Dean JacquiHon JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki): Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. The Hon Chris Hipkins said it all I believe when he said today There's a [big] difference between a broken promise and one that's yet to be delivered". Well thank you Chris Hipkins because I think you have entirely encapsulated what this Budget has delivered and what it has delivered is broken promises. I think Chris Hipkins unwittingly said much much much more than he ever intended and like the Hon Amy Adams and no doubt every other politician on this side of the House we will be taking those words to the country. Words like that from a senior Government Minister matter to New Zealand because they have the Treasury benches the Labour - New Zealand First - Greens Government are spending our taxpayer money and they are spending our taxpayer money on some pretty dodgy things like good-looking horses.I think what Chris Hipkins' words did—no such thing; "there is a big difference between a broken promise and one that's yet to be delivered"—speaks volumes and it speaks to the realisation that Labour New Zealand First and the Greens have come to that they do not have the money to meet their excessive campaign promises. So now what they're doing—and Phil Twyford is doing it too—is trying to give themselves a little bit of wriggle room. Every day he stands up in this House and every day he goes out into the community all around New Zealand as other Ministers do and they are just trying to give themselves just a little bit of wriggle room because they know in their dark little hearts that they have overpromised and now they are under-delivering. "But it's not a broken promise! It's not a broken promise; it's just a promise that has yet to be delivered."—yeah right. I've heard that one before.So let's traverse some of the measures that this Government has brought in its Budget. Of particular interest to me is local government. Local government of course is a major part of the New Zealand economy. It traverses communities from Stewart Island to the Chatham Islands to Northland to Auckland and everywhere in between. It's a huge part of the New Zealand economy. It generates wealth; it generates jobs; it has huge responsibilities around things like environmental protection provision of infrastructure and provision of tourism infrastructure; and it is a sector which I am sure is looking very hard at the Budget.So what did the Budget deliver for local government? Well as it turns out not very much at all. If we have a look at the allocation that has gone to the Local Government Commission that has effectively been reduced by 50 percent.Hon Tim Macindoe: How much?Hon JACQUI DEAN: The allocation in the Budget this year to the Local Government Commission has effectively been reduced by 50 percent. They have lost $1.178 million in their appropriation. Now the Local Government Commission—members will know people of the public might know—is the body to whom local authorities go when there is an application for amalgamation—Hon Aupito William Sio: You're far better than that Jacqui. Don't listen to them.Hon JACQUI DEAN: —of local authorities. It's important work that the Local Government Commission do and they dealt with a number of amalgamation applications in the last term of Parliament. It's very important. The Hon Su'a William Sio is saying something over the House—it's indistinguishable—but I think he should take this a little more seriously. I think he should really take this a little more seriously because I tell you what local authorities are taking it seriously and losing half your funding for the Local Government Commission is not showing good faith in local government.The Three Waters project got $3 million over two years. Well that is a modest allocation building on the work of the previous Government so no shouting and flag-waving over that policy should be done because it is merely continuing on the work of the previous National Government. Tourism New Zealand—now I go slightly sideways here but it is important—lost $6 million in their Budget allocation. Why does that matter? Because tourism and local government are inextricably linked and it is so important that tourism which is our largest export income earner and provides huge benefits into regional New Zealand as well as places like Queenstown and Auckland and Christchurch is supported as a destination by Tourism New Zealand who just lost $6 million out of this Budget.Also lost out of this Budget was a key funding out of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund. Members will recall that that was a $100 million fund put in place by the previous National Government—gutted. Absolutely gutted—$75 million gutted out of that fund and placed into Shane Jones' fund. How about that? So what that means is that those local authorities who are making applications for infrastructure funding for tourism growth now instead of having a dedicated fund for themselves they have to go up against foresters tree-planters every other regional economic development grant application. They don't have a dedicated pool for themselves; they're now just in the mix. Well they lost big time over that measure in this Budget.Finally there are one or two other little rats and mice. Frankly there's not much in the Budget for local government. There is the rates rebate scheme—good so there should be—continuing on the good work of the previous Government. There is support continuing for Kaikōura District Council—good there should be. The National Government poured many many billions of dollars into earthquake recovery in Canterbury and Kaikōura and that work should continue. Business as usual under this Government—nothing new to see here.Continued support for the Chatham Islands wharves and for governance—good business as usual. Just as a sidebar here's a question: how many Labour Ministers and Green Ministers does it take to open a wharf? I'm taking answers.Dr Shane Reti: Six.Hon JACQUI DEAN: Two? One to cut the ribbon and one to pour the tea? No not two not three—six. Thank you. Six Ministers travelled all the way to the Chatham Islands to open the wharf. Talk about having your eye on what matters to New Zealanders. What else could they be doing? Well they could have been getting out into the regions and supporting regional New Zealand and paying mind to local government.I just want to spend a few minutes now on this Government's Budget allocation for small business. Let me just go down through the list—oh right that's right. There's nothing. Just as there was no mention in the Speech from the Throne around small business and economic growth in this New Zealand there was no direct allocation for small business in the Budget. How about that? So I scratched around because I'm a glass half-full type of person and I did see that there is progress for the e-invoicing project in the Budget. Well good on them the Labour - Greens - New Zealand First Government for supporting business in that way. Well they should do because it was a project which was started by the previous National Government.So I'm not seeing anything new here for two very important parts of the New Zealand economy—for local government for tourism and for small business. In fact there is no plan. There is no plan to grow the economy. This Budget is silent on any measures—apart from e-invoicing which was started under the previous Government—to advance our economy. So how's that going to pan out in the future? This Government is very good on spending but without a focus on growing the pie without a focus on growing the economy we ain't going nowhere and we are going nowhere in a hurry.So finally I just want to go over a couple of the reports that this Government is progressing. One of them is the local government rates inquiry. Well that's interesting because they did a rates inquiry back in 2008—it was called the Shand report. It was done at huge expense and had something like 86 recommendations none of which they progressed. So they shelved that report and they're doing another one.And then finally a working group to develop solutions to freedom camping. Good work except this kind of work has been undertaken for years and years and years. And where was the Minister Nanaia Mahuta throughout all this work? Well she wasn't invited to the meeting of mayors in Wellington to discuss freedom camping. How much does she care? She received one briefing towards the Budget on freedom camping. She took no papers to Cabinet pre-Budget on freedom camping. This is a Government which is full of self-congratulation full of giving themselves wriggle room. It has no plan for the future of New Zealand no plan for several very important parts of our economy. Shame shame business as usual—"nothing to see here Budget"."