Bridges Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Bridges Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:677;Page:655] 
2. 
SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: What will be the main focus of Budget 2012? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance) 
: 
 Budget 2012 will be delivered on Thursday 24 May. It will focus on implementing the Government’s clear and comprehensive plan to build a more competitive economy. Within that plan the Government’s main priorities are responsibly managing the Government’s finances building a more competitive economy delivering better public services and rebuilding Christchurch. 
Simon Bridges 
: Why is it important to responsibly manage the Government’s finances? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The House will come to order. This time I say to a very senior member on my left that I wonder whether she is getting short-sighted because she could see me on my feet while she kept interjecting and it is not good enough. 
Simon Bridges 
: Do I need to ask it again? 
Hon Members 
: Yes yes yes. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The House will come to order. We have had enough fun for today and there will be silence while I am on my feet and that includes the member who sought to play that prank. The member has asked his question and the Minister of Finance will answer. I just want some reasonableness in interjections so he can hear the Minister. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: It is important because we are spending more than we earn. Between 2000 and 2009 total core Crown expenditure jumped by 85 percent from $35 billion to $64 billion up to 2009. Excluding earthquake costs it will rise another $7.4 billion to over $70 billion by 2012. We have made it clear that that kind of rate of increase faster than the increase in revenue cannot continue for ever and that is why we are tightening up on spending to get back to surplus by 2014-15 and stop our ever-rising public debt from rising. 
Simon Bridges 
: How will the Government build a more productive and competitive economy? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Of course a competitive and productive economy is primarily built by businesses and organisations that invest and employ that invest in capital and create jobs. It is our job to set the policy framework such as sound incentives in the tax system Government agencies that pull their own weight in increasing productivity in this economy changing our regulatory environment so it helps businesses make decisions to employ another person and reducing their costs where we can. For instance from 1 April ACC levies on employers and the self-employed will drop by 22 percent reducing costs to businesses by around a quarter of a billion dollars because we are running the scheme more competently than the mess left by the last Labour Government. 
Hon David Parker 
: Will his Budget show that under his Government’s policy settings New Zealand’s international debt deteriorates with a growing current account deficit funded by more overseas borrowing and the sale of New Zealand assets to foreigners? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The Budget will show as our previous Budgets have that that is exactly what we inherited and despite the difficult conditions we are wrestling with it successfully. 
Simon Bridges 
: What progress is the Government making through its economic plan? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Just a couple of indicators: the economy has grown in nine of the last 10 quarters and our forecasts for growth while moderate are better than for most of the developed world; and secondly we are beginning to make progress in getting on top of our deficit. Last year it was the largest ever and we expect by 2014-15 we will be in surplus.