"\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=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00228bca5526010f438abae0d2523bbf3116\u0022\u003ETUESDAY, 1 MARCH 2016\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022903d4cb9d0b44fe8b1c906fb9280c87f\u0022\u003ETUESDAY, 1 MARCH 2016\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000002\u0022\u003EMr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bbe07313a646412a8167b33b17268274\u0022\u003EVisitors\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fe04456f4f4c4936ad2a24489cc58b4d\u0022\u003EAustralia\u2014Electoral Matters Committee of the Victoria Legislative Assembly\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u0022e4bb6668091f44849186b1c3f058e75e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e4bb6668091f44849186b1c3f058e75e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Honourable members, I am sure that members would wish to welcome members of the Electoral Matters Committee of the Victoria Legislative Assembly, led by Chairperson the honourable Louise Asher, who are present in the gallery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002223d1bb9b6b2248fcab051f28ab65ce61\u0022\u003EMotions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fca29442a00b47a1b2ccd18f847085fc\u0022\u003EFiji\u2014Tropical Cyclone Winston\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022 data-id=\u00225954acc9ca48460b9449b267b1bfd2b3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225954acc9ca48460b9449b267b1bfd2b3\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to move a motion without notice on Tropical Cyclone Winston.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d8e26dd222a4a809eff9b8e4d5ac96a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225502cba0ae6148c594216abc55fa690d\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the House express its support for the people and Government of Fiji and other Pacific neighbours affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston. During the weekend of 20 and 21 February, Cyclone Winston cut a path of destruction through Fiji, resulting in loss of life and significant loss of property and crops. Cyclone Winston was designated a category 5 cyclone, the strongest cyclone to make landfall in Fiji, with sustained winds reaching over 300 kilometres per hour. In some villages that the eye of the storm passed directly over, the devastation is near-complete. It has been assessed that up to 40 percent of Fiji\u2019s population has been impacted by the cyclone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003EIn the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Winston, New Zealand quickly understood that significant resources would be required to help Fiji. Our early offer of P3 Orion flights to undertake aerial damage assessment was accepted, and over the past 10 days the P3 Orion has undertaken four flights. The reports and imagery following were valuable in assessing where relief is needed most. A C-130 Hercules has also made a number of flights to Fiji, taking much-needed relief supplies. To date, over 160 tonnes of priority emergency goods have been provided to Fiji, including food, construction supplies, generators, tents, tarpaulins, blankets, and shelter kits, as well as water and sanitation kits. More Hercules flights are planned for this week.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003ELast week an Air Force 757 flew a team of army engineers and urban search and rescue personnel to Fiji, and they are now working alongside Fijian partners to bring immediate relief to communities, including repairing schools and public infrastructure and clearing debris. A New Zealand Air Force King Air has also been made available to the Government of Fiji to enable its officials and medical teams to travel to remote villages. A New Zealand medical assistance team is also in Fiji, supporting the Fijian Government in undertaking assessments and providing primary health support to those affected. On Sunday our navy\u2019s offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington arrived in Suva, and HMNZS Canterbury is also expected to dock tomorrow, carrying nearly 90 tonnes of relief and building supplies and helicopters. By the end of this week, there will be close to 400 New Zealand personnel in Fiji doing what New Zealand does best\u2014getting out on to the ground and helping our Pacific neighbours in their time of need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003EOur already established aid programme in Fiji has been bolstered in the wake of Cyclone Winston. Our total financial contribution to the cyclone response to date stands at $4.7 million. The New Zealand public has been generous, and many companies have also made offers of assistance. The Fijian community here is rallying its support for its friends and family back home. New Zealand\u2019s response to Cyclone Winston is shaping up to be our largest humanitarian response in the Pacific. Yesterday the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, travelled to Fiji to see first-hand the wreckage caused by Cyclone Winston. Mr McCully flew over some of the devastated areas and has told me about the widespread damage to housing, the scarring of the landscape, and the loss of crops. During the visit Minister McCully met with the Fijian Minister for Foreign Affairs and also with the Minister of agriculture and national disaster management. Both have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the swift and generous response from New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003EA strong bond exists between the people of Fiji and the people of New Zealand. The thoughts and sympathies of all New Zealanders and of this House are with the people of Fiji during this time. The Fijian people are resilient and they will overcome this event, and in time they will recover. They can be assured that New Zealand will continue to work with them and support them through the relief, recovery, and rebuild phases.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u00223687cd1933894d839850a1069d5a9d60\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223687cd1933894d839850a1069d5a9d60\u0022\u003EANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition):\u003C/span\u003E On behalf of the Opposition, the Labour Party, I would like to join and support the Government in its resolution before the House today in sending our thoughts and sympathies to the people of Fiji following the loss of lives and the destruction caused by Cyclone Winston, and to acknowledge the contribution that the Government has made on behalf of the people of New Zealand and, indeed, the contribution coming from the Fijian community also resident in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ECyclone Winston was the largest and strongest cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere. Clearly, Fiji has suffered significant damage: in some areas entire villages have been flattened. The geographic distances and the remoteness of some areas involved make it hard to assess the full impact of the cyclone but we know it has been catastrophic, and it is reassuring\u2014at least from a New Zealander\u2019s point of view\u2014to see the role and contribution that the New Zealand personnel are making in making the assessments and assisting in the recovery. The number of people in emergency shelters doubled almost every day last week, peaking at almost one-twentieth of Fiji\u2019s entire population. According to Unicef, 51,000 people are still in shelters. We know it could be weeks before electricity is restored to some areas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand, as the Prime Minister has said, stands side by side with the people of Fiji, and we will do whatever is required to help them through this disaster and the years of recovery ahead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022 data-id=\u00224ecd1b91c56c4e8aa287fd3a226d6ab9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224ecd1b91c56c4e8aa287fd3a226d6ab9\u0022\u003EJAMES SHAW (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E Our hearts do go out to the people of Fiji. Tropical Cyclone Winston was, as has been mentioned, the strongest storm in recorded history in our hemisphere. Wind speeds topped 320 kilometres an hour; whole forests were stripped of their foliage; and schools, hospitals, and houses were flattened. More than 40 people are dead and thousands are now homeless.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003EPersonally, I have found it impossible not to be moved by the images of children standing by their wrecked homes and the wreckage of entire communities lying scattered on those famously beautiful Fijian shores. I thank the National Government for its immediate and its substantive response in the aftermath. Our close ties to Fiji make this unlike many global catastrophes, and it is heartening to know that those ties are now moving thousands of New Zealanders to give generously to our brothers and sisters now suffering in Fiji.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003EThere is another way that New Zealanders and the Government can respond to this cyclone and to others like it. It is no coincidence that this was the strongest cyclone recorded in our hemisphere or that this was one of many record-breaking storms that have occurred in recent times. As a nation, we need to start facing the truth that climate change is making tropical storms like Cyclone Winston more ferocious. As New Zealanders we are the fifth-highest emitter per capita of climate pollution. Since we committed to reduce our climate change emissions in 1990, and under successive Governments, New Zealand\u2019s net emissions have risen by 42 percent, and the Ministry for the Environment projects another 50 percent increase by 2030 if we keep doing what we are doing. We as a nation are not properly reckoning with the fact that our actions are hurting those people in the Pacific who are the most vulnerable to the impacts of the pollution that we are adding to. If we really want to help the Pacific, our climate emissions should be going down, not up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders are getting in behind the recovery effort in Fiji. The Government has provided financial aid and deployed Defence Force resources and personnel to help. The Green Party supports these efforts, but along with that desperately needed and immediate aid, the next most compassionate thing that we can do for Fiji now is to listen to the pleas of Pacific Island leaders and commit to taking real action on climate change. While we wring our hands and we fret at how expensive it might be for New Zealand to do anything about climate change, we ought to recognise that the cost to our Pacific neighbours of our doing nothing is now being measured in human lives. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022 data-id=\u0022b9c3b4b4877b4a9e85d7903332cfbb40\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b9c3b4b4877b4a9e85d7903332cfbb40\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader\u2014NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E At times such as this it does not matter what one\u2019s political persuasion is or\u2014dare one say it\u2014what one\u2019s name is. New Zealand First joins with our political opponents in expressing our regret for what has happened, as well as our best wishes and support for the Fijian nation and people as they begin the long road to recovery from this terrible event. This is not a time to discuss why it may have happened, but we are very mindful that there needs to be a discussion as to why it is happening. We are sure that the New Zealand public will show their characteristic generosity in giving aid and financial support to our Pacific neighbours.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022 data-id=\u0022124fb7df71fe4e5db8fffa93e3491fcc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022124fb7df71fe4e5db8fffa93e3491fcc\u0022\u003EMARAMA FOX (Co-Leader\u2014M\u0101ori Party):\u003C/span\u003E The M\u0101ori Party would like to add its voice to the sympathies that have been offered to the people of Fiji who have lost loved ones at this time. Last week, as the cyclone looked like it was going to bypass it, and then made a U-turn to come back towards Fiji, our close family friends were on a flight to Fiji and landed the day before the cyclone arrived. They found themselves in a place of utter devastation. They were there to visit with their family members and also to witness the rededication of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple. They travelled for some hours through the devastation, to check that their family were OK. They report that the majority of the people in the village and the families that were there are subsistence-living. What they gather and what they grow is what they eat, and, thereby, looking at the devastation of the crops and the people and the way that they were affected, there will need to be ongoing support from our Government, and we recognise the generosity of our Government and of the New Zealand people in the Fijian community here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003EBut that support will need to be ongoing for some time, until crops can be replanted; until life can go back to normal. They found themselves\u2014tourists in Fiji\u2014being cared for by Fijian people who, while looking after them, had no home of their own to speak of. So I want to acknowledge the resilience of the Fijian people to gather together in communities, to pick up, and to start again. They are already clearing this ground for crops. They are already rebuilding shelter to live in. We offer our support and our sympathies to them, and recognise their strength and courage. I have some pretty poorly pronounced words in Fijian that I would like to offer, and this comes from the high commission.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003EKei mami duavata kei kemuni, kei na nomu ni vanua ena gauna dredre ni lako curuma tiko. Mo ni tu vaka kaukauwa tiko, me rawa ni tarai cake tale o Viti lomani.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003EThank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022f09d71049c8d43e7a0bf75f5892d907c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f09d71049c8d43e7a0bf75f5892d907c\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E On behalf of the ACT Party I would like to join other leaders in expressing heartfelt sympathy for the people of Fiji, particularly those who lost their lives and lost loved ones. I would also like to wish safe passage to the New Zealand Defence Force personnel assisting in the recovery from this disaster, and acknowledge the very generous response by many New Zealanders who have responded by voluntarily giving aid to assist in that recovery. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00225126ac9aa94f4a5583813251ec5a6fe2\u0022\u003EObituaries\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002224785ba1edb741f7bf7567d2425b5b65\u0022\u003EDr Ranginui Walker DCNZM\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022 data-id=\u0022ba51929d9f7f4a4b8cb61b62a928b07a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ba51929d9f7f4a4b8cb61b62a928b07a\u0022\u003EMARAMA FOX (Co-Leader\u2014M\u0101ori Party):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to move a motion without notice and without debate on the passing of Dr Ranginui Walker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u0022fade106498ce44f7a5449f9331b81dd6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fade106498ce44f7a5449f9331b81dd6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e98ecedb3e4a484b8802153da7b6e1cf\u0022\u003EMARAMA FOX\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That this House acknowledge the passing of Dr Ranginui Walker, who was not only a great statesman but a distinguished scholar, an inspirational mentor, and a champion of the people. E te rangatira, te t\u014Dtara haemata, moe mai r\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003E[Esteemed leader, rest there, the strongly growing t\u014Dtara.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3d9fd88-4715-419d-be08-e1c4eda7d09e\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227e92d9d0275e4de385001a500a2a6fcf\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e10ec152a0d14982a4b88413b9dea0ac\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022546bc06fdbfe412c9704ca4f0b928b9b\u0022\u003EEconomic Outlook\u2014Reports\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022 data-id=\u002205767c96b7bc4cc4b03031c2df80ac1f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002205767c96b7bc4cc4b03031c2df80ac1f\u0022\u003EKANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: How does the outlook for the New Zealand economy compare with other developed countries?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u00228baf9194567441cab0b2185aec98bb7c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228baf9194567441cab0b2185aec98bb7c\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Reasonably good. New Zealand businesses are confident and backing themselves, despite some global uncertainty. Exporters who were forced to become more efficient when the exchange rate was around 88c are now able to reap the rewards of a much lower exchange rate. The manufacturing sector has notched up 40 straight months of expansion, and the services sector, which makes up 70 percent of the economy, has been growing at the fastest level in 7 years. Treasury forecasts that growth will be around 3 percent over the next 2 years, similar to Australia and a bit faster than the US, Canada, and the UK.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a69ef53223347e4a3d9000c2d1342f5\u0022\u003EKanwaljit Singh Bakshi\u003C/span\u003E: How is the positive economic outlook translating into more jobs and higher income for New Zealand families?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241447e127b92414580915d5a18262556\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: In the last year the annual average wage increased by 3.1 percent, much faster than inflation, and by 2020, at moderate rates of increase, it will reach over $63,000. Against this background, the Government announced an increase in the minimum wage yesterday, up 50c an hour to $15.25 an hour, which will directly benefit over 150,000 workers. This 3.4 percent increase in the minimum wage is significantly more than the cost of living increase, which is 0.1 percent. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022255568936626406a9054a61933b0805a\u0022\u003EKanwaljit Singh Bakshi\u003C/span\u003E: What risks are there to New Zealand\u2019s economic outlook?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002208e4c248e0de46d182b113f08cee6cec\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: With reasonable pace of growth and real wage rises for many New Zealanders, domestic results are reasonably strong despite ongoing wobbles in the global economy. There is uncertainty around the impact of US interest rate hikes, risks around European banks, and always some uncertainty about the nature of the changes in the Chinese economy. However, New Zealand is relatively well positioned to deal with what we would regard as the normal spread of risk in the global economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022849744be37714809a11b1c1010ca1c3b\u0022\u003EKanwaljit Singh Bakshi\u003C/span\u003E: What steps is the Government taking to mitigate risk and continue to support our growing economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022202219a45d5f4c8984e866cd2e8cb2b7\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: One way this Government and previous Governments have taken steps to mitigate risks is through the negotiation of a network of free-trade agreements. The importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement is so high because it gives us better access to 800 million customers in 11 countries and accounts for 36 percent of the global economy. We believe the benefits that have been calculated for this agreement are conservative, based on the success of the most recent free-trade agreement negotiated by the previous Labour Government, the Chinese free-trade agreement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fdfa2ae35aae4b3d810c826940d1e873\u0022\u003EHousing, Rental\u2014Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022 data-id=\u00229f436b88339c4417968b357dfdb39a4d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229f436b88339c4417968b357dfdb39a4d\u0022\u003EMETIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader\u2014Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Building and Housing: Will the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill guarantee that no New Zealand renter will live in a cold, damp, mouldy house that makes them sick; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022362e9937ebf048f39e1589ef4c22ded7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022362e9937ebf048f39e1589ef4c22ded7\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Building and Housing):\u003C/span\u003E This bill will make 180,000 homes warmer, drier, and safer without imposing excessive compliance costs on landlords that would inevitably be passed on to tenants. The bill requires that all rental properties have a smoke alarm by 1 July this year and that they are progressively insulated over a period of 3 years. No bill provides an absolute guarantee; it is as foolish as pretending that our criminal laws prevent all murders or that our road safety laws prevent all motor accidents. [Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221d762bec4c14460489c7d371a24b4b38\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Can I just, before I call the member, mention the level of interjection. We have been away for a week, so I would expect some level of interjection, but if it is going to be disruptive then I will start naming members, mentioning their names, and then, if it continues beyond that, I will, with regret, be asking some members to leave.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9ad3e2b96e247aeb99248ab6af9fd2f\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister take the advice of the Child Poverty Action Group and include a rentals warrant of fitness in the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill to provide a more comprehensive improvement in the warmth, the dryness, and safety of rental houses?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ce1285fe05d440aa51a89dde42fda00\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: There are two problems with the warrant of fitness proposal. I am advised by officials that it would cost $225 per home, or $100 million per year, just for the compliance and the administration, without fixing a single house. The second concern I have is the pedantic nature of having \u201CClipboard Charlies\u201D putting in unreasonable requirements. For instance, if I look at the member\u2019s own bill, it would assess my Beehive office as unsafe, because I do not have a safety strip on my window or my flat, and I do not think that is reasonable. The third part is, of course, that any cost that you impose actually goes on to rents, and if you are going to put $225 on the cost of every rental property in New Zealand, that is actually a cost that will impact on the very families that we should be helping.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ae4374e41e4648cdbf59dcf27b693128\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: What, then, is the cost of the lives of the 15 children who die each year from poor housing and the 42,000 child admissions to hospital each year from cold, damp housing and poverty?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257a1c18598024193accc30dcc990b179\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: This Government has made more progress on getting our homes insulated than any other Government in history. That is why we have a bill before the House that is going to require all homes to be insulated by 1 July 2019 and to require a smoke alarm, because there are too many New Zealanders who die unnecessarily as a consequence of the lack of those things. What we are not going to do is impose a massive bureaucracy that will impose costs on the very families that we are trying to help.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022464ca6672c6e49689065c685a301581f\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister referred to the cost of a warrant of fitness scheme. I asked him the financial cost of the deaths of 15 children and the 42,000 child hospital admissions. He did not answer that question\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022862bde85a6614f399d1299b521297800\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! And nor could you expect a Minister to do that. When you consider that it is a supplementary question, I do not think the member could rightfully expect the Minister to put a dollar value on to 15 deaths and what I think were 40,000 hospital admissions. The question was without doubt addressed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ee75b492e814755b20748e705eb3e43\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister sought any advice on the cost of 15 child deaths and the 42,000 child admissions to hospital caused every year by cold, damp housing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002225caa46e36484f40bf8d7798e999eaff\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I have. There has been extensive cost-benefit analysis on the Government proposals. The analyses showed that a warrant of fitness imposed more cost than benefit, and that the proposal that we have in the bill is the best way in which we can address the very issues that the member is concerned about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222b81af63438d4fc49deae23e39e7b867\u0022\u003EJoanne Hayes\u003C/span\u003E: What progress has been made in improving home insulation over the past 15 years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270e7b5e95f924439986d177f2093d4c8\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The previous Government managed to do 2,000 home insulations per year, or 18,000 over its 9 years. We, firstly, put a focus on insulating those 30,000 State houses. We then provided for Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart and Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes, which provided for 290,000 houses. This bill provides for a further 180,000 houses, a total of 500,000. I do find it a bit rich for members opposite, who did fewer than 20,000, to criticise this Government for doing 500,000.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b698b2e14a0e4213b83d01cfbb6a6c37\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister was not required to answer my initial question on the costs of deaths and child admissions because he did not have the information. He just admitted that he does have\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf01e819ec1444edba4ad1fa92f9f223\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The question was whether the Minister had sought any advice. His very first answer was yes, he had sought advice on that issue. Without doubt the question was answered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc7006f1d7d64eaea11667692c1e69dc\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: To help the House, because there have been some questions about the cost-benefit analysis, a review has been done by Arthur Grimes, and I seek the leave of the House to table that review of the cost-benefit analysis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224fcdcde3a8d449ebb9cfc4979b325b60\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table that cost-benefit analysis. Is there any objection? There is none; it can be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000067\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=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7f68e185e304eef823c6c147219c392\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister denying the evidence of the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association, which reports students\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b306bd08a3045f795b7e1226223f8cc\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Start the question again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7f8bf3aef844515a3cd59e5a4f8163f\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Is the Minister denying the evidence of the Victoria University of Wellington Student Association, which reports students having to spend over 98 percent of their student living costs loans on rent for cold, damp, mouldy homes, which make them sick?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1957030c18f442d8b05f4899f3ae3b4\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The member wisely makes the point that there is a connection between making sure homes are affordable as well as good quality. What the member needs to look at in this bill is the new enforcement provisions. The Government\u2019s view is that rather than spending on a compliance cost that has a warrant of fitness over all 500,000 homes, what we actually need to do is to enforce the existing housing regulations, which many of those student flats breach, and actually give my ministry the powers to prosecute those landlords, and that is what is provided for in the bill. The member may be interested that when I met with the students association, it was very positive about those provisions in the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223695ea596cd34f72a3d1cbdb9fde4016\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister dismiss the evidence of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, the Public Health Association, and the nurses\u2019 associations, which all say that the bill does not go far enough to protect health and that what is needed is a proper warrant of fitness in this bill?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a88a6bb66a884a66bc335d8df0e2059c\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Where those groups are incorrect is that they do not look at the $100 million cost of the bureaucracy of a warrant of fitness over all 500,000 rental properties in New Zealand. And what is a far more sensible response\u2014that is, what is provided for in the bill\u2014is for us to actually focus on those homes that are substandard and breach the current housing regulations, and to actually get on and enforce those. That is a far more sensible approach to this issue than a warrant of fitness over all 500,000 homes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fc8ab326-1806-41d3-8c41-cd58c95dcb45\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b34d55fd215a46c7a3d7f06118f79468\u0022\u003EMetiria Turei\u003C/span\u003E: If the Minister will not take the advice of these groups, will he take the advice of Andrew King of the Property Investors Federation, who agrees that cold, damp rental homes are a problem in New Zealand and that the Government should fund power bill vouchers to the 30,000 families with children who have cold-related health conditions from rental properties?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e167eb7d7d9d444eb93098383871055c\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Mr King has made very plain to me that he does not support a warrant of fitness. What he would wish is that the Government, either through tax or other grants, pay for the cost of landlords getting their properties up to spec. It is the Government\u2019s view that landlords do have responsibilities, and although through Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart we have provided $500 million for insulating houses, landlords also have responsibility to have their rental properties up to standard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002271051e2ca34244d8a341d12408c0e888\u0022\u003EPharmac\u2014Funding and Subsidised Medicines\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u0022a6489c46bd2248a78816d6d670e03af9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a6489c46bd2248a78816d6d670e03af9\u0022\u003EANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in his Minister of Health, given the Minister\u2019s statement regarding funding of Keytruda that Pharmac \u201Chaven\u2019t got the money at the moment \u2026 that\u2019s the issue\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022 data-id=\u0022562f3cbf9fc8424fb797c8015f6882c1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022562f3cbf9fc8424fb797c8015f6882c1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221172535468b145a2a21bf9ccb0784c87\u0022\u003EAndrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: Why did he cut health funding in four of his seven Budgets\u2014a total of $1.7 billion\u2014denying Kiwis access to modern medicines like Keytruda?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002227264119bed5407d87cba980b13f9b84\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: Given that health funding has gone from $11.8 billion to $15.9 billion in the time that I have been Prime Minister, it is not hard to see why the New Zealand public does not take the Leader of the Opposition seriously when he gets up and just makes it up and it is plain wrong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265562e179a4f4f1dba23c0f46fd332df\u0022\u003EAndrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: How on earth can the Prime Minister possibly say that, when his own Minister said on radio this morning that Pharmac \u201Chaven\u2019t got the money at the moment \u2026 that\u2019s the issue\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022841691e8a8f146e3aab10b94ba91abb2\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: The member needs to read the supplementary questions that they write for him before he comes to the House. What he actually said in his previous question was that health funding had been cut in three Budgets, when it had not. Of course, if Pharmac has more money, by definition, it can fund more drugs. I am quite confident that under this Government Pharmac will get more money. And I am quite confident that, at the moment, Pharmac is undertaking complex commercial negotiations looking at melanoma drugs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ecee4c4e529427996f5126522d5ff9b\u0022\u003EAndrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: Given there is no effective front-line treatment for advanced melanoma currently funded, will he tell the cancer sufferers here today why there is money for flag referendums but nothing that is going to help save lives?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee6daf934bfb43a6917797c998ea756d\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: At the moment the Government funds about $800 million a year into Pharmac, of which about $131 million goes into cancer treatment. This is a Government that has increased that expenditure and will, I have no doubt, increase it again. One thing we do know about Keytruda, though, is that it is effective for one in three patients who take it; two out of three do not. There are other drugs on the market and other drugs that, potentially, might be more effective, and at the moment Pharmac is in the process of complex negotiations to sort out which one might be best.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a21d360d2637414aaa35c7a65524f385\u0022\u003EAndrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: Is he serious in his answer that New Zealanders desperate for this front-line drug might have to wait for the Budget? Knowing that one New Zealander a day is dying from melanoma, that is another 90 people who will give up their lives while they wait for this Government to do something.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285ac32df2be5451190101533552554d7\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is working through the process with Pharmac, and I think that is the right way to go. I might simply make the point that, actually, putting Keytruda and the issue of melanoma to one side, there are also a great many other drugs that are unfunded, for which other New Zealanders are dying. So, in the end, it is an allocation of resources. The Government is putting in more money, and it will continue to put in more money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282a2befda76c400a92ad262ce45707f5\u0022\u003EAndrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: Can he not see that those New Zealanders who are suffering from melanoma and are desperate for treatment cannot put that aside, and can he respond to the woman suffering from melanoma whom I spoke to today, who said: \u201CNew Zealanders don\u2019t have time for him to piss about on this issue.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a9535ae52c44b30a110bebf769e1db6\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221618df1ba0384dd2883705df5111437e\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: In fairness\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b66ee7513b834c508c310e4705644d3f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I will let the Prime Minister address the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ed808df73984ce4966e205c879efafe\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: In fairness, if one looks at the health system under a National-led Government, not only has its funding increased by more than $4 billion but also the amount of elective surgical operations has increased dramatically, the state of the district health boards has increased dramatically, the amount of money going into cancer drugs has increased, and the amount of money going into Pharmac has increased. We live in a world where there will be more and new biological drugs that will come along, and they will put even more pressure on future Governments. We have a system that we work through, but we are quite conscious of that and we are putting in more money. I just say that we have enormous sympathy with the issues of those individuals at the moment, but there are also other drugs and other issues that get less profile, as well. If the member wants to be fair, he should list all of those, but then, also, he should stop asking for money in certain areas and say he wants it all directed to Pharmac. But that is not actually the policy that Andrew Little is talking about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d822df0e88b47ee883d2700ce6ed622\u0022\u003EAndrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: In view of the statements by the Minister of Health this morning, that he has great sympathy for those suffering from melanoma if they have no treatment, is that all that melanoma sufferers in New Zealand can hope for now\u2014sympathy from National Party Ministers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d12ac8ffb6946ebbb48f9f7ee1b6489\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, good question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d833122ee1848cb943b8c96a14d8bb6\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: Well, actually, no, it is not a very good question, because if the member were listening, he would hear this response: (a) there is more money going into Pharmac; (b) Pharmac is going through complex negotiations; and (c) over time I am confident that we will get these things. At the start of this year Andrew Little got up and told New Zealanders the most important thing was that youngsters got more money towards a student loan that is already 70 or 80 percent paid by the taxpayers of New Zealand. He did not get up and say: \u201CMore money for Keytruda.\u201D He did not get up and say: \u201CMore money for other drugs.\u201D He got up and said that students who get 80 percent of their funding already paid for by the taxpayer, who earn more money than the average wage\u2014they are his No. 1\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b45ed3c9f86a474fafec1da2e6662f41\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! The question\u2014[Interruption] Order! The answer to that question was too long.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022767c2cd83ba347568644baad501fee95\u0022\u003EAndrew Little\u003C/span\u003E: How on earth can he, as Prime Minister, plan for tax cuts while Kiwis are dying because of a lack of treatment for melanoma?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291fb6cd5974a4273abab0b1967bc8a24\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: The member will need to wait for Budget 2016 to see what the priorities are. Under a National-led Government, the health system of New Zealand is run well. Under Annette King, I would have my head down in shame at the way she ran the health system in New Zealand. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ec00cca5c5a451ba937a99141283bee\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! I do not want to specifically mention by name the people who are interjecting too much. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203f2e778839e4c4aa963370b9bf38f1f\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, well, if you bring me into it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022520b4102a9384149bd834d040842218e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member has been in it all afternoon, actually.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229e40cf09a6124520a37102b1f1b14781\u0022\u003EGang Action Plan\u2014Pilot Programmes\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022 data-id=\u0022112cfe08e74e46f7b8b4e68fa832df6c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022112cfe08e74e46f7b8b4e68fa832df6c\u0022\u003ETODD MULLER (National\u2014Bay of Plenty)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development: What recent announcements has she made on the whole of government Gang Action Plan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u002224c7421ba1b3483cb5a634ce265f6a59\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002224c7421ba1b3483cb5a634ce265f6a59\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E Today I announced two new community pilots that will support the partners and children of gang members to lead successful lives and help steer young people away from gang life. As part of the Gang Action Plan, these pilots will see the Ministry of Social Development partner with local social service providers to work with gang-connected families and deliver wraparound intensive support services as well as education, employment, and mentoring opportunities. The pilots will also work with gang members who want to leave the gang lifestyle. Total funding for the two trials is $1.1 million over 2.5 years, with more initiatives in other regions to follow soon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e7354d5d9b5c47ffb1acee09dbfbb65e\u0022\u003ETodd Muller\u003C/span\u003E: Why is the Government focused on working with gang members and their families?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276e87ca27a6a4c62880f7d61a8ac1048\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: A report by the Ministry of Social Development released today estimates that gang members and their children cost the taxpayer $714 million through their contact with the ministry and Child, Youth and Family. The report shows nine out 10 gang members have received welfare assistance, costing the taxpayer $525 million. Additionally, over one-quarter of the allegedly abused or neglected children and 60 percent of their children have been victims. Gang life ruins families, and the social cost through domestic violence and child abuse is unacceptable. The new Gang Intelligence Centre involving Police, the Ministry of Social Development, and other Government agencies will give us more detailed information to help address these issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea16fc9d899c4373b421c82bfc420b20\u0022\u003EDarroch Ball\u003C/span\u003E: Why is it taking 2 years to initiate two pilot programmes that do nothing but subsidise current criminal behaviour and do not address the real problem, which is the existence of the gangs themselves?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228bbfe8f4bff54e618d92e400dd399b12\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: Well, if there was an easy fix to the issue it would have been resolved years ago. This is not an easy fix; it is a very complex area. And because we are seeing the gangs work together, Government is now working together. These trials are working on the ground with gang families who are actually willing to change, because that is the first step to get through, where you have families who do want better outcomes for their children; secondly, to establish providers who are willing to do the work, and that has taken some time to do. You cannot change overnight what has taken generations to produce.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002236c8c596-d890-4cca-9767-1eeb5c9ce710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dd0f91ad92a841a8b12bd5fbe76fd50c\u0022\u003EDarroch Ball\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Government continue to support criminal gangs by using taxpayer funding to pay for the State houses in which many of these gang members live, or will she support New Zealand First\u2019s calls to ban gang members from living in our community State houses?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247b1bbe61d204457b361766dc51474d8\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: Well, unfortunately, gang families by their very nature have women and children who are often at the mercy of the gang members, so it is important that we put supports around them. Yes, the welfare statistics are there to show just how many of these gang members are actually reliant on the taxpayer for funding their lifestyles, while at the same time they are making extraordinary amounts of money through their networks, producing methamphetamine. So a whole-of-Government action plan that combines work from both my colleagues the Minister of Police and the Minister of Corrections, and also the social support for their families, is important to address long term the issues of the harm that gangs do. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d7ad1b4e18de4e469fb4a8da9f7f865e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! Could Darroch Ball please stop interjecting, or the next time I will be asking him to leave.