"\u003C!DOCTYPE html\u003E\u003Chtml xmlns:xlink=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\u0022 xmlns:xsi=\u0022http://www.w3.org/2007/XMLSchema-instance\u0022 xmlns:mml=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Chead\u003E\n    \u003CMETA http-equiv=\u0022Content-Type\u0022 content=\u0022text/html; charset=utf-16\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cmeta name=\u0022viewport\u0022 content=\u0022width=device-width, initial-scale=1\u0022\u003E\n  \u003C/head\u003E\n  \u003Cbody style=\u0022font-family:sans-serif; font-size:100%;\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00226ac9235578f7472293eab4b9ef9dda8b\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 28 MAY 2015\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225c78914570fc44e9a00cec118058ec69\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 28 MAY 2015\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000002\u0022\u003EMr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00221b0f3541e60b4b1180db4a89a8f66d29\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002210419f52c69a4b2a9489a63c78d26f96\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u00226107b8fe57bb4d269b6263ea68087bb2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226107b8fe57bb4d269b6263ea68087bb2\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY (Acting Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E When the House resumes on Tuesday, 2 June the Government will look to continue the Budget debate and progress a number of first readings on the Order Paper, including the Accident Compensation (Financial Responsibility and Transparency) Amendment Bill and the Electronic Monitoring of Offenders Legislation Bill. Wednesday is a members\u2019 day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002253f184b53924494c8f6e0959b2585f92\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002253f184b53924494c8f6e0959b2585f92\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS (Senior Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I note the analysis of the Parliamentary Library indicating that Parliament currently has the least business before it that it has had in 20 years, and wonder whether the Leader of the House has had further opportunity to consider my previous offer to increase the number of members\u2019 days to ensure that the House is usefully occupied.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u0022f06296b022374866af4fcb609bae9c5c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f06296b022374866af4fcb609bae9c5c\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY (Acting Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E The only comment I would make to that member is that this is an extremely efficient Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022583512be3d4c409081dbbdfdde8ac096\u0022\u003EOral Questions \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228415313303604d079d2b83c31ae8caeb\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229a34b6d7aa70403aa196838ea1a5db72\u0022\u003ERelationships Aotearoa\u2014Closure\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022 data-id=\u0022fc81e67d1dcf4b929d9b5ac6bd30467f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fc81e67d1dcf4b929d9b5ac6bd30467f\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader\u2014Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development: Does she stand by her statement that \u201Cthis Government is working with a number of service providers to make sure that those clients of Relationships Aotearoa are well looked after\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u0022d7f5d52f9d02446ba084fb4f19a13c37\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d7f5d52f9d02446ba084fb4f19a13c37\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. I understand that a meeting has taken place today between the Ministry of Social Development, Relationships Aotearoa, Barnardos, Family Works, Stand Children\u2019s Services, and Lifeline Aotearoa to discuss the continuation of counselling services to those clients.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d05a8373d5894ec98ddd6340a9ea232e\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Is she aware that Lifeline Aotearoa, which was not deemed good enough by the Ministry of Health to provide a national telehealth line, is now considered good enough by the Ministry of Social Development to provide Relationships Aotearoa\u2019s clients with a service staffed by volunteers, and is that the quality service that she promised?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce647e015d3546cba8e5a6c8504830c5\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: First of all, the member is wrong. Although it is the Minister of Health who is handling it, it is my understanding that those negotiations have not been completed. Secondly, the member is correct: there is an 0800 number that the Ministry of Social Development has set up urgently with Lifeline Aotearoa. That number is: 0800 543 354. It would be more helpful if the member took account of the clients who are worried about these services and provided that emergency lifeline that has been made available to them because Relationships Aotearoa has closed its doors precipitately. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cc8ad87547a24cca8a958fd3bc73b377\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Why did she say that there were five organisations that the Ministry of Social Development and the Government were working with to replace services provided by Relationships Aotearoa when, in fact, one of them, Stand Children\u2019s Services, only heard that it was to provide a service on the news this week?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c355ef8b8874ac89ecbc37e1c62dfc0\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: There are a number of organisations that have offered their services. I provided only the names of organisations that I had been advised were being dealt with by the Ministry of Social Development. As I say, there are a number of individuals and organisations throughout New Zealand who have offered to help.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022551cc07bff7c480f96e5d9ed52397244\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Well, in light of the Minister\u2019s confusion around who is providing what, does she believe that the named providers, who have no experience with very high-needs clients, are capable of providing a competent and safe service, as claimed by Mr Edridge yesterday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022777cc701a20847e4822119ab7cb7a048\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: As I said in my answer to the substantive question, I am very confident that the work that the Ministry of Social Development is doing with a large number of providers around the country will see some of those extremely vulnerable people successfully transitioned and well supported. But the member would be far better not to go scaremongering on radio while we are all working to make sure that those support services are put in place for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002212958757b0584d9cbb37e1010c17b927\u0022\u003EDarroch Ball\u003C/span\u003E: How can the Minister guarantee that those clients of Relationships Aotearoa will be well looked after when one of the named replacement providers, Stand Children\u2019s Services, is already resource-stretched, being able to provide just 17 social workers for around 8,000 students within the schools it provides services to?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203534e8c4a5849d3912cc39db527e755\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I am not taking part in the negotiations. As I said, they met today, and the Ministry of Social Development is determined to make sure that all of those clients are well supported into their new services. The difficulty that we have had is that Relationships Aotearoa demanded up to $2.4 million extra in order to transition the clients over the next 12 weeks, and that does not address its $1.5 million deficit. That is the difficulty that we have had. When it was refused, it closed its doors.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022038048e917ac4e19a9a3b25cb2b63514\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Is she aware that among the 500 serious and urgent cases requiring service are 22 suicidal clients, two homicidal clients, 25 severe domestic violence victims and offenders, and five sex offenders; and could she please name the organisations that are capable of handling these very complex cases right now?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219cb059aec0e4945bdf94720f1ac4a8f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Hon Anne Tolley\u2014either of those two supplementary questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ebfe47a94984e93bd84f9694ebfba7a\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: That is why I have been at pains to make sure that we have some emergency capability, and that is what that 0800 number for Lifeline Aotearoa is providing for them immediately so that there is emergency help for those people who need it. What that member needs to do is to stop playing politics with people\u2019s lives and support us as we try to transition those very vulnerable clients.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aeb4319c10564f559b52089fda4c427f\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Why did she claim that services could be provided by other organisations when Abuse and Rape Crisis Support Manawatu and Family Works South Canterbury, to name just two places, have said that they are already at maximum capacity and would struggle to provide any extra services?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022331dca13cf58483da5618137521c65f0\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: Obviously, around the country, judging from the offers that have come in from many, many organisations, there are people who are willing to step up and provide these services. So the member can play politics and scaremonger all she likes; this Government is focused on making sure that we have those services available, that those services transition those clients, and that those clients are well supported.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228c809912889445c6b9215b125969c291\u0022\u003EBudget 2015\u2014Better Public Services\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022 data-id=\u0022a2450c8a3ac94b158231a57b84c51cf3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a2450c8a3ac94b158231a57b84c51cf3\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: How does Budget 2015 continue the Government\u2019s plan to deliver Better Public Services?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u002285bb313e581245aab77f564c2fdaee78\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002285bb313e581245aab77f564c2fdaee78\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Associate Minister of Finance)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Finance: Three years ago the Prime Minister set 10 challenging targets for the Public Service. These included improving health and education outcomes, reducing crime, lowering welfare dependence, and increasing online connectivity. The framework has contributed some significant improvements. For instance, there has been a 38 percent reduction in youth crime since 2011, the number of teenage sole parents on a benefit has dropped by 40 percent since 2011, and the Government has recently revised upwards its workforce skills target due to better than expected results. Budget 2015 builds on this with a $790 million child hardship package, as well as more investment in health, education, welfare support, and the justice sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022baa70d8278264bc8924233c626a6f845\u0022\u003ENuk Korako\u003C/span\u003E: How did Budget 2015 deliver on the Government\u2019s continued focus on supporting the most vulnerable New Zealanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b2067d19ddc0422aa57108191eca5de3\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: One of the most important things that we can do for vulnerable families is to help the parents into work, and that is why, in the Budget, we increased obligations on those on a benefit to be available for work. The solidly growing economy has produced 194,000 extra jobs since late 2010, meaning that we have already surpassed our aim of 170,000 jobs by the middle of this year, which we set in Budget 2011. Another 150,000 jobs are expected by 2019, and we are continuing our focus on helping those on welfare into work, where this is appropriate. We are having some success with this approach. Last year we reduced the expected cost of supporting current beneficiaries over their lifetime by $7.5 billion. A key part of this was getting more sole parents into work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dbe0ca931ff64a11953caee0a47c141b\u0022\u003ENuk Korako\u003C/span\u003E: How is better data helping the Government to meet the needs of vulnerable New Zealanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236572787192f4ed6be8a7fa0bf2034e7\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: We are using data to get a better understanding of the people who use our services and need our support. For example, if you take the most vulnerable 1 percent of all 5-year-olds\u2014that is around 600 children in a year, or a 20-year pipeline of 12,000 children\u2014we know who these kids are and we also know that, on current trajectories, three-quarters of them would not get National Certificate of Educational Achievement level 2, that 40 percent would be on a benefit for more than 2 years before they are 21, and that a quarter of them would have been in prison by the time they are 35. They would face hardship, but, on average, these children would cost taxpayers $320,000 each before they turn 35, and some of them would cost well over $1 million. So we are changing services in order to intervene earlier to help people lead more fulfilling lives, and where this works, the Government\u2019s books will also improve. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb480614c51e415cbed8676fc4177a51\u0022\u003ENuk Korako\u003C/span\u003E: What other steps were taken in Budget 2015 to advance the Government\u2019s focus on delivering Better Public Services?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ea6bbe5ff844fb3b1ea119c54ef03a1\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The flagship initiative of Budget 2015 was the $790 million child hardship package, which provided more support for 160,000 beneficiary and working families with incomes below $36,350 a year. As I mentioned earlier, the child hardship package also increased the requirements of those on a benefit to be available for work. The Budget also provides over $100 million for further initiatives to support vulnerable children, including $49.8 million to continue funding Wh\u0101nau Ora navigators to help families tackle problems, $36 million over 4 years to support the Children\u2019s Action Plan for at-risk children, and an extra $23 million to bolster the work of Child, Youth and Family.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022884a85ee6366448096673763be31d6e1\u0022\u003EFree-trade Agreements\u2014Saudi Arabia Negotiations\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022 data-id=\u00220521480a137841818a639a30279b2645\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220521480a137841818a639a30279b2645\u0022\u003EJAMES SHAW (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Has a full and final settlement been reached with Mr Al Khalaf; if so, what is the total cost to taxpayers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022 data-id=\u0022302d87a35c424adb8ac2547f32fc4fa5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022302d87a35c424adb8ac2547f32fc4fa5\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY (Minister of Foreign Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E As I said to the House yesterday: \u201Cthe New Zealand Government specifically resisted the concept of compensation to the Al Khalaf group\u201D. Therefore, it is not appropriate to use the term \u201Cfull and final settlement\u201D. However, the Government is satisfied that the partnership outlined in the Cabinet paper I have previously tabled has fully resolved the prospect of any litigation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002280d00a0863c34d72ba216b11fc97fde1\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Was the Government given a written assurance from Mr Al Khalaf that these payoffs constituted the equivalent of a full and final settlement?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272c31572ab914026a0543b9fef582061\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: What I can say, as I said in the primary answer, is that in the process that played out, the Government was fully satisfied that the partnership outlined in the Cabinet paper that I have previously tabled fully resolved the prospect of any litigation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002251d0a65897b846d7873634eca6e1f0dc\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: So is the Minister saying that New Zealand taxpayers flew sheep to Saudi Arabia, built a farm in the middle of the Arabian Desert, bought out property in New Zealand, bribed a wealthy businessman, and yet have no written guarantees that they will not get sued in the future or be required to hand out more taxpayer dollars?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e1770e05357a49298a6fd200eedbe6c5\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220c0d8668bcfa40b5b9575e5c8a9d76d6\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Why did the Minister agree to pay off Mr Al Khalaf with no legal advice about whether there was any credible cause of action?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250eb997f888f459f9963a8faca542ed1\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: The Government took advice from very senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including from the legal division.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022221c261c4f244363ae7ca68f3be05676\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Is it normal practice to enter into a business arrangement on the basis of a strongly worded letter from Mai Chen?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275779fab9f73450f8a4450a47e70805d\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: I have never received a strongly worded letter from Mai Chen in my life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec964a5303614c6bb681dde62e71225a\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister rule out that no other foreign businesses have been paid off to prevent lawsuits or influence trade outcomes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cfc3768c012243ce92a8c59ab1d1e2a1\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: As I indicated to the House yesterday, I have not seen an example of the appalling behaviour by a Government that required rectification on the scale of this one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a13ae307da2646d6883487d2bf3c4be9\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: So would he say\u2014[Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d44da54b41b4f15a25a614c213320da\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Would the member start again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227abe3ffdd9544b3ab6de68ffe08489b2\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Would he say: \u201CBribing a Saudi businessman ain\u2019t working, that\u2019s not the way you do it. He\u2019s got your money for nothing and your sheep for free.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea85ee3a13d345608f22907c73bed2a2\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a790bf9903ee4326b71566dc3bd1c234\u0022\u003EFree-trade Agreements\u2014Saudi Arabia Negotiations\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u002228c3f86b6e044aa3b64a811aac5cca5d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002228c3f86b6e044aa3b64a811aac5cca5d\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Did he seek advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about whether using the multimillion-dollar payment for the benefit of Hamood Al Ali Al Khalaf\u2014a Saudi Arabian businessman\u2014to cause the Saudi Arabian officials to advance the GCC FTA, which had stalled, breached the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022 data-id=\u00226ba4c7c39855482f9913475fb7d578a6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226ba4c7c39855482f9913475fb7d578a6\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY (Minister of Foreign Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E Not specifically, but officials confirmed that the transaction was lawful and within the scope of the ministry\u2019s appropriation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022032facbced0e40a0a988815bd3a937ad\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: If, as he has already acknowledged, he sought no advice on the OECD convention on bribery and no proper legal advice on the threatened lawsuit from Al Khalaf Group, does that not show he wanted to keep this pay-off under the table and avoid proper scrutiny by officials and by the Cabinet?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d4c765cdedc4d1aa5882a8069e80b30\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: A requirement of the convention that the member refers to is to have a domestic law that gives effect to the convention in New Zealand. I am satisfied that the ministry would have been aware of this in assuring me that the transaction was lawful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203e1e3b64a1a4fc6a393a1fcb2cca7f2\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table the OECD convention on bribery, which covers pecuniary advantage to a third party in order to get a public\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229a19a8bbdff483bb1d96521a8193732\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It is possibly freely available, but on the basis that the House can determine it, I will put the leave to table this particular copy of this convention. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is not. It can be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9a6307c14644a88a2b963ca58a45244\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Why is there no record of this first multimillion-dollar deal with this Saudi businessman ever having been announced, when all other ventures are always proudly announced by him or his National Government colleagues?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5683b341b2144fb831025abb2f7ee8a\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: There have been various references to the establishment of the Saudi hub over the last couple of years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bbdf514782334640847891543c8788af\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a 26-page list in typewritten script of all of Mr McCully\u2019s releases since 2012 that relate to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c04f7eb45f52466da745fdd307593c3a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, those releases are available to all members. Is there a supplementary question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222377d6262515490b9c928ba67fc60ca7\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was not seeking to release the releases; I was seeking to release the list of all the releases, none of which include these matters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf5a6e5c1fc543769791d1b25f3a0505\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, the point of tabling a document, as I have explained many times, is to further inform the House. What I think the member is attempting to do is make a political point. That is not the purpose of tabling. I am not putting the leave. Does the member wish to ask a further supplementary question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002212a23ba2ecf04bc7a4f502128a8c95a3\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Can he assure the House that neither the Saudi officials with links to the Al Khalaf group nor anyone in the Al Khalaf group had any involvement in the tender process for the second deal\u2014the $6 million model farm deal?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2c3a02056a94aee93bb103b26cd0fa2\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: The arrangements with regard to the $6 million and the establishment of the hub were undertaken by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in full, according to its normal practices. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d123cdadf974e9ca9a536aaec2aefaa\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac5ead17ed9b495cacc2496eb077a03d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am going to invite the member to repeat the question because it has not been addressed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b94d4fd35d26457c80c4309fe125cf2b\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can he assure the House that neither the Saudi officials with links to the Al Khalaf group nor anyone in the Al Khalaf group had any involvement in the tender process for the second deal\u2014the $6 million model farm deal?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298cbc09df8994289afee31eba64b6850\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: I just want to be clear that I have no ministerial responsibility for trade and enterprise and therefore cannot give the precise answer that he requests. But I can say\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225eefe1897b5b4dea895082bbd3647288\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: You fund it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da988e889613447d8e57229387096a62\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014that is correct\u2014that to the best of my understanding that is the case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226adc2105f4aa43be9ccc4429facad3bd\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Has he received any reports that his unethical behaviour\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6ece6d68eec4e52a7b865145052d035\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! That is going to end up with the question being ruled out of order. I invite the member to ask the question without that imputation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222abbb391d2c844e3a695a2cb0fcade88\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Has he received any reports that this behaviour has set such a low standard that other organisations operating in the Middle East using Government-funded businesses have also been tainted?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b6e6484f67e4eadb757ef42f664728d\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: I have received a number of reports suggesting that it is a matter of great regret to the New Zealand business community that it had in place before 2008 a Government that was prepared to mislead investors in this country, and it required this Government to try to find a resolution. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022623e6c74fcb24fbda59b909b79981409\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Is this is a supplementary question from Fletcher Tabuteau?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b122a7bb8114beeb286dad527d1a093\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, it is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002212c5aed3e157413bbbbd945176ebaeb3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Then you need to call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8cff71e5faf430e900501400b45719a\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can the Minister clarify for the House that it was never actually this National Government that entered into a contractual agreement to supply Mr Al Khalaf live sheep for him to export back to Saudi Arabia, before it was done in the form of compensation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f82b1fbda9cc45bd908934b3c7a1b88d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: If you want the question repeated I can get it repeated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220af601f87e754571b610c93c6046c2db\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b426e1a422c463c8d68f04c649cfc21\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Because it was quite a complex question, could the question be repeated? [Interruption] And could I have some silence on my right-hand side?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223bd4f70fd7634724a0d8d471dbca455a\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau\u003C/span\u003E: I just want clarification, to establish that it was never actually the Government that entered into a contractual agreement to supply Mr Al Khalaf live sheep for him to export back to Saudi Arabia, before it actually became a compensation exercise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c9d762c715448e0909c387c24b1f90d\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: I hope I am addressing the question that the member is trying to ask. If he is asking me whether the original business that Mr Al Khalaf was involved in was business with the New Zealand Government, the answer to that is no. The issues that have arisen with Mr Al Khalaf relate to events more recently as a result of the change to Government policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c3ecd0f704564c7fa046be0b6ffd9524\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: In light of his answer to my last supplementary question to him, is he aware that every Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Trade, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Agriculture in the Clark Government, going back to 2005\u2014that is, Messrs Clark, Cullen, Peters, Goff, and Anderton\u2014have all confirmed that they never once had an approach from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of the allegations he said were behind his facilitation payment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd0607c89bba452c9e8d60c1dc690b01\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Hon Murray McCully, if he has the knowledge to answer that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f0d7401a6d540d5882e0bc0fa567de3\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: What I am prepared to say is that the statement made in the Cabinet paper I released about the concerns that Mr Al Khalaf raised about being misled were verified by me by looking back over the history of this matter, but some of the references were redacted from the paper because I wanted to remove material that would be prejudicial to New Zealand\u2019s interests, so I will not take that matter any further than that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022264827cc826c440c939bd55bdf658b7d\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Has he heard of any complaints about how the New Zealand Middle East Business Council, which is part-funded by the Government, has been operating; if so, what are those complaints he has heard of?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c1c9f749f8f4eea8bc8e572331295b7\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: No, I have not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cea440e04814423f9edd3a749c6f090b\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau\u003C/span\u003E: Given the answer to my earlier supplementary question, is this then a precursor of the investor States dispute settlement clauses within the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, for example\u2014we have not even signed a free-trade agreement with the Middle East, and yet the Government is being sued by foreign business because this Government exercised its sovereign right to implement our own laws?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225192f6d3-dca6-43c8-a55e-381e1d7c1225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226aed882f24f3408da024b8de1a310b0c\u0022\u003EHon MURRAY McCULLY\u003C/span\u003E: That question might more properly be addressed to my colleague the Minister of Trade and, should the member ask it, I am sure he will get a lengthy and very interesting answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b86a535c40d4991b9bb524bfe92948d\u0022\u003EJames Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table my letter today to the Auditor-General for her to investigate procedural improprieties with the contracts\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ba8e7dd2e4d4645b205b60087d3bc5e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Again, that is not going to inform the members of the House. That is simply an attempt to make a political point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227233f0c5e1374db3ae603153e8648f53\u0022\u003EChris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I waited until the end, Mr Speaker. In one of his answers earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, indicated he had no ministerial responsibility for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The previous position of the House and the previous rules of the House have been that where a Minister delegates one of their functions to an Associate Minister, the primary Minister still remains answerable and accountable to the House for that delegation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a49725057164e06a7dcd6916bcf934b\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f5d46ec5cf8d45b0a60c27479f08bcd8\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I will hear from the Hon Steven Joyce.