Wagner Nicky: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWagner Nicky: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 08 May 2013. Volume:689;Page:9777. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.NICKY WAGNER (National—Christchurch Central) to theMinister of Science and Innovation: How is the Government working to encourage innovation in the primary sector?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Science and Innovation): Last week the Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy and I unveiled the concept plans for a world-class agricultural research and education facility to be located at Lincoln just outside of Christchurch. The Lincoln Hub which is a partnership between and investment by Lincoln University Dairy New Zealand and Crown research institutes AgResearch Plant and Food Research and Landcare Research has the potential to transform New Zealand’s farming productivity by providing a one-stop shop single site that will allow information and ideas to be shared much more easily.Nicky Wagner: How will the Lincoln Hub benefit students exporters and the wider economy?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: There is obvious concern from the Opposition members about our investment in science and innovation—they are obviously thinking there is too much of it. The primary sector remains one of the powerhouses of the New Zealand economy with a 1 percent increase in primary sector productivity equating to an extra $4 billion in export earnings. The Government has set an ambitious goal to double primary sector exports to $60 billion by 2025. The Lincoln Hub and the investment in it will help us achieve that goal by bringing together our public research institutions private sector players farmers and producers to drive innovation and exports to maximise the opportunities for student learners to increase expertise in our research community and to provide valuable links between businesses and the public sector.Nicky Wagner: What other Government initiatives are supporting growth and innovation in the primary sector?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: In the words of Maurice Williamson more good news. Through the Primary Growth Partnership the Government and industry are investing $657 million in a range of primary sector research initiatives including research into new shellfish industries steep-land tree harvesting high-value marbled beef for premium markets and the reliability of supply and quality of medical-grade mānuka honey. We have created the National Science Challenges to encourage our scientists and researchers to tackle some of the biggest science-based issues New Zealand faces. A number of these directly affect the primary and rural sector. And of course we have increased funding for the Performance-based Research Fund to $300 million by 2016 to ensure that excellent research in the tertiary education sector is encouraged and rewarded including of course in the primary sector.Hon Damien O’Connor: How much of the $161 million of taxpayers’ money he has given to the meat industry is delivering benefits given the refusal of the Minister for Primary Industries to answer questions on any deliverable outcomes for the Primary Growth Partnership and the fact that hundreds of farmers have no confidence in the current structure of the meat industry?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well I think the world has known for a long time that there are plans to if you like alter the structure of the meat industry and the Government is being very encouraging of the industry to look at its possibilities and its future particularly around adding value and getting higher benefits for the exports that it produces. The Primary Growth Partnership is actually focused on a whole range of things that will encourage doing that and it is actually about getting co-funded research between the private sector and the public sector that leads directly—directly—to benefits in innovation and productivity. The insurance of that—Tracey Martin: The co-funding model is not working.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: —oh it is working—is that the private sector industries are putting up half the funding themselves so that they can get that benefit.Hon Damien O’Connor: I seek leave to table 18 questions put to the Minister for Primary Industries that the Minister has refused—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Are they questions for written answer which are then published and available to everybody?Hon Damien O’Connor: Yes but the Minister has not answered them and they are overdue.Mr SPEAKER: If the Minister has not answered them then that is a matter that you can certainly take up with me and I will look—Hon Damien O’Connor: I seek leave to table the questions Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: The easiest way to resolve it is to allow the member to seek leave. Leave is sought to table some questions that have not apparently been answered at this stage. Is there any objection? There is objection.