Bennett David: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Bennett David: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Advance Copy - Subject to minor change before inclusion in Bound Volume.] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 When we look at the Financial Statements of the New Zealand Government for the year ended 30 June 2011 and Treasury we need to take a good look at what we inherited from the previous administration and that was an economy in recession. We got an economy in recession before the rest of the world. That was what we inherited from the Labour - New Zealand First coalition. It was an economy in recession. Since then we have managed to turn that round. In the most difficult of economic times we have turned that round. Not only have we turned that round but also we have set up the infrastructure and the economic platform for New Zealand to grow.  
Today we had a question in the House from the Green Party about the roads of national significance. The Green Party was wondering why we should have them. Well that is investing in the future growth of New Zealand.  
Sue Moroney 
: Ha ha! 
DAVID BENNETT 
: That is investing in the future of this country. Sue Moroney there is laughing. I would like to see her go to the people of Hamilton and laugh at them when they see those roads being built around their city. They will link us to Auckland and grow our city. That growth is imperative and important for New Zealand going forward. National has delivered that infrastructural growth in the most difficult of times. 
Not only have we delivered it but also we have set up structures so that New Zealanders have the right signals and incentives out there. If you get a good education and if you work hard you are going to get some rewards. That is what we want. We want New Zealanders to know that if they work hard and they get an education the future is theirs. The other side would rather take from people and try to redistribute it to make everybody equal and therefore control them. That is the party of the Opposition. That is how it has always been and always will be. The National Party has a different vision and it is a vision that we have enacted in the most difficult of times. It is a vision that is working. 
New Zealand is doing as well as any country in the Western World has done in these difficult times. Would you rather be in Europe or America? Well the Opposition would not want to live in Europe or America; those members want to be in New Zealand. It is all right for the New Zealand First Party to come into this House and try to put down the Chinese but the Chinese Government and the Chinese economy are saving us by buying our dairy products. It would be interesting to see if we did not have that market how smart people in the New Zealand economy would be. This is a Government that understands economic fundamentals. That is the difference between the Government and the Opposition. We understand what you need to do to build a strong economy and we are doing that. At the same time we have delivered the social services that New Zealand people need. We did not scare the horses. We did not go out there and cut social services. At a time when we could have done that we did not. We maintained those social services. We maintained the integrity of the New Zealand social welfare system. We had to borrow to do that but we did it.  
We have also delivered a rebuild programme for Christchurch after the major natural disaster there. That city will be rebuilt. Those people know that this Government stands behind them. They know that this Government is here for the people of Christchurch unlike the Opposition which will come into this House and try to pull down the regrowth of that city just for political purposes. That is not good enough. New Zealanders expect more from their Government and they have got more. They have got good leadership they have got an economic plan that will be successful and will work— 
Grant Robertson 
: Where? Where? Show it. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: The Labour Party asks where this economic plan is. Well we want to see what David Shearer has got to say. He has not said anything in 4 months has he? Grant Robertson has said more than David Shearer has said in the last 4 months and he is not even the leader. He might want to be the leader but he is not. The Labour Party has not got a plan. Its members know that it has not got a plan. They look across to us and see that we have got a plan. We have got a direction. We are investing in that infrastructure. We are investing in education. We are telling our people: “If you make the right decisions and you work hard then the opportunities—” 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Order! 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. Is your stopwatch going? That speech seems a whole lot longer than 5 minutes. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I am very mindful of the time. I just remind the member that on numerous occasions you have brought the Chair into the debate. You cannot do that. Also focus back on what this debate is. We are looking at the Finance and Expenditure Committee’s financial review. That is what we are concentrating on. 
DAVID BENNETT 
: We are on the financial review and those Financial Statements show that this Government is making the right decisions to take New Zealand forward. It is investing in the infrastructure it is investing in that social spending but at the same time it is recognising the demands on this economy and the demands on this Government going forward in these very difficult times. We have had to borrow under those Financial Statements to get through these difficult times but that was the right decision for New Zealand going forward and nobody would dispute that. I would imagine that if the other side had been anywhere near the chains of power those members would have borrowed a lot more and that would have sent this economy spiralling into disaster. We did not. We borrowed what was prudent for this economy going forward and we have delivered at the same time the right investments with that borrowing. We have not spent it on silly things. We have spent it on the things that count giving the right incentives.