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bbe23649299d4202bc1ad7326567ae27\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: My understanding is that New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is overseen by the Minister of Trade and the Minister for Economic Development, not the Minister of Foreign Affairs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a61901cc685d4e35b72c2ca08a3c6383\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And that is certainly my understanding. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f19828cd82a94bd89c58a15322ca1715\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: Their web page, which, of course, I am not seeking to table, does indicate that the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs is one of three Ministers responsible: Mr Groser, Mr Joyce, and Mr McClay, who is down as Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226931f7d8ae314723adf83080a2a90c16\u0022\u003EHon Steven Joyce\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226550dcae22394273b0ea5cefef81b289\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I do not need further assistance, but I do appreciate the points that have been raised. At the end of the day the matter that is important here is for the Minister to be responsible for his answers. He has made an answer to this House. If he regrets that, he has got the ability to change it. If other members think that it has been an answer deliberately misleading the House, they also have a process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220212100805204cd89db6cfa6fd46274d\u0022\u003EBudget 2015\u2014Ultra-fast Broadband\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022 data-id=\u0022309279bb322b485a8308970564c75572\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022309279bb322b485a8308970564c75572\u0022\u003EBRETT HUDSON (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Communications: How does Budget 2015 continue the Government\u2019s commitment to the Ultra-Fast Broadband programme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022 data-id=\u002259bec3236bb0482e944463ffd16c381c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002259bec3236bb0482e944463ffd16c381c\u0022\u003EHon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Communications):\u003C/span\u003E Budget 2015 shows this Government\u2019s strong commitment to investing in communications infrastructure through our Ultra-fast Broadband Initiative. With the first phase of the Ultra-fast Broadband Initiative running 10 percent ahead of schedule and within budget, this Government is delivering on our election commitment to expand our investment in high-speed internet connectivity. That is why the Budget included up to $210 million in capital funding from the Future Investment Fund, which will allow us to expand the coverage of ultra-fast broadband to reach at least 80 percent of New Zealanders. That is an estimated extra 200,000 New Zealanders, and it brings this Government\u2019s total investment in improving connectivity to $2 billion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228665474e01ff466fbefb47bd6c5933d5\u0022\u003EBrett Hudson\u003C/span\u003E: How can communities who want to be part of the next phase of the Ultra-fast Broadband Initiative get involved?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b3002adda13e4445a29c6e941fed688f\u0022\u003EHon AMY ADAMS\u003C/span\u003E: As part of the extension of the Ultra-fast Broadband Initiative, we are asking councils and communities to work with us to get the best result out of the investment. This could involve providing local knowledge on existing networks and infrastructure, working with IT companies to make sure the builds can be faster and cheaper, or having specific plans and opportunities ready to make the most of the social and economic gains that ultra-fast broadband can deliver. This gives communities the chance to be involved from the outset and to work with us to ensure we design the best programme possible for stage two of the Ultra-fast Broadband Initiative. The process closes on 3 July, and I urge all councils to take up this exciting opportunity to help us bring faster connectivity to their communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a88c6e81ae5649dc9728d6585aaa5802\u0022\u003EHealth and Safety Reform Bill\u2014Progress\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022 data-id=\u00228d2945a698944bbeabb56400bc423759\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228d2945a698944bbeabb56400bc423759\u0022\u003ECLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What is the status of the Health and Safety Reform Bill, and what feedback has he received on it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u0022923454b9e1204c14b02669212ae1bfc1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022923454b9e1204c14b02669212ae1bfc1\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: My understanding is that the bill is at select committee. The Minister has received a wide range of feedback\u2014in fact, you could say the full 360 degrees of possible feedback\u2014over many months, for what is a significant piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a0b6e28b9674f5e88fbee65aa9fb1af\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Given this Minister and the Minister before him were warned as far back as 2013 that the vast definition of a \u201Cperson conducting business or an undertaking\u201D was a bridge too far, does he accept that several years should have been ample time to, and I quote his spokesperson, \u201Cget it right\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d5167ec03d5c47569b5cddeb23a177cf\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member should, of course, appreciate that this is a very complex piece of legislation. There are 289 pages in the bill, and actually there is a wide range of views. The member represents one view; there are many other views. It is important we land this piece of legislation in a way that achieves the aim of dealing with the challenges of workplace safety, but takes a risk-based approach.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f44f481a2bc493b809a00d015bdfc1d\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Does the time extension for this bill reflect that National Party backbenchers like the Hon Maurice Williamson were prepared to cross the floor and support it, as reported by Richard Harman\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff1020ee091947a68c396e2476a0d6e3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! There is absolutely no ministerial responsibility for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022965c8f9744d14d63a961573bc5b69135\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: When the Hon Judith Collins says about the bill, and I quote her from Stuff: \u201CI just think it needs a bit of tweaking, and that\u2019s the right thing to do.\u201D, would the \u201Cbit of tweaking\u201D really need 2 months?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236b4b6bbdbea4f59988fe69012f52fd6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That is a marginal question as well, but the last part of the question can be answered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a7ada4ea57845088c88e7e6372f5f50\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The National Party caucus and, more particularly, the select committee will continue to deliberate on it because it is important that we do end with a piece of legislation that achieves\u2014[Interruption] Shh! Be quiet, Mr Shearer. You are one who does not have a caucus. You do not have a caucus at all, mate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220c7163f3680d45d49e4673fbda510e92\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The interjections from both sides were not helpful to the order of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb7302820372481489a78229cdfc9b7e\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: I will just have to wipe the smirk off my face as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f7f13dc8766147d490de2e7bdbf69df8\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member, when he is called to ask a supplementary question, will rise and ask it; no more.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285b2d191c80943d6b315d224f7617e87\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Given that New Zealand First is the only party to lodge a minority report expressing concerns that the bill opens up a legal Pandora\u2019s box for farming, small business, clubs, and even bodies corporate, does this show the Minister is out of touch with his own MPs, as he is with business\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f35923149bdd48928388674ebb942b54\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Again, there is no ministerial responsibility. The member is referring to something that is currently before a select committee. [Interruption] Order! If members are keen to leave early for the afternoon, they could encourage me to make that happen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229b0f5d1ff89d42b4b3bb1a1a5b4a0cf7\u0022\u003EForestry\u2014Afforestation Grants Scheme\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022 data-id=\u0022de8811bcf58f4fb28c0cabe6677620ae\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022de8811bcf58f4fb28c0cabe6677620ae\u0022\u003EALASTAIR SCOTT (National\u2014Wairarapa)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister for Primary Industries: What recent Government initiatives encourage the planting of forests in New Zealand\u2019s regions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022 data-id=\u0022811b6ef4bd4b4e6a8d3202e43dfb0cef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022811b6ef4bd4b4e6a8d3202e43dfb0cef\u0022\u003EHon JO GOODHEW (Associate Minister for Primary Industries):\u003C/span\u003E We have recently confirmed a $22.5 million reboot of the Afforestation Grants Scheme. We understand that forestry is a long-term game, and this Government knows that start-up costs can be a huge barrier. This scheme invests into grants to lower the establishment costs of new forest planting in our regions. It is expected to result in 15,000 hectares of new forest. This scheme was announced in the Wairarapa electorate, on Jamie Falloon\u2019s property. Those who attended the launch were shown forestry areas that were established under the previous Afforestation Grants Scheme. Therefore, they saw the considerable benefits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225180a1f7e1f84e9fab650fdfe89fea87\u0022\u003EAlastair Scott\u003C/span\u003E: What other environmental benefits will this scheme achieve?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b6a03a2d7ff14289824341f283821b9b\u0022\u003EHon JO GOODHEW\u003C/span\u003E: Based on the previous Afforestation Grants Scheme, this new scheme will increase the productivity of erosion-prone land, improve water quality, and reduce the impact of severe flooding. In other words, this is an ideal scheme for erosion-prone and other under-utilised land. The scheme is also expected to result in 1.9 million tonnes of additional carbon dioxide stored in our forests.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228a24afe61fbd44c1a30ab1a7f9d8c0e2\u0022\u003EFuture Investment Fund\u2014Spending Commitments\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022a4787062d075464c83c5158d696466c9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a4787062d075464c83c5158d696466c9\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by all the spending commitments made in Budget 2015?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u00226e3bc6a3fa574ebebf563bb1d003ab69\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226e3bc6a3fa574ebebf563bb1d003ab69\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Associate Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Finance: Yes, I particularly stand by our commitment not to means test superannuation. I also stand by our commitment to increase benefit payments for families with children by $25 per week, the first increase in real terms since 1972. I stand by our commitment to increase health and education spending by $1.7 billion and $680 million respectively over the next 4 years. I thank the member for his question. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221698af46c0794b33a718aeac54845652\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: In light of that answer, does he stand by the statement in Budget 2014: \u201CThe share sale proceeds saw $4.7 billion go to the Future Investment Fund and we said we would spend $1 billion of that on schools, and a further $1 billion on health,\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed3883ef1fe34c03a82c80b6cb7b7a72\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: I cannot recall the exact details\u2014and, knowing the member, I would like to check them\u2014but I can say that the Future Investment Fund has been of great benefit to New Zealand, not just in education and health but in broadband, the rail network, and in a whole range of things that would not be existing today if we had taken the advice of the other side of the House and not proceeded with the share offers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1b17c8b680a4ceb8c373e5cd778a6d7\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Is it correct that, as stated in his media release last week, so far $635.6 million in education funding and $684 million in health funding have been allocated from the Future Investment Fund?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002202a4d4d6a77f4f9fae01aaaac3411310\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: If it is in my press release, I am happy to vouch for it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002228113bce88b94c8e8d2949cb0edab6e4\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Is it further correct, as stated by Minister Nathan Guy, that $400 million has been allocated from the Future Investment Fund for irrigation, of which $120 million has been spent so far?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1294ff15f3144e384e60dbe0c86221e\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The Government has made a commitment to, over time, invest $400 million if it is required, and certainly $120 million has been committed so far. In terms of whether it all comes from the Future Investment Fund, that will all be out in the fullness of time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221694f3689497465d983a77d2a2b6e2ee\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Given that page 41 of the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2015 states that there is $526 million left in the Future Investment Fund, how will he pay for the $680 million required to meet his promises for health and education and the $280 million that he has promised for irrigation from the Future Investment Fund, meaning a total shortfall of $424 million?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b1dceaa7454e4690b0587366fb0398fc\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: I would say to the member that probably equates to the amount that the Government did not make because of the appalling political behaviour by the Opposition during the floating of those companies. But the member shall find out in the fullness of time\u2014there are at least two more Budgets before the next election. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7329f52e72544fb9cf8d41eea6450e4\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: So which of the following is correct: that he has now promised $424 million more spending from the Future Investment Fund than is actually in the fund, or that he will break his promises on funding for health, education, or irrigation? Which of them is correct, Steven?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022239477c2f6bc433e9f2c507f2c768315\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: What is correct is that once the Future Investment Fund finishes\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226149345c55cd43dcb06b8519466904eb\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019ve run out of money. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e42c61a8b2ea4dcabd8a4190196f593e\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, no, actually, Grant. The Government will actually continue to have capital expenditure allowances, including in Budget 2016 and Budget 2017\u2014and, for all we know, Grant, maybe even in Budget 2018. We will just have to wait and see. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002264ddb0815a31420a83158720b490d9c1\u0022\u003ECorrections, Department\u2014Staff Safety\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022 data-id=\u002227bc38078cdb44ce831e7b0f20d440ff\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002227bc38078cdb44ce831e7b0f20d440ff\u0022\u003ETODD BARCLAY (National\u2014Clutha-Southland)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Corrections: What announcements has he made regarding the roll-out of new stab-proof vests to Corrections officers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022 data-id=\u0022a41469c725ac4ca793541b755b9c5e41\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a41469c725ac4ca793541b755b9c5e41\u0022\u003EHon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (Minister of Corrections):\u003C/span\u003E Malo le soifua, lou afioga, le fofoga fetalai.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003EEarlier this month I announced that the Department of Corrections would invest nearly $4 million to roll out around 3,500 lightweight, stab-resistant vests to all front-line corrections officers. Our corrections officers work in some of the most challenging and often high-risk conditions, and these vests will provide them with another level of protection within the prison environment. Although assaults with stabbing weapons are rare, these newer, lighter vests will enhance the current stock of response vests, which are bulkier and not suitable for prolonged daily use. The investment of nearly $4 million in these New Zealand - made vests is a result of our comprehensive safety plan and aligns the Department of Corrections with the same type of vest issued to New Zealand police and courts staff.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4b969cd4c00443d9da4d4225b35e510\u0022\u003ETodd Barclay\u003C/span\u003E: What other measures has this Government delivered to help improve the safety of our corrections officers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219bcf2ff-a193-4361-9072-813a4e36683c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fa1a1581f434121a5aff5281e8b925c\u0022\u003EHon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA\u003C/span\u003E: Good question. The safety of our staff is of paramount importance. We want to create a safe working environment where staff and offenders interact without violence. The Department of Corrections launched its staff safety plan in 2014, which focused on five key priorities: visible leadership, increased training, effective communication, enhanced resources, and appropriate tools and improved resources.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00221f732787e87c4b5db5eb373af17b6595\u0022\u003EM\u0101ui\u2019s Dolphin\u2014Preservation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022 data-id=\u0022c97b75e48a4e4e75ba9f78de57b1b06f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c97b75e48a4e4e75ba9f78de57b1b06f\u0022\u003EEUGENIE SAGE (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Conservation: What action, if any, is she going to take to prevent M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphin going extinct by 2029 given new research showing the population has declined from an estimated 55 adult dolphins to an estimated 43 to 47 adult M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphins?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022daaf4a9c720d4feeb3d8ebd02831390a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: In calling the Minister, can I advise that my office has been advised that the answer may be longer than normal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022 data-id=\u00222ba2be4be0d24eac91f1775acbe8f947\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222ba2be4be0d24eac91f1775acbe8f947\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY (Minister of Conservation):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. We are already taking significant action. The most recent abundance survey for M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphin is between 48 and 69 adults, which gives us the approximate number of 55 individuals, which is the scientifically accepted number, and that number has not changed. In 2012 we extended the set-net ban area by 350 square kilometres and put in place a 100 percent observer coverage on all fishing beyond this area, a total of 6,200 square kilometres. That adds up to more than 100 square kilometres of set-net ban area for each of the 55 M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphins. The M\u0101ui Dolphin Research Advisory Group will be set up next year to provide independent and balanced advice to the Government on the dolphins\u2019 recovery. We are carrying out an extensive abundance survey that will be completed next year, and that covers 1,600 kilometres of surveys. It is being done by taking skin samples, which are then analysed for DNA, from dolphins across two sighting seasons. That is required to give us scientifically robust and rigorous figures rather than non - peer reviewed, computer-based modelling based on old data from 2012.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002201695f0917f54eb4b25ecaa4b308d6f4\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: When 95 percent of all human-induced M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphins\u2019 deaths are from being caught in trawl nets and set nets, is allowing trawling in 95 percent of M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphins\u2019 habitat and set-netting in 81 percent of their habitat consistent with protecting M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphin from extinction?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce16b4a740ac45388d6ad6d6b90e25ac\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: That is not correct. Let us be really clear on this. There have been no confirmed records of M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphins outside the set-net ban area. The predominant area they inhabit is between Kaipara Harbour and K\u0101whia Harbour, which is completely covered by the set-net ban, which already extends between Maunganui Bluff and H\u0101wera. It is important to know that it is impossible for experts to tell the difference between a M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphin and a Hector\u2019s dolphin, without DNA sampling and \u201Cnecropantsy\u201D\u2014whoops, necropsy; it is a terrible word. It basically means examining them when they are dead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e90c146a221a4d5eb484e8f0891f2828\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Carry on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002242af6e019d6446e497d989c6711a3026\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: But the Department of Conservation\u2014thank you very much, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8f0d8a432204eafab21926adf89188e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Bring your answer to a conclusion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ade344e5ef464df7a6d7a70e10efefa0\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: It is very important to know that even the experts cannot tell a M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphin at a glance. You do need to do those figures and those studies first. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a1709f0cec84f65a20d0a7a29a2a784\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister accept the 2014 recommendations of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission that M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphins should be fully protected from set-netting and trawling across their entire range, from Maunganui Bluff in the north to the Whanganui River in the south, 20 nautical miles offshore; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288f92c05186e49c8ae5b3765411c0675\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: No, we do not accept it in any way. As far as we are concerned, and as I have said in my previous answer\u2014and I do not want to test the Speaker\u2019s patience around this\u2014and, at the risk of repeating myself, we have already put in place all the set-net bans that are required for any recorded sightings. They have been verified scientifically. We have that all covered off. So, no, we do not accept the committee\u2019s recommendations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c0e3f7ee4c547b59e7cea61b3cd39f5\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister agree with Auckland University\u2019s Dr Rochelle Constantine that \u201CWhat we do know is that we need to do everything we can to help this dolphin survive\u201D; if so, how is allowing trawling and set-netting in the marine mammal sanctuary doing everything we can to help M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphin survive?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210a609ccb71e498880f56a57842900b5\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Hon Maggie Barry\u2014either of those two supplementary questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b9b7e7590da4a91b4610984412db6b2\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: We are doing everything that we can to protect the M\u0101ui\u2019s dolphin. We have put a great deal of money into it; some three-quarters of a million dollars, which is what we spent on k\u0101k\u0101p\u014D recovery, actually. We are vigilant. We are working across the Government with the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Department of Conservation. We have put independent observers on the boats. We have banned set nets in the areas where they are. All of those things that we have taken\u2014they are prudent. If that member from that party wants to do bans across all the fishing areas, in the same way that a former member of your party wanted to stop seismic testing and all of the rest of it in areas that would cost this country $3 billion in mining and exploration, that is not the kind of financial wisdom that this Government will ever accept, because it will take us to hell in a handcart.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247d8ffe4b3b94aff8da48234282fcdcd\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table the 2015 report by Barbara Maas of NABU International to the International Whaling Commission, entitled \u201CEstimated Population Size and Decline of M\u0101ui\u2019s Dolphin\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221473b9335237415ca7cfcf4f83baf1a0\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular document. Is there any objection? There is objection.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00226e61c9015d694b0ca41a28bc1199557e\u0022\u003EHealth and Safety Reform Bill\u2014Progress\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022 data-id=\u002239d4d1c3c1b346458997c581225398a2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002239d4d1c3c1b346458997c581225398a2\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour\u2014Palmerston North)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does he agree with the Prime Minister who said yesterday that the Health and Safety Reform Bill needs more work because \u201Cdespite what we might say there isn\u2019t great divisions, there are just interest in making sure we get it right\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u00224058994180de420498ed133ee2d60bcf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224058994180de420498ed133ee2d60bcf\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development) \u003C/span\u003Eon behalf of the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Absolutely. The Government strongly believes that every New Zealander who goes to work in the morning should return home safe and well at the end of each day. We are committed to passing workable and effective risk-based health and safety legislation to help reduce the rate of serious harm in our workplaces.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268c70bd4e3d8468da56fe10a1a4ea370\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: If he does agree with the Prime Minister that the bill needs more work, why did he originally ask Jonathan Young to call a meeting of the select committee to conclude deliberation on the bill a day early because he wanted to proudly reveal the contents of the bill when he addressed the Safeguard National Health and Safety Conference at Skycity this morning?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f944068eb7754d3fa043d0ec4bea5137\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The matters of the select committee are for the select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a750c8f47b2642a080c3a942f098dd6f\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: How disappointed is he to have been rolled by his own caucus on a bill that he is proud of and was eager to talk about publicly?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002231afca3d25654faa8c345054c9261ef8\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: In so far as there may be some ministerial responsibility, the Hon Steven Joyce.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022439f3f673b684a2cb1409cd824d86743\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: Unlike the Labour Party, we do not discuss what happens in our caucus. And unlike the Labour Party, we do not have three ex-leaders, something like five or six aspiring leaders, and no actual leaders sitting over there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b41e3097c70d4310b483aba1fbd86d44\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave of the House to table the transcript of the 7-minute interview Judith Collins\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022123a6cf6e5dd4b5fa0187ee5ff41b0d6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! It will not be necessary to put that leave.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228543c6b807c648a3b3751bc0f693f0bf\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: What advice has he received from National MPs about changes that need to be made to the bill that have not already been recommended by the select committee?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d0dfe5e5fb6b4b8da451c8a8c39c7409\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: We are constantly reprising and considering our views on a range of legislation. This is a very busy Government, as we know. This is a 289-page bill. It is a complex bill, and it is important that we all get it right, because this has an impact on all sorts of businesses and people up and down the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299f6dc81e12c4135873d2b682ca1c096\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Has he been advised which National MPs are revolting against his bill? Is it Chester Borrows, the good bloke sidelined by the Prime Minister\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a98b45003034b26b928395225431152\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! There is no ministerial responsibility for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0d6a9af72d04e51a65019f83964c9bb\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I asked my question very carefully, and I asked whether the Minister has been advised. It is a question about advice he has received relating to a bill he is in charge of.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222d5a5b6b174646b3bbdbe2e59bc0473a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will allow that question that has just been asked, but there was no need to add names, as the member was heading on down to do in his first supplementary question. I will allow the Minister to answer that part of the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a0bb0e2a5e240729b21b8916433304d\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: What was the question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9ac0a3091d34896a944a648935f24cf\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: I will repeat the question\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221077e3ee61b3405fb7fcb152d5b08b4d\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Just that question, or else I will rule it out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221776cc5a06024922a0a2ec4b37ece447\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I have got to give him some help. My question to the Minister is: has he been advised which National MPs are revolting against his bill?