So Shane Jones has been in the select committee this week, facing questions about the Provincial Growth Fund.

Of course, he faced rigorous questioning as to whether he’s using it as a political slush fund to reward New Zealand First’s friends and win favour in the party’s heartland.

It’s an easy accusation to make, so far the prime beneficiaries of Shane’s largesse has been in the North where both he and Winston Peters have their power base.

His answer was, to the winner goes the booty and that the North was first up and best dressed. Shane fancies himself as an orator and he’s fond of a flowery flourish but I’m not a fan. It diminishes his authority and reduces my confidence.

But that said there is no doubt that the North is starting to feel a little bit better about itself. In fact, it was the star of the latest ASB regional growth survey. They’ve seen Four-point-six per cent employment growth, 5.2 per cent in retail sales, 10.3 per cent house price growth and a 19 per cent growth in construction.

So it’s worth a helping hand because these figures come off a low base and the North still has a long way to go.

The question is whether Shane Jones and his merry NZ First team have an eye for winners and an eye for the opportunities that are sustainable and able to grow under their own steam.

I worried about that when the Provincial Growth Fund granted just over $6 million to restore New Plymouth’s cathedral. While it was a great feel good, and while it will temporarily increase construction work in the region it fails my ongoing benefit test. Once the cathedral is all fixed up the benefit will dissipate.

After some initial scepticism that the Provincial Growth Fund's $3 billion in 3 years was the ultimate in pork barrel politics, I’ve come to the conclusion that it could, in fact, be a small stroke of genius.

I had a number of callers yesterday raving about the energy and zip in the regions these days. One even went as far to suggest there was a silver lining in the cities housing crises as it was prompting house price refugees to stream into the regions in one of the biggest population re-distributions we’ve seen in a long time and that’s not a bad thing.

Judicious use of the Provincial Growth Fund could fertilise this and make New Zealand a more balanced economy and country.

But that ball rests in Shane Jones’ court. So far I doubt his claim that the North’s applications were the best dressed but it’s early days and I urge the economic advisors from around the country to put their thinking caps on and front foot the Minister with outstanding, achievable and sustainable ideas.

Whatever you do don’t sit around waiting for the magic wand to be waved over your town or Mr Jones will wave it all away on his hobby horses.