Curran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Curran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 15 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6716. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
11. 
CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: Does he stand by all his statements about manufacturing in New Zealand? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) 
 on behalf of the Minister for Economic Development: Yes. 
Clare Curran 
: Does he stand by his statement on 3 May 2010 regarding the future of Hillside: “There will be lots of work for these guys there’s no doubt about that because they do a lot of things well and there’s a big rolling stock replenishment and replacement exercise that’s coming down the pipeline”; if so what does he have to say today to the 90 Hillside workers who have lost their jobs because of his Government’s directives to the KiwiRail board? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The job losses are not the result of the Government directives. In fact this Government has already invested three-quarters of a billion dollars in KiwiRail. The only directive to its board is to ensure that we have a sustainable rail system. So it has taken a decision recently around the Hillside works. It is very unfortunate for those workers who have lost their jobs but as it has turned out those jobs were not sustainable and we are doing everything we can to ensure that other Dunedin businesses can take those workers on so that they can get another job. 
Clare Curran 
: Why did he not support the recent proposal for Hillside to produce 100 rail wagons at the Dunedin factory in the light of the serious flaws and faults revealed in the Chinese wagons? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Because those decisions are correctly made by the people who understand the procurement of railway equipment and the board to which they are accountable. 
Clare Curran 
: What action has he taken to give Government leadership in procuring New Zealand - made goods where that would lead to more jobs less unemployment and a reduced Government deficit? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: As has been Government procurement policy for some time now we generally expect Government agencies to achieve best value for money. We do expect them to look very carefully of course at the local options for achieving that. That has been the policy for some time and remains the policy. As I have said we have invested three-quarters of a billion dollars in this entity to ensure that we have a sustainable rail system that does continue to employ thousands of people. KiwiRail is doing a competent job of executing a turn-round in that organisation. 
Dr David Clark 
: Was the bar set lower for this Government to intervene on behalf of casinos and Hollywood than on behalf of local manufacturers like the Hillside workshops; and was that because the Hillside workers do not have highly paid private lobbyists acting on their behalf? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: No that is not the case. The fact is we subsidise both industries fairly extensively. At the same time as putting three-quarters of a billion dollars already into KiwiRail in fact over the last 3 years we put three quarters of a billion dollars into the screen industry—when you look at all the Government subsidies across New Zealand On Air etc. So in fact the member is wrong. The Government subsidises both industries to about the same level. 
Clare Curran 
: I seek leave to table the document released today by KiwiRail titled  
Hillside Workshops—Consultation Document 
 which outlines how the 90 jobs nearly 80 percent of the Hillside workforce— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.