Dean Jacqui: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply Debate 
Dean Jacqui: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply Debate 
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JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 Here we are for the imprest supply debate and the second reading the Appropriation (2008/09 Supplementary Estimates) Bill talking about a Budget that in effect is tidying up after 9 years of a Labour Government 9 years of Labour mismanagement with us the National Government not only having to deal with the effects of a worldwide economic downtown but also having to spend a lot of time and energy dealing with the mess the Labour Government left behind it. One of the previous speakers this evening Moana Mackey who spoke after the dinner break said it all. When Moana Mackey was speaking on contributions to the Cullen fund she said “Now is the time that we should be investing”. My question to Moana Mackey and members of the Labour Opposition as we sit on a $7.7 billion deficit is “Investing with what?”. Moana Mackey’s comment just goes to show that Labour does not understand the times. The economic times have passed Labour by. Once again the National Government has been left to pick up the pieces after 9 years of good economic times which Labour entirely failed to capitalise on. “Now is the time that we should be investing” said Moana Mackey. Investing with what? I would love to hear the answer to that question. 
Another previous speaker this evening and other contributions to this bill have raised with some bemusement the subject of the magnificent Budget initiative to invest $50 million over 3 years in a regional cycleway. What a fantastic initiative on behalf of a National Government the cycleway is! I will tell members why the national cycleway is a great investment. The Otago Central Rail Trail has invested $7 million into the Central Otago economy. Over 300 jobs have been created in Central Otago. Pubs that were dying are now back open again. Farmers who were struggling now have income coming into their farm operations through accommodation. People who were previously struggling and looking for work are now employed because of the cycleway. 
Labour members do not understand. They do not understand that in provincial New Zealand 350 jobs are significant. An injection of outside money of $7 million is significant. The beauty of this cycleway strategy is that that will be replicated up and down the country. That is good news. But Labour does not like good news. It cannot cope with good news. 
There are some good news stories in this Budget. I want to turn to those. This Budget is focused on jobs. In terms of the cycleway strategy Labour members do not understand. They think there is one big-bang thing that will create jobs. They do not understand that a number of strategies are contained in this excellent Budget and that they are what will drive the recovery of the economy of this great country. 
I will start with the excellent home insulation programme. The reason I want to start with that programme is that in the South Island we experience some pretty severe winters. I was in Cromwell yesterday. It was minus 6 degrees then a shower of rain came at 7.30 in the morning and the roads turned to ice. I can tell members that people are cold in their homes in places like Cromwell Ranfurly Alexandra and Invercargill. The South Island is cold in the winter. This home insulation programme is good news for the people of the South Island and of course for people all over New Zealand. So what is the programme? It is a campaign to fit homes that were built before the year 2000 with insulation and clean-heating devices such as heat pumps and approved wood burners. 
About 180000 households are eligible for grants of up to $1800 regardless of income. This is good news. It is very good news for the people of the lower South Island. Of course community services card holders will be eligible for grants of up to $3000. This initiative starts on 1 July this year and many many people are inquiring about it. The best news of all is that it is fully costed and fully funded unlike the rather pale imitation of an initiative that Labour pulled out in the dying days of its regime which as we know was not funded at all. I move on to health and this is another concern of the people down in the South Island. If people are not warm in their homes if they do have good access to health services they feel it. 
The Budget in 2009 includes an additional $3 billion of investment in health services. This is such good news. It includes $750 million in 2009-10. The intention of this is to improve the services of district health boards and to meet population pressures. The population is growing in Central Otago. There will be 800 more health professionals to increase elective surgery capacity and that is worth $70 million. The National Government will be improving maternity services. Once again that is an area where many concerns were brought to me when I was in Opposition. Many concerns about maternity services and access to them were brought to me particularly from people in rural areas. This initiative of $103.5 million will help to meet that need. That is great news for young women and their partners in places like Central Otago east Otago north Otago and South Canterbury—I could go on—where there has been a level of concern about this. 
There will be an upgrading of the health sector infrastructure including a start to the construction of 20 new dedicated elective surgery theatres. That is good news for us in the south and that is worth $245 million. 
This Government is investing in health and education. There will be $1.68 billion over the years 2010-13 to improve facilities and to lift educational achievement. Our excellent Minister of Education the Hon Anne Tolley has been very strong on the need for us to improve on literacy and numeracy. So it is excellent news that from 1 July 2010 the National Government will expand the 20 hours’ free early childhood education scheme to 5-year-olds; the scheme will also include playcentres and kohanga reo. Many communities around my part of the country have playcentres only. They felt that they were missing out on the advantages of early childhood centres that had access to this funding. Now National is bringing them access to that funding and that is good news. 
There will be $36 million going towards helping students meet national standards in literacy and numeracy. Parents care about literacy and numeracy for their children. 
I could go on about the many many Budget initiatives but I want to close by saying that this is a good Budget for 2009. This Budget is designed to keep the economy going amidst some severe global turmoil. It is a wide-ranging Budget. It is focused on growth and it is focused on jobs.