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b0e4f6d631ec4239ac0ec643ca1d4d36\u0022\u003EExclusive Economic Zone\u2014Marine Reserves\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022 data-id=\u00226c724f569af04a208abbf971c3d9b327\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c724f569af04a208abbf971c3d9b327\u0022\u003EEUGENIE SAGE (Green)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for the Environment: When he said last year that the Marine Reserves Act \u201Cis now outdated. It does not provide for protection in the huge Exclusive Economic Zone\u201D, was he saying that a new Act should provide for new marine reserves in our EEZ; if so, why has his position changed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u0022a577f718558e4039bdcc9f5b7cd6a44d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a577f718558e4039bdcc9f5b7cd6a44d\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E Marine protection is needed in the exclusive economic zone, and that is why our Government is committed to the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, covering 15 percent of the exclusive economic zone. It will provide for an area twice the land size of New Zealand in which mining, fishing, and petroleum drilling will be banned. We have modified our language in the exclusive economic zone from \u201Cmarine reserve\u201D to \u201Cocean sanctuary\u201D, based on the legal advice that our rights and obligations in the exclusive economic zone are different from those in the territorial sea under international law. For instance, deep-sea cables that would be prohibited in a marine reserve cannot be prohibited in the exclusive economic zone under that law, nor a number of shipping activities. I do not think the public will mind whether it is called an ocean sanctuary or a marine reserve; what they care about is that 15 percent of our exclusive economic zone will be fully protected under this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022231168db288e421597227c871a1479f7\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: Does he agree that the reform legislation, apart from the special legislation for the Kermadecs, will do nothing to protect 94 percent of the marine environment\u2014areas where threatened seabirds such as albatross and yellow-eyed penguins feed\u2014and nothing to protect the deep-sea ecosystems that our billion-dollar fishing industry depends on?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229701c1074bb8467e823a41f6c2e79e74\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I think you need to look at the Government\u2019s legislation package as a whole. When you consider that this Government is committing to protecting 15 percent of our exclusive economic zone in the Kermadec area\u2014an area 50 times the size of Fiordland, our biggest conservation area; an area that has got over 50 volcanoes and that has got 20 species of marine life\u2014I would be expecting the Green Party to be congratulating this Government on its marine conservation efforts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022296922cc193c4239bf755ead5f252006\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister saying that he is comfortable that oil and gas drilling, seabed mining, and fishing can occur throughout the exclusive economic zone without balancing this with a new law that enables some areas within the exclusive economic zone outside the Kermadecs to be protected?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e137f9b401024e338f0e42c840a2a852\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: We are the very first Government in the 150-plus year history of this nation to set aside an area of the exclusive economic zone for pure protection. I make this further point to the member: the area of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will be the largest no-take, contiguous area of ocean anywhere in the world. New Zealand is setting aside the biggest area anywhere in the world for marine conservation. I think that is something that all members of this House should celebrate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e1ec61a68d374432bed0764c6713e1ed\u0022\u003EScott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: What overall progress has this Government made to improving the management and protection of our marine environment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a71b752b73a4108a649d5cf6e7ff061\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Our first achievement was in putting in place the exclusive economic zone legislation, because prior to that, deep-sea drilling, or any of those activities, could be done out in the exclusive economic zone without any requirement for a consent or any restrictions at all. Our second step has been making real progress on a number of marine reserves that had stalled for years or, in some cases, decades. The three new marine reserves in the Subantarctic Islands, the five new marine reserves on the West Coast, and the new marine reserve at Kaik\u014Dura and at Akaroa are all examples of progress in marine conservation under this Government. The last, I would re-emphasise again and about which I have had numerous correspondence from all round the world, is the Prime Minister\u2019s announcement of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, which I think has been welcomed internationally as well as in our own country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022112ad0ceeaee4f9caca2ec77c83f9ba9\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Can I ask this Minister, if he thinks the history of this country is 150 years\u2014if he thinks that that is an appropriate thing to say in this Parliament, why does he not resign?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a0e228d23a87427bb2293506417cbad4\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I openly acknowledge that our M\u0101ori people have been here for 800 years, but this institution of Parliament has been going for 150 years, and I say again\u2014I say again\u2014that this Parliament has never made as good a progress in marine conservation as it has under this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1e38cfc459a478aa11d34bd5cf1cbc9\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: Given the widespread support for the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, is he really convinced that his new marine protected areas legislation cannot provide a simple process to create new marine protected areas in the exclusive economic zone, which comprises 94 percent of our ocean environment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274fa759d61974bbfb220bdac3aabf3ef\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: As I have said to the member, we are setting aside 15 percent of that exclusive economic zone with the Kermadec legislation. In respect of the marine protected area proposals providing for four different types of marine protection tools, species-specific sanctuaries, seabed reserves, and marine reserves, as well as recreational fishing parks, they are more appropriate for the territorial sea. For instance, it is perfectly proper for local communities to have a say in their sea immediately adjacent to their community, but it is the Government\u2019s view that, in respect of the exclusive economic zone, the more appropriate way is special legislation, and that is exactly what we are doing with the Kermadec Islands.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220b6b2c555dc3444f93a4d2ce8bfa26a5\u0022\u003EPharmac\u2014Funding\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022 data-id=\u002298c7959006a7483596726492862e48b7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002298c7959006a7483596726492862e48b7\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader\u2014Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all his statements?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022 data-id=\u002258e087d2e1734bd7b81a77479f7b3822\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002258e087d2e1734bd7b81a77479f7b3822\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, within the context that they were made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bfd1be4d9854bdcb4f11058a8945111\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement on Radio New Zealand this morning regarding unfunded drugs for melanoma patients that \u201C365 deaths a year\u2014it works in one-third of patients, so, you know, 120-odd could benefit\u201D; if so, are these 120 people not worth saving?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da1c8d81eb7a4ea2ae03fcf1af4d79ab\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: To the first question, yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277e68506847c49a5b2d20f34a6b88008\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Is he satisfied with the current standard treatment for advanced melanoma, even though cancer specialists are telling him it does not work, and the only people able to access life-saving drug therapy are those who are able to raise the money?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291f423ac11304bf88d1f6e3201d890de\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: The point is there are new drugs available. Pharmac is in complex commercial negotiations that are now looking at which might be the most appropriate to fund. The issue is, really, at the next Budget, when we have a bid for health, that if we get more money it means that more pharmaceuticals can be funded. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dfb78551a4de4d5d92949cb39ce5608b\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his admission on The Paul Henry Show this morning that the Ministry of Health has not got the money to fund Pharmac; if so, will he also now admit what everybody knows, which is that health has been underfunded by $1.7 billion under this Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022852dd3d398bd460fbcb131b5ad4c85a9\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: What I said was that the $800 million that Pharmac gets is totally accounted for\u2014and that member is totally incorrect going around saying that there have been cuts to the health budget. There have not; funding has gone up by $4 billion under this Budget\u2014and she should stop saying that, because she is misleading the public of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022295c8fd869794a0cabfd9b42c72be754\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Has underfunding of health, especially Pharmac, led to New Zealand now being last out of 20 comparable OECD countries for access to innovative medicines, with 81 medicines waiting to be funded by Pharmac, with an average wait of 3 years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002215ddebf48d3a4702968cd851d8e59921\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: What I can tell the member is that public health spending in New Zealand is higher than in Australia as a percentage of GDP\u2014[Interruption] It is I am afraid\u2014sorry, that is the truth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ab433e536d574a91873df8f7fc195078\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: Why did he say on Radio New Zealand this morning that petitioner Leisa Renwick \u201Casked for a meeting sometime after 1.30 p.m. today\u201D, when she started emailing him on 18 February, offered to meet him anytime\u2014over breakfast or even accompany him to a rugby fixture\u2014if he would just meet with her? Was he being straight with the public when he said that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022603ae58e-47c4-46f9-bfc8-8355a48988ad\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa48462230f04d078885b0f9bac83170\u0022\u003EHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN\u003C/span\u003E: The member is misrepresenting what is in those emails, and, actually, as you know, I have met with Mrs Renwick today out on the forecourt, because you were there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002249b8a99daecc4f50b2bb8f9f695e8431\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table Leisa Renwick\u2019s emails to the Minister so I am not misrepresenting her\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9faa136d9904f82831a9e9b532d1e7e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! We do not need that part added.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9f97ab1739d47d5aadcee9c7bd57c75\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014dating back to 18 February, seeking a meeting with him at any time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf979450cc024433b52790fef18297e4\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table those particular\u2014[Interruption] Order! Leave is sought to table those emails. Is there any objection? They can be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EDocuments, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a5043727e5f04766b507cc05ba007baf\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: So he lied.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022952d93f307014f818e5754b1ab525e42\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member will stand and withdraw that remark immediately.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8d78879f61545188ca5e52f14700088\u0022\u003EHon Annette King\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002246a9194002004a22b08b2f6dc7425226\u0022\u003ERoading, Waikato\u2014Waikato Expressway\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022b37020c9ae8949bab36a459dad35e574\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b37020c9ae8949bab36a459dad35e574\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: What recent progress has the Government made on the Waikato Expressway Road of National Significance?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u002246863ec1af2f4da187c36dd1c6528b69\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002246863ec1af2f4da187c36dd1c6528b69\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E It was my privilege to open late last year the Cambridge section of the $2.1 billion Waikato Expressway. This new $250 million stretch of road was delivered 6 months ahead of schedule and under budget. The new highway has significantly improved safety on the current State Highway 1, created a new gateway to Cambridge, and removed congestion in the town centre. Completion of the Cambridge section is a major milestone on the journey to complete the entire 102 kilometre Waikato Expressway project by 2020. The expressway will be a game-changer for the region, and is a good example of the Government\u2019s focus on building infrastructure that will drive New Zealand\u2019s economic success and greatly improve safety.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d8c257be0f94ad3868bada598e15d40\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he seen on how the new Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway is benefiting motorists?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b628b7a9b39242e7ab1b3ba214a28ac3\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES\u003C/span\u003E: I have seen a report from the Transport Agency that says that an impressive 15,000 vehicles per day have been using the new road since it opened in December, and I am pleased to say that people are shaving up to 23 minutes off their daily commute between Cambridge and Hamilton, using the new section of the Waikato Expressway. That is up to 23 minutes a day on a round trip that people do not have to spend sitting in their cars. Along with time savings this also saves people money on fuel and shows the real benefits that the Cambridge section of the expressway is delivering for commuters in the Waikato.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002210c7189873db43e8934f6ad73665553a\u0022\u003EGovernment Financial Position\u2014Crown Debt\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00223650089a926b4ccb8d9a855cad4a0f52\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223650089a926b4ccb8d9a855cad4a0f52\u0022\u003EGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour\u2014Wellington Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What was the dollar figure of net core Crown debt when he took office as Minister, and what is that dollar figure today?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u0022c3334091f0a944e4b1d42bc85016dbbf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c3334091f0a944e4b1d42bc85016dbbf\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E In 2008-09 core Crown net debt was $17.1 billion or 9.1 percent of GDP. Net debt in 2014-15 was $60.6 billion, or 25.2 percent of GDP. In between, we had the world\u2019s most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression, and we had to borrow $17 billion to rebuild Christchurch. Every proposition I have seen from the Labour Party since would drive debt up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c32becf56004a8b80632b8f735bc61d\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the report by Citigroup entitled \u201CHere Comes a Global Recession\u201D, and what is he prepared to do to change his approach to managing the economy to meet that challenge?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002284b1a835e0bd4714aa5792093bdecfc6\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I do not have to read Citigroup\u2019s voluminous commentary to hear about coming recession, because the Labour Party has been predicting it the whole time the economy has been growing. About every second week, it predicts a recession, so, no, I have not read that report.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ae32b2c92af94baeab71bb215dfca62d\u0022\u003EBarbara Kuriger\u003C/span\u003E: What steps has the Government taken to return the books to surplus and get on top of debt?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281dfeb1cf17c4b888be34cce4b25dcbb\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: The Government is focused on careful management of new spending. In the last seven Budgets we have spent an average of $680 million in discretionary spend each Budget, compared with an average of $3 billion per year in the 7 years before that. We have also focused on getting more for less out of existing public services, not just new ones, and that has meant pursuing, with some vigour, value for money in our large spending areas, such as in education, in health, in the justice system, and also in welfare, using some more innovative techniques that are starting to show long-term benefits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf13996812fb432cbb8ba1fff1a57bb5\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement in November 2008, when net debt was $50 billion less than it is today: \u201CI want to stress that New Zealand starts from a reasonable position in dealing with the uncertainty of the economic outlook.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e7fce5b6118545898b7e70557d338cbe\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: In respect of net debt levels, yes, but of course in respect of the policy settings left behind by the disastrous management of the previous Labour Government, no.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225302f35fa27544c6bb4e584177f31397\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Does he recall saying in November 2008 \u201CIn New Zealand we have room to respond. This is the rainy day that the Government has been saving up for.\u201D, and how are we placed for an upcoming rainy day with $50 billion extra debt?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e653cba2d7424b2d9c3f1e7ad5cae3aa\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I did say that, and I must say that since then my appreciation of the skills of Dr Cullen as a Labour finance Minister has grown enormously. He had much more understanding and ability to deliver on these things than any of the six finance spokesmen since.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239ac301069294ffd97548b272ab6f524\u0022\u003ESimon O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: What other approaches has the Minister seen to managing the Government\u2019s books?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203cf521d2b844823ae0f895c2e9686ca\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: I have seen proposals just in the last few months for increased spending on public sector wages, infrastructure, education, health, tertiary education, social services, the Venture Investment Fund, and the Superannuation Fund. All of these have come from the Labour Party, which is advocating that we have got too much debt.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252c21e2878b141e88766670132ce37bf\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Is it not true that his failure to grow the New Zealand economy in real terms means that our borrowing is tens of billions of dollars higher and that the rainy day that is coming now we are not prepared for, as we were in 2008?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232e02638b53e4574ab3e851ee990db30\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH\u003C/span\u003E: No, I would disagree with that. In 2008, although Government debt levels were low, it was the product of a time when nominal GDP had grown very rapidly. Inflation was 5 percent, first mortgage interest rates then were 10 percent\u2014so, although debt levels were low, the economy was in very poor shape. This time round, debt levels are higher because they have had to be to run a decent community and decent support for the New Zealand people, but our economy is in much better shape than it was in 2008.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022328db86cdbcb49118615f5b0527f30ee\u0022\u003EFreshwater Management\u2014Farming Practices and Water Quality\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022 data-id=\u0022ad354e95c32a4c3b97971960cb59cfb7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ad354e95c32a4c3b97971960cb59cfb7\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for the Environment: What progress is the Government making on improving management of fresh water, and particularly in addressing the problem of stock polluting rivers, lakes, and wetlands?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u002276d13ca8e29242fb99ef377aa7ce3bda\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002276d13ca8e29242fb99ef377aa7ce3bda\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E We have been progressively moving to strengthen national standards for fresh water, firstly, with the compulsory regulations in 2009 that require the metering of all water takes; the first national policy statement under the Resource Management Act on fresh water in 2011; and the national bottom lines to maintain or improve water quality that were brought in, in 2014. At the Bluegreens Forum on 20 February I announced with the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, national regulations that progressively require fencing of stock out of waterways, starting with dairy and pig farms by July 2017, dairy support by 2020, followed by beef and deer farms by 2025 and 2030 relative to the steepness of the country. The proposal has been developed by the Land and Water Forum involving Federated Farmers and key environmental NGOs, and is a successful product of this collaborative model of resolving environmental issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c87b68452b3f414da8ffdb1ebabedf16\u0022\u003EStuart Smith\u003C/span\u003E: How much has the Government invested in freshwater clean-up projects and what improvements in freshwater quality have been achieved?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b1fcf1d05a5d4e0780e7647f90dcee1a\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: This Government has spent $125 million on freshwater clean-ups over the last 7 years. That compares with just $17 million over the previous 7 years. Lake Rotoiti is one of those projects. That has improved hugely: a decade ago it was regularly having toxic algae blooms; today all the data shows a marked improvement in this popular recreational lake. I was recently with Maureen Pugh on the West Coast at its largest lake, Lake Brunner. There with Government funding there are substantial improvements in water quality. The third I would mention would be our largest lake, Lake Taup\u014D, where we are 3 years ahead of schedule in reducing nitrogen runoff into that very significant lake.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229180c12b67554af4beae552b0665340f\u0022\u003EStuart Smith\u003C/span\u003E: How does the Government support in investment for water storage projects help towards the goal of water quality improvements?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dad62fc97a4448e0a2bfc98adf1edd9d\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Water storage infrastructure can have a very positive contribution to water quality. I draw members\u2019 attention to the Central Plains Water scheme in Canterbury, which involves substituting aquifer-drawn irrigation with reticulated water from Lake Coleridge and the R\u0101kaia River. The excessive draw-down of water from aquifers and smaller rivers is at the core of Canterbury\u2019s water issues. The new scheme also puts far tighter requirements on farms for nutrient management. Another good example is the \u014Cpuha scheme, where in the most recent droughts Fish and Game was transferring fish out of other water bodies, because they were so dry, to the one that actually had the flows that could maintain that aquatic life. I also note in my own area that water storage schemes will provide for dryland farming to be converted into crops like apples that actually reduce the amount of nutrients.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223aa15b032657494389aaa2c8eb1dd117\u0022\u003EPrime Minister, Statements\u2014Northland Rail Network\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022 data-id=\u00225e5278d3738f42029f2458b32bbfa2a3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225e5278d3738f42029f2458b32bbfa2a3\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader\u2014NZ First)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements; if so, why?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022 data-id=\u0022413a18ae3c07476092f425536fc1bd07\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022413a18ae3c07476092f425536fc1bd07\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context they were given, because I do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cca9333b64b44cb88d7d055d16419c6\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his answer yesterday on the rail line north of Whangarei\u2014and apologies for the grammar, but I quote him: \u201CI think it\u2019s the opposite. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any plans to close it.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223a51621a5d114ec890e4fd49d604ffa5\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I do stand by that statement. In fact, I have the exact transcript of that, and it was words to the effect of something about closing the line, and as we know, the line is not being closed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf9c0de401524bc68a6a6ba5eae5786d\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: How does he reconcile that answer with the written statement of KiwiRail\u2019s Steve Muir, Manager Bulk and Forestry, just 2 weeks ago: \u201CWe will also not be running trains north of Kauri from 1 September.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bfa349cbd054e80b3b4539531e1f791\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: In the interests of the last question, the exact question from the media was: \u201CAre you aware of any plans to close the rail line north of Whangarei?\u201D. As I have just stated to the House, the rail line north of Whangarei is not closing. There have been issues in relation to the commercial contractor on that line, and the contract has not been renewed, because the contractor is not prepared to pay commercial rates. If somebody else wants to pay commercial rates, or that party wants to come back and pay more commercial rates, then they can operate. But the line is not closing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223504d28d9c464728ac6426bf133c87d8\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Could I ask the Prime Minister why he is engaging in bulldust on this matter, when everyone up there knows that if there are no trains on the line, then the railway line service is over; why is he engaging in such obfuscation and bandying words around that mean nothing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002249250b5ea4884713a097a9ea9c856492\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The question has been asked.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002234e39c8ff9df44128cbdff37a12ef7e7\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: If I wanted to look at an expert in bulldust, all I would do is look across the House. The member has a PhD in it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220fb4762dd49e4627af03bb745c364cff\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. If the Prime Minister wants to engage in that sort of behaviour, which I think is unparliamentary, I just want to remind him that the last time he tried it he got dusted-up up north.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258ff002581094aa0977b22cb7f867a3f\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I think the supplementary question was the question that led off to where the answer then got to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a4da08ce3246482582ccfc44337e244f\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: To the Prime Minister\u2014[Interruption] That is \u201Csir\u201D to you. Why did he allow the Minister of Transport, on 20 October last year, to give assurances that there are no railway closures planned for Northland, when separate correspondence from KiwiRail, on the Portland line, means that those assurances were categorically, deliberately false?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fbce4dc7b2e1495f8a2ae220c124deb1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: Because the Minister of Transport was correct.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272d4b2cb1957443ebfebb30b8e6aa9d6\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: How could the Minister of Transport be telling the truth when the correspondence from KiwiRail shows that the Portland line is to be closed in favour of a metal road, and that is in the documentation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220083bcaa-f44d-4b70-97de-d091a209b88c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274f531473dc64bda80a7d6647eca08d6\u0022\u003ERt Hon JOHN KEY\u003C/span\u003E: The advice I have had from the Minister of Transport is that he refutes that assertion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b2af5b2057934e1fa7ab34e587b5b18a\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table the correspondence from KiwiRail as to the Portland line shunting-line closure, covering 3 miles, and, second, the railway line north of Kauri\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022966bf35787a74568a38021fb619b377b\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I simply need now how many letters the member is seeking to table\u2014KiwiRail letters\u2014and the dates of those letters before I put the leave.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bb792dfab3814268b90f54e819936149\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Fortunately two, on two different matters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d450931b24c427ca3f6a93f3681f75e\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And they are dated last year, I take it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271c997f84d574aceb01ad39c943f8190\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: I beg your pardon?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c6e5982eda3647aa9c14f7d57419aacb\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: What dates are the letters?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220cae7dcfc8954b4386ddbaaea4bd1bd4\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: They are 27 October, and February of last year and February of this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298ad2a0e6dff45bcb7d070cd39ee808a\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Leave is sought to table those two KiwiRail letters. Is there any objection to them being tabled? There is none. They can be tabled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EDocuments, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c03559fcbf134c38b80e3375758909eb\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd4434c0020147af81d5d2725590d2ef\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! A point of order has been called. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad5233d4041e4a158eb852c6a095daf7\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a transcript of the 2014-15 annual review of KiwiRail, where the chief executive officer says: \u201CAt this stage there is no rail\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c26ac3f32be44e7899586c67cdf0cf3\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I need no more assistance. If that is a transcript from a select committee, it is available to all members if they so want it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f04babcc968045529c845c32f6154010\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a8e5e8d19844286b1bc36214152458c\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Are you speaking to the point of order?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ad3102ff29449dea92dcdc6f07afc49\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. I believe the transcript is not yet publicly available.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222d27deec165449948461be6847562f65\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: If it has been before a select committee, it is available via the e-committee process. It is, therefore, available to all members if they want it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ce75296eef584d3db55a35b213589ad6\u0022\u003ETrans-Pacific Partnership\u2014Horticulture Industry\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u002254c3d87b8e094d3eb73929a9380836e7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002254c3d87b8e094d3eb73929a9380836e7\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Primary Industries: How will the Trans-Pacific Partnership support growth in our horticulture industry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022 data-id=\u00221da6a6e9b8074b42af05588e1bb7bfdc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221da6a6e9b8074b42af05588e1bb7bfdc\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries):\u003C/span\u003E The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will save the horticulture industry an estimated $26.3 million per year when fully implemented. Horticulture is New Zealand\u2019s fourth-largest export earner, sending products to more than 120 countries, and it is valued at around $4 billion of exports per year. New Zealand exports a diverse range of premium fruit and vegetable products. The TPP will allow these products to better compete in key markets such as Japan, the USA, and Viet Nam.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b83a799c906646569cf1e15579a38db8\u0022\u003EMaureen Pugh\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he received about the importance of this agreement to the horticulture industry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220dd54f28b52f467ca36b985e3e16737c\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: Horticulture New Zealand Chief Executive, Mike Chapman, has said that the removal of these tariffs does not just mean savings for growers exporting now; it means the products they export in the future will be more competitively priced and will challenge the offerings from other countries. He goes on to add that an agreement like TPP is overwhelmingly welcomed by growers. I received very similar feedback last week in the Bay of Plenty from growers who are welcoming the TPP.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f129f056978543f5a574b8daa7031cfe\u0022\u003EMaureen Pugh\u003C/span\u003E: What are some other ways in which the Government is supporting the horticultural industry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226edd69e1e6044d67a908625397feb290\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: Good question. Last week I was in Tauranga for the deed-signing of a Government industry agreement, the biosecurity readiness and response between Avocado Growers Association Inc. and the Government. Avocados are the seventh industry signatory to the Government industry agreement. The agreement gives industry the opportunity to influence biosecurity readiness and response and how they impact overall. This partnership approach is evidenced in the successful Biosecurity Operational Excellence scheme at the Port of Tauranga. This is being driven by the Government industry agreement partner of Kiwifruit Vine Health, alongside the Port of Tauranga, the Ministry for Primary Industries, local government, and industry organisations. It is about increasing the overall biosecurity awareness for port workers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223d81e075b0da4d99a2a528a840d6ae8e\u0022\u003EEconomic Development, Minister\u2014Saudi Agri-hub and Ministerial Involvement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u00226c71f06adb2c4308a9ecfc80f52c250a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c71f06adb2c4308a9ecfc80f52c250a\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he stand by the statement reportedly made on his behalf two weeks ago that the Saudi sheep deal is Murray McCully\u2019s and all questions should be directed at him?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022 data-id=\u00221abb27190cfc4f5ebd24c1eccb855887\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221abb27190cfc4f5ebd24c1eccb855887\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, I stand by the fact that, in response to a media inquiry as to whom they should speak about the Saudi agri-hub, my press secretary responded that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is the Minister responsible for this issue, and that is because he is. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee8244e181134e07aeab9c7460069d62\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Does he deny that his office also contacted a journalist to complain that Radio New Zealand had mentioned him, Mr Joyce, in a Saudi sheep story?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad93c7310bbd40f8b0eb8f0bcaa7d392\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: I do deny that, because I understand from the press secretary that it was not a complaint at all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002202929c66777b413d9d99b0b7005381dd\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Does his office often phone up journalists asking that Mr Joyce\u2019s name not be associated with Murray McCully\u2019s deals?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002296f5f7588dd34387b54843b98a0f0564\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: No, not at all. I enjoy being associated with my friend Mr Murray McCully, whom I have known for many years, and he is a very efficient and effective Minister of Foreign Affairs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f8205756338474cb0e42e83ec7916a7\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Does he accept that his department New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has primary responsibility to administer the millions his Government is spending on this Saudi farm in the desert; if so, why has he repeatedly refused to answer parliamentary and media questions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022003f9ff664b24a699e3112a35666e098\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The member may recall there was a Cabinet document put up by Mr McCully\u2014which is in the public domain\u2014in February 2013 that has been provided to the Labour Party, where Mr McCully took the lead on that issue. He has asked New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to manage that issue, which, as far as I am concerned, it is doing well, but Mr McCully has retained the leadership on that issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2764ca088be4b9f81cc4bddf41d53aa\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think my question was pretty direct\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce64378b71c04e8eb23cce86d7447a85\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! No, there were two parts to your question and the second part has now been addressed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002255ca6a55295149c9b14f0b66a0c12240\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Another question from Radio New Zealand\u2014oh, sorry, Radio Labour. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a6bd9734eb4c43d7987e38e4df3bebc3\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: I hope the media heard that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216da0ab5fb3f472c9245d15da28248d1\u0022\u003EMr SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I did not hear the interjection, but the interjection from Mr Brownlee will cease\u2014[Interruption] Order! \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285298b0dca5e46fda02570c12c63aa50\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Will the Minister assure Parliament today that, in his opinion, all parts of the Saudi sheep deal with the Al-Khalaf Group are 100 percent proper and complied with Government procurement and appropriation rules?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227131c2bb78674eb8a685f04de5c4c6dc\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: To my knowledge, yes, but the reality is that particular arrangement is run by Mr McCully. I know the member put down some questions to him a couple of weeks ago, and I think they were satisfactorily answered. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b14b5a8913b4bbc8bf6ed7bc39bf7f1\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Is the reason that his staff have said to the media that all questions about the Saudi sheep deal should be directed to Murray McCully because he does not want to be tainted?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a244152-977c-48d2-bf53-4f3a369a27a9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea29f242c08e4790be2b5c48f12c44e5\u0022\u003EHon STEVEN JOYCE\u003C/span\u003E: The member, I think, is wasting the House\u2019s time\u2014I genuinely believe that is what he is doing. He is so far going down the rabbit-hole, he is going to hit his own tail shortly. On the Saudi agri-hub, Minister McCully has worked with both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. He put up a Cabinet paper; Cabinet agreed to it. The member needs to find something to do with his time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00223259a60c528b4f73b1702dfd3056e4c9\u0022\u003EDebate on Prime Minister\u2019s Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022dfb6ac59437c406f8993ddecf63da8e3\u0022\u003EDebate on Prime Minister\u2019s Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000231\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 17 February.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u0022c837a45a47f8488daa82b546e113dee4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c837a45a47f8488daa82b546e113dee4\u0022\u003EDr MEGAN WOODS (Labour\u2014Wigram):\u003C/span\u003E I have been looking forward for some time to taking a call on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, because I have got quite a lot to say. People in the south-west suburbs of Christchurch, where I live and where my electorate of Wigram is located, have long memories of a local MP called Norman Kirk, who served the Sydenham electorate faithfully for the years 1969 to 1974. He is a leader who is warmly remembered because he had a pretty simple message for the people of the Sydenham electorate and the people of this country, as their Prime Minister, and that was that they needed some security in their lives, they needed somewhere to live, and they needed a job. This is, of course, what we call the Kiwi Dream.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EThat is right, this is the dream that this Government has given up on\u2014these pretty simple aspirations that our great Prime Ministers like Kirk could articulate and stand up for the people of this country in relation to. But this is a Government that has lost its way. It is arrogant, it is out of touch, and it is ignoring these big issues that are facing New Zealanders. We just need to look to issues such as the housing crisis. We need to look to issues such as the health cuts that we had questions this very day in the House about. We need to look at jobs, we need to look at wages, we need to look at the Christchurch recovery and what is happening in that very city where Norman Kirk made his life. This is a Government of broken promises. This is a Government that has given up on ordinary New Zealanders. When we listened to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement that we heard in this House, it was a statement that was full of platitudes. It was a statement that was full of claims that everything was OK. Nothing to see here; move along\u2014it is all OK.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EBut as a child of the 1970s, I can very much see that that Kiwi Dream is slipping away. What I remember from those long, warm summers of the 1970s as a child, where people did actually believe that they had a future\u2014if we take that forward into what that means in the 21st century, we have a generation of New Zealanders who are not growing up with that hope. What we have under National, instead, is an economy that is stacked in favour of a privileged few while everyday Kiwis find it harder to get ahead. We have a housing market that has become a plaything for speculators, locking a generation out of the dream of homeownership. We have a health care system where people are having to think about mortgaging their houses to pay for drugs. So we have a system where if you have got money, you can access health care, and if you do not, you cannot. We have an education system that is drowning our young people in debt, and we have rates of child poverty that no member in this House should be content to tolerate. This simply is not the New Zealand that any of us think about when we think about what it means to be a New Zealander and what we are capable of in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EThis year began with Andrew Little showing to the country a way back to this Kiwi Dream. For Andrew Little to set out a vision for the future is something this Government cannot do, because it has given up on any kind of vision or future and it is plodding along. The Working Futures Plan that Labour and Andrew Little outlined at the beginning of this year showed a very clear path to the kind of New Zealand we could have, the alternative that could exist where we back an economy where everybody can have access to education.