Wagner Nicky: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Wagner Nicky: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
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NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 I speak to the Prime Minister’s commencement speech. It is all about stepping up. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I see that the member Phil Heatley was distracted. He made a commitment to seek leave to table something. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I say to the member that he has committed exactly the same transgression that Mr Heatley did. Nicky Wagner was speaking and the member knows well that he cannot seek leave on behalf of another member to do something. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I was not. I was just reminding him. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I remind members that it is respectful of this House to let people continue to speak. I also remind them that points or order are about the order of the House. The member Phil Heatley was out of order when he sought leave to table a paper. This member Mr Mallard was out of order to take up the issue himself. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: Is this in order Mr Hughes? 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I certainly do not want to be called out of order by you Mr Assistant Speaker and I would not raise the matter unless we were already discussing it. My understanding was that you rightly pulled Mr Heatley up and you said you would put the seeking of leave at the end of the speech in order not to interrupt the member. The member did seek leave—it is a convention that one does not break up a speech but he did seek leave—and your response was to say you would put the seeking of leave at the end of the member’s speech and that time has now come. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: As I recall it I said to the member Mr Heatley that I would take his seeking of leave at the end of the speech. It is up to that member to stand at that point and seek leave. I will not seek leave on the member’s behalf. I was not going to give the member the advantage of seeking leave during Ms Wagner’s speech as to have done so would have been to condone the disorderly behaviour. I was not going to do that. The member wanted to seek leave and it was up to him to do so at the end of the speech. 
Hon Members 
: Take it now. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: We are taking nothing now. We are listening to Nicky Wagner who had started her speech. Nicky Wagner the floor is yours and a respectful House will listen to you. 
NICKY WAGNER 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. 
The Prime Minister’s statement is all about stepping up—stepping up for 2010. The Prime Minister is committed to a step change which is long overdue in New Zealand’s economic performance with a focus on growing the economy and creating sustainable new jobs. 
As Moana Mackey commented 2009 was a tough year for New Zealanders. As the Government managed the fall-out from the international fiscal meltdown and the worst recession for 50 years its focus was on protecting families from the sharpest edges of the recession supporting jobs and preparing for future growth. Last year was particularly tough for those who lost their jobs or whose jobs were downsized. It was also a tough year for those who have worked longer harder and for less return and it was a tough year for everyone who was fearful and worried about what the recession could do to them and their families. 
Since the last election the Government has focused firmly on stimulating the economy. It has focused firstly on maintaining jobs and then on actively creating job opportunities. It has invested in infrastructure in roads in schools and in broadband. It has invested in those projects to create jobs now and to underpin future productivity. 
We have provided opportunities for young people through the Job Ops and the Community Max schemes. I have seen some really good examples of this working in Christchurch. We have also provided financial support and encouragement for people who have lost their jobs and we have helped many people find new ones. Now after surviving 2009 and with indicators that the economy—both national and international—is improving it is time to make some real change. It is time to make changes in taxation in education and in investment in science and technology. 
The taxation system is a powerful lever for change. Intuitively most of us have always felt that there were problems with our tax system. Appointing an expert technical tax advisory working group to look at the issues was an intelligent first step. The group’s analysis identified major problems in terms of integrity fairness and incentives. It said that the taxation system is broken. That means we must make change and the Prime Minister has outlined reforms to the system. The taxation reforms will create incentives for people to work hard improve their skills and get ahead. The reforms must encourage savings and boost productivity and the reforms must be fair for all New Zealanders. 
I think anyone would agree with these broad intentions. But members of the Opposition even though they know there has to be change have scaremongered about every possible taxation scenario in the most negative of terms. They have not offered one positive suggestion. National will address these issues and the Budget will present a well-thought-out taxation package. It will reduce personal tax rates to encourage investment and savings and it will change the way that property is taxed to ensure that the tax system is fair. 
The Budget will also protect the vulnerable and low-income families. It will make no major changes to Working for Families and it will compensate low and middle income earners beneficiaries and superannuitants if GST is raised. The framework as outlined has generally been well received. In fact it is hard to argue against it. Accountants KPMG stated: “This is the right way to go about tax reform to ensure a fair and coherent tax regime.” Charles Finney from the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce stated: “We are pleased with the government’s intention to rebalance the tax system and we strongly support the direction outlined.” So people can expect to see in the Budget an intelligent reorganisation of the tax system that will be fair to all and will produce positive change in our economy. 
I will talk a little bit about education. Education opens doors and allows choices and it is the key to future opportunities and prosperity for our young people. Most people understand that. In fact I find that particularly the young people of Third World countries understand the power of education and are thirsty for educational opportunities. They make enormous sacrifices to get access to learning. They even stop people in the street to practise their English. But too many young New Zealanders are unengaged in terms of school and education and consequently they are not getting the opportunities they deserve. 
I believe that in New Zealand we have sold out our young people. We have sold them short. One-fifth of school leavers cannot read or write enough to hold down a job. That is a crime. The fact that many employers have to teach basic numeracy and literacy skills in their businesses in order to upskill their workers says it all. As the greatest percentage of our jobs become more sophisticated high-tech and demanding there are dwindling opportunities for those who do not have a decent education. 
We need to take action now to involve and engage all young people in learning and educational achievement. I support national standards. I believe they will help schools families and young people to understand educational standards and the expectations of schools and of life so that a far greater percentage of our young people will get an education that will fit them for the world of work and allow them to take up future opportunities and fully engage in our communities. 
Finally I will talk about encouraging innovation in science research and technology. I am particularly interested in the stimulation of what I call blue-green businesses—businesses that are environmentally friendly sustainable and profitable. The Primary Growth Partnership fund underpins $40 million for research and innovation to boost New Zealand’s primary forestry and food sectors and this will be a catalyst for work in the blue-green business area. 
There are plenty of ideas to develop. On the rural news on Radio New Zealand National yesterday we heard of two new initiatives. The first was about processing wool. Wool is getting a new persona as a natural high-quality and environmentally friendly product. Yesterday the programme was promoting eco-certification of wool processing to underpin that clean green image. Yesterday we also heard about new research into grains particular oats to extract biopolymers which can be used for high-cost all natural and environmentally friendly cosmetics. New Zealand is ideally placed to produce valuable new high-tech products from the quality animals we breed and the crops we cultivate. 
The Government is also investing in both the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases and the domestic Centre for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research. These initiatives are invaluable in creating new opportunities and new low-carbon technologies and products. New Zealand can and will lead the world in this area. 
New Zealand is also known for its high-quality food products and the Government is giving food technology and innovation a shot in the arm by providing open-access food development and commercialisation facilities across New Zealand. New Zealand has always been good at ideas and innovation but not so good at commercialisation. 
So there we have it: three good reasons why New Zealand is better off under John Key and the National-led Government. We will deliver a better fairer taxation system that will incentivise economic development. We will demand that our education system produces a much higher percentage of young people who can read and write. We will invest in innovation and we will back the can-do ability of New Zealanders to produce better more sophisticated and more environmentally friendly products and services.