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225c300148473b467fa021da7b725fa964\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: Can I say to the member that his salivation at the prospect of that occurring is about 3,000 percent in excess of any chance of it actually occurring.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fd7172738f174efebc9b7ee94cd41842\u0022\u003EBudget 2015\u2014Kiwi Conservation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022 data-id=\u00227b3627ddc319492996f0dd348303bb7e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227b3627ddc319492996f0dd348303bb7e\u0022\u003ESCOTT SIMPSON (National\u2014Coromandel)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Conservation: How does Budget 2015 help to secure the future of the kiwi?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022 data-id=\u0022705487a1d4cc4e6baa242698b08ded91\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022705487a1d4cc4e6baa242698b08ded91\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY (Minister of Conservation):\u003C/span\u003E Our national bird, the kiwi, will receive $11.2 million in operating funding over the next 4 years, and that is on top of the $4 million the Department of Conservation currently spends every year on kiwi work. Predators like rats, stoats, and ferrets mean that kiwi numbers are declining by 2 percent a year and there is a very real risk that our national bird will be extinct on the mainland in our grandchildren\u2019s lifetime. My aim is to turn this 2 percent decline into a 2 percent annual increase as a matter of urgency. The Department of Conservation will work closely with the Kiwis for Kiwi trust over the next 4 years to distribute $3.5 million among community initiatives to boost breeding programmes, extend predator control systems, and establish a robust monitoring programme that includes acoustic recording devices and intensive tracking.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207a7a77ff497499bb44dc9f073f725b6\u0022\u003EScott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: How will this investment be used to boost kiwi numbers in the wild?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c77b5dff90f46018cae3f0459dc0b33\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: The extra $11.2 million of funding announced last week means that the Department of Conservation will be able to more than double the area of public conservation land that is actively managed for kiwi. This means additional predator control of more than half a million hectares. The existing Kiwi Cr\u00E8che k\u014Dhanga sanctuaries around New Zealand are very successful, and we will be expanding on these, collecting and raising chicks in protected sanctuaries until they are approximately 1 kilogram in weight, when they are better able to survive predator attacks in the wild and can be released. There will also be a programme of research to implement new tools and techniques for kiwi protection, in conjunction with New Zealand\u2019s biological and scientific challenges. [Interruption] Although the Opposition may think it is a joke, our kiwi are under threat, and this Government takes it very seriously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022175066d07dbd490889b0480ec3723127\u0022\u003EBudget Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cf4778b1ba7547ab8bc9ff1096a9d6e5\u0022\u003EAppropriation (2015/16 Estimates) Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000197\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 27 May on the .\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022 data-id=\u0022379cda8961a54e93a1a5742345a136e5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022379cda8961a54e93a1a5742345a136e5\u0022\u003EHon JO GOODHEW (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector):\u003C/span\u003E It gives me great pleasure to rise and speak in this Budget debate. When we heard the Budget being read last week, the members on this side of the House had a sense of confidence because this is a plan that is working and helping the families of New Zealand. This is a plan that is working and helping the regions of New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EWhat we saw on the other side of the House was a gobsmacked sort of reality sinking in because those members knew that there was so much in our Budget that they could not argue with. In fact, that must have been a dreadful realisation for them. Since there was so much that they could not argue with, what was this week going to bring to the House? Well, yes, there is the Budget debate, but it also gave the Opposition the chance to fire questions at Ministers about what was announced in the Budget and to hold them to account for what they have not done. And what have we seen in question time today? One question about the Budget\u2014well, from the Opposition, anyway.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EHowever, we are quite happy on this side of the House to be trumpeting what has happened in the Budget. I for one was enormously disappointed when there were no supplementary questions about my Afforestation Grants Scheme. I had spent a bit of time preparing answers for supplementary questions that never came.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EYes, the Afforestation Grants Scheme is great for the regions. It is not just going to increase forest cover; it will count towards our emissions targets. It is going to help reduce soil erosion. It is going to make water quality better. It is going to reduce the severity of flooding. The Ministry for Primary Industries has had more than 80 inquiries about this already, and the applications for it opened only yesterday. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EHow did the rest of the country react to the Afforestation Grants Scheme? As you heard, it was announced on Jamie Falloon\u2019s property. He had 170 hectares planted with the last scheme. Here are the media headlines: \u201CForest owners gain confidence from scheme\u201D, \u201CTree grant revival \u2018smart\u2019 \u201D, \u201CForestry scheme for steep land applauded\u201D, \u201CForestry devotees welcome return of seed fund\u201D, \u201CForest owners gain confidence from the scheme\u201D, and \u201CGovernment reviving afforestation grants scheme\u201D. I have got to confess, though, that there was some criticism in some of the articles, which is that they simply want more of this. This is a measured response right now\u201415,000 hectares is a great start. This Government is carefully and prudently managing its finances. Here is a revelation: that has been happening for as many years as we have been in Government. It varies vastly from what we saw before, does it not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EThe Budget continues to support New Zealanders, but we have got a responsibility to manage what is a growing economy\u2014an economy that is the envy of many other nations around the world\u2014and to make sure that every single dollar that the taxpayers of New Zealand give to us, the Government, to manage is managed very, very carefully. As we know, we have got an average of 2.8 percent growth over the next 4 years. We are predicting a $176 million surplus for next year, growing larger in subsequent years. As a Government, we are investing in priority areas. We have a plan that sees us active on all fronts, trying to help this economy to grow at the same time as making sure that we look after the most vulnerable New Zealanders. We intend to be reducing debt. We are not the Government that profligately spends, spends, spends and forgets about the fact that you have to pay the bills as well\u2014not you, Mr Deputy Speaker, of course.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EWe will see higher wages. The average wage is expected to rise by $7,000, to $63,000 by 2019. There will be more jobs. We have already seen an additional 194,000 jobs since the beginning of 2011, and another 150,000 new jobs are forecast over the next 4 years. It is particularly important that those jobs are sustainable jobs. It is not the Government that is creating jobs; they are jobs that are coming out of businesses expanding. We know that business confidence tells us that people are intending to take on more employees, and that is a wonderful thing to know. We know that there are many, many unsung heroes doing an extremely good job in the regions, and it is our job to get the word out that that sort of thing is happening in the regions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EIn terms of the reaction to the Budget, what we saw on the front page of the Timaru Herald the day afterwards was \u201CSC mums see promise in budget\u201D, and then on page 3 \u201CNZ\u2019s poorest families set to benefit most\u201D. That was a sucker punch, was it not? That was a sucker punch, because, you see, members on the other side of the House think that it is only ever down to them to care about people in hardship. After 43 years, we are giving this additional amount to the budgets of those families who are in the most hardship\u2014in the most hardship.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e09d76080b24c86be57ae6a4acf1388\u0022\u003EHon Trevor Mallard\u003C/span\u003E: The member cut it in between\u2014that party did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223367db7b0d7e485dbb328ce6795532ce\u0022\u003EHon JO GOODHEW\u003C/span\u003E: The member opposite says that we cut it in between. I think that he has got a very long memory, or perhaps he has had a very long experience of this place\u2014both of which would be quite true. However, the member was part of a Government that did absolutely nothing for 9 years, and it took John Key, on election night last year, to promise New Zealand that he would look after the most vulnerable families in hardship. And he has delivered, but that is not the end of the delivery\u2014that is not the end of the delivery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EThe pathway out of low-income situations is going to be work. That is not always possible, but where it is possible, the assistance that this Government is giving families in hardship will see them come out of that very difficult place. That is when hope prevails\u2014that is when hope prevails. There is a $790 million package to help those children living in some of poorest families. As I have said, employment is the way forward for them, and this Government is giving real assistance to them. Not only have we seen that\u2014and I can report from my electorate\u2014but also we have seen a huge drop in the number of sole parents. The sole parents who are getting assistance and case management work from this Government have been telling me about the hope that they have for the future\u2014the fact that they know what their job is going to be when they continue and finish their education. They know that their children are going to benefit from the fact that we are supporting them to finish their education. I have got wonderful examples of this in my electorate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EWe are committing an extra $32.5 million of operating funding to help those on long-term welfare dependency, because we are putting our money where our mouth is. It is not about cutting and slashing; it is about investing. We are investing in New Zealanders, and I well recall, very soon after she was made Minister for Social Development and Employment, Paula Bennett said in this House: \u201CI believe in the possibilities these New Zealanders have.\u201D We will go through welfare reform, and my colleague the Hon Anne Tolley is continuing with that so that we can deliver to those New Zealanders who, through no fault of their own, have found themselves in circumstances that can be improved, and they should have the Government\u2019s assistance to improve. We are making changes to Working for Families as well, so that low to middle income families that are not on a benefit are also going to get some money. The line between these groups is quite narrow, and they certainly need a bit of assistance as well. Working families earning less than $27,000 a year in gross income are going to get an extra $12.50 a week in in-work tax credits. That is part of how we are assisting New Zealanders, but there is more.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EJust before I conclude, I want to focus on some of the things that we are doing within the health sphere. There is more funding for elective surgery, because, boy, do electorate MPs get to hear about the want for more elective surgery. It is not a small amount\u2014we are putting $98 million into that. In my electorate, we have a fabulous hospice, Hospice South Canterbury, and there is $76.1 million of extra money to support hospice care\u2014that is, the specialist palliative care nurses, who do an absolutely incredible job. Another area where there is real tension is bowel cancer. My region has a high incidence of bowel cancer, so there is $12.4 million extra in the Budget to extend the cancer screening pilot. We are working towards rolling it out nationwide. New Zealanders want that, but we could do a real disservice to New Zealanders if we announced it and did not have the workforce or the ability to deliver it. It would fall flat on its face, and it would not serve New Zealanders well. So it is particularly important that we get that process right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002260200136-9d63-4a82-b4f5-c00411adb1fd\u0022\u003EI want to finish with the $80 million to support New Zealand businesses to invest in research and development. The Opposition will say that we do not do this, but the absolute proof of the pudding is that there is more money in research and development\u2014more than $1.5 billion. In finishing, this is a great Budget. We have a fantastic Prime Minister, who is delivering on his promise to New Zealand to look after the most vulnerable. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022 data-id=\u00223be2bc6fa5d44427adea8e9d1adbeb10\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223be2bc6fa5d44427adea8e9d1adbeb10\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Deputy Speaker. There is a tradition in New Zealand of giving the Budget a name. You can think back to the Black Budget, the \u201Cmother of all Budgets\u201D, the \u201Cchewing gum Budget\u201D, or the \u201Cblock of cheese Budget\u201D. Nick Smith endeavoured to give it a name this week. He called it the \u201Cbest Budget he\u2019d seen in 25 years\u201D. But, of course, no one took any notice of anything that he said because he is inclined to become over-emotional at times\u2014and he is the person who wants people to live next to an exploding substation. But, no, the person who has given the Budget its moniker this year is the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has called this Budget the \u201Cit won\u2019t make a blind bit of difference Budget\u201D. That is what this Budget is going to be called\u2014\u201Cit won\u2019t make a blind bit of difference Budget\u201D. Why the leader of our country would want to use blindness to make his point is another matter. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister said, when bringing in a new tax under the guise of a levy, under urgency, and in the dead of night, that it would not make a blind bit of difference to people wanting to travel. Of course, he did not say this when he flew to London\u2014first class, no doubt\u2014on behalf of the taxpayers to argue with the UK Government not to impose the same sort of tax. And he called it a tax at the time. He said that it would not be good for New Zealand\u2014that it would, in fact, hurt New Zealanders travelling. But, of course, he did not mind it being put on here in New Zealand, because, at the end of the day, most of the people who will pay it will be New Zealanders. Of course, he did stand on principle. His principle is that a levy is a tax and a tax is a levy, and if you don\u2019t know what it is, then: \u201CGoogle it.\u201D He then said it will not make \u201Ca blind bit of difference\u201D to the number of people enrolling if the Government gets rid of the $1,000 kick-start to KiwiSaver\u2014it will not make a blind bit of difference. Of course, those members forgot that they said in Budget 2011 that they would never take away the $1,000 kick-start. But then they do stand on principles\u2014their principles\u2014do they not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003ESpeaker after speaker from the National Government has exploded with pride that after almost 7 years of urging and shaming, they have increased the benefit for families with children who are on the benefit by $25 a week before tax and deductions, which is about $2 a day. But, of course, it is so urgent. I heard them last night giving impassioned speeches, saying: \u201CLook what we\u2019ve done. We\u2019ve increased the benefit. After 43 years we are the first Government to increase the benefit.\u201D They forgot to say that they were the first Government in 43 years to reduce the benefit\u2014the first Government to reduce the benefit\u2014but they proudly say that they are the first in 43 years to increase the benefit. They say that there is such hardship out there and that that is why they have done it. So why\u2014and not one of the National members has answered this question\u2014do these people in such hardship have to wait 10 months for it? Why do they have to wait for 10 months before they get any relief, when National is taking the $1,000 kick-start from KiwiSaver? That change starts immediately. The money is coming in, but it ain\u2019t going out to those whom it said were in such hardship.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EOh, the amnesia of the National Party. I have never seen so much propaganda pumped out in such a short time frame. National has forgotten many of the things that it did. Of course, the Minister of Finance and Nick Smith, who is the brains trust of the National Government, are the ones who voted to cut the benefits way back then. They have also forgotten\u2014and I would like to remind the new members who do not have a lot of memory of what their party did in the past. It was in 1999\u2014not that long ago really\u2014that the Minister of finance, who was Bill English, reduced by legislation the average net weekly payment of superannuation from 65 percent to 60 percent. He cut the amount that old people were getting by legislation, in this House, from 65 percent of the average net weekly wage to 60 percent. Have a look at the papers. Ask Bill to show you the papers. He wanted it to be cut to 55 percent but he was stopped. It was the Labour Government that restored superannuation to 65 percent of the average net weekly wage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003ENow let us get on to the part of the Budget that I was incredibly interested in, and that is the health budget. Well, we are told that we have got more money. I have to say that it is not about whether there is more money; it is about how much more has been put into the Budget and whether it covers the costs of running the health system in New Zealand. Some of you might have been awake in December when I released in this House a leaked Cabinet paper on how much Cabinet had agreed would go to district health boards. That Cabinet paper said that they would receive $320 million. They would receive money towards demographics and a contribution towards cost pressures. The Minister of Health stood in this House on a number of occasions and said that I was wrong, that you could not trust anything I said, that this was not correct, and that this was not what had gone to Cabinet. Can I tell you that the Cabinet paper was 100 percent correct, even down to the allocations that individual district health boards received. So I was not the one who was wrong. I have to say that there is a word for what the Minister did in this House, but perhaps I will not use it today, Mr Deputy Speaker, just because you are a very good presiding officer indeed and I would not want you to tell me off.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EWhat I would like to do is read from that Cabinet paper. Perhaps the members opposite were not given this bit of information. What did Treasury say would happen if health was given $320 million? It said: \u201Cthere are some major fiscal risks sitting in Vote Health stemming from the wind-up of Health Benefits Limited\u201D\u2014that fantastic organisation that has cost millions of dollars in health money and that got a kick in the teeth yesterday when Hawke\u2019s Bay District Health Board said: \u201CTake your health plan to send down flu from Auckland away, we\u2019re not interested in it.\u201D So there are some significant risks coming from Health Benefits Ltd being wound up. The Cabinet paper went on to refer to the TerraNova pay equity case: \u201CAnnouncing a funding signal of $320 million to DHBs now will make it\u201D\u2014listening, everybody\u2014\u201Cextremely challenging to manage pressures in Vote Health within a $400 million package\u201D. What did they get in health? They got $396.5 million, which is the health funding package. It was going to be a challenge at $400 million, and they got even less than that. Treasury also said that district health boards will be required \u201Cto achieve combined efficiencies of around $191 million.\u201D So all your district health boards are going to have to go out there and find efficiencies, and they are already under huge pressure. \u201CThere is no doubt,\u201D Treasury went on to say, \u201Cthat the financial pressures facing DHBs \u2026 are considerable, particularly in terms of upcoming wage negotiations.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EI have to tell you who the losers are in this health budget, because it is obvious that the members opposite have not been told anything other than the bright, shiny story that the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Health have told them. There are many members sitting on the backbench who are members of rural constituencies. Well, I am afraid to tell them that their constituencies are the losers. Rural health in New Zealand is a loser. It is no wonder that rural doctors and rural pharmacies are dismayed. What you find is that rural doctors have been told that there will be no increase in rural health workforce retention. The member who has taken over from Bill English ought to know that down in his area and all around the rural areas of New Zealand, it is very hard to staff rural doctors, rural pharmacists, and rural health providers. The poor old pharmacists have really been hit. They have a 0.37 percent increase in one of their services only, which amounts to 80c per patient per month. That is what they got out of this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EMembers opposite will find that the rural GP flexible funding has been decreased. Then there are all the small rural hospitals around New Zealand, and the biggest losers come from the southern part of New Zealand. Their district health board got a 1.89 percent increase, not the 2.8 or 2.4 percent, or whatever, that the Government said it got\u2014it got 1.89 percent. I have to tell you that that is why the community has written to Minister Coleman, after a thousand people attended a public meeting, saying: \u201CWe have resolved a vote of no confidence in yourself as Minister of Health.\u201D This is why: the funding of health services is ultimately the Minister of Health\u2019s responsibility. He decides, with his Cabinet colleagues, on the priorities of Government expenditure. Quite clearly, running two public referendums on a New Zealand flag, reportedly costing over $26 million, is far more important than using the money for rural health services. Those health services in Dunstan, in Alexander, in Gore, in Balclutha, and in Queenstown are under threat, and they are likely to close services or close altogether.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022 data-id=\u0022b85bbc2ff355426782b0059934e4dd99\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b85bbc2ff355426782b0059934e4dd99\u0022\u003EHon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Deputy Speaker. T\u0113n\u0101 koe, otir\u0101, ki a t\u0101tou katoa. I join a very proud line-up on this side of the House in standing to speak on this Budget. It is a fine Budget. It is a balanced Budget. It is a Budget that is responsive to the times that we find ourselves in, and it is one that is as fair to all sectors of our society as it is possible to be. It reflects the very deep aspirations and ambitions that our Prime Minister, John Key, has consistently led this Government with since we came into Government at the end of 2008. His commitment to the most vulnerable is reflected in this Budget, as is his very sharp appreciation\u2014unlike the Opposition\u2014that money does not pour from a pipeline in the sky but that it actually comes from hard-working New Zealanders up and down the country. This Budget reflects a recognition of this by both investing in the immediate term, through a reduction in ACC levies, and by looking to the middle and long-term future of our country, through investing in regional science foundations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EThis Budget delivers on the commitment that the Prime Minister made during the election last year: that we would do our very best to lift up those who need support the most and that we would do it in a way that is as fair as possible to all New Zealanders. That is why we see this $790 million package at the heart of this Budget, and as we go further into the detail of the Budget, we will see just how caring, sensible, and practical the policies and funding initiatives in this Budget are for families\u2014for hard-working families both those who find themselves in circumstances where for a while they are dependent on benefit support from the Government, and those who are on low-wage incomes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EThis Budget reflects another principle that is resonant of a National Government: while giving, also expecting reciprocal obligations. That is the nature of our National character. It is to ensure that we do help those who need help the most, but that we do so in a way that does not induce the disease of dependency, which the Opposition is so proud of. This is the first Government in 43 years to make a real contribution to lifting benefit incomes. It has done so while understanding that, nevertheless, we believe absolutely in the virtue and value of work. So there are incentives and requirements within the provision to these families. Approximately 110,000 families are estimated to benefit from an extra $25 a week through this new package. That accounts for approximately 190,000 children. We are unable to give the specific detail of this because, of course, New Zealand families, wh\u0101nau, and aiga come in all shapes and sizes, and it will be the particulars of their circumstances that will determine, in the end, the level of extra support that this Budget holds out for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EHow is it that we are able to provide this support? It is through very prudent management of our economy, in the very stable, conservative, and sensible hands of our Minister of Finance, the Hon Bill English. We have come from deep recession to a very solid 3 percent growth, which has resulted in more jobs. We expect 150,000 more jobs. We expect to see the average wage go up by $7,000. At the same time, we have an inflation rate of 0.1 percent, so we expect that interest rates will remain relatively low. All of these things make a difference to hard-working New Zealand families. They get the value from this, and we continue to place emphasis on what their needs are. Families like my own, from heartland East Coast, Ngati Porou, Ruat\u014Dria, will benefit in the same way as families from Porirua and Paraparaumu. Of course, we have heard already this afternoon about Gore and Dunstan and all of these heartland towns, which, like a string of pearls, make up the beauty of what this country is, in all of its colourful diversity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EOur Government is absolutely committed to reflecting and representing that diversity but to doing so in a meaningful way, to ensure that those families can earn a decent income\u2014for instance, so that they can have, as a result of this Budget, a 20 percent increase in the childcare allowance for up to 50 hours a week. That is both at early childhood levels and for out-of-school care provision. That means that while we are supporting families, we are also encouraging them to get back into work, and to do so, we are being realistic about what that takes and are providing childcare support.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EIn the vote for which I am responsible, Vote Education, we have seen a significant increase again in the seventh Budget of this Government. As I have said in this House many times, this Government understands the critical contribution that a good quality education makes to all young New Zealanders. It is a passport to a better future. It does give people better options. It does not mean that we all make better choices, but it does mean that we have more options available. This Government understands that those choices should be ones made by individuals and by families. We do not prescribe what they should do. We invest in creating an environment in which those choices and opportunities are available to people, and this Budget reflects this. We have a plan that is working. It is one that we have continued to grow incrementally from the end of 2008 to where we find ourselves now, in May 2015. Yes, there is still more work to do, but it is based on a very solid foundation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003ELet me turn to families in particular. Of course, this Budget speaks very directly to families and to the specific contributions that we are making to support them. This Budget carries on a number of investments, not least of which is the increase in paid parental leave that we are getting under way this year. It recognises that families do want to be at home in the first months after they have their babies to ensure that they are well brought up. That is supported by free GP visits up to the age of 13. It is reflected in the HomeStart grants for first-home buyers. I am looking forward to holding one of these evenings in Porirua in the next couple of weeks\u2014I wish I could remember the date. Perhaps someone in my office who is watching will helpfully text me that date so that first-home buyers in Porirua can seize the opportunity that this Government is providing to them to become first-home buyers in the fabulous Mana electorate, which stretches from Tawa in the south to Paraparaumu in the north.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EWe have had record child immunisation. When we came into Government, there was much less investment, despite what the Labour Opposition speaker on health, Annette King, said. There is a lot of talk in health\u2014the Opposition is very good at a lot of talk\u2014but we had to wait until this Government came into power to see actual investment going into targeting those families who need it the most. M\u0101ori and Pasifika immunisation has gone up from about 60 percent to over 90 percent. That means healthier babies. We have got warmer, drier, healthier homes. We have breakfasts in schools, much to the chagrin of Opposition members, who want to legislate rather than just accept right now that every school in New Zealand that wishes to run a breakfast programme can, courtesy of the support of Sanitarium and Fonterra. We have better education for children. We have more kids starting school earlier, staying longer, and leaving better qualified. We have more jobs and higher incomes. We are helping children living in hardship, as I have covered. And we have put more money in the pockets of hard-working New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EMy colleagues have already covered a range of investment areas, so for the last 2 minutes I am going to focus specifically on the new funding in Vote Education: $10.8 billion, which I have said is a shipload of money. I thank the taxpayers of New Zealand who continue to contribute their taxes to support this level of investment in education. There is $10.8 billion\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223bb09a8778c04fcaa896c94c58f74b4f\u0022\u003ETodd Barclay\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222957409685aa41b08c8680545f06c181\u0022\u003EHon HEKIA PARATA\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014$10.8 billion\u2014being invested in education. Of that, $1.6 billion is for early childhood education, which is more than New Zealand Police gets. We want that to be the case. We want money to be going on to the productive side of our citizenship balance sheet, if you like. We have added to the special education provision, which currently sits at just over $530 million. In this Budget, we have put another $69 million into special education. About $32 million of that is to expand the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme, and the remainder is to ensure that there are extra teacher aide hours in schools. