Barry Maggie: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBarry Maggie: Supplementary Estimates — Imprest Supply Debate[Sitting date: 26 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11324. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Supplementary EstimatesMAGGIE BARRY (National—North Shore):I rise to speak to the second reading of the Appropriation (2012/13 Supplementary Estimates) Bill. The performance of the economy and the measures outlined in the Budget—the fifth presented by Bill English—are very bad news for our political opponents and very good news in fact great news for New Zealanders. Let us do just a quick recap on the roll-call summary of the successes resulting from this Government’s management of our economy. Economic growth is at 2.4 percent. It is about the same as Australia’s growth and certainly higher than that of almost every other developed country. Our economy is forecast to grow between 2 percent and 3 percent a year over the next 4 years. Wages are growing cost of living increases have been modest and interest rates are at 50-year lows.Scott Simpson: Wow! How much?MAGGIE BARRY: At 50-year lows. It is incredible. There are 50000 more jobs than there were 2 years ago and the unemployment rate has fallen to 6.2 percent which is still high and we are working very hard on improving that too. It is tracking in the right direction though. Currently it is at its lowest level in 3 years. Household income has risen by 20 percent in the past 4 years and is expected to rise by almost 20 percent in the next 4 years.Earlier this afternoon we heard an accurate excellent insightful and entertaining history of the Labour Party from the Hon Chris Finlayson.Hon Christopher Finlayson: Too short.MAGGIE BARRY: It was too short. In fact it could have gone on for many hours. Usually what we see of Labour is sad and getting sadder by the day especially if you goby its tragic showing in today’s polls. TheHerald -DigiPoll revealed that its support has slumped by 5.5 percent to—where is that sign—just 30 percent. The question is: can David Shearer survive the drumming in the weekend’s Ikaroa-Rāwhiti by-election? I do not know. Or will it be the other devious David—the Cunliffe who would be king—who has often been spurned even by his own? In fact as the Hon Jonathan Coleman said a little bit earlier this afternoon the only thing that actually unites Labour members is their loathing for David Cunliffe. But will the devious David do a Kevin Rudd and try to white-ant his way into the leadership by constantly undermining and plotting?Scott Simpson: Possibly.MAGGIE BARRY: Possibly—who knows? Mr Shearer is perhaps far too trusting as again the Hon Chris Finlayson so eloquently pointed out earlier this afternoon. Those qualities of trust and loyalty which are fundamental to the National Party and are core values of the tight team that is this caucus are very rare and endangered qualities indeed in “Camp Labour” and unknown in the Greens.Remember that when we came into office—just a little history lesson of my own—we inherited a set of Government books that had debts running to more than 60 percent of GDP with no prospect of Government Budget surpluses ever again or at least in a generation. The fiscal outlook has improved markedly as a result of National’s sound management. We are now on track to surplus in 2014-15 which is when we can start to reduce the core Crown debt back down to no higher than 20 percent of GDP by 2020. That is an aim that is a target and that is a goal. We are going to get there because we are a united team with a plan and we stick to it unlike the bozos on the Opposition benches.We are achieving all of that while still spending $5 billion on new initiatives this year and over the next 4 years. These are funded in part not by borrowing not by doing what we really cannot afford to do but by reprioritising existing spending. It is a remarkable turn-round in our Government’s books I think you will agree colleagues—yes indeed. That reversal of fortune is all about the same sort of consistent common sense that most of us would apply to running our own homes. On this side of the House and for all sensible New Zealanders we do not allow ourselves to get into deep debt and just keep borrowing until no one will lend to us any more—and then of course you can print some more if you are the Greens. But oh no—wait wait—they have rescinded on that. The Greens have changed their minds. Last week they sold out on their cornerstone financial policy—Simon O’Connor: Flip-flop.MAGGIE BARRY: They flip-flopped over it—exactly right—because they are so desperate for power. They are so desperate for power and their prospective Labour cronies did not much like Russel Norman’s favourite solution of quantitative easing. Labour members of course are well able to recognise policies that would consign them even closer to political oblivion because let us face it they have had a heck of a lot of practice. So they backed away from it and the Greens then quickly gave it away. So much for principles. So much for the Greens sticking to their guns. That is exactly what you call consistency Green Party - style.Scott Simpson: Unprincipled.MAGGIE BARRY: Unprincipled opposed to everything—they even oppose their own once-beloved flaky policies eventually.A feature of this year’s Budget that was presented