8. Provincial Growth Fund—Funding SourcesHon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) to the Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentProvincial Growth Fund—Funding Sources8. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: How successful will his new $1 billion annual Regional Development (Provincial Growth) Fund be?Hon SHANE JONES (Minister for Regional Economic Development): Obviously the success will depend on the soundness of the proposals and the robustness of the criteria which is being developed at the moment. But I can assure the member the success will surpass the 10 bridges in Northland that he promised. Hon Simon Bridges: Can he confirm the fund and its $1 billion allocated every year will all be new funding rather than from existing funding? Hon SHANE JONES: The full structure and character of the fund—Hon Steven Joyce: Ha ha! Hon SHANE JONES: Mr Speaker can you tell Slim Shady" with the bald head to keep quiet?Mr SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to ask the member now to withdraw and apologise. And the member probably shouldn't use that expression with the member in front of him and with me.Hon SHANE JONES: For any offence caused to the music industry—Mr SPEAKER: No.Hon SHANE JONES: —or to the member I apologise.Mr SPEAKER: No. The member will withdraw and apologise.Hon SHANE JONES: I withdraw and apologise.Mr SPEAKER: Has the member finished his answer?Hon SHANE JONES: Ah hmm. The full character and structure of the fund will be worked through and be made available when the Budget Policy Statement is announced.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I'm simply asking a straightforward question about whether it's new funding. I mean I don't even think that has been addressed.Mr SPEAKER: I'm going to let the member have another go.Hon Simon Bridges: Thank you sir. Can he confirm the fund and its $1 billion allocated every year will all be new funding rather than from existing funding?Hon SHANE JONES: I can confirm that the full structure content and character of the fund will be released as a part of the Budget Policy Statement. I can however confirm in addition that funds such as the "neets" programme which he established six months ago—on which not a brass razoo has been spent—will probably be in the mix.Hon Simon Bridges: So can he confirm then that it's a mix of existing funding reprioritised but also a Budget bid coming through Budget 2018?Hon SHANE JONES: I repeat again that the full content structure and character of the fund will be dealt with conclusively in the Budget policy process. Just taihoa.Hon Simon Bridges: Can he give me any detail at all about where the money's coming from—is it existing money or new?Hon SHANE JONES: I can confirm that I am picking up unfinished work by the former Minister and I can confirm that there are substantial amounts of funds that were not dedicated yet promised but the full extent of the provincial growth fund will be tidied up in the Budget Policy Statement announcement.Hon Simon Bridges: As an annual fund can he confirm that $3 billion will be spent over this term of Government?Hon SHANE JONES: It is a per annum fund and I can assure the member that it is our intention to dedicate and expend such an amount of money and based on the large number of proposals coming in to me already from civic leaders regional leaders EDS and a few of his own colleagues I think we'll chew through that amount of dough.Hon Simon Bridges: Of all the specific initiatives that are going to happen under this fund other than those specifically mentioned in the coalition agreement are there any specific ones he already has in mind as real possibilities and can tell us about what they are today?Hon SHANE JONES: I'm glad that he has enabled me to talk about the tree planting programme. The full details will be rolled out at a later date but I direct his attention to the Governor-General's speech the Prime Minister's speech and my colleague the Hon Ron Mark on behalf of our leader—that speech. It identified a billion trees and it is related to the billion-dollar fund.Hon Simon Bridges: Other than in the coalition agreement in terms of new things that the public and certainly I wouldn't have heard about has he mentioned any specific initiatives to officials and what are they?Mr SPEAKER: No I'm going to rule that question out because the Minister has no responsibility for what that member has heard about. Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can I rephrase it then if I've put it inelegantly? Mr SPEAKER: Yes you can have another go but can I just say it won't generally be a practice for senior members to let them have a second crack at asking a question. Hon Simon Bridges: Has he mentioned any specific initiatives that he hasn't spoken about publicly to officials and what are they? Hon SHANE JONES: The matters that are being debated and discussed within the precincts of the offices of the Government departments and myself and my office at this stage are not privy to the member. Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If he's saying that in the public interest he won't answer my question—Mr SPEAKER: Sorry is this a point of order? Hon Simon Bridges: Point of order. Mr SPEAKER: Point of order Simon Bridges. Hon Simon Bridges: Effectively I haven't had an answer. All I have asked him is about specific initiatives that he's mentioned. He has effectively said he's not going to tell me. If that's in the public interest that's valid; otherwise my submission to you would be that he needs to tell me if he's made specific initiatives clear to the—Mr SPEAKER: I think what the member—I mean I don't want to over-interpret what the member was saying. But I think what he was saying is he's not yet in a position to make public those discussions and that is something that has been the right and in fact the responsibility of Ministers for all the time that I have been in this Parliament."