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EThere are three new initiatives\u2014she said, holding up four fingers just to test whether anyone in the Opposition was actually taking any notice. But no, they were not, and do you know why? It is because this is good news, and the Opposition members thrive on being miserable and mean. In the weeks and months leading up to this Budget, there were commands that the Government must make sure, in this Budget, that it attends to families in deep hardship and that it focuses on those children who are the most vulnerable and in the poorest of circumstances. And when this Budget delivered exactly that, the Opposition was gobsmacked for about 5 minutes, but then it defaulted to its usual, miserable, carping, unhappy, depressing approach to life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e1ead03-bf7f-496a-a02f-ce52859c58c1\u0022\u003EIs it not great for New Zealand that after 7 years we continue to have as high aspirations and as full ambitions for each and every New Zealander as we started with. What this Budget\u2014delicately, finally, profoundly, beautifully, and elegantly put together\u2014demonstrates is that we also have the funding and investment to deliver on the platforms of those aspirations. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022 data-id=\u0022b11d1657d8f14189ba08de0b29e3c7fa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b11d1657d8f14189ba08de0b29e3c7fa\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour\u2014Palmerston North):\u003C/span\u003E I took a close look at the Vote Labour Market documents that relate to this year\u2019s Budget and I noted in there that there was a total of over $15 million for shared services for WorkSafe New Zealand. That is good to see. That is important. There is also a total of just under $6 million in non-departmental capital for the WorkSafe New Zealand capability change programme. Both of those funding lines are going to be very important this year for the implementation of health and safety programmes by this Government. I have no doubt that when WorkSafe went to its Minister, the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, and when the Minister went to the Minister of Finance and they made their Budget bids, they had in the back of their minds the implementation of the Health and Safety Reform Bill, which is currently\u2014and remains, much to our great surprise on this side of the House\u2014at the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee right now. That is an important piece of legislation, which is going to need resourcing from this Budget to make sure it can be implemented properly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EBut at this stage we do not even know whether we are going to need this year\u2019s Budget to implement the Health and Safety Reform Bill because it could be stuck at the select committee for another 12 months whilst the National members sort out exactly where they stand on this legislation. This is a really important piece of law reform and I want to remind members on the other side of the House that the catalyst for this\u2014for them, anyway\u2014was the Pike River disaster. Just because time has moved on and the Pike River disaster seems like more of a distant memory to those members over there, it does not make it any less important, it does not make it any less relevant to the families of those miners, and it does not make health and safety law reform any less relevant to the families of any one of the workers who are killed across our country, particularly in industries like farming, like forestry, like fishing, and, of course, like mining. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThe National Party MPs might have forgotten. They might have forgotten about the pain and the heartache of the Pike River disaster, but we have not. Frankly, even if that disaster had not happened, then health and safety law reform was long overdue. What was introduced was a good piece of legislation based on two things primarily. One was the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy and the recommendations that came from the Pike River commission, and the second was the Australian model law that has been operating in Australia for over 10 years. So if members opposite think that this legislation, which has been introduced and has been sitting at the select committee for well on a year now, is somehow going to be impracticable and impossible to implement by businesses, they need just look across the Tasman and see how it has been implemented over there. I do not want to be disparaging to our Australian cousins, but, frankly, if they can do it, then so can we. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EI want to know where the rebellion has come from. We know that the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, to his credit, actually was very comfortable with the Health and Safety Reform Bill and where it had got to at the select committee. I want to say that on this side of the House we were less comfortable. We were not pleased with the direction that it had taken at the select committee, and I wish I could say more about that at this stage, but the Standing Orders preclude me from doing that. But certainly the changes that had been made by the National Party MPs seemed to be very much in line with what the Minister wanted. In fact, he was so enthusiastic about it that I got a phone call from him last week asking whether we could deliberate on the bill early so that he could go to a health and safety conference this morning and tell all the delegates at that conference about this wonderful new piece of legislation. That is how enthusiastic the Minister was about it and the enthusiasm seemed to be there right up until Tuesday afternoon, right after the National caucus, when the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety was rolled by the splits and divisions in his own caucus. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EI want to know where those splits and divisions come from. I think there are three suspects. The first I cannot name, Mr Deputy Speaker, but he is a good man, who has played a good role in this Parliament. He has, unfortunately, been sidelined by the Prime Minister, and lately he has been making some bizarre comments, particularly in saying that WorkSafe officials are \u201Cdickheads\u201D. He has been making some other comments as well, and I suspect that that member might be one source of the rebellion, the revolt, from within the National Party caucus. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThere may well be another. That is one; here is No. 2: Maurice Williamson. He does not participate all that much at the select committee, let us be honest, but maybe whilst he has been sitting there quietly, what we have not realised on the other side of the table is that he has been texting the ACT Party, telling it all about this appalling piece of legislation and what an anathema it is to the hard right and the libertarian right of the ACT Party, which Maurice so keenly wants to join now that he has also been sidelined by the Prime Minister. I think he is suspect No. 2 for the revolt and rebellion from within the National caucus over the health and safety law reform. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EBut let us be honest. Suspect No. 3 is the most likely: ah, yes, the Hon\u2014ahem\u2014Judith Collins. With one eye on the leadership, no, two eyes on the leadership and her desire to pay back her enemies double\u2014we know how Judith operates\u2014we think that Judith Collins is the leader of the revolt. She is the most revolting member of the National caucus, leading the fight against the Minister Michael Woodhouse, and against the members of the National caucus who are on the select committee, who have worked so hard and tirelessly on behalf of their Minister to craft a piece of legislation that he thinks he might be able to get past the National caucus. That is where we think the revolt is coming from. It is from Judith Collins, the leader of the hard right faction in the National caucus, which is pushing back against John Key\u2019s efforts to shift the National Party into the centre. Of course, in this Budget debate we have heard a lot from National Party members about how this Budget shifts them into the centre and occupies some space that they think is traditionally the space of the Labour Party. Well, I think Judith Collins hates it. I think there are other members of the National caucus who hate it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThe hard right faction of National is pushing back, and this health and safety reform legislation is the Korean War of the Cold War going on inside the National Party caucus. It has been bubbling away for a long time now, and now we are just starting to see the little skirmishes happening. This might be the Korean War. We will probably have a Viet Nam War a little bit further down the track. The splits and divisions within the National caucus are certainly starting to come to the fore, and this is the first fight\u2014the fight over health and safety. This is good legislation that this Budget appears to support. This Budget appears to have the funding to implement the health and safety law reform. The question is: have the National Party members got the guts to stand up against their core constituency, who have spread rumours and innuendo about what this legislation does, and say: \u201CWe stand for health and safety. We stand for workers going to work, being safe, and coming home at the end of the day to their families.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThat is what the National Party should stand for, but that is the very thing that its members are divided over. What an appalling thing for them not to be able to agree on\u2014the idea that people that should have their health and safety upheld and that they should be able to go to work, do a good, honest day\u2019s work, get a good, honest day\u2019s pay, and go home again at the end of the day to their families, and not be injured and not be killed at work. That safety is what this legislation is about. I am appalled that the National Party cannot line up and support a piece of legislation that is designed to do that. It has already been thoroughly watered down by the select committee. It can only get worse from here on in. If it has not gone far enough, then any further that National plans to go is going to end up with legislation that will be absolutely pointless and we will have a health and safety regime that is weaker than what we have right now. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EI want to see the National Party members line up behind this, and if they cannot do that, then I want them to be honest. Where are the factions? Where are the splits and divisions? Who are the leaders? Who are the ones who are anti-worker? Who are the ones who want workers not to be safe at work? Who are they? Is it Judith? Is it Maurice? Who is it? Speak up, tell us now, because we want to know who wants to weaken our health and safety laws in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022 data-id=\u0022df0941e29c7e4198bcaae71c9f803165\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022df0941e29c7e4198bcaae71c9f803165\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR (National\u2014T\u0101maki):\u003C/span\u003E Yawn. What a speech we have just heard then from the Labour Party member Iain Lees-Galloway\u2014what a speech. We hear yelling and screaming in order to try to replace good, reasonable argument. In fact, those members are not sure what they are saying. They are just going to yell it louder. Conspiracy theories around revolts, and so forth, and yet one just had to look at the Labour Party caucus on Budget day as its leader\u2014well, its current leader\u2014gave a speech. The heads were hung in shame and with much concern, and embarrassment I am sure. It was very reflective, one would say, of their own party. We also hear now from the previous speaker more metaphors being given. We heard a whole lot from the leader of the Labour Party when he gave his Budget speech. He was having a crack at some of our communities, talking about seven veils. He was floundering around and flapping his arms. Now we have got analogies to do with North Korea, South Korea, and wars. I think, for me, it is just the sign of a Labour Party that is out of touch but also a Labour Party that is out of touch with its history. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EVery early on in the debate today we were challenged on this side of the House by the Hon Annette King and the Labour Party about understanding our history. This was in particular relation to the benefit cuts, and so forth, of the 1990s that National went through. They were trying to rail against what we are doing now. This is the first time in 42 years that real benefit rates have risen. This is under a National Government. We were getting lectured from the other side that we do not understand our history. So a little bit of history for the Labour Party, of course, is that the likes of Annette King and others were in a Government years before us, railing against the cuts that happened in the 1990s. Yet they did not do one thing to change it. These were people who in their time in Government did nothing to change it. In fact, the likes of Annette King were in Government before National came into Government in the 1990s, and they did absolutely nothing. I encourage the Labour Party to look at its own history\u2014its own inept history\u2014and its action of doing absolutely nothing, and then have the audacity to come into this House and challenge us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWhat was delivered last week by Bill English was a great Budget. It has gone down very well in T\u0101maki. In fact, a lot of the changes and debates currently going on before the House are well accepted in T\u0101maki, that very strong blue seat. I am very pleased that the members and constituents are behind what we are doing. This is a Budget, I would argue, that is ultimately about caring. It is about caring for people at the beginning of life, through their life, and at the end of life. I want to touch on two elements of care. The first is around the health budget\u2014obviously, as a member of Parliament in the first instance, but also as the chair of the Health Committee. The health budget has now reached a record high of $15.9 billion. I think it is one example of the level of care that this Government shows, to continue to increase the health budget. Elements within it like $12.4 million to extend the bowel cancer screening project are, I think, very, very important. We have seen some really good signs there. There has been $98 million announced to increase elective surgery. We have a very proud record in this Government of increasing the level of elective surgery. There are now tens of thousands more surgeries being done. Many in this House will know from their own experience, and certainly Kiwis in general will know, that these surgeries make an enormous difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EBut what I am particularly pleased about is an extra $76.1 million to be invested over 4 years in the area of hospice and palliative care. A big part of that spend is actually to assist hospices to reach out into the community to provide palliative care at the end of life. I think that is fundamentally important. More often than not people will think about hospices or end of life and think about it as people in little bedrooms hooked up to machines and being pumped full of drugs. That is not the case in most circumstances. The work of hospices and palliative care is often in homes, providing pharmacological treatments and the counselling support, the love, and the generosity that is required. I think it is just absolutely tremendous that this Government is putting even more money into that space. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the wonderful volunteers and workers at the Eastern Bays Hospice in my electorate, particularly those who work in the dove shop raising funds, again, to support their fellow Kiwis in need of pain relief, particularly at the end of life. I am particularly pleased about this spend because I personally think that caring for the most vulnerable in our society is critically important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe are a Government that cares for those who are suffering, who are unwell, and who are frightened and scared. It is a big part of why I support this Government. For many who will know my background, I have spent a considerable amount of my life working in the community and voluntary sector caring for people. I proudly stand on this side of the House as a National Party member and support the decisions this Government makes around care. When I talk about care, I am talking about genuine, heartfelt care\u2014care that talks about compassion in the truest sense. Compassion that talks about suffering with people\u2014not that I am wanting to go into a Latin derivation, but \u201Ccompassion\u201D means \u201Cto suffer with\u201D and to be with them. That is my understanding of care. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI want to touch just briefly on the question of euthanasia because it keeps cropping up in these spaces. People will talk about euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide as caring and compassionate. I want to go on the record very clearly to say that is fundamentally incorrect. I would like to make some points for the record here in the House today. I do not do this just as a member of Parliament or someone of a particular religious persuasion but as someone who has also spent a lot of time in his life\u2014if I can speak in the third person\u2014studying these serious philosophical questions. I do it too because constituents often lament\u2014and you hear it in the media asking who is going to talk about this issue. Again, I want to go on the record very clearly to say that I unambiguously oppose euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in this country. It is not genuine care and it is not genuine compassion. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThere is no such thing as a right to die. There is a right to life. Those of us who have worked with people to the end of their days understand the fight that is in there to preserve life. There is no such thing\u2014and I say this as a rights theorist\u2014as a right to die. There is an illusion when people talk about choice in these areas. The fundamental thing with something like euthanasia\u2014and this is the opposite to what we are talking about around good palliative care\u2014is that the choice is being given to others. We are all free agents to exercise how we want in our choices, but something like euthanasia is giving the choice to others to make for us. Again, I think this is a fundamental problem we need to consider. I also just want to add, finishing on this little part\u2014because it is a heavy topic, but it is one that is often shied away from in talking about the heavy issues. I want to say to those in our vulnerable sectors, particularly those with disabilities, that I and, I am sure, many in this House stand beside you when you watch and hear these discussions with concern. I want to say very clearly to you in those communities that I believe in genuine care and genuine compassion and the need for us to stand beside you. So I am very proud of a Government that has put more and more money into palliative care to provide that assistance. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI am also very pleased about the welfare reforms. I read some opinionator on Stuff who said that those on the centre-right are people who \u201Cgenerally despise the poor\u201D. I thought that was just a shocking, shocking statement. In fact, I would challenge that writer, who says, basically, that we on the centre-right generally despise the poor, to write down all the stuff that she has ever done to support people, and I will do the same. I would be pretty sure whose list is going to be longer. I am very proud to stand in this House\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022425764b1b6cc4da48fa8a6712fe20a97\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: The arrogance. How arrogant!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225c89b6b6108b45f9bb5a681b97a4295e\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014actually, not arrogant\u2014and to back a real record of experience. It does not mean that I am any different from any other New Zealander, but I back the work that I have done supporting people in the hospitals and in the hospices, on the drug scene, people in the homeless shelters and the counselling that is required, and the people on Karangahape Road struggling with issues of their prostitution or their sexuality\u2014genuinely working with these people. It does not mean that I stand here and have all the answers, by any means, but I derive from them some experience that informs the way that I think. Really important, and what the left misses, is that we then marry that up with training in academics, which asks: \u201CWhy do I feel what I do, and how can I express that in words that can be understood?\u201D. That is one of the fundamental differences between this side of the House and the other side of the House. This side of the House has genuine experience, genuine learning, and brings them together and attempts to help New Zealanders as best we can. We have seen it with the marvellous Budget, bringing in extra money to help the most vulnerable in our society. Amongst those are families with children. Again, I said at the start that this is the first time since 1972 when benefits have actually been increased\u2014not by a Labour Government, but by a National Government. I am very proud to be part of a Government that genuinely cares. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022 data-id=\u0022b1c731b12ac0424d8f22459f23ed2229\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b1c731b12ac0424d8f22459f23ed2229\u0022\u003ECLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to take a split call with Fletcher Tabuteau to talk about the Budget. I think I will start by asking: what is the difference between God and Simon O\u2019Connor? It is that God does not think he is Simon O\u2019Connor. Simon O\u2019Connor certainly did suck the life out of this room in the last few minutes. It is a little bit towards the end of our Budget debate so everybody is feeling a little bit tired, but I fear to say that that just about drowned us in sleep and woeful thoughts. It was certainly a debate that will come up later in time. We would certainly love to have it with you, with regard to the right to die.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003EI thought I would also start by coming up with something thought-provoking and provocative with regard to the Budget, because we have heard so much over the last week or so, listening to everybody. The only thing that I could think of that comes out as remotely profound and provocative was just: \u201CWap-wap-wap-waah.\u201D I think this Budget has failed in just about every sense, and certainly on a decent scale. I will actually give this Budget a 10\u2014out of 40. I think there has been so much misplaced with this Budget, and it has been irresponsible of the Government to take away the future of New Zealanders by taking away the $1,000 kick-start programme\u2014the Government members have all got their heads down now pretending not to be interested\u2014and to give it to the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f654edd65eeb4d5e8ef79f3e84be5b69\u0022\u003ETodd Barclay\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re not interested.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f3dbe553712748f5968d8e1247c7f403\u0022\u003ECLAYTON MITCHELL\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, Todd Barclay is interested again. Todd, you are like a sneeze waiting for a mouth to shoot out of. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003ELook, at the end of the day, this Budget giving $25 to beneficiaries is the one good thing that I think this Government has done. It is certainly a step in the right direction. I would like to spend my time discussing the emergency services, which did not feature in this Budget. I think that everybody in this House would agree that those people add probably some of the best value to our communities, from Cape Reinga through to Stewart Island. They are the volunteer fire brigades, the people who are actually completely underfunded for their role. Their role over the past several decades has been changing more and more for the simple fact that there is less funding available, and they are actually going on community support and fund-raising measures to be able to give that support to their communities. I am talking about the likes of the ambulance service, which, again, is suffering from a lack of funding, and the Fire Service, which is actually providing a lot of that care. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003EAround the country at the moment we are talking to the volunteer fire brigades and the rural fire services, which are going out there and shaking the bucket\u2014to use the terminology\u2014to gain funding for their organisations. One outfit in the north had to shake the bucket because it did not have a defibrillator and it was regularly being called out to first aid response. It needs to get that support from this Government and this Budget, but it has not featured. It is certainly interesting to know, also with regard to the lack of funding, that since 1994, when the current situation with the way the Fire Service is funded\u2014which, of course, is through the Fire Service levy, which is through your insurance\u2014was looked at, it has been looked at 16 times for new funding arrangements. It has been looked at 16 times over 21 years, and most of those reviews have come out and said that the current way we are funding our Fire Service is inadequate. It is not fit for purpose. Something that this Government keeps talking about with its Budget is that it is fit for purpose, but whose purpose is it fit for? We seriously need to get back to our grassroots. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003ESomething else I would like to touch on is the number of fire brigade volunteers we have. Currently in the country we have got 1,700 career firefighters out there doing a fantastic job. Many of them are my friends, and I think that in terms of the high regard that they have within the community, those Fire Service providers are No. 1. [Bell rung] Five minutes goes so fast\u2014I had better not waste any time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003EI would like to tie this into Surf Life Saving New Zealand, which is another very important organisation around the country, which, again, has got no funding in this Budget. To recognise Surf Life Saving New Zealand as an official emergency service provider, one that comes under the umbrella of our emergency service providers\u2014considering that it performs some 350 search and rescue operations around the country, and several thousand lifesaving exercises\u2014we need to look at the search and rescue services, our Fire Service, and Surf Life Saving New Zealand being put into a package that this Government supports and looks after in a much better way. I will hand you over to Fletcher Tabuteau. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022da0483bbbe634359ac2a656300940b81\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022da0483bbbe634359ac2a656300940b81\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I call Fletcher Tabuteau\u2014a 5-minute call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022 data-id=\u00226ed7f0bbfb4245beb6d3a4d28aaca0bd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226ed7f0bbfb4245beb6d3a4d28aaca0bd\u0022\u003EFLETCHER TABUTEAU (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E This Budget has cemented in place National\u2019s acceptance and reinforcement of its reality of having a designated and permanent underclass in New Zealand. This Government is deeply in debt and the promise of that surplus is always for tomorrow. This Budget claims\u2014actually, quite wisely, Mr English does not actually claim this Budget will do anything in particular\u2014that it is a plan that is working. So all the Government members planned for Australia\u2019s economic decline and a drop in world oil prices. Without doubt there is nothing in this Budget that will fix this Government\u2019s finances and secure New Zealand\u2019s economic prosperity. Net core Crown debt has risen consistently under National and is now greater than $80 billion. What is more, the sell-off of Crown assets did nothing more than undermine the revenue we could have received from these very assets. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EDespite consistent and thorough evidence to the contrary, this Budget promises that everything will come right in 2017. Is that not amazing? It is just before an election. One can be a bit suspicious. I suppose we should be grateful that the Government is not promising that everything will come right in 2018. At least New Zealanders will be able to judge for themselves on the evidence as to whether this Government can actually keep a promise. Although, to be fair, election after election, promises are made and promises are broken. I tell you what, New Zealanders are the most forgiving people I know. However, for the benefit of some members, the Budget forecast is actually made, given a few assumptions. It is made by Treasury, and the assumption that the Government has chosen to accept is that everything will be rosy only if a few things come to pass. So what has the Government taken as given? Businesses will enjoy higher commodity prices, and we will have only moderate wage inflation, reasonable interest rates, and a dollar that works for all of us. Given this scenario, the Government will come out all pretty and blue\u2014higher tax revenues, actually reaching the Budget surplus, and cutting income taxes\u2014all just in time for the 2017 election. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EBut I want to point out today that that is not the only version of the future. There are several scenarios, and one of them is not quite as rosy. If, for example, the Chinese economy continues in its slow decline and if commodity prices and inflation remain stagnant, then GDP growth does not materialise and the tax take hits the slides as well. And, what do you know, Mr English\u2019s deficits will once again materialise out of nowhere, in his plan that is working. Add to this the likely fact that dairy prices will remain low for longer\u2014with most of Europe gearing up to produce more milk than ever before and with restrictions being lifted by the EU\u2014and National\u2019s rosy interpretation of the future is starting to look a shade of grey. I put it to this Government that not only has it failed to address the issues even under its preferred interpretation of the world\u2014for example, there is a bit more nominal money for health, education, corrections, and other core services in this Budget\u2014but even in National\u2019s rosy world those small increases do not cover the increases in the population and the rising costs of provision, and if inflation rises as forecast these so-called increases are actually a real decrease. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EBut my point goes beyond this. More significantly, this Government has its head buried in the sand and has no plan or idea for any other quite plausible eventuality arising in New Zealand or around the world. There is a real world that needs to be dealt with. I would ask this Government to stop trying to bribe the nation with talk of tax cuts coming into 2017. I would ask it to deal with the very real and explosive debt it has allowed to happen, and try to reduce its debt with some actual surpluses before bribing the people of New Zealand. Get a plan, stop inadequately filling the gaps, and actually lead this country into a prosperous future. It is well past time. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u0022acfcd1f5944f4ef99a5b8b83b2dd071a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022acfcd1f5944f4ef99a5b8b83b2dd071a\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Land Information):\u003C/span\u003E Last week I was fortunate to visit the Hutt with Chris Bishop, our MP based there. We visited the children at Waterloo School. I was there in my capacity as the Minister for Land Information, awarding a prize to a student who had named one of Land Information New Zealand\u2019s drones. Who would have thought that drones are an important part of educating our children? