Clark David: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClark David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 April 2015. Volume:704;Page:2793. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he agree with the Prime Minister when he says of the people of Northland: “They want more. They want to go faster”; if so does he believe that this view on the economy is unique to the people of Northland?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development): This question is nearly identical to the member’s question No. 8 in the House yesterday. I have checked my Hansard and I am very happy with the answer yesterday which applies today.Mr SPEAKER: It would help if you would re-answer the question.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Repeat the answer? Well what I said yesterday was that I do agree with the Prime Minister. In fact I told Q+Aon the weekend that there is an impatience in Northland to do more and frankly I share that impatience. Although we have had some positive economic growth and employment growth in the Northland region in recent times we recognise there is more to be done. That is why we are fast tracking critical infrastructure like regional roading projects the roads of national significance ultra-fast broadband and Rural Broadband. That is why we are working with other parties to reform the Resource Management Act in order to cut red tape and encourage investment in the region.Dr David Clark: Is the issue of lack of work unique to Northland given that the household labour force survey shows that the number of people looking for work in every single region of New Zealand is higher than when the Government took office in 2008?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: There are a couple of points here. One is that again—as the member earlier this afternoon tried to ignore—there has been a thing called the global financial crisis and in fact all over the—Dr David Clark: It finished quite a few years ago Steven.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well actually it has not finished. It has not in Spain it has not in Greece it has not in Europe it has not in Australia it has not in the UK it has not in the US and it has not in Canada. I appreciate that the member wants to ignore it in the context of New Zealand but New Zealand has one of the lower unemployment rates in the OECD New Zealand employment is recovering well and the New Zealand economy is now one of the fastest growing in the developed world.Dr David Clark: Is the issue of squeezed income unique to Northland given that the New Zealand Income Survey shows that real median household incomes have decreased in Auckland Waikato Bay of Plenty Gisborne Hawke’s Bay Manawatū Wanganui Tasman Nelson Marlborough and the West Coast since his Government came to office?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I would have to go back and check the member’s numbers but actually again the global financial crisis happened in this country. The good news is that when we arrived in office unfortunately the previous Government had inflation growing faster than incomes. Now we have incomes growing faster than inflation and I know which New Zealanders prefer.Dr David Clark: Is the issue of poorly maintained roads unique to Northland given New Zealand Transport Agency funding has decreased over the past 6 years not only in Northland but also in Gisborne Hawke’s Bay Taranaki Manawatū Wanganui Tasman Nelson Marlborough and on the West Coast?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: This is why the House has some difficulty I am sure believing the member because in that question he is completely wrong as he is in others.Dr David Clark: I seek leave to table the data that supports the assertions in my question.Hon Steven Joyce: What is it?Dr David Clark: It is off the New Zealand Transport Agency website provided by the Parliamentary Library.Mr SPEAKER: Order! If it is off the website it is available to all members. Does the Minister wish to complete an answer? Supplementary question Dr David Clark.Dr David Clark: Does he intend to do as much to confront the issues of lack of work squeezed incomes underfunding of local roads and falling home affordability in other regions of New Zealand as he has done in Northland in the past 6 years and does he expect similar results?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Again I am sorry but the member is incorrect. He talks about falling home affordability and that is obviously a challenge in Auckland but actually in regional New Zealand that is not so much of a challenge. I know that the member takes a very broad-brush approach. There are unique problems in different regions and Northland has some more intractable problems that have been difficult for politicians on both sides of the House for decades. We will continue to work on them and will continue to apply the appropriate policy mixes to each region of the country. New Zealand as a whole will continue to grow strongly over the next few years and that is predicted by the Reserve Bank and Treasury. We will continue to work on that growth.Dr David Clark: I seek leave to table census data showing that homeownership has—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. Again census data is freely available—Dr David Clark: It has been compiled by the Parliamentary Library for the purpose of illustrating the point over that time period for the Minister.Mr SPEAKER: Order! On the basis that it is now information from the Parliamentary Library I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular table prepared by the Parliamentary Library.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I seek leave of the House—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I just need to put this leave first. Leave is sought to table the information asked for by Dr David Clark. Is there any objection to that being tabled? There is not. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I seek leave of the House to table the AMP housing affordability survey issued yesterday showing that housing affordability has improved in every single region—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. Is it a document that has been distributed to all MPs?Hon Dr Nick Smith: No.Mr SPEAKER: Is it publicly available on the website?Hon Dr Nick Smith: Yes.Mr SPEAKER: It is; then I will not put the leave.