Brownlee Gerry: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Brownlee Gerry: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Sitting date: 13 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:7809. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery) 
: 
 I hope that I am on air. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: A former member of the Minetti Brothers. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: That is true Mr Cosgrove and what a great combination that was. In fact holding the microphone here if I could rely on the non-dulcet tones of the Opposition to become somewhat “dulceted”—to become almost like a backing band—I may have given the House a little bit of Sinatra in retrospect or even some of the great Tony Bennett standards which I know somebody would enjoy. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just say to the member that he has our commitment to silence if he wishes to do that. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: That is not a point of order; that is a frivolous interjection. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: That is the point is it not? That is what has marked the last few minutes of Labour’s contribution in this debate: frivolous interjection. What we had for a start was the rejected candidate from the Speaker’s election having to show one of the more authoritative members of the House who is currently in the Chair that he might have known just a little bit more than him and I think that is a bit of a shame. Had the member in the Chair at the moment been a nominee that may have caused the House a great deal more stress than was the case. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think it is outrageous that the Leader of the House reflects on you in this way. He is not allowed to bring you into debate. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Order! I have taken no offence. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is not a matter of whether you take offence or not; it is a question of whether you have been drawn into the debate. You were just drawn into the debate. It is OK to do it by way of point of order but the Leader of the House knows that he may not refer to you in that way. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the Hon Trevor Mallard. He is absolutely correct and I ask Mr Brownlee to continue. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: He is also incredibly knowledgeable and what a great loss he is to the House’s procedural arrangements. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: It’s just a matter of timing—20 years you know 20 years. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Yes it is a matter of timing and good luck to him. 
I rise to back the Prime Minister’s statement and the intention that the Prime Minister outlined for the House just a couple of days ago. The Government he said plans “returning to surplus and reducing debt; pushing ahead with a wide-ranging programme of reforms to create a more productive and competitive economy; driving better results and better value for money from public services; and supporting the rebuilding of Christchurch.” There are so many ways in which the Government is getting its attention focused on achieving exactly those things. In the weeks to come as we go towards the Budget it will become clearer that those goals are being very steadily marched toward. And it is all for the betterment of New Zealanders because the only point in having a Parliament and then a Government from that Parliament is to do things that make life better for New Zealanders. 
So I want to speak about two areas that I have involvement in. One of those is in the transport area as Minister of Transport. I want to report to the House that in pursuit of better public services and in pursuit of increasing our opportunities as a nation to trade the Ministry of Transport alongside the New Zealand Transport Agency has been particularly active. In the last 2 years we have completed more air services agreements with other nations than has been done at any other single period during our history. What that means is that our exporters have a range of opportunities to get in-time product into markets and we also have very considerable flow and opportunity for tourists to visit New Zealand. Tourism is an export industry. It provides domestic jobs but the dollars that tourists bring with them are effectively export dollars. It is a very very worthwhile thing to pursue those agreements and I congratulate my department on the work that it has been able to achieve in that regard. When it comes to our infrastructure programme the headline piece is the roads of national significance known as the RoNS. That programme for seven roads of national significance is well in control. I want to report that that is moving apace. 
I have just noted Mr Assistant Speaker that you have given me 2 minutes to conclude my speech. It should have been longer but you were unfortunately distracted by the Hon Trevor Mallard who has achieved his goal of in fact truncating the opportunity that I have to speak in front of the House. That is a little bit disappointing. 
The other big commitment the Government makes is to Christchurch. I have specific responsibilities there and on Friday of this week I will be outlining some of that progress for people to see how much that city has helped itself with the Government standing alongside it to achieve much higher levels of recovery than would normally be the case or would be paralleled anywhere else in the world. 
The Government rejects the amendments to the motion moved by Brendan Horan and the chap from New Zealand First Andrew Williams. It is interesting that in Opposition it is a party like New Zealand First that actually does have a position that can provide some reasonable opposition. With those comments I want to give my commitment to continue to work hard to ensure that the Key-led Government does deliver better results for New Zealanders.