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWe have heard the absolute spinning around of the Government trying to counter this. First of all it sent out the \u201CSpin-master-General\u201D, Steven Joyce, who came out at first saying that it would not do anything. Apparently the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment does not think greater access to tertiary education will actually do anything. We thought that was a pretty interesting response. I think the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment quickly realised that perhaps this was not the best thing for him to be saying, so he changed the spin\u2014\u201CWe\u2019ve got a problem; we\u2019ve got to change the spin.\u201D\u2014so then it was going to cost too much. The way that Labour had a future for people where every New Zealander could access education for up to 3 years was simply going to cost too much, said Steven Joyce. But then, wait a minute, he remembered the Government had started foreshadowing tax cuts, and this money was going to be spent somewhere else, anywhere, so he had to change the tack on that one; he went back.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWhat we have is a very clear difference. We have on the one hand the Labour Party, which is setting out a vision for our future and for our young people that backs them and says: \u201CWhen you leave school we want to make sure you have the right skills and training, whether that be a university degree, an apprenticeship, or some kind of polytech qualification that will get you into a job. What is more, we do not want to set you up and saddle you with debt for the rest of your life in getting there.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EThere are a lot of members in this House who go on about how debt does not matter. Well, this week we are going to see how much that debt does matter and what the level of student indebtedness in this country has risen to. As someone who did pay for her education\u2014because as well as being a child of the 1970s I was a teenager and young adult of the 1990s, where I had to pay for my university education and where I borrowed for that education\u2014I actually finished paying off my student loan last month. It was a very momentous day; it was great. I went through the student loan scheme at the very worst ravages that it could wrest, and the very worst circumstances that you could have, and I actually do not want anyone else to be saddled with the kind of debt that I was saddled with after my education. I was saddled with debt in excess of $100,000 for the PhD that I did at the University of Canterbury. This is the kind of debt that I do not want to stand by, as someone who can make decisions in this country, and not change. I think we all have a duty to make sure that we are making the future better for young people, and I am proud of the policy that Labour announced at the beginning of this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EIt is not just in education that this Government is failing us; it is in health. There is no greater demonstration we are seeing of that than the cuts to health funding. Again the Government\u2019s spin machine comes out and it tells us that it has increased health funding every year. Let us cut the games, because we all know this is about real costs and how much the real costs are increasing by.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EI want to talk specifically about mental health funding in Canterbury. We have a Government that said it was going to stand with the people of Canterbury. No one would be worse off. It would walk every step with them. That was 5 and a bit years ago. This Government has done anything but walk hand in hand with the people of Canterbury when it comes to their mental health funding. Instead, we have seen over $5 million cut from mental health services to a region that has greater need in mental health services than anywhere else. We are seeing an increase in emergency department admissions for suicide attempts. The police are reporting increased call-outs for suicide attempts. We have children starting in our schools who have severe development problems because of the last 5 years that they have lived with. Prescriptions for antidepressants and for anti-anxiety medications in Canterbury top anywhere else in the country. This is a region that is under pressure in mental health services, and this is a Government that is cutting funding to our region for those issues. But it is not just in the issues of mental health services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EIf you read the written version of the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, there were a couple of paragraphs that made it in there about the Canterbury recovery. If you listened in the House, once you got past the sports jokes and the political put-downs, Canterbury did not make the director\u2019s cut of John Key\u2019s speech on the day. Simply, Canterbury is slipping down this Government\u2019s priorities. Instead, it is taking money out to manufacture its surplus, in terms of Earthquake Commission funding. We have the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, which has presided over botch-up after botch-up. Instead of delivering the kind of recovery and the pace and the optimism that the people of Canterbury need, we have an organisation that has been nothing more than a roadblock. Then the Government spends $2.6 million on spin trying to tell everyone it is OK, but 74 percent of Cantabrians do not have any confidence in the recovery decisions being made. That is not really on track. There is an alternative. We on this side of the House\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022f56d3643ebf74a8aa0802ee883932f3b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f56d3643ebf74a8aa0802ee883932f3b\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry to interrupt the member, but her time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022 data-id=\u002227ab736e1aaa41f6aa713ef2a9cfebda\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002227ab736e1aaa41f6aa713ef2a9cfebda\u0022\u003EHon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E The debate on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement is an opportunity to, I suppose, listen to and learn from\u2014if you do not have anything else to do\u2014the Opposition. We have learnt one or two things. I think the first is that when Labour talks about the Kiwi Dream, it is dreaming of 2005 to 2008. I think that is now pretty clear. We have been assailed for the last few sitting days of the House with the best thinking from Grant Robertson and Andrew Little\u2019s finest hour, which was low debt levels in 2008 and interest-free student loans in 2005. There is nothing we have heard that indicates their thinking has grown up from that point. In fact, their best efforts then came straight out of their days as student union leaders, like most of the front two rows of the Labour Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ELabour\u2019s dream is Helen Clark as Prime Minister handing out more goodies to students and claiming that Labour got Government debt down. Well, Government debt was low then; of course, other things were not. Interest rates were 10 percent and Government spending had grown by 50 percent in the previous 5 years. And that is another thing we have learnt from this debate, that Labour intends to do it all again if it becomes the Government\u2014the same things. You have just got to look through the list of extravagant spending promises to see that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EWe have also learnt something else, though: the centre of gravity for critics of the Government is now the thuggish left. Because of the increasing irrelevance of Labour and the Greens\u2014mired in their dreams of 10 years ago\u2014the thuggish left is taking the stage. And, in fact, increasingly, the incoherent people who throw things are dragging the Greens and Labour to the left. The most obvious example we are familiar with is Labour\u2019s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). A once moderate, market-minded social democrat party is now opposed to free trade\u2014or, at least, I think we are allowed to sell to other people but they are not allowed to sell to us, because Andrew Little said that he is going to renegotiate some of it. I think that is the bit: \u201CWe will keep the bit where we can sell to other people, but we will negotiate out the bit that says they can sell to us.\u201D Or maybe it is the other way round; I just cannot remember.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EBut the Parliament will deliver the Labour Party a chance to look decisive, and that is during the TPP legislation, which will turn up here, and its members will have to vote one way or the other. They cannot, as I once saw a member do, stand in the middle between the Ayes and the Noes lobbies and hope that the bells go so that they do not have to vote. And I think that is where we will see Andrew Little on the day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EThe other example is the Greens. The speech from Mr Hughes was the nastiest personal attack I have heard in this Parliament in 25 years\u2014shameful from a member and a party that said it would not do that sort of thing. It is becoming increasingly preoccupied by how to look more angry than the thuggish left who throw things. That is what the Opposition is competing for. And the votes are moving round, no doubt, among Labour and the Greens, depending on which appeals most to the angry, incoherent, dumbed-down left.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EAnd in the meantime, as the Prime Minister outlined in his statement, the Government continues to deal with the challenge of underpinning moderate growth in this economy while there is an ongoing level of global uncertainty. It is hard to know whether it is more than it used to be; there is a different set of preoccupations now, which the Opposition says means global recession is coming. But whether there is more or less of it, we have continued to focus on ensuring that the structure of this economy is resilient and on ensuring that it provides opportunity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EI just want to, actually, point out something I thought the Opposition might have pointed out today: the minimum wage went up\u2014it is going to go up; it has not gone up, it will go up on 1 April\u2014at the same time as beneficiary families with children will get the first increase in their benefits above Consumers Price Index in over 40 years; on the same day. Since National became the Government and a National-led Government came in, the minimum wage has gone up 27 percent; inflation has gone up 11 percent. The minimum wage has gone up 27 percent; inflation has gone up 11 percent. We now have the smallest gap in the developed world between the minimum wage and the average wage, and one can argue\u2014some would, actually\u2014that it is probably a bit too close. The fruits of consistent, moderate growth are being shared out across New Zealand. The average wage itself, of course, in the last 12 months has just gone up over 3 percent\u2014in a year when inflation was 0.1 percent. There cannot be too many more relevant measures for New Zealand households than real increases in their benefits, if they have got children; in the minimum wage; and in the average wage\u2014consistent, real increases in the value of those incomes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003ESo what most of Mr Hughes said about that was simply wrong. And I do not mind disagreeing with people, but wilful ignorance on the part of the Greens about what is happening in our environment, in our economy\u2014and, you know, you would think you may expect a bit of graciousness about the Kermadec park; you might have. It is the largest protected piece of ocean on the planet, about which the Green members are meant to be so preoccupied, but they spend so much time creating carbon dioxide emissions flying around the planet that they have not even caught up with the fact that the Kermadec Marine Reserve has been created. Those members do not have to acknowledge the National Government, because we know they do not, because they have become so mean-minded; they just need to acknowledge the presence of the reserve, about which so many people are so happy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EWe will continue with the economic programme the Prime Minister outlined, and it includes some real challenges. It is fantastic to be part of a team that has the energy and the focus to get into the hardest issues this economy now has to address: fresh water, and how we have intensive agricultural production and improve the quality of our water, because that is what we are going to be able to achieve; and the regulation of our housing market\u2014New Zealand\u2019s biggest asset class. Just look at the number of people who turn up to meetings in Auckland about it. That tells you how relevant our concerns are and their concerns are to this Government, because we need to ensure that our housing market does not create macro-imbalances: higher interest rates than we need, unfairness by locking people out of the market, and very big fiscal cost\u2014the $2 billion a year we spend subsidising rentals in the housing market.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EThose are just two of the issues; there are any number of others before this Parliament that will show real progress this year, like the review of Te Ture Whenua Maori Act, when that gets here before too long\u2014a hundred-year wait for significant reform that will allow the better use of much M\u0101ori land. Is it politically high profile? Not particularly. Does it matter? Absolutely, along with those other complicated issues. And they are all a bit controversial. They are all a bit challenging. They all need a lot of consultation and explanation. And the Prime Minister is leading a Government that has every intention of boring into those issues, and that is before we get to the hard-core, difficult social issues, where most of our Government spending goes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bb158206-360b-4757-8d72-f7d0994e1fb3\u0022\u003EAnd if anything sums up the Labour Party\u2019s lack of relevance, it is that its proposition about free whatever-it-was for students shows no understanding of anything that is going on in the analysis of social policy these days anywhere in the developed world\u2014it is straight out of the 1970s. So I was wrong. I thought the Kiwi Dream was 2008, but, actually, now that they are getting back to Norman Kirk\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u00224549f8435ae0491da4c0326c656531d4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224549f8435ae0491da4c0326c656531d4\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry to interrupt the member, but his time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u0022b18e59a239dd44309f01443ed4cf40a2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b18e59a239dd44309f01443ed4cf40a2\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Before I attack him, I will say I do have some respect for the Hon Bill English. Can I say in respect of his speech that although I disagree with parts of it, which I will cover, he at least did cover the Government\u2019s proposed programme this year, thin though it is. In contrast, the Prime Minister, a couple of weeks ago when he delivered the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, laid it on the Table and then proceeded to act like a court jester, telling jokes and attacking the Opposition rather than talking about his own programme. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EBill English just gave a speech then and he criticised the increases in spending by the last Government. In question time he was good enough to acknowledge that by the end of the last Government, Labour had reduced gross Government debt from 38 percent to 18 percent, and, actually, reduced net debt virtually to zero. When you included financial assets like the Cullen fund, it was in a positive balance, and since then we know that debt has grown. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EHe then said: \u201CWell, of course, the problem was the increase in Government spending.\u201D Well, what were the biggest increases in Government spending by the Labour Government? Well, the biggest one was the Working for Families tax credits, which the National Government to this day\u2014although they are tax cuts, effectively, for people\u2014actually counts as spending. At the time the now Prime Minister and, I think, Bill English, called them communism by stealth. So that was the biggest increase in spending. Those members called it communism by stealth, even though they were tax cuts. Have they reversed it? No, they have not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhat was the next big initiative? Well, research and development tax credits they did not like. Did they reverse those? Yes, they did reverse those. KiwiSaver\u2014those members said that they did not like it. Have they reversed KiwiSaver? Well, they have stripped back some of the incentives, so it is not working as well. They have taken away the $1,000 kick-start payment that gave hope to young people as they started on their savings journey, but, no, they have not done away with KiwiSaver. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EInterest-free student loans\u2014remember how vexed those members were with interest-free student loans in 2005? They were apoplectic about interest-free student loans\u2014another increase in spending under the last Government. Have they reversed them? No, they have not because they were good policy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EHaving dealt with the misrepresentation of the previous Labour Government, which left the Government books in such good order that Bill English was forced to acknowledge in 2008 that \u201CThis is the rainy day that Government has been saving for.\u201D because we ran nine surpluses in a row, he then did not say much about what has gone up and what has gone down under the National Government. Well, what has gone up? What is happening to Government debt? Well, we know Government debt has gone up. Net debt was down to zero; it is up about $60 billion or $70 billion\u2014a huge increase in Government debt. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhat about growth? Has growth gone up or down? Well, growth rates in the 2000s were held a bit high by increased rates of private borrowing\u2014I will acknowledge that\u2014but we were criticised by National for having growth rates of between 3 and 4 percent. What has the growth rate been in the last year, Dr Smith?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206f2b3e6277f4bf3b5777c1c3ac543b6\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: 2.4, I thought.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221acf99b992ae48efbec2c0209eb1d027\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Per capita\u2014zero. Per capita growth rates\u2014the per-person rate of growth in New Zealand over the last year\u2014has been zero, and that is even with the huge amount that is being spent in Canterbury on the Canterbury rebuild. Nick Tuffley of the ASB is the author of that calculation. Per capita growth rates over the last year have been zero, and, indeed, there have been prior references to that from the likes of Mr Glass, another investment banker who made similar comments last year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhat about exports\u2014a great indicator of health, or otherwise of the economy? Well, the Government came into power when exports were over 30 percent of GDP, and those members promised they were going to increase them to 40 percent of GDP. What has happened to exports? They are down to between 27 and 28 percent of GDP, and the Government\u2019s target of raising them to 40 percent of GDP is shattered. So much for the brighter future that it was promising. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWhat about homeownership? Well, Bill English may say that the huge public meetings that they are having in Auckland are a sign that things are good in Auckland. Actually, people are coming out in droves because they are protesting about the state of the housing market in Auckland. And Dr Smith is doing his best, but it is not good enough, because after 8 years in power, we have got the highest house prices ever in Auckland\u2014a disgraceful average house price in Auckland\u2014of around $900,000. People cannot save to buy a house in Auckland if they are an ordinary waged worker and they have to inherit money to do so, and that is the reality of life under the National Government. Really, the privileged few succeed and most people struggle to get ahead\u2014the lowest homeownership rate in over 60 years and still declining. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EIf there is any part of the Kiwi Dream that is more fundamental than homeownership in New Zealand, well, I do not know what it is. You know, The Half Gallon Quarter Acre Pavlova Paradise was the name of the book. Now people cannot afford their slice of our paradise, and we have got the lowest rate of homeownership since the 1950s\u2014indeed, since the 1951 census, over 60 years ago\u2014and it continues to decline. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThere are measures that could be taken by the Government to make it better. It does need to roll up its sleeves and actually build some affordable houses and to control land supply in respect of some big subdivisions that are needed. It needs to actually stamp its foot and say \u201CWe do need intensification in parts of Auckland.\u201D if we are going to have the rates of net migration that this Government insists on inflicting upon Auckland, throwing fat on the fire and making these things even worse. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWell, what has happened to wages? We heard Nick Smith saying that average wages are up. I read the Prime Minister\u2019s statement in this regard and the paragraph in it said \u201CWages are going up.\u201D, and then you could see, quite obviously, someone had gone through proofreading it and they had inserted the word \u201Caverage\u201D at the front of it. It sort of read rather bluntly in the way it was phrased, and you could see it was a late addition. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWell, why is that? Why are those members focusing on the average wage? Because, in truth, we know that wage increases are concentrated at the top 10 percent of the population and that earnings for most New Zealanders are stagnant. Indeed, I think the latest statistic was that 46 percent of New Zealanders got no wage increase last year. The income gaps are growing, just like the wealth gaps. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EOn the environment, I heard Nick Smith here today heralding his collaborative process outcome, saying that the Government has got to an end point by when rivers have to be fenced against dairy cattle and beef cattle: 2030 for our mid-country and 2025 for our flat land. It is different if you are a dairy farmer, but the dairy boom is over. The pressure environmentally is now coming from the beef boom. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003ENo wonder the NGO in New Zealand that is most connected with freshwater quality, the New Zealand Fish and Game Council\u2014the people who represent the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who, every year, get money out of their own pocket to pay for a licence to go fishing in our riverways\u2014pulled out of the Land and Water Forum. It was so disgusted by these consensual outcomes being the lowest common denominator that it said: \u201CWe\u2019re out of here. We\u2019re not up for an outcome that says we\u2019re not even going to keep our dairy cattle and our beef cattle out of our waterways until 2025 or 2030.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EOur rivers, after 8 years of the National Government, are getting dirtier still. I see that. I am a person who swims in rivers, I fish, and I tramp. Outside our national parks it is a disgrace, the number of our waterways that can no longer be safely swum in because under Nick Smith, the minimum standard that is being required is \u201Cwadeability\u201D\u2014that is, clean enough to walk through, but not clean enough to swim in and put your head under because you will get sick. That is a disgraceful bottom line, Dr Smith, and something that you should not be proud of as the Minister for the Environment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EEducation\u2014do you know we have reached the parlous position in New Zealand where the OECD says that the cause of the big tail that we have got in New Zealand of underperformance amongst some of our students is caused by their economic deprivation? The gaps have got so big in New Zealand that our kids at our poor schools do not get ahead. I thought it was disgraceful a couple of weeks ago. I was ashamed to live in the country where a school providing free swimming lessons in South Auckland\u2014and too few kids learn to swim these days\u2014said that a substantial proportion of the class were not participating because their parents could not afford togs, and there had to be a public fund-raising effort to raise the money for them to buy togs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThat is what is happening in New Zealand. We have got people living in cars and garages, and parents cannot even afford togs for their kids when they are getting free swimming lessons. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00222b845368b17a44b794c039da77e85990\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222b845368b17a44b794c039da77e85990\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment):\u003C/span\u003E It is always a pleasure to follow David Parker, because he is a member who wants to engage in the House and he makes a thoughtful contribution. But I would challenge him to reflect on a time when as many of New Zealand\u2019s core economic statistics\u2014those vital signs that say how well we are doing\u2014have looked as good. I have to say, as a member of 25 years, that if I look at those core figures of GDP\u2014growth, interest rates, unemployment\u2014I would challenge members of this House to tell me a time when New Zealand was doing better. Let us go through them: economic growth\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e1a23eef2e434f79a04d930b4130e468\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: Under Labour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa6d6782d0e34555b0257b9e5da459eb\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: The member says: \u201CUnder Labour.\u201D Well, let us see how well that member is connected to the real world, because one of the issues for families is the cost of living\u2014how much it is going up each year. One of the reasons that members opposite got biffed out in 2008 was that the cost of living was going up by 5 percent per year. It is no good getting a wage increase, I say to the member opposite, of 3 percent if your costs are going up by 5 percent. Do you know what the inflation figures are for the last year? They are 0.1 percent, the lowest level in 23 years. That is good news because that means that the costs for families of their power bills, their food bills, and all those other costs are constrained and are going up by diddly-squat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThen you look at a figure like wage growth\u2014because the real gain we need to make in our community is that wages are going up faster than the cost of living\u2014and wages have gone up by 2.4 percent in the last year. And, significantly, yesterday the Prime Minister announced that the minimum wage is going up by an additional 50c per hour. That is growth of 3.4 percent, and it is not one of those increases of 3.4 percent; it is real because inflation is so low.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EIn an area that is so relevant to housing, the interest rates that families are paying, that businesses are paying, and that farmers are paying are at the lowest level in 50 years. Why does that matter? Well, actually, if you are a family out there in New Zealand trying to pay the mortgage, we now have banks that are offering interest rates at less than 4 percent. I say to members opposite: when was the last time you picked up a newspaper and a bank would offer you an interest rate of less than 4 percent? Why does it matter to the economy? Because if you are a business out there\u2014and I was visiting them in my own electorate last Friday, and they were looking at investing an extra $2 million in a processing facility for fruit, in my electorate\u2014actually, interest rates are the difference between investing in that additional equipment for that export industry, or not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EOf course, I think all members would agree that one of the core economic statistics is the level of unemployment. We know from the last figures coming down from 6 percent, down to 5.3 percent, that New Zealand has one of the highest labour participation rates\u2014the highest levels of jobs\u2014anywhere in the OECD.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EWe can argue figures and quote them all we like\u2014actually, do you know what one of the most important signals is of how well our country is doing? It is the fact that everybody has a choice\u2014a choice to get on a plane and leave this country. I would remind David Parker that if New Zealand was so great in the Labour Government years between 2000 and 2008, why were there 35,000 bright, talented young New Zealanders who chose to vote with their feet and take their talent elsewhere? What we see in contrast today is a record period of New Zealanders actually coming home. That is putting some pressure on my job as the Minister for Building and Housing, but I say I welcome it. I welcome that our country is doing so well that more migrants and more New Zealand citizens are choosing to make New Zealand their home.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI also want to reinforce the message that this is a Government that is making real progress on the issues that are of concern around those New Zealanders who are most struggling. I mentioned earlier the issue of the lift in the minimum wage. I remind Parliament that on 1 April there is going to be the first increase in core benefits in 43 years. Why can the members opposite, who plead so much, who moan and whinge as though they are experts, not acknowledge that this Government is providing that significant increase\u2014not just in core benefits but even for those people on low incomes with families, and it is giving them additional support? I look at the early childhood education participation figures\u2014the best our country has ever had. I look at the performance of health and the best child immunisation rates that we have ever had, and they are part of a picture of a country that is doing well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EBut the responsibility of a Government is not just to deliver and do well; it is to have a forward programme, and that is some of the things that I want to talk about in respect of my own portfolio. I was fascinated at the questions today around the issue of home insulation, because, as I pointed out, in the 9 years of the previous Government an average of 2,000 homes were insulated each year. I think we in this Parliament all agree that insulating those older homes that were built before 1978 and did not have insulation is a good thing. But I do have to challenge members opposite: when your record was doing 2,000 homes per year, it is rather difficult to describe a bill that will require 60,000 homes per year to be insulated as somehow mean and inadequate. It is simply not credible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI was also interested in the Greens criticising this Government and saying: \u201COh, it\u2019s just all \u2018greenwash\u2019.\u201D How can you describe the largest area of ocean protection in the world, an area twice the size of the land area of New Zealand, which this Government is committing to global marine conservation, an area of the second-deepest ocean in the world, an area where there are over 50 different marine species and over 6 million birds\u2014and the legislation that we will be bringing into this House consequential to the Prime Minister\u2019s announcement at the United Nations in creating that Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary is a part of this Government\u2019s programme that reinforces that we are a blue-green Government. We are a Government that wants to grow the economy but also do the right thing by the environment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe last point I want to make in this debate is that I have never been in a Parliament in which Opposition parties have had so many contradictory positions. You know, we started the year\u2014and I remember, if we make the equivalent time\u2014on the issue of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). I say to the members opposite that I still do not quite understand their position. I know in my constituency, where there is going to be a reduction in tariffs on fish, there is going to be a reduction in tariffs on exports of processed forest products, where I know there is going to be a reduction in the tariffs on the products that we export like the kiwifruit, like the apples, like the berryfruit\u2014meeting with those industries, they are so encouraged about that, in the capacity for them to be able to grow, employ more people, and pay more to people. Then why is it that members opposite are so opposed to those fruit, those forestry, those meat, those dairy industry gains that have been so successfully negotiated in the TPP? I see some Labour members are in favour, some are opposed, and I cannot understand the confusion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThen we take a core issue\u2014and there has been a bit of debate today about the issue of debt. Again I have to say I am confused. I listened to Grant Robertson and he said: \u201CThe Government needs more stimulus. It needs to borrow more and stimulate the economy.\u201D In the next minute I hear another Labour member, David Parker, express concerns, and saying: \u201COh, the Government is borrowing too much.\u201D Well, you cannot speak out of both sides of your mouth; you need to have a clear position.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EAnd then we come to the issue of housing. David Parker in the speech that was just given said that the Government needs to go harder on the Auckland Council and make sure that there is intensification. Well, actually, only last week Phil Twyford was saying that the Government was interfering and bullying the Auckland Council to try to get intensification. Well, is David Parker right or is Phil Twyford right, or is this just another case of Labour being all over the paddock and not knowing what it stands for? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI equally point out the area of social housing, where I compliment the work that Paula Bennett and Bill English are doing. I see the members opposite railing in the House, railing in their electorates, opposed to the transfer of State houses over to community housing providers and then standing on platforms with Phil Twyford when he says to the community housing organisation that he supports the transfer of State houses to those community housing providers. I know of no time in my time in this House when we have faced an Opposition that has had such a confused position on what it stands for. It is a party that has lost its way. It is no surprise that it is polling so badly. It is so far from being a credible Government because it does not know what it stands for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022 data-id=\u00228ed3341eb2724216a3ffe6535e56523b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228ed3341eb2724216a3ffe6535e56523b\u0022\u003ERICHARD PROSSER (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E It is always a pleasure to follow Dr Smith\u2019s stand-up routine. I am delighted to have the opportunity to rise to respond to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, and that is partly because there is so much that needs to be responded to\u2014not so much about what the Prime Minister had to say, as about what he did not have to say. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EA great deal of what the Prime Minister did not have to say concerns the primary sector. It concerns the farming sector, the agricultural sector, the provinces, rural New Zealand\u2014the heartland. The Prime Minister had very little of very much use or value to say to rural New Zealand in general or to the farmers of New Zealand in particular. That is something of a paradox, because the National Party, this National Government, has long touted itself as being the party of the farmers and for the farmers. Indeed, that was true once upon a time, a long time ago\u2014a very long time ago. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003ENational has continued to trade on that old reputation and those old allegiances, even though nowadays, and for quite a long number of years now, National has in fact been the party for Queen Street, the party for merchant bankers, and, actually, the party that does not really appear to give a damn about the farming sector at all anymore. The farming sector is beginning to wake up to that. It is beginning to realise that its own party of old has abandoned it in all but name, and it is starting to look elsewhere, and the by-election in Northland showed that. The traditionally true-blue territory of the far north, which has been National since forever, has grown tired of being taken for granted and tired of being marginalised. It showed that it was tired by turfing the National Party out of its turf and installing the Rt Hon Winston Peters and New Zealand First instead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EThe cracks are beginning to show in other places as well. In Mr Barclay\u2019s seat of Clutha-Southland, party members and committee members are leaving the National Party in droves, such is their disaffection with the direction that this John Key \u2013 led \u201CNational and friends\u201D Government is going. In the Wairarapa the winds of change are blowing, and come 2017 they are going to deliver another body blow to the National Party in the form of a change of member, and the new member is going to be Ron Mark. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EWhy is this happening? Well, it is happening because National\u2019s priorities are all wrong, and people have had enough of that. Commodity prices are down, milk is down, and farmers are hurting, and yet this National Government is steadfastly refusing to do anything to help. Its priorities are with the internationalists, with the bankers and the globalists and with its foreign paymasters\u2014and by that I mean the people and the institutions with links to overseas who funnel donations to National. That is where its priorities are. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EFarmers are hurting. Farmers are hurting, and rural communities are hurting, and the Government is doing nothing to help them. We are not talking about handouts; no one is suggesting that we go back to the days of subsidies. But there are concrete, tangible things that this Government could be doing, and should be doing, in order to help support farmers and the communities who depend on them at this time when things are grim down on the farm. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003ENew Zealand First has two bills in the ballot, which the Government could choose to support, that would tangibly improve the lot of our beleaguered rural heartland and our embattled agricultural sector. One is the Meat Industry Restructuring Bill, in my name. This bill would see the red meat processing industry stay in New Zealand hands. It would see the value of New Zealand\u2019s red meat exports stay in the New Zealand economy. It would see returns for farmers improve, and it would guarantee jobs for New Zealand workers in our provincial towns and service industries that support the sheep and beef farmers of New Zealand. As things stand, that industry is on the brink of being lost to overseas ownership, and the great bulk of the value of that industry is on the brink of being lost to the New Zealand economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EThe other bill is the Receiverships (Agricultural Debt Mediation) Amendment Bill, in the name of my colleague Ron Mark. This bill cuts to the heart of what has become of the National Party, the party that used to be the party of farmers and the party of the provinces\u2014the party that is now being supplanted in those roles by New Zealand First, because we still give a damn. We still give a damn. We still prioritise rural New Zealand and provincial New Zealand, where the real wealth of this country is generated and where New Zealand\u2019s income is earned. This bill highlights the way that National has become a party that gives priority to the profits of foreign-owned banks over and above the interests of New Zealand and New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EThere are laws very similar to the law that this bill would become already in place in a number of Australian states and a number of Canadian provinces. What they do is require banks to enter into a process of mediation, of renegotiation, before they call in the receivers in cases where farmers find themselves up against the odds for reasons beyond their control. Farming is not like any other business. There are variables that do not exist in other industries, there are fluctuations in commodity prices and exchange rates, and there are vagaries of weather about which farmers can do nothing. With the best will in the world, with the best planning in the world, with the hardest back-breaking work in the world, farmers can and do still find themselves up against the odds when the fates conspire against them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EThe banks are a part of this. They claim to be a partner for the farming sector, and when the times are good the banks are creaming it. In fact, I have some numbers here, prepared by the Parliamentary Library, that show the aggregate income of the 25 registered banks operating in New Zealand. For the year ended 30 September 2015, interest from income alone was $23.5 billion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca7fe7de12984e02b17cb106dc68583e\u0022\u003ERon Mark\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7517799edb44a9987bbd89985c3aee6\u0022\u003ERICHARD PROSSER\u003C/span\u003E: $23.5 billion. The profit after tax for these banks\u2014all but two foreign-owned\u2014was $5.1 billion. They take their share of the spoils, but it would seem that they are not so keen in the bad times to carry their share of the load, and that is not good enough. New Zealand First says that that is not good enough, and this bill in the name of my colleague Ron Mark would compel them to take a share of the load during the lean times. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003ENational could choose to support this bill. It could choose to demonstrate that the welfare of our farmers and our rural communities is at least as important as the profits of the foreign-owned banking sector. It would be nice to think that the banks might see fit to take this step themselves, but as we are seeing, and as legislators in Australia and Canada have already seen and have already dealt with, they do not appear to be keen to do that without a bit of stick. This bill provides that stick. If this Government really cared, if it really gave a damn about the farming sector, it would come out and support these two bills from New Zealand First. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EMake no mistake\u2014things are getting rough out there. Farmers are up against it, and farmers are having a hard time. Farmer suicides are a silent epidemic, and it is going to get worse. I have a paper here, a story from Radio New Zealand, saying the Reserve Bank says that dairy farm debt alone has reached $38 billion, and a recent Federated Farmers poll found that more than one in 10 is already under pressure from the banks over their mortgage. One in 10 dairy farmers\u2014that is 1,250 dairy farmers across New Zealand. If 10 percent of our single most important export industry is in trouble, the country is in trouble. The commercial banking sector needs to step up and become a true partner to the farming industry. It needs to take the rough along with the smooth, it needs to behave in a manner that is decent and honest and ethical, and this bill would compel it to so do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003ENew Zealand First drafts and sponsors bills like these two because, unlike National, we are still in tune with the needs of New Zealand\u2019s farmers and with the needs of the heartland. New Zealand First recognises that the engine room of the economy is in the provinces, not in Queen Street, and out there in the provinces people are realising that too. They are voting with their feet and they are giving up on National, because they are realising that National has abandoned them. They are flocking to New Zealand First in droves. We are the town and country party and we are coming to the rescue of New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229dc203b3-21b0-4d4a-a530-746504e05f20\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister makes a lot of noise; he makes a lot of statements. The Prime Minister makes a lot of noise about a lot of things that are not important, like $26 million on a referendum on a flag change that nobody wants, but he has very little to say of any actual value to the people of the heartland. But, fortunately, those people can take great heart from the fact that New Zealand First is here to say it for him and to do it for him. Roll on, 2017. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022fc1d736cc5e742f5954561b1433e135e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fc1d736cc5e742f5954561b1433e135e\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E Well, it was interesting that that last speaker finished around priorities and the flag change. I remember the New Zealand First Party has come out with a policy that only citizens can now vote in New Zealand, and not residents. The New Zealand First Party has an attack on our migrant communities, saying that they are not valued members of this society and saying that they are not able to vote. [Interruption] Next, the Labour - New Zealand First - Green coalition will come up with taking away\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bce3e55a707c47c8aef2f7eaab65f747\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I regret interrupting the member, but I think Mr Mark needs to address interjections to the member, and not to me. