4. Earthquake Kaikōura—Support for BusinessesDENIS O'ROURKE (NZ First) to the Minister of FinanceEarthquake Kaikōura—Support for Businesses4. DENIS O'ROURKE (NZ First) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement that When the quake happened the Government immediately moved to provide support to the affected towns with the earthquake job subsidy primary sector and tourism support packages extra housing assistance through MSD additional health sector support and grants to help with the restoration of important local infrastructure including the Kaikōura Harbour"; if so why then are Kaikōura residents and businesses unhappy with the level of Government support?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Finance): Yes I stand by my statement and I thank the member for reading it out. The Government is providing substantial support to quake-affected residents businesses and local councils and it continues to do so. The initial $17 million grant scheme has helped support many businesses in the area. Since then some businesses particularly those in construction have been doing well and do not need further help. With fewer businesses accessing the support we have moved on to the next stage and my colleague Minister Bridges announced in April the $1 million business recovery grants programme and it is available to eligible businesses in Kaikōura Hurunui and Marlborough.Denis O'Rourke: How many of the businesses that have applied under the $1 million business recovery grant programme have been given a grant and how many refused?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well it would be wise perhaps to put that down to the responsible Minister. He would be more than happy to answer it for you. Minister Bridges is supervising that package in consultation with the local chamber of commerce which is working with the Government on allocating the funding.Denis O'Rourke: If he agrees with the Kaikōura business operators whose livelihoods are threatened by the continued closure of State Highway 1 that the criteria for the grants are so restrictive that it does not actually help them will he do anything about it?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well perhaps I can help the member in terms of the criteria. The criteria are that the businesses are located along the highway in the affected areas; have suffered a significant income drop caused by the earthquakes; were viable before the earthquakes and have the potential to successfully recover; do not have insurance available at this time; have a significant source of income for the owner of the business; pay staff at least the minimum wage; and are not a charity a property developer or an investor. Those seem very reasonable criteria but my colleague advises that they are also being flexible on it. They are very keen to see businesses supported and to achieve. The biggest point—and I think the member almost made this point—is the restoration of the roading corridor and the rail corridor. Good progress is being made there and he may recall that $812 million was voted in this Budget to assist with the restoration of the State Highway 1 corridor.Denis O'Rourke: Will his Government provide a more realistic grant programme than the obviously inadequate $1 million scheme; if so what and when?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I just disagree with the member's proposition in terms of the scheme. If it did not prove to be adequate if there was more demand on it the Minister and the Government are in the position where we would provide more support. It is just a case of going through the process and assisting those businesses. It is a very tough time for those businesses. We stand behind them as we have done since the earthquakes."