Ross Jami-Lee: General Debate 
Ross Jami-Lee: General Debate 
[Volume:675;Page:21072] 
JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) 
: 
 I commented to a few people earlier today that I expected there to be much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Opposition during the debate on the voluntary student membership bill but little did I know that this would start an hour earlier during the general debate. The reality out there in the community just does not align with the Labour Party’s view of the world. The people in the community know that and they will make their decision in November this year. 
I want to talk about something very positive for New Zealand very positive for the country which is starting in just 2 days’ time. It is something we should all be proud of as New Zealanders. It is something that I know everyone has been looking forward to for a long time and it all starts on Friday with the Rugby World Cup. It is a big opportunity for New Zealand. It is a very good thing that we are having this tournament—the third-biggest tournament in the world—coming to New Zealand. 
I acknowledge that there is a quarter of a billion dollars in economic benefits just for Auckland alone—the city I am from—and $700 million of economic benefit for the nation as a whole. It is a time for pride in our country it is a time to stand up as New Zealanders and support the mighty All Blacks. It is a time to showcase to the world everything that is good about New Zealand everything that we as a country achieve and everything that we want to sell to the world—the image of New Zealand as a great place to live and a great place to do business. We will see 95000 visitors coming to New Zealand many of those in just the first week alone. 
We will be showcasing to the world everything that is good about New Zealand through the REAL New Zealand Showcase event. 
Those of you who have been down to the Cloud on the waterfront will have seen that it is a brilliant entertainment facility for New Zealanders. It is a place where we will be hosting the REAL New Zealand Showcase. It will present the best of New Zealand business and industry to the world through a nationwide programme of events. 
Hon Rick Barker 
: Mr Speaker doesn’t hop from cloud to cloud. 
JAMI-LEE ROSS 
: I am getting some heckling from the Opposition. Let me remind the House that the Cloud on the waterfront is something Trevor Mallard could never achieve. It took Murray McCully to come along to get something on the waterfront. Trevor could not achieve it. Do members remember the stadium that Trevor could not achieve? It took Murray McCully to come along and bring the Cloud to Auckland. Thank goodness he has done that. 
The REAL New Zealand Showcase that is down there at the Cloud will be supported by events around the country. It will showcase to the world the industries we have and the people we have working out in the community who are building their businesses. They want to sell the industry and sell everything that they have available to the world so that they can help to further build this economy. There will be 18 export industry sectors at the REAL New Zealand Showcase staging 230 events across New Zealand. I am proud to be a member of the party that has helped to bring this to the country through the REAL New Zealand Showcase. It is all about building the economy as well. 
Let me remind the House what the National-led Government is doing about the economy. We will bring us back to surplus by 2014-15. We are investing over $30 billion in assets over the next 5 years. We are spending $5.5 billion on recovery in Canterbury. We have had across-the-board tax cuts. We are reducing regulation and red tape. We have got more money for health more money for education and more money for law and order. I know that New Zealanders out there are proud to see what this National-led Government has been doing across the board. 
We heard a bit about what the Opposition members have been talking about with regard to youth unemployment. Let me remind the House of two things that Labour wants to do that would hurt young people in the country. The 90-day trial period has been great for young people. It has given young people a chance to get into employment. Labour would kill it off. Labour wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. We would see 6000 young people out there who would be on the unemployment heap just by virtue of that policy. We are hearing simple-mindedness from members across the House that would do New Zealand a lot of harm. Thank goodness—thank goodness—we will continue to have a John Key - led Government should we be so fortunate to be re-elected in November this year. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.