Curran ClareCLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South): When Simon Bridges got up to trumpet the things that the Government might do in the future such as delivering the next stage of ultra-fast broadband to New Zealand he neglected as so many Government Ministers on that side of the House do to tell us about the 130000 New Zealanders who will not get that better connectivity for up to 7 years—up to 7 years. But they should be happy now—they should be happy now. That is one example of the regional development progress that the Government talks about that actually is not a reality; it is just a myth.My comments relate to the 2015-16 annual review of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. What that report says—it has got increased spending on contractors. There is no focus on local procurement as a lever for regional development. It trumpets the Government's export goals of 40 percent of GDP by 2025 but guess where that target is now? It is nowhere near 40 percent. It is 30 percent and going backwards. That is just one example of the myth-making that this Government does.The previous speaker talked about the regions—New Zealand's regions. Well I want to talk about the region that I am part of and that I represent which is Dunedin which is part of Otago and the disinterest that this Government shows in significant regions in our country. On 16 February Dunedin was rocked by the news that its 80-year-old efficient agile chocolate factory Cadbury's now owned by multinational Mondelez International was to close with the loss of nearly 400 jobs. A month later—yes it took a month—Prime Minister Bill English paid a flying visit to Dunedin and said the closure of the Cadbury factory in Dunedin will be a huge thing for affected workers who may prove to be more resilient than expected. That was it.So just how resilient should we be Mr English? There was the closure of the Hillside railway workshops with the loss of hundreds of skilled manufacturing jobs and the decimation of a vibrant engineering hub in Dunedin; the gutting of the Invermay agricultural research facility with the loss of nearly 100 jobs; and the glacial progress on the rebuild of Dunedin Hospital and the erosion of health services for those who are trying to get an appointment with a specialist let alone get on to a waiting list for an operation.And then there is the consensus building in the city that the lack of affordable rental properties is reaching or has already reached crisis point. Dunedin rents are up 16 percent in the last year. If you are on a low income and your lease ends finding an affordable house is really hard. Once upon a time there used to be State houses for those who found it hard to afford those rents and if household incomes were going up that would not be such an issue. But they are not. In Otago last year the average household income actually fell 1 percent. There are more than 100 people on the waiting list for State houses meanwhile 53 lie empty. There are 160 on the waiting list for Dunedin City Council community housing. It is the longest it has ever been.Families are in motels just like everywhere else around the country. But this is what is happening in our city right now—living in cars and in garages. To get a State house in Dunedin you have to be prepared to speak out publicly. The Minister sitting in the chair Michael Woodhouse knows it. Winter is approaching and Bill English wafts into town and observes how resilient we all are.So if you ask Dunedin people what their top-of-mind issues are the rebuild of Dunedin Hospital the lack of affordable housing and worry about jobs are the top three. This Government's and Bill English's view about resilience—it is like he has taken Dunedin into the wilderness and left us there to survive on our own. That is his view of resilience. He is doing nothing and he has got no vision. It is time for a fresh approach from a Government that actually cares about provincial New Zealand.