Scott Alastair: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeScott Alastair: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 07 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11748. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALASTAIR SCOTT (National—Wairarapa): What a fabulous Budget we are debating this evening. The Budget is targeted investment that focuses on results. That is the difference between this side and the other side. I will give you a couple of examples: $2.2 billion into health. It is not just thrown about; it is targeted. There is more money in Pharmac for example. Melanoma treatments hepatitis C treatments affecting 50000 Kiwis—that is targeted investment. A colon cancer programme—that is targeted investment with Wairarapa being one of the first district health boards to receive that programme. Representing the Wairarapa I say that I am very appreciative that we in the Wairarapa are the first to see that programme.Targeted investment in education—we do not just throw more money at education; we focus it on those most in need. So there is $43 million going to follow kids who are most in need—not necessarily decile 1 2 or 3 but focused on the kids whom we know are at risk. There is targeted investment in the social investment programme that we talk about: understanding what creates the dysfunction in the family and investing in the cause of the dysfunction. Minister Tolley is doing a fabulous job of focusing investment in that area.None of this can be achieved without a strong economy and that is what we have got. We have got an economy that is growing at about 3 percent per annum. It is one of the strongest-growing in the OECD and of comparable countries on the planet. More jobs higher wages—200000 new jobs are being created and 170000 are due to be created in the next few years. There are forecast surpluses—and quite good-sized surpluses—in 18 to 19 years. There are more resources available to be invested in the targeted fashion that I referred to. Of course Kiwis are voting with their feet as mentioned by my colleague Matt Doocey. Kiwis are voting with their feet. They are staying because things are in good shape.And what have we heard from the other side? What have we heard? We have heard more of a gunshot approach. In fact we have not even heard a gunshot approach really. They have not regurgitated the tertiary—Sue Moroney: Well is it or is it not?ALASTAIR SCOTT: Where was the tertiary education policy? Why did you not repeat your tertiary education policy that the Opposition talked about previously where everyone gets a free education where everyone rolls up and says: “Get on board. Here’s a free ride.”?Then there is the universal benefit idea. That is the idea where you can get all the benefits cancel everything throw out the Working for Families credits and everyone gets 11000 bucks—everyone. Then there is the housing programme—100000 houses are just going to turn up because of the Labour Party policy; 100000 houses are just going to turn up out of nowhere. Who is going to pay for that? Have a guess at how much 100000 houses would cost at half a million bucks each. Do your numbers—that is a $50 billion work programme.Who is going to pay for all of these gunshot policies? It is the taxpayer. The taxpayer—you forget about the taxpayer. Those guys over on that side forget about the taxpayer. Instead of having any half-decent policy what do they do? What do they say? They throw up a little distraction. They say they have got a new girlfriend or a new boyfriend; they have got a nice little relationship and that is their announcement as far as policy from the Labour Party goes.It is disappointing. In fact it is going to be hamstringing the Labour Party because those people on the far left of this House those people on the far left—physically that is where they are—are going to be pulling the Labour Party towards them. Those policies of the far left are going to be wagging the dog that is or should be the Labour Party unfortunately. This country is in good shape the Budget is a fine one and I commend it to the House.