Curran Clare: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCurran Clare: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 21 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7419. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South) to the Minister for Communications: Does she agree with the current Mayor of Waitaki Gary Kircher who recently said that in his region “Internet speed in these areas is woefully inadequate with most connections being five megabits per second. This situation is a barrier to economic growth and creates an irrational digital divide between our central business district and productive rural area”?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Communications): What the mayor actually said was that in four small communities within Waitaki most connections were around five megabits per second. Actually the majority of residents in Waitaki are able to access speeds of 100 megabits per second thanks to our ultra-fast broadband programme. I do not consider—Grant Robertson: Oh he’s only the mayor! What would he know?Hon AMY ADAMS: No no—well if the member quoted it properly she would have got that. I do not however consider that five megabits is woefully inadequate as it enables most uses—like high-definition streaming and use of software as a service like Xero—and it represents a twentyfold increase on what those residents were experiencing under Labour. But like the mayor I do aspire to better connectivity for all New Zealanders which is why we have allocated a further $360 million in this year’s Budget to continue to improve connectivity which I note that that member opposed.Clare Curran: Is Jacqui Dean the member for Waitaki correct—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Every member has a right to ask a supplementary question which now has been asked. I will allow in this case the member to ask the balance of the question which will effectively rate as a second supplementary question.Clare Curran: Is Jacqui Dean the member for Waitaki correct to say recently about broadband in her electorate: “Some rural schools have little to no access via modern communication systems. If they climb a platform stand on one leg and hold their mobile high enough they may just may receive a level 1 signal.”?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Amy Adams—[Interruption] Order! Having listened to a very lengthy question I now want to hear the answer.Grant Robertson: Well we all do.Mr SPEAKER: Well then be quiet Mr Robertson.Hon AMY ADAMS: I tell that member that Jacqui Dean is a passionate advocate for her community and like most MPs she is keen to see better rural broadband. It is unfortunate that Labour opposed it. What that member is talking about is around mobile connectivity which is different to fixed broadband connectivity and this Government is improving it—something that Labour continues to oppose.Clare Curran: Is it correct that the Government Rural Broadband Initiative is a huge success when 72 percent of people in Western Bay of Plenty say that their internet is unreliable or too slow for their current needs or when just 14 percent of people in Northland are satisfied with their current connection which is so slow it will not load the New Zealand Herald website and where almost half—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Bring the question to a conclusion. [Interruption] Order! [Interruption] Order! The question is miles too long. The first part can be addressed—the Hon Amy Adams.Hon AMY ADAMS: Given that before the Rural Broadband Initiative programme 41 percent of rural connections were no better than dial-up and now 90 percent of rural connections will be 5 megabits a second given that we have tripled internet speeds and given that we have moved from below the OECD average under Labour to now well above it—yes I would say it is a tremendous success.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member I do hope this question is in line with the Standing Orders.Clare Curran: Is Fonterra correct to say that “Slow internet connections lead to lost time increased costs cause significant farmer frustration increased isolation and are an impediment to attracting skilled staff to their areas.”? [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The conversation between two members down in the far left and right of the House will cease immediately. If they wish to carry it on I can assist by inviting both those members to go outside to continue their conversation.Hon AMY ADAMS: Actually yes they are correct which is why this Government has prioritised putting $2 billion into improving it. I hope that Fonterra is aware that Labour consistently voted against improving rural broadband.Clare Curran: Is it correct that the rural broadband scheme is a huge success for those in the Rangitīkei area in which just 63 percent have the internet and it takes 10 minutes to download the MetService or for those in Ruapehu where during winter holidays and weekends the eftpos that runs the shops fails completely and makes it impossible to sell anything and where 50 percent—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The question is long enough. It can be answered.Hon AMY ADAMS: For all the reasons that I outlined earlier yes I do think it has been a considerable improvement on where we started because as we know under Labour 41 percent of rural connections could not get more than bare dial-up service; now 90 percent of rural households will be getting 5 megabits a second and this Government wants to go further—all of which Labour opposed.Clare Curran: Given that her predecessor Steven Joyce said in 2011 that the Rural Broadband Initiative was “the best deal for creating a step change in broadband services for rural New Zealand” and in August last year—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I have the question please.Clare Curran: —that member herself said that the Rural Broadband Initiative—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume her seat. I will give her one brief opportunity to ask a supplementary question in line with the Standing Orders. If the member does not succeed in doing so we are moving immediately to the next question.Clare Curran: Does she accept that it is her bungling in the 3 years since she became Minister that has resulted in inadequate and snail-like broadband outside urban centres; and if it is not her fault is she saying that it is Steven Joyce’s?Mr SPEAKER: Either of those two supplementary questions.Hon AMY ADAMS: I do not accept any of the member’s histrionics—they are about as accurate as her last press release.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I seek leave to table an email from the ITM Fishing Show based out of Kerikeri saying that the service is so abysmal that it will have to relocate. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Mr Brownlee! It is a marginal call as to whether I will put the leave because the point of it is to make a political point but on this occasion I will favour the member and will put the leave. It will be over to the House to decide. Leave is sought to table that particular email. Is there any objection? [Interruption] There is. [Interruption] Order! I have now risen to my feet far too many times asking for some cooperation. I had complaints yesterday that all I am doing is threatening members. I am reluctant to show members out but with that sort of behaviour continuing the next one who continues to interject when I rise to my feet will certainly be leaving the Chamber.Rt Hon John Key: I seek leave to table a picture of the fish I caught on the ITM Fishing Show which I understand is larger—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No I will not be putting the leave. I do not think that will help.Clare Curran: Point of order. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am dealing with a point of order Mr Peters.Clare Curran: I seek leave to table three documents. The first is the letter from the Mayor for Waitaki Gary Kircher which is part of a registration of response form—Mr SPEAKER: Can you describe the second document.Clare Curran: —which was a document included to the Ministry of Business Employment and Innovation.Mr SPEAKER: Is the information—Clare Curran: No it is not readily available.Mr SPEAKER: OK. Can you name the other two documents quickly.Clare Curran: The second is a letter from the member for Waitaki Jacqui Dean which was part of the same document and the third document is a letter from Fonterra which was part of the Clutha—Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table those three letters—one from the mayor one from the local member and one from Fonterra. Is there any objection? There is no objection. They can be tabled.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.