Swain Paul: Financial Review Debate 
Swain Paul: Financial Review Debate 
[Volume:607;Page:4140] 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Associate Minister of Finance) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Finance 
: I move  
That the Appropriation (2001/02 Financial Review) Bill be now read a second time 
. The debate on this bill which does a number of things including sanctioning confirming and validating financial matters relating to the financial year ended 30 June 2002 is the perfect opportunity for Parliament to thank this Government and congratulate it on the very very good positive work it has done in the year 2001-02. When members hear of the fabulous work done during that time and they vote on the bill at the end I expect the vote will be unanimous—so impressed will members be with the good solid work done. 
Members will know that this Government has built a strong foundation for growth. There is absolutely no question about that. They will know that this Government has provided stable government with strong leadership and that the aim has been to build solid levels of growth and fund good public services and infrastructure sustainability. These are the things that have been achieved. We also have— 
John Carter 
: What do they get? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I will tell the member in just a minute. We have a positive programme that is moving the country forward and we are implementing smart active policies to encourage and facilitate growth and development. 
John Carter 
: When? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: That was during 2001-02. It has got better since then but we are not going to talk about that. We are going to talk specifically about this bill. I will point out just a couple of the highlights. 
John Carter 
: Highlights? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes a couple of the highlights. There are far too many to acknowledge because we would need virtually all day and all night but here are a couple of them. In this period we have had a growing economy. At the end of September we had 3.9 percent growth and it is this end-on-end sustainable growth that will provide the background for improved services in New Zealand. 
There is improved access to primary health-care under the leadership of my colleague the Hon Annette King. There are more real jobs in New Zealand than there have been for decades. Almost 15500 fewer people are on the unemployment benefit than a year ago. There are almost 120000 more jobs than when we took over from that useless hopeless lazy National Government in 1999. There is a fairer deal for victims with the Victims’ Rights Act passed in October 2002 under the leadership of the hardworking Hon Phil Goff. 
We have cut the cost of tertiary education. We have funded 700 extra teachers and we have expanded opportunities for people to learn in the workplace. By the end of the year we intend to have 6000 young people in Modern Apprenticeships an increase of 100 percent since the middle of last year inheriting from a National Government that destroyed the apprenticeship system in New Zealand. There is no question about that. The National Government absolutely destroyed it. 
We compare that achievement to the National Party which is in total and utter disarray. It is repeating failed ideas of the past. It has no leadership and no vision and not a clue about what it stands for. I found on the Internet that the Opposition spokesperson on finance Don Brash was going to provide the National Party’s road map for the future. His address was called “Where to from here?” but having read it I am still none the wiser. I have no idea “where to from here” for the National Party. This particular speech has sunk without a trace. Why? Because it gives tired old ideas from tired old last century. 
He started his speech by saying that in the past National’s values were New Zealand’s values. Well that was true possibly in the past but not any more; not this century. That is why the National Party is on that side of the Chamber and we are on this side. Those values do not represent New Zealand any more. He talked about a number of issues and defined about six or seven of them. The first one he said was the importance of getting the right direction. But when we read this entire speech it is last century thinking. It is old-fashioned and it is tired. This Government has the leadership programme. It delivered in 2001-02. I expect every member who stands in the House to speak in this debate to congratulate and thank this Government for the fabulous work it has done in the year 2001-02.