Hudson Brett: Estimates Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHudson Brett: Estimates Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 21 July 2015. Volume:707;Page:5167. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]BRETT HUDSON (National):Well this Government is committed to continuing New Zealand in the direction that has seen us grow faster than most of our trading partners in the OECD. Over 190000 jobs have been created over the last 4 years and another 150000 are forecast across the next 4 years. We are doing this through our Business Growth Agenda. Whether it is unlocking new markets strengthening capital markets harnessing natural resources investing in innovation investing in skilled and safer workforces or investing in infrastructure this Government is committed to keeping New Zealanders on the pathway to prosperity.Across the way there those members do not even understand business. From across there we witnessed just last week a trumpeted trumped-up policy from Labour championing small business. What was that? It was a re-announcement of the Government’s discussion paper around provisional tax payments released in May. They are bereft of ideas bereft of leadership and quite frankly bereft of talent while we here are focused on doing the things that count to keep improving the lot for New Zealanders and their families.I just want to raise the issue of infrastructure within this ambit of the Business Growth Agenda. A few speakers ago “the Professor” gave a lecture to us around the paucity of infrastructure investment particularly broadband. Well I do not know which library he consulted but clearly he did not avail himself of the services of the Parliamentary Library. If he had he would have learnt that in these appropriations the Government has made an appropriation for a further $210 million from the Future Investment Fund for ultra-fast broadband to raise coverage to 80 percent of the population. An additional $100 million from the telecommunications development levy is to further increase coverage under the rural broadband infrastructure and an additional $50 million is to take care of mobile black spots.This is a Government that is investing in infrastructure that enables Kiwis and Kiwi businesses to be better connected and to take advantage of the opportunities that are there in this increasingly more-connected world. They make a real difference. For instance in Timaru the information and communications technology sector is now the third-largest sector in that area. One example is an IT development company in Timaru that had a single employee before the ultra-fast broadband roll-out began and now has a dozen. It is able to offer its services not only around New Zealand but across the world. There is the doctor in Whangarei who now no longer needs to take his patients through an appointment system at the local hospital for retina scans but can do them in his practice and send the information on. There is the panel beater on the North Shore who can take photos of damage and transmit them electronically to the assessor in the insurance company resulting in the approval coming through quicker the customer’s car being back on the road sooner and a far better more efficient business for that panel beater. It is making a real difference.The information and communications technology industry is growing at 9 percent per annum year on year. It now contributes about 1.7 percent of GDP. That is one-third—one-third—of the dairy contribution to New Zealand in one industry. That is without counting the wine industry or the beef and lamb industry or oil and gas exports or kiwifruit exports or all of the other things we are doing across the New Zealand economy. Within that information and communications technology industry exports have been growing at 14 percent per annum over the last 6 years and have contributed approximately $930 million in exports in 2014.This is a Government that is focused on diversifying our economy creating opportunities for Kiwi businesses making investments in infrastructure and opening markets and strengthening our capital markets to ensure that investment flows in which permits businesses to grow and to hire more people. This is a Government that is focused on creating a skilled workforce to meet the needs of a diversifying and growing economy. I now mention particularly the information and communications technology postgrad academies in Christchurch and Auckland that the Minister announced recently and there is an announcement to come soon on that study in Wellington. So this Government is committed to continuing to grow New Zealand and to continuing to offer our people in our businesses brighter prospects with sound investments sound policies and sound actions.