Bridges SimonHon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister for Economic Development): It is fantastic to speak in this Budget Policy Statement debate. That is because there are so many good things to talk about at the moment. We are in such a purple patch as a country and I am looking forward to talking all about that.Can I firstly just refer to the last speaker Stuart Nash. He is all right actually Stuart Nash. He is all right. I welcome him to the economic development role in the Opposition. I am highly confident that he is not going to be ducking and diving down the irrelevancies and the rabbit holes that the Red Rev." David Clark used to every few weeks. He is going to be a much better Opposition spokesperson—of that I am confident—and so as I say I welcome him to the role. I like the nice words he said about me actually. It was very good. That is not why we are delivering so much investment into Napier at the moment—but we are. There is $25 million in roading investment and I look forward to being back there later this year and being involved in the progress of some of that because we are investing in an increasingly confident part of New Zealand just as all of New Zealand has momentum.Actually while I am talking about Napier can I also say it was great to be in Hawke's Bay just I think it was last week for the Taniwha Dragon Economic Summit. It was remarkable what iwi had done there getting in and involving themselves with some significant Chinese interests. There was $100 million of investment into New Zealand done in the Hawke's Bay over that summit and it just shows you I think that really it is a metaphor if you like for what is happening in New Zealand at the moment.I believe that when it comes to this Budget Policy Statement when it comes to the Government's books when it comes to New Zealand we are in a period of real momentum. I remember our former Prime Minister John Key talking about us being on the cusp of something great. The other side scoffed; they laughed. Well actually we are in it. I cannot tell you whether we are at the start of it or in the middle of it but I can tell you we are in it. We are in a really exciting period in New Zealand.Actually it is funny whenever they start scoffing the good stuff happens. They declare a manufacturing crisis and we see the manufacturing numbers go up. They talk about unemployment and it goes down. We are not just talking about being on the cusp of something great; actually we are in a very exciting period of time in New Zealand economically speaking.I am really excited to be a new Associate Minister of Finance with Amy Adams who has spoken in this debate. It is an incredibly rewarding job and a great time to be in the role with Steven Joyce who of course had a very long apprenticeship in the role. He has built up a huge experience as an Associate Minister of Finance to our Prime Minister Bill English when he was finance Minister. I am really enjoying the role given the state of the country that we are dealing with at the moment. It is one of momentum one of confidence and one of optimism.After all the doom and gloom from the other side let us just think about the numbers that we see in that blue book that James Shaw is putting up. What it tells us is that actually following the plan that the Government has had for the last 9 years through a global financial crisis through a period when the developed world has found it incredibly difficult has led us into a period when we have got an incredibly positive outlook for New Zealand.That is not to say there are not issues. There are always issues with growth. There are always issues that keep politicians relevant. But we are in a strong phase domestically where business is growing jobs are growing and wages are growing—actually much faster than inflation. At the moment over the next couple of years there will be 3.5 percent growth which is the fourth-highest growth rate in the OECD. It is one of the strongest growth rates in the developed world. Actually 3 percent—we are a bit over I think—over the next 5-year period. It is an incredibly strong period and we are one of the strongest developed economies in the world. That is because great individuals great families and great businesses in all manner of areas—because we are seeing an increasingly diversified economy—are getting in. They have the confidence to get in to invest to work to be creative and to have entrepreneurialism and that is doing the business literally for New Zealand. Of course we can take some satisfaction on this side—not enough; we have got more work to do. But our plan as I say has been working and we continue to have new fresher ideas to take the country forward. We are I think ultimately as a result of those numbers and the growth that we are seeing a more confident country. We are a creative country an entrepreneurial country a diversified country and a hard smart-working country. I think increasingly whether it is Hawke's Bay which Stuart Nash represents whether it is Tauranga or whether it is Canterbury we know the benefits of being outward looking having a positive outward focus that is pro-globalisation and pro - free trade with the rest of the world.All of that success to date does not mean there are not potential dark clouds and I will come to those in terms of protectionism and some of the things going on. But it does give us options as a Government about how we can do an even better job for New Zealanders with the growth that we have.We are clearly going to want to deliver better public services. We have done a fantastic job with the likes of Hekia Parata in education Jonathan Coleman and Tony Ryall before him in health and many other social sector Ministers. We have ensured every year that those areas receive more funding. But more than that we have not been lazy with that funding. We have ensured that it is better spent and that through social investment it is being spent in a way that gets results. So Better Public Services is a big part of our budgetary process to date and will certainly be in this next upcoming Budget.Delivering infrastructure for a growing modern economy will continue to be and will have to be a real focus—again whether it is Napier whether it is New Plymouth whether it is Auckland whether it is Canterbury or whether it is Southland that will be a focus. I am really proud to play a role in that as transport Minister and communications Minister. In Kaikōura because of the good choices we have made because of the plan we have followed when very significant earthquakes have come we have been able to back that area to reinvest $1 billion to $2 billion in a new corridor both highway and rail in that area. The work goes on at pace and we will be continuing to work hard on that.Auckland—we continue to invest at the moment more than ever before in our biggest city. These are the biggest projects that New Zealand has ever seen. Regionally in Taranaki—I talked about that in question time today. Earlier—a week or so ago—in Gisborne there has been significant investment going in there. In Northland—half a billion dollars and a four-lane highway to the port to back the success that is happening there. Paying down debt will continue to be a real focus for this Government to around 20 percent of GDP by 2020 which again will allow us options and gives us an intergenerational equity with others. And fourthly as we can we will be reducing the tax burden when we have room to do so.I am really proud that we as a country under Bill English—who has shown a new fresh and dynamic style of leadership—are able to make a difference. We are able take a long-term view whether it is on the superannuation issue where moderate sensible decisions over time continue to safeguard our finances and give us options in areas like health and education over time as people like me frankly live longer and healthier lives—touch wood—and as we bring ourselves into line with other countries.We are also able to move really nimbly and adeptly with new trade policies and strategies in what is a fragile and uncertain world. I think that gives New Zealanders a confidence that this side of the House in Government is able to have the answers that keep us moving forward and keep us confident even in the very uncertain time that we are in. In contrast to the doom and gloom on that side on this side we are excited about where we are. We are not just on the cusp of something great; we are in a fantastic time to live in New Zealand."