Ward Mike: Budget Debate 
Ward Mike: Budget Debate 
[Volume:608;Page:5872] 
MIKE WARD (Green) 
: 
 As I go about this place and meet and listen to Government members I must confess that I find most of them pretty decent human beings whom I suspect care as much about the future of this country as I do. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: Except for Doug Woolerton. 
MIKE WARD 
: Even Doug Woolerton—but he is not in the Government. As I listened to Dr Cullen’s Budget statement there were hints that yes indeed this Government might be taking seriously the idea of a 100 percent pure New Zealand—looking after those things that if not pure New Zealand at least make us unique. The $15.2 million for heritage protection may well help to keep intact features like Hamilton’s Hayes Paddock that stunning reminder of old Labour’s State housing initiatives from those who would destroy the integrity of the whole by removing houses and replacing them with structures that are less sympathetic. 
The Prime Minister’s personal passion for the arts is commendable. I have just been to the launch of the overseas initiatives and heard her speak about some of the wonderful things that are happening in the arts—and they do indeed owe a great deal to her personal enthusiasm as well as to the funding. Although I am not aware of the detail of how the additional dollars budgeted for sport and fitness will be spent in the light of the Hon Trevor Mallard’s response to my question about measures to improve the exercise habits of New Zealand youngsters I remain hopeful that at least some will be targeted to achieve heightened levels of youthful activity. 
If the Government really wanted to strengthen the 100 percent pure New Zealand image and provide real opportunities for all New Zealanders it would be far more generously inclined towards initiatives that encourage New Zealanders to support New Zealand businesses and New Zealand products. Mr Len Cook the former chief statistician is quoted in last week’s  
Listener 
 as saying: “The Tourism Board’s 100 percent pure is stunning. It would be wonderful if that became the whole brand of New Zealand.” 
Peter Brown 
: That’s why he lives and works in London. 
MIKE WARD 
: Indeed he does. Although much has been made by others of the purity of the New Zealand environment our huge waste problem and our over-dependence on chemicals in our production and processing of food I want to talk about the products that fill our shop shelves and Kiwi shopping baskets. They are not 100 percent pure New Zealand. Although some suggest there are some things we cannot or do not make an examination of our history would suggest that those things are relatively few. We are a food-producing country but the levels of imports on our supermarket shelves are a disappointing testament to our collective willingness to undermine the employment opportunities of our children our neighbours our friends and ourselves by buying those imports when alongside them are New Zealand equivalents that are frequently as cheap and cheaper. 
But it is not only food and jobs that cry out for a greater commitment to support local manufacturers. The overseas products may well be those of sweatshops and lax environmental standards—shortcomings we may well ignore when they occur somewhere else but would result in an outrage if the products were New Zealand – made products and the social and environmental degradation happened here. All too often the manufactured imports are cheaper—and for a reason: they are disposable. They are not made to last; they are made to throw away to join the other 80 million kilograms of rubbish New Zealanders throw away every week. New Zealanders deserve better than the cheap throwaway. 
The Government appears unwilling to dig too deeply into its surplus to support local business so I had to look to existing spending beyond the paltry $1.84 million targeted at small business. I looked at the $73 million intended for Trade New Zealand to improve our trading prospects. Our balance of payment deficit over many years is an issue but there is another obvious line of attack that the Government could mount. Reducing the level of imports by spending even a modest proportion of the Trade New Zealand $73 million to support Business New Zealand’s “buy local” campaign could begin to change New Zealanders’ mindset. New Zealanders valuing New Zealand - made and New Zealanders buying quality is a marketing campaign that should be child’s play in a country that has totally transformed the smoking habits of millions of New Zealanders and made drink-drivers once the object of sympathy into persona non grata. 
Is this inconsistent with the Government’s policies? I would not have thought so. Yet in the past almost nothing has gone into supporting the concept of New Zealand – made. Are we saying one should never buy foreign? Are we saying one must always buy New Zealand – made? No that is not what the Green Party is saying. The Green Party is saying that it makes sense to spend our money in places where it can find its way back into our own pockets and where it supports people in our community to live well and to enjoy life.