Upston Louise: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Upston Louise: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 25 October 2012. Volume:685;Page:6206. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
3. 
LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupo) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: How is the Government’s infrastructure programme contributing to building a more competitive economy? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Associate Minister of Finance) 
 on behalf of the Minister of Finance: Infrastructure is one of the six key areas of the Government’s Business Growth Agenda. This is aimed at ensuring the Government remains focused on what matters to businesses so that they have the confidence to invest grow and create jobs. The Government’s multibillion-dollar infrastructure programme is providing the transport telecommunications energy and water platforms required by a modern economy. It includes massive investments over several years across all infrastructure sectors including the roads of national significance and ultra-fast broadband. This will help businesses and the economy to grow as well as supporting thousands of additional jobs in the New Zealand economy. 
Louise Upston 
: What are some examples of jobs being supported by the Government’s infrastructure programme? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The Government’s infrastructure programme is supporting many thousands of jobs across New Zealand—for example nearly 2000 jobs in the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband an estimated 1000 jobs over the next 4 years on the Waterview motorway nearly 1600 jobs in 2011-12 alone on the Transpower grid upgrade 1000 jobs at the peak of the Wiri Prison construction and an expected 1300 jobs at the peak of the horizontal infrastructure rebuild in Christchurch. Those are just some examples of the jobs being supported by the Government’s multibillion-dollar infrastructure programme. 
Louise Upston 
: What reports has he seen on progress being made in creating a competitive business environment in New Zealand? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am pleased to report that the work we are doing on the Business Growth Agenda including in such areas as exports skills infrastructure and innovation is helping New Zealand to perform very well by international comparisons. The latest  
Doing Business 
 report published by the World Bank this week measures regulations and the ease of doing business for small and medium sized enterprises across 185 countries. It shows that New Zealand has again retained third place in 2012 ahead of the US at fourth the UK at seventh and Australia at 10th. The reality is that we do not get real growth until one more business has the confidence to invest to grow and to employ one more person. So I am pleased to see this report come out this week. 
Louise Upston 
: What alternative economic approaches would put this progress in building a more competitive business environment at risk at the cost of thousands of jobs across New Zealand? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: There are a number of approaches that would do that—for example opposing and stopping the roads of national significance opposing the ultra-fast broadband project opposing responsible mining for oil and gas and other resources and opposing the Wiri prison. On the other hand when you are proposing to print money and build Fortress New Zealand I suppose you could jettison all the infrastructure jobs because— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Order!