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThese kids were part of a classroom. There were 96 classrooms that went on a virtual field trip to the Mackenzie Country. The amazing technology and advances in modern learning that this Government is providing provided the opportunity for 96 classrooms from one end of New Zealand to the other to learn, through a virtual field trip in the Mackenzie Country, about a place that many of their parents would never have visited. So to have the opportunity to learn about issues that are challenging for this country, such as infestations of wilding pines, and to learn about science and geography, and important technologies like mapping, was absolutely fantastic. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EIt was interesting because these children live in quite a different world, and the winning name of the drone was manu. \u201CManu\u201D in Te Reo means bird, or kite. So they actually see technology as just an extension of the natural world that they are growing up in, and it is a natural extension of how they learn. They and their parents can thank this Government, because this Government\u2019s Budget 2015 will take the total spend on early childhood, primary, and secondary education to $10.8 billion. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EI have spoken on a number of occasions as to how my fundamental belief is that education is the passport to opportunities. For children who participate in schools from one end of the country to the other, the best start that we can provide for them is an education. But more than that, $790 million has been provided for children and families in this Budget. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EIt was priceless on Budget day, when our very fine Minister of Finance delivered the Budget, to see the clear looks of shock and horror on the faces of the members on the Opposition benches. They had not anticipated what, for us, was a very fundamental, logical, common-sense delivery of a promise from our Prime Minister to govern for all New Zealanders and to look after those who had the most challenging of circumstances. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo $790 million\u2014and I want to echo the words of my colleague Simon O\u2019Connor, who talked about care and compassion. This is a Government that has care and compassion for families and communities, that has put children at the heart of Budget 2015, and for that I am enormously proud. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EBut I want to come back to these students at Waterloo School, because, actually, it is about ensuring that our young children\u2014every single one of them, irrespective of their circumstances, or their upbringing. Every single child, we believe on this side of the House, deserves a great education. One of the things that we have put spending into in this Budget is school infrastructure, the modern learning environments that we walk into. The children at Waterloo School queue up outside the digital classroom at 8.30. They queue up, dying to get into the classroom so that they can get in there at 8.30 and start learning. And the class does not even start until 9 o\u2019clock. That is exactly what we want for every one of our children, and it is just so incredibly inspiring. When you look at teachers and principals in schools like that, when they have students who are just hungry for learning and queueing up at the door\u2014I think it is absolutely stunning, and that is what this Government is providing for through education funding and through funding for school infrastructure. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EBut there is another really critical part of that, and that is what we are funding in terms of ultra-fast broadband. In terms of our Budget 2015 we have also set aside funding to deliver on our commitment to roll out world-class internet connectivity for New Zealanders, with an extension to our flagship broadband initiatives. I know, years ago, when we made this commitment to ultra-fast broadband and our Rural Broadband Initiative, I think there were some who thought that it was just kind of beyond what we would be able to deliver. But if you think about schools that are connected, homes that are connected, health care facilities that are connected, and businesses that are connected\u2014Cambridge, Tokoroa, and now my own electorate, Taup\u014D, are now fully fibred. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo if that side of the House talks about the fact that this Government is not delivering for the regions, well, I can tell you it is. It is delivering for regions in every part of the country. If you look in Tokoroa at a decile 1 school, every single child is able to access digital connectivity and to learn at a pace that suits them. No longer do we have the scenario where a teacher is at the front of a classroom, teaching to every child at one level. No, you can have children in that classroom who have a variety of learning challenges, who are able to learn at their pace, and because of that, they are not being excluded, they are not isolated, they are fully engaged in their learning, and, more important, their learning results and achievements are incredibly and significantly increasing, which is exactly what we want for every one of our students. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo let us look at broadband. If we look at broadband in Taup\u014D, which is a well-known tourist spot, a significant part of our economy is around broadband roll-out. What we want to do there is make sure that\u2014because we actually launched the Chorus roll-out in a backpackers. International visitors come into the backpackers, and, as we well know, social media is just an integral part of a backpackers\u2019 experience. They are taking videos, photos, and images of Taup\u014D and beaming them around the world. So if there was one simple way to promote our country, actually, connecting Taup\u014D to ultra-fast broadband, with Chorus picking Taup\u014D as its first town in the North Island, has been a pretty stunning result. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EBroadband, clearly, and our ultra-fast broadband roll-out significantly benefits small business. I know that many of my colleagues here have been involved in businesses in a variety of ways. That is why we understand small businesses. We understand the issues that they face. I want to give you one very small example of a great piece of work by my colleague the Hon Paul Goldsmith. This Budget gave $12 million to the New Zealand Business Number. We have just introduced this legislation. It is a really fundamental way of simplifying and getting rid of some of the duplication, paperwork, pain, and suffering that small businesses have to undertake, which we have been able to remove. I am very proud to say that the Minister sitting beside me was instrumental in getting that piece of work concluded.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285db20d228034a098f31b5dc71f19efe\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: 2 minutes left, Louise. Talk about women.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022363ce18e534e4cefb3a6dd282b9b3a2c\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: The member opposite is saying: \u201CWhat about women?\u201D. Well, absolutely, many women are at the heart of the families who will benefit very directly from the $790 million that has gone to families. It is fantastic. I am proud to say there was no change in the Ministry for Women\u2019s budget. What we are doing is looking at\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f22fd018d29408c84c681bf580d43c4\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: A 14 percent cut.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022322d13180d37464dba14787c00b1a139\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: No cuts at all, Sue Moroney. Do not tell lies in the House\u2014no cuts whatsoever.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022036c00c7707f4c0490cf3055700681f4\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I take offence at that. I am happy to table\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce82dd8a2ca14f908c95e89c1463d2a6\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! That is not a point of order. The point of order about the offence relates to Speaker\u2019s ruling 42/2, and I will just ask the member to be mindful of that one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225dff464c0cc44b299ff7dbdb85eed8e2\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I informed you that I took offence. I wish to see an apology, please. That is the normal course of action when a member takes offence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226315a57d00e74825bc50fafd2c2e87da\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The offence was in relation to what?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203febb071a0146fcbb8c0885045474d6\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: Are you asking me to reply?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002262e3ef81b337456abc4e741c5ec16c3e\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I am asking you what the offence was that you have taken exception to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d543867217a644489612b622137d554e\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: She said that I lied.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a78c26458274ba1bbaa20cf606f047a\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: That is right. I have told her under Speaker\u2019s ruling 42/2, which is why I quoted it, that she is not allowed to do that. That is why I quoted Speakers\u2019 rulings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e00b210d451440b0a86047f5eecf9e45\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: One of the significant pieces of work that I am progressing is at the heart of this Budget. The heart of this Budget is around children and families. It is fantastic that we have increased paid parental leave. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThe next piece of work for me is looking at how we can work with small businesses, which are the heart of this country, and looking at how they can be more flexible in having women in their workplaces, making sure that women\u2019s skills are fully utilised in part-time environments, and I am very proud of the flexible work requests that we have brought into this House. It came into force on 6 March. We did not hear the Opposition talk about that, because they know that piece of legislation alone is significant for women. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThis Budget is a great Budget. As I said, in terms of education there is the significant opportunity for every young New Zealander to do well. This is a Government that is investing in them. It is investing in their very early days, it is helping individuals, and it is helping families and children. This is a caring, compassionate Government, which is delivering for each and every New Zealander.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022 data-id=\u00229e3076ee87284f8c986f4a74660d1cf6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229e3076ee87284f8c986f4a74660d1cf6\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON (Labour\u2014Port Hills):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava. Malo le soifua, Mr Assistant Speaker. Can I commend the member who just resumed her seat, Louise Upston, for spending an entire 10 minutes of the House\u2019s time without making a single mention of the 14 percent cut to one of the ministries\u2019 departmental budgets that she is responsible for. She spent 10 whole minutes without giving any explanation or any word of apology, and without hanging her head in shame. There was a 14 percent cut, and there was not even a mention of it. This is not a surprise because we know that when we went through the, I suppose, meaty part of the Budget debate, between last Thursday afternoon and Saturday night at 10 p.m., when we actually debated the legislation that arose from the Budget\u2014and it was so important that it all had to be dealt with under urgency\u2014there was consistency in the National members\u2019 contributions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EThe backbenchers are getting paid $150,000 - plus to take a call in this House and say: \u201CI move that the question be now put.\u201D That was the only contribution that we had, from the start of the legislative debate on Thursday afternoon right through to 10 o\u2019clock on Saturday. How can those members go back to their constituencies, or even back to their families? How can they look in the mirror and say: \u201CI am worth $150,000 for saying: \u2018I move that the question be now put.\u2019 \u201D? What a waste of space. What a waste of money. What a disgrace to the parliamentary process and the importance of the law that we were changing\u2014and it was important law that we changed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EI bet that Gerry Brownlee is wishing that we had followed the time-honoured tradition of Budgets, which is that we have the legislation arising from the Budget, we have the debate under urgency, and then the House adjourns. He will be wishing that the House had adjourned instead of coming back, because what we have seen is a revolting National caucus. Some members of the National Party have been revolting, and we know who they are\u2014that is pretty clear from the media comments. The only person who seems not to know who they are is the Hon Steven Joyce. He stood in this House and said: \u201CNobody leaks from our caucus.\u201D He cannot read the paper or listen to the radio much. I thought that he would, given his involvement with MediaWorks. I thought that he would have kept in close communication with the media, but he does not seem to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EWhat the National members are revolting over is the workplace health and safety legislation. We have had some robust debates in this House, and so we should. This should be a place for robust debate. But I find it extraordinary, and extraordinarily sad, that after 29 men were killed in an incident in the Pike River mine that could have been prevented by decent health and safety provisions, members of the National Party are trying to water down the already watered-down legislative changes that were recommended by the royal commission that arose from that incident. It is bad enough for workers, who can look at the National Government and say: \u201CThey don\u2019t give a toss about our health and safety. They don\u2019t care about it.\u201D How is it for the family members of those dead men? Those lives were lost. The families have been totally misled by the Government, which made a commitment to stand by them. It made all sorts of other commitments that the families have been let down on. Those families were hanging out the hope that at least those lives had not been lost for no reason at all, but now we see members of the National Party trying to water the legislation down, and a further delay in the select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EWho are those members? Well, we have got, allegedly, the Hon Maurice Williamson, who has just been rejected as deputy leader of a one-member party. That is a pretty sad indictment, actually. Being rejected by David Seymour must be pretty embarrassing for anyone. We have got Judith Collins\u2014the Hon Judith Collins, I apologise\u2014who very conveniently had an urgent matter to attend to in the lobby while Steven Joyce answered a question and trashed her reputation. We have got another member who does not seem to have gone quite so public with his opposition but who is certainly causing a lot of grief, and he is a very, very highly regarded member of the National Party. He is a senior member and a provincial member who has been treated, I and other members think\u2014including those from his own caucus\u2014very unfairly by the Prime Minister in regard to his position in the National Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EThe National Government is actually falling to pieces. This is a terrible look for the National Government just a week after the Budget that was meant to save its bacon. We have got all that going on, and then, of course, just to make sure that it does not get completely overshadowed or that we miss anything, the Hon Murray McCully has had a shonky Saudi deal exposed in this House. There are clearly some big, unanswered questions remaining about that deal. Minister McCully looked to be on very slippery ground. In fact, he looked slippery today answering questions. I understand from social media that he has left the building to apply for a job as president of FIFA. That seems to be entirely appropriate, given the behaviour with that sheep deal. I want to commend the Green contribution to the debate today. I thought the rewording of historical music was very clever, but, actually, it is a very serious issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders pride themselves on having no corruption in their Public Service. It is one of the many things we love about our country. We have had funny television programmes about the Public Service, such as Gliding On, and we have had Yes Minister - type behaviour, but, actually, if we are serious about what our Public Service is like, what our police are like, and, we hope, what our politicians are like, we have always been able to say proudly that we are corruption-free. Well, I think the last couple of days have dealt a big blow to that, and it makes me feel really unwell to think of that reputation being tarnished by Minister McCully. I hope that we get to the bottom of this sad saga very quickly, that the truth is exposed, and that any members who have to take the consequences take them fully.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EBack to the Budget\u2014what a wasted opportunity. I would have thought that on the back of such a resounding victory at the last election, National might have finally got some courage to have a plan and a vision\u2014to have a plan and a vision for our country. There is none. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271eb3f1d72e5408191baa303b2b512c5\u0022\u003ETodd Barclay\u003C/span\u003E: Where\u2019s Labour\u2019s plan? Where\u2019s Labour\u2019s vision?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea241cbf637f455db78869332f461004\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CMr Hedges\u201D should just pipe down before he gets laughed at any more. There is no plan and no vision from the National Government. This has been a Budget of totally wasted opportunities for a nation that is desperate for leadership, a nation that desperately wants to see a Government providing it with a pathway forward. We have had a massive number of broken promises. You know, some are pretty significant. In 2011 the No. 1 pledge was that in the 2015 Budget there would be a surplus. In the 2014 campaign, the No. 1 pledge was that there would be a Budget surplus. It was even up on the National Party website. I read it on the National Party website: \u201CWe promise that there will be a surplus in the Budget in 2015.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EHas anyone looked at the National Party website recently? It is not usually something that I recommend as preferred reading, I have to say, but if you look at the National Party website now, that promise has been taken down. It should never have been made, but it was made in the 2011 campaign, it was made in the 2014 campaign, and it has now been broken. Where is the apology? Where is the apology, National members? Are you going to say sorry, any of you? No. No, it takes a little more than any of them have to say sorry for breaking promises made, not once and not lightly but in two election campaigns, as the No. 1 commitment to the public of New Zealand. Should they feel let down? Well, I certainly think they should.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EWe also heard, of course, National saying: \u201CNo new taxes will be introduced by National.\u201D What a joke that has turned out to be. But, oh no, it was not a tax, was it? We did not increase the broadband tax; we increased the broadband levy, which is not a tax, of course. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002293d5039f955a40ea863e13c802f5dbe8\u0022\u003EPaul Foster-Bell\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s not a new tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022515fd7ce35de49d4a9de6e5bcec98a3f\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CNo, we are not going to increase taxes. No new taxes. We are not going to increase taxes.\u201D The broadband tax increase has been misrepresented, including by Paul Foster-Bell now. I thought that he had more integrity. Thank you for putting me right on that point, Mr Foster-Bell. It is not a tax, of course; it is a levy, so increasing it without any advance warning, for no justification, is fine. It is a tax, it was an increase, and it is another broken promise. And then, of course, finally we have the Government saying to parties on this side of the House\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022ffcc2183e3764030988cd0ca196cbfa6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ffcc2183e3764030988cd0ca196cbfa6\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member; her time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022 data-id=\u00226a1f7f831db74be08e605f9c33b75a1c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226a1f7f831db74be08e605f9c33b75a1c\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries):\u003C/span\u003E Well, what a great Budget it was for the National Government. It is interesting that we have just heard a contribution from the not so fresh-faced member of the Labour Party, who has been here for, I am not sure how long\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220dbb681ec0894e6c8d68a90e46fb568d\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: 22 years\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220280f63beb4347f9bc70178263c9fc57\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: 22 years, Minister Goldsmith says. It is 22 years that Ruth Dyson has been here. That is the future of the Labour Party\u2014not. Anyway, let us focus on this Budget because it was such a good Budget. It was so well-received in my electorate of \u014Ctaki, and yet when Andrew Little came in and made his contribution, was it not an absolute shocker? Those members\u2019 heads went down over on the other side of the House, and they were embarrassed about their leader when he stood up and talked about roosters on heat and fiscal gender reassignment. We could call his contribution the Gene Simmons speech, which went down like a lead balloon. What the Government actually did was steal the Labour Party\u2019s thunder by making a significant contribution for beneficiaries. In 43 years this has been the most significant contribution ever made by a Government. This particular policy announcement of $790 million has been\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d0e270c4b054fdb9918d47c40baf55b\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Total lies.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222b8cbbdda374031accfe21c5079bbe7\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! You cannot say that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bcc2129330df467f9a87b93d14245b10\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014extremely well-received. I can handle the rebuttal from the other side, Mr Assistant Speaker. In fact, the members of the public would be disappointed by that comment from the Hon Ruth Dyson. But let us focus on the good news of this Budget, because the centrepiece is about families. Before I get on with talking about families, let us talk about the future focus of this Budget. We are indicating we are going to reach surplus next year. Of course, the other side will say: \u201COh well, it should have been reached this year.\u201D Well, the reality is we have managed the books through the global financial crisis and we are rebuilding the large city of Christchurch. We have come through commodity price fluctuations, and that is being experienced right now by our dairy farmers, who will get through this because the medium to long term outlook for our dairy farmers is indeed very positive. But, of course, members on the other side are not interested in the dairy industry until they find that the forecast milk price payout drops, and then it is all the Government\u2019s fault. But we did not hear from anyone from that side of the House from 2002 to 2006, when the average price of milk solids was $4.20. We did not hear a whisper from them about their being concerned about our rural communities, provincial New Zealand, or, indeed, our dairy farmers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EWe have done well on this side of the House. We have created thousands of jobs, and we are forecast to create another 150,000 jobs in the next 4 years. This economy has created 194,000 jobs since 2011. Wages have increased by 15 percent over the last 5 years, which is fantastic. Public services under the John Key and Bill English regime are more efficient, and the exciting thing is that unemployment is forecast to drop to 5 percent next year. Of course, all of that is not acknowledged by the other side of the House because those members just cannot believe the fact that this Budget has gone down particularly well in places like \u014Ctaki, in places like Foxton, and in places like Levin in my electorate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EBut, importantly, what I want to focus on this afternoon is the great Budget for the primary sector. This is a fantastic Budget for rural New Zealand\u2014$25 million is going into biosecurity, my No. 1 priority. It is an extra $2 million of capital, which means more dogs, more X-rays, and more people. And, of course, there is the passenger levy that we introduced under urgency on the weekend. It is supported by our support parties, but, importantly, it is supported by the Green Party, which has got a vision. It realises that this levy should be paid by users. It should be paid by the 55 percent who come from other countries around the world. This levy should be paid by users, and the importance of the Green Party\u2019s support is that those members get the fact. Those members get the fact that biosecurity is hugely important for biodiversity. They also get the fact that volumes are growing. Tourist numbers are increasing, by a forecasted 3.5 percent every year for the next 6 years. With that comes extra risk, so it is only fair that as passengers come across our border, with them flows this money so that we can continue to increase our biosecurity and border control. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EAlso in this year\u2019s Budget, an extra $10 million is going into strengthening the animal welfare system. I acknowledge everyone in the House for their support in passing the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill\u2014which is now law, and that is fantastic\u2014about a month or 6 weeks ago. What we have got to do is implement the regulations. We have got to work closely with the SPCA. Some of this $10 million over the next 4 years will go into getting the regulations ready and into implementing them. We are working closely and funding the SPCA because animal welfare is hugely important. We export to about 130 countries around the world, 66 percent of New Zealanders have a pet, and we rely heavily on our animal exports, to the tune of $25 billion, so animal welfare does matter. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EWhat has also been exciting for rural New Zealand is the announcement I made this week. We are putting $25 million into the Irrigation Acceleration Fund. That is a fantastic Budget initiative starting next year\u2014$5 million a year. This is going to mean that we can ensure that these regional water storage projects get up and off the ground and get up to the investment-ready stage. We know that there is the potential for 400,000 more hectares of land that could be irrigated in New Zealand. We know that it is good for economic growth, not only for our GDP but, importantly, for our regional economies. I have been into areas where they have told me that the school has been on the brink of closure. With irrigation the school the school has revitalised.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EWhat has also happened is irrigation projects have been good for the environment. We just need to look at the \u014Cpua, which ran dry this summer and where Fish and Game were out rescuing fish species and releasing them in the \u014Cpihi River, which is fed from the water storage project. Also a lot of these water storage projects flow through into regional towns and cities. The \u014Cpua helps to underpin the water supply for Timaru.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EBut on the other side we do not hear any support for water storage projects. We do not hear much support for rural New Zealand. Those members did not support the border levy, which I think is an absolute shocker. They do not support the primary industry. Every primary industry came out and supported the border levy being introduced. Yes, we have got some consultation to come, and that will be happening next month and we look forward to the feedback from everyone who is interested. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EAlso there was an announcement made recently, on the weekend, about $7.5 million over the next couple of years to ensure that we are doing more in skills, because we know that we need to attract more people into the primary industries. So we are going to be working closely with the Ministry of Education there. We are going to put more money into OVERSEER. We know that that is hugely important, managing our environmental footprint sustainably going forward, and also we are going to give farming systems a bit of a boost. We want to do some detailed data analysis to ensure that we are celebrating and saluting the best performers of our country and making that information more readily available to the average farmer because we believe if we can lift productivity by 10 or 20 percent, then we can return exports into this country of about $4 billion to $6 billion of GDP. Also there was a great announcement for agriculture students\u2014an increase of 20 percent for their tuition fees, which is fantastic. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EI could go on. There is a long list. Minister Goodhew this afternoon was talking about the Afforestation Grants Scheme, which she has introduced, which has been really well-received by the foresters, which is a very important exporter\u2014No. 3 exporter\u2014for New Zealand\u2019s primary sector. There was $22.5 million there. Also Minister Joyce announced the regional research institutes where, hopefully, in the next couple of years, we will have the roll-out of these happening in our regions, taking science into the regions to boost them. Also we are going to be working on the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act review and, importantly, focusing on a new MetService forecast, because we talk about droughts and things, and farmers and rural communities rely very heavily on the MetService. Let us not forget ultra-fast broadband, because putting infrastructure in the ground, whether it is building the Kapiti Expressway\u2014which is hugely important through my electorate\u2014rolling out infrastructure like ultra-fast broadband, or working on those black spots like Minister Adams talked about, rolling it out for rural communities is hugely important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003ESo, in summary, this is a great Budget. I salute and celebrate Bill English\u2019s seventh Budget. We are on the right track. This Budget has gone down particularly well, whether it is in our cities or whether it is in our provincial towns, and I back our rural communities. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u0022400bf006b2334929b4b85c83788bda42\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022400bf006b2334929b4b85c83788bda42\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E Seven years of this National Government\u2014seven Budgets, and how many surpluses? Zero surpluses\u2014zero surpluses. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e5a0c4110844b93834d727edfcd6ba3\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: Not a single surplus.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec4cc732f0bd492baa23002aaf7ee8d5\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE\u003C/span\u003E: That is right. Not a single surplus. That was the No. 1 priority that the Prime Minister took to the nation. Let me see. He said: \u201CWe will be in surplus.\u201D or \u201CWe are in surplus.