Dean Jacqui: Budget Debate 
Dean Jacqui: Budget Debate 
[Volume:664;Page:11667] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 I thank the previous speaker Trevor Mallard for raising the cycle track initiative which has been and will continue to be a huge success for tourism in New Zealand. I have spoken about the economic revitalisation of Central Otago before but I will briefly traverse it again because I think it is worth doing so. That revitalisation has taken place because of the Otago Central Rail Trail. A region in New Zealand that was struggling economically is now in an economic boom. Why is that? It is because of the rail trail. Our Prime Minister recognises the benefit of having this kind of initiative for rural and provincial New Zealand and I applaud the vision of our Prime Minister in seeing the value of having this kind of initiative. 
I also thank the member who spoke previously for asking the question—well actually for displaying his complete lack of knowledge about anything that happens outside the beltway and for not knowing that the Prime Minister came down to Oamaru in May of this year to open the final kilometre of the Alps to Ocean Cycleway. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: It’s the only kilometre. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: It was not the only kilometre; it was the final kilometre. What a day it was in Oamaru. The sun shone the temperature was balmy and the crowds were huge as the Prime Minister of New Zealand walked down to the Oamaru harbour and officially opened the final kilometre of the Alps to Ocean Cycleway. I think there were 2000 people in the crowd in Oamaru which is a huge crowd for our small but very proud town. Half of the town turned up on their bicycles; everyone from little kids through to grandparents was there. There were penny farthings; there was steampunk. It was an exciting day. The town was galvanised because people understood only too clearly the economic benefit that the cycleway from the ocean to the Alps will bring not only to North Otago but also to South Canterbury. I thank the member opposite for reminding me to raise in this House this example of the economic benefit and the real sustainable jobs and industry that will come as a result of this project. 
Carmel Sepuloni 
: Stop wasting the time of the House. 
JACQUI DEAN 
: The member opposite does not understand; that does not surprise me. She does not understand the need for small rural communities to have a sustainable economic base for their future growth and economic well-being. 
This Budget has been good. I will talk about some of the feedback we have received. Labour in 9 years in office did not have the boldness to cut taxes but now it slams National doing so. Who said that? Well that was one of the country’s most respected newspapers the  
New Zealand Herald 
. “Does it mean that Labour will reverse this law and increase the taxes if they return to power? If not then why the gripe? Am I the only one to see double standards here?” asked the  
New Zealand Herald 
. Well the news is that no it is not the only one to see the double standard. Most of New Zealand shares the view that Labour has the gripes severely about this Budget. The  
New Zealand Herald 
 goes on to say: “The worst bit about the Budget was listening to Mr Goff respond to it in Parliament. He has the oratory skills of a robot. Labour you still look tired. You seem to have no response to National’s obvious plans and your leader cannot even compete on the sound bites with Mr Harawira and Mr Norman.” That has been one slice of the feedback about this excellent Budget. 
I will give the House a couple more examples from what Bernard Hickey said: “This is the most comprehensive and coherent reform of New Zealand’s taxation system in more than 25 years. It goes a long way to tilting the economy back towards productive investment and away from property investment. … Overall I’d give it 8.5 out of 10.” Those are kind words indeed and they are true. He also said: “The corporate tax cut is the big surprise in the Budget and will give a real boost to business just when it is struggling out of the recession under the weight of tight bank lending.” The reaction to this National-led Government’s Budget has been very very positive. 
Last year National was busy concentrating on getting the Government’s finances under control. This year we are squarely focused on the economy and building the recovery for the people of New Zealand. Budget 2010 will help to build faster and more sustainable economic growth. It will contribute to rebalancing the economy so that all Kiwi families can get ahead. New Zealand has come through the recession in pretty good shape. This is partly due to the measures taken by the Government back in Budget 2009 and partly due to the resilience shown by the many New Zealanders who welcome the measures brought in by this National-led Government. 
The Government finances face many challenges. We are spending more than we earn and over the next few years Government debt will increase significantly. This Budget however makes progress in getting back to a surplus much sooner than had been forecast. The bottom line is that we need to rebalance our lopsided economy and correct our fiscal imbalances. 
How will Budget 2010 help to achieve those goals? Well first of all this Budget puts economic growth at front and centre stage. Its overriding aim is to tilt the economy towards savings investments and exports and away from borrowing and property speculation and certainly away from excessive Government spending. Secondly our major tax reform package features across-the-board tax cuts that will help families to get ahead and help to keep more skilled Kiwis in New Zealand. It makes the taxation system fairer and promotes faster economic growth. Thirdly the Budget shows an improved fiscal outlook where both Crown debt and Budget deficits are better than were forecast in last year’s Budget But even so our aim is to do better still—why not?—and to get back to having a surplus as fast as possible. Finally the Government has stayed within its $1.1 billion allocation for new spending. In addition we have moved another $1.8 billion over 4 years to priority front-line public services. We are spending significant amounts on health and education and we are investing in our future with the hundreds of millions of dollars that are being invested in science research and technology in ultra-fast broadband in rail and in roads. 
I will now turn to health. I will give the House some feedback from the chief executive of the South Canterbury District Health Board Mr Chris Fleming who said: “South Canterbury DHB is thankful for the increase in funding announced in the Budget. This money along with an estimated $1.4 million in efficiencies already planned for next year will ensure that we can continue to provide a high level of service to the community. Despite difficult times we are pleased that this funding has left us in a position of not needing to consider any reductions in health and disabilities services for financial reasons within South Canterbury over the coming year. About $295000 of the new funding will go towards providing extra elective services.” The South Canterbury District Health Board is a relatively small district health board but it received an extra $5 million of funding through this Budget. That money will be used wisely. That money will be used for the benefit of the people of South Canterbury. I welcome that kind of initiative in the Budget. Similarly for the Southern District Health Board which is much larger than the South Canterbury District Health Board and is also within my area the extra $20 million of funding given to that district health board will provide extra services for the people in my electorate and the southern part of the South Island. 
This is a good Budget. I commend this Budget to the House.