Little Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLittle Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 08 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11777. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement in relation to the SkyCity convention centre deal “it’s 1000 jobs to build it” given steelmaking and fitting work has gone to a Thai company at the cost of 100 jobs?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes. Not only will the convention centre create an estimated 1000 jobs during construction but also I am advised it will support a further 1140 jobs once it is up and running. That is 340 more jobs than originally estimated and I am duty-bound to point out it is 2140 more jobs than if the member had had his way and scrapped the entire convention centre.Andrew Little: What conditions did his Government put in the deal with Skycity to ensure that convention centre work went to Kiwi companies and Kiwi workers?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: There was standard contracting done but that was done by Fletcher Building. Fletcher Building made it clear that there would be an estimated 1000 jobs and New Zealanders have said these jobs in relation to the ones that will be in Thailand for steel are part of a joint venture with a Whangarei company called Culham Engineering which is joining hands with the Herrick Corporation of the United States which is doing some work in Thailand. As a result of that 50 additional jobs will be created in Whangarei. Well over 1000 jobs in total will be created; in fact 2140 by the time the thing is up and running.David Seymour: Has the Prime Minister seen any other reports of the Government trading regulatory favours for low-cost Thai labour?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am aware of work that has been undertaken through cheap Thai labour in Samoa but the man said that he was guilty of nothing more than helping his constituents. That of course was Taito Phillip Field. [Interruption]Andrew Little: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point or order; it will be heard in silence.Andrew Little: It has become apparent that the member for Epsom is now routinely using question time to raise questions that bear little or no relation to the primary question—the supplementary question that he is asking. In this case he is asking a question about a matter that is absolutely not the business of this House at all.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I watch all supplementary questions but I watch the supplementary questions coming from Mr Seymour with particular vigour. On this occasion I made a relatively instant decision: if the question was in order I had no idea where the answer would go. I cannot pre-empt where an answer will go but if at any time I sense a question has been put down for no other reason than to attack an Opposition party I will as I have done in the past rule it out of order. The member makes a reasonable point. I will be as vigilant—[Interruption] Order! I will be as vigilant as I can.Andrew Little: When he changed the law to give Skycity $527 million of gambling concessions did he think it would repay him by sending convention centre jobs overseas?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The convention centre is going to create a thousand-plus Kiwi jobs in construction.Phil Twyford: There is a net loss of jobs from Hamilton and Rotorua.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well it may annoy the member because it is going to create 2140 jobs in total and mark my words those members will be at the official launch just like they were with The Hobbit—they criticised it then they went off to the premiere.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That answer will not help the order of the House.Andrew Little: Is it a good thing for New Zealand that steel work on the Government’s flagship economic project for Auckland is now going overseas?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It is not going overseas unless the member counts Whangarei as overseas. Fifty jobs are being created in Whangarei. New Zealand companies have the opportunity to pitch on a great many deals and in fact the latest World Trade Organisation Government procurement agreement that was signed last year gives Kiwi businesses access to $2.3 trillion worth of overseas Government contracts. Yes some work is done overseas but a lot of New Zealanders do work overseas. It goes both ways.Andrew Little: Is he aware that over 2000 metal manufacturing jobs have now been lost under his Government?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I cannot confirm that number. What I can confirm is that we are in the height of probably the biggest building boom we have seen in this country for a very long time. That is both residential and in relation to commercial. I was at the launch with the Minister of Transport just last week of the Auckland City Rail Link which no doubt will be using a great deal of steel. As a result of the Skycity convention centre 50 jobs will be created in Whangarei just in relation to that alone. I will bet that member will not go up there and tell those—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The question has been well addressed.Ron Mark: If as he said yesterday to Newshub his Government has “A New Zealand first policy: we always try and employ New Zealanders first.”—what happened with the Skycity deal?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think the words I used were “Kiwis first” because I am fundamentally opposed to New Zealand First.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Point of order Ron Mark. I hope it is a reasonable point of order.Ron Mark: I seek leave of the House to table the transcript of the Prime Minister’s interview.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not—no I am not even going to put the leave.Andrew Little: With unemployment up by 50000 under his watch why does he not have any policy to ensure that Kiwis have a fair shot at getting jobs created by Government-backed projects?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member is starting to look like a fool. The economy created 200000 jobs in the last 3 years there are more Kiwis in work than ever before the Skycity deal creates 2140 jobs and no amount of crocodile tears from the member would do anything other than prove to Aucklanders that thank goodness they have a National-led Government.Andrew Little: If he wants to finally reverse his terrible record on unemployment including for steelworkers in New Zealand will he back my bill to ensure the Government buys Kiwi-made and backs Kiwi workers?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: New Zealand has the third-highest employment rate in the world. There are more New Zealanders in work than ever before under this National-led Government. There will be 2140 more of them as a result of the Skycity convention centre. Yes of course in any contract like this some work is done overseas and some work is done locally. That is quite normal. But that also means that New Zealand companies get to export their products around the world and are involved in some of the biggest projects. I have been to a number of huge projects around the world where New Zealand architects New Zealand companies New Zealand engineers New Zealand builders and others have been involved. The member might want to live in Fortress New Zealand along with the Greens and have a sort of morris dancing session but the rest of us—Mr SPEAKER: Order!David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I waited until the end of that question because I think it is bad form to interrupt with points of order.Mr SPEAKER: Can I have the point of order please.David Seymour: In reference to Mr Little’s point of order if he listened carefully to what I said it was actually an attack on—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat immediately. That matter was tidied up some time ago.