Hudson Brett: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHudson Brett: General Debate[Sitting date: 25 March 2015. Volume:704;Page:2591. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]BRETT HUDSON (National):Well New Zealand got off to a cracking start in 2015 just like the Black Caps last night against South Africa. We are wishing them the very very best for this Sunday because I can tell you that for New Zealand Kiwis and their families under this Government the success continues to roll on.For the benefit of the aspiring Green Party leaders I would like to point out that in 2014 the New Zealand economy grew 3.5 percent one of the highest rates in the developed world. In the calendar year of 2014 inflation was merely 0.8 percent which was well below average weekly wage increases of 2.5 percent and over the last 12 months 80000 jobs were created and labour workforce participation rates reached a record high. That tells us that businesses have confidence—confidence in what this Government is doing confidence in the future. They are looking to expand and to employ more people. It tells us that the people of New Zealand have confidence. They know that the work is out there and they know that they can improve their prosperity and their livelihoods by seeking it. It all means more work more income and better prosperity for Kiwi families. It is the heart and the start of better times for Kiwi families.This continues under this Government with our Business Growth Agenda creating more opportunities for Kiwis to succeed such as by opening new markets. This week we signed a free-trade agreement with Korea. Korea is currently our sixth-largest export market and contributes $4 billion to our economy each year but under this free-trade agreement we will remove $65 million in duty costs for Kiwi exporters in the first year alone.Todd Barclay: How much?BRETT HUDSON: $65 million. That makes our exporters more competitive and if we are more competitive in Korea and other countries we are seeking to have free-trade agreements with that translates into more exports more jobs and higher incomes.Along with this we are also opening up channels of investment through things like our Financial Markets Conduct Act which passed recently and places a higher cap on funding mechanisms such as crowdsourcing which businesses such as Renaissance Brewing and Invivo Wines have used very successfully. We are also making enormous investments in quality and much-needed infrastructure.Our roads of national significance are improving productivity and unlocking economic potential throughout New Zealand. And we are seeing the benefits of that in Ōhāriu as well. We have got our own road of national significance. We are finally seeing Transmission Gully under way and that is a much-needed infrastructure investment in the Wellington region that will terminate in Ōhāriu. Along with that road we are also investigating a Pētone to Grenada North link road a road that could shave as much as 7 kilometres off the trip from the north through to Pētone and better link the communities of Porirua and Tawa with Pētone. That is good sensible investment.Along with that investment in Ōhāriu we are also seeing a network of highly successful and capable schools that are preparing our children for their brighter future and contributing to the Minister of Education’s goal of five out of five children having success in education. It is a great news story. Ōhāriu is the place to be. Everyone wants to be there and we are helping them with special housing areas which we have agreed with the Wellington City Council in Johnsonville which is the heart of the electorate and in Churton Park a very popular suburb just to the north.Our economy is flourishing along with Wellington’s. Wellington’s economy grew 4.4 percent in the year to March 2014 and Ōhāriu is playing its part. We have got beef and sheep farmers in the valley and they are now farming wind; we have got technology companies that are hugely successful; and in traditional business the Taylor Preston meatworks contributes $250 million of exports to the local economy each year and up to 700 jobs—much-needed jobs–in Wellington. It is a huge player in our local market. Ōhāriu is playing its part and it is reaping rewards. This Government is focused on the things that work with the things that will actually lift livelihoods and incomes for families. This Government is working for New Zealand.