Lotu-Iiga Sam: Imprest Supply DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLotu-Iiga Sam: Imprest Supply Debate[Sitting date: 06 August 2013. Volume:692;Page:12386. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Third ReadingPeseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie):It is an honour to speak on the Appropriation (2013/14 Estimates) Bill. I would not be doing justice if I did not reply to some of the comments Mr Cunliffe has made. May I first congratulate him on his leadership pitch here this morning but with two fellow travellers in his camp that man will not be leader—not in the next week not in the next month and likely not this century. But he has some skills and he has pointed out what a great job this Government is doing. It is a pleasure to talk about real leadership not the fake leadership that that man just demonstrated. Real leadership comes from the Prime Minister John Key by focusing on the things that matter. While members opposite focus on leaks scaremongering and leadership spills within the Labour Party the National Government continues to focus on the economy on jobs on opportunities for our people and on the crisis that has hit this country with the Fonterra milk scare. We are showing leadership in that department.This Budget legislation confirms what most New Zealanders know. The 50 percent who say in polls that they would vote for National—not the 30 percent who would vote for Labour—want leadership. They want demonstrated proven and sound leadership and John Key demonstrates that every day that he is out in our communities and every day that he is in this House and in the Beehive leading our country. This legislation confirms that we are on the right track. We are on the right track with economic growth we are on the right track with more jobs being created and we are on the right track in terms of the rising wages that are occurring in this country.Members opposite have asked: “Where are the jobs?”. Well the jobs are online and in newspapers. I looked at SEEK before I came down to the House this morning. There are 16255 jobs available on SEEK—12956 of those are full-time 1027 are part-time and 2000 are contract jobs. Over 16000 jobs are out there in our communities and those are just the advertised jobs. There are thousands of other jobs available and the issue is that we need to get people skilled and we need to get people motivated to take up those jobs that are on offer in our communities.We are responsibly managing the Government’s books and we know that we are going to reach a projected surplus in the next 2 financial years. We are building a more competitive and productive economy—Carol Beaumont: Tell that to the 146000 people who are unemployed—146000 unemployed.Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: —and trying to create jobs out there whether it be mining or whether it be convention centres. All I know is that members opposite including Ms Beaumont cannot stand the fact that we are creating an environment where jobs are being created. People are taking on jobs they are feeding and clothing their families and they are independent from the former Labour Government which promoted reliance and dependence on that Government.So what are we doing? What are we doing in terms of housing? When I go around my electorate in Maungakiekie housing affordability is a real issue. And we know—Hon David Cunliffe: That’s Carol Beaumont’s electorate.Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Carol Beaumont did not get voted in. I love it—I love it! Carol Beaumont is running in Manukau East. The people in Manukau East know it. She is going for selection in Manukau East. She might live in Epsom South but she is running for Manukau East.Anyway we know that 39000 houses need to be built in the next 3 years. What is this Government doing? We are working with councils. There is a housing accord with Auckland Council whereby we are going to free up land and special housing areas. That is particularly important because housing affordability is critical to our economic growth. It is critical to the lives of New Zealanders particularly in my community in Maungakiekie. It critical to those who want to have their own homes. So what are we doing? We are streamlining the Resource Management Act. Amy Adams is reducing red tape around the building of new houses—and this is supported by Nick Smith—by introducing 6-month consenting limits for medium-sized projects. We know that the Hon Maurice Williamson is also doing a fine job in the building sector bringing together parties who are looking to build houses at lower cost and to build those houses faster through a consenting process that supports economic growth.We are launching an inquiry into building material costs. We know that the cost of building houses in New Zealand is 30 percent higher than in Australia. So we have asked the question. We are inquiring into it we are investigating that and we will bring a review that will make changes to the building industry. We are also reviewing development contributions and compliance costs because we know that red tape and bureaucracy dampens development. I have talked to the developers in South Auckland. I have talked to the developers in Maungakiekie. They are telling me that red tape and bureaucracy is the worst thing that can occur because it dampens development dampens economic growth and dampens jobs.This Government is about investing in skills to boost the productivity of the construction sector. Onehunga High School my local high school has a building and construction school that supports the industry in terms of building more houses faster. We also have trades academies across this nation. I have talked to those young kids. The Prime Minister and I visited Onehunga High School 2 months ago and after talking to the kids we know that they are aspirational they want jobs and they want to participate in our communities. That is why the programmes that National is delivering in this Budget are working and New Zealanders know it.The other thing that this Government is doing is creating an economic framework from which jobs and opportunities can be created—an economic framework. We have seen some of the lowest interest rates in New Zealand for a number of years. It is those interest rates that save money for those who are paying mortgages. We have a low inflation rate—the lowest inflation rate. Low inflation and low interest rates mean that when businesses make investment decisions and when they make decisions in terms of hiring people they know that they are making those decisions with a greater degree of certainty confidence and trust not just in the Government but in the economy.Labour members are silent on this. What they are not silent on is their anti-growth policies. They are anti-growth. They belong in the pockets of the faceless men in the unions of this country. Mr Cunliffe in the speech he has just made referred to the unions because he is in their pockets. He needs the unions to defeat Shearer in a leadership spill. That is why he mentions the unions in every speech he makes in this House. It is disgusting. Labour members talk about cronyism—well that is disgusting. So Mr Cunliffe should think seriously about the speeches he makes in this House that refer to the faceless men who support him.Hon David Cunliffe: Keep a straight face Sam.Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: That is right. We know that economic growth is the highest in 5 years that it compares well with Australia and that it is higher than in almost every other developed country—every other developed country. I challenge members opposite to go for a visit to America to Europe and to parts of Africa and they will realise what a great country we live in. They will realise what a good soundGovernment we have—one that is promoting growth and opportunities in this country—and they will realise that wages are growing and cost of living increases have been extremely modest in the last few years.My colleague Mr Young referred to the low inflation rate—0.7 percent in the last year. So we know that this Government is on the right track. We know that we are promoting growth and opportunities. But we also know that we are a Government that has compassion. We are a Government that is insulating 46000 more homes for low-income families with a $100 million investment in this Budget. We know that we are a Government that is increasing budget advisory services—one of the biggest issues in my electorate office—by 17 percent which equates to over $10.5 million.We know that this is a compassionate Government. It is providing over $190 million over 4 years for welfare reforms. Why? Because we are work testing people in order to get them back into work. What are we doing also? We are providing $46.8 million for extra income-related rent subsidies which will open up the community housing sector to provide for those families that are most in need. So this Government is delivering warmer drier homes and it is delivering subsidised homes for those most in need in our society.I summarise by saying that this Government with this Budget is delivering on the issues that matter to all New Zealanders. We are a compassionate Government. We have got sound prudential conservative policies that are delivering for New Zealanders right across this country. Thank you.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: The next call is a 5-minute call.