Adams Amy: General Debate 
Adams Amy: General Debate 
[Volume:663;Page:10977] 
AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) 
: 
 This week we will have Budget 2010. This Budget will be yet another major step by this Government to fix the economic damage done by Labour. In 2008 New Zealanders elected the National-led Government for a couple of very good reasons. They know that National is the best economic manager for this country and that has been proven time and time again. They know that National members do not stand here talking hollow words and crying crocodile tears about jobs and living standards while presiding over an economy as Labour did that consistently went south during the best economic times this country ever had. Mr Burns it was your party that cost every New Zealand family an average of $5000 a year because Labour mismanaged the economy. You presided in the Labour Party— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Members need to remember—although I realise they get pretty worked up in debate—that they cannot refer to members across the House by saying “you” did something because they are referring to the Speaker. The reason for that is to avoid personalising debate. It is in the Standing Orders for good reason. 
AMY ADAMS 
: The previous Labour Government put in place the structural problems that even Mr Cunliffe now acknowledges. He stood there and asked what the Government is doing about the structural problems. Mr Cunliffe they are your problems. I can tell you Mr Cunliffe— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I realise the member is very enthusiastic in her speech but she cannot say that they are the Speaker’s problems. Members get into difficulties when they try to personalise the debate. The rules are the way they are because the debate should not be personalised. Members should be debating the issues. 
AMY ADAMS 
: The structural problems that this economy faced were caused by the last Labour Government; that is what we all know. Even today the Reserve Bank in its financial stability report talks about the fact that to get this economy back on track we have to address the underlying imbalances. That is what we have seen this Government not only talking about but doing consistently since 8 November 2008 and Budget 2010— 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member on her feet has referred to the Reserve Bank report which was made public today. I will not seek leave to table it but I will draw attention to the fact that— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat immediately. How does the member believe that that has assisted the order of the House? I have twice tried to make sure the House stays in order by interrupting the debate when a member was speaking which is something I do not like doing. The member has now just interrupted the debate further with a spurious point of order. How does he expect me to view that? I invite the member to think a little about what he is doing. The House has been too disorderly today and I will not put up with it for much longer. 
AMY ADAMS 
: Budget 2010 will be yet another step whereby New Zealand will see this National-led Government take control of the economy and get this country back on to the path that it deserves to be on. We are aspirational. We are ambitious for New Zealand. We want and unashamedly so New Zealand to be the wealthy country that it used to be and that it should be. We want better jobs for New Zealanders that are sustainable. We want higher incomes. The difference is that we know that those things come from a strong productive economic base. 
For the Government to do its part we have to put in place the conditions that will allow business to thrive. We have to get a handle on the out-of-control Government spending that was all Labour knew how to do—keep spending keep throwing the money around ignore the underlying issues and pretend everything is fine. It was head-in-the-sand politics for 9 years under the previous Labour Government and now New Zealand is paying the price. This Government will get on top of the economic challenges. We are seeing New Zealand recover far faster than the rest of the world. We are seeing strong GDP growth. We are seeing excellent reductions in the unemployment numbers. That is just the beginning of what we will see under the economic management of this Government. That is why New Zealanders put their faith in us. 
Budget 2010 will continue to deliver on our goals of financial restraint and rolling out the infrastructure that will allow this country to grow. In my own electorate of Selwyn we are looking forward to the roll-out of extensive broadband into our rural communities which are heartland New Zealand. We are looking forward to the completion of the Christchurch Southern Motorway which we have waited for for 20 years. My electorate of Selwyn will now get the road that we have been waiting for for nigh on 20 years. That is the sort of infrastructure spending that this Government is committed to which will see the New Zealand economy finally live up to its potential so that New Zealanders can have sustainable jobs good incomes and the public service we want to give them. What we will not do is continue to spend more than we can afford to spend. We will not keep living beyond our means. While Greece and the UK are dealing with the problem of massive debt what does Labour want us to do? It wants us to borrow more and spend more. Labour members say that we should ignore the problems and just keep borrowing. They say we do not need to worry about production in the economy. No no; they say we should just keep borrowing. Every other country in the Western World knows the damage done by having crippling Crown debt. Members should remember that if it was not for this Government we would have a 70 percent debt-to-GDP ratio.