8. Question No. 8—TourismHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of TourismQuestion No. 8—Tourism8. Hon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of Tourism: What advice if any has he received on the number of jobs that will be saved by the Tourism Recovery Fund and how many jobs have been saved so far? Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister of Tourism): Over the last two weeks we have announced $1.5 million of funding for Whale Watch Kaikoura which helped save 40 jobs. We announced $4 million of funding for Discover Waitomo which helped save another 40 jobs. Those businesses keep their communities alive. Protecting them means protecting the many jobs and businesses that rely on their survival. This funding is the start and I look forward to making more announcements helping more businesses and protecting more jobs and more communities in the weeks to come. Hon Todd McClay: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That question asked what advice he had received and then how many had been saved. He answered the second part not the first. SPEAKER: The member can say something about whether he's received advice or not. Hon KELVIN DAVIS: The advice I've received is that the Government's whole package has provided billions of dollars in support not just to tourism but to all businesses and has saved thousands and thousands of jobs. Hon Todd McClay: Was any modelling done on the number of jobs to be saved by the Tourism Recovery Fund prior to its announcement and if not why not? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: I'll repeat what I just said then: that the work that the Government has done in its totality as well as for the tourism industry will save thousands of jobs. Hon Todd McClay: Why hasn't he considered tourism-specific direct financial support for tourism businesses to save jobs—like National's tourism accelerator programme—that will help hundreds and hundreds of businesses who are struggling? SPEAKER: Order! No I'm going to ask the member to repeat the question without the assertions. Hon Todd McClay: Why hasn't he considered tourism-specific direct financial support for tourism businesses to save jobs—like National's tourism accelerator programme—that will help hundreds and hundreds of tourism businesses? SPEAKER: No that's not a question. There's an assertion sitting in there which obviates the question. The member has had two goes. Jamie Strange: What recent announcements has he made on the allocation of funding from the tourism recovery package? Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: Is it to do with this question? Hon Gerry Brownlee: It's just a point of order. SPEAKER: Well OK. But unless it's raised immediately I couldn't see anything wrong with that question which was a bit of a difference from the two before it. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well I am referring to the two before it. I've thought very carefully about the way you ruled there and it would seem to me that if you're going to say that the assertion that was used in the question by the Hon Todd McClay is out of order then surely the answers which are supposed to—according to the Standing Orders—have a mirror effect from the Hon Kelvin Davis would also have been out of order. He spoke about saving thousands of jobs without any reference to it at all. SPEAKER: That—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Sorry have I not made that clear? SPEAKER: I'm somewhat at a loss. The Hon Kelvin Davis didn't answer the questions because I didn't let him so the member's totally irrelevant. We'll go back—Jamie Strange. Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: Oh Mr Brownlee the other—the member will resume his seat. The other point that I will make is to remind the member—and I accept that he's said he was thinking slowly—that he has a requirement to take a point of order immediately and he didn't. He—[Interruption] The Deputy Prime Minister will withdraw and apologise. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Well I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My point of order sir is you were taking a comment from Mr Brownlee and—you're right; you put your finger on it—he just was too slow. So he should have been ruled out. SPEAKER: Yes and the member is going to withdraw and apologise again. I don't need that sort of support. That was the point that I was making and he shouldn't support me in that way either when I'm on my feet or when I'm sitting down. Rt Hon Winston Peters: I withdraw and apologise. SPEAKER: Right. Jamie Strange: Thank you Mr Speaker. What recent announcements has he made on the allocation of funding from the tourism recovery package? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Over the past two weeks we have announced $4 million to Discover Waitomo $20.2 million for New Zealand's 31 regional tourism organisations and $1.5 million for Whale Watch Kaikoura. We've helped 557 businesses through the tourism transitions programme and announced that Mayor Steve Chadwick and Grant Webster will chair the Tourism Futures task force and there will be much much more to come. Jamie Strange: What reports has he seen that suggest alternative funding plans to support the recovery of the tourism sector? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: I've seen reports that suggest funding one-off projects over four years but this does nothing for those looking to pivot their businesses to the domestic market. It won't protect our strategic assets and it won't save jobs—SPEAKER: Order! I think I know where this is going and it is out of order. I will just say to members that they should know that as well. Hon Todd McClay: What advice if any has he received on the number of tourism businesses that will benefit from the strategic assets protection programme? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: We anticipate there will be about 60 businesses that would be considered strategic tourism assets that would need to receive some form of support. Hon Todd McClay: Why is he happy to only support 60 businesses through that programme and not the thousands of other tourism businesses who are struggling and not being supported? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: That goes back to the broad support that the Government has put in place since COVID-19 hit these shores. The Minister of Finance announced some $12 billion in support initially through the wage subsidy support through various tax measures and through the small business cash-flow scheme. Tourism businesses along with many businesses across New Zealand have received much support from this Government throughout the COVID response. Hon Todd McClay: Well is he aware that his Government's programme is four times the cost of National's tourism accelerator programme to help 10 times as many tourism businesses and shouldn't he be doing more to help these struggling tourism operators and their staff right now? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Well I've just outlined that we have helped many many tourism operators. The difference between our two packages and I'm very glad that he raised it is that we're getting $400 million out the door within the next couple of weeks whereas the Opposition's proposal was for $100 million—so $25 million a year for four years—and nobody knows exactly what it's going to achieve and no media have even picked it up. I don't even think anyone in the country is aware that an announcement—SPEAKER: Order! That—I mean I know it was an Opposition question but—Hon Grant Robertson: About? SPEAKER: —yes—and I think people should take care about asking questions for which this Minister has no responsibility or they're likely to get that back again. Hon Todd McClay: It's not clear what he has responsibility for. Why has he only—SPEAKER: Order! Order!