Wong Pansy: Budget Debate 
Wong Pansy: Budget Debate 
[Volume:654;Page:4189] 
Hon PANSY WONG (Minister for Ethnic Affairs) 
: 
 I congratulate our Minister of Police the Hon Judith Collins. With the support of our Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance she delivered on our election promise: 600 new police officers—300 of them for Manukau. I tell her that my constituents in Botany say: “Well done”. They can now rest easy knowing that we have a hard-working and effective Minister of Police. The previous Labour Minister of Police the Hon Annette King when faced with rising crime in Manukau attributed it to the position of the sun and the moon. She thought it was the weather. Thank heavens we have the Hon Judith Collins as our Minister now! She champions victims’ rights. She stands on the side of our law-abiding citizens. I thank the Minister and I say “Well done”. I send her the regards of the Botany community because this hard-working MP went out there door-knocking and they said: “Pansy Wong good on the National Government for taking practical steps to look after New Zealand.” 
Actually New Zealanders out there are very realistic. They know that our country like others in the world is facing the worst economic recession in 60 years since 1930. They are very realistic about what they believe the Government can do and they understand that the National Government is doing its best under the capable leadership of the Hon John Key and the Hon Bill English. In such difficult conditions they had to craft a Budget that balanced fiscal responsibility and other concerns. Like people in all households the Government understands the importance of balancing the books. It is not into the slash-and-burn or borrow-and-hope approach of Labour. Labour was into borrowing and hoping that the weather would turn good. 
It is a very responsible Budget as my colleague the Hon Judith Collins just mentioned. How many Ministers of Finance can claim they have managed to deliver a Budget in the worst economic recession in 60 years and get an upgrade from Standard and Poor’s? Averting a downgrade means that an average household with a mortgage of $150000 avoids paying an extra $50 a week in interest. I think that is fantastic. 
I say that it is a privilege to be the Minister for Ethnic Affairs. For a start one of the major concerns of the ethnic community was like the rest of New Zealanders law and order. The community told me that it is very pleased with not just our commitment to the police but also the introduction of legislation that gets tough on criminals. That is very good news for ethnic communities. 
My vision for ethnic New Zealanders is for them to be confident equal and proud New Zealanders. I am pleased to say that the Office of Ethnic Affairs will continue with good programmes to ensure that those visions will be realised. The Office of Ethnic Affairs will run very successful leadership training programmes for our young ethnic New Zealanders. I have seen those young men and women participating in the workshops and they are proud of their bicultural identity; it was fantastic. The office is also running workshops to train women in leadership. We also have a very good programme called Building Bridges which enables people in the Muslim community to share their culture and enhance understanding between them and the wider community. That successful programme has now been extended to the African community. 
Unemployment is the biggest blow to happen to any ethnic household during times of economic recession as it is for all New Zealanders. The Government announced previously the ReStart package and the 9-working-day fortnight to ensure that ethnic New Zealanders are cushioned as much as possible from the sharp edges of unemployment. We have also hosted a renowned UK economist Philippe Legrain. He came here and shared some powerful arguments about how diversity in the workforce helps the growth of business and helps individuals to prosper. When a workforce consists of people who have international networks they are able to reach a growing customer base. New Zealand is getting increasingly multicultural and that makes sense. 
The other sensible thing that ethnic New Zealanders have praised the National-led Government for is the introduction of the 90-day trial period of employment. Ethnic New Zealanders welcome that and want it; they are very confident in their ability to prosper in jobs. But their problem has always been not getting that opportunity. The previous Labour Government made employment so tough and made employment laws so unfriendly that our small-business men and women were too worried to give new migrant workers that opportunity. Now migrants new entrants to the workforce and our ethnic communities everywhere have told me how wonderful it is to be given the opportunity to secure themselves a job. The National-led Government will continue to introduce initiatives to ensure ethnic New Zealanders find employment. 
Another issue is access to health services. Our capable and effective Minister of Health the Hon Tony Ryall who unlike the Minister of Health under the previous Labour Government does not send new mothers with babies home with a food voucher has secured more money to put into maternity services so that mothers have time to bond with their babies. We think it is a basic fundamental right for young babies to have a head start instead of young mothers being sent home with a food voucher. Shame on Labour! That happened under the previous Labour Minister of Health who said he was running the show. 
I am glad that the Hon Tony Ryall is now running the Ministry of Health so well. As a result of the increased health funding in this Budget ethnic New Zealanders will discuss how they can participate and take a more proactive role to ensure that services are more accessible to them. I travel throughout the country not just in my Botany constituency and ethnic New Zealanders believe that the National Government presented a very balanced and credible Budget.