Clark David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClark David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 05 November 2014. Volume:701;Page:637. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North)to the Minister of Finance: Why did he claim yesterday that exports as a percentage of GDP were 33 percent and rising when Hon Steven Joyce reportedly stated on 20 October that there has been a lack of progress in the past three years?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):In regard to progress both Mr Joyce and I have both said this is a challenging target. I made the comment yesterday because real exports as a percentage of real GDP which are the basis of the Government’s target were 33 percent in 2013 up from 31.9 percent in 2009. The member might not like it but this is according to the Statistics New Zealand expenditure on gross GDP series. According to Statistics New Zealand real exports have eased to 32.7 percent of GDP in the year to March 2014 but they are still above the 31.9 percent level of 2009 and that has been in the face of quite challenging conditions for exporters. They have handled them very well showing that they are becoming globally competitive and increasing their productivity.Dr David Clark: Why did Steven Joyce contradict the Minister’s claim that exports were 33 percent of GDP by saying on 20 October that exports were actually 30 percent of GDP?Hon Steven Joyce: Point of order. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order—[Interruption] Well I hope it is but either way it will be heard in silence.Hon Steven Joyce: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I understand that when this question was being verified earlier today no reference could be made of the quotation in that regard that Dr Clark has just suggested. For him to bring it up as a supplementary question after he could not actually make any reference to it in trying to get his primary question through today I think is trifling with the House.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I appreciate the point the member is making. I believe that the member’s question is still in order. It is going to give some licence to the Minister as he answers it. I will invite the member to ask his question again.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Has he changed the question?Dr David Clark: No no.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am inviting the member Dr Clark to re-ask the question for continuity purposes.Dr David Clark: Why did Steven Joyce contradict the Minister’s claim that exports were 33 percent of GDP by saying on 20 October that exports were actually 30 percent of GDP?Hon BILL ENGLISH: He did not say that.Dr David Clark: I seek leave to table a document where it is reported—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I just need the document please. If it is a media report it will not be—Dr David Clark: Yes it is.Mr SPEAKER: Do not bother.Dr David Clark: Why did the Minister say in the Building Export Markets report that exports were 30 percent of GDP?Hon BILL ENGLISH: As I have pointed out the basis of the Government target is real exports as a proportion of real GDP and those are rising. I cannot comment directly on the reference the member is making because I have not seen it recently. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat. The level of interjection I am receiving from the Labour corner here is unacceptable. I certainly do not want to be asking any members to leave but unless it settles down I will be doing so.Dr David Clark: I seek leave to table a copy of a report signed by Bill English and Steven Joyce where both state that exports are 30 percent of GDP.Mr SPEAKER: I just need the source of the document.Dr David Clark: It is the Building Export Markets report from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.Mr SPEAKER: On the basis that it may not be freely available the House can determine that. Leave is sought to table this particular Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment report. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is not. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Dr David Clark: It’s because the Minister has not read it.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Just ask the supplementary question.Dr David Clark: Why is the Minister attempting a statistical stitch up by changing the measurement of exports to volume given that he used a different value-based metric of exports in the foreword to the Building Export Markets report when he set out the goal and did so again as recently as July this year in Parliament?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Again I cannot comment on that because I have not seen it recently but I can say to the member that I want to thank the member for helping to clarify the basis of the Government target. I know he is disappointed that despite difficult conditions our export sector has made considerable progress in improving its real contribution to our economy and under current Government policy we would hope to see that exports become an even larger proportion of the real economy.Dr David Clark: Will the Minister now concede that his new volume-based measuring statistic would place more importance on the volume of possession held by the USA Eagles in the first half of a recent test match than on the value of the All Blacks’ 43 points on the scoreboard?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Bill English in so far as there is ministerial responsibility.Hon BILL ENGLISH: Where the member does have a technical point is that it is not strictly volume; it is deflated prices which is slightly different in an economist’s mind but not that different. Either way the deflated value of our exports as a proportion of the real economy has been growing and will continue to do so I would hope.Dr David Clark: Is the Minister aware that his newly adopted volume-based measure has not dipped to 30 percent at any time this century?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Actually I did not hear the assertion that the member made but given his determination to try to prove that our exporters are hopeless—Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: I can anticipate the point of order but I will hear it.Chris Hipkins: If the Minister did not hear the question the right thing to do would be to ask for it to be repeated—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I invite the member Dr David Clark to ask the question again.Dr David Clark: Is the Minister aware that his newly adopted volume-based measure has not dipped to 30 percent at any time this century?Hon BILL ENGLISH: No I was not aware of that. But given the member’s determination to try to talk down our export sector despite—Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I fail to see how that in any way addressed my question which is a very straight question.Mr SPEAKER: A number of the questions that have been asked have been politically loaded talking about statistical stitch ups etc. This one is in the same vein—maybe not to the same extent but I do not think the member can expect to ask relatively robust questions and then ask for an almost sanitised answer from the Minister.