8. Question No. 8—Regional Economic DevelopmentHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentQuestion No. 8—Regional Economic Development8. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: What is the breakdown of the 7000 jobs that he told the House yesterday have been created by the Provincial Growth Fund?SPEAKER: I call the self-styled Regional Provincial Champion".Hon SHANE JONES (Minister for Regional Economic Development): I—Hon Paul Goldsmith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We should probably stick with our proper names. SPEAKER: Thank you for the Christmas advice.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Earlier in question time you gave me some I hope friendly advice about me sticking to the rules. We'd ask respectfully that you do too.SPEAKER: Well thank you for the Christmas advice.Hon SHANE JONES: Mr Speaker in Christmas spirit greetings. Christmas is based around a baby in the manger. We've heard obviously from people who feel they're the dog in the manger. Sir I need the acquiescence of your good self to identify where the 7000 job figure came from. Prior to doing that I have to report that the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) has provided our officials with additional information: the figure is now 9000. But I can confirm that these figures are reflective of what the officials are advising our Government. They are not ductile figures although I have to say the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is ductile in the sense it's like a piece of gold—it stretches. The first KiwiRail figure is 690 jobs expected over the coming years thanks to the investment of the PGF and 1588 jobs have been identified as a consequence of the Tai Rāwhiti $150 million five-year project. On a modest note I would stop and say that in the Eastern Bay of Plenty our recent investments will generate 2658 jobs.SPEAKER: Well other than the irony in the last part of the question it's acceptable.Hon Paul Goldsmith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked for the breakdown. We got a lot of talk there and then three figures that added up to just over 4000.SPEAKER: Well the member can withdraw his comment about being modest and just get on with the numbers.Hon SHANE JONES: Sir I will definitely continue. I would like to remind the member opposite that our officials are in possession of a report by NZIER that boosts the 7000 to 9000. They are as a consequence of us embarking upon the Coromandel marine farming initiatives. An additional 800 jobs in the Bay of Plenty; 195 in Northland; Tai Poutuni 214; and Manawatū-Whanganui 710 and that arrives at a figure just shy of 7000. I can assure you that with the spam otherwise known as "written questions" coming from that member to my office it will definitely go over 7000. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Have I got this right: the Government funds a feasibility study employs a few consultants—SPEAKER: Order! I am going to invite the member to start his question again with something for which the Minister has responsibility and whether the member has it right is not one of those things.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well what I'm trying to understand is if the Government funds a feasibility study employing a few consultants to see if a project might be feasible and before the study is done he immediately counts all the jobs that the project's promoters say might materialise as jobs his fund has created—is that right?Hon SHANE JONES: The member can't have it both ways. The member cannot complain that the Government is departing from robust processes which at least include viability and feasibility studies upon which subject to such studies passing a threshold the capital flows the jobs grow and the regions prosper. Now I cannot depart from the fact that the member himself has insisted that the Provincial Growth Fund observes such levels of robustness and as we are doing it he now cannot complain that those figures are made up.Hon Paul Goldsmith: So when is predicting that something might happen over the next 10 years being the same as saying something has happened today and taking credit for it today?Hon SHANE JONES: As a consequence of the Government stewardship in the last statistics report for the most recent quarter we have never had so many jobs in New Zealand—1958000. Now I'm not suggesting that those jobs are totally the result of Grant Robertson but it would be churlish not to acknowledge that under our regime the highest job figure has been created.SPEAKER: Well that was probably about as in order as the question.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How many permanent jobs have been filled to date because of the Provincial Growth Fund?Hon SHANE JONES: As I said yesterday the Provincial Growth Fund is a far-sighted long-term agenda to create not only infrastructure jobs and enterprises—and we are seeding capital. Now I accept that the jobs needed in my office as a consequence of his activities are likely to grow but I said yesterday that well beyond 200 jobs as I stand here today have been created but the figure that our officials have identified—and with due modesty I am trumpeting—is now up to 9000.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How many nephs have actually got off the couch this year as a result of the Provincial Growth Fund?Hon SHANE JONES: If I can use as a modest example the neglected area worsened by the prospects of the last regime of Minginui. Now as a consequence of our intervention in Minginui there is now virtually no unemployment in Minginui. Up to 90 jobs have been created both indirectly and directly in that benighted community of Minginui and I would encourage the member to study that particular case because the word "mingi" means "to be entangled"."