is a $100-million-a-year internationally focused growth package that provides extra research and development assistance to businesses extra funding for tourism and then more resources for marketing New Zealand to international students which is an excellent way of improving our education here as well. It has many benefits. This will result in anincrease in trade and investment which in turn will create jobs and opportunities for New Zealanders—something the Greens will never get and Labour struggles with. Within the package that was announced in the Budget science and innovation funding is increased by $50 million a year. This takes the Government’s annual investment in research and development to—how much—$1.36 billion.Scott Simpson: How much?MAGGIE BARRY: It is $1.36 billion. That is a lot and it is the highest-ever amount to be spent in this area. In my electorate of the North Shore we are at the cutting edge of many science and technology industries. New funding over the next 4 years will include around $75 million for business research and development grants. That is an area where North Shore business AFT Pharmaceuticals has really benefited already. It had last year a research and development grant of $3.8 million which it told me will make a really significant difference to the company’s growth and help it to increase its sales from $50 million annually to its projected $150 million growth within the next 4 years. I would have to say that that is within reach and it is a target that the company is going to achieve because we were there to help. We gave it research and development money at a time it needed it so with some assistance from us it was able to build on its own business and really grow.ACC levy cuts are going to give another $300 million to the economy. That is good for businesses and good for households next year and it is going to be increasing after that to around $1 billion. There is no doubt at all that businesses on the North Shore and beyond throughout New Zealand—Scott Simpson: The Coromandel.MAGGIE BARRY: —will benefit. Even to the Coromandel Tāmaki and Botany—it is all go. They will benefit from these significant ACC levy reductions. This is a Budget that has made a difference to New Zealanders’ lives where it matters most. Let me give you some key examples of that. I know that Labour and the Greens do not pay attention to these things so perhaps if we give them the examples and go through them slowly they might learn something. Following work by the Ministerial Committee on Poverty we have introduced several important initiatives to support low-income families and this includes $100 million over 3 years to insulate 46000 more homes for low-income families and more than $21 million over the next 4 years to reduce rheumatic fever in children.There are also increases in budgeting services so that people will be able to learn to manage their own finances. One of my favourites is a whiteware procurement programme which the Hon Paula Bennett came up with. It is a good one because it is practical it is down to earth it will make a difference to people’s lives and it will enable beneficiaries to buy new appliances under warranty using Ministry of Social Development repayable grants. As Paula pointed out often what was happening was that beneficiaries were buying cheaper whiteware and cheaper equipment and it was breaking down there was no warranty and it was a disaster. So I think that is the kind of practical imaginative solution that really will help people. Again it is an unknown to the brayers and naysayers on the other side of the Chamber who will remain in political oblivion for a long time to come given the lack of talent in their line-up.The Minister of Housing Dr Nick Smith is to be commended too. I think that he is an excellent Minister. The trial on Housing New Zealand Corporation properties of a warrant of fitness scheme is again another common-sense approach in respect of the rental housing stock and we may be able to take that further. Over 4 years our social housing policy is going to include an extra $46.8 million for extra income-related rent subsidies. That is all part of this Government’s wider support for high-needs tenants. So we do look after people.Health was a very big winner in this year’s Budget and the focus has been to provide better front-line facilities. I know from my 30-odd years in the media that health stories are often in the news for all the wrong reasons particularly under the tenure of the lamentable lack of leadership shown by the former health Minister Annette King who did a woeful job. As I said earlier today she is the worst health Minister in 50 years—or even longer probably. In my own electorate the North Shore the North Shore Hospital was in the news for all the wrong reasons and it was down to Annette King’s mismanagement and incompetence. It seemed that everybody had a story to tell about it—long waits in the corridors having to go to Australia for treatment all of those kinds of things. But those things have now been turned round under the competent and visionary leadership of the Hon Tony Ryall and the rest of the team in Cabinet who supported by a united and very talented caucus will take this Government where this country needs to go. So I commend the Appropriation (2012/13 Supplementary Estimates) Bill to the House. Thank you.