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4d4f47b4d8449adbbb7cff07eda3d0f\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. That member, Mr Mark, has been interjecting because he is worried that he will see that the New Zealand public will now know that New Zealand First wants to take away the right to vote from those people who are only residents and not citizens. Taking away the right to vote is something that this Parliament should take very seriously, and it is a disgrace that the New Zealand First Party wants to do that to New Zealanders who work hard and make this country so strong, and that is the disgrace that is the New Zealand First Party in this Parliament. The New Zealand First Party will not stop at this referendum, to take away that right to vote. It will take that into the election, and it will take it away on other issues where it sees that only citizens and not residents should be allowed to vote\u2014that is becoming the policy of the New Zealand First Party. We know that is how it works; it has done it in the past, and it will continue to do that again in the future. That is the way it operates, we all know that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EAnd all those other parties in this Parliament that will support the New Zealand First Party: the Labour Party and the Green Party\u2014they need to come out to make sure that they are not supporting a policy that would take away the vote from residents in this country, like the New Zealand First Party is intending to do. I know that New Zealand First is led by the Don Trump of New Zealand politics, but if that is the way it wants to do it, there will never be a wall high enough for the New Zealand First Party. It will never build the wall as high as Don Trump can do. Its leader has never employed anyone, as Don Trump has; its leader would never be able to build the wall that the New Zealand First Party would love to see in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EIt is outrageous to see the attack from that party on our rural sector\u2014that party that would not support the trade agreements of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Go to each of those farmers in Northland; go to each of those farmers around the country and say to them that you come to this House and you are the saviour\u2014or the New Zealand First Party says it is the saviour\u2014of farmers, and yet, it will not support one of the biggest things this Government and this Parliament could do for farmers this year, and that is support a trade agreement. Why will it not support a trade agreement when it actually will deliver for New Zealand farmers; why does it not do things that actually matter; why do they not do something that is substantial and vote for something that will help New Zealand farmers; why does it vote against New Zealand farmers in this House; why does it consistently vote against the people it says that it wants to represent?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThat is the dichotomy of the opinion within the New Zealand First Party: it does not understand what it actually means to be a farmer. None of its members are farmers. There are no farmers in the New Zealand First Party. There is no one there who understands what farming is actually about. Nobody in the New Zealand First Party is going to support farmers when they need them to have support in a trade agreement. I want to see the New Zealand First Party actually vote for trade agreements, vote for farmers, vote for regional New Zealand, vote for a stronger economy, and vote for economic growth\u2014not vote for higher walls, no voting, and taking away rights from migrants, as the New Zealand First Party intends to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThings are going well in one of the biggest provincial cities in New Zealand: in Hamilton. In Hamilton we have delivered for the people of this country. There is a positive mood in that city, and the good representation of the two local MPs Tim Macindoe and David Bennett is part of that. Not only have we delivered new schools for our electorates\u2014new schools have been opened in the north of Hamilton and Rototuna, and a new school to come in that area too with the junior high school opening this year and the senior high school opening next year. This is something long awaited by residents in that area. The previous Labour Party candidates have stood on pieces of ground in that area and said this would be a nice place for a school, but never actually delivered the money to build those schools. The National Government delivered the money; the National Government built the schools; the National Government gave the residents what they wanted. The National Government has delivered and the National Government has a plan for economic growth that is delivering there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c73c2cb110134dec91e9faa739e87018\u0022\u003ETim Macindoe\u003C/span\u003E: Same story with the expressway.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222555979788324e23be5165db2f21e86c\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: The other plan for economic growth in the Waikato is the expressway, Mr Macindoe. There was a question in the House today about the Cambridge Bypass. Ron Mark is wondering what the Waikato Expressway is. It is a four-lane road\u2014probably two more numbers than he can count to, but it is a four-lane road.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228cea8d6cd350435ea804e8d4141c3503\u0022\u003ERon Mark\u003C/span\u003E: Ten long years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002213b6b23a79be4e88a056dc155722411d\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Ten long years, or 10 years to build a road that New Zealand First never supported. And the Cambridge Bypass opened before Christmas, and many residents have used that because it is an exceptionally great link between the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002266123a59a78a49719b835cff13480594\u0022\u003ETim Macindoe\u003C/span\u003E: And all on time and under budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222567e0540df4f4cb6348acad9f0e719\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, exactly, Mr Macindoe. What is more, there is more to come: the Huntly bypass is now under construction. Anyone travelling south from Auckland and coming to live in the fine Waikato region, which is a great opportunity for all Aucklanders, will see the Hamilton bypass that has been started to be constructed: a $450 million project delivering for regional New Zealand\u2014$450 million spent in regional New Zealand; spent for regional New Zealand, and spent to build stronger provincial cities in our country. Not only that, we have the sod-turning on the next part of the Waikato Expressway: the Hamilton bypass\u2014$800 million approximately for that bypass, including another $100 million on top for the Longswamp four-lane road. That $800 million is going to be spent in Hamilton, going around the boundary of Hamilton to provide a bypass there that will create the modern city that will be the economic growth hub of the Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga growth triangle: the golden triangle.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThat is something that this Government has come into Parliament and delivered for provincial New Zealand; it has delivered for our city, and it has delivered for our country. At the same time we have seen unemployment reducing through this country, and that is something that I think many New Zealanders have been looking forward to for many years. We have seen the minimum wage increasing substantially in New Zealand; we have seen average wages increasing substantially in New Zealand; we are seeing low inflation; we have seen low interest rates, which means that New Zealand households are in a much better position. The New Zealand economy grew by 2.3 percent in the year to September 2015. That is great growth when you consider the world economy and how delicate it is out there. That is all part of good economic management; of prudent economic management; and delivering the infrastructure\u2014just as we have seen in Hamilton\u2014for it to grow our country and our city.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003ENew Zealand is in great shape. Hamilton is in especially great shape. Hamilton has a strong future ahead of it. It is a provincial city that knows where it is going, that is getting the investment, and delivering. We welcome all people to the city of Hamilton, and we are not intending to take away their voting rights like the Opposition parties will do when they get a chance at some point to put in front of this House bills in their names in their members\u2019 bills.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b703101979904d82993b7198af14cd32\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: Sit down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228164bb8acb914b8e80dc8e756137f17b\u0022\u003EDAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: The Labour Party says to sit down. Well, the Labour Party is supporting the New Zealand First Party. They are mates; they are together in this. The Labour Party is against migrants as well. It has shown that time and time again, by wanting to reduce immigration into New Zealand as part of its policy. Its policy is to reduce immigration\u2014that is how it is good bedfellows with the New Zealand First Party. Next it will be taking away voting rights, and that would be a disgrace to this Parliament. 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=\u002283e00502ddec46f087f593687ad5d02d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002283e00502ddec46f087f593687ad5d02d\u0022\u003EIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour\u2014Palmerston North): \u003C/span\u003ELabour supports an economy that works for everybody, not an economy that works only for the privileged few who gather from time to time at Skycity Casino to pat John Key on the back for ensuring that the New Zealand economy delivers for a narrower and narrower group of people, as it has done in the last 7 years under the National Government. Under a Labour Government, New Zealanders will be able to have hope that they will be able to get a job\u2014a job that pays well, a job that has secure hours, a job where they know from one week to the next how much they are going to earn so that they can pay the mortgage, they can pay the power bill, they can buy the groceries from the supermarket, they can put food on the table for their kids, and they can put a roof over their heads. That is the hope that we have for New Zealand; that is the Kiwi Dream that we believe in on this side of the House\u2014the Kiwi Dream that has been slipping ever so further away from the grasp of ordinary New Zealanders every single one of the 7 long years that the National Party has been in power.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EOn this side of the House, we are interested in what is happening with the future of work. We are interested in ensuring that the future of work delivers for working people. On the other side of the House they laugh at us for having a Future of Work Commission. They laugh at us for bringing people like Guy Standing and Robert Reich to New Zealand to actually talk about the challenges of the future of work, the challenges of greater automation, the challenges of a greater number of people working in contracting situations rather than in employment situations, the challenges of ensuring that the future of work actually delivers for people, that it results in higher wages, that it results in stable incomes, and it results in people being able to live the Kiwi Dream\u2014being able to own their own home, being able to have a life outside of work. Those are the sorts of things that we are focused on, and that is what National members laugh at us for. Well, they can laugh as much as they like; we will continue to focus on the Kiwi Dream.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EDavid Bennett can say as much as he likes that more people are employed. Actually, the number of people unemployed is still higher today than it was when the National Government came to office. The few people who have been able to pick up extra work are picking up part-time work, or casual agreements, or zero-hour contracts\u2014insecure work that does not pay the bills and does not give people the security they need to be able to lead a decent life\u2014and National is happy with that. Well, we are not happy with that on this side of the House. We are unsatisfied with that. We think New Zealand can do better. Just because National has given up on the Kiwi Dream does not mean that the rest of us have to give up on the Kiwi Dream. So, yes, we are looking at the future of work. We are looking at how we ensure that productivity gains and the wealth that this country generates can be shared fairly, so that a hard day\u2019s work does result in a good day\u2019s pay and actually means that you can have that Kiwi Dream and you can feed your family and you can live a reasonable life. That is what people expect from living in New Zealand, and it is slipping away under the National Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003ESo we will look at things like how we ensure that people who are in contracting situations get the minimum rights that we should expect for everybody who works in New Zealand, like getting the minimum wage. The Government can crow about putting the minimum wage up by a meagre amount\u2014it has finally hit $15 an hour, 6 or 7 years after the Labour Party first said that we should have a minimum wage of $15 an hour. That is great, except for the fact that there are thousands of people who work in New Zealand who do not get the minimum wage because they are not employees and they are not entitled to those basic minimums. There are thousands of New Zealanders who do not get all the other basic rights that ordinary working people should be able to rely on in New Zealand\u2014and do you know what? National is OK with that too. Well, on this side of the House we think we can do better.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003ESo our Future of Work Commission will look at things like how we expand collective bargaining so that people who are in contracting arrangements can get the benefits of joining a union and bargaining collectively, and using their collective power to get fair wages and a fair income, so that they can live a decent life. Those are the sorts of things that we are interested in on this side of the House. Those are the sorts of things that National laughs at.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EOne of the things that we believe should be part of the Kiwi Dream is being able to rely on our health care system to deliver when we need it. When you go to hospital you should be able to expect to get the care that you need. I am hearing overwhelmingly from people in my electorate and from people across the country, actually, that our health system is failing. That is what we get when National fails to fund the health system properly. OK, the Prime Minister can stand up and say that the health budget has gone up every year. That is true. But the question is: has the health budget moved sufficiently to cover the costs of inflation and population growth? No, it has not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EIn fact, $1.7 billion is missing from our health system, and that shows up in events like the one I experienced a couple of weeks ago when I drove for 2 hours to take my father from Palmerston North to Wellington Regional Hospital for an appointment that was pre-arranged\u2014only to be told when we walked through the doors: \u201CNo, your appointment is not going ahead.\u201D Why did we not hear about the fact that that appointment was not going ahead before we left Palmerston North and drove all the way to Wellington? Because the booking clerk was so tired of calling my father and cancelling his appointments that they were too embarrassed to make that phone call, and they put it back on whomever it was who made the decision to cancel my father\u2019s appointment one more time, and that phone call never happened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EThat, to me, demonstrates a health system that is sick, and it has become sick under this National Government because National refuses to fund health care. It refuses to pay our health professionals properly, and it refuses to provide the resources so that our health system can absorb one or two urgent cases and still provide the routine cases\u2014which they had booked people in for, written to them about, told them to come to hospital, and make a 2-hour journey, or longer in some cases\u2014and when people walk through the door, they are told that \u201CNo, your appointment is not going ahead today, because we don\u2019t have the resources to provide that appointment that we promised you were going to get.\u201D That broken promise is delivered to us by National and Jonathan Coleman refusing to fund the health system properly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EI received a letter that one of my constituents got from our local primary health organisation. This constituent had been referred to the primary health organisation by their GP and the referral was for a mild to moderate mental health condition. They were told that they did not meet the criteria, not because their condition was not sufficiently acute for the primary health organisation to take them on\u2014no, they did not meet the criteria because the primary health organisation has the resources to provide for only mild to moderate mental health treatment for M\u0101ori, Pasifika, community services card holders, and people between the ages of 10 and 24. I will give the organisation credit\u2014it was absolutely honest about that. It did not say: \u201CYou don\u2019t meet our criteria because you are not acute enough, because you don\u2019t have an illness, because we don\u2019t think you need to be treated.\u201D They said: \u201CYou don\u2019t meet our criteria because you\u2019re not M\u0101ori, Pasifika, a community services card holder, or a person between the ages of 10 and 24.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003EOur health system is sick if we cannot respond to the people who need treatment. This person could very well have received low-level treatment for a mild illness and saved the health system a lot of money. My concern is twofold: this person will become sicker because they are not getting the treatment they require, and that bothers me greatly. But another thing bothers me, and that is that they may very well end up in the mental health ward at the hospital with a more acute condition that is more detrimental to them and also more costly for our health system. That is what is wrong with our health system\u2014it is short-sighted, it is under-resourced, and it is underfunded, and that is thanks to this National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003ENone of this lives up to the Kiwi Dream. None of this lives up to what it means to be a New Zealander. It is certainly not how I was brought up as a youngster in New Zealand\u2014I was led to believe that this was the best country in the world to grow up in. But now it is a country where it is almost impossible to find a job, and when you do find a job you are likely to be underpaid and to have too few hours to make ends meet. It is a place where the Government laughs at people who say we need to focus on the future of work and we need to make sure that people are prepared to engage in the future of work to get a decent income. And it is a country where you get turned away from the hospital even when you have an appointment. That is not the Kiwi Dream. That is the nightmare of John Key\u2019s National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022aa700bd8a1e94ecbb1933aa528856403\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aa700bd8a1e94ecbb1933aa528856403\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (National\u2014Whangarei):\u003C/span\u003E The Prime Minister\u2019s statement of 9 February outlines the current and future initiatives as this Government looks to continue to build a resilient and competitive economy and do a good job for New Zealanders. The underlying fiscal strategy that was enunciated is to have a tight rein on spending, to pay down Government debt, and then to return excess revenue to taxpayers. In return, we expect results in efficiencies from our public services. This strategy is giving us projected economic growth of 2.7 percent over the next 5 years, and this position does well against GDP growth in other major OECD countries like Australia, the US, and Japan. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EAt a national level, then, the economic outlook is stable, with steady hands on the tiller. Where we can policy influence key local drivers, such as interest rates, the Consumers Price Index, and inflation, we do so in the long-term interest and with the best information we have to hand. By definition, then, we have less influence on offshore factors, and this is where a resilient and multifaceted economy provides the best solution, yet, at the same time, recognises the not insignificant contribution by New Zealand to mitigate some of those global risks through our voice in forums such as the United Nations Security Council. At a macroeconomic level, then, the positive growth in a steady and stable economy is good. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EAt a regional level, this Government recognised the importance of the regions, and the regional growth programme specifically focuses on five regions to identify growth opportunities: Northland, the Bay of Plenty, the East Coast, Manawat\u016B-Whanganui, and the West Coast. This programme is a collaboration between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Ministry for Primary Industries, together with local businesses, iwi, and councils. Last year in Northland we had the regional growth strategy at the beginning of the year, which identified the scope of the opportunities, and this year, a few weeks ago, we had the regional action plan identifying 58 opportunities for Northland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWhy Northland? Well, you know, we acknowledge the challenges. We are not afraid; we do not avoid them. We acknowledge the challenges that are currently confronting dairy, and we are working hard to do what we can about that. We also acknowledge the challenges that Northland has in underperforming compared with other regions. So we are not afraid to address those issues. In fact, the action plan, with its 58 points, identifies and prioritises what those actions might be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI would like to look at two of the significant actions in that plan for Northland. First of all, there is the road of national significance. The road of national significance is absolutely critical for Northland. It is part of a nationwide investment in roading for roads of national significance at $4.5 billion. There are projections of 35,000 jobs as part of that package. Northland was very pleased to hear the scoping out of the four-lane highway from Auckland to Northland, the \u201CNorthland corridor\u201D. That is real progress and, even better, it is an example of regional investments moving off the blackboard, off the plan, and becoming real and tangible. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIn fact, Northlanders can see how real and tangible this investment is right now. As they come over the top of the Brynderwyns there is probably a kilometre of cones as the north side of the Brynderwyns is straightened out and the safety profile improved. Another 15 to 20 minutes\u2019 drive on, you will come to the Kensington roundabout, which is about to commence\u2014a significant piece of work on State Highway 1, which will also improve feeder roads into that area. Another 15 to 20 minutes on, on State Highway 1 at Hikurangi there are several hundred metres of cones where the highway is being upgraded, there and many other areas of roading investment as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI would like to take one other example from the action plan: Hundertwasser Art Centre. It is another example of actually deploying an action\u2014taking it off the blackboard and making it real. There is $4 million for the Hundertwasser and the Wairau M\u0101ori Art Centre. In 1973 Frederick Hundertwasser came to New Zealand. He was an established international artist when he did. He gained New Zealand citizenship, lived in Northland where his artwork was prolific and was influenced by living in Northland, by living in New Zealand, and by living with M\u0101oridom. I challenge a search for any other international artist who came to New Zealand with that reputation and has done the same. Stan Semenoff, Phil Halse, and others have led the Hundertwasser challenge and over many years others have contributed. It is a real example of this Government contributing to the regions, actually putting its hands in its pocket\u2014$4 million of proof and evidence right there. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022 data-id=\u0022abe0750a2f8849368e5885e553710843\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022abe0750a2f8849368e5885e553710843\u0022\u003ETODD MULLER (National\u2014Bay of Plenty):\u003C/span\u003E I would like to take a leaf out of Bill English\u2019s book, actually, and spend just a moment reflecting on some of the Opposition response to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement and particularly to its members\u2019 discussion on the future of work. One of the things that I would like to draw out is how they particularly reinforce that the future is going to be a period of unprecedented change; we are going to have significant globalisation, technological connectivity and disruption, and massive turmoil. In fact, it is a huge opportunity for both capital and labour\u2014and they talk about a huge free flow of ideas and talent and investment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003ESo with that as a basic premise, I find it extraordinary that the policy response of the Labour Party to that future is to contract out of the very trading bloc that has been established to maximise the opportunity for this country to be able to participate in this future. It is a trading bloc that hardwires innovative businesses to over 40 percent of world trade: 800 million consumers. It is a trading bloc that creates a framework to be able to deal with the issues of intellectual property and services and investment into the future that other countries are lining up to join. It is a trading bloc that will exceed the expectations of the national investment analysis. That is a future that this Government wants to be a part of and the Opposition wants to withdraw from, and I think it is very flawed thinking indeed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EThe other policy that Opposition members then put on the table is one that increases the subsidies for those who want to retrain. I respectfully put forward that that is precisely the wrong question to be asking. The real question here is whether we are teaching the right vocational and tertiary courses to enable people to have the skills and resilience to be able to be successful in that future economy. In my view, this Government has a fantastic track record in investment, particularly across vocational and tertiary areas both in terms of their prioritisations of ICT graduates, STEM funding, the lifting of engineering students, and the like.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EIn fact, I believe that when we talk about resilience and the capacity to deal with a changing world, looking out 5, 10, 15, 20 years, it is as much about attitude as it is about technical competency. In my opinion, a party that\u2014as we do\u2014talks to that future, is keen to embrace the world of tomorrow, the one that sees globalisation as a significant generational shift and an opportunity to connect us with world consumers, is the way of the future and is a party that has the right policy settings to be able to deal with that reality. In my view, that future is particularly exciting and challenging, and our success as a country will be measured on how connected we are to the world. It will be measured on how direct the pathway is for our innovation to the consumers of tomorrow, and it will talk to how technically competent we are as a nation and how resilient we are as individuals and communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022fdb01002-a7cf-4a77-8f05-678d24a36849\u0022\u003EAs I have reflected over the last couple of weeks and listened to the various responses to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, I firmly believe that on this side of the House we have a framework that is focused on preparing New Zealand for that future and what we have on the other side of the House is a party that is captured in its 1980 student president and political rhetoric. I was with its members at that time. I was in the New Zealand Union of Students\u2019 Associations and Waikato Student Union with Grant Robertson. I heard his speeches. They are the same today as they were 25 years ago, and Bill English is right: they are caught in a policy response that is 25 years old. They do not understand how they talk about this future of globalisation. They talk about the forces that are changing the world rapidly, but their policy response is inadequate, it is weak, it is poor thinking, and it is the reason why they are 25 points behind in the polls. It is the reason why the community of the Bay of Plenty and Tauranga are so supportive of John Key, so supportive of this Government, and I am very proud to be a part of it. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022 data-id=\u0022976350309f1446359e63cc9032a2039b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022976350309f1446359e63cc9032a2039b\u0022\u003ESUE MORONEY (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E The Kiwi Dream\u2014it is not too much to ask. I think that the National Party has forgotten about the basic needs of New Zealanders: somewhere safe to live; hopefully, a place that you can call home, that you can own. That is not too much to ask. Basic needs include security for the people we love, a chance to enjoy the outdoors and the environment that we care about, and a job\u2014a decent, secure job\u2014that gives us the time, the money, and the safety to lead a fulfilling life with those we care about. It is a simple concept\u2014the Kiwi Dream\u2014but for an increasing number of New Zealanders it is getting completely outside of their reach under this National Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EI was hoping to hear something inspirational from the Prime Minister\u2019s statement that might change that situation, but a couple of weeks after the Prime Minister stood up and gave his statement, you know, I cannot name one exciting thing that he said, and I do not think any New Zealander can. What was the transformational thing that the Prime Minister came out with in his speech that will improve people\u2019s lives? That is what we are charged with: we are charged with improving people\u2019s lives, not handing out the same old misery that is stopping thousands of New Zealand families and children from achieving that simple Kiwi Dream. That is what we are here to try to secure. It is out of reach for far too many New Zealanders under this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EMy generation of parents is facing the sad situation of being the first generation ever to look at our children and know that they are going to be worse off than we were. That has not happened before. I think all parents aspire to know that their children\u2019s lives are going to be better than theirs. But we are facing down the barrel of being the first generation who will not be able to look our children in the eye and say that, because they face increasing housing costs and their chances of actually owning their own home are becoming a distant, distant memory. They face increasing debt for everything that they are engaged with\u2014for their education, and for just simply being allowed to live on this planet and participate in life in New Zealand. They are under growing amounts of debt. The life expectation of the generation below us is below the life expectation for my generation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EThat is a dreadful situation for any parent to have to contemplate. Also, our children face increasingly insecure jobs. That is what they are facing under this National Government. It is only the Labour Party that is concerned enough about that prospect that we are doing the hard work and the thinking and the policy making around what the future of the workforce needs to look like, to actually make it more secure for people, to ensure that the workforce and the labour market work for people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EI listened to the sad contributions from the last couple of National MPs. Todd Muller, who has just resumed his seat, said that our entire success is going to be measured on how connected we are to the world. No, Mr Muller, our success will be rated on how people\u2019s lives are. We have an economy to serve the people; not the people to serve the economy. They have got it completely the wrong way round. That is what I think was at the basis of the Prime Minister\u2019s statement that was so disappointing and did not bring forward any of the inspiration, any of the vision, that New Zealanders are desperately crying out for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EUnder National, the Kiwi Dream is slipping away. National members are too distracted on working out how to get rid of our flag, for goodness\u2019 sake! They are so distracted on how to get rid of our flag that they had a crisis meeting about it. They had a crisis meeting on how to get rid of our national flag when they should have been having a crisis meeting on how to lift out of poverty the increasing number of children who are slipping into poverty under National\u2019s reign. That should have been what the crisis meeting was about; not about getting rid of our flag. So the Government has completely got its priorities upside down. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EOn this side of the House we are connected to the Kiwi Dream, and we are determined to deliver that. I want to talk about a few aspects that we are taking charge of. Extending paid parental leave is one aspect. If the Kiwi Dream starts anywhere it starts in those first early days and months of a child\u2019s life. Getting that right, getting the support, getting the security, getting the attachment between parent and baby\u2014there should be no greater priority than that. That is where the Kiwi Dream starts. If it goes wrong in those early months, what all the research and evidence tell us is that we as taxpayers will pay for that, over and over and over again. When that child cannot learn, when that child ends up in hospital, when that child is not going to school because of health problems, when that child is disconnected from their caregiver, from their parent, then we all pay, over and over again, for the bad outcomes of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EOn this side of the House, and with the support of other wise parties, what we know is that this sort of investment is the type of thing that the Prime Minister should have been talking about. He should have been agreeing to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks. But was he doing that? No. Instead, he is talking about putting a veto on it, to go against the will of this Parliament and to go against the will of the majority of New Zealanders, to put a stop to getting the start to the Kiwi Dream. That is what the Prime Minister is focused on; not on dealing with the issues that matter to New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EDecent jobs\u2014that is what this side of the House is focused on. We know that having a decent job is fundamental to being able to secure the rest of the Kiwi Dream. It is fundamental to that. But under this Government, zero-hour contracts are what have been going on. People have to put their lives on hold, just sit and wait for a phone call that may never come, to give them a little bit of extra money so that they can put food on the table. For far too many of our families those jobs mean not only that can they not participate in their community but also that they cannot do the basic thing of putting food on the table. We are a food-producing nation, and 27 percent of our children live in poverty. Too many of our children go to school hungry, in a food-producing nation. How can we get it so wrong? How can that be? Did the Prime Minister address that at all in his statement? There was not one measure\u2014not one measure\u2014to reduce child poverty. There was not one measure to secure decent jobs. There was not one measure that actually deals with the day-to-day pressures that New Zealand families are facing, and it is very, very disappointing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EAnother part of a decent job is the good old Kiwi adage that you get a fair day\u2019s pay for a fair day\u2019s work. There was never a rider put on that\u2014I have never heard one\u2014that says \u201Cbut only if you are a certain gender, or only if you are a certain race.\u201D What I am talking about is equal pay. We need urgently to address equal pay as well. This Government cannot even talk about equal pay. It talks, instead, about getting women to go off and do jobs traditionally done by men. That seems to be the Government\u2019s only idea that it has got in this space. Well, it is not acceptable and it needs addressing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EIn the final part of this speech I want to talk a little bit about transport and its role in the Kiwi Dream. I can tell you that sitting on the Auckland motorway for hours on end is not part of the Kiwi Dream. That Government has presided over increasing volumes on the Auckland motorway, without people getting anywhere. It has spent $2.3 billion on the Waikato Expressway. That was money, funding, set aside by a Labour Government to do exactly that. We agree with the Waikato Expressway, but what the Government has managed to do is to squander that $2.3 billion. It now takes longer than ever to get from central Hamilton to central Auckland. It now takes longer than ever. It used to take an hour and a half\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EHamiltonians now have to put aside 3 hours to get from central Hamilton to central Auckland, and that is after the Government has spent $2.3 billion on the Waikato Expressway. Why? Because it did not do the public transport part that needed to go alongside that, to make it work. The Government has ignored the needs of public transport in Auckland, and now what we are doing, with the Waikato Expressway, is we are feeding a greater volume of traffic faster to get to the \u201Cgreat southern car-park\u201D and sit there for longer. That is what the National Government has managed to achieve. It is not good for productivity. It is not good for family life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003EBecause of the housing crisis in Auckland, which the Government has failed to fix, we have got people moving to Hamilton, living there, but returning to their jobs every day in Auckland. They are going on that motorway, sitting there for hours on end, doing a full day\u2019s work, and doing it again at the other end of the day. They are becoming unsafe on the roads, and when they get home they are feeling stressed with their families. That is not the Kiwi Dream. It is not working under this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022 data-id=\u0022aba3301f4de4407fbb54ca555111e489\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aba3301f4de4407fbb54ca555111e489\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO (National):\u003C/span\u003E \u0100, kia ora e Te Mana Whakaw\u0101; tuatahi, ka maumarahatia Te Rakatira T\u0101kuta Ranginui Joseph Isaac Walker. N\u014D reira, e Te Rakatira o Te Whakat\u014Dhea, e Te Rakatira o Te Iwi M\u0101ori, e haere atu r\u0101, haere atu r\u0101 ki Te P\u0101 o Te Whakawairua, e takoto mai, takoto mai, takoto mai, e moe mai, moe mai r\u0101!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. In the first instance I reminisce about the noble Dr Ranginui Joseph Isaac Walker. Therefore, to you, esteemed one of Whakat\u014Dhea and M\u0101oridom, depart and move on to the spiritual place. Lie there, lie down, and lay there. Rest and slumber on.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EI stand to take this split call to support the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I want, first of all, to highlight the work of this Government to improve M\u0101ori well-being of individuals and communities. We continue to resolve the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims settlements and we have the whakaaro\u2014the idea is that we do want to settle with all those iwi that are willing and are able, by 2017. Also, there is Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill, which will unlock the revision of that M\u0101ori land legislation, which has huge potential to unlock the huge economic potential existing in M\u0101ori land.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a2f5abfa07d4100b274483d185b195e\u0022\u003EKelvin Davis\u003C/span\u003E: Which version? There\u2019s been 18 rewrites.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fed7388abde344d4a24edc93e66dfdfb\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO\u003C/span\u003E: Well, wait for it. When it comes to the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, you will see it. I also want to reflect on the debate surrounding Waitangi this year. Waitangi, our national day, was hijacked by opponents of free trade. It was hijacked. Up and down the country, we have seen M\u0101ori being fed misinformation about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. We have seen this right across the country. Two major things that they have been fed: the first one is consultation and the second one is this idea that the TPP agreement would infringe on their rights under the Treaty of Waitangi. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003ELet us look at the consultation process, because the truth is that the consultation process for the TPP agreement actually started in 2008, and for M\u0101ori there were specific consultations with the Federation of M\u0101ori Authorities, individual M\u0101ori businesses, and also iwi. Throughout the process the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade actually updated iwi and M\u0101ori businesses every 6 months, so this misinformation that they were never consulted\u2014that is misinformation. The next part of it is about this infringement of rights\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b0ebde584b44d5baf1162caceb5cc51\u0022\u003EMeka Whaitiri\u003C/span\u003E: Were you there? I was there. It\u2019s not consultation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221082a5aae2024aee99ba39ec4b7470bb\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I just ask the member to take a seat for a second while I remonstrate with one of my colleagues. I was not there, and the member should know not to address the speaker in that way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022853bfb6a12c94827b404c84e70d63e46\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO\u003C/span\u003E: Kia ora. Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. The misinformation around the TPP agreement actually infringing on the Treaty of Waitangi\u2014nothing in the agreement prevents the Government from honouring the Treaty; nothing in the agreement. When we look at the trade agreements that have been negotiated since 2001, all of those, in those trade agreements since then, they\u2019ve always had those provisions in it that there would be no infringement under the Treaty of Waitangi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EFinally, at the beginning I acknowledged Dr Ranginui Walker. In one of his books, Struggle Without End\u2014he was a man who saw there was far from doom and gloom regarding the development of iwi M\u0101ori\u2014he called M\u0101ori development \u201Cthe most powerful cultural renaissance [\u2026] of a colonised people in the world.\u201D One of those cultural achievements he highlighted was M\u0101ori entrepreneurship. M\u0101ori own nearly 30 percent of our primary industries and stand to be the biggest beneficiaries of the TPP agreement. M\u0101ori care about the same things that other New Zealanders care about. They want jobs, they want better wages, and quality public services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EThat is why the Government has pursued and will continue to pursue the TPP agreement and other opportunities for economic growth. We are about wealth creation as opposed to about wealth redistribution. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u00224d7680f27b40469aa6e0deec1679f8cd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224d7680f27b40469aa6e0deec1679f8cd\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is a privilege for me to stand and take this my first call in the House. For the benefit of my colleagues, I am based in West Coast - Tasman, and I am very proud to stand here today in support of the Prime Minister\u2019s statement\u2014a Prime Minister who has taken it upon himself to recognise the importance of the tourism industry in this country and has placed himself in charge of that particular portfolio. Tourism is directly contributing $10.6 billion to the national economy. We are experiencing a very buoyant tourism sector at the moment, and my recent visit to South Westland, just last week, encourages me that the industry is in good heart and the country is in good heart.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister\u2019s statement touched on several items that affect the people who live in the area of West Coast - Tasman in a very positive way. One of those is the changes that are proposed for ACC that will be coming in this year. A total of $450 million will be saved in levies paid by businesses and employees\u2014that is $450 million that stays in the pockets of those people. That is a huge contribution back to this nation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EWhen I was campaigning in 2014, the Government pledged that it would replace one of the bottlenecks in the tourism sector, on the roads in between Greymouth and Hokitika, and that is the Taramakau road-rail bridge. Although quite quaint in its design, where you share the road and the bridge with a train, in this day and age it is no longer satisfactory. The Government plans to spend $15 million to $20 million on replacing the Taramakau road-rail bridge. This project is expected to start later this year, and delivers on that pre-election promise. I am very proud that we were able to promise that to the electorate and also deliver. This is part of the Accelerated Regional Roading Package.