Woolerton R Doug: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Woolerton R Doug: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:637;Page:7384] 
R DOUG WOOLERTON (NZ First) 
: 
 I do not want to be dismal and I do not want to make jokes about these sorts of things but I can anticipate that tomorrow’s newspapers will report suicides in unprecedented numbers mainly among the Exclusive Brethren community after that speech. If I were a member of the Exclusive Brethren I would hate to think I paid all that money for such a dismal outcome. 
However I am very proud to say that New Zealand First is looking forward to 2007. New Zealand First is looking forward to having another of its policies in the supply and confidence agreement fulfilled which is to make 2007 Export Year. We in New Zealand First have always placed a heavy emphasis on exports because as every decent bookkeeper knows it is the balance of payments that makes the difference. If we are importing more than we are exporting we will end up with a deficit. That is precisely what Dr Cullen is facing at the present time—a predicted deficit in the region of $15 billion. 
He knows we know and everybody should know that we cannot go on like that. I am pleased to see and New Zealand First is delighted to see that Dr Cullen has said in the last couple of weeks that he is prepared to get his hands a little bit dirty and to look at some sort of incentive or favourable treatment—I think those were his words—towards exporters. We know that almost every other country in the world—and certainly it occurs even between states in Australia—gets into the business of competing for exports. We know that the Australian Government is into the business of incentivising its systems in order to show people in a transparent manner what it wants them to do. 
If it is exports one should put one’s money where one’s mouth is stump up the dollars and say in the most positive manner what one wants. We are pleased to see that this is starting to happen in New Zealand. How Dr Cullen will slow consumer spending at the same time as he is doing that is a challenge I am happy to leave to him but I am pleased to see that he is acknowledging the problem and intends to do something about it. The high dollar over a number of years has taken away many of the benefits that are due to and should be being received by our farmers in particular and our exporters in general. 
It does make a difference when the money is received first by the productive sector and then flows on through to the consumptive sector of our society. When it flows through in that way inflation is less likely to happen. 
It is sad to say that while the economy and our productive sector—namely I am talking about dairy farmers who supply 25 percent of our exports—are coming to grips with that they are also having to come to grips with the capital structure of the biggest dairy company in New Zealand Fonterra. I am concerned and I urge our farmers to be very very careful. I hear talk—and it is not just talk—that one of the options is to list a part of Fonterra on the stock exchange. I am here tonight to tell people to tell farmers to be careful of that. I believe that if that is done— 
Shane Jones 
: You need to tell John Key that. 
R DOUG WOOLERTON 
: I know. If that path is followed we will lose Fonterra to the likes of Graeme Hart and we will lose the capacity that that provides for our exporting. We do not want to see that happen.