\u201D That was the No. 1 priority and it was an epic fail. This Government has missed the mark not once, not twice, but seven successive Budgets in a row. Contrast that with the last Labour Government. We managed the economy responsibly and we had 9 years of surpluses. With those surpluses we were able to pay down debt, put money away for a rainy day. We handed a wonderful set of books to this incoming Government and what has it done? Seven years of no surpluses. But it gets worse, because next year we are looking at more of the same. We are seeing a $7 billion hole in the returns from our dairy sector through the slump in commodity prices. So these are real challenges that our country faces. But what leadership is this Government showing? No leadership at all. It has not been able to deliver on its No. 1 priority for its Budget. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThis is symptomatic of this Government: broken promises, underperforming, and not delivering on any of its undertakings. It was demonstrated best by the laconic Minister from the Horowhenua, who said, in his rural drawl, what good news there is in the Budget for the primary sector. We heard a lot about agriculture, animal welfare, ultra-fast broadband, and the like, but what was in there for my No. 1 concern\u2014what was in there for the fishing industry? Nothing. Yet again the Minister for Primary Industries has abandoned the fishing industry, the No. 7 export industry in our country. He has abandoned that industry. He has forgotten about it, absolutely forgotten. Yet again it was demonstrated by his speech, which was all about dairy. Look, we do support strengthened biosecurity. We do support increased\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4cedd027b674c6c8760a34958676f66\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: But you didn\u2019t vote for the levy, Rino.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e58d613c77ba40b4b7ec128696c128e0\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE\u003C/span\u003E: The levy was already paid for through our general taxes. It did not need to shift to a user-pays charge. There was nothing in there for the tourism industry, Mr Guy. Returning to the failed promises from the Minister, yet again there was nothing in this Budget for the fishing industry. All we hear about is what is happening in rural New Zealand. Well, there is a fishing industry in this country, the length and breadth of this country, and there is nothing in the Budget. Budgets are big documents and there is a lot of spending that comes in and goes out. Money comes in and money goes out, but what has been put in that Budget for the fishing industry and fisheries policy? Nothing. There is no change whatsoever. Operational management\u2014there is no change whatsoever. So, the once great fishing industry, which was supported by this Labour Government, has now been buried and forgotten within the Ministry for Primary Industries. It has been buried and forgotten. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThere are many areas where this Minister has been negligent\u2014absolutely negligent\u2014in terms of his obligations under the Fisheries Act and to the fishing industry. Just to point out a few areas: research and management plans, better spending in terms of the science that the industry contributes to, and projects such as Better Information Better Value. That was a 6-year project that worked in conjunction with the industry and the Ministry of Fisheries, now within the Ministry of Primary Industries. It worked for 6 years on the difficult issue of the discarding of fish. In many instances this happens because the total allowable catch settings are wrong and they need to be adjusted. For 6 years the industry worked with the ministry on a project to come up with some solutions to that very difficult issue. And what has the ministry done? It has abandoned that project. There is no extra funding going into it. Shame on that Minister for abandoning our fishing industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThere are other areas, around the penalty regimes. The penalty regimes in the Fisheries Act are 30 years old. The deterrents and the high penalty rates were set 30 years ago, but technology has moved on. Vessel monitoring and other activities that have been implemented by the industry have moved on, and yet the penalty regimes are in place and are hugely punitive on commercial operators. Has the ministry addressed that issue? No, and there is no additional funding going into that policy area under this Budget. Again, it has been abandoned by this Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EI could go on and on, but the bottom line is that this is an ineffectual Minister. He has abandoned the fishing industry. His view of the primary sector is that it is all about cows, animal welfare, and the rural sector. He does not care about the fishing industry, or the fact that it generates over $1.5 billion in export dollars for our country, and that it employs nearly 10,000 people up and down the length and breadth of our country. He does not care about that. Yet again, he has stood on his feet and has not made any reference to the benefits that he is delivering for the fishing industry. I think I know why now. He does not actually know anything about fishing. He does not know anything about fishing at all. If he knew, he would have actually articulated and presented something in his speech about what he is doing to assist the fishing industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea61e48ac9fc4fb2a09d9dd84ade3988\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: What do you think about foreign charter vessels, Rino? Why don\u2019t you talk about that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a4e5e28d6adc4e7480a673a6126322b5\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE\u003C/span\u003E: I am talking about this Minister\u2019s failure to support the New Zealand fishing industry. It has been abandoned, and I hear its members. They are talking to me very loudly and clearly. They are very, very upset. Yet again, this seventh Budget from this Government, which has failed to deliver a surplus, has failed the New Zealand fishing industry, and that is a shame. It is a shame on that Minister especially and on this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EJust returning to the broken promises\u2014not only have we not seen a surplus but what that has done for our nation is that we have accumulated under this Government a national debt of up to $88 billion. Let the people of New Zealand hear that again\u2014this National Government has racked up $88 billion in debt during its 7 years in office. That is an absolute disgrace. That is $88,000 million that every man, woman, child, and wh\u0101nau is now having to pay back at some stage, but it will not be next year because there is no surplus projected next year. We know the difficulties facing the rural sector with the commodity price slumps. There is a $7 billion hole\u2014a $7 billion hole. You cannot fill that hole with just more debt, although this Government will. That is all it does. It will just borrow some more to try to meet the deficit. It is living beyond its means. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EWhat the Government has done, though, is look after the rich. This is a classic example: in news out today, Television New Zealand will screen a new $8 million drama next year called Filthy Rich. It is a real slice-of-lifer from our biggest city. Let us use it as a metaphor for this National Government\u2014filthy rich. The Government has mismanaged our economy, looked after only its rich mates, given tax cuts for the rich\u2014they are the ones who have benefited\u2014and the rest of New Zealand has been languishing and suffering. It is proven by 7 years of non-delivery of a surplus. This is a pathetic Government, it is a pathetic Budget, and, just like that show, it promises that there will be no substantial benefits to the people of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022 data-id=\u00223b37bff016774b82bd44777e6d69f1ea\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223b37bff016774b82bd44777e6d69f1ea\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Well, I am really hurt by that speech. That was very, very nasty from the member for Te Tai Tonga, Rino Tirikatene. My advice to him is that he needs to cheer up, because it just ain\u2019t that bad. He needs to get out and talk to his constituents in the greater Wellington region and throughout the South Island. My advice is that he should spend a lot less time with Andrew Little, because it is having a really negative effect on that member\u2019s outlook on the economy and on life. As for calling Nathan Guy ineffectual\u2014well, I am just appalled by that. This is the greatest Minister for Primary Industries we have ever had. In fact, he is the first Minister for Primary Industries we have ever had. But look, this is a great Budget. I just encourage Rino Tirikatene to open the books, to really have a good look, and to actually read it, because he needs some education. Stop hanging out with Grant Robertson and all the naysayers. Get in touch with the real people out there. This is a Budget\u2014I tell you\u2014that has gone down so well with the electorate, Mr Tirikatene. It has been a real hit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EOne thing that really disturbed me about the member\u2019s speech was he seems to think that the answer is more spending. He is going to spend more and more and more, but he is not focused on the results. Where is he going to get that money from? Where is it going to come from? Is he going to conjure it out of thin air? What is he going to do? There has been no answer in the last 10 days as we have sat through speech after speech from the Labour Party members. All the Green Party has contributed to the debate is that vicious attack on metrosexuals by Kevin Hague that was reported in the New Zealand Herald today. There were no ideas coming from the left at all, and yet here we have an excellent Budget delivered by the greatest Minister of Finance ever. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EWhat you see if you look back over the last 7 years is that we have done things in a very considered, incremental way. You know, we have not gone in there and slashed and burnt. We have been all about rejigging the spending within baselines to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people of New Zealand. I heard a report the other day from the Hugo Group, where a lot of National Ministers went and spoke, and then the Labour people got up. Andrew Little and Grant Robertson were there. The Hugo Group comp\u00E8re got up and said: \u201CLook, you\u2019ll have to excuse Labour, they\u2019re in a rebuilding phase.\u201D It is year 7 and it is still rebuilding\u2014no policy, no ideas, just a lot of negativity coming out. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EWhat I can say is that I am thrilled as Minister of Health with the gains that we have achieved in this Budget. There is $403 million in new spending going into help working families in New Zealand achieve more access to the health system. It has been quite spectacular. The Prime Minister and I were out at Kenepuru Hospital the other week launching the $98 million initiative for more elective surgery for New Zealanders. We have been very targeted in our approach to health. These have been tight financial times but we have been very focused on delivering the services that people need, and elective surgery was an area where the Labour Government was dramatically failing. We have lifted the numbers of elective surgeries from 118,000 to 162,000 while we have been in Government. That has been a massive increase. We have lifted the number of specialist appointments by 50,000. More New Zealanders than ever are getting the appointments they need and they are getting the surgery they need. And do you know what? There are more doctors and more nurses in the system. So there are over 1,500 more doctors and 3,000-plus more nurses. That is a massive achievement, because we have brought that very targeted approach. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EWe have been all about looking at what money we have got and how we can increase that\u2014a 2.5 percent increase in the baseline this year. When Labour was in Government it doubled the health budget but was doing fewer elective surgeries. It was pathetic. It was just not providing what people were needing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ce4915dd8c241d6b4c2193c2752a7cc\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Bloated bureaucracy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0efba29664a4c048532e317ed474ad6\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, there was a bloated bureaucracy. There was not a focus on clinical outcomes. If you look at those six health targets, for the first time, with the announcement of the third quarter results this week, we are hitting that emergency department target of 95 percent of patients in and out of the emergency departments in New Zealand within 6 hours. Is not that great? It is so different from when Labour was in Government. I can remember going to North Shore Hospital\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f019bd60e7e4e33ba033799db0d8289\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: What happened there?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224511098ab734c6ca25876db321afec8\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there was a young man there with a broken leg who had been waiting under the neon lights for 24 hours in the corridor. That just does not happen at North Shore Hospital any more. We have turned that place round. It was in deficit, it was performing poorly, and people were not getting access to the medical services they needed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EImmunisation is another very good example. We have really targeted immunisation. We have lifted those results. You know, when we came in, Labour was delivering about 70 percent of M\u0101ori children being immunised, and slightly lower for Pasifika. That is now up into the mid-90s percent. There is real progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271ebadc60d394b6f8b67276d3508f93e\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: All your own work, Jonathan.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222df1c9b390e84392b838b28303528987\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Well, actually, it is not all my own work. It is the work of the excellent officials, doctors, and nurses right across the system, who have been working on that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EIf you look at cancer care, cancer care is just incredible. When Labour was in Government, 761 people had to go to Australia for cancer care. It was an embarrassment. It was shocking. Do you know how many people go now? Zero\u2014absolutely zero. So we have turned that round. We achieved the first cancer target. We are now moving on to the second one, which is people getting their whole cancer treatment pathway achieved within 62 days. That is the international gold standard. So very real progress has been made there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EWe are also focusing on primary care, so a record amount of money is going into primary care this year. And, of course, there is palliative care\u2014very important to New Zealand families. We have funded substantially into end-of-life care.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f75d9c386df467582e445353525dd1a\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Very emotional.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233fc1ffe24904c6ca459d661135b8cd0\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it is a huge deal for people. There is new money going into hospices and new money going into the provision of palliative care nurses. It is a very important contribution to something that really makes a difference for New Zealand families.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EBut we are not focusing just on procedures; we are actually taking a very clear view on preventive care as well. So, in this Budget for the first time, we are funding multidisciplinary teams in health in the joint and bone pain area. That is going to keep a lot of people out of hospital. They are going to get the treatment they need much earlier and, actually, we have had a very good response to that. So there are multidisciplinary teams out in the community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThe other thing that we are doing at the moment, actually, is that we are looking at the health strategy again. It has not actually been totally revamped for many, many years, so we want to get more services out into the community. We have got to use all the skills that we have got across the health sector. We are going to use the skills of our nurses. We are going to use the skills of our pharmacists\u2014all the allied health teams working out there in the community in primary care with the doctors and nurses who already work there. I will tell you what is interesting. When I go around the health system\u2014I have been to all 20 district health boards\u2014I sit down and say to the doctors and nurses and all the other members of the allied health team: \u201CWell, OK. I have heard your view of the world. Tell me, is the health system getting better, is it the same, or is it worse than 10 years ago?\u201D. And do you know what they say universally? They say it is getting better. So I am very confident that we have health going in exactly the right direction in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EI tell you that it is very noticeable that since the Budget Labour members have not asked one single question on health. I think they have given up on health. Health has moved into that space where actually we have got it happening exactly the right way. I will take you back, though. It is a week ago since the Budget speech and Andrew Little\u2019s contribution. There was not one single idea that came from the lamentable leader of the Labour Party\u2014not one single idea. I think that what really happened was that he had had the ground pulled out from under him, but not by Grant Robertson, for a change\u2014although some of those questions Grant has been asking us during the week have been a clear set-up of his leader. Yes, check the Hansard, Grant. We have moved there into that middle ground, where we are producing policy that appeals to all New Zealanders. I must say that I reckon that Labour members will be ashamed that it took a National Government to raise benefit rates for the first time in 40 years, and they really had no answer to that. I would like to hear the next Labour speaker get up and congratulate Bill English on a finely crafted, very elegant Budget that, in tight fiscal times, has really focused on delivering the things that New Zealand cares about and what people need. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003EThe other thing that is coming up\u2014Grant Robertson will be very supportive of this, and I would expect him to mention it in his speech\u2014is free GP visits for under-13s being rolled out from 1 July. That is a real achievement, and once again it was delivered under a National Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221985d12a534847aba6ef4158620b228c\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Every child? Every child, eh.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022826e90b1446c4648bf84bf3a0092cf86\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: And Grant Robertson is very pleased about that. I am sure he will actually take a call on that. I am just surprised, after 7 years, that the Labour Party is not able to come up with a single new policy idea. I do not know where those people are going to go, but I think there is a crisis on that side of the House. I think if you ask people like the fictional Gene Simmons - type character out there on the North Shore of Auckland whether he is happy, I would say the average Kiwi is extremely happy with the Budget and with the National Government. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u002235ab5749194249f7a8802761b6750bd0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002235ab5749194249f7a8802761b6750bd0\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The next call is a split call. David Clendon\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022 data-id=\u0022c54cb04267aa45beb85dca74d8319f70\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c54cb04267aa45beb85dca74d8319f70\u0022\u003EDAVID CLENDON (Green):\u003C/span\u003E The Minister of Justice recently, in an article in LawTalk, talked about the legal profession. She confirmed the National Government\u2019s respect for the rule of law, and in particular the principle that everyone is subject to the law and the law must be applied equally to all. I will quote briefly from that argument. The Minister said: \u201C\u2026 we\u2019d all agree it\u2019s wrong for someone to receive preferential treatment in our courts. That is if you have more money or look a certain way that you might get a different outcome to someone else in your situation.\u201D The Minister is dead right. That is not a situation we want in New Zealand, but sadly that is the situation we are confronting in our justice system in New Zealand. We have academics, judges, legal professionals, advocacy groups, and people\u2014just everyday members of the public\u2014who are embroiled in the justice system. What they are seeing is a user-pays system emerging in justice. They are seeing large numbers of people going to quite desperate measures on occasion to endeavour to get justice. They are seeing people forgoing it all together because they simply cannot afford to enter the justice system. That is a failure of the rule of law, by any measure. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EThe National Government has ushered this in, and sadly the opportunity in the Budget to reverse that trend and to properly fund the justice sector has been missed. It is one of the many missed opportunities in this Budget to restore some decent funding to the justice system. It is perhaps na\u00EFve to suggest that every New Zealander will gain equal access to justice and will get the outcomes they want, but we should at least seek to ensure a minimum level and a fair expectation of reasonable access to justice, regardless of circumstance. This Budget continues the trend of cuts for most of the agencies that might contribute to producing a more equitable outcome and a more just and decent outcome. Funding has remained static in many instances, and in the context of inevitably rising costs they effectively are cuts. The agencies and the resources available to agencies are stretched to the limit, which has inevitably resulted in more people being denied access to justice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003ETake the example of a person, typically a woman, who might be seeking a protection order in the context of a relationship that has become abusive or become violent. The likely cost of engaging a lawyer to prepare, to do the affidavits, to present the documents, and to do the minimum necessary legal work is likely to sit at around $2,000. That is often a sum that is well beyond the means of a person who is in that very unfortunate situation. Enter the legal aid system, one would hope, which is intended to provide financial support to people who cannot, by their own means, get access to justice. Unfortunately, legal aid expenditure has been dropping in nominal terms since 2011, when it peaked at around $166 million. In the current Budget it sits around $112 million, the lowest in nominal terms it has been since 2008. There is about a $5.5 million reduction in legal aid for criminal cases, and a $5.4 million reduction in legal aid for Family Court cases. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EAccess to legal aid is determined largely by income thresholds. A person earning annually the princely sum of $27,540 is deemed to be too well off to be eligible for legal aid. A person working for 40 hours a week, on the minimum wage of $14.75 an hour, misses the cut by something like 10 percent. They are too well off, earning the minimum wage and working a 40-hour week. The Legal Services Act has put an interest component on to legal aid, which means there is something like a $6 million interest liability on some of our most vulnerable and least well-off people. Given time I could offer a list of other appropriations that effectively represent funding cuts to both governmental and community agencies, non-governmental organisations, that exist to support people\u2019s well-being and access to judges\u2014for example, our community law centres, Victim Support, and the refuges have all seen real cuts, often nominal cuts, and certainly real cuts in spending power. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e959f20f-3de7-4f54-8577-8ea78d72c3dd\u0022\u003EWe can do better than this. New Zealand is better than this. We can and we must do better. The National Government must realise that citizens deserve better. This Budget has let New Zealanders down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022d57c0a336dec4e07bdbf54ae8ece16f2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d57c0a336dec4e07bdbf54ae8ece16f2\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Steffan Browning\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228999c217-9b84-4577-b9b1-bcc8e9c7a395\u0022 data-id=\u0022e7130a7fab364bd6b1fbc3db711c71e5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228999c217-9b84-4577-b9b1-bcc8e9c7a395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e7130a7fab364bd6b1fbc3db711c71e5\u0022\u003ESTEFFAN BROWNING (Green):\u003C/span\u003E This Budget fails to make the visionary change we need for Aotearoa New Zealand, especially in the era of urgency around climate change and especially with agriculture as a major component of New Zealand\u2019s economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228999c217-9b84-4577-b9b1-bcc8e9c7a395\u0022\u003ELet us focus on agriculture. The Government, in this Budget, is maintaining its approximately $10 million spend on the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre and on some pastoral research as well. Its contribution is all around climate change mitigation. But what are those things that the agricultural greenhouse gas consortium is up to? It is looking at inhibitors to put in the rumen of cows, for example. It is looking at nitrification inhibitors\u2014the same sort of thing that we found, when we had nitrification inhibitors for a short period, until we found it in our milk, that was also damaging flora and fauna in streams. Those are the sorts of things it wants to do. It wants to get inside the gut of the cows and change it, treat it like a factory, rather than as an animal that could be producing in a more natural way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228999c217-9b84-4577-b9b1-bcc8e9c7a395\u0022\u003EWhere in this Budget is there a decent allocation of anything\u2014in fact, where is any allocation for the organics sector, which has solutions for these things as we speak? The Government is doing $10 million there in mitigation. Organic milk, for example, at this moment makes up only 1 percent of production. But there is a mismatch. Organic milk is $10,000 per tonne for milk powder, if any of us wanted to buy it off Fonterra at the moment. All Fonterra can get for its conventional milk powder is $3,000 per tonne. The farmers do not get all that balance, but this Government should be doing something to acknowledge that value proposition when it wants to double export values.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228999c217-9b84-4577-b9b1-bcc8e9c7a395\u0022\u003EIt also should be looking at the fact that the greenhouse gas consortium is wanting to look at soil carbon. Well, organics in dairying has 28 percent higher carbon storage in the soil. We already have the answers. There are 43 percent more earthworms. There is more diversity. It is a more resilient pasture that will be able to resist some of the issues around climate change, whether that be flooding or drought\u2014it has a higher capacity around resilience. It has a massive 58 percent less nitrate leaching into waterways. Where is the money for organics to be part of our \u201C100% Pure New Zealand\u201D? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228999c217-9b84-4577-b9b1-bcc8e9c7a395\u0022\u003EAnother aspect that really concerns me is that this Budget is finally doing another pesticide residue test in baby food. The total diet survey that comes out, theoretically, every 5 years\u2014Australia does it every 2 years\u2014is overdue by a year. This Budget, thankfully, goes there, but it is woefully inadequate and has just a minor amount of testing over a minor range of food. If we look at babies, in particular, and young children, which is something that the Primary Production Committee has been looking at, we know from evidence supplied there, which is open to the public, that this is woeful. This occasional spend is woeful. Pesticide residues are coming through food in a consistent way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228999c217-9b84-4577-b9b1-bcc8e9c7a395\u0022\u003EIn organics, the level of pesticides found in food is very marginal, but in conventional agriculture it is commonplace; the majority of foods carry pesticide residues. We could be going down the organic path, which would look after our citizens and our community, would reduce our health bill\u2014it would reduce the cancers, reduce the endocrine disruption issues, reduce the neurological diseases, if we went down that path\u2014at the same time as mitigating climate change and dealing with our economy. Thank you. This Budget is woeful for agriculture. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022977789bd7a874e46a42d182c0e149ce3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022977789bd7a874e46a42d182c0e149ce3\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The next call is a split call. Dr Jian Yang\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022 data-id=\u00226959591aeacf4853b175f2fcff4963f5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226959591aeacf4853b175f2fcff4963f5\u0022\u003EDr JIAN YANG (National):\u003C/span\u003E This is a great Budget. This is a Budget delivered by a very capable, very responsible Government. The National-led Government has a proven record of responsibly managing our finances, increasing our productivity, providing better public services, and rebuilding Christchurch. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EI have been following the reactions of the Chinese community. I am very pleased to say that the reaction from the Chinese community has been very, very positive. There are a number of reasons why the Chinese community has been so supportive of this Budget. Firstly, they see this as a very responsible Budget. The National-led Government has over the last 7 years been trying very hard to limit its spending while at the same time trying to take a series of creative initiatives to develop our economy. Our deficit has declined steadily from about $18 billion in 2011 to about $9 billion in 2012, and then to about $4 billion in 2013, and to just under $3 billion in 2014. It is about $684 million this year. While our deficit has declined steadily, our economy has kept growing rapidly. We are outperforming most OECD countries.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003ESecondly, members of the Chinese community see this Budget as a very sensible Budget. This Government knows what all New Zealanders care about. The Government represents the interests of all New Zealanders. This is highlighted by the $790 million child hardship package. Thirdly, members of the Chinese community share the values of the National Government, such as an emphasis on personal responsibility and rewarding hard work. Many Chinese immigrants once lived under Marxist socialism when they were in China, and they are fully aware of the problems of that system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EFinally, and perhaps most important, the Budget is yet another example of this Government\u2019s superb capability of running this country. In 2008, when National came to office, our economy was a mess. It was a nightmare. Today we are the envy of other OECD countries. According to a media release issued by Statistics New Zealand just a couple of days ago, 83 percent of New Zealanders surveyed were highly satisfied with their lives. I believe that one particular reason, or factor, that makes New Zealanders feel satisfied is our world-class education. We all appreciate the importance of education, and we see education as a passport to the future. According to Budget 2015, the total spending on early childhood, primary, and secondary education will reach a record $10.8 billion in 2015-16. Here I must acknowledge the wonderful work done by the Hon Minister Hekia Parata.