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EAlso part of that programme is the realignment of what is called the Mingha Bluff, and for those of you who have ever travelled State Highway 73 from the West Coast to Christchurch, you will know that it is one of the remaining narrow sections of road\u2014very windy. If you have ever had the misfortune of being stuck behind a transporter, you will know that if two trucks meet on that particular section of road, there is simply no room to pass\u2014they literally touch wing mirrors. In this day and age, with the tourist volumes that are making their way across that road, it is very heartening indeed to see this work progressing at such a great rate and\u2014I have got to say\u2014too, without too much disruption to the traffic flows along that road. This is a $22 million project being invested into the area and, all going to plan, it will be finished at the end of this year. This will significantly improve the safety of locals and visitors visiting and travelling across that road. It is also very important for our freight transport operators.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EAnother item in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement that is of particular interest to me is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. The industries that benefit in the areas of West Coast - Tasman\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223fc358f0ad044acb8e01517dce4f5b2c\u0022\u003EHon Nathan Guy\u003C/span\u003E: Huge on the Coast. Huge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e31d485099574343be4ad1a47b2fa7ca\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014huge\u2014dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables, forestry, and fisheries. By the time the TPP is fully implemented, the tariff savings alone will value $259 million. That is $259 million nationally that is staying with the growers to grow their business, to employ more workers, and to benefit their industries. This is great news for New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EThere is an example on the West Coast at the moment of the central-local government partnership. I spoke about this in my maiden speech, where working together produces greater results for Kiwis. This Government has pledged $300 million\u2014sorry, I wish\u2014$300,000 to help with the employment opportunity in Buller, and that is a partnership, one-to-one, with the Buller District Council. That is going to see workers being able to be retained in the town so that other business opportunities can grow and take up their employment at a later date. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022 data-id=\u00226d87230b58fc4e5dbddf206a24100f4c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226d87230b58fc4e5dbddf206a24100f4c\u0022\u003EDENISE ROCHE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. I rise to take the final call for the Greens on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, and I want to address the four priorities that he outlined. They were to responsibly manage the Government\u2019s finances, to build a more competitive and productive economy, to deliver better public services to New Zealanders, and to support the rebuilding of Christchurch. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EI applaud the Government\u2019s small army of public relations and communications staff for being able to spin this Government\u2019s appalling record on these issues into some kind of achievement. National has promised to responsibly manage the Government\u2019s finance. The reality is that it has increased New Zealand\u2019s public debt to $120 billion. A legacy of National\u2019s poor economic management is tax cuts to its rich mates and giveaways to dodgy corporates. It promised to build a more competitive and productive economy; instead, it built an economy that was built on property speculation\u2014ask anyone in Auckland\u2014and on casino capitalism and on unsustainable practices. It has failed to meaningfully diversify the economy and implement a vision towards a greener and more sustainable economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EOur trading fortunes seem to rise and fall with the dairy prices, and we see, as the result of this, farms carrying nearly $60 billion in debt, with dairy farms carrying $40 billion of that debt. Nearly one in 10 farmers is under financial stress. The Government\u2019s single-minded focus on bigger, more intensive farming endangers our fragile ecosystems. It pressures farmers into intensifying, and it undermines New Zealand\u2019s No. 1 strength: our \u201Cclean, green\u201D reputation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EThis Government claims to have provided Better Public Services. It has certainly been very good at delivering public services to further private interests\u2014to places like Serco, Skycity, and, let us not forget, charter schools\u2014and it has certainly been very good at replacing democratically elected bodies in favour of appointed cronies. We see this with the Southern District Health Board and governance in Christchurch. But the facts speak for themselves. National\u2019s approach is not working. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003ECurrently there are 129 days of waiting time to get a State house if you are in urgent need. One in three people needing a house is turned away and taken off the waiting lists to help the Government fudge the books with its creative accounting. The Government\u2019s hard-line ideology is pressuring our hard-working public servants. Our nurses and doctors are having to cope with nearly $2 billion\u2014$2 billion\u2014in underfunding, our universities are slipping in the world rankings, and our Department of Conservation is struggling to fulfil its core responsibilities due to budget cuts. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EThe reality on the ground was exposed a couple of weeks ago by the Salvation Army\u2019s report. In it, it says\u2014and as we know\u2014that there are still 220,000 kids living in poverty, there are still 150,000 notifications for potential child abuse this year, and there are over 55,000 food parcels being provided by the Salvation Army. Only on \u201CPlanet Key\u201D can the number of kids remaining in poverty increase despite the economy growing 12 percent since 2010. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EThe reality about our Public Service is that it cannot continue to struggle with underfunding. Political reporter Andrea Vance was correct: instead of having Better Public Services, we have \u201CBitter Public Services\u201D. Despite the Government\u2019s glossy public relations, our hard-working teachers, nurses, doctors, and police are bearing the cost of having to do much, much more with less, and that means that our most vulnerable\u2014our kids, kids living in poverty, regional New Zealand, and our new migrants\u2014are bearing the costs of these stealth cuts. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003ELet me just talk a little bit about Christchurch and the promises there. My colleagues from Christchurch have already touched on this, but allow me to ask the question once more: how can the Government be listing its rebuilding of Christchurch as an achievement and then, several days later, slash the funding for mental health services in the area? Rebuilding is more than replacing bricks and mortar. It is about supporting people who have been hurt and are facing losses, it is about wrapping support around the vulnerable and vulnerable communities, and it is about acknowledging that the loss of friends, family, businesses, and ways of life can be painful and difficult and that it requires help. I pay tribute to the incredible resilience, courage, and fortitude of the people of Christchurch, and I condemn this Government, which by its actions is failing the people of Christchurch and the people of New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EThe Government has repeatedly promised a brighter future for New Zealand, but it has always talked a better game than it has been prepared to deliver. For ordinary working New Zealanders, we have gone backwards in terms of rights at work, we have gone backwards in terms of the work climate where lots and lots of public servants feel bullied and fearful, and we have gone backwards about zero-hour contracts. The Prime Minister promised a brighter future for New Zealanders, but, actually, he has left every New Zealander in the dark. The recent increase of the minimum wage to $15.25 an hour and the gap between that and the living wage of $19.80 reflect that reality. Since 2009 the highest-paid third of New Zealanders have seen their incomes increase eight times as much as the lowest-paid third. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003ELast year the Government promised to outlaw zero-hour contracts, but instead of moving on that, what it is doing is attempting to legalise them. Last year the Government promised a gold-plated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, but we are being sucked in and stuck with an agreement that will cost 5,000 jobs and leave us open to being sued by big corporates. There is a better way\u2014there is a much better way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EIt is interesting to note what the Prime Minister did not talk about. Not once did the Prime Minister mention the word \u201Cinequality\u201D or the word \u201Cpoverty\u201D, not once did the Prime Minister address the growing gap between the haves and have-nots in this country, and only once did he mention climate change\u2014and then only in passing. A progressive Prime Minister would have talked about child poverty and supported measures to fix it, like our breakfast in schools bill\u2014the Government could have supported that\u2014and like, maybe, decent incomes for families. A progressive Prime Minister would have talked about how climate change is the greatest challenge we face, but it is also an opportunity for New Zealand to become world leaders in a new, high-value, cleantech, low-carbon economy. A progressive Prime Minister would have talked about how we can have an economy that works for everyone, not just the very rich, and a progressive Government with the Greens in it would do more than just talk and spin. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222df33ee5-23d6-441c-a9ba-6495aa69f9fd\u0022\u003EWe would act on these issues and make sure that every single child in New Zealand is cared for and lives in a warm, dry home. We would make sure ordinary New Zealanders would get a fair deal at work and a fair share of the benefits of a smart, thriving green economy that works for everyone. We would make sure that we have rivers we can swim in and vibrant green cities and townships with fast, affordable, clean public transport. An Aotearoa with the Green Party at the heart of Government will be a much kinder place, and certainly we would deliver a lot better than what this Government has.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022 data-id=\u002216fb8fee8b2346a8b85199b36396b2a4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002216fb8fee8b2346a8b85199b36396b2a4\u0022\u003EHon NIKKI KAYE (Minister for ACC):\u003C/span\u003E I am very pleased to speak on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. If you are listening to this debate, you would have heard a lot of slogans, but, actually, when I read the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, I see a very clear vision for New Zealand. It is very clear, and it is very clear that there is a very big contrast in this House between the Opposition and the Government. The vision is an open, democratic nation that is connected to the world, where we live in a place where every young person has the ability to have access to decent health and education services. Let us look at what has actually happened over the last 7 years, and where we are going. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003ELet us take the first issue: our economy. We hear a lot from the Opposition about how much it cares about business. Those members turn up, they have the cocktail functions, but when it comes to the crunch\u2014one of the biggest things that will affect so many of our exporters\u2014where are they? They have gone. They have ditched our exporters. Because the reality is that the emails that were coming in to me in Auckland Central\u2014yes, there were those people who were opposed, but there were a whole lot of exporters who understood the basic concept of a deal that would reach 800 million people and 11 nations, that would lead to, if not signed, a whole lot of businesses small and large having tariffs on them that other countries would not have. It was inconceivable to them that we would not sign it. In fact, I think it was one exporter who said to me: \u201CWe would literally have our hands tied behind ours backs.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003ESo the Labour Party talks a good game, but when it comes to the crunch, it cannot sign the deal and, actually, it is all over the place. We know where former Prime Minister Helen Clark sits on this, and I do want to acknowledge her. You know, she quite clearly understands the issue for New Zealand if we were to not sign this thing. We understand where Phil Goff sits on this. He is a former trade Minister. He quite practically understands a $2.7 billion deal for our country and what that means. We actually understand where David Shearer sits on this, but he has been muzzled by his leader. The reality is that half of the Labour caucus support this deal, but because of petty politics they have not been able to step up and do the right thing for New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EWe are a Government that has a Prime Minister who is outward-looking and who is walking the talk and signing deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I want to acknowledge the Hon Tim Groser. When it comes to the economy, we are a Government that was handed billions of dollars of a hole in the ACC books. I am the Minister for ACC. We now have a situation where we have been able to put $1.5 billion back in New Zealanders\u2019 pockets. We have got $450 million coming back. That is from motor vehicle levies being cut, that is businesses levies being cut\u2014that is actually real. In contrast, we were handed a complete shambles in terms of the books. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EWhen it comes to other areas of the economy, the reality is that\u2014if you listen, again, to the Opposition you will hear a completely different level of slogans and a completely different world\u2014the average wage in New Zealand has gone up $10,000 under our Government. It is now at $57,000. But, again, our vision is more than that. It is not just about the economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EWhen it comes to infrastructure, we were handed a massive deficit. I am Associate Minister of Education. Let me walk you through the numbers. We were handed leaky buildings and we were handed old buildings. More than 60 percent of the buildings in New Zealand were over 60 years old. What happened? There were $2.7 billion in 7 years under Labour; we have put $4 billion in. We are literally fixing these schools all across New Zealand more than ever before. No Government has undertaken such a social infrastructure upgrade of our schools as this Government has. So if people want to talk about a Government that cares, that is one example. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003ELet us talk about the other examples. When it comes to health, we have a whole lot of young people who we want to ensure get access to the doctor. Which Government was it? It was our Government that said: \u201CRight, we\u2019re going to give free under-13s visits to young people in New Zealand.\u201D We have delivered that. When it came to the issue raised by the Green Party of breakfast in schools, it was our Government that has put in millions of dollars, enabling those schools that want it\u2014not compulsorily, not making sure that every school has to have set times for their particular breakfasts. We actually said to schools: \u201CIt\u2019s up to you if you want it, but we will enable those young people to get access to breakfast.\u201D When it came to insulating houses\u2014we are now 350,000 insulated houses later. Again, this is set out in the Prime Minister\u2019s clear vision for New Zealand\u2014a country that is focused on opening up our many businesses to the world, having access to those markets, having access to decent incomes, but also enabling some of our most vulnerable to get better support. And our record in those areas that I have just outlined is very clear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EWhen it comes to infrastructure spend, let us look again in Auckland. Again, we hear a lot of slogans from the Opposition about the Kiwi Dream and all of these things, and we hear a lot of slogans about the fact that we should not be investing so much in roads, but here are the facts around rail in Auckland. It is our Government that has put $1.5 billion into the electrification of rail, and I was very pleased to be with the Prime Minister when we confirmed that we are looking to bring forward the City Rail Link. What is that about? That is actually about Prime Minister John Key being responsible for delivering the vital artery in Auckland\u2019s rail system. That is a project that will lead to not just the people of central Auckland benefiting; it is the people of west Auckland and South Auckland who are literally going to have their journey times slashed in half. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EThat is a compassionate Government. That is a Government that is investing not just in roads but also in public transport. Again, we are spending billions of dollars ensuring that our young people are connected to the world and that it is a connected nation. Whether it is the ultra-fast broadband programme, which has been a couple of billion dollars, we are one of the only countries in the world\u2014and this is something that I am most proud of and when I leave Parliament, this is one of the things that I will be most proud of. We said when we came in that we were going to do everything we could to connect New Zealand schools. And we have not only said that we are going to put the fibre in the ground, we are going to enable every school that wants it to have access to fast connections, reliable connections funded by the Crown. We are, we believe, one of only a couple of countries in the world that are delivering that. We are roaring ahead with that programme. More than 90 percent of New Zealand schools have been connected to that, and that is paid for by us because we believe in a nation that is globally connected where every young person gets that opportunity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003ESo, again, we hear a lot from the Opposition about the Kiwi Dream. The Prime Minister\u2019s statement was very clear: an open nation connected to the world, where every young person gets better access to equality of opportunity. And it is our Government, in so many areas\u2014from education to insulating houses, to free under-13s visits, to investing in infrastructure and catching up with the massive deficit that we have been left in areas like rail, in transport, and in ultra-fast broadband. That is incredibly significant. And we have done this at one of the most difficult times, in terms of our history, with the global financial situation, but also with the Canterbury earthquakes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EAs the Minister of Civil Defence, can I say this. There is a lot of talk around the Canterbury rebuild, but I have had the good fortune of meeting Ministers from across the world, and I do want to say this about the Hon Gerry Brownlee: it is one of the most complex processes to basically try to rebuild a city. I think that we have not only the Prime Minister\u2019s leadership on pretty much day one in saying \u201CWe will rebuild that city.\u201D\u2014and we have spent $17 billion on doing that\u2014but also the dedication and the huge amount of work that the Hon Gerry Brownlee does every day to ensure that we are rebuilding that city. But the reality is that there are many situations across the world where we can see that this does take a bit of time, and we acknowledge the people of Canterbury and their patience through this period. But, at the end of the day, we have put up the money and we are absolutely committed to working through that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that not only has compassion and has the right policies from a fiscal perspective but, actually, is walking the talk when it comes to the Kiwi Dream. 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=\u0022b1dd4234efe146af8a46a844cf6cc86f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b1dd4234efe146af8a46a844cf6cc86f\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The next call is a split call. The Hon Clayton Cosgrove\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022 data-id=\u002239ee7ec93f6548b3b806252c6aa532be\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002239ee7ec93f6548b3b806252c6aa532be\u0022\u003EHon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E If you look at Kiwi society, Kiwis do not ask for much from their Government or from their nation. They ask for a fair go, they ask for a future, they ask\u2014and they want\u2014some hope; not just for themselves but for their families, for the future generations, and for their loved ones. New Zealanders know what they are about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EThe last speaker, Minister Nikki Kaye, talked about the Prime Minister\u2019s statement and the vision and the great words and the great slogans that were in it. She talked\u2014and I wrote it down\u2014about \u201Ca Government that cares\u201D. She talked about \u201Ca compassionate Government\u201D. But there was one word and one phrase that did not appear in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement yet was evident today, and that was the word \u201CKeytruda\u201D. We had a display today in Parliament where members of the public presented a 45,000-person petition. People sat in the gallery watching the to-ing and fro-ing of question time, and they are people who are fighting for their lives, quite literally. We had a couple of individuals come to our caucus meeting this morning to talk about the fact that, in both cases, they were, effectively, told it was lights out\u2014they were not coming back. As my colleague said, to go home and die was the message: \u201CThere is nothing that can be done.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EAnd we had people on the front lawn of Parliament: people who have done sausage sizzles; people who have raised money through Givealittle websites and on Facebook; people who have mortgaged houses for their families\u2014not because they have a choice to do so but because they have to, literally, in the case of the melanoma disease, try to keep their loved ones alive because the Government refuses to fund Pharmac to produce, literally, a lifesaving drug.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EAs Annette King has said, there is no first-line or front-line treatment like chemotherapy or radiotherapy for this disease. These people require a lifesaving drug to survive, and this is not, you know, the old green-lipped mussel, sort of magic potion stuff that we had a few years ago. No, these are people who were told \u201CGo home and die.\u201D, who funded this medication themselves and are now living today. So when that member talks about compassion and when she talks about a caring Government, she should reflect on those folks who sat in the gallery today and who were on the front lawn of this Parliament begging, in many cases, for this Government to save the lives of their family. That might sound a bit dramatic over there, but it is a medical fact. It is a medical fact.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister talks about aspiration. Well, it is hard to have aspiration if you are dead. It is hard to have aspiration if your whole life as you move to retirement is about mortgaging your home, going on Facebook to beg the public for some money, going and running galas and other things, because that is what you literally have to do to ensure that those you love who are victims of this awful disease can have their lives saved. I am told people are dying daily from this disease, and these are people whose lives can be saved. I ask the Minister of Health\u2014as he says \u201CPharmac might get some more money\u201D, or the Prime Minister, as he says \u201CWe\u2019ll have to wait and see until the Budget\u201D\u2014to act. And every day that we wait and every day that we procrastinate, or the Government procrastinates, people literally die.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003ESo when we talk about vision and when we on this side talk about the Kiwi Dream, and the Prime Minister talks about aspiration\u2014and when we hear 10 minutes of lofty speeches about roads and all sorts of other infrastructure and the wonderful opportunities available to New Zealanders, who do not ask for much\u2014those New Zealanders sitting in the gallery and out on the front lawn will never be able to exercise those aspirational goals because they might not be here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9c512a8-d532-4ef9-ad51-0fe8d752a893\u0022\u003EGovernment inherently is about choices. Ministers make choices every day. They choose to fund a flag referendum at 26 million bucks. They choose to fund charter schools and Novopays that fail. They choose all these things, and today is an opportunity for them to make a choice and literally\u2014literally for those people\u2014save their lives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u00226873fe4a8cce49b6ae051a8a6f2be48f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226873fe4a8cce49b6ae051a8a6f2be48f\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Stuart Nash\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u002215b399158e8a4144b2e3beff6933f195\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002215b399158e8a4144b2e3beff6933f195\u0022\u003ESTUART NASH (Labour\u2014Napier):\u003C/span\u003E What I would like to talk about is equality of opportunity and the Kiwi Dream in the 21st century. Nikki Kaye stood up and she talked about an aspirational Government and what it was doing, but the facts speak for themselves. At the moment in New Zealand there are over 300,000 Kiwi children living in poverty, our jail numbers are at a record high, and there are over 150,000 New Zealanders who are unemployed. The world that Nikki Kaye speaks about is the world of people who have succeeded; they have had opportunities, and I celebrate them and I say: \u201CWell done. Good on you. You\u2019ve worked hard. You\u2019ve got to where you are by getting out there and really making it happen.\u201D But I have grave concerns for those without hope, without opportunity, or without aspiration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EEquality of opportunity is my reason for getting into politics and my underlying philosophy. Equality of opportunity means it does not matter what your postcode is, what your parents\u2019 income is, where you live, or what your last name is. It is about allowing Kiwis to reach their full potential, and it starts with education.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EEducation allows people to reach their potential\u2014to be as good as they possibly can be. We are not talking about everyone becoming Oxford dons, but what we are talking about is people achieving and becoming part of society. A generation ago, if you were not so academically inclined there were jobs in the freezing works, in the wool stores, at the forest service, at the ports, in the Ministry of Works, and in the post office. There were jobs for everyone. In fact, they used to joke in the 1950s that the Minister of Labour knew the name of every single unemployed person because there were only about 11 of them. That has changed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThese days, if you want to be even a grunt in the army, you need National Certificate of Educational Achievement level 2. Education is where it starts and education is a way forward. It is the way that Kiwis can reach out and make that Kiwi Dream a reality. It has never been so important in providing young Kiwis with the right to a life that we have had and that our forebears have had, but at the moment it is just out of reach of a generation coming through because they have not got that ability. Education is so important that it cannot be underestimated. It was why the Labour Party, a Labour Government, and Andrew Little have really trumpeted education as a way forward, as a transformational policy to allow Kiwis to achieve to their potential.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EWe are going to enter into a referendum on the New Zealand flag. Sir Roger Douglas, in this House\u2014you know, we disagree on certain fundamental philosophy\u2014said that he had never ever seen a Prime Minister come into power with so much political capital as John Key and completely waste it. I simply cannot understand, for the life of me, why Mr Key is burning so much political capital on something like the New Zealand flag when there are so many things that he could go incredibly hard on that would change the lives of good, hard-working Kiwis and that would transform this country from one where we have begun to almost accept that child poverty is just the way it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EWhen you think that this is a country founded on such egalitarian principles that people moved from London, from the UK, and from around the world to come here, to have a fresh start, and to start again in a society that valued everyone. The thing is that a Labour Government has always been the Government of transformation, of social evolution that is not social revolution, and it will be again. There is a different way. I know this; New Zealanders know this. There is an alternative. We cannot keep going the way we are. If you are doing really well life is good, but for more and more and more Kiwis life is a struggle and life is a challenge. As mentioned, I celebrate those who have done well\u2014good on you\u2014but for those for whom life is a challenge, we also need to work hard for them. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022 data-id=\u0022032feae67f1a428983b63718651302dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022032feae67f1a428983b63718651302dd\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG (National\u2014New Plymouth):\u003C/span\u003E The previous speaker, Stuart Nash, was talking about the time when somebody said there were 11 unemployed people in the country. I can remember that time, back in the mid-1970s. It was just down on Pipitea Street, not far from this Parliament, where I watched a gang from the Ministry of Works dig a hole. There were 13 workers there. Each had a spade or a shovel, and there were 12 watching and one digging. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EBack in the 1970s this country was very wealthy because we had a great relationship with Britain. We were able to sell all of our goods, no questions asked, but then Britain joined the EEC and suddenly our markets evaporated and disappeared, and this country has to live in a different way than it did in that period of time. We have to be far more productive, we have to be sharper, we have to be leaner, we have to be competitive, and we have to be productive on the world stage. That is what this Government has brought to this nation\u2014productivity edge competitiveness on the world stage. That is why this country, this nation, and this Government are respected all around the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EBack in 2008 National became the Government with 45 percent support. We went into 2011 and we won with 47 percent support. We went into 2014 and we won again with 47 percent support. In October 2015 we were receiving 47 percent support and at the beginning of this year, once again. So what that shows is that there has been consistency of support because there has been consistency of policy and consistency of output and achievement for this country. After returning to Taranaki in 2008\u2014after living for 22 years in Auckland\u2014what I have witnessed is the credibility and consistency of this Government in its support for the people of Taranaki and regional New Zealand. It is a good thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EWhat we receive from members of the Opposition is a continual\u2014as would be expected\u2014undermining of the achievements of this Government. I remember when the Leader of the Opposition commented and was quoted in September last year on the number of visits to New Plymouth by Government Ministers. He said \u201CWhen the town was booming, there were Ministers here every couple of weeks. Now you can\u2019t see them for dust.\u201D, referring to the time of challenge and hardship that two particular sectors in the Taranaki economy were facing\u2014obviously, dairying and the petroleum sector. He said: \u201CIt\u2019s not enough to stand on the sidelines cheering during the good times, then turn your back when times are tough. Taranaki and the rest of New Zealand deserves more than that.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo he said they were there every couple of weeks. I went through the list of Ministers who came to my electorate, my region, and I wanted to find out the level of support this Government gave regional New Zealand, particularly in my electorate. I went through and I counted them up. There were 18 ministerial visits in 27 weeks, which is a visit every 10 days. So we were very much on the map, and I think what regional New Zealand appreciates and understands about this Government, and about our Prime Minister, is the fact that there is commitment and consistency. So that was the September comment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ELast week on 23 February the Leader of the Opposition accused the Government of abandoning Taranaki. He said during the oil boom Ministers touted Taranaki as the golden province. He said: \u201CNow they\u2019re nowhere to be seen. It\u2019s not good enough to turn their back when the going gets tough.\u201D So, once again, I went through and I looked and counted the number of my colleagues who had come through to support not only myself but the people of Taranaki, and the people of New Plymouth. At the end of last year the Prime Minister was there. Nikki Kaye, the Associate Minister of Education, came to look at school buildings. Paula Bennett came at the end of last year to open the new Novotel hotel and to look at areas of economic development in our region. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EJust over a week ago Amy Adams came to celebrate the completion of the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband in my city. Steven Joyce came last week. Judith Collins came last week to support the business community and to visit the New Plymouth police station and the Department of Corrections, where there is fantastic collaboration taking place. Maggie Barry was in town. So even in the last month, since Parliament has been sitting, we have had a considerable number of ministerial visits, with them coming to our region every 4 to 5 days. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo what I am saying is that regional New Zealand continues to be on the agenda and to have the attention of this Government, but we would be told differently. In fact, the people of my region shake their heads, they scratch their heads, and they wonder at what they hear being so different to what they see. This is why, despite the rhetoric, this Government and our Prime Minister continues to receive support from New Zealanders\u2014nearly one in every two. What they see is consistency. What they see is consistency, and a tremendous gap between us and the Opposition, obviously, as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EThen, of course, we have\u2014I will not tell you what is happening and coming up. But the previous speaker came and visited Taranaki, not just recently, but let me just talk about his visit last year\u2014when he came with a number of his colleagues to visit the Stratford power station. I think this is a great example of why people question the validity of the members opposite to govern. My colleagues across the way, Mr Nash and Carmel Sepuloni and, of course, Mr Grant Robertson, came and they had a good look at some of our assets. There was an article in the Taranaki Daily News that was quite perplexing. So I wrote a letter to the editor because I wanted to know the answer about the difference between what they said and what I saw. I think New Zealanders all the time want to know the difference between what they see and what the Opposition says. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo I wrote a letter to the editor. The article on 8 October by Hannah Lee is titled \u201CLabour Bigwigs\u201D\u2014that is, you, Mr Nash\u2014\u201CVisit on Regional Outreach\u201D. It has Grant Robertson, Labour\u2019s finance spokesman, saying \u201Cthere was an increased interest in the Stratford power station now that Contact Energy had shut down their \u014Ct\u0101huhu power station for good, on 30 September \u2026 It\u2019s a bit of a boost for Stratford.\u201D So that is pretty good. He knows Contact Energy is permanently closing the \u014Ct\u0101huhu power station, therefore, Contact Energy\u2019s other assets, such as the Stratford power station, are going to be in higher demand and higher need. I can see why Andrew Little made him finance spokesman. Then he went on to say: \u201CHowever, the power station, like other regional infrastructure, was in need of desperate upgrades to bring it into the 21st century.\u201D If I was Mr Nash at that point in time, as the energy spokesperson, I would be saying to Mr Robertson: \u201CGrant, please don\u2019t say that. Don\u2019t say that.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo needing to understand his sublime commentary on energy generation and infrastructure, I wrote a letter to the editor seeking the paper\u2019s wisdom. In terms of Grant Robertson\u2019s referring to regional infrastructure needing a desperate upgrade, I was not sure which of Contact Energy\u2019s power stations in Stratford he says needs upgrading. Could it be the 377-megawatt station that Contact Energy describes as a large, efficient and modern plant being one of the largest gas turbines in the world housed in a single building? Could it be that one? Or perhaps it is the other power station needed to be to be brought into the 21st century, Contact Energy\u2019s 200-megawatt gas-fired station, the one that Hekia Parata, Chester Borrows, and I accompanied the Prime Minister to, which he opened on 31 May 2011?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EJust as I close, what I want to say is that credibility is the most tradable commodity in politics. Just last week we had Mr Little telling all of Taranaki that the Government has abandoned them. Just 2 days before, the Minister for Economic Development, the Hon Steven Joyce, was there meeting with all the civic leaders of the whole region, putting his finger on the pulse, finding out what is going on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EThis is why this Government is credible and can be trusted. We have not abandoned\u2014in fact, we are committed and we work hard to support\u2014regional New Zealand, and we work hard to ensure that the economy of this nation continues to be strong and will continue to grow even in places such as Taranaki, where the commodities of milk and oil are receiving far less than they used to. What we see is a region that is resilient, working hard, pulling together, and that is going to come through this with flying colours. 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=\u00222561531399c84d1881eb0c7fb0184f7c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222561531399c84d1881eb0c7fb0184f7c\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: The next call is a split call. The Hon David Cunliffe\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb334b82aa3a4aa69d1287245fb70750\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb334b82aa3a4aa69d1287245fb70750\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E The member Jonathan Young, who has just sat down, was half right. The Labour caucus committee was in Taranaki this last week, and here is what the good people of Taranaki told us about National\u2019s regional development efforts: they are arrogant, they are out of touch, they have lost their way, and they are a tired, third-term Government that needs to be retired. They gave us three specific examples, and I will mention them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThe first one was the so-called regional growth studies. They are nothing but studies. People told us that the studies simply recite and package what the locals are already doing. There is study but no money, study but no action, study but no plan, and people are deeply cynical about National\u2014a waste of space in regional development. It is like a New Year\u2019s resolution that you are going to go on a diet: \u201CWe\u2019ll have regional development this year.\u201D Well, it does not happen under National because it does not do action and it does not do a strategy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThe second example that comes to mind is the famous \u014Cp\u014Dtiki harbour development in my colleague\u2019s East Coast area. It is an economic and financial no-brainer. It has been proven to officials and Ministers multiple times. What happens? The Government does a kind of public relations sham and gives $3 million out of $30 million for yet another study, maybe to announce a grant in an election year. The people of the Eastern Bay of Plenty are not that stupid. They know when there is a con under way, and that con was Steven Joyce. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThe third example that the member actually raised is the problem with white gold and black gold\u2014oil and dairy. Well, we cannot control the oil market and we cannot control the global dairy market, and that is the problem. We have got all our cows in one basket. Labour has been saying for the last 6 years: \u201CWe need a plan for economic development. We need a plan to diversify our economy. We need a plan to add more value in science and innovation, through research and tertiary education, to the God-given natural resources that we do so well in.\u201D What did National do? It converted everything into dairy farms and then it wondered why things looked pretty ropey when the price collapsed from 8 bucks to 4 bucks, and now, of course, there are calls to socialise the problem after it privatises the profit. You just watch this space, because there will be a lot of farmer pressure to say \u201CWell, we need a free pass from the banks.\u201D, the same banks that are announcing record profits\u2014billions upon billions of dollars. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003ELet us talk about the Kiwi Dream. You know, half of New Zealand is enslaved to mortgages, making those Aussie banks really, really, rich with those record profits. The other half is trapped in a rental poverty trap, struggling to keep up and struggling to get their kids through tertiary education, but not getting ahead\u2014middle-class Kiwis never getting ahead\u2014of the fortnightly or monthly pay check. A country of aspiration, we used to be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022051c230318b1486eac2f043b444ca405\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Like leadership.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eeeab14b637242e0ac70a47a8deb9e9e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID CUNLIFFE\u003C/span\u003E: A country of winners, we used to be. Oh, ho! There is Judith Collins, arising from the crypt, talking about leadership aspiration. Pots, kettles\u2014yeah. The Kiwi Dream is worth campaigning for. The Kiwi Dream is not about lofty goals. It is not about spin. It is about the absolute basics: a roof over your head that is warm and dry, whether you own it or you rent it; some security of tenure for people who are renting. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e0192ed9-5715-4f6c-bd52-8db4f3466087\u0022\u003EThe Kiwi Dream is about having a good job and the education available to keep up with the changing workplace. That is why Labour\u2019s Working Futures Plan gives 3 years of free tertiary education for any type of training from apprenticeship to PhD at any time of your life, from post-school to pre-retirement. Our children are never going to do one job all their lives; they might do 10 jobs, and they are going to need to move into and out of the workforce. Here is the choice. When you boil it all down, we have got a choice between two futures: a dumb economy that is vulnerable to those commodity price cycles, or a smart economy, where we invest in knowledge and invest in each other, close those widening equity gaps, and protect our environment. If we do that, that is a dream worth making real. That is what a Labour-led Government is going to deliver, with our colleagues here, for a truly better future for all New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022257603a82a7449b8940a498ffd5e365f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022257603a82a7449b8940a498ffd5e365f\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Clare Curran, 5 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022 data-id=\u00225219085e8a29411b8be4eb5801dd25d6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225219085e8a29411b8be4eb5801dd25d6\u0022\u003ECLARE CURRAN (Labour\u2014Dunedin South):\u003C/span\u003E The Prime Minister\u2019s statement is an opportunity to get a bit philosophical about why we are politicians and about why we are all here, why we are all committed to a set of values, what we actually came in here to do, and whether or not we have managed to achieve any of it. So I am going to start with a quote from A A Milne, who, as you all know, wrote Winnie-the-Pooh: \u201CPay attention to where you are going because without meaning you might get nowhere.\u201D Well, this National Government has not only lost its way, but it is turning our political system into a fake democracy\u2014a fake democracy, where there is no Kiwi Dream and where there is not much meaning. