1. Hon PHIL GOFF (Leader of the Opposition) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Does he stand by his reported statement on the Brash 2025 Taskforce report that “its core recommendations were too radical to implement”; if so, why does he intend to pay the taskforce another $327,000?
Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) Link to this
Mr Speaker, or possibly I should say “Mr 9.25 Percent”, yes—[ Interruption] Maybe it should have been 10 percent. Yes, but I disagree with the member’s assertion in the second part.
Why did he appoint Dr Brash to chair the 2025 Taskforce, knowing that Dr Brash would recommend what he has said consistently over 20 years, if he did not actually want to receive the recommendations that Dr Brash was likely to make to him?
There are two reasons: firstly, because of Dr Brash’s longstanding credentials in the field of economics; and, secondly, because it was part of the agreement we reached with the ACT Party.
Why is he intending to continue to fund the taskforce to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars, when he has already said he will not act on its main recommendations?
Actually, I have said there are some nuggets within the report but overall the report is, in my view, too radical. I think that is right. The second reason is that we are a Government that keeps our word. If we were to implement all of the recommendations in the 2025 Taskforce report, we would be breaking our word. We do not intend to do that.
Having committed himself and his Government to achieving economic parity with Australia by 2025, does he now agree with his deputy leader, Bill English, who has said that it is an “aspirational” rather than a realistic goal?
I am informed by the Minister of Finance that he said that it is, in fact, a goal. I guess the difference between me and the Minister of Finance and Phil Goff and the Labour Party is that I agree with the Minister of Finance and the Labour Party does not agree with Phil Goff.
Hon Jim AndertonCan the Prime Minister tell the House what he does not understand about the report of Dr Brash, which in 150 pages makes mention of New Zealand’s most important economic base—agriculture—in 24 words?
I think if one reads the full report, one understands that given that agriculture is the largest part of the New Zealand economy, the whole purpose, from Dr Brash’s perspective, was to put the economy on a stronger footing. We do not agree with all of the recommendations, but we do agree with some.
Is the 2025 Taskforce public relations consultant, Matthew Hooton, correct when he states that John Key’s office had leaked the report to Television New Zealand (TVNZ) before it was released, so that it could be dismissed before anybody had the chance to read it; if so, does he make it his regular practice to leak embarrassing documents about Rodney Hide?
Well, there are two things. If anyone needs a public relations consultant it is Phil Goff, but we will come back to that in a moment. The second point is that I can utterly refute those accusations. I was in Trinidad. The question was asked of me by the media who were there. No information was passed by my office to any media outlet.
If he categorically denies the truth of the Matthew Hooton statement that his office had leaked the report to TVNZ, will he also categorically deny that his office leaked information to the media about Rodney Hide’s trip with his girlfriend to Hawaii?
Mr SPEAKERI say to the Labour members that I have called a member to ask a supplementary question and it is impossible for him to be heard.
John BoscawenDoes he stand by the “concrete goal of closing the income gap with Australia by 2025” stated in the National-ACT confidence and supply agreement that he signed; if so, what is his Government’s plan for closing that $64,000 income gap by 2025?
Yes. In the last 12 months, from an economic perspective, members have seen a number of moves by this Government. I strongly suggest that in 2010 members will see a lot more.
Hon Sir Roger Douglas Link to this
Is the Prime Minister aware that if we compare New Zealand’s GDP per capita with that of every province in Australia, Canada, and the United States, we find that New Zealand sits in 72nd position out of 73, below even Mississippi and Tasmania, and only a fraction higher than Prince Edward Island in Canada; in these circumstances, could he advise the House what his ambitious plans are to keep New Zealand ahead of Prince Edward Island in the future?
Firstly, let me state on behalf of all New Zealanders that we are very fond of the people from Tasmania and they should feel most welcome here in the House today. Secondly, yes, I am aware of those statistics, and they show members the size of the challenge before this Government and why we lament the 9 years of wasted opportunities under the previous Labour Government.