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022656487fe-e0a2-485c-8dc2-fe61b9aec128\u0022\u003EA few years ago\u20144 years ago, actually\u2014when I was the deputy chair of the Health Committee, we went to visit the people at Fisher and Paykel Healthcare and we asked them what challenges they were facing. One challenge they mentioned was the difficulty of finding qualified engineers. So this National Government has steadily increased the funding for engineering degrees over the past few years, and this is just one of many examples of our good policies. This indeed is a great Budget. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022 data-id=\u0022bb7e65b6b6664557b445ebf377e823b4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bb7e65b6b6664557b445ebf377e823b4\u0022\u003EIAN McKELVIE (National\u2014Rangit\u012Bkei):\u003C/span\u003E I have got a great feeling at the moment. Never in my time have I heard sheep have as much mention in this House as they have in the last couple of days. Of course, you would have to go back to the 1951 wool boom to get the feeling that it is as good for agriculture as it is right now. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003ESecondly, and most important, what a privilege it is to be a member of a Government led by the Prime Minister, John Key, who is able and prepared to spend a significant amount of money and a significant amount of energy supporting those people who do not have the best start in life, through the child hardship package. Like everything else, it comes with some obligations. There will be an obligation to look for work. There is also an obligation to the taxpayer of this country\u2014who funds these things\u2014to be work-ready where possible, and having their children in education or care from the age of 3 will assist them to make good progress. We are increasing the childcare assistance rate from $4 to $5 and putting an extra $25 a week in their pockets. It does not sound like much, but when you go to some of my communities, and Taumarunui would be a good example of that, it could well be an injection in excess of $1 million into that economy\u2014follow that up in Marton, Feilding, and about a half of that in Raetihi, Shannon, Taihape, and so on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThis is a significant boost to rural and provincial New Zealand. It will also help those people, I guess, to grow in confidence and to give them the confidence to have a say in those communities, where there is no question that the tourism and agricultural sector will increase their job opportunities. So I think we are going to see quite a significant change in provincial New Zealand as a result of those initiatives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EWh\u0101nau Ora, of course, also received some $48 million in the Budget, and, again, if you go to some of the communities in my electorate, particularly Taumarunui, you will see a programme that is working so well in this respect. It is pretty amazing, in fact. I think it does a great job, and it is making a significant difference for our community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EUltra-fast broadband will benefit by some $210 million, and that, in turn, will put 80 percent of all New Zealanders on that track when complete. But more important for us, of course, is the Rural Broadband Initiative and the extension to it. It is critical to us, and I certainly support the telecommunications levy, which will help fund the rural broadband extension. If we want our rural and provincial areas to grow, rural broadband is one of the single most important factors that we can concentrate on. It will enable them to get moving very quickly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThe regional research institutes are another great initiative, I think, as are ACC levy cuts, which will put some $375 million into our economy in 2016. In fact, the ACC cuts will have amounted to just on $2 billion, from 2012 to 2017. I am also very pleased to see the significant injection into science and innovation, and I am equally as pleased to see the re-funding of the Riddet Institute at Massey University, which has made a significant contribution in the last few years to research around, I guess, critical science and food-related factors. I am very pleased to see that be re-funded, and I think it is going to produce great results for us. The investment in KiwiRail is vexing for any Government, I guess, but the $210 million of new capital introduced into that organisation will make quite a big difference to rural and provincial New Zealand. Much of our produce comes out of rural towns and ends up in our ports, and KiwiRail is a very important part of getting that produce into the market. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EI also want to talk very briefly about workplace safety, because I think it is critical to rural New Zealand. It is a fact that it has been giving a significant amount of grief to those of us in rural New Zealand. We certainly have an accident rate and a death rate that we cannot be proud of, and I think this Government is making significant steps in the advancement of workplace safety. I am sure that when we get this legislation back into the House, we will see it put in great order, and we will see a significant improvement in our performance around this in rural New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThere is so much in this great Budget aimed at continuing the strengthening of our economy, and certainly of significant assistance to rural New Zealand. I look forward to the result of this and I think we are going to get a great result as we move on in the next year or two from this. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022 data-id=\u002201163cdaed494d8f9562eb26876316f4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002201163cdaed494d8f9562eb26876316f4\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Assistant Speaker. Thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to this Budget debate and analysis. I have got a question for the House: how many children will be lifted out of poverty as a result of last week\u2019s Budget? How many children will be lifted out of poverty as a result of last week\u2019s Budget?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022152baca76bef4e59912a41071e24c69f\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: They don\u2019t know.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f9208e4ba0b4da080d0c1524bdadd39\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL\u003C/span\u003E: They do not know. Thank you, Grant Robertson. Those members do not know. They conceded that this morning on Radio New Zealand National. This Government does not know how many children will be lifted out of poverty as a result of last week\u2019s Budget. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EBeneficiary families are supposed to be grateful because beneficiary families are going to get $25 from 1 April 2016. Why? Because Prime Minister John Key said: \u201CSupporting children in hardship [is a] focus of the Budget.\u201D That was the title of his press release. It is such a focus, ladies and gentlemen, that beneficiary families have to wait for only 307 days to get the $25 a week\u2014307 days. So that is the National Party\u2019s definition of compassionate conservatism. You beneficiary families and your children are such a priority, such a focus, that you have to wait for only 307 days. So what is so compassionate about having to wait for 307 days? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EWell, the Government has tried to claim that this is the first increase since 1972, forgetting that National\u2014that is, Ruth Richardson and Jenny Shipley\u2014in the 1990s had actually cut benefits. So the National Government in the 1990s cut benefits\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b18093c6b60342f9867b6d334dd62cdf\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Yep, and you had 9 years to reverse them and you didn\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271a350569afb4f0b9a7d064e6f1fa459\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and Chris Bishop is proud of that fact. How much are those cuts worth today? Well, ladies and gentlemen, that is $43 worth of benefit cuts today. So, in fact, in giving them $25 you have actually ripped them off $18. That is how much this Government wants to address poverty and address the hardship in beneficiary families. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EAnd now I want to focus around another aspect of this Government\u2019s compassionate conservatism. It is actually related to the Taxation (KiwiSaver HomeStart and Remedial Matters) Act. I am going to do a little bit of facts and figures, and some people who were here on the weekend will have heard this. But of the 4.471 million New Zealanders, 52 percent\u20142.35 million people\u2014have actually enrolled in KiwiSaver. Of those, 350,000 children and young people have been enrolled. So congratulations to the parents out there for enrolling their children in KiwiSaver and committing them to a life of saving, so that one day they might be able to own a home, one day they might be able to get an education, and one day, when they are 65-plus, they will be able to have a great retirement\u2014because that is actually what it is all about. We want to prepare people for the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EOf the 2.121 million people who are not enrolled, about 340,000 have opted out. They have made an informed decision to not be involved in KiwiSaver. Of the 1.7 million, or 40 percent, of New Zealanders who now are not entitled to the $1,000 KiwiSaver kick-start contribution to their retirement scheme\u2014who are they? Because I am really interested to know who the 40 percent of New Zealanders are who are missing out. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI am going to focus on a couple of cohorts. One cohort: those are the people who earn under $30,000, actually. They are missing out on this KiwiSaver scheme, and these are people whom I would classify as living in hardship. These are those families whom John Key said that his Government is focusing on. All of those families are going to miss out. Who else is affected? Well, actually, according to the Inland Revenue Department in its February 2015 report Who is enrolling in KiwiSaver?\u2014I am basing this on the just under 40 percent of KiwiSaver members who were automatically enrolled. And who was automatically enrolled in KiwiSaver? You had to be aged between 18 and 64 years. It had to be a new job with a new employer, and you were either in full-time or permanent part-time work. Or you could have been an agricultural worker in the job for more than 3 months. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo you are part of the 40 percent of New Zealanders who used to be automatically enrolled in KiwiSaver. What do you look like? What is the profile of this cohort of New Zealanders? They are single and aged between 18 and 24. They are M\u0101ori and Pacific Islanders. They are people who are secondary school educated. They are working in lower white-collar positions. They are working in retail, trade, and the accommodation industry. And they are earning between $30,000 and $50,000 in employment income. So these are the people who, based on the Government\u2019s Budget and its piece of legislation, the Taxation (KiwiSaver HomeStart and Remedial Matters) Act, now miss out on KiwiSaver. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI would actually now like to quote from a couple of sources. The first source is the Child Poverty Action Group. It had a breakfast, both here and in Wellington. And this is from its 2015 Budget analysis: \u201CWe know parents prioritise their children and this extra money will be spent to meet their needs.\u201D This is the $25 that this Government is so kindly giving them in 307 days. \u201CIt is a shame that this promise will not be delivered until April next year. It is also a shame that the thresholds for access to Accommodation Supplement, income-related rents and supplementary assistance have not been adjusted. This means that much of the increase in incomes will be instantly eroded.\u201D So the net effect of the Government\u2019s prioritisation of families and children in hardship, based on that analysis, is nil. It is zip. It is nothing. So thank you, National Government, for prioritising families and children in hardship! You care so much about them they only have to wait 307 days. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI would also like to quote from Dita De Boni, who wrote an excellent article in the New Zealand Herald today: \u201CIn the UK there is a movement called the \u2018Good Right\u2019 project, which wants non-conservatives to \u2018appreciate the right\u2019s moral strengths, and for conservatives to deepen their belief in social justice\u2019\u2026 a conservatism that is more compassionate and visionary. But to be visionary you\u2019d have to concede there are problems that need fixing, and an even better country that could be built. By that measure, our lot would fall at the first hurdle.\u201D So there is an assessment from Dita De Bona about this Government\u2019s\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d6886244ef34e8da0012d63aa3a83e5\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: De Boni.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b17282097cbd499bb3649eebbcf202e6\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014De Boni, thank you; De Boni\u2014for this Government\u2019s commitment to, as John Key said in his press release, \u201Csupporting children in hardship\u201D, which is a big focus of this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI think that, in the final analysis, what this Government will be seen as is a Government that takes from the poor to give to the poor. Actually, it is the complete opposite of Robin Hood. I actually think it is the \u201CSheriff of Nottingham\u201D Budget, because this Government has deceived everybody into thinking that it is compassionate and that it actually cares. But the reality of the situation is that this Government has not prioritised children in poverty. Otherwise, it would have been able to answer this question: how many children will be lifted out of poverty as a result of last week\u2019s Budget? Actually, this will be the defining legacy of this Government: a growing inequality, an entrenchment of inequality, and, actually, a lack of compassion and a lack of care and consideration for those most in need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da4a18fa5cb94453827cf2a04d4e71b3\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: You need to join the Greens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf630c083aa2419899463f547e2e1726\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL\u003C/span\u003E: Excuse me? I am happy in the Labour Party, and very proud to be the MP for Manurewa, who is advocating for the needs and aspirations of my community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229db02cd66aa4694aded4999569dd700\u0022\u003EHon Dr Jonathan Coleman\u003C/span\u003E: Could be a bit more aspirational.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247144b95d6fc41dbb6ca8621293fb94d\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL\u003C/span\u003E: I do. Education is a pathway out of poverty, and that would be a focus for our Government if we were in power. A focus would also be assisting and helping those most in need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo I think what people have seen from the analysis that I have shared this afternoon is that this Government is incredibly deceptive, and this Government likes its platitudes about caring for families in hardship and saying that it actually wants to address child poverty, but at the end of the day look at the actions. If families have to wait 307 days to get $25, because you want to prioritise those in hardship and children living in poverty, then you have failed miserably. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022 data-id=\u0022e319c4a47d46434bbce1bf12836fc53c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e319c4a47d46434bbce1bf12836fc53c\u0022\u003EPAUL FOSTER-BELL (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is actually a pleasure to follow on from the member who has just resumed her seat, Louisa Wall. I have a lot of respect for her. She is a very gracious member of this House, but she is utterly wrong in almost everything she has said this afternoon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EIt is a great time to be a New Zealander. This is a hard-working Government, and we have delivered an excellent Budget that will make a real difference for young New Zealanders, vulnerable New Zealanders, and children who are in poverty. I want to put this in some context. We have just come through the greatest financial crisis in recent living memory, and I appreciate there are some members on the other side who should be superannuated\u2014who can remember back, probably, to the Great Depression\u2014but on this side of the House we do take fiscal responsibility, along with our social responsibilities, very, very seriously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003ELast night in the United Kingdom we had the Queen\u2019s speech delivered, giving an outline of what the Britannic Majesty\u2019s Government intends to do, including capping off benefit payments, reducing by \u00A33,000 the entitlement of maximum support, whereas this is the first Government in 43 years in New Zealand that has actually increased support to those families who are the most vulnerable. I am very proud to be a member of the party on this side of the House. In this vein, New Zealand too has maintained a sensible fiscal situation. The Tory party in the UK has said there will be no more increases to income tax or VAT. I point out that they have a higher VAT rate of 20 percent than we do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EOn this side of the world, we too are maintaining an approach that will help build growth whilst protecting those who are most vulnerable. We are putting investment into health\u2014I am, actually, very impressed with what Dr Coleman has managed to deliver in the health budget\u2014but also education, which provides for the future of our young people. That has been driven in large part by Minister Parata, and I would like to congratulate her on that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EI want to talk about some specific initiatives that will be of benefit to Wellington and Wellingtonians. We have seen an extra $2 million to complete the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park\u2014the National War Memorial\u2014and get the further memorials to other allied partners in there. There is excellent investment, too, in the $4.6 million for extra hospice services, particularly Mary Potter Hospice and Te Omanga Hospice, two of our local hospices that do such great work in palliative care\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e87ed335e21a43728c4d73ed791e8e64\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: And the Hutt.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245c3cea8b65a4613be13c5c25470b39d\u0022\u003EPAUL FOSTER-BELL\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and, as my colleague Chris Bishop points out, in the Hutt as well as Wellington. There has been $40 million of capital works for Te Papa, our national museum, and that will be a boon to our local economy as we see the woeful neglect of the previous Labour Government reversed with that investment. There is $41 million worth of screen production grants for Avatar and Thunderbirds season two, which is being filmed right now out at the wonderful Miramar studios of Sir Richard Taylor. There is $64 million for Callaghan Innovation\u2019s strategic growth infrastructure, which my colleague Chris Bishop is going to refer to. There is massive ongoing investment for Transmission Gully in this Budget, and we have not heard the Green members talk about that since the flooding knocked out transport links in our region, proving how necessary that emergency route is, as well as the extra time savings and efficiency it will bring to our local economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EI am particularly proud\u2014I am particularly proud\u2014of the $113 million worth of new money for tertiary education, a goodly share of which will go into our local institutions: Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University, the Whitireia Community Polytechnic, and WelTec, which do such a good job, and I am looking forward to seeing the ICT Graduate School announced here soon. In education there has been more funding for special education. Over the course of this Government, under the leadership that includes Minister Parata, we have seen special needs investment increase by a quarter. That is a large extra amount of funding going into autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and learning difficulties; support for the kids who did not traditionally qualify for that extra support; more hours for teacher-aides; and also, unlike the members opposite, who could be characterised as a bunch of supine protoplasmic invertebrate jellies, we actually have a\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223fe899be801c43a18904e60f9333cd71\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard)\u003C/span\u003E: At least one member understands that, and the member will withdraw. The member will withdraw the comment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b60caff792143a18b7a2ea880138c69\u0022\u003EPAUL FOSTER-BELL\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, sorry, Mr Assistant Speaker. You do understand that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea65f826b73c42f594c8bcb35a427826\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard)\u003C/span\u003E: I do, and therefore I require the member to withdraw.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ede568a4f9449aca67d25b342a844ff\u0022\u003EPAUL FOSTER-BELL\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b634fbf76dc4497b28427f5c253549e\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard)\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002230328f33a92e4120a694d13ab146ee3f\u0022\u003EPAUL FOSTER-BELL\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and apologise to you, Mr Assistant Speaker. On this side of the House we have a backbone, so we are proud to be able to deliver a non-ideological policy that benefits children and does not take into account sectional interests. For that reason I proudly back the fact that we are funding parent-led early childhood education, including Playcentre, including k\u014Dhanga reo, and other forms of early childhood education, because these are so important for the future of our country. This is a great Budget, and I am proud to support it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u00223fe3ac5ba5e2471d97956fd9a8038d5c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223fe3ac5ba5e2471d97956fd9a8038d5c\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Assistant Speaker. This is a Budget of a confident Government in charge of a confident country. In my 5 minutes I want to talk about three things in the Budget, and talk about the Labour response. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe first thing I want to mention is what the Budget does for economic growth. The Budget, somewhat unusually in New Zealand, projects economic growth in the next 3 to 4 years of around 3 percent. That is coupled with a low inflationary environment. Actually, in terms of New Zealand, that is highly unusual. People say: \u201CWell, that is pretty boring. The Budget does not do enough for growth.\u201D But, actually, if we can continue to grow for 3 to 4 years at 3 percent, or around 3 percent, with low inflation, that will make a demonstrable difference to the incomes of New Zealand families and New Zealanders and to their jobs. The Budget projects increasing employment. The Budget projects unemployment coming down. It projects increasing wages. Actually, that is good for New Zealand and good for New Zealand families.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe second thing I want to mention that is a feature of this Budget is the $790 million hardship package that my colleague Mr Foster-Bell has talked about. I know from my time on the election campaign and from my work recently in my neck of the woods that there is hardship in our community, and that there is concern in the community about that hardship, and in particular when it affects children. That is why it is extremely important that this Government has acted upon that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe member who spoke a few minutes ago, Louisa Wall\u2014it is like the 2000s never happened for her. She was railing against the 1991 Budget cuts of Ruth Richardson, the famous \u201Cmother of all Budgets\u201D. Well, Louisa Wall knows that the Labour Government was in power from 1999 to 2008 and chose not to raise benefit levels. It had nine Budgets, it made the deliberate decision not to raise benefit levels, and during that time the real value of wages increased and the real value of benefits in comparison with those wages declined because benefits were only inflation-adjusted, whereas wages were rising faster than inflation. Because of that the gap has, we believe on this side of the House, blown out too far. We now have the fiscal conditions to make a difference to hardship in this society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThis is not a Budget based on deception, as Louisa Wall would have you believe; this is a Budget that is going to make a demonstrable difference to the lives of many thousands of New Zealand families and many thousands of New Zealand children. This is not a Budget based on platitudes, as she says. The only platitudinous speech that was given in this House in relation to the Budget was that of her leader, Andrew Little, who mouthed platitudes, clich\u00E9s, and hackneyed phrases dreamt up by Phil Goff and David Shearer and leaders gone by. He ran out of puff 15 minutes in, and resorted to talking about former Kiss singers and roosters on heat. The only platitudinous speech given in this House was by Andrew Little, the leader of the Labour Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003ESocial justice is only possible with a growing economy, and that is why the hardship package is only possible under a National Government. That is why it is National that is raising benefits for the first time in 43 years, not a Labour Government. We are growing the economy and allowing the Government to invest in the people who need it most.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe third thing I want to briefly mention is the innovation package in this Budget, as well: another $80 million over 4 years for Callaghan Innovation grants. Some people criticise these grants and say \u201COh, it\u2019s just a bunch of bureaucrats handing out money.\u201D That is not true. For starters, they are non-discretionary grants, right? Basically, they go to people who are innovating in our community\u2014our businesses involved in science and innovation. I think there is a legitimate debate to be had about the difference between grants and tax credits. The problem with tax credits is that they tend to allow people to reclassify existing expenditure as research and development. That is why in Australia, which has a system of generous tax credits for research and development, apparently the most innovative part of the economy is the financial services industry. I think we can all agree that that is not particularly innovative, and, actually, what we want to do is grow the high-tech manufacturing sector, grow engineering, and grow niche manufacturing. That is what Callaghan Innovation is seeking to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWhat was the response from Labour to this very good Budget? Well, firstly, it was dumbstruck silence. Was it not telling that when Bill English announced the first increase in benefit levels in 43 years, we heard not a word in response from Labour Party members? They just sat there in dumbstruck silence. Their second thing was to complain about the surplus\u2014that we are not meeting the surplus target. This was from the guys who spent 9 years massively increasing spending. They have spent the last 7 years opposing every piece of fiscal restraint, and they are still spending\u2014$500 million committed by Grant Robertson in a Stuff chat on the day of the Budget. He was promising to bring back the $1,000 KiwiSaver kick-start, a very ill-advised move. Their third response was a diversionary tactic: \u201CI know; let\u2019s talk about means testing superannuation.\u201D Well, that did not work out very well for them. This is a good Budget from a confident Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022 data-id=\u002241259e06e3154063b040c458cc8bcae4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002241259e06e3154063b040c458cc8bcae4\u0022\u003EHon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (National\u2014Pakuranga):\u003C/span\u003E Can I first say a big thank you to the whips for giving me a speaking slot during Auckland drive time. My adoring drive time audience hangs on all my words. It is 25 past 5; however, Auckland drive time started about 2.15 this afternoon and will continue till about 9 o\u2019clock tonight. For those of you who are not Auckland commuters, this is known as Auckland drive time. First of all, I say thank you to my party whips. To my adorable drive time audience, I want to make a few key points about the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EThe second point I want to make is that I am not going to get into the individual elements of the Budget tonight in my speech, because so many of the members on this side have covered all of the fantastic bits. What I want to try to do, as this is the 28th Budget I have sat through in this Parliament\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a6d814e55f74441d87b20e5aab7b2fc0\u0022\u003ETim Macindoe\u003C/span\u003E: How many?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002259bb5fc5cd6f469c9af372d3cf1e431e\u0022\u003EHon MAURICE WILLIAMSON\u003C/span\u003E: It is 28\u201428. I know, I know. Yes, I can walk into a forest and be the oldest living thing there; that is right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EWhat I want to do is say that the general public view of a Budget that a Government puts out is very similar to how they view their own circumstances. They view it in terms of their family\u2014like how much money is coming into the house and how much they are spending\u2014or, if they are running a business, how many customers are buying their products compared with how much it is costing. It is exactly the same for a Government, with a couple of slight qualifications.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EFirst of all, Governments do not earn their income. It is other people who earn the income, and Governments take a slice of it. That is a very big difference to a family that could go and take a second job or go and do some more work or get their kids out doing some extra work. Governments do not actually earn that money, and so we have to be very, very careful with what we take in by way of taxation\u2014that we take in a correct amount; a balanced, sensible amount.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EThere is an element of spending that the Government must do. I think that everybody accepts that the Government must spend money on health, education, and law and order\u2014like the police and corrections and so on\u2014but I know that a lot of New Zealanders want to be sure that what is being taken out of their PAYE packet each week is spent sensibly. When a guy is coming in out of a dirty old mechanics\u2019 bay and is covered in grease, and it is cold and dirty, and he gets his payslip, he does not want to look at 400 and something dollars in PAYE being taken off him and think: \u201CWell, I know what those guys have done; they\u2019ve squandered it.\u201D So we have got an obligation, at that revenue end, to get a good balance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003ESecondly, we have got an obligation to make sure that what we spend our money on has good outcomes. This is Bill English\u2019s seventh Budget. I think he is rapidly becoming, without doubt, in my view, the best Minister of Finance this country has had in terms of keeping a very steady, stable direction at a time when we were into a headwind.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI have given this analogy before, but I want to give it again to my adoring drive time audience. It is to do with teachers, who keep saying: \u201CWe don\u2019t want to have a performance-based assessment put on us. It\u2019s not fair, because we may have a very low-end decile, hard kids to teach, and another person has a decile 10, with stunningly capable top students, and therefore they\u2019ll get the merit.