9. Question No. 9—Economic DevelopmentHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister for Economic DevelopmentQuestion No. 9—Economic Development9. Hon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he believe that job creation is an important indicator of the Government's economic development performance; if so did the latest household labour force survey show an increase or decrease in the number of jobs?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister for Economic Development): Yes. The household labour force survey doesn't show the number of jobs in the economy. The March 2019 survey showed that the number of employed persons increased by 70000 compared to when the Government came to office and for a small exporting nation facing global headwinds I note that New Zealand's employment rate is higher than the UK and Australia.Hon Todd McClay: Well how does he explain job growth declining from 10000 per month on average across 2015 to 2017 under the National Government to minus 1300 per month in the first quarter of this year?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well those numbers that he cited under the previous Government also coincided with a Government that allowed unemployment to rise to 6.7 percent at its peak. This Government's dealing with a very different time in the economic cycle. We have full employment under this Government and firms are dealing with skills shortages and the legacy of the failure of that party's Government to invest in the workforce and the skills that our businesses so desperately need now.Hon Todd McClay: Well what Government policies does he believe are most responsible for the reduction in job growth from 10000 jobs per month under National to minus 1300 jobs per month under this Government?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The policies that were pursued up until the election at the end of 2017.Hon Todd McClay: Does that therefore include policies like the oil and gas ban greater powers for unions—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Not a long list—one example.Hon Todd McClay: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. He said policies" and it's not for me to choose one. It is not a long list.SPEAKER: We've had a discussion last week about lists as precursors. Members have been warned. He can give a couple but not a long list.Hon Todd McClay: Thank you Mr Speaker. Isn't it actually Government policies like the oil and gas ban greater powers for unions and industrial law reform that are the reasons businesses have lost confidence to create new jobs?SPEAKER: I'm not sure the member's counting skills don't need a bit of improvement. He was probably at school when I was the Minister of Education so I'll take some responsibility.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I reject the premise of that question. This Government has inherited a failure to invest in the workforce but we are working with industry to improve productivity to reorient the economy away from a dependency on housing speculation and immigration and we've got a suite of policies that are in place to create a much stronger platform for New Zealand businesses to grow: Industry Transformation Plans. We are reforming the skills and vocational training sector that that Government allowed to fall into disarray; R & D tax credits; the manufacturing industry Skills Shift project—the list goes on.Hon Todd McClay: Well isn't it Government policies that increase costs like higher fuel taxes or increased workforce levies or threatened new taxes like on cars and capital gains that are responsible for businesses losing confidence to create new jobs?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well the member raised the question of fuel taxes. The fuel tax increase that we made in 2018 was exactly the percentage increase made by the National Government in 2013. The percentage increase this year is exactly the same percentage increase that the National Government made in 2014 and the percentage increase next year is exactly the same as the National Government made in 2015. The way that we pay for our roads and our transport system hasn't changed since the 1920s. Every single Government including this Government and the former Government has done it.Hon Grant Robertson: In light of that answer would the Minister be surprised to learn that the Opposition have ruled out having any future fuel tax increases and how on earth does he think they would pay for their roads?SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member might have started off close to being in order; he finished way outside and I'm going to rule the question out."