Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:673;Page:19310] 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) 
: 
 Thank you for the opportunity to talk on this Telecommunications (TSO Broadband and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. We have heard from the Opposition the personal attacks on a Minister the personal attacks on an institution—that is Telecom New Zealand—and the personal attacks on this Government. But what this Government stands for is about fulfilling our election promises and one of those promises was about bringing ultra-fast broadband—100 megabytes per second—to 75 percent of all New Zealanders. 
This bill is part of an overall plan that this Government has. The Opposition lacks a plan it lacks leadership and it certainly lacks the ability to recognise what this bill stands for. This bill stands for infrastructure spend. It stands for bringing about a step change in economic growth. It stands for bringing about the ability of businesses the ability of individuals and the ability of communities to communicate in more effective and efficient ways. That is what it presents. It presents an opportunity for this country for us to better our quality of life to improve our economic productivity and to provide jobs and opportunities for our families and our friends. 
I put it to members that this bill impacts on our communities in so many different ways. For businesses it allows us to better connect to markets to better connect to advisers whether they be professional accountants lawyers or advisers as well as to clients both locally in New Zealand and across the globe. That is what this bill will do for our businesses. For our schools it is about the sharing of content. When I went to one of the schools in my electorate and I saw the communication that went on between 10-year-olds in Tamaki and young kids in America and the United Kingdom I saw the ability of these children to learn not just from their teachers and their peers but also from kids across this globe and across this nation. This bill is about positive things for our schools. 
It also is about improving our health care. It allows X-rays to be downloaded in seconds and diagnostic tools to be readily available where they are not currently available particularly in our rural areas. But we did not hear a word about that from Opposition members because they plainly cannot see the benefits of broadband for our country. It is clear what this Government stands for: it stands for economic growth and it stands for a plan to develop and benefit our communities and families. However the Labour Opposition is against this bill. As we campaign later this year on what matters to New Zealanders let us remind them daily that Labour is against this bill. It is against economic growth. It is clearly against jobs and employment. I do not know how Labour members explain that to their union lackeys and their self-serving union mates but they are clearly against jobs and employment. It was seen with  
The Hobbit 
 it is clearly seen with the convention centre and in relation to this bill Labour has shown that it is clearly against jobs and opportunities across this country. 
Labour is the party of no. It is the party that stands against jobs in our communities. Let the electorate make its decision on 26 November with that in mind. This Government is about supporting the roll-out of broadband. It has been conducted at the Finance and Expenditure Committee in a very timely manner despite the delaying tactics from the Opposition. It is about the Government building for our future with commercial jobs connecting families and friends across this country and across the world and it is about our quality of life. Dare I remind friends across the aisle that this is about productivity and economic growth. I support this bill. Thank you very much.