Clark David: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClark David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 19 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2436. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he agree with Moody’s Analytics that “New Zealand has a ‘two-speed’ economy as strong domestic demand cushions a weaker export sector”?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development): No I do not agree that New Zealand has a two-speed economy. The latest growth figures out this morning confirm that economic growth is broad-based across a range of sectors. However as I said earlier this afternoon I do agree with the comments from Moody’s when it confirmed New Zealand’s top Aaa rating in the past 2 weeks: “New Zealand’s economy is growing strongly … Moody’s expects New Zealand’s real GDP … to remain robust through 2016 … [and] compared to similarly rated [countries] … New Zealand has a track record of faster and more stable growth” in recent years.Dr David Clark: Noting the effects of a two-speed economy does he agree with Radio Live’s Duncan Garner that 150 real forestry jobs lost in Northland with the collapse of HarvestPro is big news or is this just more good news for the booming Northland economy under National?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: What we do know about the Northland regional economy is that there was an increase of 7500 jobs last year of which 6600 were full-time jobs. But the member raises a question in regard to forestry and actually it is important to look at the forestry sector as a whole. Earlier this week I happened to be visiting two companies a forestry mill just outside the Bay of Islands and a forestry rural contracting service just outside Kaitāia. Both of those were growing and hiring people as the forestry sector in Northland continues to expand.Dr David Clark: Does he agree with Jacob Kajavala of Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu who says: “HarvestPro is a very large firm but there are a number of smaller contracting firms that hire up to a dozen people that are sailing very close to the wind and this is a very large example of that failure.”?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Of course in every industry there is a range of firms and some of them are successful some of them are moderately successful and some of them struggle. I think the member needs to understand that actually just taking one firm’s situation and making it apply to the whole forestry sector is a little simplistic. The actual situation with the forestry sector is that it has had a very strong run and there is some consolidation occurring at the moment but we are seeing continued investment and continued job growth in the sector.Dr David Clark: Given that answer and given that the facts say that exports of manufactured wood products have fallen by 3 percent under his Government although exports of raw logs have tripled is he surprised that the wood industry is increasingly vulnerable to downturns in demand for logs and that the industry has lost nearly 4000 jobs net since 2008 as a result?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I would have to check the veracity of the member’s statements but the reality of the New Zealand forestry sector is it has had significant growth. There is significant investment going on in the sector around New Zealand. I appreciate that the member likes to talk down different sectors of the economy. Perhaps he should declare a forestry crisis because that worked for manufacturing it worked for exports and it worked for housing.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. At what point do the ad hominem attacks replacing an actual argument constitute an irrelevant answer because that is exactly what we keep hearing from the Minister.Mr SPEAKER: Can I just invite the member when he returns to his office to have a very careful look at his question which was a lengthy question. It talked about various parts of the forestry industry declining some failing and a company sailing close to the wind. That gave the Minister a lot of latitude in his answer. The Minister took the latitude that was given.Dr David Clark: If the Minister does not agree with Moody’s market commentators does not agree with Duncan Garner and the media does not agree with industry representatives and disputes the relevance of Statistics New Zealand data and the veracity thereof does the Minister still believe he is the only person driving in the right direction on the motorway?Mr SPEAKER: Before I call the Minister I will say that is exactly the type of question that is asked that gives a lot of latitude to a Minister.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I am not sure that even Duncan Garner would speak of himself in the same breath as Moody’s but perhaps he would; I do not know. I am also not quite sure what the member means about leaping from forestry to motorways but can I tell the member this: the New Zealand economy is growing strongly. I know the member does not like it. There has been 3.5 percent growth in the last year which is better than most of the countries in the OECD. That is not to say everything is always perfect but I think most people in the developed world would like the New Zealand economic numbers rather than the numbers in their own country. Actually the member should stop trying to talk down the New Zealand economy when actually New Zealand businesses are performing very well.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table data showing 4000 jobs have gone out of the forestry sector since 2008—Mr SPEAKER: Order! All I need is the source of the document.Dr David Clark: Statistics New Zealand.Mr SPEAKER: That is available to all members.