Reti Shane: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeReti Shane: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 25 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1899. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.Dr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: What reports has he received about employment growing across New Zealand?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment): The household labour force survey released earlier this month showed an additional 80000 more people in work than a year ago. What was particularly pleasing was the broad-based nature of that job growth across a range of regions. Over the year Waikato saw an increase of 17400 jobs Canterbury 15800 the Bay of Plenty 15600 and in Northland a region that has historically struggled 7500 additional jobs were added in 1 year. To put that into perspective Auckland a region that is 10 times larger in terms of working population saw an increase of 22400 jobs so the Northland growth is very impressive. There is of course much more to do but this Government’s plan is boosting jobs investment and growth across New Zealand.Dr Shane Reti: How is Northland performing compared with the rest of the New Zealand economy?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Yesterday’s ANZ Regional Trends report highlighted that Northland recorded the strongest annual rate of economic growth in the country in December up 5.1 percent from a year earlier. It also posted the largest increase in merchandise exports in the December quarter lifting 9.1 percent with exports up 20 percent from a year ago. In addition a strong 5.7 percent rise in employment ranked Northland second across all the regions—Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member has a right to raise a point of order.Grant Robertson: The Standing Orders require answers to be concise and to the point. If Mr Joyce wants to be the Northland candidate for National I am sure it would have him.Mr SPEAKER: That is not a valid point of order ruined by the latter part of the point of order. Does the Minister wish to continue?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Yes.Mr SPEAKER: I invite the Minister to bring his answer to a conclusion.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Certainly. We acknowledge of course there is more to be done but what is clear from these figures is that the Northland economy is growing strongly under this Government.Dr Shane Reti: What other proposals has he seen to grow regions like Northland?Mr SPEAKER: In so far as there is ministerial responsibility the Hon Steven Joyce.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: In contrast to the positive policies that are seeing growth in Northland and other regions around the country I have seen policies that would halt the roll-out—Denis O’Rourke: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is a point of order and I expect it to be heard in silence.Denis O’Rourke: The question was about regions like Northland not about Northland itself and the Minister is talking about Northland—and should not be.Mr SPEAKER: The question was more about other policies so I am going to allow the Minister to continue his answer.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: It is very interesting. In contrast to the positive policies of the Government in regions like Northland I have seen policies that would halt the roll-out for example of ultra-fast and rural broadband policies that would cancel the construction ofvital infrastructure like core roading projects that connect regions to our big cities policies that would discourage businesses from hiring new staff by getting rid of 90-day trials and the starting out wage and policies that would introduce an expensive capital gains tax and reject—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I can sense where the answer is going and there is no ministerial responsibility there.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If any of the Minister’s answers are remotely true why did a leading New Zealand economist recently describe the capital of Northland Whangarei—Mr Reti’s electorate—as a zombie town and if he is so confident why does he not settle in Northland himself?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I did not realise the member still lived there but I can inform the member that this Government is strongly encouraging the growth of Whangarei and Northland and it is succeeding.