Robertson Grant: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRobertson Grant: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 28 July 2015. Volume:707;Page:5332. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his reported statement that the slow-down in growth this year had come at the right time in the electoral cycle?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance): Yes. I do not know whether I actually used the word “slow-down”. I think I said that it was because the economy is a bit softer. But that was alongside statements to the effect that we do not want to be a political party that as soon as it sees any market or global turbulence starts talking about spending more borrowing more regulating everything and keeping foreigners out which is what the Labour Party has done in the last month.Grant Robertson: In light of that answer is he concerned that there are still 146000 people out of work 11000 more than at the time of last year’s election or is that OK for those New Zealanders to be doing it tough because it is at the right time in the electoral cycle?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I am not sure what the member is referring to. The number of people on benefits continues to drop. Today there are 42000 fewer New Zealand children in a benefit household than there were 3 years ago. The Government’s social investment approach to welfare is increasingly recognised in other developed countries as very progressive if not revolutionary.Grant Robertson: Is he concerned that at least $13 billion will be absent from regional New Zealand over 2 years as a result of plummeting dairy prices or are the job losses and hard times that go with that just fine in his book as long as it happens at the right time in the electoral cycle?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I am concerned about that and having for a number of years represented an area that has become an intensive dairying area I know quite a bit about the impact that that loss in dairy income will have. But surely the member is not going to suggest that dairy prices ought to stay low for the next 3 years so that he can get re-elected. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The level of interjection now coming from my right-hand side means that I will not hesitate to deal with somebody very severely on this side if I need to.Grant Robertson: Is he concerned that the proportion of workers who received a pay increase over the past year is the lowest for 5 years or is that just fine so long as it happens at the right time in the electoral cycle to suit his party’s electoral prospects?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I think that demonstrates that the member has a bit of homework to do. Real wage increases have continued. In the last year in fact inflation was zero and oil prices dropped yielding spare cash for families for further consumption or saving. There is no evidence that wage growth is way out of proportion with where it has been over recent years. Wages continue to rise and will continue to do so despite that member trying to say that the economy is going down the toilet.Grant Robertson: When will he apologise to New Zealanders for his out-of-touch cynical and selfish comments to the National Party conference on the weekend or is he just more worried about his party’s electoral prospects than how New Zealanders do?Hon BILL ENGLISH: The cynic in me would say that it would be when that member’s out-of-touch cynical and selfish undermining of the Labour leadership stops.Grant Robertson: Given that he has acknowledged that he did make comments in the weekend that the slow-down or softening of the New Zealand economy was happening at the right time in the electoral cycle when will he start governing in the national interest and not in the interests of National?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Unfortunately the Government does not have sufficient influence to determine when or how economic slow-downs occur. I know that member believes that is the case but actually the fundamental job in New Zealand is to ensure that this economy is resilient to precisely these slow-downs and I think the Government has built up a track record where its policy has supported that resilience and built up the confidence of New Zealanders in their ability to deal with economic adversity. We are proud to stand by that track record.