3. Economy—Business Confidence and Economic GrowthHon AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) to the Minister of FinanceEconomy—Business Confidence and Economic GrowthHon AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn): My question is to the Minister of Finance: does he stand by the Prime Minister's comment I absolutely believe that our agenda—SPEAKER: Order! Order! I think the member might want to start again.Hon AMY ADAMS: Well let me just check for the sheet Mr Speaker3. Hon AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the Prime Minister's comment "I absolutely believe that our agenda will grow the economy will make sure businesses are in a position to grow and prosper because I need that economic growth to be able to lift the well-being of all New Zealanders"?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): In light of the Prime Minister's earlier answer: absolutely yes.Hon Amy Adams: Despite everything businesses are telling him does he still think that the Government's industrial relations reforms the banning of oil and gas exploration without consultation shutting out foreign investment and the prospect of new and higher taxes will grow the economy or help businesses to prosper?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I don't agree with the scaremongering rhetoric of the member but I'll just refer her to today's statement by ASB chief executive Vittoria Shortt who said: "It's clear that New Zealand's sound economic fundamentals have contributed to a positive operating environment. Unemployment is at low levels the quality of trade remains high and the housing market is becoming more resilient." Business is getting on with the job; maybe the member should too.Hon Amy Adams: Does he think that part of the problem behind New Zealanders losing confidence in the economic management of this country is due to Ministers not listening to business owners—the people that actually need to take risks to drive the economy—but instead dismissing the views of business as just "perceptions" "bulldust" "biased" and "junk"?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On this side of the House we're spending a lot of time with the business community. The issues that they're asking us to work on are the under-investment in infrastructure over a nine-year period the failure to invest in the skills of the workforce and the failure to make real progress in international trade negotiations. On all of those counts this Government has done more in nine months than her party did in nine years.Hon Amy Adams: So what does he say to business owners who have lost all confidence in this Government's economic management—who after inheriting a strong economy have so far produced the lowest economic growth since 2012 a drop in GDP per capita and more people on benefits?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I say to them is what I say to all the business owners that I meet: I value what you're doing for New Zealand and I want to work with you to help lift productivity transition to a more sustainable economy and make sure we deliver higher wages. It will take some time to get ourselves off what the National Party thought was sustainable growth which was actually population growth—Hon Simon Bridges: Unions in people's homes.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: —and housing speculation. But we have the plan to make that transition.SPEAKER: Order! Order! Before the member asks a question I think—for about the 10th time during this session—I'm going to ask the Leader of the Opposition when he interjects not to do it in the second person.Hon Amy Adams: Does he think that his comments this morning that effectively told businesses around New Zealand that their concerns are wrong and that those in the Beehive know more about what will help businesses grow and prosper than businesses themselves do will actually do anything to help our economy grow or see those businesses prosper?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I totally reject the premise of that question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Having regard to the historical record does the Minister hope to achieve a much superior rate than 1.9 percent over the next nine years in terms of growth per annum?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Indeed I do and if I look back to the last time there was a Labour-led Government there was a 3.2 percent on average growth rate. The consensus forecast remains that we will achieve a 3 percent growth rate over the forecast period here. We'll do that because we have a coalition Government that is unified in the purpose of lifting wages lifting the value of our exports and making sure that every New Zealander gets a chance to benefit from economic growth."