Woodhouse Michael: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWoodhouse Michael: General Debate[Sitting date: 12 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11056. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister of Immigration):This week we have Fieldays at Mystery Creek. So it is pretty timely I think to reflect on which party in this Parliament really understands the rural economy regional New Zealand and rural New Zealanders. If it is any party it has to be the National Party the National Government. The primary sector is without doubt the backbone of New Zealand’s economy and this Government understands the pressures faced by rural communities. Why? Well it is actually worth reflecting on the make-up of the respective caucuses in this House to understand who really gets rural New Zealand. So National has Bill English David Carter Amy Adams Eric Roy Shane Ardern David Bennett and Ian McKelvie—all people of the land. Other members are Mr Auchinvole Colin King Mike Sabin Kate Wilkinson Jonathan Young and Phil Heatley—all with experience—and the Hon Anne Tolley of course.Scott Simpson: Simpson in Coromandel.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: And Simpson in Coromandel. They all understand the rural economy. I want to contrast that with the Labour Opposition.Louise Upston: Heaps! You better get this right.Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Louise Upston—that is right there are so many. The list goes on and I have got only 5 minutes.I want to contrast that with the men of the land in Labour. There is Damien O’Connor the most confused member of this House. He does not know whether to support regional New Zealand or not. There he is imploring the Minister of Conservation to tell the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society to pipe down as it opposes mine development after mine development. Then his colleagues and his party rail against the decision that very Minister makes. What about Phil Goff that hobby farmer from Auckland? Well here is my advice to Mr Goff: if one is going to go in a glossy magazine with photos showing off the hobby farm one should at least learn how to carry a lamb.Members on this side of the House will remember 2 years ago this month that past member Stuart Nash railing against dairy farmers who he claimed paid only 3 percent tax—except that was not tax on income; that was tax on revenue. The revenue spokesman for Labour did not understand how revenue was collected in New Zealand. I can tell members that Dr David Clark has also made comments like that. And whatreally makes me sad is that Stuart Nash in the past and David Clark in the present are actually the brainy ones of the Labour Party. See where it got Stuart Nash I think.What about other parties? The Greens? Are there any people of the land in the Greens? No farm haters I would suggest. And New Zealand First? None. So let there be no doubt about which party is the party that understands that most important part of New Zealand economically culturally and socially.As Mr Ryall said this is such an important—Dr David Clark: What does the member know? What does the member know about the rural economy?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Oh quite a bit actually. We will come to that in a minute. The $30 billion of exports from that economy that Mr Ryall spoke of are only the direct exports. The indirect costs and benefits of that economy include transport stock agents farm suppliers and fertiliser all of which support those industries that export our growth.I want to go through quickly some of the things that this Government has been doing to assist that important part of our economy. The Primary Growth Partnership has so far committed $658 million for at least 13 projects. That has a benefit to the economy by 2025 of $7 billion per year. There is some really good red meat sector collaboration mānuka honey trials harvesting trees from steep land improving precision of seafood catches and so on. None of that would be possible were it not for the need to have a really effective agricultural workforce. As Minister of Immigration I am very aware of the importance of making sure we have good skilled workers.I want to just touch on the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme which not only benefits the horticulture and viticulture sectors in Hawke’s Bay Central Otago and Marlborough but is actually a really really important foreign policy objective. It creates very good aid into the Pacific. It creates skills that those countries so badly need. I support it and I think as Minister of Immigration that it will continue.If the rural economy is so important to the future wealth of this nation then the party best placed to lead this country and the one that best understands that sector is not the farm haters and is not the hobby farmer unionists but is the National Party.