Choudhary Ashraf: Budget Debate 
Choudhary Ashraf: Budget Debate 
[Volume:647;Page:16438] 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) 
: 
 After the Budget was delivered and all of us on this side of the House went out to meet people in the communities and tell them about it many people came and shook our hands. They truly believed in what this Budget contains for them and they passed on their good wishes to the Labour Government particularly to Michael Cullen because he as Minister of Finance has been the most careful steward of this country’s economy. 
I must say that what we have just heard from the other side of the House is a whole lot of garbage. The fact is that members opposite simply cannot be trusted. We need only look at some of the statements that have been coming from them. Today we heard about the KiwiSaver drama. Their leader John Key said that KiwiSaver is fundamentally flawed and that it is a glorified Christmas club. Then he said that KiwiSaver would probably be successful and not too bad. Now we hear once again the leader say that National has some policy and will do something about KiwiSaver when it delivers its Budget. 
Then John Key talked about student loans. In November 2005 he said that interest-free loans were an unaffordable and irresponsible cost to the country. Then in January 2008 he said National would keep interest-free student loans for tertiary students. 
Lesley Soper 
: Flip-flop. 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: It was a flip-flop. 
He also goes around the country talking about asset sales. In March 2005 he said that Landcorp and Solid Energy would be sold and that there was no reason for the State to own Air New Zealand. Then in April 2008 the same leader said that no State assets would be sold in the first term of a National Government. That is another flip-flop. 
In May 2005 Mr Key said that climate change was a complete and utter hoax. Then in 2006 he said he was a firm believer in climate change and always had been. We are talking about the leader of a party. In May 2008 John Key said buying back the railways was a dumb idea. Then he said National would have no option but to keep the asset that it would have acquired from Toll Holdings. That is another flip-flop. 
We have heard what the Leader of the Opposition has said on Iraq. In September 2003 he said New Zealand was missing in action during the invasion of Iraq. Those members do not want to hear about that. But in July 2007 he said National would not have sent troops to Iraq. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: God help them! 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY 
: God help them! 
I turn to the subject of agriculture. I do not think the Opposition has mentioned agricultural research or development. This country is built on agriculture. This country’s income comes mainly from agriculture. But the Opposition opposed the $700 million that we are putting into research and development in Crown research institutes. Opposition members have no idea what they are talking about. They do not bother to consult Federated Farmers. They do not bother to talk to agricultural universities. They do not bother to talk to Crown research institutes. They just say that the $700 million should not be made available for agricultural research and development. That is shocking. I do not see the Opposition spokesman on agriculture in the Chamber. He came in but then disappeared. He has had nothing to say about agriculture. 
National claims to be farmer-friendly but I am really disappointed that it has had nothing to say about the involvement of research and development in agriculture. It has opposed the provision of $700 million for agriculture just as it opposed KiwiSaver and other benefits that we have given to the community through family packages and so on. I was really shocked when I heard Opposition members say they would oppose $700 million going into the research and development of agriculture. It is really shocking. 
This Budget will provide $205 million to boost New Zealand’s level of research. This will improve business performance international competitiveness and information and communications technology. New materials and sophisticated engineering will also be provided as a result of this investment. Of that figure of $205 million $64 million will be provided for research into sustainable primary production and renewable energy. 
 I will quote a couple of people who have been talking about what we have done in the Budget for research and innovation. Bronwyn Dilley the chief executive officer of NZBio says: “This is a budget with foresight and strong commitment to New Zealand’s long term success. It signals a step change towards a high value high skill knowledge based economy for New Zealand”. Mr Anthony Scott chief executive of Science New Zealand says: “Increases in areas which support long term research into specifically New Zealand needs—particularly the backbone databases and collections and long term programmes—are very much welcomed.” These are scientific people who appreciate what this Government has done in terms of putting money into research and development for this country. 
I will talk briefly about education. This Government is committed to investing in the future of young New Zealanders by providing a world-class education system. This Budget provides $182 million in operating funding and $33.5 million in capital funding in order to reduce year 1 class sizes thereby fulfilling the 2005 manifesto commitment. Today members heard a question asked by an Opposition spokesperson on education who did not even know what was in the Budget. She did not even know that there was money for reducing class sizes to a ratio of 1:15. There is also better pay for teachers with $1.8 billion for 5 years plus the remainder in the 2007 Budget for teachers’ wage settlement and key collective agreements. For investment in schools there has been a 5 percent increase of schools’ operational funding costing $171.6 million over 4 years plus $20.8 million in capital funding over the next 3 years. That investment will improve school facilities and build new schools. There is a whole lot more that we have done in the tertiary education area. 
Before I finish I want to go back to what Dr Lockwood Smith said when he was National’s spokesperson on education. He promised that he would resign if he did not get rid of student fees. In fact when he was Minister of Education he doubled those fees and did not even resign. As I said we cannot trust Opposition members. They cannot be trusted or believed about what they say today and what they are going to say tomorrow. Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker.