Kuriger Barbara: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKuriger Barbara: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 26 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3987. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]BARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country): It is a pleasure to take a call this afternoon. I want to focus on how our Government is working for our regions to reach their full potential. I find it really disappointing that we have heard the member David Cunliffe get up this afternoon and talk about the regions. He is a man who actually has his roots in history in Te Kūiti. It is very disappointing to hear him say to this House that regional people cannot afford to sell up their houses and buy in Auckland. Let me tell you Mr Cunliffe it is very affordable for your people in Auckland to actually sell up their houses and come and live in our regions. Let me tell you something else: I do not know how long it is Mr Cunliffe since you have been in Te Kūiti but come and have a look at the new developments and things that are going on. As a regional electorate MP I do not accept that people need to sell up their houses and move back into Auckland. I am actually very focused on what is going on.If you ever go back to Te Kūiti again which I invite you to do you will realise that it runs off State Highway 3. I want to talk a bit about the roading packages that are being put in place. At the moment it takes me about half an hour longer to drive up my electorate because of the roads that are being developed particularly the roundabout at Waitomo. Focusing forward there is consultation going on about Mount Messenger and Awakino which is actually part of the Budget—Stuart Nash: Is this in the Budget?BARBARA KURIGER: Yes it is. It is roading in the Budget package about Taranaki and just exactly—[Interruption] Yes it is. And just exactly as Mr Young alluded to before around the Waiwhakaiho Bridge State Highway 3—Awakino Mount Messenger—is a project that has been on the go for a very very long time. I am really proud to be standing here as the member for Taranaki - King Country saying that the consultation is going on right now to get that road up and running because of this Budget. The second thing is broadband. We have actually got a $100 million expansion going into rural broadband. It is key to our regional electorates.Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.BARBARA KURIGER: Earlier in the evening before dinner I alluded to the money that was going towards the Accelerated Regional Roading Package which is great for the regions and particularly for State Highway 3 in my area in Awakino and Mount Messenger. Then I got on to the topic of broadband where there is a $100-million expansion of fast reliable broadband to our regions. That is just so critical. We are doing really well with the schools. We want it spread across further so that the kids are able to do their homework as well as they can do so they can learn more and so that we can have some more businesses that operate off the internet and high technology that is able to operate out in the regions. As we said before it is just such a wonderful place to live.The other thing as part of the Budget package is $50 million to extend the mobile coverage and black spots. As we all know we have got quite a number of black spots in the regional roading network so it is good to see those fixed up but it is also imperative that we have the cellphone coverage to go with that. Unfortunately when people do have an accident they need the opportunity to ring for help as fast as they possibly can.I would also like to commend the $25 million over 3 years that is going into regional research institutes. That is really important because although there are some issues that cover right across the region each region has its unique features. It is really important to do the research out in the regions to talk to the local people about what is needed and apply it there. I have to say also that to get the border processing levy across the line the other night was such a pleasure because actually a big risk to our regions is having some sort of disease or pest brought in. We all know that tourists are unfortunately some of the big contributors to the dangers that are posed to our economy.It is a real pleasure to take a call on this bill tonight. I am really proud to be part of a National Government that has presented a very very good Budget 2015.