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EJust a month ago, New Zealand slipped down again in the global transparency rankings. We are no longer the least corrupt country in the world. Transparency International\u2019s 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks us behind Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. This is our worst ranking since 1998, which was the year before Helen Clark became the Prime Minister. Our Public Service works hard to be open and impartial, but this Government is doing damage to our reputation, whether it is through the Saudi sheep saga, whether it is the Oravida scandal, whether it is handing out payments to MediaWorks, or whether it is cronyism and dodgy deals. But, of course, that is not all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EJonathan Young talked about the Opposition undermining the achievements of this Government. Well, what has really been happening since 2009 is that we have seen a steady erosion of democracy in this country. There are some glaring examples of this. Some of the most glaring include the freezing of funding and the gutting of public broadcasting in this country, the stifling of reasoned debate\u2014public debate\u2014and the scoffing at, and belittling of, those who have attempted to keep debate alive in this country. As I said, we have been embroiled in scandals around handouts to MediaWorks and editorial interference in M\u0101ori Television. We have seen questionable appointments to the board of Radio New Zealand, the freezing of funding to Radio New Zealand, New Zealand On Air, and M\u0101ori Television, the killing off of TVNZ 7\u2014I could go on and on. It is just the tip of the iceberg, but there are more. There are increased central government powers at the expense of elected regional and local government\u2014of course, the suspending of the elected council at Environment Canterbury is the glaring example of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EThere is the withholding of information under the Official Information Act\u2014delaying or releasing documents that are mostly redacted. This is not a Government that is committed to transparency and openness, which we saw late last year when the Ombudsman released a report into the Official Information Act that showed Government departments being encouraged by Ministers\u2019 offices to withhold material for political reasons. It was incredibly disappointing. That report also contains some disappointing information from the Ombudsman, with her suggestion that media and politicians could be charged for information, which would set a dangerous precedent. It is a longstanding convention that agencies do not charge media or politicians because it would stifle the free flow of information that is in the public interest. So what happened? In January we had the first sign that agencies are charging for Official Information Act requests, with the Reserve Bank charging a Fairfax business journalist as part of that policy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EThen we have got hard evidence of Government inaction on transparency and accountability, with the Open Government Partnership report released just a couple of weeks ago\u2014New Zealand is part of an Open Government Partnership consisting of 69 Governments\u2014which found a huge lack of consultation and ambition in opening up the Government and an action plan that consists of programmes that are already under way and are not designed to improve Government practice. That report does not practise what it preaches. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003EWe are seeing a lack of openness and transparency. What New Zealanders want is a sense of meaning from their Government; instead, we have a Government that has lost its way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022 data-id=\u0022feff89bfaaba4557a7bdc8e6f1b1ce27\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022feff89bfaaba4557a7bdc8e6f1b1ce27\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR (National\u2014T\u0101maki):\u003C/span\u003E I am not sure whether one would call that last speech philosophical or just sort of a litany of woes that really just have not, I think, got any impact whatsoever. I have to say, when I go around my electorate and other parts of the country, it is funny that nobody, but nobody, raises or mentions those issues at all. In fact, if you are talking to people out in the electorates, what they talk about is very much what we heard in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, and I will come to some of those bits later.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI thought, though, to start\u2014I just want to very briefly touch on Cyclone Winston. The primary reason for that, having lived and worked in Fiji and, in fact, gone through a cyclone a few years ago there, is to just speak, I suppose, in solidarity somewhat with the people there, to say to them: Ni sa bula vinaka na kai viti, e vanua viti. Having been through a cyclone\u2014it literally came up the driveway where I lived and blew the place apart\u2014I can say that the people of Fiji are incredibly resilient. We often attribute great smiling faces to them as a people and, despite this adversity, I am pretty sure those smiles will still be there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThe one thing about cyclones is\u2014obviously, you have a few hours of terror, if you will, but it is the damage that continues to be done afterwards. I suppose, in using a few minutes of this speech, it is to encourage New Zealanders and Kiwis to continue to be generous. The cyclone itself might destroy the buildings but it also rips up the crops, particularly the dalo plant. It turns it into a little helicopter and literally pulls it right out of the ground. So the first week you would actually go, as we did, and harvest some food and eat. But in the weeks after, it begins to rot and, of course, you begin to run out of food. Where we were, we were cut off for about a month, and so your food supplies begin to run very low. The other thing\u2014and those who have lived in the Islands will know\u2014is that all the sea salt gets blown up on to the land and actually scorches the land and the trees, and everything goes brown. It is not actually that they have been ripped out of the ground in that case, but, again, scorched. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ESo an encouragement to those listening and to New Zealanders as a whole, and to this House\u2014continue to support the people of Fiji. The cyclone is not just simply an activity of a few hours but is something that goes on for weeks and months. In fact, even after I had left, after a couple of years, the damage of the particular cyclone that I went through was still being felt. Again, to the people of Fiji, I want to wish them well and strength at this time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThis remains a very strong and positive Government. As said in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, there has been a whole list of activities where we have performed incredibly strongly. We have heard everything from the increase in wages, unemployment, which is falling and is expected to fall even further, and, of course, an area of interest to myself is around health care\u2014an incredibly positive story to be told there. I think that is reflected in a couple of ways. First and foremost, we know that more elective surgeries are being done. I note that a couple of constituents this week, sadly, have had to go to hospital. I am thinking of Valerie, in particular\u2014if she is listening in\u2014who wrote in and told me: \u201CSix days in hospital, but a remarkably excellent experience through the Auckland DHB.\u201D So we know that not only are surgeries going up but also the quality of surgeries is seen as very positive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe know that extra funding is being put into the likes of palliative care. I think that it is particularly good to acknowledge the good people of the Eastern Bays Hospice. Once again, those from T\u0101maki will know the Eastern Bays Hospice, or at the very least the Dove shops, which raise an enormous amount of money for hospice care in our community. One thing that I always like to stress to the House is that hospices like Eastern Bays Hospice are actually about where people are able to be at home and be supported. It is not like this little mini-hospital filled with morphine and other drugs; it is actually a life-giving dynamic, and I want to thank all of those who work in hospices, particularly those within my own electorate. We have got a whole lot of these new pain management teams out now. There is a lot of support, particularly for people with orthopaedic pain. Again, a really good news story.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI think that is somewhat reflected in the work of the Health Committee at the moment. It is, and remains, an incredibly, incredibly busy Health Committee. Over the last year\u2014and, again, I think it is indicative of just how well the Government is doing\u2014we have seen more funds made available to assist carers. There was a bill we just passed 2 weeks ago in this House with unanimous support\u2014a bill under a National Government\u2014to actually pay those providing care for the cost of transport, for the first time. We are also updating the Radiation Safety Act, and I think later today, actually, we may have a chance to complete that piece of work. Last year we updated legislation around health practitioners. In other words, we are looking at the health industry in New Zealand and saying: \u201CHow do we increase the scope of practice for various professions?\u201D. The best example is things around death certificates or sick leave certificates, which are primarily the purview of medical practitioners, but we are saying: \u201CActually, scopes of practice have changed now, so why not see nurses and others being involved with that?\u201D. We have also modernised elements around health protection. This was around regulation of sunbeds, but also dealing with how we, I suppose, monitor infectious diseases. So, again, it is a busy select committee, but I think it is indicative of actually what is a very positive Government making positive changes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI say though that it is busy\u2014it was something I was sharing with some members of my constituency last week around the select committee, because petitions often come up. I thought I would give an indication of just some of the topics that the Health Committee is looking at at the moment and acknowledge those who have put these in. There are quite a number of petitions before the committee. We are dealing with everything from surgical mesh to transgender operations, female prophylactics to tube-weaning\u2014so that is for young people, babies mainly, who have to be fed by tube and how you wean them off that. It is quite a difficult process. We are looking at adrenalin autoimmune-injectors, or EpiPens, if you have an anaphylactic shock. We have been looking at petitions around public health and disability, pharmaceutical waste, assisted suicide, and the district health board in Northland. And services\u2014pathology services. We are looking at maternity services and smoking, and\u2014just when you think that we had not actually covered all the topics, moral, ethical, medical, and otherwise\u2014we are also looking at the whole element of cannabis, Sativex, as well. So, it is a rather busy and, I would like to think, hard-working committee, with all members\u2014but I certainly say that of our Government members\u2014working incredibly hard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ESo, for me, we are a Government that remains incredibly focused, a Government that is incredibly busy, and I think one that remains very much in touch with New Zealand. One of the best gauges for me is being in the electorate. It is where I derive most of my strength and energy, working with the good people of T\u0101maki, and they continue to talk about the things that matter. Most of what we have heard from the other side today is really just superfluous in many ways. It is not what really impacts on people: health, absolutely; education, for sure; and crime, and law and order are incredibly important\u2014knowing that they are safe in their homes. And, of course, the economy is something important, too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EBut the people of T\u0101maki have also understood that the Government is behind them, and so, in the last year in particular, we have had a number of successes, again, building on the good work of the Government. So there has been money for a cycleway. I know the member for Auckland Central is very proud of her\u2014I think\u2014bright pink cycleway. Ours is not going to be pink, I understand, but we have a wonderful cycleway going from Glen Innes through to T\u0101maki Drive. We have had about 45 new classrooms for our schools promised, and more money for Mandarin teaching.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ESo there is, I suppose, a positive amount of real positive work going on, particularly in the education field. I am very conscious that today in the gallery there is a young lady who is now out of school but was formerly of Glendowie College here to grace us, and that, actually, we have got amazing young people who are in our communities. I see that day after day, and I certainly see it when I go to the high schools and colleges in my electorate, be it Selwyn, T\u0101maki, Glendowie, or Sacred Heart\u2014remarkable young people doing remarkable things. This Government is behind them, it is behind our education system, and also\u2014as I was indicating earlier\u2014it is really strongly behind the health sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ESo I think we have a very proud record as a Government. I think the Prime Minister himself has articulated things very well and clearly in his statement. We are a Government that talks about the things that matter. We are a Government that remains very much in touch with the people of New Zealand. We are a Government that is going to continue working hard because we are doing that listening. And if we need no better proof, it is just to look at the polls of where we are, and where the Opposition is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u002258dd8cd093354b5fbbfb3c14dd9a8274\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002258dd8cd093354b5fbbfb3c14dd9a8274\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Corrections):\u003C/span\u003E What a pleasure to be able to take a call on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I must say I am so delighted to be back as the Minister of Police and the Minister of Corrections as well as, obviously, being the MP for Papakura. I have to say, in the last couple of months when I have been coming back into the role, it has been so good to go and visit the police and the Department of Corrections and also to have a look at some of the other work that is going on but also to be back helping to make decisions around where we go to from here, because we have had some amazing achievements in the whole justice sector in the last 6 or 7 years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWhen I think about the fact that we are now at the lowest recorded crime rate since 1978, we have reduced the number of offences\u2014\u201Cwe\u201D as in the whole of Government and all of the wonderful agencies working with us\u2014by 100,000 over the last 5 years. It is a tremendous achievement, and I would just like to sing out, basically, a bit of praise for the police, the Department of Corrections, and all the other agencies and NGOs, as well as the Government agencies working together to bring that about. We have crime rates down. We have youth crime down. We have all of those areas down, but one area that I think we have all felt the need to get better progress in is family violence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EIf we look at family violence\u2014and I know that this is a real topic in our entire justice sector. The reason is that family violence actually leads to more violence. One of the things that we have done today is to make some announcements\u2014my colleague Anne Tolley and I\u2014around gangs. In my particular announcements around the Gang Intelligence Centre, which is based in the police but works across a whole raft of agencies from the Ministry of Social Development to the Department of Corrections, to Immigration New Zealand, to the Customs Service, and to others as well\u2014what the centre does is it really goes after and targets gangs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EYou might ask why we would do that\u2014why I am saying that in the same breath as I am talking about family violence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWell, actually, there is a very good reason. Sixty percent of children who grow up in gang homes are the victims of family violence\u2014so that is 60 percent\u2014so much so and so violent that Child, Youth and Family are involved. We are not talking about a smack on the hand; we are talking about children being abused and/or neglected, so much so that Child, Youth and Family is involved. That is a pretty staggering thing to say, is it not? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EI go to the prisons and talk to the prison directors\u2014who used to be called prison managers but they are prison directors now, and I did that just the other day\u2014they say to me that they believe that 90 percent of all of the prisoners in our jails have themselves been victims of family violence as children. When I was first the Minister of Corrections and I went and visited the women\u2019s prisons, I found out a little bit about some of the prisoners there, and I realised\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232d4ea3e9b7147d7bb6b7ceace988e4e\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry to interrupt the honourable Minister. The time has come for me to leave the Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224bc1544791e64918b58fc352b3e1d5f6\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou e te wh\u0101nau o Te P\u0101remata. Kia ora mai t\u0101tou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E[Greetings to you, the House, and to the family of Parliament; thank you and acknowledgments to you all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003EMembers, when we adjourned for the evening meal break the Hon Judith Collins was speaking. She has 6 minutes and 30 seconds remaining to speak.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264e7599c05d74e70922e9ea90e444e5f\u0022\u003EPita Paraone\u003C/span\u003E: She was in her stride too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c3bf18d18204c67aff47387f5dfce19\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, that little break can actually stop the flow, but let us get back into it. I was speaking I think, from memory, about visiting our two women\u2019s prisons and realising, after discussing some matters with some of the prison staff as well as the prisoners, that actually what they had in general\u2014and obviously there are always exceptions\u2014were some of the most abused women in the country. They are abused because the vast majority of them are gang women and they live in a culture of abuse. Yes, some of them have gone on to commit dreadful crimes against their own children and some of them have been involved in the methamphetamine trade\u2014they are not there just because they were abused; they are actually there because they have committed very serious crimes\u2014but there is a huge relationship between abuse of children and those children choosing at a later stage to go on to abuse others. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThat is not to say for a moment that all people who are abused, children who are abused, or victims are going to then become perpetrators, but there is a very serious connection between abuse and that person going on to become an abuser. I think one of the issues that we have learnt is that the abuse of children, the abuse of people, can lead to trauma. If it is not recognised as a trauma and it is treated as \u201CWell, this is what happens in this family. This is what we do. I know, let\u2019s put them back with the grandparent, who, by the way, used to abuse the parent.\u201D, we are going to continue to have kids being killed in their own homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EIn my electorate in Papakura we are a very diverse electorate. There are a lot of gangs, there are a lot of really great people, and there is a lot of every mixture you could think of, but what I also know too is that there are some kids who never get a chance. They never get a chance in life because their own families are so dysfunctional that dysfunctional is simply a word and is basically a platitude, because the families are so bad that for their kids, home for them is the least safe place that they could ever be. There is a reason that these kids are out on the street at 2 o\u2019clock in the morning as 9-year-olds, or whatever. Primarily, it is because home is so unsafe. It is not because mum and dad are at work. It is not because something is happening there. It is because home is unsafe, and that is what we are dealing with. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ESo when Anne Tolley and I today were discussing and announcing some of the initiatives being put together and announced on the gang initiatives, it is not about cracking down, it is not about banning, and it is not about whatever, but it is actually about these kids. If we can try to stop these kids being abused, if we can try to stop some of those behaviours, we will actually make a difference when it comes to those kids growing up and becoming violent, angry people\u2014but mostly angry men\u2014and going on to commit further acts of violence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EI also heard tonight that someone said that methamphetamine is not a problem now. That is piffle. Last year, in 2015, 334.3 kilograms was seized by customs and police. That is three times more than the year before, in 2014, when it 98.8 kilograms. We have got a big problem here, and this trade is being fuelled by, and fuels, gang activity. In prisons, they say it is more dangerous now for staff because gangs are now working together and they are working together against corrections staff. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWhat I would say to this House is that we have done really well in the law and order area. As a Government, we have done great work. Our agencies have worked together. We have worked together for some common goals for the people, but I would also say we have got a long way yet to go, and we have not solved the problem and we will not solve it until kids can be safe in their own homes and men and women can be safe in their own homes. That is a really sad thing to have to admit\u2014that we have kids growing up in homes where there is no such thing as safety unless dad, or mum\u2019s partner, is actually put in jail, and that that is the best that we can do for some kids. That is just not good enough. We do have a big issue there and we are taking steps to address it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWe have dealt with issues before that have been hard. When we first came into Government, illegal street racing was a big issue. In 2009 we had six people die, 49 people were injured, and we had a total of 69 crashes involving illegal street racing. We brought in the laws around vehicle confiscation and crushing. In 2014 there were no deaths, 23 injuries, and 33 total crashes for that year. This problem has been hit on the head. Yes, it still occurs, but not anything like it did occur. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EI would love us to be able to say as a Parliament that we took some steps one day and we actually sorted out family violence in this country. It is a big ask. It is not easy. If it was easy, it would have been done. It is a really hard job, and I would like us all to work together on it. 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=\u002265ff9a3cf14d4c779fa445f3b3196be0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002265ff9a3cf14d4c779fa445f3b3196be0\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It is a split call on behalf of the Labour Party\u20145 minutes, Poto Williams.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u00223d5841d3a49a4448bc6b810499c87dc0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223d5841d3a49a4448bc6b810499c87dc0\u0022\u003EPOTO WILLIAMS (Labour\u2014Christchurch East):\u003C/span\u003E Kia orana. That is a really good note on which to start my contribution, because I do want to respond to some of the comments that the Minister has made around family violence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EMuch of what the Minister has said, I agree with. In fact, most of what she has said, I agree with. I agree that family violence is a huge, huge problem in this country, and I agree that many people in New Zealand will concur that dealing with the issue of gangs and gang families will go some way to dealing with the issue of family violence. However, when you have the situation where you have over 100,000 family violence call-outs by police in a year, the gang portion of that statistic is minor\u2014is minute\u2014compared with the impacts that it has for every single community in this country. Whether they are low socio-economic communities or whether they are in the leafy suburbs, every community is impacted by family violence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EAlthough this measure goes some way to addressing a portion of it, here we are, yet again, debating the use of targeting resources to a particular group versus taking some universal steps to address the issue across the country. A hundred thousand family violence call-outs by police: that would mean that there were at least 95,000 families who are not gang affiliated who are still going to be impacted by family violence, and whom the measures that the Minister has announced today will not touch\u2014they will not touch. There are 62,000 family violence investigations where at least one child is resident or present in a home where violence has occurred. The measures that have been announced today will not impact 60,000 of those children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThe Minister did touch on a very important point, and that is about the trauma that is experienced by these children. It may not necessarily be that they are experiencing the violence themselves in the sense of being physically abused; the fact that they are in a home where violence is present, even if they are not physically abused, is traumatic enough for them to be damaged and to have huge impacts on their future life outcomes\u2014negative impacts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThe Minister, I want to reiterate, was also the Minister who reformed the Family Court, and the impacts of that reform have had a negative impact on family violence. It is now harder to obtain a protection order to keep yourself safe. The reductions to the threshold for legal aid mean that fewer and fewer women, in particular, are able to obtain those protection orders. How are they able to keep themselves and their children safe when the key legal mechanism with which to do that is withdrawn from them because of changes that that Minister made to the Family Court? Also included in that reform was the reduction in access to Family Court counselling, where many issues for families were resolved before they became major concerns for the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003ESo although I concur with much of what the Minister says, yet again this country is headed down a very, very dark passageway for when we are dealing with targeting small groups of people and when the problem is so epidemic. I was not going to speak specifically about family violence; I was going to address some other issues of trauma that exist in my community in Christchurch East. But I must respond to what the Minister has said in this regard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EFamily violence is a scourge on our society when 100,000 incidents are reported and they are only a fifth of what occurs. We need to be looking away from targeting, and to doing some specific work with those NGOs, with the refuges, with the police, and with Child, Youth and Family to contain this epidemic and not just look at specific and small targeted areas. I think that is not a good use of our taxpayer funding. 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=\u002232d4da18e3d64ab786eb688505d76e12\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002232d4da18e3d64ab786eb688505d76e12\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A second 5-minute call for the Labour Party\u2014Louisa Wall.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022 data-id=\u0022af874596831548018e61f6bb24b43f19\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022af874596831548018e61f6bb24b43f19\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare, tuatahi, aroha ki te wh\u0101nau o Dr Ranginui Walker, moe mai r\u0101 e te rangatira.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E[Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Firstly, empathy to the family of Dr Ranginui Walker. Sleep, esteemed one.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI am actually really pleased to take a call in the debate on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement and I really want to focus on two points that he made. The first was that he said there will be a $17 billion hole in the economy\u2014so the Government is already anticipating that our revenue will be short $17 billion. The other point that he made, which I just find incredible, was that in spite of that this Government is 100 percent focused on tax cuts. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EThe fact that it is 100 percent focused on tax cuts as part of its fiscal strategy got me thinking about what that means. What that actually means is that there will be spending cuts and, as such, there will be service cuts. So I was thinking about the services that will be cut because of the Government\u2019s obsession within that context to give tax cuts to the people they have traditionally given them to\u2014wealthy New Zealanders, who, quite frankly, do not need them. So what does that do to undermine our public service: the provision of hospital services, social services\u2014services that New Zealanders need, actually, to keep them healthy and to keep them well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI found it really interesting at the beginning of the year, on 9 January, actually, that there was quite a big write-up and media focus on the rheumatic fever prevention programme in South Auckland, which is now is in its fifth year. It is actually a $45 million investment because this Government, rather than provide houses so people did not get sick, actually said: \u201CWhat we\u2019ll do instead is we\u2019ll go and test the kids.\u201D So they are working in 61 South Auckland schools, and last year 20,000 cases of group A streptococcus were detected through that programme. That is incredibly commendable because what that meant is those kids could get antibiotics. Why? Because if we could prevent group A streptococcus turning into something else\u2014that is, rheumatic fever\u2014then that was the Government\u2019s solution to addressing this whole issue of poverty and the lack of quality housing provision in South Auckland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo I was incredibly surprised to see on 9 January this year that the funding that Counties Manukau District Health Board is receiving for this programme is going to be cut by 50 percent. On 1 July 50 percent of that $9 million annual investment will go, so it is the district health board\u2019s responsibility to keep funding that programme that has proved effective and has found 20,000 children who need access to antibiotics to stop them from getting rheumatic fever. Wow! \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EThe Counties Manukau District Health Board is one of all district health boards around the country, except for the Southern District Health Board or one of the boards in the south, that does not have to cut funding. But, actually, Counties Manukau District Health Board is part of the $138 million\u2014what would I call it? The hospitals are being directed to save money\u2014$138 million\u2014this year. Counties Manukau District Health Board has to save $20 million. So not only does it have to save $20 million it is also going to lose $4.5 million for an initiative that this Government has been trumpeting and has been very proud about because it is stopping South Auckland kids from getting rheumatic fever. Those are the challenges and those are some of the decisions that it has made because of the obsession of this Government to cut taxes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EIt has meant cuts in mental health services in Canterbury, and I know that my colleague Denise Roche talked about this earlier. Within the context of the increased need of people in Christchurch calling out for help\u2014we know that the helplines for young people have been oversubscribed for 5 years\u2014what has the Government decided to do? It is going to cut funding for mental health services in Canterbury. It is ludicrous. It is ridiculous. We are supposed to govern in the best interests of all New Zealanders and meet their needs\u2014and this Government, supposedly, has put Canterbury as a big priority\u2014but, actually, its obsession with tax cuts means that it is cutting funding for rheumatic fever, it is cutting funding for mental health services, it has cut funding for Women\u2019s Refuge, and, actually, the list could go on and on and on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI think that this Budget, actually, is a dark day\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209836578fec84d7983587053b9c2fe8d\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s not a Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223259d578458c49e7b6378942acf88c31\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL\u003C/span\u003E: The Prime Minister\u2019s priorities, which actually will translate through to the Budget, will be incredibly interesting to see. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022646ea689be4c4a3cbfaeff5d0c828058\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022646ea689be4c4a3cbfaeff5d0c828058\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A 5-minute call on behalf of the National Party\u2014Paul Foster-Bell.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022 data-id=\u0022d3de045d542f428d9d6a5c9a2796dfb8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d3de045d542f428d9d6a5c9a2796dfb8\u0022\u003EPAUL FOSTER-BELL (National):\u003C/span\u003E E Te Mana Whakaw\u0101 Tuarua, t\u0113n\u0101 koe; t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa e ng\u0101 mema o Te Whare. I take pleasure in speaking in support of the Prime Minister\u2019s statement in this debate on his statement in the House. I will be sharing my call with my colleague Ian McKelvie, the honourable member for the Rangit\u012Bkei, so I plan to cover the town issues and I will leave it to Mr McKelvie to cover the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EHere in Wellington we have enjoyed a wonderful summer. Not only has the weather been superb and allowed us to enjoy some great cricket on display, but we have had some extraordinary events here. The hotel beds have been full. In fact, we have had a record year for tourism in Wellington and everything from that Sir Peter Jackson Gallipoli exhibit at Te Papa through to The Great War Exhibition at the National War Memorial museum\u2014and I want to pay tribute to Christopher Finlayson and the input he had into that wonderful attraction\u2014has been awash with tourists and visitors spending their money here in the capital. Similarly, Weta Workshop\u2014when I had some relatives staying over the summer I decided to take them out to Weta Workshop to see the Thunderbirds Are Go exhibit, where they can see the sets used to recreate that iconic 1960s TV series\u2014also enjoyed large numbers of visitors. Wellington has benefited from record tourist numbers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EWe have also seen significant Government investment into the capital. I would point to the ICT Graduate School, which will upskill our workforce with those modern technical capabilities that they need to be able to earn those good incomes. That will be implemented here in Wellington, hosted by Victoria University over the coming year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EIf I can turn to another issue, it is that this year is the 30th anniversary of the legalisation of homosexuality in New Zealand. I want to put on record that I enjoy working cross-party with colleagues, including the member who just resumed her seat, Louisa Wall. We will be hosting an event here at Parliament on Saturday that kicks off Pride Week here in Wellington, and I am looking forward to doing that. But later on this year there will be events, I think, in the parliamentary precinct to commemorate the decriminalisation, which was a significant event in New Zealand\u2019s history. I am proud to be a member of a Government that also looks out for the interests of all members of our community, not just the majority.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EI had an interesting discussion recently with a constituent here around refugees, and I would point, in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, to his comments around the threat posed by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and also the refugee problem that the world is facing. This person with whom I was chatting was a Polish migrant\u2014one of the Pah\u012Batua Poles. She was an orphan who, after her family was treated horrendously by the Soviets\u2014she and her mother were deported to a gulag in Siberia\u2014then came to New Zealand via Iran, actually, of all places. They stopped there for a few years on their way to New Zealand. In the discussion with this constituent, a very clear point came across. She was pointing out that, actually, the last thing that the refugees who are coming to New Zealand need is pity. Pity is not what will help them to integrate into our community. It is not what will help them to get jobs, to become educated, and to make a contribution to their new home, New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207d42dbe-f05a-4a7a-8c23-0eecc14b72aa\u0022\u003EI am proud to be part of a Government where there will be an additional number of refugees accepted into New Zealand, but that is being done in a controlled way, unlike what we are seeing in Europe. We will have the health facilities, the transport, the housing, the social development, and the educational services in place to make sure those people are properly looked after. I look at the approach taken by some of the parties in this House and by some of the lobbyists in the community, who are promoting either what I would describe as the hard-hearted approach\u2014that is, to reject all, even those who are fleeing from some of the worst atrocities in the world; fleeing for their very lives\u2014or the soft-headed approach, where we want to open up the doors in such a way that we would take numbers that we are not able to properly support. I am proud to be part of a Government that is actually taking the right course of action, which will be looking after those who are escaping from real danger, but we are not opening the floodgates to New Zealand. I fully commend the Prime Minister\u2019s statement to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022aa687afc46734212ad5d93543000be24\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aa687afc46734212ad5d93543000be24\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A 5-minute call on behalf of the National Party\u2014the honourable member Ian McKelvie.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022 data-id=\u002279a7e172b22a4c3c950998c71d9b0366\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002279a7e172b22a4c3c950998c71d9b0366\u0022\u003EIAN McKELVIE (National\u2014Rangit\u012Bkei):\u003C/span\u003E I am like the off-course substitute, Mr Deputy Speaker. For those who do not know what that was, in the old days at the TAB the off-course substitute was the one that replaced the one that was there before\u2014Jami-Lee Ross, thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EI come from the Rangit\u012Bkei, obviously, and I have always prided the Rangit\u012Bkei on having the most intelligent part of New Zealand in my electorate. Of course, the piece of Palmerston North that has got the most intelligent people is in my electorate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022969c953d386e496cb178ab3291e37b6e\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: No, they live in my electorate\u2014they go to work in your electorate, but they live in my electorate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022858c1eef4cfe4fdea2b0e83181c85b07\u0022\u003EIAN McKELVIE\u003C/span\u003E: You can imagine my absolute amazement when I read, the other day, that Whanganui is one of the world\u2019s most intelligent cities. In fact, it is in the top seven in the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d5b7816b2d2a41c18d5131d512ef02df\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am not surprised.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f59ff558d9724b62b1726d3fce8e4b69\u0022\u003EIAN McKELVIE\u003C/span\u003E: I immediately thought of Mr Deputy Speaker\u2014well, that is where he comes from, of course. Just to appease the member for Palmerston North, the Rangit\u012Bkei electorate also has more sheep than any other electorate in New Zealand, just as a matter of interest, including Southland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EI want to talk briefly about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and its effect on an electorate like mine. It will have a positive impact on our challenged communities, and the reason it will is that as we move into the increased incomes as a result of our trade agreements and the TPP agreement, the trickle-down effect will significantly impact on those electorates through things like dairy, sheep, beef, and timber. I want to talk particularly about timber in the Rangit\u012Bkei electorate and around New Zealand because the change that I envisage coming, and I think we all envisage coming, as a result of the TPP agreement in the timber industry, for example, will be to encourage a lot more manufactured products to leave New Zealand. That will be good for the New Zealand timber industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThe other point about the timber industry, of course, is that we have so many pine trees in New Zealand we probably do not have the infrastructure to get them all out in as quick a form as we might need to. So that will be a challenge for the future, and of course it is going to moderate the number of trees that are cut down at any one time, just because we need to get them processed and out of the country. So that is an interesting issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThe Government, over the last 7 years, has moved to significantly improve our tourism opportunities. Of course, the north end of my electorate has a great reliance on tourism. The Whanganui River and the changes that have happened to the ownership and the development of tourism opportunities around the Whanganui River\u2014what is going on with cycle tours, river tours via jetboats, canoes, and other means. They are all very busy. Recreational walking, cycling, fishing, and climbing are attracting people from all around the world to our country, to our region. The critical thing that will enable this to continue, of course, is our work with the environment. I think it is really important that Minister Smith, who has worked very hard on a lot of the issues around our environmental stuff, is now moving again to further our opportunities to clean up our waterways. I think that that is a challenge, and I guess in a way it is a nervous challenge for many in rural New Zealand, but none the less it is a challenge that we need to face up to. It is hugely important for our tourism and agricultural industries that we take that opportunity and make sure it works. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThe policies of this Government are now creating jobs in regions and areas that for years have struggled. This is evidenced by the much-improved unemployment figures\u2014a 3 percent turn-round in 12 months in my region\u2014and the fact that 175,000 new jobs have been created in the past 3 years. Over the last 7 years the average wage has increased significantly, and the announcement just yesterday of the new minimum wage of $15.25 an hour will again make another difference to those people who are paid at that end of the scale. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EIt is a challenge for our rural towns to survive and to continue to grow, but it is important that we do. I think this Government is supporting them in a manner that will enable more jobs to be created and will enable more young people to stay in those areas. I think in the future we are going to see significant growth, particularly around the tourism industry, and particularly in the north of the Rangit\u012Bkei electorate and in many other parts of New Zealand, as we move further down the path of developing our environmental opportunities and developing our tourism opportunities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EOur challenge as a small trading nation is to sell more to the rest of the world than we do now. We need to go into these trade agreements and move ourselves along as quickly as we can. We need to create new products and we need to create new opportunities for the producers of those products, and I think this Government\u2019s policies are moving those along pretty quickly. So I have a great deal of pleasure in supporting the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I think we are on the right track, and I look forward to the next 12 months of our Government working very hard for New Zealanders. 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=\u0022ae352e41570c4409ad3f9c4b5c5db527\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ae352e41570c4409ad3f9c4b5c5db527\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A 5-minute call on behalf of the National Party\u2014Parmjeet Parmar.