Wagner Nicky: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWagner Nicky: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 05 June 2013. Volume:690;Page:10748. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]NICKY WAGNER (National—Christchurch Central): I rise to speak today on this Budget 2013 because it has been a really important Budget. It is Bill English’s fifth Budget and the fifth in a series of Budgets that has taken us through the worst global recession since the 1930s. It is one of the five Budgets that have allowed us to invest in our communities to support jobs to protect our most vulnerable and now to chart a path to pay off debt and to get back into surplus by 2014-15. It is a big ask but we are getting there. We are on our way.It was good to see that the OECD in its economic survey just recently has confirmed that we are absolutely on the right track that this Government is improving productivity to support long-term growth that our banking system is in good shape and that it applauds the fact that we are on track towards a Government surplus. The report also notes that the economy is gathering momentum. It is gathering momentum through the post-earthquake reconstruction of Christchurch and Canterbury through business investment and through increased household spending. This is all good news from this Budget.Of course as the MP for Christchurch Central I am mostly interested in what this Budget does for Christchurch. Supporting the rebuild of Christchurch and Canterbury is one of the four pillars of this Budget. It is one of the four along with responsibly managing our finances building a more productive and competitive economy and delivering better public services. I have always been very grateful that the Prime Minister comes from Christchurch that he was educated there and that he began his working life there because I know he understands us. I know he understands the value of our city and our province and that he and this National Government support the rebuild 100 percent.We are second-largest city in New Zealand. We are the gateway to the South Island. We are the first stop for tourists to the area. We are the hub for businesses and thetransport centre for exports. It has been really good to see that despite all the damage from the earthquakes the port of Lyttelton has exported record tonnages over the last few months. Of course we are the home of the Crusaders. Without doubt Canterbury and Christchurch are the economic powerhouses of the South Island and this rebuild is the biggest economic undertaking in New Zealand’s history.For the people who live in Christchurch and Canterbury for our economic influence and for our national pride it is enormously important that this city gets rebuilt. And it will be rebuilt. It will be rebuilt safer stronger more people-friendly more sustainable and even more beautiful. We are on our way to create a 21st century city and to position ourselves in the world as a great small city and a place where people will want to live will want to visit and will want to invest. This is a one-off opportunity and we have to make sure that we all make the very most of it.I am really pleased that Budget 2013 has increased the Government’s commitment to fund that rebuild by a further $2.1 billion. The total cost of the rebuild which will include funds from insurance from investment and from local and central government is now estimated to be about $40 billion. We had thought $30 billion but it has now escalated to $40 billion and this Government’s contribution will also increase from about $13 billion to $15 billion. It is a huge amount of money and it indicates just how much work has got to be done in the city.It is really positive for Christchurch and Canterbury because it underpins our future growth and jobs for at least another decade. Latest figures show that Christchurch is really doing well in terms of employment. The unemployment rate is down to 4.3 percent and dropping. There are increased wage rates increasing numbers of building consents and with a growth rate of 7.5 percent—absolutely unheard of in New Zealand—Canterbury is the most confident region in the country. Also we have high levels of internal and external migration and low unemployment and it is starting to become a real economic hotspot. Tourism is also increasing with our guest nights rising and we have a higher than average proportion of international visitors visiting in comparison with local visitors. That is not surprising when you consider that Christchurch is deemed by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2013. Who would have ever thought that pre-earthquake?The Budget increases funding for the things that matter most to Cantabrians—rebuilding our homes and communities and investing in health and education. The Budget allocates $900 million of new capital funding for the rebuilding of the Christchurch Hospital and Burwood Hospital. This is going to be the biggest health project ever begun in New Zealand. There is also funding for the justice and emergency service precinct. This is a hub in the central city that will allow emergency services—police the Department of Corrections St John Ambulance and fire service—to work together much more efficiently and effectively.The Budget has also got funding for tertiary education institutions. On top of that it allocates $92.4 million for the greater Christchurch 21st century school renewal programme which will benefit many future generations of school students.There is an extra $303 million that has been allocated for the central city recovery plan which includes nearly $80 million for the development of the Avon River precinct. The Avon River flows through the city and that will become the focus for our city. The precinct will provide public amenities and become the equivalent of a recreational waterfront right downtown. There is also funding for the final land zoning decisions and the work of CERA that is the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.On top of all this Christchurch will benefit from its share of the general Budget investments. Those are the investments that are designed make our economy more productive and competitive such as research and development for businesses andfunding for tourism and international educational marketing—all areas that are really important to us. Also Christchurch will be part of the broadband and irrigation projects. In terms of public services we will benefit from the Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes project funding and improved support for low-income families. Of course there is our share of the $14.7 billion going to health. That is health for all our families. It is focused on the elderly dementia diabetes asthma extra operations but also on maternity and child care and men’s health.All in all this is an intelligent and well - thought-out Budget. It is an excellent Budget for the people of Christchurch and Canterbury and for the rebuild and that is good for all New Zealanders.