\u201D I agree with them. What you do want to do is have a measure of what difference they make\u2014what difference do they make to those children? If you get someone who picks up the very bottom end of the kids and actually lifts them quite a way, they have done way better than someone who had people in the very top echelons and did almost nothing with them. That is why I want to make an analogy between that and this finance Minister: he did not come in with a phenomenal tailwind, a phenomenal surplus forecast, and a phenomenal: \u201CHey, I\u2019m decile 10, and I\u2019ve got the best kids in the country.\u201D He came in at probably the worst time you could possibly come in in a financial cycle for this country. The world was at the beginning of the complete meltdown of the global financial crisis. In 2008, it sort of started during the course of that year, and by the time we got elected, it was sort of a situation of hands covering your face and saying: \u201COh, my God\u2014what does this mean for the future?\u201D Not to be done with just that, we then got smacked around by some of the worst ever, mutilating earthquakes that this country has ever seen, with damage running into the billions\u2014no, into the tens of billions\u2014to our infrastructure and so on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI pay great credit to a Minister of Finance who then says: \u201CRight, we\u2019ve got a problem here, and the problem lies around this: we have to be very careful not to take more money off people, because it is actually their money that they have earned, but we do have to make sure we maintain spending so that we do not end up with an education system and a health system that completely collapses.\u201D So we went into a borrowing mode, and do you know what? I am not a big fan of debt\u2014I prefer that Governments do not borrow and get into debt\u2014but there are times when it is justified. There are times when you can say that it is no longer right to pull back on the revenue lever, and it is time to no longer try to cut to the bone on spending. It has been done before. I was a member of a Government in the early 1990s that had an alternative solution.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI want to send a message out to some of the more left-wing members of this House, mainly the Greens and some Labour members, who keep saying as regularly as clockwork that the rich should pay more. In fact, I have heard them say many times that the rich should pay their fair share. So what I want them to do now is get an Excel spreadsheet\u2014I have got it for them if they want to get it from me\u2014that shows what percentage of income tax the rich in this country actually pay. It is done in the segments of nought to $10,000 of income, and then $10,000 to $20,000, and $20,000 to $30,000, and so on. Here is the percentage that really matters, because I have added in two extra columns to it. It is not just the gross amount of tax that each of those income groups pay, but it is how much gets paid back to each of those groups by way of Working for Families and subsidies, and all sorts of payments that are transfers back. Then there is a final column of what the net income tax paid is, and here is the number: 17 percent of taxpayers in New Zealand pay 97 percent of the income tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f20fc3816434d52bcb41bd873e4656d\u0022\u003ETim Macindoe\u003C/span\u003E: Say that again?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224440be82f53a42cd88e422050a9239fd\u0022\u003EHon MAURICE WILLIAMSON\u003C/span\u003E: I am going to say that again because it is worthwhile saying. The top 17 percent of taxpayers of New Zealand pay 97 percent of the net income tax. That is after you have corrected it back. So I am not prepared to listen to lunatics saying that the rich should pay their share, or the rich should pay more, because they already do pay more. And they actually do not pay their share; they pay way more than their share.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EYour obligation when you are doing your family budgets is to say: \u201CThis is how much money we have got coming in.\u201D Bill English has had to do that exact same transfer at the level of a Government: \u201CThis is how much money we can bring in without distorting the markets too heavily by ramping up the taxes. Here\u2019s how much we have got to spend in core, in terms of keeping all of the general stuff afloat, and we\u2019ve got a margin for some new initiatives that we can spend some money on each year.\u201D It is not a lot\u2014about $1.5 billion, I think Bill English has concluded, should be the new spending in each year. Compared with previous Labour Budgets, which were in the order of $7.5 billion of new money in one year\u2014well, that happened to be an election year. But, I mean, it was just actually crippling to the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EOn the question of Budgets, believe me, I used to be a kid listening to the Budget at night, because it used to be at night, and I used to listen to it on the radio. Everything about New Zealand society was determined in that Budget on that night: the price of cigarettes, the price of alcohol, and whether you raced up to the petrol station to fill up your tank. Budgets today are no longer like that. What they are is just a general statement of principle: where is the country going, is it being well managed, and of that money that is coming in by way of revenue from the hard-working people out there\u2014because, I repeat again, Governments do not earn a cent, and there is not a single cent of money in this country that the Government actually earns; it is earned by hard-working New Zealanders, whom we tax to get it in\u2014is there scope for spending a bit more in certain areas?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI have never ceased to be amazed by the New Zealand public. Certainly, I have done a tally at National Party conferences, and over a 5-year-period, I think, there were 138 remits for the Government to spend more money and 25 remits calling for the Government to cut taxes. And that is the problem. California actually did it. It had about the same number of propositions for spending more money and a whole lot of propositions for cutting taxes. You cannot do it. So it is that finely tuned balance of trying to keep the ship afloat, trying to make sure that the necessary and standard services are there, with a few new initiatives, and there were a few new initiatives in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EI am actually pleased that we have moved to some user-pays charges. I like them; I think we should have more of them. When I was the Minister of Customs, I actually advocated for a border charge. I did not get it through, but congratulations to the new Minister on getting that through and getting a border charge, because I think that people who are using a service should pay for it. I am really happy that there is a telecommunications levy still there and that is going to be expanded, because it is going to allow the roll-out of the most important infrastructure for our society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a11ce4e-9fb3-4738-b0be-5a9f81d975da\u0022\u003EBut, in the end, what you have got to do is forget the minutiae. It is like the family budget. You do not care whether the ice cream costs 20c more this week or not; what you care about is whether your overall spending is in tune with your overall income, and that you have got a chance of progressing forward. This Budget did this for this country. I am really proud to be a member of this party and to serve under somebody as good as the Minister of Finance, Bill English.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022 data-id=\u00220ff4942cb1dd43af97a6c6ff7813acb1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220ff4942cb1dd43af97a6c6ff7813acb1\u0022\u003ETODD MULLER (National\u2014Bay of Plenty):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Assistant Speaker. This is a Budget that I joined the National Party for. This is a Budget that I put my hand up to be an MP for. This is a Budget that I knocked on 10,000 doors for. And this is a Budget I am very proud to say that I am going to vote for, because it speaks to the National Party: economic competency, Better Public Services, and being there for those who are the most vulnerable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EEconomic competency was throughout the Budget that we heard last week. It was great to hear a return to surplus plan, despite the global financial crisis, Christchurch, and, in particular, the low-inflation environment that we have had over the last year or so impacting on revenue. To see the projection, looking out, of 3 percent growth over the next few years\u2014from the perspective of the Bay of Plenty, where I come from, I say that it is great to be part of a region that is topping the regional growth at the moment with 5 percent. What an extraordinary projection that is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EWhen you see that we have created 190,000 jobs over the last 4 years and we plan for another 150,000 in the next 4 years, it is great to have a Budget that is that positive, as my colleague Mr Bishop outlined before. To see, as part of that, the average wage lifting every year to be up over $63,000 by 2019, and to see unemployment under 5 percent, is competent economic management. In the Bay of Plenty we are seeing that flowing through well, with a record number of jobs. It is 41 percent up, year on year\u201441 percent\u2014in the Bay of Plenty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EIn the area of Better Public Services, with a particular focus on health, was it not great to see the additional investment in elective surgeries, which is really popular in my area of Tauranga, with more hip and knee replacements going to happen in that hospital over the next year. Also, there was the $76 million to help Waipuna Hospice. I was part of that opening a few weeks ago. It is great to see that it is going to have an additional investment. Also, in education, in early childhood education there is the $75 million and there are more places in the ongoing resourcing scheme, which I know is going to be particularly well received in my local area. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EIn recent political history, when the country is on its knees it turns to the National Party, and, historically, once we have corrected the ship and helped families to get back to being more established then the country looks perhaps to other parties to look at the social investment. Well, that is not going to happen any more, not after this Budget, because we have signalled very clearly to this country that this is the party. The National Party is the party that knows how to get the balance between the environment for economic growth and then to be able, off that encouraging position, to invest for families. What a package that was. Mr Bishop was right. To be able to stand there and watch this Budget being spoken about, and seeing the reaction on the other side\u2014those members knew that this is going to be a defining part of this Government. This is a defining package of being there for those who need it in their hour of need, and they certainly do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EWhen Louisa Wall talks about the legacy of the Government, she is right in one sense. This package will be a part of the legacy of the Government, but she is too quick to be talking about legacies, because we are not even halfway through. We have got a fantastic vision for this country, and you saw that in very much of what we discussed in respect of the Budget last week. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EIn response, I would have to say, the Opposition\u2019s arguments have been very weak. To be standing there, as Grant Robertson and others do, decrying the surplus as being too low and saying it should be higher, well, Mr Robertson, what would you cut? Mr Robertson, what would you cut? You say the debt that we have accumulated over the last few years is too high. Well, Mr Robertson, you cannot say that in one word and then in the other have a list as long as your arm of new Government spending that you would then want to see. Either you have to tax people to make it happen or you need to cut. That is why on this side of the Table we have got the right answer. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003ETo hear the Opposition talking about means testing superannuitants\u2014by all means, keep it up. I would love to be part of a debate in Tauranga when the people of Tauranga send the message back to you that your vision for the country is wrong and our vision for the country is right. I support this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022 data-id=\u0022968f877455354111bf4ad8e33b9ed8f0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022968f877455354111bf4ad8e33b9ed8f0\u0022\u003EBRETT HUDSON (National):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Assistant Speaker. It is an absolute privilege to stand in this House to speak in my first Budget debate, but I am absolutely delighted that I get the opportunity to speak on this Budget in particular. It is a Budget that continues on with the strong economic and fiscal responsibility that this Government has now shown for 7 years and that takes advantage of the settings that the country sees itself at now and into the future to help those in the most need. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EThe previous speaker from the Labour side of the House, Louisa Wall, bemoaned the number of days it is going to take before our $790 million package for families in need takes effect. Well, I say to her and to those members in Opposition that they may count the days until this package comes into effect, but what we know, and what New Zealand knows, is that it took more than 43 years for a Labour Government to raise benefits in real terms. We can only speculate as to how many more years it might have taken if this National-led Government had not done it right now. The families that are going to benefit from this package are the beneficiary families, with a $25 a week increase in real terms to their benefits. That will impact, in a positive way, 108,000 families and 194,000 children. This Government is doing something real to assist those in need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EAlong with that improvement to those in the most need, we are continuing with our plan to grow the economy and to increase jobs and incomes\u2014a plan that has seen 194,000 jobs created since 2011 and a forecast of a further 150,000 jobs over the next 4 years. We have seen average wages growing faster than inflation. Average wages have grown over 15 percent over the last 5 years and are forecast to continue to grow faster than inflation. But there is more: on 1 July an additional 400,000 children in this country will be able to take advantage of free doctors visits and prescriptions through the policy we announced at the last election campaign to extend those visits and those free prescriptions to children under the age of 13. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EThis Parliament has been busy. We have increased paid parental leave, which we will do again in 2016, and we have also increased the parental tax credit, the first Government to do that in many years. On top of that we have also seen this Parliament and our ministry put into action the investment of over $350 million that we announced to improve educational success for all of our children\u2014investing in teachers and in school leaders to get better outcomes and a better future for our children. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EThis Government has shown, and shown again with this Budget, a very strong concern and an action to help our most vulnerable and our future. So in addition to the money we are giving to beneficiary families, we have also announced, for low and very low-income working families, an additional assistance of between $12.50 and $24.50 a week, because we recognise that although work is the best means to lift our families out of hardship, simply getting a job is not enough for every family to get them to the place where we, and they, aspire to be. On top of that, we are increasing our guaranteed childcare assistance payment from $4 to $5 an hour and up to a maximum of 50 hours a week. So that sees some 41,000 lower-income families anticipated to benefit from that assistance over the next year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EThe industry that I come from is the information and communications technology industry. It would be remiss of me to finish without noting our continued investment in rolling out ultra-fast broadband and rural broadband across New Zealand. There is an additional $350 million boost for our world-class connectivity, $210 million from the Future Investment Fund for ultra-fast broadband to expand it to cover 80 percent of the New Zealand population, and an additional $150 million of funding to extend rural broadband capability to make sure that rural New Zealand can also share in the benefits of such connectivity. This is a commendable Budget, one that I am extraordinarily proud to stand here and represent, and I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022 data-id=\u00227acd8669a7f84cd9b2078fd3693affdd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227acd8669a7f84cd9b2078fd3693affdd\u0022\u003ERIA BOND (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E I am happy to rise to take this call on behalf of New Zealand First to speak on the 2015 Budget. I have heard since last Thursday this Budget described in various ways, shapes, and forms, from Split Enz to a Budget that National has delivered by delivering a sudden raid on KiwiSaver by abolishing the $1,000 kick-start contribution. This came without any warnings, and it is outright mean to introduce a retrospective law that did not give New Zealanders the time to register to take advantage of the kick-start contribution. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EI have heard from the Government that economically we are heading in the right direction, and that a Budget surplus will be found in 2017. Yeah, right! This sounds more like a Tui ad, except a pig just flew right past it. What happened to our rock star economy? Where are the rock stars now? We all know that Auckland and Christchurch have their own rock star, standout economic status, but this is not caused, in the case of Auckland, by massive corporates relocating head offices there. It is caused by Auckland acting like an economic vampire. It is sucking the life out of the regions in order to fuel Auckland\u2019s growth. Lurking in the shadows are the smaller regions that do not share this National Party\u2019s love. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EJust think of the word \u201Cnational\u201D, which is meant to include Northland, Gisborne, Manawat\u016B, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Hawke\u2019s Bay, West Coast, and Otago. These regions have all natural assets going for them, except one\u2014love from central government. Gisborne, for instance, has the smallest contribution to New Zealand\u2019s GDP, at only 0.7 percent. Why? Well, I will tell you what\u2014a new rail line would help, at a fraction of the cost of Len Brown\u2019s train set. Where is the help to grow Gisborne in this 2015 Budget? There is zilch in this Budget. Let us look at the regions that are currently performing in the spotlight\u2014Southland, Waikato, mid-Canterbury, Taranaki. These regions are facing factors that could drag them down, like the doubt around the T\u012Bwai Point aluminium smelter, falling dairy prices, falling oil prices, falling timber prices, and a strong New Zealand dollar. I think it is safe to declare that we have, in fact, come off the rock star peak as a country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EAs my colleague Denis O\u2019Rourke said recently, we need an inquiry into sea freight, road, and rail. He cited one company in Taranaki that may have to leave the region because it has lost its container services. Guess where it is going to be ending up? A lot has changed in the way that we now no longer add value to our export commodities, like sending raw logs and unprocessed fish offshore. Milk powder as ingredients is value-added, but not if the processes are overseas-owned, right along with the farms. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EWhere are and what happened to small businesses in this year\u2019s Budget? This Budget is surprisingly light on initiatives to support the vital small business sector, which makes up 96.5 percent of all businesses in our country. Small to medium sized enterprises employ 754,820 employees. Small businesses contribute to nearly 30 percent of New Zealand\u2019s GDP. There is no doubt that small business is really, in fact, big business. If we count family farms, they contribute most of our exports, too. Big things do come in small packages. Small businesses are known for being the safety net and the backbone of this country\u2019s economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EThis Budget does not put cash back into owners\u2019 pockets, it does not help improve the movement to retain skilled workers, and it has no incentive to close the productivity gap. Why, in the last 40 years, has New Zealand\u2019s GDP per capita slipped from being 20 percent above the OECD average to now being approximately 30 percent below? We are slipping down the productivity ladder. We as a country need the Government to help small to medium sized enterprises. A strong focus in the Budget should have been to help small to medium sized enterprises fight their way up the OECD ladder. This Budget has been rather underwhelming for small to medium sized enterprises. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EI will tell you where this Budget failed to deliver and that is to small businesses. It does not tackle the market failures, because there has been no funding allocated in the 2015 Budget. The Government needs to understand the characteristics of small and medium sized businesses that determine their success. Again, I do not see this evident in this Government\u2019s 2015 Budget. I would like to suggest that this Government has taken a shotgun approach with this Budget, but it has not loaded a shot to grow small businesses. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EI know that small to medium sized enterprises have been left wanting more from the Government\u2019s Budget. They wanted to see more specific policies that recognise the importance of growing that vital sector of the economy. I know that small to medium sized enterprises in Invercargill will be looking to the Government to provide them with reduced bureaucracy, reduced compliance costs, and things that will make an immediate difference across the board. Is this the Government\u2019s plan for the Resource Management Act? New Zealand First, along with the rest of the country, wants to see your plan and proposals for the Resource Management Act reforms, especially the things impacting homeowners, businesses, and farmers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003ESmall businesses are concerned that workplace safety reforms will see them responsible for an electrician injuring themselves on their worksite, because at that point in time the electrician will be considered an employee. In Australia the health and safety laws are so stifling that one church had cancelled its weekly food service for homeless people because there was a risk that someone could get sick from the surplus food. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EThis Budget did not invite any stimulation at all. In fact, according to the latest Mind Your Own Business survey, 71 percent of small to medium sized enterprise operators thought that small businesses should have received more attention, especially in the retail and hospitality sectors. When I walk around Invercargill and count how many empty shops there are in the central city area, I am concerned\u2014I am really concerned. One only has to scratch below the surface to see that there were cracks in the Government\u2019s Budget even before it was delivered. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EAlthough Mr Key talks up Air New Zealand, it is a monopoly in Invercargill and acts like a monopoly. Westport, Kait\u0101ia, and Whakat\u0101ne\u2014they know what I mean. Then we turn to the lack of funding for roads, despite Southland being key to New Zealand\u2019s tourism, as it is to the exports we generate on and off farms. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EI cannot finish without saying that we need core services like policing and health. Yet Bluff has lost a third of its police presence, while the Southern District Health Board gets crumbs\u2014so much so that our crumbs will come down from Auckland to be reheated. Sadly, the jobs it will cost cannot be reheated. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ebb4ac6b-662b-498f-a27f-832d054e6585\u0022\u003EIt is a sad day when even Treasury recognises that a surplus from Bill English has become a forlorn hope, pushing out the estimate to 2019. This Government has mastered the skill of switching small sums around to give the people of New Zealand an illusion\u2014or should I say it is a deception\u2014that this projected surplus will come from prudent management of the economy, although it comes from raiding KiwiSaver and the future prosperity of our children. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002267e3ed20b5b5429da7d55ce8342f3ddf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002267e3ed20b5b5429da7d55ce8342f3ddf\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard)\u003C/span\u003E: Malo le soifua, Jacqui Dean.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u00221c582eef77b34854bf330016077d0a4a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221c582eef77b34854bf330016077d0a4a\u0022\u003EJACQUI DEAN (National\u2014Waitaki):\u003C/span\u003E Malo, Mr Assistant Speaker. It is just wonderful to be the last speaker of the week.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022246f7085732d4b228b81dabecc14a850\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: This is the top time of the day, Jacqui. They pick the best person for this slot.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022634c13d3beae4333a5e22849423e0ed2\u0022\u003EJACQUI DEAN\u003C/span\u003E: The top time\u2014some might call it the graveyard shift, but not me. No, I am excited to be the last speaker on a Thursday afternoon. And do you know what else? I love my region. I love representing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de024f61f74349aa953461d5528c8b05\u0022\u003ETim Macindoe\u003C/span\u003E: They love the member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3d20b8a8fc84081b7f58fc36a190d69\u0022\u003EJACQUI DEAN\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, stop it. I love representing my region and I am surrounded by caucus colleagues who also love representing their region. All the way from the top of the North Island right down to the bottom of the South Island we have got hard-working list MPs and electorate MPs who just love getting out there into their regions. I tell you what. They are well supported by this Government and they are well supported\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a10fc87bc59949b08a19a6baaa740620\u0022\u003EChris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: What about Northland? You\u2019re not doing so well in Northland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022125470aca6ec49da9ec3539eea4aabca\u0022\u003EJACQUI DEAN\u003C/span\u003E: We love Northland. We love Northland a lot and we are going to get it back in the next election. That is what we are going to do. We are going to get it back in the next election. We are working hard for the people of Northland, just as we are working hard for the people of my region, of which I am inordinately proud, and all the other regions in New Zealand represented by National\u2019s fine caucus and supported by this very, very good Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EI want to focus on regional development, which is being so well supported by this Government in its broadband network roll-out. This is a programme that has been in play for something like 3 years, or even more, at a total investment so far of $1.5 billion into rural broadband.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277bb41f33a9f4c049d8ef53c6bc9b888\u0022\u003EBrett Hudson\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fed4af848bec43b7be860a9191574bc6\u0022\u003EJACQUI DEAN\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CHow much?\u201D, says my colleague. Well, I will tell that colleague. It is $1.5 billion, a significant investment in ultra high-speed broadband and rural broadband, which is making an incredible difference in the regions in New Zealand. It is creating opportunities for regional development like we have never seen before. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EWith all due respect to the previous speaker, Ria Bond, it is not the Government that exports logs from New Zealand. It is not the Government that exports cherries from New Zealand. It is not the Government that exports dairy products from New Zealand. It is private enterprise. It is business. It is small businesses\u2014many of which operate in the regions. What can the Government do to support those small businesses in the regions? Well, just at the moment I am talking about rural broadband.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo on top of that $1.5 billion investment that has been rolling out over the past\u2014is it 3 years or is it 6 years? I am turning to a colleague who knows a bit more about these things. OK, it is 3 years. We will say 3 years. It might be 6 years. In that time a number of communities around New Zealand have been fully serviced by broadband, and I am really proud to say that \u014C\u0101maru, the town where I live, my home town, in the heart of the Waitaki electorate, is fully serviced with high-speed broadband. It is fantastic. The schools, the hospital, small businesses, retail, and homes are all serviced with high-speed broadband. That is a huge investment in the potential of what might happen out of \u014C\u0101maru. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EI just think about one of the businesses in \u014C\u0101maru, which is called Milligans Food Group Ltd. It produces and repackages products, ships them out all around New Zealand, and also exports. It is a business that employs around about 50 workers, which is not a bad employer for a small town. What does it rely on? It relies on connectivity. So it is that infrastructure that is proving to be most beneficial for \u014C\u0101maru. I think about the investments that have been announced in this Budget, such as an extra $360 million that has been set aside for the roll-out of connectivity. So that is $210 million for the ultra-fast broadband and $150 million for the Rural Broadband Initiative. That is fantastic. That means that there will be other communities all around New Zealand that have the opportunity to leverage off. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EIt is not the Government that does the exporting. It is not the Government that sends logs offshore. It is small businesses and large businesses, run by New Zealanders, for New Zealanders, that do that. I do not know that that is well understood by our new colleague from New Zealand First. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ELet us have a look at the Welcome to Gigatown initiative, which was warmly embraced by many communities all around New Zealand. Dunedin won it\u2014damn it\u2014and W\u0101naka did not. W\u0101naka came around fifth, so good on it. But what has W\u0101naka managed to do to leverage off that opportunity that has been provided by Chorus but also by the Rural Broadband Initiative? W\u0101naka has been able, as part of that competition, to position itself to take full advantage of the opportunities that broadband is presenting to it. For our wine industry, which is a big exporter, what does it need? It needs connectivity. It needs to be able to be nimble in the market. The industry needs to be able to respond quickly in the market to get its products offshore at the best price. There is the cherry industry\u2014again, a perishable commodity. What does the industry need? It needs to be nimble and it needs to be quick. What enables that to happen? It is broadband, which connects these communities out in the regions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u014C\u0101maru, which is a small part of New Zealand, a small town, has got the connectivity. Businesses are leveraging off that. It is not for the Government to tell small business what to do. It is for the Government to enable small business to take advantage of these excellent announcements such as we have had in the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 6 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20150528861eebd993be44a78673b3837cbc1f96000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"