Peters Winston: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 25 August 2015. Volume:708;Page:6071. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Can he tell us all again about the so-called rock star economy and his policies to maintain it?Mr SPEAKER: Before I call the Prime Minister my office has been advised that the answer may be slightly longer than normal.Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): It sure will. I have never described the economy as a “rock star”. It was HSBC economist Paul Bloxham who reaffirmed that view once again in March of this year. But I am happy to take the member through some of the policies in the economy and of course the policies to maintain it as he asked of me so here we go. We have reformed labour laws including introducing the 90-day probation period. That has helped contribute to 69000 more jobs in the last year and 200000 since 2011. That flexibility in the labour market has helped average wages go up now to over $57000—$10000 more than since National came into office in 2008. Every single year we have increased the minimum wage and that has helped those workers in the workplace. On top of that we have invested and got on top of public spending and increased public services. The books have gone from an $18.4 billion deficit—Chris Hipkins: Point of order. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! In case the front bench of the National caucus had not noticed a point of order has been called.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would like some further clarification from you. The Standing Orders require that answers are terse and to the point and that you can vary that where there is a technical answer that does require a more detailed explanation. I would perhaps like you to elaborate to the House as to why you feel that that is something that is actually technical or detailed in nature that requires that level of attention of the House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I hate to differentiate my point of order from that of my colleague from the Labour Party but I am moving an extension of time because that cannot be it. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I want to comment on the point raised by Chris Hipkins. It is a situation where I looked at the question—and it is almost asking us to say it again—and I accepted the call from the Prime Minister that the answer would be longer than normal. It is getting to the stage very shortly where I intend to curtail the answer—[Interruption] Order! I will give the Prime Minister a brief opportunity to conclude his answer.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well I have three pages of material and I am only halfway through page 1 but let us please carry on—for as long as the Speaker deems fit of course. So yes we have got public spending in order going from an $18.4 billion deficit to hopefully a surplus very soon. In my own portfolio we have invested more in tourism. Last week we welcomed the three millionth—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Now I have heard enough.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I seek leave to table all these wonderful policies if Mr Peters would like to have them.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leave is—[Interruption] Order! On the basis that the Prime Minister advised he had a longer answer than normal and there has been objection to the length of it and I think it has gone on for long enough I am going to put the leave and it will be over to the House to decide.Hon Member: What’s the source?Mr SPEAKER: The source—I should just check with the Prime Minister.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The source is my office.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is put. It is over to the House. Leave is sought to table the rest of the answer. Is there any objection? There is objection.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can he tell the House about his record-breaking performance in regard to debt where he has taken net Government debt from $10 billion up to almost seven times that figure or $70 billion and still rising?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am actually glad the member raised the issue of debt because when we came into office the advice we had from Treasury was that if we carried on with all of the policies we were inheriting from the previous Labour Government that were unfunded then by the early 2020s debt to GDP would be 60 percent. We know from the last Budget that it is approximately 26 percent. Under the economic leadership of this Government New Zealanders have $100 billion less debt than they otherwise would have. No wonder that member is in Opposition.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can the Prime Minister tell this House which of his Budget deficits was his rock star favourite: 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 or 2015?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: We will have to wait and see whether the Budget for the last financial year actually produces a surplus or a deficit. Yes actually the Government has borrowed money and that has been to get New Zealanders through those very difficult conditions we inherited with the global financial crisis and to stand behind the people of Christchurch. I did not see a single political party after the Christchurch earthquakes get up and say: “Abandon the people of Christchurch.” But it has cost about $16.5 billion to do that.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Would the Prime Minister tell us how satisfied he is with his performance since under his watch there are now 54000 more people unemployed than there were when he took power and whether like debt he intends to set a new record there too?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Since early 2011 over 200000 New Zealanders are in work who were not in that case. Yes the population is slightly higher but I think that if you go and ask any Australian whether they think the New Zealand economy is doing pretty well you might find that they say it is. One of the reasons the member could do that if he wanted to get out of his office is that actually there are lots and lots of Australians coming over to New Zealand because they see that the economic fortunes of New Zealand are stronger than Australia’s. I reckon that is testament to a pretty good economic performance.Tim Macindoe: Go and enjoy the “Green Parakeet”.Rt Hon Winston Peters: That guy would get drunk on a wine biscuit. Can I ask the Prime Minister how satisfied he is with his performance since under his watch manufacturing as against GDP has gone from 33 percent and is now heading towards 26 percent on all forecasts and exports against GDP are declining as well?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am happy with the performance of the manufacturing sector. The Government does not take credit for all of that but the BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Manufacturing Index has expanded 34 months in a row. My performance is OK. The performance I am worried about is that of the member for Northland who promised four offices—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the Prime Minister resume his seat.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know this is a very sensitive issue but the Prime Minister began in that vein in his first answer today. He is back to it again and he has not been admonished or told to apologise or leave the House. No no—he keeps on doing it and he is telling porkies.Mr SPEAKER: That is not a point of order nor is it helpful for the order of the House and nor is it helpful—[Interruption] Order! Nor is it helpful for the Prime Minister to continue in his vein with his answers. As soon as he has I have shut him up on both occasions.Hon Paula Bennett: Get back on your bus.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Yeah well I can fit in it.Hon Members: Oh!Rt Hon Winston Peters: If you cannot take it do not dish it out.Mr SPEAKER: Just ask your supplementary question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: This of the Prime Minister—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will—I now have a point of order from the Rt Hon Prime Minister.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think that comment by Mr Peters cannot go left unchecked in Parliament. If we are going to start getting into calling people names like 3-year-olds I really think that we are losing the plot in this House.Mr SPEAKER: I did not hear the interjection from the Rt Hon Winston Peters. He was certainly responding to interjections that were coming from my right-hand side. The House needs to settle otherwise I will be asking some members to leave question time today.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why does he think that flooding New Zealand—Hon Member: Come on “Donald Trump”.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Yeah well Donald has got hair like you. Why does he think that flooding New Zealand with net immigration—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is the very last warning I am giving to two members on the front bench Mr Brownlee and Mr Joyce. Now would the member please start his question again.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Thank you Mr Speaker. You are most kind. To the Prime Minister: why does he think that flooding New Zealand with net immigration now at almost 60000 per annum in some sort of consumptive binge is going to help New Zealand’s productive export economy?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member started question time today basically trying to say that the HSBC analysis of the New Zealand economy was somehow wrong. One of the reasons why the New Zealand economy has performed well over last 7 years is that this Government has actually taken an international view of the way the economy should operate and function. That has included making sure that we actually do welcome tourists to New Zealand. We do welcome people who want to come and study in New Zealand. We do want to welcome migrants to New Zealand. We do want to have free-trade agreements with other countries. The member seems to want a high-growing economy but he wants to put a massive wall around New Zealand and have no one coming and no one going. What a joke!