Simpson Scott: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSimpson Scott: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 06 June 2013. Volume:690;Page:10887. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): It is an enormous pleasure to follow the very capable senior whip and member for Taupō Louise Upston and her speech commending this fifth Budget by Bill English. It is a Budget that builds on the momentum that the previous four Budgets have set in place and it absolutely guarantees the next steps towards a much brighter future not just for this current generation but for the generations yet to come because this is a Budget that delivers for all New Zealanders where it counts. It is a Budget that continues the very prudent careful responsible fiscal stewardship of Bill English and John Key and this National-led Government. I do not think in fact that the team of Bill English and John Key is being given enough credit for the terrific job that they have done in steering our country through the worst economic conditions since the 1930s and not just here in New Zealand. Those international conditions have been the most challenging to face several generations so I think they have been doing a great job for New Zealand and they have been doing a great job for the people of Coromandel. In years to come Bill English and John Key will be treated well by history for their steady and careful prudent management of our economy during these most difficult times.There is nothing weird there is nothing strange and there is nothing irresponsible or unusual in this Budget. There is nothing that involves the printing of great wads of money from a photocopier buried deep in the bowels of the Beehive and there is nothing unfair in terms of tax hikes or further borrowing that is unnecessary. There are no capital gains taxes and there are no attacks on hard-working families or business folk in New Zealand. There is no nationalisation of the electricity market. There is nothing weird strange or unusual about this Budget. It is just good stable prudent careful management and stewardship of our economy during difficult times and on top of all that we are rebuilding Christchurch.It is an absolute privilege to be the MP for Coromandel to be the MP for the most beautiful part of the country—4500 square kilometres of New Zealand. It is almost more attractive than the deep south. We are the beneficiaries of the lowest cost of living increases since 1999 and we are also the beneficiaries of after-tax wage growth of 22 percent since September 2008. That is a huge achievement. That is real dollars real income and real spending power in the pockets of ordinary New Zealanders. What is more we have the lowest mortgage rate since 1965 and economic growth of 3 percent which puts us in a position of being the envy of the world. What does all this mean for the good people of Coromandel? Well let us just take a look at tourism for a minute because it is well known that Coromandel is in fact the Queenstown of the NorthIsland. Hundreds of thousands of people visit each year and they come and see and share our pristine beaches our magnificent bush and walking tracks and of course our hugely successful new Hauraki Rail Trail cycleway.The cycleway has been a magnificent success in absolutely every regard. It is part of the John Key plan for a nationwide network of cycleways. It was opened only 13 months ago and already it is meeting and exceeding every possible projection that was set for it. Originally the projection was that after 5 years some 45000 people would have used the cycleway but in January February and March of this year alone over 36000 people took advantage of that new cycleway—36000 people—and according to a study organised by the University of Waikato each of them spent on average $103 in our region. That has enormous benefit to our local economy. That is a huge positive input of cash and money and enterprise into our region. So it is not just locals who are enjoying the Coromandel and its pristine beautiful treats and delights but of course it is international tourists as well.Budget 2013 provides a massive $158 million of extra funding for tourism. Included in that package is a very good new scheme that involves the spending of $28 million over the next 4 years to co-fund business innovation and growth in the tourism sector. The initiative is called the Tourism Growth Partnership and it is a scheme that means that Government will partner with enterprise and individuals and entrepreneurs from the tourism sector to co-fund up to 50 percent of new ventures and new exciting innovative tourism ideas. This is real investment not only for New Zealand but for Coromandel.It is a pleasure to be one of the final speakers in this Budget debate and to commend again the work of Bill English and the finance team for what is a good stable clear Budget that puts us firmly on the track to being back in surplus next year and that is a great thing. I am very proud to be part of a Government that has presented such a good Budget to the people of New Zealand.