Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is subject to correction 
Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 01 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4150. Text is subject to correction.] 
4. 
Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: Does he stand by his statement regarding migration to Australia “What’s the point of standing in the airport crying about it?”; if so are the numbers of people leaving New Zealand from the regions being replaced by people moving into the regions from elsewhere in New Zealand or overseas? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance) 
: 
 Yes. I stand by my full statement which went on to say “We’ve just got to compete.” because I believe that that is the case. We need to compete for our young people by doing everything we can to provide more affordable housing and higher-paying jobs. As to the second part of the question as I understand it there are no regional statistics that specifically isolate the number of people leaving any particular region to move overseas. The statistics that do exist for population in the regions show that almost all the regions are increasing in their population. The one significant negative is for the Canterbury region and that is for understandable reasons.  
Hon David Parker 
: Has he seen figures showing that although young New Zealanders are leaving for Australia from every part of the country inward migration is mainly into Auckland and what is the consequence for the regions of New Zealand systematically stripping out a generation? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Well I just do not agree with the exaggerated language the member is using about what is happening. The fact is that there has been internal migration in New Zealand to Auckland for quite a long time and it is attractive to migrants. I might point out to the member that in terms of total population change the only region in New Zealand that has seen a reduction in population in the year to June 2011 is Canterbury for understandable reasons and some of that may have turned round now. Every other region actually increased its population.  
Hon David Parker 
: Well then did Whangarei lose more than 1200 people in the last year alone to Australia and did Opotiki Rotorua Whangarei Kawerau Waimakariri Kaikoura Buller and the Queenstown Lakes also lose more than 1 percent of their population to Australia? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Well what we do know is that Waimakariri lost an ineffective MP and got an effective one at the last election—that is for sure. I cannot verify those figures. What I do know is that the Government is doing and will continue to do everything it can to support businesses to make decisions that will encourage jobs. I look forward to that member of the Opposition supporting the measures the Government takes to help businesses to encourage the creation of jobs and to make investment decisions much easier not much harder because that is how we get jobs.  
Hon David Parker 
: Did Nelson lose 460 people to Australia in the last year and did south Waikato the far north Gisborne Marlborough Central Otago Taupo Napier Thames-Coromandel Horowhenua Invercargill and Gore also lose more than 1 percent of their population to Australia and how long can these communities go on losing population at that rate? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I can only point out to the member that every region of New Zealand except for Canterbury had a population increase in the year to 30 June 2011. Any number of those regions the member referred to one of which I represent understand the reality that if you want to have more people in Gore then you need to create more jobs and you need to be as attractive a place as possible for investment and for businesses to grow. We know that the Opposition does not like businesses being profitable or growing— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The Minister has got no responsibility for that. 
Tracey Martin 
: Kia ora. In light of the Minister’s earlier response and with regard to the Government’s involvement in the Auckland Plan does he accept that housing affordability and shortages in Auckland are being exacerbated by migrants into New Zealand being concentrated in the Auckland area and is he aware of any plans to mitigate that impact; if not why not? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I am sure that the inward migration does put some pressure on Auckland infrastructure. That is unlikely to change as our migration inflows are fairly steady and have been for quite a long time. What we are discussing with the Auckland Council now is the need for its planning laws to enable greater flexibility in the supply of new housing to respond to that demand so that average Kiwis living in Auckland do not have to pay ridiculous prices to get into homeownership as they do now. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Does he see any irony in concerns about population moving from the regions to Auckland being highlighted by a member of Parliament who moved from Dunedin to Auckland? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I am not sure the Minister has any responsibility for that whatsoever. Normally I am pretty liberal on allowing questions but I do not think there is any need for that question. 
Hon David Parker 
: Has the Minister received any reports of anyone pledging that New Zealanders would stop waving goodbye to their loved ones; if so has that pledge been fulfilled? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Yes I believe it will be because this is a Government that does not stand around like the Opposition wringing its hands about the fact that we live next door to the fastest-growing economy in the developed world. We are getting on with helping our businesses take advantage of that so they can create more jobs and opportunities for young New Zealanders.