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022 data-id=\u002295bda945da6a447d8394b5e0e4a60d02\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002295bda945da6a447d8394b5e0e4a60d02\u0022\u003EDr PARMJEET PARMAR (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is with great pleasure that I take this call to support the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I would like to start by congratulating our Prime Minister on his strong commitment to New Zealand and on keeping on delivering what he promised to do. This year, just like the last year, is going to be a great year, under the leadership of the Rt Hon John Key. I am saying it is going to be a great year because wages are rising faster than inflation. In the last year the average wage grew by 3.1 percent and inflation stayed at 0.1 percent. My hands cannot demonstrate the scale, but the difference is obvious\u20143.1 percent versus 0.1 percent. Business confidence is high and there is strong activity in all sectors, including the manufacturing sector. We know we have come through significant challenges, and we have stayed on top of our spending. That is evident from us receiving a surplus for the 2014-15 year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that is a sensible manager of the Government\u2019s finances. But the Opposition has started coming out with some irresponsible spending pledges. Its education policy shows that it lacks fiscal understanding. It lacks the understanding of what New Zealanders want. I am saying that is an irresponsible spending pledge because Kiwis do not need a reminder about the significant challenges that we have come through. That is why on this side of the House we are focusing on the economy. We are focusing on growing our businesses so that they can invest more, create more jobs, and create higher-paying jobs so that we can continually keep investing sensibly in different sectors. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022\u003ETo support our economy we need free-trade agreements. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is in the best interests of New Zealand. As the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Key, keeps saying in very, very simple words, we are a country of only 4.5 million people. Our businesses cannot grow by just selling goods and services to each other. We need access to bigger markets. What has shocked me is the Opposition members\u2019 stand on the TPP agreement. It has shocked me that they are unable to comprehend the importance of the TPP agreement, even when explained in such simple words. It is a pity that they do not see the importance of the TPP to our businesses and households. [Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279cd9c799e4a4b52832bd1480403f1f5\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! It is always ironic to note that female members from the Opposition always talk the loudest while a female member of the Government is on her feet. I suggest to members to take a breath and allow the member to complete her speech.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ab3c100e76f14435b7edbaa28c3e1016\u0022\u003EDr PARMJEET PARMAR\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. This side will continue to focus on\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8932b3c60084267b0b520f130498120\u0022\u003EClare Curran\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I take offence at that remark.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bff4ddd6beda41b1844a97ef5c443f13\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member may well take offence. I do not believe that the observation of the Speaker in respect of that is a matter that the member can take offence to. I look to the Clerk\u2014I am sorry if the member has taken offence; I will not withdraw the comment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e822557c2d74448ae07bbfddea5f569\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think this raises an interesting issue, and I appreciate the Clerk\u2019s advice that there is no Standing Order relating to when a member takes offence to something that the Speaker has said, but I think that on this side of the House we would appreciate it if you would, perhaps, give some thought to this and come back with a ruling. Clearly, a member has taken offence at a comment you made relating to interjections that were being made. There seems to be a gap in the Standing Orders, and I think it would be helpful to the order of the House if we had some ruling on what members should do if the Speaker has caused offence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad41c293edc7454cb3d20341779dfde0\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member will be pleased to know that I have reflected in the time that he has been making his point of order, and in the spirit of cross-House collaboration I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022beb84e73e3dc4656a6ccc6b9a2fc0137\u0022\u003EDr PARMJEET PARMAR\u003C/span\u003E: On this side, we will continue to focus on getting free-trade agreements. We have achieved a free-trade agreement with Korea, and we have started negotiations with the EU. Now, in the second year of our third term, as per the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, we will continue to invest in our families and households. And we are seeing results. Unemployment figures have dropped to 5.3 percent. There were 21,000 jobs created in the December quarter, and that figure carries a very important significance because, after working for the whole year, people evaluate, analyse, and see whether they want to change jobs. So 21,000 jobs being created in the December quarter is very good news. There were 175,000 jobs created in the last 3 years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022\u003ETo support that kind of growth, we need investment in our infrastructure, especially in Auckland, because Auckland is our largest commercial centre. That is why the Prime Minister has already announced bringing forward the start date of the City Rail Link. And, of course, we have our roads of national significance. Victoria Park Tunnel is a great tunnel, and riding through that tunnel is a great experience. Commuters are saving a lot of time going through that tunnel. We have finished digging the Waterview tunnel, and when the boring machine, Alice, finished boring that tunnel, I was there, just next to the Mt Roskill electorate\u2019s boundary, with our two Ministers, the Hon Simon Bridges and the Hon Paul Goldsmith. I can tell you that the excitement there was huge. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258eae615-ef83-4df5-bace-6749bdd312a8\u0022\u003EWe will continue to invest in our transport system and our motorway system to make it reliable, safe, and efficient. We have accomplished a lot, yet we will continue to invest more in our infrastructure in different sectors. We will continue to listen to the people of New Zealand, and we will continue to create opportunities for our current and future generations. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022 data-id=\u002230479e4993564108a728e5930f343352\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002230479e4993564108a728e5930f343352\u0022\u003EJONO NAYLOR (National):\u003C/span\u003E It is a real pleasure for me to rise in support of the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, which will be of no surprise to the House. It has been an interesting debate thus far. A comment that I heard from the other side of the House referred to the thinness of this statement. I thought it was only appropriate for me to go back and have a look. I suppose, from a distance, this does look like a rather thin document but, when I looked at it, it has got quite small type, to be honest. But it is 10 pages long, and, on average, there are about 10 paragraphs per page. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003EThere are a hundred\u2014at least\u2014different things that this Government proposes to do over the next year. This is not a tired Government; this is not a Government that in its third term is running out of ideas. This is a Government that is working hard for all New Zealanders. It is working hard to ensure that New Zealand is the kind of place that we all want to live in. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003EI am proud to be associated with a Government that puts people and families first. This is a Government that over this time period has increased the minimum wage\u2014as the Minister of Finance said today\u2014I think by 27 percent, while inflation has been only 11 percent over that time period. There have been significant increases in minimum wages. We are increasing the amount of paid parental leave, and we have decreased ACC levies. We have been the first Government in 43 years\u201443 years\u2014to actually put up the real amounts of benefits to families with children. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that puts jobs, the economy, and increasing opportunities at the centre of economic development. We are moving forward; we are moving on with new ideas. We are taking an innovative approach to solving some age-old problems over this time period, over recent times, and we are going to continue to do this, as outlined in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. We are going to continue our investment approach to public services. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that cares enough about the poor of our communities, those who are most vulnerable in our communities, to ensure that we are looking at the causes of those things that will, potentially, lead them into long-term benefit dependency and other things. If we just simply say we are going to throw money at this or we are going to continue doing things the way we have always done and somehow expect to get a different result, we will be fooling ourselves. And so what we are doing is ensuring that we take innovative approaches, an investment approach, to ensure that those people who are at most risk of long-term welfare dependency, who are at most risk of suffering harm, those who are at most risk of not achieving educational standards\u2014we are going to provide better, more targeted services to them to ensure that their needs are met. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003EWe are doing it through the social housing reforms. We were debating them last week. It was good to see some of those bits of legislation go through that will ensure we can provide better social housing for our people\u2014that we are not sitting back and simply saying that because someone came up with an idea in the 1930s that that is the only good idea you could ever have about social housing. No\u2014we are moving forward, we are trying to be innovative, and we are looking for new ways to do even better things for the people of New Zealand. But this document is, I think, particularly good because it is not a narrow-focused document. The Prime Minister\u2019s statement to Parliament for this year is wide ranging. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003EI have just talked about our social investment strategy. We are also committed to the regions of New Zealand. We are committed to a regional growth programme. We have seen regional growth studies across a number of communities in New Zealand, and that is going to keep happening to others as well. This is about setting a blueprint for regional development and regional growth. I am privileged to live in a community where we can take by-products from animal slaughter and turn them into pharmaceutical products\u2014it is fantastic to see the innovation that is happening there\u2014that can take New Zealand\u2019s p\u0101ua crop, the majority of it, and can it and export it to places around the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225634618f-04f4-4f2c-a4bb-6ec0edeb2bf5\u0022\u003EWe are moving forward economically, we are moving forward socially, and we are moving forward environmentally. We are committed, as a party, to continue to clean up New Zealand\u2019s rivers. That is why we have got our new freshwater consultation document out. There has been great work done, I know, in my own backyard, in the Manawat\u016B, where $5.2 million from the Fresh Start for Fresh Water Clean-up Fund has been invested. The community is working together, alongside the Government, to clean up the Manawat\u016B River. We know that the progress is slow in these areas but we are going to see progress. This is a great statement from our Prime Minister, it outlines exactly what we want to do over the next year, and it will be better for New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022 data-id=\u00222e2833249b0d4ee3a8b4eddcdff08e32\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222e2833249b0d4ee3a8b4eddcdff08e32\u0022\u003EPITA PARAONE (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Deputy Speaker. Engari, i mua i te haere tonu o t\u0113nei w\u0101hanga, e tika ana kia t\u016B ake t\u0113nei ki te tautoko i ng\u0101 mihi i mihingia e t\u0113n\u0101 o ng\u0101 r\u014Dp\u016B t\u014Drangap\u016B ki a Whakat\u014Dhea, \u0101, me Te Waka o M\u0101taatua, i te hingatanga o t\u014D r\u0101tou rangatira, a Ranginui Walker. Ko ia te tangata hei tauira m\u014D t\u0101tou o Te Ao M\u0101ori puta noa ki te iwi wh\u0101nui o Aotearoa. M\u0113n\u0101 e hiakai ana koe ki te kai i ng\u0101 m\u0101tauranga o te ao, k\u0101ore kau k\u0113 koe e hinga atu. N\u0101 reira, e kara, e Rangi, haere, haere hoki atu. Takahia e koe i runga te ara wh\u0101nui, i kawe atu i a koe ki te k\u0101punipunitanga o ng\u0101 wairua. N\u0101 reira, kua ea te w\u0101hi m\u0101 koutou e noho nei i roto i te ao wairua, ka hoki mai ki a t\u0101tou n\u014D te ao t\u016Broa, n\u0101 reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, huri noa ki t\u0113nei o t\u0101tou Whare.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Deputy Speaker. But before this session continues, it is fitting that I rise to support the tributes accorded by that one of the political parties to Whakat\u014Dhea and the M\u0101taatua canoe at the death of their esteemed elder, Ranginui Walker. He is the person who is a model for us of M\u0101oridom and for the public throughout New Zealand. If you crave to feast on worldly knowledge, you will never perish. So to you, dear friend, Rangi, depart, farewell. Walk upon the broad path that will take you to the gathering place of the spirits. Our part in regard to the spiritual world is therefore fulfilled, and I come back to us of the real world to acknowledge, greet, and salute you throughout this, our House.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003ECan I say that just listening to the comments emanating from the other side of the House, I wonder sometimes whether I am in the same country, given that those members continue to extol the virtues of their Government and of their leader and how they have addressed things like housing, health, unemployment, and education, and yet where I come from, in the electorate that I am responsible for at this time on behalf of the New Zealand First Party, Whangarei, the statistics, particularly in terms of M\u0101ori, are not that good. That is in spite of the Government extolling the virtues of having the M\u0101ori Party sitting at the same table. So I need to ask myself: is this is another world, or am I just imagining things? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003ECan I say regarding M\u0101ori in the labour market that national M\u0101ori unemployment is still sitting at 12.6 percent. Findings from both the 2014 and 2015 surveys identified the exact same issues within M\u0101ori unemployment. M\u0101ori unemployment may have fallen marginally in both 2014 and again last year, but it still remains twice as high as the rate for all ethnic groups. I have not heard from that side of the House what the Government has done in that regard. I look at education. In 2015 M\u0101ori with degrees or higher qualifications had the highest employment rate, 86.3 percent. M\u0101ori with no school qualifications had the lowest employment rate, 42.4 percent. So it does pose the question whether in fact the education that has been provided for our people is relevant to them getting a job. There used to be a time when they would get their qualifications and head off overseas. However, it is not so good now, particularly in Australia where they used to go, because of the mining industry and the decline in work in that area. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003EI want to touch on something that I have had to face year in, year out, and that is the question of Waitangi Day. As the chairman of the organising committee that puts together a programme for that day, we can always, as a committee, ascertain before Waitangi Day whether the dust will fly, using a M\u0101ori paraphrase, or whether it will be calm and everyone will enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, the Government chose to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement 2 days out from Waitangi Day. One should not be surprised at the reaction, not only from M\u0101ori but from people across the nation. Although we might say that we have trade agreements that are good, I think the nub of the protest is, essentially, about what the detail is in those agreements. Although we have been assured by the Government that the Treaty will not be infringed on, we do not have any evidence that in fact that is the case. So one should not be surprised: although it has been said that M\u0101ori do not know what they are objecting to, they certainly know that they have not been told the detail. Likewise for the rest of the country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003ECan I suggest to the Government that, in spite of the comment about consulting the people, the very people who were at Waitangi who protested certainly were not consulted. The Government may have consulted some of its friends from the \u201CBrowntable\u201D, who are, in fact, behind driving a lot of the amendments to legislation that will help strengthen their position at the \u201CBrowntable\u201D, but the ordinary Joe Bloggs\u2014they have not been consulted. So one should not be surprised. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003EThe other thing I am a little bit annoyed about is that every year we have a large number of protesters who come to Waitangi, do their protest, and leave their crap behind for those at home to have to deal with. To have a former leader of the National Party and the ACT Party say that the person was not charged because they were M\u0101ori is an insult, because the person certainly was not a M\u0101ori. The person was from Christchurch, and I would like to tell her what she has caused at home and the fact that we are now becoming a laughing stock of the world because of such activities. We should be concerned. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003EThe other thing is the question of the flag. Again we have people protesting about that, and probably there may be a need for change, but did the people of New Zealand ask for it? How often have we from this side talked about the need to have more funding for particular social programmes, and been told that there is not enough money? Yet at the whim of the Prime Minister we can find $26 million to try to make a flag change that the majority of people do not want. The question has been asked: why should M\u0101ori not ask for a change? Well, can I just remind this House that part of the present flag includes the Union Jack, and if we go back to the Treaty of Waitangi, who was that covenant between? M\u0101ori and Queen Victoria. So the Union Jack is a reminder to all of us that the Treaty of Waitangi does have a part not only in the history of this country but in the future of it as a whole. I just want to say those things and to say that in spite of what Government members have said about how good their party is, how good their Government is, the facts certainly do not show that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cba965bb-864f-4e06-99dc-6fcdfd007ad5\u0022\u003EThe member from Whangarei, Shane Reti, made comment about the different roadworks, and he started off by listing the roadworks on the Brynderwyns. Can I tell you that what has been done is not roadworks; it is probably more earthworks. It is creating four lanes going into one lane at the top. So what about the other side of the hill? He also used the Hikurangi bypass as an example. Can I remind the member that it was only a few years ago that that bypass was put in, so already either it is out of date or the work that was done at the time has become irrelevant. So let us not get carried away with what we think we might have done, given that there is still an unacceptably large number of our population, our fellow citizens, who are living in poverty. N\u0101 reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022a0f5c005fac94600922a6d9c06a95f08\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a0f5c005fac94600922a6d9c06a95f08\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Hon Maggie Barry\u2014a 5-minute call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022 data-id=\u00228cb2637b4177467a9464f9db7762e101\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228cb2637b4177467a9464f9db7762e101\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY (Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Mr Deputy Speaker. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was with many of my esteemed colleagues who are gathered around me here tonight at the Bluegreens Forum in Tekap\u014D. It is a wonderful part of the country, and I think it is good for politicians to get out of the rarefied atmosphere of the Beehive. Having heard several of the calls from Opposition members tonight, I think it would behove them well to get out and about a little bit more into the community, because, far from sitting braying about what might have been and fantasising about what they are not doing, it would be useful if they got together, as we did a few weeks ago. My colleague here, Alfred Ngaro, is, of course, an ardent Bluegreen, as are many of my colleagues here, because what we tend to do as a Government is unite behind our Prime Minister, behind our leader, in stark contrast to Labour. We do more for the environmental and conservation movements than the Greens would ever imagine, and I also think David Seymour made a couple of excellent points. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThere seems to be a bit of braying. Maybe some of the people across the other side of the House might have had a little bit too much sun in the dinner break. They are a little flushed and unreasoned. I have heard tonight about the struggles some of my colleagues have had to be heard above the cacophony, so I am going to rise above it because I do feel that there are some important things to say about the vision that we have around conservation, in particular. I am sure David Seymour will be paying close attention, with his new-found love for sanctuaries and eliminating pests and ensuring that the things we love\u2014the taonga species\u2014are protected. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ELet me talk to you about a broad, big, hairy, stretch vision\u2014that is, a predator-free New Zealand. I am not talking about the Opposition at this time. I am focused instead on rats, stoats, and possums, primarily. Aerial drops of 1080 are working and will continue to be used. I would request that the Greens stand up and actually come out a little bit on this one and support\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022931924b2bacb44dea3db83a2ce95d9f5\u0022\u003EEugenie Sage\u003C/span\u003E: We have.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226768ba5388b400c80b7a4514d21bd3c\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: \u20141080 in an obvious way. Keep up the work then, Ms Sage. It would be really useful if you joined the chorus of approval rather than carping from the sidelines. We will leave carp to another time, of course, in their substance. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThe thing about having a predator-free New Zealand is that what you need to do is kill the things that are killing the things you love. So we take pre-emptive strikes. We have the technology to rid a valley or a peninsula of pests, as at Zealandia here and in other parts of the country, but we do need to have a longer-term vision that really is about eradicating these exotic pests. They have come here from different lands, made this place their own, and now, of course, they need to be dispatched. It is costing the economy $3.3 billion a year, the eradication of these exotic pests. I hope I am not disturbing any of my colleagues who are a little squeamish about extermination, but I do think it is important to address these issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThe vast habitats our native animals need will be heightened and they will be safe, and the regions will also enjoy better tourism, if we can embrace this vision. Take Taranaki\u2014the Project Taranaki Mounga partnership, which was announced in December, is an example of how big goals can be achieved, region by region, and you need to involve several partners. The Department of Conservation is contributing about a third of the cost of the $24 million project in Taranaki. I was there on Thursday for a very exciting launch, along with my colleagues the Hon Chester Borrows and Jonathan Young\u2014if he is here\u2014as well and Barbara Kuriger and others. We were talking about biodiversity in Taranaki. It is a very important thing to think about collaboration\u2014an unknown for the Opposition, of course. Project Taranaki Mounga, with its biodiversity vision, has the ability to change the face of conservation in New Zealand. I think that it is incredibly encouraging, and it will be the start of what we hope to roll out over the next few years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EWilding pines\u2014and I commend my friend and colleague Nathan Guy on this. The Ministry for Primary Industries is leading the charge, and we are very focused on getting rid of these wilding pines because we cannot afford to back away from the problem. The Government, regional authorities, community groups, businesses, philanthropists, and the forestry sector itself need to combine forces. Wildings, for those of you who are not up to speed with it, already cover about 1.7 million hectares of land, and they are advancing at a rate of around 6 percent a year. If we sit back and do nothing, wildings will cover about 22 percent of our country within the next 20 years, and that is totally unacceptable. Most of the land that they would colonise is arable land. It is good, productive farming land and it is land that we need to use for other things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThe wilding conifers do not respect the boundaries. They seed widely and freely\u2014up to 20 kilometres, in fact, with some of this very fine pollen\u2014so we really need to be on top of this issue, and the New Zealand Wilding Conifer Management Strategy is something that we, as a Government, have bought into. We, at central government level, will take a leadership role in this, and we will work with others to achieve the goals. That is what this John Key - led Government is all about: fine leadership, a strong, united caucus and Cabinet, and strong, united thinking and philosophies that will deliver a vision. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b2567d3e-a09c-47b4-bd50-2f5bb4049762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002287de42fab6124e989cc3c442e09273a9\u0022\u003ESue Moroney\u003C/span\u003E: That got leaked, eh, Maggie?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205ede1e87ae54f858556a51c3a17f33f\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: Again, the Opposition members are incredulous. These are unknown territories for them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EWar on Weeds is another element of our vision that is not to be underestimated. It seems to me that while we focus on the birds and while we focus on our creatures\u2014a very important part of our biodiversity\u2014we cannot forget the plants. The War on Weeds, which we declared about 6 months ago, has rolled out the dirty dozen, which are common or garden plants that have got away on us a bit and we need to pull them back\u2014\u201Ca bit\u201D is actually understating it. We spent something like $1.2 million from the Department of Conservation Community Fund to help community weed control groups, with Weedbusters and the Queen Elizabeth the Second National Trust, and I commend a lot of these smaller groups. Up and down the country they are united. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI was visiting a place in Taranaki on Friday, as the Minister for Senior Citizens, and I would have to say that it was incredibly heartening to see a group of about 40 people in their 70s getting together to weed, to plant, to destroy pests, and to create habitats for our creatures. It gets them together, doing something with great purpose and meaning, and it is good exercise. That is another of our programmes, which we call Healthy Nature, Healthy People, which is where you get people into the great outdoors. They are doing something for themselves but also\u2014in the case of the people in Taranaki, and so many groups up and down the country I have seen in the last year\u2014they are working for the good of our nature. They are working together in a cause that they believe in. We help them out with funding. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EWe also encourage, through the Kiwi Conservation Club and a successful bid for new money that we got across the line in last year\u2019s Budget of over $11.2 million\u2014we have invested that in the future of our national bird. The number of our national birds is declining at about minus 2 percent a year. That is a decline that we need to reverse. We have a target, we have a name, and we have a vision. That is how you measure what you do and that is how you manage the problem\u2014again, unknown territory to the Opposition members, who have fallen very silent because they are completely at sea with these notions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EWhen it comes to Kiwis for Kiwi, the turn-round has begun. We are working with New Zealander of the Year nominee Rob Fenwick to help community groups to protect the birds and protect their habitats. We are boosting the Department of Conservation\u2019s own funding by more than $6 million a year\u2014and that will be from 2018 onwards\u2014expanding breeding programmes such as Kiwi Creches, K\u014Dhanga Kiwi, and pest control, as well as monitoring all of the existing populations. The whole game, really, around this is to protect the birds\u2014the kiwis, in particular\u2014so that they get to a stage where they can help themselves, and at the time when they are about a kilogram in weight, they are then able to. They can fight off anything actually, kiwis. That is why they are our national bird, I think. They are fierce. They may not look the most elegant birds. They do not fly, but they have commendable character. They are extraordinary birds at looking after themselves, but they need a bit of help along the way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo if we turn that minus 2 percent decline into a plus 2 percent increase, we will have about 7,000 more birds, and that means they will be able to proliferate in the wild. My dream is to ensure that they are audible\u2014that they keep people awake at night in the suburbs around New Zealand. We want the bird numbers to go up. We need to be able to work with the tools that we have in nature and conservation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EJust going through some of the issues that we have been dealing with in the arts, culture, and heritage area, tonight I signed a co-production agreement with the Israeli Government so that we can have films and television\u2014shared projects and shared collaboration between our countries. That is the 17th co-production agreement we have signed over the past few years, and it means that the ties that bind the countries that we have cultural links with will only increase at a stronger level. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThe Ministry for Culture and Heritage is working with a lot of different regions to mark the anniversary, as well\u2014WW100. This year we are moving away from Gallipoli and into commemorating the battle sites of Europe, and we are opening plinths and telling the New Zealand story internationally. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI would like to finish my call tonight on seniors, which is the third portfolio responsibility that I have. Leading the fight against social isolation\u2014which is a newfangled way, maybe, of describing loneliness\u2014we need to get rid of that corrosive element and stop the lead and decline of loneliness and social isolation into elder abuse, which is a big problem in New Zealand. Around 2,000 cases are reported currently, and that is probably a real underestimation. There are closer to 18,000. So the challenges continue, but I think this Government, under John Key\u2019s strong leadership, is well up for the programme. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EYou will see that I am wearing the alternative flag on my lapel. I will be voting for that, and I would urge others to look beyond the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022849470716afb42bb935e32a3af62dcde\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022849470716afb42bb935e32a3af62dcde\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry to interrupt the member. Her time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022 data-id=\u002214782139dc924565bfd8463b4577dd79\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002214782139dc924565bfd8463b4577dd79\u0022\u003EDAVID SHEARER (Labour\u2014Mt Albert):\u003C/span\u003E I just want to spend 5 minutes\u2014but I want to pick up where that woman, Maggie Barry, has just left off. I spent my holidays in Northland this year, and I did not hear the birds. I did not hear the birds, and I will tell you why\u2014because pest control in Northland is so abysmal that the birds are being killed off. The conservator up there in Northland did not even have the guts to be able to ask for any more money\u2014which is less than $1 million a year\u2014to ask the Government for more money to preserve those birds, because she knew that she was going to get turned down. That is the legacy of this Government. The legacy is that it has got no money, it has cut the budgets, and now our forests\u2014certainly in Northland\u2014are at risk. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003ESo that is where I wanted to start off, but I want to talk about a meeting that I had yesterday with a young guy called Sudhvir Singh, who is from Generation Zero. He spoke at the Auckland Council meeting a few days ago. He talked about pulling up the ladder. What he meant was that while he was trying to get things that we all want\u2014a house, a job, and everything else\u2014the well-heeled people and everybody else around the Auckland area were pulling up the ladder. He was booed and hissed at as he gave evidence to the Auckland Council about the need for more housing in Auckland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003EWe all want the same things\u2014the same things that I want, he wants. He wants to be able to have a piece of that Kiwi Dream that I have, which is about getting his own house. But inequality in New Zealand has grown wider and wider. I am talking not just about the inequality between the rich and the poor; I am talking about the inequality between young and old. Today the younger people come out of university with a huge student loan. They have to pay that off, and then they are confronted\u2014if they are living in Auckland\u2014with average house prices of $900,000-plus. Who could possibly afford that? These people are being priced completely out of the market. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003EI want to say that this Government does not look forward. It does not look to those people who need their help. It is not like the Labour Party, which has just recently put up its proposal to have 3 years\u2019 free tertiary education. At least there is a plan there to address the intergenerational inequality that exists in this country. Not only that, but this Government will not address\u2014will not even look at\u2014the issue of superannuation. Right now, this year, we are spending more money on superannuation than our entire education budget, and it is still going up. That is something that is a legacy, once again, that these younger people are going to have to pull up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003ESudhvir Singh is wanting what a lot of other young people have been asking for, but this Government defends the people who booed and hissed. Basically, those people are desperate to hang on to their privilege and desperate to keep their property prices high\u2014desperate to pull up the ladder so that young people do not get a chance any more. That is something that we in the Labour Party detest\u2014we detest unfairness. We want the best for everybody. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dfa851f0-ef7b-4834-bc41-1b3b645a3495\u0022\u003EWe do not want to see the inequality gap growing in terms of poverty and also in terms of intergenerational equity. So we are willing to put our money where our mouth is. We want to see people going on to tertiary training and getting it for free, so that they are not burdened down with great big loans and so that they get a proper leg-up and a proper chance in life, and we want to see them get affordable housing. That is why we have always supported the building of 10,000 affordable houses a year. Those are two bold initiatives about addressing what we need to be doing in the future, and that is something that this Government has nothing to say about because it allowed the property price to go to an average of $900,000 in Auckland. It has nothing to say to those younger people who want to get a chance in life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u00229ec7a559c0624d65be85fd55d88d4e6f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229ec7a559c0624d65be85fd55d88d4e6f\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A 5-minute call\u2014Rino Tirikatene.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u00227ba67c1797c1428abd0353cf69df7c43\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227ba67c1797c1428abd0353cf69df7c43\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to respond to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, and, naturally, I am standing to oppose the statement. But before I launch into that, I would like to just join with my colleague Mr Shearer there in responding to Ms Barry\u2019s waxing lyrical on the big goals of biodiversity in her portfolio. I always pause\u2014because Mr Shearer said that he could not hear the birds in Tai Tokerau, and that is a sad fact\u2014and I think of the slaughter by the Deerstalkers Association of the four takah\u0113 on Motutapu Island under this Minister\u2019s watch. That is another reason. It is not only about underfunding but we had an incompetent Minister bring in amateur deerstalkers who wiped out 30 percent of one of the most endangered species there in one fell swoop. So that is the great achievement from that Minister right there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EBut I would like to switch to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. If people sitting at home are confused as to what was in that statement, they have got a very good point, because we have got a chorus line here waxing on with their pre-scripted lines, but what I would say is that the Prime Minister gave two speeches. There is a very thin document that is the actual statement, but what he actually delivered in the House was just his normal court jester routine. So no wonder the public at large are confused by this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EI think there is so much spin going on that we need to really break through. We need to break through the spin from this National Government. We hear things like \u201Ca better Public Service\u201D and \u201Ca sharper, leaner, more competitive Public Service\u201D, and what that really means is\u2014and I want to give an example from my own portfolio area. In customs, what that really means is understaffing, under-resourcing, and a front line in disarray at our border. That is what that really means, and I can give examples. We are seeing front-line customs officers taken off duty. They are actually there to screen passengers, but what we are seeing is hundreds of passengers coming through Auckland Airport and only seven customs officers are there to process 2,000 passengers an hour. That is an example of mismanagement not only from the department but also from the Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EBut it gets even worse than that, because what is happening\u2014and we had Mrs Collins talking earlier on about the great achievements in the law and order arena now that she is back on deck. But what that actually means is that not only are we under-resourced at the border but we are seeing a flood\u2014a flood\u2014of illicit drugs coming into our country. Mrs Collins herself said that 330 kilos of methamphetamine was intercepted last year. What is actually happening is that that is what was caught, but, actually, only one in 10 is actually caught at the border. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ESo we could extrapolate that number out and say that there were 3 tonnes of methamphetamine that came into the country, and we can actually back that up\u2014true. So that is an actual failure of this National Government. National came in after campaigning in 2007 about how it wanted to crack down on P\u2014crack down on the scourge. Well, that is an actual failure there, and the Government itself has admitted it. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has admitted that the availability and the usage and the purity of P is on the rise, so there is a complete failure there, and the Ministry of Health is also saying that the usage among average Kiwis has not changed. It is right up there, and it is above the international average. So there is a failure right there from the Government, and we are seeing that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EWhat that does, though, is it cuts across and it is damaging to our communities. It is prolific, and that is one more thing that is hurting our communities at large. People want to feel safe and people expect to have the Kiwi Dream of being safe in their communities and safe in their households, but what we are seeing is actually the opposite from this Government. It does not care about the communities at large. It does not care about the people who are struggling to buy a house. People are being turned away by our health system, which is overstretched. The thousands of children who are in poverty\u2014that is really a sad indictment on this Government, and that is what our country is subjected to today. I oppose the Prime Minister\u2019s statement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022 data-id=\u0022335c8c39778e43a0ab94d4072d65522f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225f1453f8-c44e-4ce6-b699-64d600322276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022335c8c39778e43a0ab94d4072d65522f\u0022\u003EMr DEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A 5-minute call\u2014Andrew Bayly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u00224be6b7fd3b4d41a0a07d8cfaf1bad2d4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224be6b7fd3b4d41a0a07d8cfaf1bad2d4\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Hunua):\u003C/span\u003E I was going to talk about a number of things tonight, but I just thought I might respond to some of the speeches, particularly the last two that we have had from Rino Tirikatene and David Shearer. They followed an excellent speech by my colleague the Hon Maggie Barry, who was talking about what we are doing in the area of conservation, and then I heard the two speakers talking about the lack of birds up in Northland. Well, I would just like to invite both those speakers to come and visit me in Hunua, because we have got a wonderful programme around the kokako, in the Hunua Range. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EIn 1974 there was only one breeding pair left in New Zealand, but thanks to the good efforts of the Auckland Council and also the Department of Conservation we now have 66 breeding pairs in the Hunua Range. This is a wonderful achievement in bringing back a bird from the brink of extinction into something that is viable, and, what is more, I am raising $10,000 to go towards that programme. I would like to challenge those two former speakers to put up some money and come and help our programme and come and join in and see how these birds live in our wonderful part of this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EI heard a couple of other things mentioned. I heard a little debate about superannuation. I just wish these speakers would actually spend 5 minutes looking at some facts and figures. I heard Mr Shearer saying that our superannuation is dreadful and it is out of control. Well, actually, the facts are that currently we pay 5 percent of our total Government spend on superannuation every year. When you compare that with most OECD countries we are well below the average. Most are about 9 percent and up to about 15 percent. Even stretching it forward many, many years up to 2050, we will ultimately hit about 8 percent of our total spend. Just to put that in context, over the last 8 years through the good efforts of our Minister of Finance we have reduced Government spend by near on 4 percent. When you are spending nearly $70 billion a year, that works out to be roughly about $9 billion to $10 billion of savings a year. That alone is going to offset a lot of that increased cost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EBut what we are also doing is growing an economy and reducing debt. So even now our debt is at 27 percent of GDP, which will be half of Australia\u2019s by 2020, and England and the EU will be four times ours. The US will be five times ours by 2020. We will have modest debt. That is all about preparing ourselves so we can meet these future commitments. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EFinally, housing\u2014I heard that magic word about housing. Again I invite the members to come to Hunua. Come to Hunua because 12,000 sections are going to come to market over the next 5 years\u201412,000. And I heard someone saying we need 10,000. Come to my wonderful electorate and you will see it. The issue we have got is we need to continue to invest in infrastructure and that is what we are doing\u2014$4.25 billion into roading into Auckland alone over the next 3 years, and all those other good things like schools that our new mayor will be able to come and open over the next few years. I am looking forward to doing it. