Hudson Brett: Annual Review Debate — In CommitteeText is subject to correctionHudson Brett: Annual Review Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 29 April 2015. Volume:704;Page:2977. Text is subject to correction.]BRETT HUDSON (National):This Government is aspirational for New Zealand because we have the absolute confidence in Kiwis and Kiwi businesses to compete and succeed when they have a Government behind them that is providing the framework to help them to be successful. And in this National-led Government that is precisely what they have. Our Business Growth Agenda provides the framework for Kiwi businesses to succeed to grow and to employ more people.Today I would like to talk about investing in infrastructure and what we are doing there to provide enablers for Kiwi businesses to succeed in their markets and to grow and employ more people. I would like to talk about our broadband initiatives: our Ultra-fast Broadband Initiative and our Rural Broadband Initiative. I sit on the Commerce Committee and we were very fortunate in the annual review process to hear from Crown Fibre Holdings. The information it shared with us was that in the 12 months to December 2014 end-users with access to ultra-fast broadband grew by 57 percent. The number of businesses passed by the ultra-fast broadband project has increased by 47 percent. Over 231000 businesses and households have access to ultra-fast broadband. Over 2200 schools including 1000 rural schools have access to the capabilities that broadband can provide. Average quarterly orders have increased by 153 percent. That is about this Government investing in infrastructure that Kiwis and Kiwi businesses can use to be successful.What does it really mean? I have heard Opposition members talk about struggles in the regions falling employment and economic woes. Well this Government has just been getting on and putting things in place to lift prospects in our regions. So what does ultra-fast broadband mean? In South Canterbury information and communications technology is now the third-largest sector and the fastest-growing sector in South Canterbury. In Timaru there is an example of an IT development company that prior to ultra-fast broadband employed one employee. It now employs over a dozen because ultra-fast broadband gave it the reach and the capability to take its services and address a broader market. It is the regions that are benefiting and not just in South Canterbury.How about the productivity gains that we see in places like Whangarei? In Whangarei there is a software development company. Its network infrastructure was so poor that it used to have to ship all of its development out on CD-Roms; now it can deliver it via the internet saving it and its clients valuable time and money. Or how about the case in the world of medicine?Dr David Clark: It’s not working in Karitane. It’s not working in Warrington.BRETT HUDSON: And that Dr Clark is the weakest interjection in 50 years. In the area of health a medical practitioner also in Whangarei used to have to go with his patients to the base hospital to perform retina scans. He can now do that in his practice and send that data across the internet to the hospital saving time and money and particularly saving inconvenience to his patients.Or how about the panel beater on the North Shore? The panel beater who has reported a 15 percent improvement in productivity because he can now send videos and photos of damage and assessment directly to insurance assessors saving incredible amounts of time and helping to get his clients back on the road sooner?This is a Government that is investing in infrastructure that makes a real positive difference to Kiwis and to their businesses. It is not just in the information superhighway that we are doing this; we are also doing it with highways. In my own electorate in this region we are finally seeing action on Transmission Gully a 27 kilometre four-lane motorway between McKays in Kāpiti and Linden on the edge of my own electorate of Ōhāriu a motorway that will see between 18000 and 22500 vehicle movements per day. It is an initiative that is unlocking productivity helping us to move people and goods far more efficiently in our region.This is a Government that is investing in the things that matter the things that will make a real difference to Kiwis and to Kiwi businesses helping to promote growth and an increase in employment. This is a Government that is working for New Zealand.