Shearer David: General Debate 
Shearer David: General Debate 
[Volume:662;Page:10557] 
DAVID SHEARER (Labour—Mt Albert) 
: 
 The whole House agrees that we need to grow the economy; the question is exactly how. We want a skilled labour force we want an innovative economy we want a knowledge-led economy and we want something that is value-added rather than commodity-led. 
In the last few days we have seen the real colour of this Government’s money when it comes to putting money behind research development and innovation. The Primary Growth Partnership is the flagship of the Government’s push for research behind agriculture and other commodities. But what do we find? After 18 months of this Government being in power that partnership has yet to give out any money to AgResearch to our Crown research institutes or to our universities. Yes we have given about $3 million or $4 million to the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre but we have not given anything else in that area. 
It is the most vital area of New Zealand’s economy. How do we grow our economy? It is through research through science and through technology. The Government put up $30 million which was to be matched by the business community: the business community is putting up $30 million in return. But no money has gone out; $60 million is sitting there waiting to be used and unable to be used. Can we imagine that situation in any other sector? Can we imagine it in the education or health sectors? Sixty million dollars unable to be used—what a complete waste! Andrew West from AgResearch said: “There’s been a lot of talk about extra money in the last few years but there’s been no serious allocation from the Primary Growth Partnership”. The article continues: “Jobs will also go”—he is talking about the jobs that have just gone in the wool and meat area—“in dairy foods food safety parasitology reproductive biology developmental biology protein structure biomembranes and bioprocessing.” 
This is an appalling state of affairs. This area is where New Zealand earns its living. It is where New Zealand has the competitive edge; it is where New Zealand is able to make its way out there in the world. What is the impact of that and of other cuts? Last week we lost 36 jobs in AgResearch. They were in the wool and meat industry areas. The wool industry a $700 million industry now does not have the research it needs in order to grow that industry. Elizabeth Tennet of Textiles New Zealand says: “It’s not good enough to say because farmers voted down their wool levy this justifies destroying the innovation and research and development in the wool industry in which New Zealand has been a world leader. Anyone can cut and burn it takes leadership to build.” It takes leadership to build. We have heard a lot today from the John Key - led Government about John Key’s leadership. But in this vital area we have seen the wool industry left stranded without the research and development that it needs in order to develop. The future of the wool and garment industry requires and relies on innovation design and branding and on marketing our natural “clean green” image as Elizabeth Tennet states. It relies on developing the quality textiles carpets and lifestyle products that we are becoming famous for. That has gone. It has disappeared as a result of Government cuts the Government’s inability to stand up and lead and its inability to put money behind the wool research that AgResearch desperately needs. 
The Government’s research effort has no leadership no plan and—we are about to see—no money. We can contrast that with the Fast Forward Fund which the previous Labour Government put up in its last year of office. It was $700 million that was transferred into the Government coffers. It was no fiction unlike what Mr English likes to point out; the fiction is the Primary Growth Partnership.