Hayes John: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHayes John: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply Debate[Sitting date: 24 June 2014. Volume:699;Page:18806. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JOHN HAYES (National—Wairarapa):That was great drama from the member Annette King. I can assure you that the picture in the three health boards that are covered by my electorate—the Wairarapa central Hawke’s Bay and the Manawatū—do not reflect the picture that has just been presented to this House by that speaker. Mind you what would one expect this far out from an election?I want to focus my comments on the topic today which is around the supplementary estimates and to focus on three areas: foreign affairs trade and defence. Over the past 5 years the National Government has significantly strengthened New Zealand’s international footprint enhanced our international reputation and established a base for long-term prosperity based on stronger trade and economic partnerships. Looking ahead there are significant opportunities for New Zealand as countries in the Asia-Pacific region develop rapidly and demand more of what we produce. Our Business Growth Agenda is putting in place reforms to help businesses perform well particularly with the tradable and export sectors. That is how people in my community earn their living. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr McCully has also strengthened our leadership role in the Pacific and he has made New Zealand a formidable candidate for election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2015-16 term.The integration of NZAID—this will get them going—into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure greater efficiency and coherence has created a model that is now being followed by others for example Australia as other nations seek to achieve more with constrained budgets. Having held the development budget at around $550 million a year as we coped with the twin impacts of the global financial crisis and the Christchurch earthquake there is now room for future growth and the supplementary estimates support steady increases from 2015.Investment in the Official Development Assistance programme is going to increase by nearly $220 million for the 3-year period starting in 2015-16. Total expenditure over this period is going to be $1.89 billion compared with nearly $1.67 billion in the current 3-year period. This Government is making a commitment of major proportions to our neighbours. This increased vote after the recent pause because of the Christchurch earthquake will be spent primarily addressing the challenges faced by developing countries in our Pacific neighbourhood. The additional investment in aid and development funding will also support new strategic investments in the region particularly in agriculture food security renewable energy and disaster risk management. As with the current aid programme investment will have a focus on delivering results that make a tangible difference to the lives of people and as our Budget in 2014 has already proposed the increased forecast expenditure under Vote Official Development Assistance has increased to nearly $550 million.The key features of our development policy under a re-elected National Government—which is looking increasingly likely—will be to maintain a focus on the Pacific with over 60 percent of our development budget committed to that region. We will also use partnerships to ensure that our aid funds are leveraged as was the case with a brilliant initiative from Minister Mr McCully when he led in March last year the Pacific renewable energy programme which generated a partnership with other countries around the planet and provided $635 million of new capital for energy projects just in the Pacific. We are also seeking more flexible instruments to add to the tool kit to ensure strong development outcomes. We are working and creating strong relationships between our aid programme and other Government agencies New Zealand businesses and Trade and Enterprise to ensure a “New Zealand Inc.” approach.This week’s papers have reported that our Prime Minister has just returned from a visit to New York and Washington where the main focus was to reinforce New Zealand’s bid to secure a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2015-16. He reported this morning in our caucus that he had received a very strong positive response. We never see the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr McCully because he is working hard to campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Last week he was in Iran Ghana and America. He is absolutely the peripatetic Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has boosted New Zealand’s profile internationally and as a result has demonstrated that New Zealand is a committed and collaborative multilateral player. McCully has reinvigorated New Zealand’s links with countries from emerging regions for the long-term benefit of New Zealand.Early in the term of the next Government—I think on 18 October—New Zealand will face this contest for a 2-year term on the Security Council a role we last held over 20 years ago. Our country has a strong international brand recognised for being fair-minded and constructive in our behaviour. The National Government under John Key’s leadership has worked really hard to build a case for New Zealand’s election to the Security Council through a campaign designed to provide lasting benefits for our reputation and influence overseas.In recent years we have enhanced the relationships with our partners as I have said. We have continued the momentum with our traditional close partners—and I am thinking here of Australia the United States Canada and the United Kingdom—including in this year 2014 becoming a guest of the G20 when it meets in Australia. We have focused on the Asia and Pacific regions consolidating relationships in the ASEAN area and we have recently appointed an ASEAN ambassador who will be based in Jakarta. We have increased our ambition in our relationship with China and the Prime Minister has set new trade targets by 2020. Tim Groser our Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs has led 31 high-level trade missions to Asia Latin America and the Pacific. Under McCully’s leadership we have opened new posts in Abu Dhabi Addis Ababa Myanmar Barbados and Honolulu and we are soon going to open a new consulate-general in Chengdu China. We have strengthened our ASEAN relationships including with the establishment of this new ambassador in Jakarta who will be separate from the New Zealand ambassador to Indonesia.What we are doing is seeking new diplomatic and economic opportunities for New Zealand and we are taking a “New Zealand Inc.” approach across all Government agencies. We have been doing this in China the Gulf Cooperation Council Australia and ASEAN. We have particularly strengthened our key partnership with Australia. We have transformed our diplomatic and security relationship with the United States. Just look at what was on our television sets last week. We have reinforced China as our largest trading partner and we have enhanced our leadership role in the Pacific which as I said now gets 60 percent of our budget.Before I end I would just like to make a few comments about defence because if I do not nobody else will. We have allocated $535.5 million in ongoing extra operational funding over the next 4 years and the Government’s investment of $100.9 million in 2014 and 2015 is the first stage of an allocation of the $535 million in operational funding. This will enable the New Zealand Defence Force to maintain and improve its current mix of capabilities it will help us sustain and grow numbers over time and it will allow the Government to continue to modernise and upgrade the New Zealand Defence Force’s capability. These are good pieces of legislation and I fully support them. Thank you.