3. Question No. 3—FinanceDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 3—Finance3. Dr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central) to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): This week CBRE released its latest MarketView report. It shows New Zealand's commercial property market is having its strongest showing in nearly five years with investors buying $2.9 billion of commercial property. The executive chairman of CBRE Brent McGregor said the New Zealand market was active and attractive"—not a label I would apply to myself but to the New Zealand commercial property market—"with a mix of institutions and private investors buying [commercial property]." Mr McGregor said—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Yep straight out of residential.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: —Gerry listen up—these buyers would be long-term investors in the country. On this side of the House we welcome this vote of confidence in the New Zealand economy.Dr Duncan Webb: What other reports has he seen on the overall state of the New Zealand economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We had a helpful reminder today about the state of the New Zealand economy and the Government's fiscal management in BusinessDesk journalist Pattrick Smellie's latest column. Mr Smellie said that "budget surpluses low inflation low unemployment low government debt rising wages enviable annual growth rates compared to our peers and a reaffirmed Aaa credit rating are proof the economy is in reasonable nick."—this Government right here. Of course we should not get complacent and Mr Smellie also wrote about the risks facing the economy namely the international situation and the potential for trade wars. We must make sure that New Zealand addresses this and New Zealand's infrastructure and skills bottlenecks.Dr Duncan Webb: What is the Government doing to address this bottleneck?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The coalition Government recognises that after years of under-investment in infrastructure and training we need to catch up. That's why we're making record investment in New Zealand's nationwide transport infrastructure including a $28 billion package alongside Auckland Council. We're also rolling out targeted training programmes like micro-credentials like Mana in Mahi alongside the fees-free post - secondary school study. On this side of the House we understand that it is an active Government working alongside the business sector and training providers that will break through these bottlenecks.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Minister as to whether or not if someone had as his business experience five weeks as a director of a casino that member would be attracted to this economy?SPEAKER: Order! Question No. 4—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: If I need to explain it to the Acting Prime Minister I will. It is an area of ministerial responsibility and a general question like that about casino experience and the economy is one which Ministers are not responsible for.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Well I've dealt with the point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I understand but the reality is there are many elements to the market that might be attracted to New Zealand's present economy. I could've asked whether it be the farming economy the fishing economy or dare I say it the timber economy but I asked about a specific industry called casinos and I wouldn't have thought in that category I was being limited from making that inquiry.SPEAKER: Yes and I'll give the member another reason for ruling it out and that is that patsy supplementaries from the Government are not allowed to be used to attack the Opposition."