7. Question No. 7—InfrastructureCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister for InfrastructureQuestion No. 7—InfrastructureDEPUTY SPEAKER: Question No. 7 is in the name of Chris Bishop. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South): Oh I sort of wanted that one to keep going. OK thank you Madam Speaker.DEPUTY SPEAKER: That was unnecessary. CHRIS BISHOP: OK. It's the spirit of Thursday Madam Speaker but thank you. 7. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister for Infrastructure: Will the full list of the more than 150 shovel-ready projects be announced before Parliament dissolves and how many of these projects are currently scheduled for announcement by Government Ministers or under-secretaries?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance) on behalf of the Minister for Infrastructure: On behalf of the Minister yes. While there may be one or two exceptions the vast majority will be announced before Parliament dissolves. In answer to the second part of the question—as the member would know from having worked in a ministerial office—announcements are scheduled once the subject of the announcement is finalised. As several Ministers have told the member some of the projects agreed in principle are still being finalised and will be announced in due course. Yesterday we had announced 79 projects. Today that number is up to 84 and several more will come over the coming days. Chris Bishop: How many of the 70 signed off but unannounced shovel-ready projects are currently scheduled for announcement in light of three projects being announced by three different Ministers in three different locations since I asked this yesterday? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well I think the member's answering his own question there. The announcements are being rolled out over the coming days as I said. Almost all will be announced by the time Parliament dissolves and they are being welcomed widely in the community particularly today in Naenae. Chris Bishop: When was due diligence completed on the Paihia waterfront project that he announced this morning? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member would accept I think with a fairly general question that asking a very specific matter like that I'll have to get back to him on it. Chris Bishop: Why did it take nine days to announce the Paihia project this morning when invitations to the launch event went out on 21 July? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I think this is where the member is misunderstanding the whole fund here. Communities want announcements for these projects because they're a cause for celebration and they want to make sure the whole community can be invited along to celebrate that there's a Government that backs them. Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Well that was a very interesting answer but the question was about the gap between 21 July when the invitations were issued for the Paihia project and today which is 30 July and why there was a nine-day gap. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Right I think the Minister did address that though by referring to the fact that if you want a lot of people there you need to give them a lot of notice. Chris Bishop: How many further shovel-ready projects will be drip-fed to the public over the coming weeks in the light of three Ministers making three announcements in three different locations this morning? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I answered in the previous several answers all of the projects perhaps bar one or two will be announced before Parliament dissolves and I thank the member on behalf of the Government for his efforts to publicise these excellent projects all around New Zealand. Chris Bishop: Can he assure the House that the availability of Ministers and their diaries has in no way impeded or delayed any possible announcements given the Prime Minister has said we are moving as swiftly as we can."?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: There is no sense of this Government impeding infrastructure. We're the ones promoting it."