Finance Minister pledges support for regions while he visits Dannevirke

Grant Robertson, Minister of Finance, speaks to an audience of over 60 in the Hub Dannevirke Wednesday July 15.

Grant Roberson with from left Councillor Kerry Sutherland, Chamber of Commerce member Suresh Patel. The Minister, Labour candidate for Wairarapa Kieran McAnulty and Chamber of Commerce MC for the meet

Calling the pandemic "The most extraordinary time of my life," Grant Robertson, Minister of Finance in the Labour-led government, thanked the audience at The Hub in Dannevirke for being part of "the team of five million" which had worked together to protect New Zealand from the global threat.

He warned that we must continue to work together because global signs suggest times could become as tough as the Depression of the 1930s but added that New Zealand is better placed than most to cope thanks to the prompt actions of the Government.

He said the Government had a three-stage plan – respond, recover and rebuild – which started with the lockdown, the wage subsidy scheme and contracting with airlines to keep flying imports and exports flowing.

He said there was no playbook for managed isolation of returnees which has had a few glitches but working fine for all but four of the 30,000 safely back and quarantined.

He outlined measures to ensure recovery providing loans for small businesses, training schemes for the jobless, maintaining trading relationships with key partners like the UK, building infrastructure, housing and looking after the environment with the Jobs For Nature scheme employing 11,000 job seekers. "It is all about future proofing the economy," he said.

In question time he reiterated the Government's determination to plant more trees but at the same time create regulations to allow local government to protect good farmland. "It is a matter of balance between two good policies," he said.

When asked whether the cities would be allowed to grow at the expense of the regions he pointed to the Government's Provincial Growth Fund which is pumping investment into businesses and jobs. He said he had learnt a lot about regional development in the last three years and was convinced it worked better in partnership with locals at the ground level.

Asked about Government debt he said even after borrowing $140 billion the debt as a percentage of GDP was still one of the lowest in the world and payments were barely 1.5 per cent of GDP. He said the debt was necessary to fund economic growth which was very carefully targeted to critical core assets such as the Waitomo Caves and to other regional projects financed through the Shovel Ready Projects Scheme.

He was unable to confirm Route 52 upgrades would be funded before the election but said these kinds of projects will be looked at again along with a reorganisation of the health boards to ensure everyone gets appropriate health care and the refining of the RMA to encourage growth.

He said frugal previous governments had put away reserves for a rainy day. "It's now pouring," he said and "It is up to us as a Government to ensure every New Zealander comes through the storm ready to produce once more."