te Heuheu Georgina: Budget Debate 
te Heuheu Georgina: Budget Debate 
[Volume:673;Page:19132] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (Minister for Courts) 
: 
 I am very pleased to take a call in the debate on Budget 2011. It is a great Budget a Budget for our times delivered in very challenging circumstances and that is why it is a responsible and balanced Budget. I take issue with the previous speaker Darien Fenton who said that the Prime Minister said a couple of years ago something like “good times are just around the corner”. I doubt very much that he said that. Maybe if he indicated that we had certain plans to return things to a better footing sooner that would have been before the Christchurch earthquake. That would have been before the two Christchurch earthquakes. I certainly take issue that he said that good times are around the corner. 
The reality is that someone—and that is our Government the National Government—has had to take a very pragmatic look at where our country is. There is no doubt that times have been challenging. When National took power in 2008 we were right on the cusp of an international global financial meltdown and last year and earlier this year our country saw one of the worst disasters that we have seen in the form of the Christchurch earthquakes. But those are the challenges that are thrown up for the Government of the day to confront and our Government is doing just that. 
Budget 2011 is about building our future. It sets out the next steps of the Government’s programme to build faster growth to increase national savings which were minimal to nil and to create sustainable jobs—jobs that are built on savings exports and productive investment. This is about building a platform for savings and growth and setting a faster return to surplus. The Budget takes steps to ensure that the Government returns to surplus by 2014-15 which is a year sooner than forecast. The forecasts are for economic growth of 4 percent in 2012 with 170000 new jobs being created by 2015. 
Importantly the Budget creates the $5.5 billion Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Fund. It commits us all as New Zealanders to rebuilding Christchurch because the well-being of Christchurch is critical to New Zealand’s future. The fund will fund infrastructure schools temporary housing trade training welfare and business support and demolition costs. In fact Clayton Cosgrove who is sitting across the Chamber would know a lot more than I would about what is required down there but I am very proud that our Government has made the commitment— 
Hon Rick Barker 
: I think my money is on you Georgina. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: Well he is a Christchurch MP. We have got some here as well. I am very proud that we have made that commitment to our fellow New Zealanders in Christchurch. 
The Budget invests $4 billion in front-line public services in areas such as health education and supporting young people into jobs. It makes changes to KiwiSaver to Working for Families and to interest-free student loans to make those schemes sustainable into the future and to reduce the need for Government borrowing. 
As I said this is a Budget for our times. It takes steps to ensure that we return to surplus earlier. It puts a focus on repaying debt and raising our national savings because that is what encourages investment and supports the creation of jobs. We want to ensure that future generations of New Zealanders—our children our grandchildren—are not saddled with enormous amounts of debt and that taxpayers’ hard-earned taxes go to the things that matter most—teachers police doctors front-line services more surgery more education a better education—because that is what our children deserve. I will take just a minute to congratulate the Minister of Finance on bringing forward a responsible Budget under the leadership of John Key. It is a very sensible and a very balanced Budget. 
I now turn to one or two of the areas that I have a particular interest in. At a time when the words are austerity and wise spending I am very pleased that extra funding has gone into the justice area. As Minister for Courts I say that the extra funding going into justice to help make communities safer and to make sure that our court services are run more efficiently is very welcome. As part of making sure that communities are safer I remind myself and others that courts are a part of the community. In our law and order policies we have delivered on promises to put public safety first not least in the courts and this year—2011-12—will see a further roll-out to boost court security. We will spend another $2.5 million this year which means we have spent $6 million with another $3 million to go in the 2012-13 year. Court security has been an ongoing focus for me since I took over as Minister for Courts. I am very proud of the fact that court security has improved. Already our court security officers in the current year to date have conducted 1350000 screenings and have taken into temporary custody 10000 items such as knives pocket knives scissors wooden clubs nunchakus and so on which can hurt and harm court users. We have 83 court security officers and this Budget will deliver another 11 to bring a total of 94. By 2012-13 we will complete our programme with a total of 105 court security officers. I am very proud of our Government putting safety first and our law and order policies and justice policies have seen that become very much a priority for us. 
I turn now to some of the spending that will benefit in particular Maori and Pacific communities. I am very proud that in recent times more children are being immunised. In 2007 only 74 percent of children under 2 were fully immunised; now 88 percent get the immunisations they need. The immunisation rate for Pacific children has increased as has the immunisation rate for Maori children. This will be an ongoing focus for us. 
In education the Budget delivers an additional $550 million over 4 years for early childhood education with a focus on increasing participation for Maori and Pasifika children and for children from low-income families. It is estimated that within 25 years one out of every two children born will be Maori or Pacific so it behoves all Governments to make sure that we put a real focus on the education of all New Zealand children but in particular because there is lagging in Maori and Pacific communities in those communities as well. In terms of Maori achievement there is extra funding to reprioritise to build new kura there is $12 million over 4 years for lifting Maori achievement and $9 million over 4 years to support iwi to develop school and community - based Maori language learning. 
There is extra funding for trades academies and wider youth guarantee initiatives to keep 16 and 17-year-olds engaged in education and training. This clearly again is aimed at low-income families Maori and Pacific because they are the future workforce particularly in Auckland. In terms of Pacific Island affairs in particular I state that $1.2 million of the $4.8 million that was appropriated last year will be available this year as well to put into education skill development and entrepreneurship for Pacific peoples in Auckland. As I said this is a good budget for challenging times. It is a sensible budget. I am very pleased to have taken a call to support it.