GEORGINA BEYER (Labour-Wairarapa): It is always a privilege to speak in the Budget debate, and I appreciate it very much. I would like to compliment the Minister of Finance, Dr Michael Cullen, and the Ministers who have brained out a very prudent Budget for this particular year. A prudent Budget can give the country some confidence that there are safe hands on the tiller—a cliché oft used by this side, but one that is nevertheless true—and provides a sense of certainty and stability in which the nation can move forward. Mix that with the vision, growth, and innovation that we as a Government offer this country, and we have the basis of a winner. In my own electorate of Wairarapa, for example, the kind of winning in this particular Budget has certainly been highlighted within the education sector. I know for certain that there will be a nearly $400,000 increase for operational funding in that electorate, and that will be welcomed. That, of course, is on top of what is already provided for those matters in the Wairarapa, which is about $17 million.

This Government has also shown that it has a commitment to the young people of this country. I would like to highlight something from the newsletter of Makora College, Masterton, published on 16 May—a day after the Budget was delivered. Its opinion of how that Budget affected the school goes like this: “The Budget this week contains significant funding for education. The initiatives announced will have a positive impact on Makora College. All secondary schools will receive increased staffing from next year. There will be an increase in the operations grant, and there will be extra funding for schools like Makora to assist in transition from school-to-work programmes. Interestingly, the Budget also included significant money for network reviews. There will be another ten areas around the country where they will take place”, and the article goes on. That is just one of the colleges in the Wairarapa. Its response to the Budget with regard to its particular interest was positive and very quick, and that can be said for many other areas around the country.

Since this Government came on to the Treasury benches after the 1999 election, we have built a baseline improvement where we wanted to see things happen. We knew that the out years would lay a solid foundation and add to the stability and certainty that we want this country to feel in very trying times. Many members have referred to those times in relation to a number of issues of international significance, and we are, of course, part of that global world.

There were those who criticised the surplus that Dr Cullen highlighted as being a feature of this Budget, but he also tempered it with the reality that a lot of it is paper figures, and that the true aspect of the surplus is much less than that. No, he will not go out and spend it wildly and willy-nilly, simply because a Government must take a certain amount of responsibility for what can be seen as potentially insecure for the future of the economy of the country. That has been highlighted by a number of members who mentioned the decline in some economic areas that we might see in the next wee while. One does not go out and spend the reserves—for want of a better term—when they might well be needed by many in our producing industries to offset any of the negative impacts that could happen globally in the future. We are reinforcing ourselves. I believe the country should take some comfort from the fact that it is a responsible Government that does that, and does not just blow all the money when it feels like it.

Obviously, health has been another area of improvement. A significant amount in this Budget has again been applied to the health area. In order to have a thriving nation, one must have a healthy nation. We have had many years of neglect, of upheaval, and of change. We are now looking to temper that and make sure that those who most need access to the services will receive them, and certainly as we can afford to make that access more available to a much wider group of people. For example, if people are living in an adequately healthy home environment, then the possibility of disease and other ailments that might clog up our hospital corridors could perhaps be minimised. The rolling out of public health organisations, which has proven to be successful and welcome around the country, has to bring benefits to very many New Zealanders.

We must improve on that, of course. This is no time to sit down and be complacent. That would be irresponsible. We must always be striving for the betterment of this nation. This Government is genuine and sincere in its intent to do that, given some of the difficulties that lie around us. I guess it is the nature of Parliament and these kinds of debates that it is the job of the Opposition to whinge, moan, grizzle, and give us a hard time over it all. However, at the end of the day, there would be a lot more whinging and moaning if the coffers were empty and there was nothing to secure us for the future. We are, indeed, keeping a lid on that kind of extravagance and flippancy, which certainly would not be helpful.

From the social services point of view—and I have an interest in that area as chairperson of the Social Services Committee—I look forward to seeing the application of some of the funding that has been mentioned in the Budget, and, in particular, the $20 million-plus going towards the Families Commission. That again reinforces the very networks of our society that help to make us strong and lead us forward. There are many complex factors to be addressed, and we hope that the legislation that is now before the select committee will try to address them. Some of the funding that has gone in behind that measure will reinforce and secure some certainty in that area for the future.

At this stage of a Budget debate it is very difficult to mention new things, because there is just so much good news in the Budget. People have mentioned that it has been boring, and that there is not much in it. However, that is not exactly true. In regional development and through Industry New Zealand, we are still maintaining the importance of our creative industries. In the film industry, for example, we have production and products that are out there showcasing our world. That applies not only to what we attract here via The Lord of the Rings - type productions, or The Last Samurai, but also to what our Kiwi film makers are doing out there in the international world.

Although I say it ever so modestly, I am very pleased that the documentary about my own life, which has since picked up six awards internationally, is about to play in June to 250 million Americans, which is a very large audience. That particular programme encapsulates not only the story of my life, but is a story about New Zealand. It happens to be a good news story. It is a little disheartening that the producer of that film received some funding assistance from our agencies here in New Zealand, but she still struggled and had to go overseas to pick up the rest of the funding. It is quite amazing that that purely New Zealand product—except for most of its funding—will now be out there helping to highlight some of the great features, and the humanity and compassion, of this country. In conclusion, I believe that humanity, compassion, and prudence are some of the features of this particular Budget.