Blue Jackie: Address in Reply 
Blue Jackie: Address in Reply 
[Volume:652;Page:1189] 
Dr JACKIE BLUE (National) 
: 
 Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker Barker; I congratulate you on your appointment. 
On 8 November 2008 New Zealanders voted overwhelmingly for a change in Government. The results of the election were stunning—National’s share of the party vote at almost 45 percent was the highest it had achieved under MMP. I was not at all surprised. I fought the election in Mt Roskill the home of Labour’s new leader Phil Goff. On the ground in the lead-up to the election it was crystal clear that ordinary New Zealanders had had enough. They were well and truly ready to choose a brighter future; that was very evident. Phil Goff has been the MP for the Mt Roskill electorate for over two decades and had enjoyed a large party vote majority since MMP began. That changed on 8 November; the tide turned. The multicultural electorate of Mt Roskill where there are over 100 ethnicities and a large migrant population voted for change. Labour’s party vote plummeted and after the special votes were counted our parties were neck and neck on 42 percent—a truly remarkable result for that electorate. 
John Key did not waste any time forming a Government. National had 58 MPs and within 2 weeks of the election he negotiated with the ACT Party the Maori Party and United Future to enable the formation of a National-led Government that commands the votes of 69 members of Parliament on confidence and supply. These agreements will form the basis of constructive and respectful working relationships that will enable this Government to govern in an effective stable and inclusive manner. 
John Key will be a great Prime Minister; I have no doubt about that. He has integrity and a deep passion for making New Zealand a much better place to live work and bring up our children. His vision is based on prosperity security and equal opportunity for all. That is what drives him. He is tough and highly intelligent and will be able to make the hard calls to get New Zealand out of the economic mess left by Helen Clark and Michael Cullen. 
The fact is that after 9 years of the best economic conditions that New Zealand has had for decades interest rates have doubled—well they had doubled; they have now crashed—wages are low and productivity has fallen. Helen Clark and Michael Cullen have failed miserably to protect New Zealand from the rainy day that has now well and truly arrived. The Clark-Cullen legacy will become known as one of wasteful low-quality spending and of a “nanny State knows best” approach that dictated everything from how to spend one’s hard-earned cash and how to raise one’s children to how to have a shower. 
It was clear to me over the course of the election campaign that the values the Mt Roskill people consider important are the principles that the National Party was founded on 70 years ago. National values honesty fairness hard work respect for achievement and integrity. The security happiness and welfare of our families are paramount. Our values are their values. In the 2008 election Helen Clark and Michael Cullen were desperate and pathetic. Their dirt-over-direction and fear-over-fact campaign said it all. They tried to use the fear that National would be selling State assets—wrong. John Key says he is all about building assets not selling them. They insinuated that we would be cutting cheaper doctors’ visits and prescriptions—wrong. They said we would be increasing State house rents and cutting benefits—wrong again. 
What we will do is strengthen the economy increase after-tax incomes and ensure New Zealanders can get ahead under their own steam by reducing personal taxes. We will confront failure in our school system by setting national standards in literacy and numeracy. We will extend 20 hours’ early childhood education to include playcentre and kohanga reo. We will ensure Government spending is focused on front-line services such as health and education. National will make our communities safer by ensuring that the worst repeat offenders are not eligible for parole and by increasing the number of front-line police. We will put more police on the streets focusing particularly on South Auckland. 
National is resolutely focused on the issues that affect all New Zealanders. The driving goal of the new National-led Government will be to grow the New Zealand economy in order to deliver greater prosperity security and opportunities to all New Zealanders. Going for growth will be vital because it is only with economic growth that we can deliver high incomes better living conditions and ultimately a stronger society. A strong economy will guarantee financial security for families well-paid jobs in New Zealand for our young people and large superannuation payments for our older people. Underpinning our goal of economic growth is the principle of individual freedom and a belief in the capacity and right of individuals to shape and improve their own lives. 
We face the most turbulent and difficult times. The financial crisis has been described as the worst since the 1930s Great Depression. That is why the Prime Minister moved quickly to protect small and medium-sized businesses—the backbone of our economy—with a relief package that includes a suite of 11 tax changes costing $480 million an expansion to the export credit scheme extended jurisdiction for the Disputes Tribunal expansion of business advice services and a prompt-payment requirement for all Government agencies. The relief package is aimed at urgently improving the business environment by reducing the impact of taxes on cash flows improving access to credit and reducing business compliance costs. Personal taxes will be further reduced from 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2011 which will mean that by April 2011 around 80 percent of New Zealand taxpayers will pay no more than 20c in tax for every dollar they earn. Tax cuts are an essential part of the Government’s plan. The National Government believes that New Zealanders need to have an incentive to get ahead under their own steam. 
Also today Prime Minister John Key and the Minister for Infrastructure Bill English confirmed that almost $500 million worth of publicly funded building projects will be accelerated. These projects which span the housing transport and education sectors and are spread widely around regions have been fast tracked to contribute quickly to the Government’s economic stimulus programme. These projects will get under way quickly and will keep more New Zealanders working as the global economic crisis is felt here. They will employ New Zealanders and will create work for businesses whether they are builders plumbers or electricians. The benefits will flow through to communities by helping keep suppliers subcontractors shopkeepers and sales staff in business. About $100 million worth of fast-tracked projects will start before 30 June this year. 
The $483 million of infrastructure spending brought forward under today’s announcements includes $216 million on education including five new schools school refurbishments maintenance and information and communications technology infrastructure improvements. It includes $142 million worth of spending on transport spanning five large State highway projects and a programme of smaller regional roading improvement projects. It also includes $124 million worth of spending on housing allowing the Housing New Zealand Corporation to upgrade and renovate 10000 more State houses and to build 69 new State houses over the next 6 months. 
Along with boosting infrastructure we will be reforming the Resource Management Act which is stifling growth and holding back development and job creation. The first stage of this reform will focus on improving the consent process and will include amendments to streamline and simplify the Act including priority consenting for projects of national significance. The second stage of this reform will focus on improving decision making around infrastructure water and urban design. 
National is serious about tackling the economy. We will maximise opportunities and do what we can to blunt the hard edges as the recession bites. My proudest moment was when John Key announced that Herceptin will be funded for 12 months overriding the previous Government’s decision to fund it for only 9 weeks. I am proud of our decision; it was the right decision. 
On 8 November last year New Zealanders put their faith and trust in John Key and the National Government. We will not let them down. Thank you.