Robson Matt: General Debates 
Robson Matt: General Debates 
[Volume:609;Page:6573] 
Hon MATT ROBSON (Deputy Leader—Progressive) 
: 
 That time-wasting shows why the National Party is the preferred party for staying in Opposition by a thumping majority in public opinion polls and the Labour-Progressive Government is the preferred Government. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member cannot refer to a ruling that has been given. 
Hon MATT ROBSON 
: I apologise Madam Speaker. Last week ACT and the Greens voted together against our coalition Government on the supplementary estimates just as ACT had earlier in the month voted to support the Greens vote of no confidence in the 2003 Budget. ACT and the Greens voted against the boy racer law which makes our community safer. No doubt the libertarian ideals of ACT will see it line up with the Greens to vote against stronger action to combat the curse of methamphetamines. Strangely our centre-left Government gets more consistent support from United Future than from the Greens. 
But last week was a shocker when only ACT and the Greens voted against the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Bill which will establish a one-stop shop for New Zealand business. These parties hate New Zealand succeeding so much that they vote against the agencies that are helping to build the capability and capacity of our firms industry sectors and regions to develop and create job opportunities for our people. It is irrational ideology that drives those parties. 
I wish to outline how successful the Government agencies are with the efforts to assist local firms to prosper and create jobs. I could give a catalogue of successes but will give only a few as time permits. Everywhere people tell us that their region is doing better than it ever did under National-led Governments which had no regional development programmes as a matter of principle. There are 26 regional partnership plans in operation up and down New Zealand. In each community leaders in business are sitting around the table with iwi and local and central government. All work together to develop positive plans to build on this growth and develop more jobs and opportunities. The Labour-Progressive Government is popular in the regions because we have reversed National’s do-nothing policies. 
Our coalition Government has provided $30 million for fully funded regional roading to be built each year much of it in one of our most neglected regions Northland. The Far North District Mayor Yvonne Sharp has acknowledged the benefits that this funding is able to bring to the region in a newspaper column and in a letter to the Minister for Economic Development: “The announcement that the Far North District would receive $9.7 million totally subsidised regional development roading fund for the current year is amazingly positive for the district. For years there has been a stripping of infrastructure from rural areas such as ours and our communities have suffered accordingly. The Government in 1999 gave a commitment to position regional development partnerships and there was no way that Northland could have coped with the forthcoming ‘wall of wood’ without also having direct intervention from Government.” 
The enterprises flourishing because of the policy of regional and industry partnerships are numerous. Where does the best-designed chair in the world come from? It comes from New Zealand and is the Formway chair. It won a gold medal at the prestigious NeoCon international furniture exhibit in Chicago. The company received assistance from the Business Grow service of both Technology New Zealand and Industry New Zealand. Auckland-based Reed Publishing New Zealand’s oldest publishing house has been working with Industry New Zealand to gain market information for a major initiative in South-east Asian markets through its links with other companies. It has expanded its product range particularly in the area of educational publications. Palmerston North’s Tomorrow Today International designs and makes hockey goalkeeping equipment. It has been receiving advice from Industry New Zealand. It now has 60 percent of the world market with its OBO brand. With Industry New Zealand advice it is intending to expand its products into cricket equipment. 
Another company that Industry New Zealand has worked with is Visible Results. It manufactures and supports retail loyalty card systems around the world. It is part of the Atlantis Group which was judged last year as the second-fastest growing company in New Zealand. The revolutionary loyalty cards which transfer information at point of sale allow the company to sell its cards in Japan Singapore the USA and Australia. Further markets are being sought in the Middle East Africa and Europe. 
Another New Zealand success story is Fraser Fire and Rescue in Wellington. Three years ago the manager turned up at a public meeting to ask some hard questions after being ignored by the previous Government. Industry New Zealand met with him. As a result of the meetings the firm tendered for and won a contract to supply fire engines to South Australia. On the basis of this and some more advice the company’s recent tender to the New Zealand Fire Service was successful. Recently the company deservedly won nomination in the Wellington Gold Business Awards. 
These are but some examples of how businesses and enterprises are being established and/or expanded and are contributing to strong export growth. They result from an active regional and economic development policy whereby the Government on a planned basis works in partnership with regions and industry.