O'Connor Simon: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Connor Simon: General Debate[Sitting date: 12 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:5718. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): One of the key themes that have been coming through in questions and through the talk today is the economy and how it is being run. I would definitely say that in this Government’s hands it is being run very well and strongly and a big part of that is that we on this side of things actually recognise—Dr David Clark: More debt than Muldoon.SIMON O’CONNOR: Gosh those members are already attacking Rob Muldoon you know? I mean that is absolutely desperate. He is well respected still in the wonderful place of Tāmaki. I think I have got that pronounced right—I am a bit nervous now. But one of the great things about this Government is that we actually recognise that economies go up and down. There are times when things are going really well and there are times when challenges kick in and instead of holding up pieces of paper and trying to do—as was noted earlier—sort of seventh form or maybe fifth form rhetoric and debating this Government gets on with the economy and supports Kiwis where it matters. It is very easy to just sort of make these statements but I thought something that would give some example to it all is what is actually happening in Tāmaki after some of my journeys of late and around the country.One element is that question of diversity in the economy and I am happy to report that we actually have a very strong economy well beyond dairy. That is obviously a big part of it but I think of friends of mine who are involved in the gaming industry of all things who are producing remarkable new technologies and gaming systems for people not only for fun but for education. More recently I visited the faculty of medical and health sciences at the University of Auckland. You will forgive me for not remembering exactly what the ophthalmological condition is but they have created a game there that actually helps correct your sight and that can go out to Kiwis for their treatment. Again that is really neat stuff.I think that if I can continue with the medical theme I have visited in recent weeks those involved in digital health everything from Vigil Monitoring to Orion Health to Simple IT. An amazing array of Kiwis are developing technologies that are not only going to help us—and in fact are already helping us in ways that most members probably do not know about because it just happens—but equally this intellectual property is product that we can sell and are selling overseas. There is some fantastic stuff happening there.But also diversity when I think of my own electorate is manifested in the new businesses that have started up in recent weeks in my area. I think of John and his—it is called Tinman. It is a wonderful little vehicle down on Felton Mathew Avenue—Tim Macindoe: Mathew Felton Avenue.SIMON O’CONNOR: Yes I know. Well this is a great one for spoonerisms really. It is absolutely fantastic coffee. There is a really neat new place in—Tim Macindoe: There used to be an Icebreaker down there.SIMON O’CONNOR: There did indeed. But no that has gone now. But thank you Tim. We will continue this dialogue here as I try to address the nation. You have got something called The Local Coffee House which has started in the St Heliers Bay mall—a great new cafe and business—and then just further up the road you have got something called The Honest Food Co. which is working very much in the paleo and sugar-free diet area. That gives you just three examples of new businesses starting out in the electorate.But all of that also sits I think on having a strong education system. As we have heard in recent weeks particularly from the Opposition when those members have been plagiarising material first and foremost there is not the originality of ideas and secondly they have not learnt the basic art of referencing one’s work.Education is important and in Tāmaki most recently it was very pleasing to see that 40 new classrooms have been announced for schools within Tāmaki at the likes of St Thomas School Ōrākei School Selwyn College Tāmaki College and Glendowie College. There are 40 new classrooms plus five further classrooms that are being renovated. So this is going to start happening over the next 18 months and it is something that I have been very keen on and very aware of when talking to the boards and the teachers and the parents as well. There is a growing need for these classrooms.Yesterday I think it was there was an announcement of $156000 going into Tāmaki and not just into Tāmaki but it is $156000 to facilitate the learning of Asian languages which I think is tremendous. Again that is benefiting quite a range of our schools—St Thomas School again; Churchill Park School; St Heliers School; Kohimārama School; and then our two colleges Glendowie and Selwyn. The value or the diversity if you will of languages is well almost incalculable. We know from the research that a child learning whatever language at a young age—it does not matter whether it is English Māori Samoan Tongan Latin Greek or Mandarin—is actually going to have real cognitive abilities. I am slightly biased. I have learnt six languages in my life. Whether it has helped me or not I am not convinced completely.But the other thing I would just note is that there is $13.1 million for a cycleway in Tāmaki from Glen Innes to Tāmaki Drive. Again great investment is going on there and I think it is just fantastic.