4. Question No. 4—Regional Economic DevelopmentMARK PATTERSON (NZ First) to the Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentQuestion No. 4—Regional Economic Development4. MARK PATTERSON (NZ First) to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: What recent Provincial Growth Fund announcements have been made?FLETCHER TABUTEAU (Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Regional Economic Development) on behalf of the Minister for Regional Economic Development: The coalition Government is committed to the provinces. We know that this Government is doing more to build homes in our communities and one of the announcements I made was recently in Tokoroa. It came in two parts. The first part was about working with Waikato-Tainui. It was about working with the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation in which we will be tailoring a 10-week programme to ensure that young people of Tokoroa and south Waikato have a pathway into a construction apprenticeship or quite simply a lifelong career in building. At the same time at that same announcement we were able to make an announcement on a hundred workers working on modular homes in the Tokoroa community. That means people are in that community working on building modular homes and earning while they learn. It's a great outcome.Mark Patterson: What other Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) announcements have been made recently?FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Good question. On behalf of the Minister I think everyone saw Kaikōura as one of the town centres or one of the places that was at the heart of one of the most destructive earthquakes this country has ever seen. I have to acknowledge the work that was done by the previous Government and the continuing work of the coalition Government that has seen the Kaikōura community get to reset. Kaikōura came to the PGF and said We need your help. This community could actually be doing more than standing still if this Government invested through the PGF." and we did that. We did that through $11 million into tourism and business infrastructure and we did it through basic infrastructure on the coast itself enabling more people to go out on those amazing tours that they do.Mark Patterson: How have these announcements been received in the regions?FLETCHER TABUTEAU: It goes without saying that there's been a lot of feedback for both the Minister and myself in the regions—or the under-secretary and myself speaking on his behalf. The fact is that at Kaikōura for example one of the community leaders stood up and said this was the first time that the Government had been in and heard their pleas for their economic potential and their community and their ability to grow. The Mayor of South Waikato Jenny Shattock said "We're thrilled about the announcement and I know it's going to make a big difference particularly the Emergent Skills project based in and around Tokoroa." Thank you Mr Speaker.Mark Patterson: Why have the provinces and regional New Zealand so strongly communicated their support for the PGF announcements that have been made to the Minister?FLETCHER TABUTEAU: On behalf of the Minister the point to be made in the House today is a simple one. The people of the provinces and our rural and regional communities have said one of the greatest aspects of the Provincial Growth Fund programme is that this programme is not only designed for the regions but the regions themselves have come to the PGF and told the PGF what they wanted what they needed and so this is what we have been working to. The businesses themselves the communities themselves have for the first time in a long time had a voice and it has been a loud one sir. Thank you.Rt Hon Winston Peters: At Provincial Growth Fund announcements how many times has he personally been crushed by National Party colleagues trying to get there for the announcement?FLETCHER TABUTEAU: I have the privilege of working in both the Hawke's Bay and the West Coast and in every single announcement that I have made as the under-secretary I have had the pleasure and the company of the National electorate MP and they have been proud to be there to take photos and support such great work.SPEAKER: Well Mr O'Connor might disagree with you but we'll continue anyway."