create the aspirational pathways for people. 
Let us talk about the Government’s strategy seeing that the Opposition still does not get it. Let us just talk about some of the things. Firstly the Government is focused on better public services not on a bloated Public Service. We have already heard from previous Government speakers about the measures that have been taken such as increased expenditure targeted to improve the outcomes from primary schools from early childhood education and from secondary schools because that is the future. That is the future of this country and that is where this Government is focusing its attention. 
We have had comments during the debate on the taxation bill and again in the Budget debate about the fact that part of the Budget has requested that the chief executives of Government departments find a million dollars. It was commented that this was an extraordinary event and that if it happened in a Cabinet that Mr Mallard was in then there would be trouble. Well that just confirms that Mr Mallard is the bully he is. The fact of the matter is that $650000 of that million dollars is already targeted through putting KiwiSaver deductions straight back to the departments. In fact those people are paid significant salaries to run their departments. That responsibility is not the Government’s and not the Ministers’; it is the chief executive officers’. [ 
Interruption 
] I know that Dr Prasad in his day probably struggled under the burden of responsibility in the Families Commission so he probably does not understand what I am saying. 
Another factor in the strategy that this Government is undertaking is to bring public debt under control by reducing public borrowing from $300 million per week today to $100 million per week in the next financial year so that by 2014 we will be in surplus. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: If you sell everything you won’t. 
PAUL QUINN 
: These issues have to be dealt with. If Dr Prasad does not understand them I would be happy to take him aside and give him a lesson in economics but other than that I cannot do much. The fact of the matter is that the issue of public debt and getting borrowing under control has all to do with maintaining interest rates at a low level which of course underscores the investment drive. Ongoing development of infrastructure is another issue. 
I will talk about business in innovation and trade and the tax credit scheme. It is fascinating. The retiring Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department Robin Oliver in an article written a week or so ago was scathing about the concept of tax credits. My colleagues have already canvassed the various issues there. I was fascinated that in terms of this research and innovation Labour it was reported had Sir Paul Callaghan address their—what was it—symposium— 
Aaron Gilmore 
: Congress. 
PAUL QUINN 
: —congress yes. But it seemed to me that they actually missed the most important three words that Sir Paul Callaghan said. He said we require entrepreneurial genius. That is exactly what he said. That is the most important part. That is actually the most important part because it is entrepreneurial genius that will actually create the opportunities that Labour wants. Let us talk about the  
Hobbit  
films. There are people wanting to get on with letting entrepreneurs do their thing with some innovation. But what did members opposite want to do? Kill them! They wanted to kill them. In fact the fundamental issue is that we must continue what the  
Time 100  
magazine issue calls encouraging the mind in its “Builders and Titans” category.