Smith Nick: Debate on Budget Policy Statement 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Smith Nick: Debate on Budget Policy Statement 
[Sitting date: 02 May 2012. Volume:679;Page:1875. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 It is a real pleasure to be speaking in this Budget Policy Statement speech in that the real issue that is on the minds of New Zealanders is how we manage ourselves through the most challenging economic environment in a generation. These are the issues that matter and it has been incredibly telling over the adjournment period to contrast the view that has come through from Government Ministers with the alternative economic vision that has come from Opposition parties.  
You have had the Minister of Finance talking about the need to responsibly manage finances. You have heard Ministers talking about the plans this Government has for building a more competitive and more productive economy. You have had them making announcements about improving the quality of public services for New Zealanders and you have seen significant announcements about rebuilding Christchurch. What I want to contrast that with is the announcements from Opposition parties over the adjournment period that show they are completely out of touch with the challenges that New Zealand faces.  
Hon Annette King 
: No that was that member. He was totally out of touch. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I hear the member Annette King. What was the big announcement that we had from the Labour Party over the adjournment period? It was that it wants to have another $450 million on extending paid parental leave. The simple question I have got for the deputy leader of the Labour Party is: where is the money coming from? You see Labour members have learnt absolutely nothing from their 9 years in Government where they spent without a care in the world and passed on to this Government a decade of deficits.  
But it was not just the Labour Party that was out spending money that this country does not have. We had New Zealand First out there saying: “Hey look! We’re going to have cheaper power costs for all older people.” What a lovely thing to have—what a lovely thing to have. But over the Budget Policy Statement period of 5 years that policy is expected to cost $170 million. My challenge for New Zealand First is: where is the money coming from? Can it not comprehend that there is a global financial crisis in which people are losing jobs in which countries are going broke because of policies and reckless spending by parties like New Zealand First and the Labour Party? 
Then if you look in terms of the argument for growth I think every member of this House would say that the real future for New Zealand in getting jobs and growing incomes is to grow the economy. Yet in every single commentary over the adjournment period we heard reasons from Opposition parties as to why we should not take initiatives to grow the economy. Let me take my own electorate. A particular initiative is the growth of aquaculture in the Marlborough Sounds. That is a growth of business that is estimated to create another 300 jobs in Nelson and grow the exports of this country by over $100 million a year. And where was the Opposition on that issue over the summer? It said it was opposed.  
And then we come to another initiative the growth of agriculture. Again over the summer we heard from Opposition parties as to why they were opposed to the growth of agriculture. We heard the debate over the convention centre an initiative for Auckland that would create over 1000 jobs. Again where was the Opposition on that opportunity for New Zealand to grow tourism and grow jobs? Again parties opposite were in the “no” camp. Take another one: there are tremendous opportunities for this country around minerals and petroleum. I was interested again to hear from Opposition parties as to why we cannot grow the minerals and the petroleum sector.  
So I just have a very simple question for members opposite over the Budget Policy Statement. Why is it when there is any proposition for growth for jobs for exports that parties opposite say no? They cannot stand up in this House talk about higher incomes talk about closing the deficit and talk about more jobs if on every single issue that comes along all they can do is promote new ideas for spending Government money we do not have and reasons why we cannot have jobs or growth. 
 You see they are the issues in this Budget Policy Statement that contrast the Government with the Opposition parties. It is very easy to give waffly speeches about wanting to grow the economy wanting to grow exports and wanting to be able to create opportunities for New Zealanders but every time it comes to the test and every time it comes to the debate over creating jobs and wealth Opposition parties say no. 
I just challenge members opposite who want to close the deficit and say “Well OK what are your ideas for ensuring that New Zealand gets back into the black by 2014?”. Members and Ministers on this side of the House have in this Budget Policy Statement sent a very important plan down for New Zealand to balance the books. I want to hear from Labour Green and New Zealand First—members of the Opposition—where their plan is to deal with the question of debt. My worry is that when you scratch the surface of the policies of parties opposite it sounds like it is in Greek. It really does. Every initiative I have heard from Labour members involves more spending fewer jobs and fewer opportunities. That is no recipe for New Zealand to get through this very challenging economic period. 
I hear members from New Zealand First interjecting. I have a simple question: where is the $150 million coming from to fund Winston Peters’ policy of cheap power bills for the superannuitants?  
I am listening. Where is the $150 million coming from? I challenge the members of the Labour Party who over the adjournment period have promised paid parental leave. My simple question for Labour members is “Where is the money coming from?”. Where is the money coming from Mr Cunliffe? They are silent—absolutely silent. Well I say that if we are going to have a sensible mature debate on the Budget Policy Statement members opposite who go around the country promising more spending to everybody need to front up and say where the money is coming from. Members on this side of the House say the days of increased debt increased spending and borrow and hope are over. It is time this country had to earn a living. It is time we grew the productive economy. It is time we balanced the Budget. That is the right economic strategy for New Zealand. That is why this John Key Government is the right answer for the challenges this country faces.