Young Jonathan: Debate on Prime Minister’s StatementText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeYoung Jonathan: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement[Sitting date: 12 February 2014. Volume:696;Page:15851. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth): I am very pleased and privileged to stand in support of the Prime Minister’s statement and his motion that we continue to have confidence in this Government. New Zealanders are a lot smarter than the Labour Party and the Green Party think. That is quite obvious.The facts show that what this Government has achieved in the last 5 years is quite outstanding. The current account deficit was almost 9 percent of GDP when we took office; now it is 4.3 percent. Net external debt had blown out to 84 percent of GDP; net external debt has dropped down to 71 percent. Inflation was running at 5.1 percent; inflation is now only 1.6 percent. This is what New Zealanders need to hear. Mortgage interest rates averaged 10.9 percent; mortgage interest rates now average 5.9 percent. That makes a big difference to households out there. Food prices went up 11 percent in Labour’s last year in Government; food prices have gone up only 1.5 percent in this last year.These facts give comparisons between the previous Government which really did not achieve anything for New Zealanders and what this Government has achieved through the most difficult financial time that we have experienced in the last 70 years. And by the way in 5 years the spending of the previous Government went up by 50percent. That was an irresponsible use of taxpayers’ money making the Government so big that New Zealanders were going to be always encumbered with that incredible cost of running this nation.During this series of speeches on the Prime Minister’s statement we have heard some wide-ranging opinions and points of view. Following the Prime Minister’s excellent speech the Attorney-General got up yesterday to speak. I would have to say that it was a superb speech outlining in plain English the simple conclusion that the National-led Government offers the best and the brightest future for New Zealanders.Perhaps the most ludicrous statement in this Parliament this year was made by the Leader of the Opposition in reply to the Prime Minister’s statement when he said “The Labour-led Government is waiting to take New Zealand forward.” Well we know what a statement of utter arrogance that is. What an overstretch what an overreach what an overstatement that is. Obviously we need to pop his bubble because as you may see there is not a Labour-led Government and thank goodness for that. There is not likely to be one soon.I am not sure what planet he is on but it is not Earth. It is not Earth this alternative universe that the Leader of the Opposition is trying to create with rhetoric. By rolling out statements such as that and by saying such things he is assuming that if New Zealanders hear them enough they will believe them. I think that is an attitude of arrogance. He is assuming or believing that New Zealanders are not smart and do not know the facts I read out. We need to be debating the real differences between Governments not trying to put suggestions into people’s minds.It is a world of smoke and mirrors and sleight of hand. I think we saw another example of that with the baby bonus bungle. One can see that it was just plain trickiness or perhaps it was incompetence or maybe it was both. In fact let me just read out the comments that came out from the Leader of the Opposition back in Taranaki in mid-October last year. What he said—Hon Trevor Mallard: He’s delivering the same speech. Do tedious repetition rules still apply?JONATHAN YOUNG: What he said Mr Mallard was that people were leaving Taranaki. That is what he said the day that Statistics New Zealand rolled out all the figures about what is happening around the country. He said that over that period of 5 years there were 1000 more people out of work in the region with the real median weekly incomes for Taranaki dropping $24 a week. Even theTaranaki Daily News came out the next day and refuted his comments. That is amazing is it not? Steven Joyce and I came out and rubbished his claims. We said that he was making stuff up.I think New Zealanders out there need to be aware that there is the truth and then there are stories. There are facts and there are fallacies. So often we have seen things being made up stuff being made up. In fact let me just read out what theTaranaki Daily News wrote. It said: “Census figures showed the new Labour boss was wrong. Statistics released yesterday show the region’s population had actually increased.” I was quoted as saying that “the figures contradicted Mr Cunliffe claims. ‘Since the 2006 income survey real after-tax weekly incomes in Taranaki have increased by $85.’ ” He said incomes went down by $24; the real information is that they went up by $85.Hon Trevor Mallard: He’s not quoting himself. You’re meant to quote authoritative sources.JONATHAN YOUNG: Listen. Through what he is saying out there he is trying to create the impression that under a National-led Government things are going backwards. If people hear it enough they might believe it but the facts are different and people in New Zealand are smart enough to get the facts on the issue. So I am of the opinion that Labour’s latest leader makes stuff up. Whether it is his distorted view of Taranaki’seconomy or whether it is the baby bonus bungle that tries to make his party look progressive and generous it is either trickery or incompetence—it is either trickery or incompetence.Hon Annette King: Who wrote this for you? Who wrote it for you?JONATHAN YOUNG: I wrote it—I wrote it.Hon Annette King: Research unit.JONATHAN YOUNG: No not at all. It is either trickery or incompetence. And guess what? OnNew Zealand’s Got Talent you need to get only one cross and you are out but Mr Cunliffe has already got two.So let me talk about an upfront competent Government: this John Key - led Government which has worked hard and continues to work hard on things that matter to New Zealanders to everyday people. We are firmly focused in this election year on carrying on the work programme that we started—not a big huge lolly scramble a sugar rush for the voters but some real economic policies. They are going to continue to make a difference for New Zealanders undergird our aspirations give us the ability to do what we want to do and enable us to substantially create jobs involved in export and in the real economy rather than the Government just creating them.New Zealand streets are safer. We know that. We are seeing higher achievement in our schools. Interest rates have stayed lower for longer. We are seeing more people come off long-term welfare and get into work. More patients are getting the treatment they need and sooner. We are seeing patients getting elective surgery faster with the number of procedures up 34 percent in 5 years. They are the facts. Delivery has increased from 118000 patients treated in 2008 when we came in to 158000 in this last financial year.Here in New Zealand providing better public services with constrained funding has been a huge challenge. Despite the toughest of our times our Government has invested on average an extra $500 million a year into the public health service. That is without counting capital. If you were to look overseas into the other hemisphere in September 2012 the Irish health ministry announced a $200 million cost reduction package in an attempt to reduce its deficit which was expected to reach $800 million by the end of the year. It planned to make significant cuts to services and staff numbers. That is what is happening on the other side of the world. Here in this small nation faced with incredible financial constraints we increased our health spend by $500 million a year.You have got to say that New Zealanders look at that—and of course we can do better of course there are more elective surgeries that are needed—and they can see a Government that has worked hard to deliver for them. We have spent more money on the front line than on the back office and that has been an important thing to do. We went to the polls in 2008 with that promise and I believe that we have achieved it.As I said I am very proud and privileged to stand in support of the Prime Minister’s statement. I believe that he is the best Prime Minister this nation has seen for many a year and I believe that New Zealanders will reflect that in 2014 when we come to the polls. Thank you.