Young Jonathan: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Young Jonathan: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2012. Volume:685;Page:6133. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) 
: 
 I am very pleased to stand to speak about economic growth and development particularly in the province that I represent which is Taranaki. I have heard today prior to coming to the House a statement that criticism is not an agenda. The more that that lot over the other side of the House criticise the more they have got nothing to say. 
Last month I was invited to speak at a function in New Plymouth—the city in which I live. It was hosted by a social justice group. An officer from the Ministry of Social Development was one of the panellists and he informed the delegates that there were 280 people in the city of New Plymouth who were receiving a benefit because they were not employed—in a city of 50000 people. If you look at Taranaki as a whole with a population of 110000 unemployment in that region has shrunk by 35 percent since September 2010. Industry is flourishing opportunities are increasing and employment is growing. So while they say no Taranaki is saying yes and we are flourishing. 
The biggest reason for Taranaki’s success is the responsible and active utilisation of the resources that surround us. And those resources are specifically as you know the wealth that we walk on and the wealth that is deeper under our feet. We utilise those resources in responsible and careful ways. 
New Zealanders are receiving the benefit of a pro-business pro-growth Government that is not selling out on our environmental obligations. The exclusive economic zone closes the environmental regulatory gap that existed while those on the other side of this House did nothing when they were in a position to do something. 
The oil and gas sector in Taranaki as we have heard from the Hon Anne Tolley is a world-class industry applying cutting-edge technology and proprietary intellectual property. This has had an amazing flow-on effect not only into the industries and businesses in the region but also into the wider community. That particular field of endeavour and business is one of the cornerstones of our economy. It generates 17 percent of our GDP. More important it contributes to the capability and the capacity within a number of industries that exist in our region. The exports that come—in 2009 $1.9 billion in export value from this industry and 17.5 million barrels of oil—all of these are facts but they translate into jobs and into an environment of world-class expertise developing technology and developing practices that maintain and protect our environment. 
One of the great things about Taranaki if you have been there Mr Speaker and I am sure you have is the pristine environment in which we live the clear air and the beautiful mountain streams—all of these things that we hold in high value. I know that many members of this House have been there. So it is in our interests and of course the interests of all New Zealanders that we maintain all of those environmental standards that have come to deliver a great province and a great environment for us. 
I have to say that it is nearly laughable that members of the Green Party try to poke and jab the industry in Taranaki and the regulators of that industry and all the time are trying to throw spanners in the works to say that what is happening is below par. If you have ever read in the papers that come from our region the accusation and then the response from the regulators it is actually poetry in motion. If Mr Hughes in particular were to go there he would try to throw his spin ball and the Taranaki Regional Council in particular the regulators there have answers for every one of his accusations and his allegations of impropriety. We have a tremendous group of regulators there. Recently we heard that we have had some responses from the Taranaki Regional Council that indeed stand up to its great credibility.