Wagner Nicky: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWagner Nicky: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 October 2013. Volume:694;Page:14001. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.NICKY WAGNER (National—Christchurch Central) to theMinister of Finance: What progress is the Government making with its multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment programme as part of its wider plan to build a more productive and competitive economy?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance): The 2013 National State of Infrastructure report issued today shows that the Government is making good progress. It shows a pipeline of around $14 billion worth of investment including large investments in electricity transmission; the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband; and major transport projects including roads of national significance completion of the Auckland metropolitan rail network begun under the previous Government and the KiwiRail Turnaround Plan. It also shows that regulatory changes made by this Government to the relevant statutes have enabled 13 large projects to be consented in recent years when this would normally have taken up to 7 years.Nicky Wagner: Why has the Government made investment in modern infrastructure a high priority within its wider economic programme?Hon BILL ENGLISH: It has made an investment because we have a very optimistic view about the future for growth in New Zealand and we want the infrastructure investment to permit that growth rather than to smother it. So despite the recession and a tight financial situation the Government has set out on a large-scale programme which through difficult times in the job market has supported thousands of jobs acrossNew Zealand. We have also welcomed more private sector involvement in delivering public infrastructure and this has been important in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of this investment.Nicky Wagner: What are some of the main areas to benefit from the Government’s significant investment in infrastructure?Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Standing Order 377(1)(b) actually applies to all of the questions that Nicky Wagner has asked and I was wondering whether you were going to rule on either of the first two—that is questions must not contain “arguments inferences imputations epithets ironical expressions or expressions of opinion”. All of her questions have done that and they should all be ruled out of order.Mr SPEAKER: I certainly did not interpret that question in that way. If members want to get down to adhering strictly to Standing Order 377 I can do that. But it will hardly make it an interesting—[Interruption] Order! I ask the member to ask her question again.Nicky Wagner: What are some of the main areas to benefit from the Government’s significant investment in infrastructure?Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: If the member is going to say that that question is out of order then he is wrong.Grant Robertson: I am seeking clarification from you about whether speaking about the benefits of significant investment amounts to a breach of Standing Order 377(1)(b).Mr SPEAKER: I would have preferred the question to be asked without the word “significant” but I am not ruling the question out of order because it included the word “significant”.Hon BILL ENGLISH: The answer is really a matter of fact rather than opinion. The significant investments—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am sorry to interrupt the member. That interjection from Grant Robertson directly questions the impartiality of the Speaker.Hon Trevor Mallard: That’s right.Mr SPEAKER: Well that is a very serious interjection. The Hon Bill English is to answer the question.Hon BILL ENGLISH: The investments are significant because they are so large. There has been a $5.9 billion investment in roading $3 billion for rebuilding Christchurch $1.7 billion in the health sector $900 million for education $690 million for the housing sector and $430 million for ultra-fast broadband and these are for just the years 2012-13 and 2013-14.Te Ururoa Flavell: Kia oratātou. What can the residents ofRaetihi Turakina Whangaehu and Whanganui expect to receive out of the Government’s multibillion-dollar infrastructure investment programme to support them in facing recent crisis events such as flooding and diesel spills in their river?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Certainly in the case of the flooding there are arrangements in place between the Government and local councils for a degree of cost-sharing where that is appropriate. These are provisions that have been in place for up to 10 years and were used for instance in the case of extensive flooding in theManawatū a number of years back. I cannot comment in detail on the diesel spill issue; it would be better to ask the relevant Minister.Nicky Wagner: How will proceeds from the Government’s share offer programme to be invested out of the Future Investment Fund help to pay for new public infrastructure?Hon BILL ENGLISH: One of the benefits of the Government’s share offers is that they generate significant amounts of cash from New Zealanders who have the opportunity to invest in large New Zealand companies and that cash is paid into the Government bank account. In the case of Mighty River Power it is around $1.7 billion. We can then use that cash to invest in public infrastructure without having to go and borrow it from foreign lenders as any number of other people would prefer that we do. In the past two Budgets we have allocated around $2 billion from the Future Investment Fund into 21st century schools new hospitals and the rebuild of Christchurch.