Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 24 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:3809. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
8. 
Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: Does he stand by his statement in relation to New Zealanders leaving for Australia “What’s the point of standing in the airport crying about it?” given that 158167 have left since November 2008 53763 left in the last year and 4361 left in June? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance) 
: 
 Yes I stand by my full statement which included the additional comment “We’ve just got to compete.” I think that is pretty obvious. If our younger people want to go to Australia to higher-paying jobs at the very least in New Zealand we need to create some new jobs in particular in the minerals and resources sector which that member’s party is quite opposed to. 
Hon David Parker 
: Then does he stand by his statement on  
Agenda 
 in November 2008 when he was asked “And what about this idea of people leaving to Australia … have you got a goal to reduce that?” and he replied “Well we certainly do want to reduce it …” and “that was a demonstration I think of the kind of political leadership you’ll see from John Key which is aspirational and taking a run at winning the competition between us and Australia for talent.”; if so has he achieved that goal? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Yes I certainly do stand by those statements; and judging by the opinions given in Australia when the Prime Minister visited there a few weeks ago they would prefer to have him running Australia as well. 
Hon David Parker 
: Has he received any reports of any member of Parliament telling the Minister of Finance in this House that the reason for New Zealanders leaving for Australia is and again I quote “because of a self-absorbed … Government that cannot manage any political issues and does not care about the future of the country”; if so can he confirm that this is the current reason people are leaving in the view of the person who made that very statement the Hon Bill English? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I do stand by that statement certainly. What New Zealand is doing is actively compete for the talents of its younger people by helping businesses to create new jobs that can pay more. In the absence of new jobs that can pay more more of them will leave. I think it is important we get on and support those businesses whereas Labour and the Greens believe that it is important to try to stop anything happening in New Zealand which will guarantee our young people have to leave. 
Hon David Parker 
: Does he agree with Massey University professor Paul Spoonley’s observation that the number of young New Zealanders now heading for Australia is so high that it is making New Zealand’s ageing population problem worse? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: No I do not agree with that statement. We are getting on with the one thing that will make a difference to those young New Zealanders and that is creating new and better opportunities here in New Zealand. One of the major obstacles to that is the attitude of Labour and the Greens who believe that any kind of enhanced or profitable business activity is somehow wrong and that we should rely on the Government to do all this. 
Andrew Williams 
: Will the 1000-plus New Zealanders leaving each week to live in Australia be entitled to keep their purchased $2000 State-owned enterprise share parcels and will they still receive the loyalty bonus shares after 3 years? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: If they meet the definitions of course they will.