Bennett David: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Bennett David: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:656;Page:5503] 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
: 
 Following that speech from Opposition member David Cunliffe who attempts to know about finance and tell the world how things should be done let us just have a look at what Labour left the New Zealand economy after 9 long years. It left us with some of the highest interest rates that we could find and what has National done? We have reduced interest rates for New Zealanders. Labour left the New Zealand public with negative growth but we will go into the next election with an economy that is growing through the toughest economic times we have seen in this generation. Labour had the commodity boom of a generation but it delivered our country negative economic growth. Labour squandered the perfect chance for New Zealand to go up the next level of the OECD even though that was its promise. We went down. Labour did not deliver for the New Zealand public or the New Zealand economy and it gave us Budget deficits into the future to pay for its election promises. 
National on the other hand will work towards a strong economy that will give us the ability to fund our social services and deliver a future for New Zealanders. That is what Bill English did in the Budget. He delivered a Budget that brought certainty and security to a public that needed it at the most uncertain time in our history. He brought in a Budget that will give New Zealanders confidence in their future. It gives them direction and lets them know they have a Government that is competent when it comes to financial matters. This is a Government that wanted to see the best for them and maintained social spending at the same time as delivering an economic future. That is a very difficult balance to get and no other country has managed to get that. We got an upgrade from Standard and Poor’s the afternoon of the Budget. No other country in the world was able to do that at that time. That shows great economic management and that we are willing to look after our people not only by delivering them consistency but also by showing them a future. That future is bright and strong. It is one that New Zealanders voted for and are happy with. The public has shown their acceptance of and support for the Budget and their support for this Government through the polls. The Labour Party needs to look at what the people are saying because they love the Budget they understand it and they support it. 
The interesting part is that the Labour Party is going around and saying that we should be spending more. Those members come into this House and say with regard to some of our initiatives that we should be spending more because in the words of Mr Cunliffe this is “an insufficient idea”. So he wants to spend more money at a time when we have not got any money. Where will he get this money from? Before members tell me where he will get this money from I have a question for them. I want to know how much more money he will spend. If he is the economic genius he purports to be he needs to put some numbers on the table. He will not do that; he is not putting any numbers down and he is not saying where he will get the numbers from anyway. He does not know. He has no idea. Labour members have no strategy. Labour’s strategy is to spend more and do more. Well Labour members do not show us what they will do and they do not show us how they will fund it. They do not know what they are doing and they would not be able to deliver anything more. 
The National Government has delivered key infrastructure for this country and a productive region like the Waikato is getting the biggest payback we have ever had from a Government and it is from the National Government. It is the building of the Waikato Expressway something that the Labour Government would not do. It had 9 long years and would not do it. We made a commitment to do it and we will deliver on it. That will be one of the biggest infrastructure spends in our region and it will deliver economic growth in the heartland of New Zealand for our export economy. It will provide the incentive for people to invest in those regions. It will link us with Auckland and take advantage of our economic reforms. That is the opportunity.