Adams Amy: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Adams Amy: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
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AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) 
: 
 It is a great pleasure to take a call tonight on Vote Finance in this year’s estimates debate. I reflect on the fact that for the last couple of weeks now the world has been absolutely gripped watching what can happen when a country’s debt gets out of control. For the first time the big-spending economy of the US has started to realise that if it just keeps spending and spending and having its cake and eating it too eventually it has to pay the piper—eventually it has to pay the piper. The most important thing New Zealand has to do to guarantee our prosperity is to get our debt and our spending under control. We cannot afford to have the biggest chunk of hard-working New Zealand taxpayers’ money funding debt servicing to international money lenders. That would be the single biggest threat to the prosperity of every family in New Zealand. That is why this Government has spent the past 3 years getting rid of the economic chaos that the Labour Government left us. 
Let us look at it. When Michael Cullen opened the books in 2008 he announced that his legacy to the people of New Zealand was never-ending deficits—never-ending deficits. The Labour Government put this country into effective recession 4 years before the rest of the world. It presided over the all but death of the manufacturing and export sector. The fact that that Government drove the real New Zealand economy to the brink of collapse means we are now in the position we are. They bloated the Public Service. The only thing they know how to do is to take money out of people’s pockets and spend it on growing Government increasing handouts and increasing welfare. Borrowing spending; borrowing spending—that is all they know. They have gone back to core principles. 
But this Government understands that the best thing we can do is to get a handle on Government spending and support the real productive tradable sector to lead New Zealand out of this mire. We are seeing that—we are seeing that. Over the last 3 years we have seen the plan of Minister English and Prime Minister Key lead this country back into growth. The economy in the worst of times is now showing real signs of recovery. We have growth forecasts of 3 percent per annum for the next 4 years and 170000 new jobs thanks to the economic management of this Government. We are seeing that in the worst of economic times and amidst having to pay for the Christchurch earthquake—we are paying $8.8 billion for Christchurch; that money is in the bank it is funded. We are growing the economy we are getting better services out of our public sector we are providing better outcomes for New Zealand we are letting New Zealanders keep their money and we are incentivising hard work. We are not incentivising people to sit with their hands out and we are not incentivising the Government sector to grow. We are saying to people that if they are working we are behind them; if they are aspirational for their future we are backing them. We will encourage savings we will encourage business we will encourage growth and we will get debt under control. 
We have turned the never-ending deficits of Michael Cullen and the Labour Government into a return to surplus in 3 years—even after paying for Christchurch and even after the worst economic conditions that the world has ever seen. Our tax changes were a significant part of that. We changed the incentive away from the debt-fuelled consumption orgy that Labour presided over and returned it to incentivising production savings and investment. In a very simple sense that is why New Zealanders know that National is the party to manage the economy that is why they are backing John Key and that is why they do not want to hear a bar from Messrs Cunliffe Parker and Goff. They know that National is the party that will provide them with growth and prosperity and that will build them a brighter future. They know that all they can expect from Labour is tax borrow and spend. I think Labour must be the only political party in the world that can come up with a whole new tax that puts us further in debt. How does one do that? How does one have a new tax that puts us more in debt? It is unbelievable. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member. I say to members on my left that I refer to Speakers’ ruling 61/5 of Speaker Barnard and Speaker Statham. I say that Ms Adams is making a hard-hitting speech and some interjections can be expected but not so many as to drown out a speaker. The Chairman will not allow that. 
AMY ADAMS 
: Thank you Mr Chairman. Of course the facts speak for themselves. The New Zealand public knows it has a choice between sensible prudent economic management that will grow the productive sector provide jobs raise incomes and give them the brighter future they deserve and the tax and spend policies of Labour.