Shearer David: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 26 June 2012. Volume:681;Page:3323. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
: 
 I would like to speak on the Tourism Board. Obviously this is an enormously important industry for New Zealand. In fact as a result of that what we understand is that the Prime Minister as the Minister of Tourism is head of tourism in New Zealand. I am not allowed to refer obviously to the—[ 
Interruption 
] Obviously for New Zealand tourism is massively important: $63 million a day. That is the revenue of this industry. It is on a par with the dairy industry. One in ten New Zealanders is employed in tourism throughout New Zealand. Therefore it is very important that we take this industry very very seriously. 
This is what John Key the Minister of Tourism said just 4 years ago: “While times are getting tough right now the future for tourism is bright. You are a vital part of the economic engine that drives New Zealand and you will be celebrated and encouraged by my Government.” This is what the  
State of the Tourism Sector 
2012 
 said in its report: “New Zealand is perceived to have fallen off the global radar as a desirable destination ...”. It is predicting a downturn. So although Mr Key 4 years ago had lots of aspirations for this industry 4 years later those aspirations are not being realised. I think what happened here is that Mr Key realised that this was a particularly good sector for a “smile and wave” approach but not really a sector where you actually have to roll up your sleeves get on to it and actually give this industry a real boost. So although it was said to be important 4 years ago today it has actually fallen off the radar. We have some real concerns and some grave concerns about where this industry is heading. 
However Mr Key did come up with a partial solution—a little bit like a partial asset float—to where this industry might get a boost from and that is from a convention centre in Auckland. The good news is that he has found an ingenious way of funding this particular convention centre. You give a wink and a nod to one of the applicants for this convention centre process. You slightly just push the tender process to one side you go out to dinner with Skycity and you say: “Look if you’re willing to put up some money for this we’ll guarantee you 20 years of a gambling licence and 500 pokie machines and you will be able to build this convention centre.” What a great offer. That is a great offer. It is a slightly sleazy offer. It is a bit of a shonky offer but what a great offer. For Skycity it is a great offer because it gets $42 million a year from those 500 pokie machines and it gets a 20-year extension to its gambling licence. In the space of 6 to 7 years it will pay for the convention centre and it will still have 13 years—times $42 million per year—to go on that extension to its gambling licence. That is a pretty good deal. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Plus interest. 
DAVID SHEARER 
: Plus interest on that. So there is the big plan for New Zealand tourism. Smile and wave on the one hand and on the other hand give Skycity the ability to raise $42 million a year with pokie machines from the pockets of people who can least afford them. And do not worry about those other industries and those other sectors that vied for the opportunity to do this. Do not worry about that! No no no we just go out to dinner have a wink and a nudge and you will get the deal. I guess that is why the Auditor-General decided to have a bit of a look at this. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: Is that what they got out of you at the sky box for the Rugby World Cup? 
DAVID SHEARER 
: Well I tell you that is exactly why Skycity is looking with a smiling face at what is going on and it is why the Auditor-General is taking a good look at it. Mr Brownlee might well ask that. What did it get out of that? It got nothing out of it Mr Brownlee. It got absolutely no return on that particular investment. This party stands up for good process—