Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:606;Page:3638] 
6.  
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: Why was the House told on his behalf on 28 March last year when questioned about Sovereign yachts that “In 8 weeks construction will begin on a second boat” and does he stand by the statement then that “This is a real success story which is only beginning to unfold.” given that the  
New Zealand Herald 
 reported on 18 February this year that construction still hasn’t started on the second boat because of “some dispute about freight charges”? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Associate Minister for Economic Development) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister for Economic Development 
: Because that is what Sovereign Yachts told the Ministry of Economic Development; and yes. 
Rodney Hide 
: In the light of his answer is he confident that his Sovereign Yachts project will deliver the $24 million in net benefits promised by his officials when so far only one boat has been built on spec the second boat’s construction is now a year late and staff are being laid off; and does this Minister expect his officials to prepare a report on just what his Sovereign Yachts project has cost taxpayers and what it has returned? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Government is proud that there are jobs in Hobsonville now; there were not under the previous Government. But Mr Hide continually asks questions that are best directed to Mr Lloyd. I understand that Mr Hide has been out on the boat enjoying the hospitality of Mr Lloyd so I presume he has his cellphone number.  
David Cunliffe 
: Can the Minister outline some of the highlights of the Government’s economic development programme? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. That question is totally out of order. It is far too wide. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I certainly want to have a supplementary question in a minute but it might be only fair to ask Mr Cunliffe to rephrase the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. I will decide whether a member does not ask a question correctly. I am not obliged to have that member ask it again.  
Gerry Brownlee 
: If the Minister for Economic Development stands by his comments reported in the  
New Zealand Herald  
on 4 February 2001 in which he talks of a partnership between Sovereign Yachts the Ministry of Economic Development and the Waitakere City Council that enabled Sovereign Yachts to buy 10 acres of land and get favourable resource consents for a sum of some $500000 and as that same land is now valued at over $10 million does he accept that all that his ministry has done is relieve the New Zealand taxpayer of at least $9.5 million in favour of Sovereign Yachts? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No. As the Minister has said on many occasions the land was sold according to the provisions of the Public Works Act. But the important point about this matter is that under this Government there are jobs there; under that member’s Government there were none—not one zippo.  
Dail Jones 
: How can the Minister say that there are jobs there now while under the previous Government there were not when for at least 30 or 40 years there have been hundreds if not thousands of jobs at Hobsonville and Whenuapai as a result of the Royal New Zealand Air Force bases in Auckland being there—jobs that are worth $500 million or more to Waitakere City—and as a result of this Labour Government’s decisions and the decisions of the previous National Government Waitakere City will be suffering considerable unemployment as a result of the closure of those bases with thousands of jobs being taken away by this Government? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: There are jobs in the marine industry on that part of the land that were not there in the time of the previous Government. I suggest that that member stops whingeing and get in and support the private sector. 
Rodney Hide 
: Given that the Minister’s Sovereign Yachts project has failed to deliver on the promised three superyachts a year and the promised annual turnover of $100 million does he still stand by his statement to Parliament on 16 April 2002 that: “We need more developments like the Sovereign Yachts development if we are to create the jobs and incomes that New Zealanders need.” or is this blatant failure and fiasco acceptable to him on a project that he himself declared to be the triumph of his “jobs machine” policy? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Of course the Government believes that there needs to be more kinds of investment in jobs along the lines of the ones that have already been promoted by the Minister and the Ministry of Economic Development. But the important point is that the Government believes that putting energy into real initiatives out of his ministry is much better for the New Zealand economy than promoting pyramid selling or Fijian investment seminars.