Dean Jacqui: Debate on Budget Policy StatementText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDean Jacqui: Debate on Budget Policy Statement[Sitting date: 12 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16596. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki):Oh what a blessed relief when that bell rang and it was only 2 minutes to go and then Winston Peters had to sit down. That was very good. The House is much relieved at that turn of events. In an election year it is a really good opportunity for the National Government to reflect on what our priorities have been and with the Budget coming up on 15 May to really put our stake in the sand about what we want for New Zealand and what we want for this country. I am very proud to say that the National Government has been focused on the things that matter to New Zealanders from the moment that we came into Government in 2008. Leading up to the election on 20 September and of course Budget day on 15 May here we are putting our stake in the sand and telling New Zealanders what we plan for the future and in fact what we stand for.This Government has had four key priorities in the time that it has been in Government. Firstly we are responsibly managing the Government’s finances just like New Zealanders expect us to do just like New Zealanders voted National for us to do and just like we are doing. The economy is growing by 3.5 percent with a similar forecast of growth again for this year. On average wages are growing faster than inflation. Business confidence is at the highest point it has been since 1999 and the terms of trade are expected to remain just as high. The Government will produce a Budget surplus next year and that is in the context of other countries that will still be in deficit and indeed building up debt.Secondly we are building a more competitive and productive economy. That is our second major focus. Why? Because that means creating more jobs. It means increasing wages. The average weekly wage has gone up by 2.8 percent in the last year compared with inflation that went up by 1.6 percent. Through our Business Growth Agenda the Government has been investing heavily in education and training to lift skills and match the needs of employers. I was interested to hear the comments of the previous speaker who quite mistakenly contended that this Government is ignoring the provinces. Quite the opposite is true. If I talk about my own province and I think about the huge amounts of investment that have gone into the province of Greater Otago and if I have a look at some of the ups and downs that all businesses have and have a look at Summit Wool Spinners which was sold to Canterbury Spinners—so the company changed hands and there was a loss of employment in the town. For those who wish to talk down the economy and say it was all doom and gloom well here is the good news. Most of those workers have been either re-engaged or have found other work because they are skilled and they are valued and I for one will not hear of those skilled workers being talked down in much the same way as the Opposition is fond of doing.If I have a look at Macraes Mine it is the same scenario—the ups and downs of business. Macraes Mine is suffering because the gold price is currently at a low and it has had to lay off a number of staff. It is doom and gloom in some quarters of the House—mostly on the left-hand side it is fair to say. Well here is the good news. Most of those workers either have found work in and around North Otago or in fact have been re-engaged. There is work out there. There is opportunity out there. Why? Because this Government has got such a strong focus on building the economy. In fact as I go around the Central Otago portion of the province of Otago there are some pretty severe skills shortages to the point where I am attending meetings with people who are saying: “Well what are we going to do about this? We have got work but we cannot find the workers.” That is the situation that we find ourselves in because this Government has had such a strong focus on building the economy building wages and finding real jobs for people.Thirdly I am so proud that we have got a strong focus on rebuilding Christchurch. We said that we would. During those awful dark days of the earthquakes we said that we would. My colleague and friend Nicky Wagner MP for Christchurch Central has I believe spent probably the last 2½ years living breathing and sleeping Christchurch people and their needs and how we as a Government can work with those communities to rebuild Christchurch and make it strong again. It is the work of people like Nicky Wagner on the ground proactively and positively working with the people of Christchurch together with Government Ministers that is proving to make such a difference to the people of Christchurch.Finally our fourth strong priority in the past now and in the future as we go to the Budget is delivering Better Public Services within tight budgets. We know that there has been a global financial crisis. We know that we have had to get Government spending under control. Bill English is another Minister who has worked ceaselessly to bring our Government spending under control and to get good-value money for spending on public services because we over on this side of the House know that it is public money it is taxpayer money and we have a duty to spend it wisely.I want to talk about the Better Public Services targets within the justice sector. That is the sector that is led by the Hon Judith Collins who is providing outstanding leadership in the justice sector and whose work together with that of Anne Tolley the Minister of Police and the Minister of Corrections and Chester Borrows the Minister for Courts is making a difference to the lives of New Zealanders. Target: reduce overall crime rates by 15 percent by 2017 reduce violent crime by 20 percent by 2017 and reduce youth crime by 25 percent by 2017. What is the result so far? Total crime is down. Total crime is down by 12 percent violent crime is down by 8 percent and youth crime is down by 19 percent. That is a success and that is making New Zealand safer. Those are excellent results already and huge credit must also go to the police for their unrelenting focus on making New Zealanders safer in their homes.There is some pretty smart policing out there with the Prevention First strategy and a strong focus on preventing crime. We visited Auckland. We visited the Mount Roskill police station. We had a look at the crime reporting line. Phil Goff is forever bemoaning the fact that the front desk at the Mount Roskill police station has been closed. He sees that as a bad thing. Well if we talk to the police themselves who work within that station they say that they could not be more happy that they are providing good service to the New Zealand public. People are using the crime reporting line. So instead of having to go down to this old police station stand in line and make a report they now lift up the phone and make a crime report to a person who is a dedicated taker of those calls. They are getting good service.Finally I just want to talk about our corrections system and say that the target for the Department of Corrections is to reduce prisoner reoffending by 25 percent with a result already of a 12 percent reduction. But please do not take just my word for it. Today the Law and Order Committee considered an independent report from the Office of the Auditor-General entitled Department of Corrections: Managing offenders to reduce reoffending. Here is what it said: “Summary of our findings. 2.2 The Department has a clear strategic priority to reduce reoffending which staff understand well and support. The reducing reoffending programme is based on sound intervention logic that targets the groups and behaviours that contribute disproportionately to rates of offending. The Department now offers programmes to prisoners on remand or short sentences who had high reoffending rates but who were previously ineligible for rehabilitation.”Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!JACQUI DEAN: The programme is expanding. The programme is showing results. Independent evaluation by the—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!JACQUI DEAN: —Controller and Auditor-General is showing what this Government—