McKelvie Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMcKelvie Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 27 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11359. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.IAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei)to theMinister for Primary Industries: What announcements has he made on boosting productivity and environmental outcomes in the primary sector?Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries):Yesterday I announced $6.88 million in Government funding for two new Primary Growth Partnership programmes. The first project will work to develop new probiotic dairy health products helping to add value to what we export by targeting high-value niche markets. The Government and the companies involved will each invest $1.75 million in this project. It is expected that this project will generate around $8.6 million per year in economic benefits by 2021. The second project will help improve how fertilisers are applied to hill country. The project will help the environment by better targeting fertiliser use and reducing nutrient runoff. The Government and Ravensdown will invest—Hon Trevor Mallard: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We know that we are not allowed to table press statements in the House but are we allowed to read them out? This was something that was announced a couple of—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption ] Order! That is not a valid point of order. The Minister was asked a question by another member and the member is entitled to an answer to that question. Has the Minister got further to add?Hon NATHAN GUY: Would you like me to reread it? I will just finish it off for the member concerned. The Government and Ravensdown will each invest $5.13 million into this project and it is expected that this project will generate around $120 million per year in economic benefits to New Zealand by 2030.Ian McKelvie: Why is the Government investing in innovation in the primary sector?Hon NATHAN GUY: The Government has an ambitious goal of increasing New Zealand’s exports from 30 percent to 40 percent of GDP by 2025. To help reach this target we have set a goal of doubling our primary sector exports by 2025. We will not meet this by continuing with business as usual. We need to increase innovation investment in the primary sector and these projects will help to do that.Hon Damien O’Connor: How much of the $674 million committed to the Primary Growth Partnership is delivering benefits given the refusal of the Minister to provide proof of any deliverable outcomes and is it not truer to say that this is like confetti to consummate a few cosy deals with a few of their mates?Hon NATHAN GUY: I refute that allegation. It is no wonder that Labour is down in the polls and that it does not care about rural New Zealand. This is going to generate ahuge amount of money for this country and for rural communities and I am disappointed that Labour will not support it in the way that this Government does. I have already taken the member through in the Primary Production Committee today how these projects are returning to New Zealand and I am happy to do that now if you would like me to.Mr SPEAKER: No that is quite a sufficient answer.Hon Damien O’Connor: I seek leave to table the report referred to by the Minister in the select committee of the results and the accountability for the Primary Growth Partnership programme which contains no narrative detailing—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption ] Order! The document has been described enough. What I just want to check is if it is the deliberations of a select committee has the select committee concluded its deliberation or was it heard in public?Hon Damien O’Connor: No. This is I believe the only document that I could find on the website that must be the one that the Minister referred to which is the evaluation—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption ] Order! If it is available on the website it does not need to be tabled here. [Interruption ] I cannot deal with two points of order.Hon Damien O’Connor: I do seek in a genuine attempt to work out whether this is the document that the Minister referred to or indeed I might have missed the point.Mr SPEAKER: For the benefit of the member the easiest way to tidy it up is to allow leave to be sought. Leave is sought to table this particular document. Is there any objection? There is objection.