Hudson Brett: Annual Review Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHudson Brett: Annual Review Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 13 April 2016. Volume:713;Page:10493. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]BRETT HUDSON (National): It is a pleasure to rise to speak on this annual review. What we see with the Opposition members is that despite their very best—and a recent poll would suggest that most of New Zealand does not see their best as that good—attempts to talk down New Zealand and despite the fact that they show that they have no aspiration and that they have no confidence in New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses performing the fact is that New Zealand is doing very very well. The economy is growing—2.3 percent in 2015. Most pundits are predicting an average of 3 percent over the next few years. The country is doing well. There have been 170000 jobs created over the last 3 years—170000—with a further 148000 forecast over the next 3 years. Those members have tried to talk it down but the facts are just getting in the way of their story. It is not even a good story.But to compound that despite their best efforts to talk down the facts that get in the way their colleagues are completely confused. They do not know whether things are good or bad whether interest rates are too high or too low—apparently they are both the same at the same time. It is quite interesting. Mr Tabuteau says interest rates are too high and that it is constraining our exporters the people whom National members say they support—yes the exporters. So last year exports grew $1.9 billion—$1.9 billion into the headwind created by a drop-off in dairy. Dairy fell by $3 billion. With exports growing a total of $1.9 billion that tells us that other export industries and sectors grew $4.9 billion. By any measure in New Zealand that is an economy that is performing extraordinarily well.There was a previous comment too from the member for Napier. The Minister of Finance noted that that member the member for Napier would appear to be on the right-wing side of Labour. He also pointed out that it is quite relative and the reason it is relative I would argue is that that member was talking about—whereas this Government has a very strong focus on optimisation in public services and delivering better public services for the same or less amount of money the member for Napier on the other hand was just consumed with the idea of not spending less. He clearly sees that the Government is a big driver of economic growth through its own spending. We accept that the Government is a big spender in the economy. It has to be. But on this side of the Chamber we know that it is businesses—businesses—that drive growth businesses that drive employment up and businesses that drive wages up. That is why we are committed to opening markets for our exporters to export their products and services. That is why we are open to channels of investment whether it is direct foreign investment or whether it is innovative approaches like crowdsourcing. This is a Government that knows it is private enterprise that drives the ultimate results for Government business. So we are there supporting our businesses to grow and to reach new markets to have the confidence to employ more New Zealanders and through that to push incomes up. We have seen that. We have seen incomes rise.If we take a longer view of this the Minister of Finance recently reported that from 2010 average wages have grown 15 percent. Inflation over that same period has risen only 10 percent. More recently inflation has been incredibly low—at a decades’ low of around 0.1 percent—yet average wages continue to rise. People in New Zealand are better off. They are better off because their incomes are growing faster than inflation and they are better off because there are more employment opportunities because this is a Government that is supporting businesses to grow and to get out into the worldwide market. So what we see and what we report on is a New Zealand Government that is performing well is supporting businesses and is also supporting Government entities.The member from the Greens made a point that I think symbolises their lack of understanding of business. She talked about how utility companies or mixed-ownership model companies are now delivering greater dividends under the new model than they were previously. She completely missed the point. The reason they are delivering better dividends now is the structural change this Government put in place because of the reprioritisation they have through their different governance model. If it was simply a matter that they could have delivered those dividends the real question is why they did not do it beforehand. By any measure the mixed-ownership model is delivering more for New Zealanders and it is delivering better results for the Government. This Government is in great shape.Report noted.