Moroney Sue: Budget Debate 
Moroney Sue: Budget Debate 
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SUE MORONEY (Labour) 
: 
 The member who has just finished her speech criticised the 2006 Budget for not being exciting enough. I offer her our apologies because we could go back to the exciting Budgets of the last National Government. Many New Zealanders still remember those Budgets; they did not find them very exciting. Without warning superannuation and benefits were cut under the very exciting Budgets of that National Government. I am very pleased that we do not have that type of excitement going on in the 2006 Budget. 
Dr Cullen’s Budget which invests in the economic transformation of New Zealand could have been delivered only by a Labour-led Government—a Government that truly understands the needs of a small country at the bottom of the world. This country needs to be innovative nimble and able to make the best use of its people who are its best resource. It needs all of its people to succeed if it is to succeed. This country has forged a special place in this world because of its independent and principled stance on key issues. 
It is absolutely obvious from the response of National members to the 2006 Budget that they would rather we just follow Australia’s lead on how we run our country. National’s billboards about the Budget looked like a tourism promotion for our friends across the Tasman—the only thing that gave it away was that Tourism Australia had it actually put out the billboards would have chosen a more attractive photo to put on them. That was the only thing that gave it away that the billboards were not put out by Tourism Australia. 
That also raises the question of who is funding National’s billboard campaign this time round—we still do not know who funded it last time. Is the Australian tourism board funding the campaign this time? Just where is that funding coming from? It also raises the question of what other Australian decisions National would have us follow. Would National also send troops to Iraq? That is still an unanswered question. Would it follow that Australian decision? Would it follow Australia’s race relations policies or its stance on nuclear issues? The wheels would really start to fall off when National had New Zealand pinning its economic hopes on digging up enormous quantities of diamonds iron ore and nickel as Australia does. 
National has no vision and no ideas of its own to contribute. It is a one-trick pony. The only plan it has for New Zealand’s future is tax cuts. That must be embarrassing for back-bench National MPs because they stand up in this House day after day week after week and argue for more spending here and more spending there knowing all the while that it could never happen under a National Government. National’s only plan for the future is to cut the income of this country through tax cuts. 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: So that the rich people get more. 
SUE MORONEY 
: That is right. 
So what will resolve the challenges that currently sit in front of New Zealand? What are the key issues that face us—and what would National’s answer be? What about the issue of climate change? National thinks a tax cut will fix that. What would deal with the issue of our need for investment in infrastructure? Quite clearly if one is a National member the answer would be to cut taxes. What about the increasing demands on our health system that will not go away? National’s answer would be to cut taxes. That is a great answer if one is in the National Party. How can we improve productivity in this country? Oh well National’s answer to that would be a tax cut as well. What about improving work-life balance for ordinary New Zealanders? Gosh National thinks the answer to that must be a tax cut too. National is a one-trick pony with one answer only and it gets that answer from across the Tasman in Australia. 
By contrast it has been a great week to be a Labour MP in the Waikato area. On Friday I had the privilege of joining with my colleagues in the Waikato to announce an additional $215 million in funding towards tackling Waikato’s critical transport needs. I congratulate my colleague Martin Gallagher who has worked tirelessly and positively to deliver that result to the Waikato. I also congratulate our far-sighted local government leaders who joined us on Friday to congratulate this Government on delivering that package to the Waikato. That funding is in addition to the $1.3 billion for transport that had already been announced in the Budget the previous day. People talk about economic transformation—that funding for the Waikato will make a huge difference to all the businesses and all the people working in those businesses in the Waikato the Bay of Plenty and the rest of that very strategic part of our country. The priorities that the $215 million will be spent on include State highway safety local road safety State highway improvements to enhance long-haul arterial performance rail improvements improved walkways and cycleways public transport and transport demand management. It is exactly what the Waikato public need and what the Waikato economy requires. 
That was one thing that happened in the Waikato on the wonderful day after the Budget was announced. Earlier that same day I met with the Waikato agricultural advisory committee and informed it of the very important measures introduced in Dr Cullen’s Budget that would improve the agricultural sector. Those measures include an increase in funding of $100 million for research and science which is so vital to the ongoing growth of the agricultural sector in the Waikato. From that amount $15.6 million will go into pastoral research $34 million will go into supporting world-class research—we know how good we are at doing that in New Zealand and we will get better at it with this Government at the helm—$11.7 million will go into energy research and $15.6 million will go into protecting biodiversity and enhancing biosecurity. Those people were smiling from ear to ear when I told them about those results in the Budget. 
But that was just the start of the list. I also informed them about $64.2 million going to assist New Zealand firms that are trying to crack key overseas markets $60 million going to boost young New Zealand firms with high growth potential through the Venture Investment Fund and $58 million going into industry training which is so vital to all the activities carried out in the Waikato area. Also $166.4 million of new operational funding is going to the tertiary sector and $16 million is going into improving border security which are also areas that are vital to the agricultural sector. 
Later that day I met with trade union representatives and talked to them about the Budget which they welcomed with open arms. They were particularly pleased about the funding boost to health education and industry training. They told us how much of a difference the Working for Families package is making for the low-paid people whom they represent. They remind me though that National is not in fact a one-trick pony and that National has one other idea apart from cutting taxes. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: It’s half an idea anyway. 
SUE MORONEY 
: Hopefully it never gets to be fully baked. It is that even though the biggest problem facing businesses in the Waikato is that they cannot get properly skilled people at the right time and in the right place National would to give everyone less job security by introducing a probationary period bill. 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: That’s bright. 
SUE MORONEY 
: That is bright and it will not fix that problem. It is as daft as saying that tax cuts fix everything. My speaking with the trade union movement in the Waikato area reminded me about that. 
Later that day I met with members of the Waikato District Health Board. They were very pleased to welcome the $750 million of extra funding going into health including $80.4 million of extra funding going into child health. I will talk a little about that because it has not been given much airtime. There is funding of $40.8 million for a strengthened child and adolescent oral health service $23.6 million over 4 years to create a school-ready health check for 4-year-olds and to expand the well child checks for preschool children and $16 million for the creation of a universal newborn hearing screening programme. That continues the good work that this Government is doing for families. Aged care is to receive $126 million and $76 million more is going towards fighting the obesity endemic. As a member of the Health Committee that is conducting an inquiry into the obesity issue I can say that it makes our job an awful lot easier knowing we have some money backing us up. 
I have not yet even touched on the benefits to the Waikato of interest-free student loans but that is an issue for another speech. The Budget is great news for Waikato’s agricultural sector for working people and their families for the health sector and for the business sector. Those people welcome the investment in Waikato’s infrastructure. But the good news this week has not finished. Just today figures were announced showing that Waikato had the highest job growth—4.4 percent—in the whole country for the year ended March 2005. Coupled with that it had higher wage growth than the national average as wages have increased by 4.1 percent. The combination of these two factors—high job growth and high wage growth—will contribute significantly to the Waikato economy. I was particularly pleased to see that wage growth in the accommodation cafe and restaurant sector in the Waikato is running at 6.4 percent. That is particularly pleasing because it is traditionally an area of low pay. We are making a big difference and it makes me proud to be a New Zealander.