Foss Craig: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Foss Craig: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 28 July 2009. Volume:656;Page:5141. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. CRAIG FOSS (National—Tukituki) 
 to the  
Minister for Infrastructure 
: How is the Government’s infrastructure investment programme supporting jobs? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister for Infrastructure) 
: 
 Very successfully. The Government’s multibillion-dollar investment is providing direct and indirect work for thousands of New Zealanders. Construction industry leaders told the  
Independent  
newspaper last week that the Government’s investment in building roads hospitals schools and prisons has been a lifeline for the sector. The investment is sustaining the construction sector through the recession and helping to keep contractors’ books full. 
Craig Foss 
: What projects have been recently announced as part of the Government’s infrastructure investment programme? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The Prime Minister and the Minister of Transport earlier this month announced the successful tenderer for the Victoria Park tunnel project in Auckland. The 4-year project will cost $340 million and it is being put in place at least 12 months earlier than originally scheduled. It is estimated that 120 people will be working on the project within 6 months with that number rising to 340 workers by the middle of next year. I can also confirm that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Transport will tomorrow launch the $47 million Kopu Bridge replacement near Thames a project that will employ up to 50 people full-time. 
Craig Foss 
: What other areas of infrastructure investment are supporting jobs as part of the Government’s economic plan? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The list is quite long but I will give members a brief summary. The Government is looking at further investment in hospitals schools broadband and housing. In housing for instance the Government has brought forward $125 million of investment in order to upgrade State houses and to build extra ones. By the end of May work was under way on upgrades of 1227 houses with $31 million of fast-tracked housing work under way employing 1341 people. The Government had to fill a gap there because the previous Government directed all the deprecation money to buying new houses and not upgrading the houses the Government already owns. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: A e Te Kaihautu i te tuatahi me mihi ahau ki a koe mou i pai ai te whakahaere i o korero i te timatanga i roto i te reo Maori. Before I ask my question I would like to acknowledge that Mr Speaker used our reo Maori as part of today’s proceedings. It is testimony to the power of evolution. 
Is it not true that promised jobs have not materialised and that National’s smoke and mirrors show in February has finally been revealed for its lack of substance in relation to infrastructure? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: It may be the case that the Opposition regards the Victoria Park tunnel as insubstantial that it regards the upgrade of thousands of State houses as insubstantial and that it regards thousands of jobs paid for by the Government’s investment in infrastructure as insubstantial. We do not.