Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3902] 
DAVID PARKER (NZ Labour—Otago) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: What recent reports has he received on growth in the regions? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister of Finance) 
: 
 The latest National Bank regional trend survey showed that nine of the 14 regions posted growth of 4 percent or more last year and that 12 of the 14 continued to grow through the December quarter with Otago and Southland performing most strongly. 
David Parker 
: Has the Minister received any further reports on the economic outlook for the regions; if so what do they say? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I have seen a report that economic growth in Hawke’s Bay was buzzing and that National having taken the provincial areas for granted throughout the 1990s would have to work hard to earn voter support. That report came from the Leader of the Opposition. 
Dr Don Brash 
: How confident is the Minister that recent economic growth will continue this year given that the survey he cites shows that business confidence is negative in all but one region in New Zealand? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I am quite sure that business growth will slow down this year as a result of a combination of international uncertainty the likelihood of war in Iraq the rising exchange rate of the New Zealand dollar drought conditions and frosts in Hawke’s Bay late last year. Despite that the confidence levels in many respects in the provinces are still at very high levels given the surrounding international circumstances. 
Rodney Hide 
: Does he believe that the growth in the regions has been sufficiently rosy given his answer that he is sticking to his goal reported in  
Metro 
 magazine last December that “he happily confirms that the Government’s economic growth goal remains to return New Zealand to the top half of the OECD in 10 years.”; if not why not? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: If the member cares to look at that so-called quote he will find there are no quotation marks around it. 
Opposition Members 
: Ah! 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Ah indeed. That means it is not a quote from what I actually said. I am sure that if the— 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I made it quite plain that it was a quote from the  
Metro 
 article. That member last week stopped me from tabling it. It certainly is a quote. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is a comment on the substance. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The article in  
Metro 
 does not have that comment in quotation marks as being from me. I say to the member that if the ACT party uses its parliamentary funding for offices in the regions that might help regional growth to the extent that they can. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I ask you to reflect on that answer and ask yourself whether at any stage in giving that answer the Minister addressed the question. What he did do was to suggest that my question was somehow out of order without raising a point of order and that somehow passed for an answer. That certainly will not do. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No he addressed the question. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Did the Minister write to  
Metro 
 to deny the import of the quote in that article; if so on what date? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I was not aware of that particular part of the article until it was drawn to the House’s attention last week. I think it is a bit late now to worry about what appears in  
Metro 
 magazine but no doubt the member’s friend Felicity Ferret will bring it to his attention should future quotes occur. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Has the Minister received any reports as to whether the growth in those gross domestic product (GDP) figures he quotes for the regions has led to any growth in human well-being in those regions; if so has that well-being been evenly distributed across the people who live there? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Yes it has certainly led to growth in jobs and that is one of the major elements of well-being in a society such as ours. It will probably assist in the re-election of this Government which is the best way to spread well-being amongst the entire population. 
Larry Baldock 
: Has the Minister seen any reports on the impact of roading congestion on regional economic growth rates such as that in the Western Bay of Plenty where the nation’s largest export port is located; if so what were their conclusions and if not does he plan to conduct any research of that nature in the future? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Yes the member makes a fair point that there are road congestion problems in the western bay and most clearly in Auckland. The Government is addressing that through its land transport strategy but there is a long way to go in that respect. 
Rodney Hide 
: I seek leave to table the  
Metro 
 magazine from last December that contains the quote in my supplementary question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that article. Is there any objection? There is.