English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:646;Page:14968] 
7.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Minister of Agriculture 
: Does he stand by his statement to the Cabinet business committee in relation to the sustainable pastoral and food innovation initiative that “The proposal is for the Government to make $85 million to $100 million per annum available to invest over 10 to 15 years.”? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 Yes officials advised the Government that in order to make a substantial step change in the economic performance of our food and pastoral sectors and for New Zealand Fast Forward to be truly transformative an investment of between $85 million and $100 million each year would be required. This is the target expenditure of the fund. However as I said on the day of the launch: “You are probably going to start off with somewhere between $20 million and $30 million each year and you are going to work your way up over time to about $100 million each year.” That level of Government funding will of course be matched by the private sector meaning that the total amounts invested will be between $40 million and $60 million in the early years rising to $200 million each year. No one in his or her right mind would think that one could pump $100 million to $200 million overnight into the science system with it all being well used. Capacity and capability will have to be built over time and that is exactly what will be done. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why did the Minister produce as back-up for his admission that there would be only $20 million or $30 million in the early years a table—published oddly enough on the Progressive party website—that overlooks the fact that the investment funds will be taxed and there will be about a 4 percent to 5 percent administration cost and therefore his table is obviously wrong? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: As leader of the Progressive party I am proud to put on our website the policy of this Government for innovation in the science sector unlike the National Party which could not put up its policy because it has not got one. The leader of the National Party having made a complete botch of his response to this fund then refused to be interviewed about it on Radio New Zealand National and we have now the spokesperson on finance putting a spin on the story and digging the hole even deeper. I welcome him to keep on digging. 
Dr Ashraf Choudhary 
: What reports has the Minister seen regarding the sustainable pastoral and food innovation initiative New Zealand Fast Forward? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I have seen a report from the leader of the National Party saying: “I think it’s a gimmick really. I mean they’re putting up a large capital amount $700 million but realistically that’s not what’s going to be spent on science R and D. It will only be the income they can earn off it.”—wrong! The Fast Forward discussion document the associated Cabinet paper the Government press releases and indeed the announcements of the Prime Minister Mr Hodgson and myself all made very clear that the capital sum plus interest would all be expended. Everyone with the meanest of intelligence understood that except the Leader of the Opposition and the Opposition spokesperson on finance. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm that both the private sector participants and officials have not been able to confirm his position and that maybe they are confused because he has made ridiculous claims such as his claim on Radio New Zealand National that the private industry will contribute “$1000 million”? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: This fund over its lifetime will attract roughly $1 billion of New Zealand Government funding. The primary sector industries are pledged to match that. I have to say that already they are almost well up to speed for the annual amount required for that. The only person who seems to doubt this is Mr Key who says we do not need the fund. The chief executive of the largest Crown research institute in agriculture Mr West said on the same day that this fund stands in stark contrast to what has been going on in New Zealand formerly that it is long overdue and very welcome. Whom would this House prefer to believe Mr Key’s stupidity on this or the leader of AgResearch Andy West? I know where I stand on that. 
Dr Ashraf Choudhary 
: What further reports has the Minister seen regarding science investment in New Zealand? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I have volumes of them but I will pick just one. I have seen a report that quotes the Leader of the Opposition John Key as saying: “Our big question is why the Government allowed the Kyoto liability to grow to a billion dollars and do no research on it um on climate change science R and D I mean they have done very little in this area.” On the contrary this Government has invested $6.5 million in the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium over the last 5 years and committed a further $12.5 million over the next 5 years. In addition as part of the plan of action on sustainable land management and climate change it has committed a further $65 million over 5 years to the agricultural sector’s climate change provisions. The leader of the National Party knows nothing of all this. He puts his foot in his mouth every time he is asked about it and that is why he is now forbidden to make any comments on this and he is not here today to do it either. 
Hon Bill English 
: Does the Minister realise that shouting about it will not change the facts which are that the Government has no idea where and how it will invest this money that the figures it has published leave out tax and administration costs that officials are engaged in a serious argument over who will actually control it and that he does not have commitments from the private sector for anything like the $1 billion that he is ridiculously claiming here? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I can advise the House that the Government has specific commitments from industry in this country for the amount of money that is needed over the lifetime of this fund. If the National Party wanted to make even the most modest of inquiries into that they would find out the truth. Members will want to compare that with the National Party’s entire contribution to this whole issue of climate change and research when the only thing it has actually done is drive a tractor up the steps of Parliament in protest and in denial of climate change itself. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm that those people who have read the Cabinet paper have never seen so much waffle about next to nothing and that this is just another initiative like the proposal to buy back Toll Rail that involves the Labour Government pledging $1.5 billion of taxpayers’ money in a fortnight to unwise decisions in order to try to get itself re-elected? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Is it not interesting that the party that proposes itself as representing the rural sector is in opposition to Fonterra the largest company—a rural company—in New Zealand which praises this policy and is committed to it. Zespri the largest horticultural company in New Zealand praises this policy and is committed to it. Dairy New Zealand which represents the largest industry in New Zealand is totally committed to it. PGG Wrightson which is a private-sector company that invests all over the world in agriculture is totally supportive of the policy. John Luxton said he welcomes the initiative. He described it as being “significant for the dairy industry”. I never thought I would see the day! But we still have some Luddites left over on that side of the House. Not even John Luxton is on their side and when one does not have John Luxton on one’s side on this issue one is in real trouble.