Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3481] 
8.  
RODNEY HIDE (ACT NZ) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: Does he stand by the statement on his behalf to the House on 28 March 2002 that his “triumph for the jobs machine” Sovereign Yachts project at Hobsonville “is a real success story which is only beginning to unfold”; if so how exactly has the Sovereign yachts project been a “triumph for the jobs machine” and a “success story which is only beginning to unfold”? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 The triumph was that this investment occurred at all. Under a National Government supported by ACT there were no jobs and there was no economic return from this land. I am proud that this Government helped to facilitate jobs in Hobsonville and in many other parts of New Zealand. We will continue to do that. We are creating more jobs than ever in recent history and destroying very few. This Government accepts the reality that sometimes there will be both failures and successes but that will not stop us from trying to create—and succeeding in creating—more employment for all New Zealanders. 
Rodney Hide 
: In the light of the Minister’s answer does he also stand by his press statement dated 4 February 2001 under the headline “Jobs machine delivers” which promised that Sovereign Yachts would deliver up to 350 new jobs within 2 years; and just how many new jobs has Sovereign Yachts provided after those 2 years? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: My most recent advice on Sovereign Yachts was that it has provided something like 60 to 70 direct jobs and contract jobs. Let me remind the member that it is not this Government’s job to create employment in just one place. This Government has overseen the creation of 123000 jobs since we took office. Unemployment is now at a 15-year low. No amount of talk from the ACT party can take away from the fact that in Auckland where Sovereign Yachts is located employment has increased by 32400 jobs and unemployment has dropped from 5 percent to 4 percent. 
Hon Matt Robson 
: What benefits have New Zealanders gained from the Government’s economic development policies? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Specifically in the marine industry—which we have been talking about in relation to Sovereign Yachts—export earnings grew last year by 38 percent. When this Government came into office there were 40 apprentices in this industry; there are now close to 400. No amount of whingeing from Opposition parties can destroy the way in which this Government is going about rebuilding the economy. 
John Key 
: When the Minister talked about the triumphs for the “jobs machine” was he referring to the employment he thought would be created by Sovereign Yachts or was he thinking about the hundreds of carpenters who will now be employed building literally thousands of State houses on prime waterfront real estate at the Hobsonville airbase? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Before this Government came into office the land at Hobsonville had been an idle open paddock for 40 years. It has now been prepared for both economic and social development. If New Zealanders are better off with jobs in a marine cluster which contains state-of-the-art first-class and First World technology and if we are building houses to house New Zealanders as well then I think we have a double benefit from both. 
David Cunliffe 
: To what extent has the Hobsonville development been a success? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Hobsonville airbase land is now available and/or being prepared for economic and social development purposes including marine construction and housing. The land has gone from unused paddock to being available or prepared for productive development in less than 3 years. I would describe that as a success and so would most reasonable New Zealanders. 
Dail Jones 
: Has the Minister ever spoken to the Minister of Defence about the use of that land at Hobsonville which has been a site used for the flying in of Andovers when they were available on grass helicopter use training of SAS general military services and the like including weapons training and is the Minister seriously saying he believes that that was just farmland; is that the Labour Party’s view of how that land has been used in the last 40 years? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: All Ministers in this Government including the Minister of Defence talk to each other often. The fact that the Air Force of New Zealand is consolidating its position around Ohakea and that both Hobsonville and Whenuapai are being made available for social and economic development purposes shows that this Government is prepared to take firm and decisive action when it believes that land or resources can be put to better use for the people of New Zealand than they were previously. That is exactly what this Government is doing.