1. Question No. 1—FinanceDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central) to the Minister of FinanceORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Finance1. Dr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central) to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today released its latest annual article 4 report on the New Zealand economy and the Government's economic plan. The forecasts in the report indicate the economy is expected to grow by about 3 percent a year over the next five years that unemployment will continue to fall and that wages will continue to rise above inflation. The IMF said that New Zealand's economic expansion remains solid and that the economic outlook is favourable.Dr Duncan Webb: What did the IMF say about how the Government's economic plan will help drive growth?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: IMF staff noted that the Government's policy agenda seeks to support productive sustainable and inclusive growth. They noted how growth-friendly measures in the December mini-Budget and Budget 2018 would help drive this growth. In particular the IMF said that our research and development tax incentive could be an efficient instrument to support R & D spending in the business sector. They said that tax reform could play an important role in shifting incentives towards broader business investment and that the Provincial Growth Fund could help boost regional growth while taking pressure off the main centres.Dr Duncan Webb: What did the IMF say about infrastructure investment in New Zealand?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The IMF noted that the current Government has increased spending on infrastructure but I do acknowledge their comment that we might still see infrastructure gaps continue over the next few years which goes to show the extent of the infrastructure deficit that this Government inherited. It was interesting to see the IMF comments on rail notably that there are important gaps in New Zealand's rail infrastructure. These gaps did not appear over the last nine months. Since the IMF's report was finalised the coalition Government has announced a record 10-year nationwide transport infrastructure investment—$4 billion next year—which reintroduces rail into New Zealand's productivity and economic growth story.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the finance Minister this: with respect to the IMF's alternative executive director for New Zealand Grant Johnston—what was his connection with New Zealand?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Grant Johnston who—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I don't think that relates—Rt Hon Winston Peters: He wrote the report.Mr SPEAKER: Well—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can I help you in this matter by—Mr SPEAKER: No no I don't—in fact I don't think the Acting Prime Minister can. I think that all of us know the oft-repeated Speakers' rulings about using Government supplementary questions to have a crack at the Opposition and while not all members of the House might be familiar with the direction that the Minister of Finance is being invited to take it is one which is not appropriate.Rt Hon Winston Peters: With respect I think that a member of Parliament should be entitled to set out the CV and the public esteem both here and internationally of someone who wrote the report. That surely is not a malicious political position to take. So can I ask my question sir?Mr SPEAKER: The—[Interruption]—I beg your pardon? One thing I'm certain of is that the Hon Ron Mark can't add to the submissions that have just been made by the Acting Prime Minister and trying to do so when I'm getting to my feet is most inappropriate. On the question that has been raised by the Acting Prime Minister I think saying that he's trying to build the credibility of the report as opposed to taking a shot of the Opposition is too long a bow for me to risk.