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022 data-id=\u002201799ec8e3574fa1995b854995aa7b34\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002201799ec8e3574fa1995b854995aa7b34\u0022\u003ETODD BARCLAY (National\u2014Clutha-Southland):\u003C/span\u003E A very robust act to follow there\u2014well done, Mr Bayly. I would just like to talk in support of the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I will start off by talking about a remark made by Mr Shearer with regard to the Labour Party\u2019s free tertiary education policy. It is probably fair to say that I am the probably closest to that space of policy in this House. I have actually just recently paid off my student loan. But one of the things that I think is important to remember is that the Government already, effectively, carries the cost of about 75 percent of student loan payments. When you look at it in that context, you see that 25 percent of that loan is still being paid for by the student. It is still quite considerable as part of their salary, but, actually, the cost of appreciating that is considerable as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EI do not think that there is much in life that you get for free, but if you do receive something for free, many people do appreciate it. But if you are receiving a free education, the ability or the incentive for you to actually work hard and study to try to get the best results that you can are not there if there is not a cost to you and there is not an incentive to complete your education. And I can tell you about that first-hand. I think that what the Government is doing with regard to tertiary education already is a very positive move. We are already incentivising students enough to study but not making it unaffordable for them to do so. If you come from a family, or if you are in a position where you cannot afford to pay for accommodation or some course-related costs, there are payments through the accommodation supplement and payments for course-related costs. There are subsidies there to assist people into education. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EJust regarding the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, New Zealand is in good shape, and I say that with strong confidence as someone representing a large rural electorate at the bottom of the South Island. That progress is actually due to the hard work and positive attitude of New Zealanders, but it is also because of the stability and cohesion and confidence that come from having more than 7 years of strong and stable Government under John Key\u2019s leadership. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EWe have got a busy agenda in 2016, carrying on from 7 years of hard work and consistent policy development. We are pressing on with social housing reforms to do a better job for our tenants. Many residents in Invercargill will, hopefully, benefit from that as those discussions progress over the coming years, and I am sure that if my colleague Sarah Dowie was here she would be remarking on that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EWe are also maintaining a strong focus on law and order. To that end I want to compliment and acknowledge the hard-working police officers in my electorate. Particularly, I want to name three people, and they are the area commanders responsible for the Queenstown-Lakes area, the Clutha area, and a large part of the Southland area. They are Alastair Dickie, Richard McPhail, and Olaf Jensen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EI also want to acknowledge the hard work of the staff of the Otago Corrections Facility, and the manager, Jack Harrison. It is an important part of our electorate. It is Milton\u2019s largest employer. It has created opportunities for that town, for employment, and for other staff to move on. The reason why I mention those areas is that they are often thankless jobs, but there are a lot of people who go out every day and protect and serve our constituents right across the country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EI want to touch a little bit on some of the things that we are doing. In New Zealand we have to focus on the things that we can control. We are a small Island nation at the bottom of the world. Things that we can control are our own competitiveness and our economic performance, and we are also well placed to meet external challenges in so far as we can, as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EOtago and Southland, as I have already mentioned, are primary industry - driven communities, and as well we have got Queenstown, the Catlins and Milford Sound, which are largely driven by tourism. We cannot forget that New Zealand is performing very well compared with most countries in these areas. Just in terms of tourism, last year there were over 100,000 visitors who travelled to the Catlins, and there were over 600,000 visitors who travelled to Milford Sound, which is back up near pre-global financial crisis numbers. Queenstown was No. 1 for the international visitor spend, with 14 percent market share of international expenditure. So these parts of the economy are doing very well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002277333e3c-5658-4149-9cad-262a0deed378\u0022\u003EWe had the southern field days a couple of weeks ago where 13 MPs came down, including the Prime Minister, the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Bill English. That has provided a lot of support for our farmers down there, and I just want to acknowledge that. In closing, I have no hesitation in fully commending the Prime Minister\u2019s statement and supporting it. 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=\u00222d25555030994102aefcc0fe4dc283fb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222d25555030994102aefcc0fe4dc283fb\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Melissa Lee\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u00221df2ffe0f4f24891aeb84ba1cafb7911\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221df2ffe0f4f24891aeb84ba1cafb7911\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E I would like to take the opportunity to speak to our Prime Minister\u2019s statement to the House for 2016 and to commend it. I fully support his statement. We are incredibly fortunate in this country, I think, to have such a great leader who is working for families and supporting the needs of ordinary New Zealanders. I think it is well recognised that the people in New Zealand, the public, actually also recognise that in the Prime Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThe great work this side of the House is achieving can be seen through fantastic sets of policies, and I would like to kick off with the tourism portfolio, which the Prime Minister has been responsible for. Since 2008 this Government has invested $700 million in tourism and tourism promotion. In the year ended December 2015 we saw a huge rise\u2014a more than 30 percent increase\u2014in international visitor spending. That is up to $9.7 billion\u2014not $9.7 million, but $9.7 billion\u2014in international visitor spending, which is an increase of more than 30 percent. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EI would also like to talk about the great achievement of our finance Minister, Bill English. He got the books back in the black, and that is not a small achievement considering the fact that we have had a huge global financial crisis and that New Zealand was faced with a lot of issues, including the Christchurch earthquakes that devastated the economy. We recently marked their fifth anniversary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EIn 2015 this House saw the successful completion of the free-trade agreement with Korea, my birth country. Many members have already extolled the virtues of free trade. Last month we saw the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, one of the biggest free-trade deals in the world and a deal that will bring huge benefits to all regions of this country and to many people in poverty and hardship in developing communities around New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EIt is a real shame that there are people in this House who do not actually recognise the amazing opportunity that exists for New Zealanders in this deal\u2014a view that even the previous Labour Government saw with China. That free-trade agreement has actually boosted this economy. I see that the Hon Phil Goff is sitting over there. We know for a fact that he supports free trade, and there are other members in his caucus who actually do recognise the benefit of free trade, as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThis partnership is going to revolutionise our markets and the way that New Zealand companies can engage with the global market. Whether they are squash and fruitgrowers on the East Coast or deer velvet suppliers in the South Island, we on this side of the House recognise their need for the reduction of tariffs and an end to trade barriers when we are dealing with international markets and we are actually selling to those markets. I recently saw, and actually posted on my Facebook as well, cherries that are being sold to Asia. We are seeing a huge openness in the market. Looking at Korea, for example, the tariff that it actually had was 25 percent\u2014it is gone. The 25 percent tariff that it used to have is gone, and it means that it actually gives access to the market without tariff. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EWe will be able to send our world-class wines and other luxury goods to Japan without tariffs and restrictions. We also will see many New Zealanders export to our free-trade agreement partners tariff-free. This will greatly improve our market access in those countries, and support more New Zealand industries across our country. I think free-trade agreements\u2014the likes of the Korea free-trade agreement and TPP\u2014are something that we should all support and actually welcome. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister\u2019s statement also shows what a fortunate nation we are to have strong leadership and the economic opportunity this country actually has. This year benefits for families with children will increase on top of inflation. This week actually saw the minimum wage rise to $15.25 an hour. We are getting more support for after-school care, and more cutting of red tape to give small businesses the tools that they actually need. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EI am here to support the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. This Government is in good spirits and is doing great work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022fee5995d751d47ceb2929582e8aa9776\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fee5995d751d47ceb2929582e8aa9776\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Alfred Ngaro, 5 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022 data-id=\u002246e43bb432dd4809891bd2e757c84c6f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002246e43bb432dd4809891bd2e757c84c6f\u0022\u003EALFRED NGARO (National):\u003C/span\u003E I rise to take a call on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement in the House, but before I do so\u2014I have only just returned back to the House this evening and heard the news that Mr Twyford\u2019s mother had passed away. Though we may be in opposition in the House and candidates and contenders in our communities, the fact is that we are still people, and so I do want to acknowledge the passing away of Mr Phil Twyford\u2019s mother. I give my condolences to him, and his family and his wh\u0101nau as well, at this time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EI was away from the House because I was at the orientation week at Auckland University. I was there yesterday. I know that I saw Mr Cunliffe hiding under an umbrella, heading to the school. I saw Mr Clayton Mitchell\u2014he was there as well. He was on the other side. He did not quite have his three-piece suit on, but he still had the suit and tie. He was out there talking to the students at Auckland uni. One of my sons is actually there at Auckland uni. It was quite interesting yesterday, in having these conversations with a lot of the students there and talking about what the Government is doing. They wanted to know what direction the Government is going in. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EI had one student come up to me, and I could see by his body language that\u2014he was looking like he was coming for a fight. He came there and he stood at a distance, and he said: \u201COh, yeah, National Party, eh? National Government.\u201D I said: \u201CYep, that\u2019s right.\u201D Then he said: \u201CYeah, well, what are you doing? What are you doing for our people?\u201D. He spent the next 3 minutes telling me about all the things that we are not doing\u2014not caring for the poor, not doing enough for M\u0101ori, not doing enough for Pasifika\u2014and he just went on and on and on. So I said \u201COh, that\u2019s great. Well, why don\u2019t I start by just introducing myself to you?\u201D, and he said: \u201COh!\u201D. I said: \u201CMaybe you don\u2019t know where I come from. Look, I\u2019m a first generation\u2014born here. My parents came from the Pacific. My mum was a cleaner, my dad was a labourer. I come from a working-class family. That\u2019s where I come from.\u201D He looked at me and he goes: \u201CWell, and what are you doing in the National Party?\u201D. And I said: \u201CWell, because of this: the values that my parents gave me as a working-class family were these\u2014and my grandmother as well, and others who turned around and said this to me. They said \u2018You know, we\u2019ve come here for the same opportunities. We don\u2019t want to have anything more special than anyone else, but all we ask for is this: we want the same opportunities as anyone else.\u2019\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EOne thing I also told this young man was the fact that I am a tradesman. I think I am one of the few tradesmen who may be in the House here, in Parliament, of 121 MPs. I am an electrician by trade. I started off as a M\u0101ori Affairs pre-apprentice, and went to Domett Avenue Hostel. I said to him: \u201CThe fact is that I too come from a trade.\u201D He said: \u201CI was a painter before I came here to Auckland University, and now I\u2019m doing law.\u201D So I said to him: \u201CSo here\u2019s the thing, right? In my background\u201D\u2014I said\u2014\u201CI don\u2019t have political science, but the thing that I like about where this Government is going, and when we\u2019re talking about our Prime Minister, is this: that we basically don\u2019t talk about stuff all the time. We get on and do the job that needs to be done.\u201D I said: \u201CYou\u2019re a painter. You sit here. If you look at a building over days and days\u2014you can talk about it till the cows come home, right\u2014it won\u2019t go anywhere.\u201D In other words, you\u2019ve got to say \u201CHere\u2019s a job. It needs to be done.\u201D, and fix it and make it happen. That is the pragmatism of this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003ESo he said to me: \u201CGive me some examples. Let\u2019s talk about this.\u201D He talked about \u201CWhat are you doing for M\u0101ori? Let\u2019s talk about this.\u201D I asked him \u201CIn 9 years of a Labour Government, OK, how many Treaty claims were completed?\u201D, and he said: \u201COh, I don\u2019t know.\u201D Well, you can count them on just two hands\u2014it is called six. Right? In 6 to 7 years of a National Government\u2014Peeni Henare will know what it is\u2014it is 43. So what is it? We can talk all the days that we can, but we just get on and do the business that needs to be done. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EHe said to me: \u201CWhat about housing? What are you doing for housing in our communities?\u201D. He said \u201CLabour\u2019s doing a lot more.\u201D, and I said: \u201CIn 9 years how many houses do you know that they actually retrofitted to make warm and dry?\u201D. He said: \u201CI don\u2019t know.\u201D It was 2,000 a year, 18,000 over 9 years. I said: \u201CDo you want to know what we\u2019ve done? I\u2019ll tell you this: over 40,000 Housing New Zealand homes; under the retrofitting programme Warm Up New Zealand, over 300,000; if we do the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill, it will be over 180,000 by 2019. That will come to 500,000.\u201D I said to this young man: \u201CWhat I stand for\u2014I don\u2019t have a political science degree. I\u2019m a tradesman at heart. I come in here to do things that make a difference for our communities, for young people like you and your family. In other words, we just get on with the business. But\u201D, I said, \u201CI tell you what. Don\u2019t just take what I say for granted. How about you let the facts speak for themselves? That\u2019s the evidence.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EI commend the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, because it is pragmatic, it is practical, and it gets on with doing the business, the things that Kiwis respect and have voted for in the last two elections. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u0022eda6b54a288c430cafd0e3473159bc30\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eda6b54a288c430cafd0e3473159bc30\u0022\u003EPEENI HENARE (Labour\u2014T\u0101maki Makaurau):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare. Ko T\u016Bt\u0101mure te tupuna, ko Te Whakat\u014Dhea te iwi. E te ahorangi, e Ranginui Walker, e te tohunga o te whakaiti, e te ahorangi o te ao m\u0101tauranga, t\u0113nei e tangi apakura atu ana ki a koe, otir\u0101, koutou kua ngaro atu ki Te P\u014D. Ka t\u0101piri atu ko te m\u0101m\u0101 o taku hoa mahi a Phil Twyford ki a ia, ka t\u0101piri hoki ko t\u014Dku tupuna 2 wiki ki muri, i mahue ake ki te p\u014D. N\u014D reira, koutou e te hunga wairua ki a koutou, e moe, e moe, okioki!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EKa noho ahau ki roto i Te Reo M\u0101ori. He aha te take i p\u0113n\u0101 ai? Kia kite t\u0101tou me te whakam\u0101tautau i t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga me w\u0101 r\u0101tau manawanui ki t\u014D t\u0101tou Reo M\u0101ori, t\u0101 te mea, aianei tata ake nei ka uru mai Te Pire m\u014D Te Reo M\u0101ori ki roto i t\u014D t\u0101tou Whare. N\u0101, ka kite t\u0101tou mehemea e manawanui ana t\u014D t\u0101tou K\u0101wanatanga ki t\u0113nei taonga o Te Reo M\u0101ori. E rua ana ng\u0101 take, p\u016B ana ki a t\u0101ua Te M\u0101ori. Ko te mea tuatahi i t\u0113nei w\u0101, ko Te Pire m\u014D Te Reo M\u0101ori, ko te mea tuarua, ko Te Pire Whenua M\u0101ori. Ka whakaaro ake Te Iwi M\u0101ori, ko \u0113nei mea e rua, he taonga. He taonga Te Reo M\u0101ori, he taonga an\u014D hoki te whenua ki a t\u0101ua Te M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, ka whakaaro ake ahau ki ng\u0101 mahi nanakia, ng\u0101 mahi m\u0101minga o t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga. Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki ng\u0101 k\u014Drero a Ranginui Walker i roto i tana pukapuka e mea ana: \u201CMe hui ng\u0101tahi Te K\u0101wanatanga me Te M\u0101ori ki runga i te marae. Me kaua Te K\u0101wanatanga e karanga hui ana ki roto i ng\u0101 h\u014Dt\u0113ra, ki roto i ng\u0101 w\u0101hi P\u0101keh\u0101. Me tae atu ki te marae ki te \u0101ta k\u014Drero i ng\u0101 take e p\u0101 ana ki Te Iwi M\u0101ori.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, ka tukuna atu te p\u0101tai ki t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga: he aha te take i t\u016B ng\u0101 hui e p\u0101 ana ki Te Pire Whenua M\u0101ori ki roto i ng\u0101 h\u014Dt\u0113ra o te P\u0101keh\u0101? Ko reira katoa te wairua o Te M\u0101ori? K\u0101hore! K\u0101hore! K\u0101hore! E p\u0101tai atu ana ki t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga e i a r\u0101tou e huri haere ana i te motu wh\u0101nui, i whakaae mai Te Iwi M\u0101ori ki ng\u0101 nekehanga o Te Pire Whenua M\u0101ori? E k\u0101hore! E k\u0101hore! E k\u0101hore!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, ka tukuna atu t\u0113nei p\u0101tai ki t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga: ko te aha koutou m\u014D Te Iwi M\u0101ori\u2014ko te aha koutou ki Te Iwi M\u0101ori? E tika ana te k\u014Drero o taku hoa mahi, a Nanaia Mahuta, e mea ana: \u201CN\u014D reira, he aha te painga m\u014D t\u0101ua Te M\u0101ori?\u201D. Ka kite t\u0101tou ki roto i ng\u0101 tatauranga e mea ana: e p\u014Dhara tonu ana Te Iwi M\u0101ori; kei te ngaro haere te whenua M\u0101ori; kei te mimiti haere Te R\u0113o M\u0101ori. An\u0101, kei te mauhere. \u0100, ko te nuinga o ng\u0101 mauhere ki roto i ng\u0101 whareherehere, ko Te M\u0101ori. An\u0101, ko ng\u0101 tatauranga o te ao hauora. \u0100n\u0101, ko Te M\u0101ori e p\u0113hi ana ki raro. N\u014D reira, ki te whakautu i te k\u014Drero a te mema k\u0101tahi an\u014D kua noho ki roto i t\u014D t\u0101tou Whare, \u0101, e hoa, he aha nei te painga ki a t\u0101ua Te M\u0101ori? Ka k\u012B atu, horekau! Horekau! Horekau!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, ka t\u016B au ki te whakah\u0113 i te k\u014Drero a Te Pirimia i te t\u012Bmatanga o t\u0113nei tau t\u0101 te mea, kua k\u014Drero ahau m\u014D ng\u0101 tatauranga, kua k\u014Drero ahau m\u014D ng\u0101 nekehanga m\u0101minga o t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga. Ka whakaaro ake ahau m\u014D te k\u014Drero \u0101 t\u014Dku tupuna e mea ana: \u201CI rongo \u0113ngari, k\u012Bhai i rongo! I kite \u0113ngari, k\u012Bhai i kite.\u201D Koi n\u0101 te mahi o t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga ki t\u014Dku Iwi M\u0101ori. Kua k\u014Drero ahau mo te p\u014Dharatanga. K\u0101tahi ano au ka mutu i ng\u0101 huihuinga ki roto i te t\u0101one nui o T\u0101maki-makau-rau, \u0101, ko te nuinga o ng\u0101 k\u014Drero e mea ana, e p\u014Dhara tonu ana r\u0101tou. Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki Te Wharekura o Manurewa, kua roa rawa e tatari ana m\u014D Te Minita Take M\u0101tauranga, kia whakaae, kia t\u016B te wharekura ki roto o Manurewa. He aha te take? Ko Te Reo M\u0101ori te take. He aha te take? Ko te oranga o t\u0101ua Te Iwi M\u0101ori! Hei whakakapi ake kua kite ahau i ng\u0101 m\u0101ngai o te K\u0101wanatanga e kore aro mai nei ki t\u014D t\u0101ua Reo M\u0101ori. Hei whakakapi ake, tukuna te poi, kia rere! E hari koa ana kua tat\u016B te whakatau m\u014D te mahi poi a te t\u0101ne ki roto i te ahurea k\u0101 t\u016B ki roto i ng\u0101 m\u0101rama e t\u016B mai nei, e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E[Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. T\u016Bt\u0101mure is the ancestor and Te Whakat\u014Dhea is the tribe. To you, Professor Ranginui Walker, professor of humility and professor of the world of education, I lament here for you, but at the same time for all of you lost to the void. I add to him the mother of my parliamentary colleague Phil Twyford, and an ancestor of mine 2 weeks ago who was left behind in the void. So, to all of you spiritual ones, sleep, slumber, and rest.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI will remain speaking in the M\u0101ori language. And why do I do that? So that we can see and test this Government and its stout heart in regard to our M\u0101ori language, because not too far away now the M\u0101ori Language Bill will be introduced into our House. We will see then just how stout our Government\u2019s heart is to this treasured aspect of the M\u0101ori language. There are two matters that we of M\u0101oridom place emphasis on: the first one, at this point in time, is the M\u0101ori Language Bill, and the second one is the proposed Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill. M\u0101oridom consider these two a treasure. The M\u0101ori language is a treasure and so is the land to you and me, the M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAnd so I think about the crafty and devious actions of this Government and the statement made by Ranginui Walker in his book, which stated: \u201CGovernment and M\u0101ori must meet together on the marae. Government must never convene a meeting in hotels and non-M\u0101ori settings. They must go to the marae to really talk matters through that relate to M\u0101oridom.\u201D So the question to this Government is: what is the reason why meetings for the proposed Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill were held in non-M\u0101ori hotels? Was the M\u0101ori spirituality all there? Not at all, not at all, not at all! I ask of this Government whether, as it went around the country at large, the M\u0101ori people agreed to the actions of the proposed Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill? Not at all, not at all, not at all!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ESo this is really the question to Government: what are you, then, to the M\u0101ori people\u2014what are you, then, to the M\u0101ori people? What my colleague Nanaia Mahuta is saying is true: \u201CSo what is the benefit for you and me, the M\u0101ori?\u201D. We see what the statistics state: M\u0101ori people are still impoverished; M\u0101ori land continues to be lost; the M\u0101ori language is diminishing. Look at imprisonment: the majority of prisoners in the prisons are M\u0101ori. Consider the statistics in the health world: there you are; M\u0101ori is down. So to respond to the address by a member who has just taken a seat in our House: shucks, mate, what then is the benefit for you and me, the M\u0101ori? I must say none at all! None at all! None at all! Therefore, I stand to oppose the Prime Minister\u2019s statement at the beginning of this year, because I have spoken about the statistics and the nefarious actions of this Government. I recall a saying by my ancestor, who said: \u201CI heard, but I didn\u2019t hear; I saw, but I didn\u2019t see.\u201D That is what this Government has done to my M\u0101ori people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI have talked about the impoverishment. I have just completed a series of conferences in the city of Auckland. The majority of the conversation is saying that we continue to be poor. I think about Te Wharekura o Manurewa. It has been waiting a long time for the Minister of Education to agree to such a school being established at Manurewa, and for what reason? The M\u0101ori language. And why? For the welfare of you and me, the M\u0101ori people! In conclusion, I have witnessed Government representatives who have no regard to this M\u0101ori language, which belongs to you and me. Finally, let the poi fly! I am overjoyed that the question of males performing the poi at the festival to be held this month has been settled. Mr Assistant Speaker, acknowledgments to you and to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022bdd58e0df2364850bd54c68e6ad6fc1d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bdd58e0df2364850bd54c68e6ad6fc1d\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I call the Hon Phil Goff\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022 data-id=\u0022ddce0ad1eef54205ac229b7d4c9da039\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ddce0ad1eef54205ac229b7d4c9da039\u0022\u003EHon PHIL GOFF (Labour\u2014Mt Roskill):\u003C/span\u003E In my brief 5 minutes tonight, I want to focus on a very special group of New Zealanders. They make up about 35 percent of our population. They make up 35 percent of our production. Do not come to Auckland\u2014Auckland is coming to you. These are Aucklanders, and we are growing by 800 people a week\u201440,000 people a year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003ECompared with the problems of some parts of New Zealand, having the problem of growth is probably a good problem to have. But I would rather have growth with a Government committed to working in partnership with Auckland City to provide the infrastructure that enables that growth to be properly dealt with. Sadly, that is not happening. We do not have a regional development policy in New Zealand that works. I challenge any member of the Government or the Opposition to tell me one\u2014one\u2014regional development policy that works, other than housing unaffordability and congestion in Auckland, which drives people out of Auckland. I do not think that is a satisfactory regional development policy. We do not have a policy that tries to match population growth to the infrastructure that serves it. Once upon a time we would tweak the pointing system for immigration. We would lower the threshold if we wanted more people coming; we would raise it if we wanted less. But the Government knows that the only thing that is sustaining growth in New Zealand is immigration at the moment, so it is allowing that immigration to come through at the speed that it will.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003ENow, I am in favour of immigration. I think the immigrants to New Zealand\u2014and we are all immigrants to New Zealand, actually, at some point in history\u2014really add strength and diversity, and make a huge contribution to New Zealand socially, economically, and culturally. But I worry about the impact of growth that the Government is not addressing. I worry about the road congestion that makes it almost impossible to get around Auckland at peak hours. The Productivity Commission says that it costs us $1.5 billion a year in lost time alone because of traffic congestion in Auckland\u2014$1.5 billion. The New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development puts it at $3 billion. That is like taking $3 billion a year and tipping it down the drain, because in the lost productivity you have got nothing to show for it. We desperately need infrastructure that will match the growth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003EWe had a number of things that were very useful. The City Rail Link was to double the amount of passenger traffic on rail lines, but for 5 years various Ministers in the Government opposed that, so when we get it, it will be 5 years late. We had a thing called a petrol tax for Auckland, which enabled the council to have the money to invest in transport infrastructure; the Government repealed it. I am really pleased to say that the Government has done a U-turn on the City Rail Link and is about to do a U-turn on road charging legislation\u2014but it is too late. We are building a motorway up the north-west into Henderson and Te Atat\u016B. It is good that it is being broadened, but there is no busway there\u2014no separated lane for buses, yet we know that on the North Shore it is the busway that has been the most effective way of getting more people into town from the North Shore by public transport than we get by private transport. We are not thinking ahead. At the moment we have got the major Port Future Study that we are looking at to know whether or not we should move the port out of Auckland, like they did in Sydney. But the Government will not participate in that, so we do not have a regional or a national strategy for it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c699e7c6-53b9-470c-a14a-378cb6fc8a04\u0022\u003EWhat I am saying to the Government is that we have to have that partnership between central government and Auckland City if we are to make Auckland work. Auckland is a great city. It is the only global city in New Zealand: it is the place where we can retain New Zealanders and where we can attract the best talent from overseas. For New Zealand to succeed, Auckland has got to succeed. My call on the Government in housing and transport\u2014the two major infrastructure deficit areas\u2014is for the Government to get off the sidelines and to collaborate with Auckland City, so that we can make Auckland a truly great place for New Zealand and a great place for people to live.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022 data-id=\u0022f09322ea017f4415850cab1f0ebe6cda\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f09322ea017f4415850cab1f0ebe6cda\u0022\u003ETIM MACINDOE (National\u2014Hamilton West):\u003C/span\u003E I thought John Palino sounded angry yesterday when he was announcing his candidacy but, compared with that effort, I am beginning to think he is probably a tutor in seances and transcendental meditation. What a great time it is to be a New Zealander, what a great time it is to be in Government, and, I have to say, what a fantastic time it is to live in Hamilton. We have just enjoyed our annual Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, and it has been a fabulous experience as always. There are wonderful things happening in the electorates that David Bennett and I are lucky enough to represent. We have just had the opening of the new Rototuna Junior High School\u2014634 foundation pupils began on 4 February. What an exciting time it is for that community. I congratulate them all. I want to acknowledge the great advocacy that David Bennett did over many years, and say thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EAfter the boundary changes at the last election, that school is now neighbouring my electorate; in fact, it is in my electorate, and we are looking forward to the new senior high school beginning next year as well. While I am mentioning schools, can I congratulate P\u016Bkete School on the unveiling of its magnificent new pou by the M\u0101ori development Minister, the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, last week. It is a great historical monument to our city and to that school community, and I know that the children were absolutely delighted with it. I want to acknowledge Horsham Downs School, which has also come into my electorate\u2014I think, Mr Assistant Speaker, from your electorate recently\u2014on their centennial. Last weekend I had the honour of opening their new multi-purpose room as they marked that wonderful event. It was great to see so many former staff and pupils there enjoying the occasion. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EAll the schools in Hamilton West are in great heart, and I am delighted with the work that they are doing. I want to acknowledge the principals, the teachers, the boards of trustees, the parent teacher associations, and, in particular, those wonderfully hard-working support staff in all our schools, not just in my electorate but all around the country. What a great job they do and what important work they are undertaking with our young people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EThis year has begun well for New Zealand. The Prime Minister\u2019s statement has highlighted what a busy, focused, purposeful, and effective Government he is leading. The signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is excellent news for an export-dependent country like New Zealand. I have not met a single exporter, producer, manufacturer, or business owner who is not excited by it, because they all know that the world does not owe us a living; we have to make our own way. We have to grow our economy, we have to create opportunities to invest and for new jobs to be created. Every free-trade agreement that New Zealand has ever entered into, from CER right through to the Chinese and the Korean agreements in more recent times, has shown just how important free trade is for New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EI am very proud of the National Government\u2019s announcement last year of the magnificent marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands. I am very proud that yesterday we announced yet another lift to the minimum wage, because every year since we came into office we have lifted the minimum wage sustainably, knowing that you have got to have a balance between what can work for businesses\u2014you do not want to push them too far, where they end up having to lay off staff\u2014but also knowing that those at the bottom end need that extra assistance. I am delighted that we have been able to boost their earnings. Those who work 40 hours on the minimum wage will have another $20 in their pocket from 1 April. I am hugely proud that we are the first Government in more than a generation to give a significant lift in benefits, and that is just around the corner, as well, for people who are on welfare. I am so proud that we are the Government that has introduced free doctors visits for children under 13.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EI am really proud of our rising standards of achievement in all levels of education. I acknowledge the great work that the Hon Anne Tolley started in that regard in her time as Minister of Education. Did she not take a lot of flak at the time but, boy, are not the fruits of her labours being seen now? Well done, Anne Tolley, Hekia Parata, and all who work in the education system, because it is a partnership and they are all doing it together. I am incredibly proud that unemployment is now much lower, that mortgage interest rates are low, and wages are rising well above the rate of inflation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EI am not proud of the negativity of the Opposition. I am not proud that they cannot acknowledge any of these achievements. Soon we will vote down the leader of the Labour Party\u2019s ridiculous amendment suggesting that the Government has given up hope on the future, has no plans to prepare New Zealand for the future, and is more concerned with scoring political points. Pot\u2014kettle\u2014black. What a ridiculous assertion that is. What abject nonsense from the Leader of the Opposition. In particular, we have seen it with his decision to place the Labour Party as the \u201CTwo-position Party\u201D on the TPP agreement, turning their backs on their previously proud commitment to free trade. What a nonsense that is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EAnd, most recently, his complete lack of statesmanship and integrity in failing to honour the Labour Party\u2019s policy at the last election to support the process over the flag referendum. We should be now having a discussion leading to a vote that is above petty politics; that is what we all went into the last election with. Nobody will care who the Government is when the change happens. Do you think the Canadians talk about that? Of course they do not, but they are mighty glad that they made the change and they now have a flag that they are very, very proud of. We should be able to do the same. We should be honouring our war dead who have the silver fern on their graves, by saying that now is the time to make the change. We should be embracing the emblem, and I am wearing my grandfather\u2019s Boer War badge tonight, which is a silver fern, before we even had the current flag.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EA lot of people say: \u201COh, we have got to keep the original flag.\u201D Well, the original flag was two flags back. The silver fern is the thing that our sportspeople compete under, that we are recognised for when we travel around the world, and it is something we can all embrace and be proud of. I hope New Zealanders will vote for it. I do not care who the Government is: let us just get on and make a change that is positive for our country, because that is what this great country provides us an opportunity to do. If we do not take it now, we will not get it again in our lifetime.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u002248fb7541341f4816812ab66c39f34a52\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002248fb7541341f4816812ab66c39f34a52\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E It is an honour to be speaking in the debate on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, and it is also an honour to give the concluding speech in this long process. I cannot say that I have heard all the speeches over the last couple of weeks, but the ones that I have heard from this side of the House have been positive, forward-looking, and celebratory, honouring New Zealanders and talking about a Government that is working hard for all New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EI have to say the speeches that I have heard from the Opposition members pointed out and have shown very clearly that, actually, during their time in Opposition, the Labour and Green caucuses have not learnt the lessons of being in Opposition. They are still working as they were in the mid-2000s, judging everything on inputs. They judge everything on how much money you put into something. This Government\u2014because it came through the global financial crisis, perhaps\u2014has been focused on getting results for New Zealanders. So it is not how much money you put into something; it is the effect of that spend and the results that you get for the people of New Zealand. This Government has learnt those lessons, and that is why it has been so successful. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EIf you look back on the achievements of this Government, even through a global financial crisis, we have increased the minimum wage by 27 percent since National came into Government in 2008. At the same time, we have seen inflation kept to a rise of 11 percent. So that is a very real difference that those New Zealanders on the minimum wage have seen in their back pockets. Mortgage interest rates were almost 11 percent when we came into Government. Now they are down around the 4 percent mark. We have seen the economy growing\u20143 percent growth in the last 12 months. We have seen the average wage grow by $10,000 since we came into Government. When we came in, it was $47,000, and now $57,000 is the average wage. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EYouth offending and our young people\u2014fewer young people are appearing in the Youth Court. The number is down by 61 percent since National came into Government. Under this National Government we have the lowest reported crime rates that we have seen in 23 or 24 years. Teenage pregnancies are at a historical low. Participation in early childhood education is at an all-time high. Never before have we seen so many children taking part in early childhood education, and never before have we seen so many kids, particularly M\u0101ori and Pasifika kids, leaving school with a qualification, with National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) level 2. That has been hard work by a lot of teachers, staff members, and boards of trustees across the country, and this Government has supported them all the way. Immunisation rates for M\u0101ori and Pasifika children are at the same rate as for European children. We have never seen that before. It is a tremendous achievement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EOn 1 April this year\u2014a month from today\u2014for the first time in 43 years, people who have children in their families and who are receiving benefits will get an increase of $25 a week. Twenty-five dollars a week is going to make an enormous difference, and all the families that I have been talking to have talked to me about the things that they will be able to do for their children. Then, for those lower-income working families, of course, Working for Families is being increased by $12.50 a week, and by $24.50 for those on the very low incomes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EWe have done the research, we have got the evidence, and we have based our investment of taxpayers\u2019 dollars in the places that we know are going to make the most difference to New Zealand families. And, what is more, we are working together. Whether it is the Business Growth Agenda, where we have got Ministers working together across Government; the regional development team, which is out and about; or the family violence work that we are doing\u2014and even today with the whole-of-Government approach to reducing harm from gangs\u2014we are working together, using good evidence, and using that research. We have been open enough to set ourselves some targets publicly\u2014targets to show the public that we can get better results for them and their families\u2014and will report on them openly and regularly. So we are investing the taxpayers\u2019 money wisely, where we know it will have the greatest effect. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003ELet me just talk a little bit about what we have done in welfare, and I want to concentrate on two groups that we know have the highest long-term liabilities and the worst outcomes in their life. The first is sole parents. We are seeing that the number of people receiving the sole parent support has fallen by 23.5 percent over the last 5 years. There are now almost 42,000 fewer children living in benefit-dependent homes. The Opposition has often asked: \u201CWho cares? What difference does that make? Why is that important?\u201D. Well, it is important because, again, through the evidence and the research that we have done here on this side of the House, we know that 48 percent of the children who are born into a benefit-dependent home will have a Child, Youth and Family notification before they are 18\u201448 percent. Someone will be concerned about them being either neglected or abused. Almost half of them will not get NCEA level 2. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EThese are children who are born into benefit-dependent homes. Forty-five percent of them will be on a benefit themselves before they turn 19 and, unfortunately, 5 percent of them will have either a community sentence or will be going through the courts and in jail before they turn 19. So that is why it is important that we help and support their parents get into work, because that gives not only the parents but their children a better chance in life. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EThen, with young people, we have seen that the 15 to 19-year-old \u201Cneet\u201D rate is the lowest since records began back in 2004. That has taken an enormous amount of work right across Government, from education to health, to justice, to the police, and to the Ministry of Social Development. We have all worked together to make sure that those young people get the best opportunity that they can. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister talked about the overhaul of Child, Youth and Family. Last year I appointed an expert panel to lead that complete overhaul of Child, Youth and Family because those children are the most vulnerable in our communities and they deserve to have the best lives. It is not their fault that they were born into families who abuse them or neglect them. They deserve to get the whole attention of the Government and their communities to make sure that they can live successful lives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EThe panel has reported to me. It has identified during that time four building blocks of the new system. It has identified that we need a child-centred system. We talk a lot about it, but when you talk to the kids themselves, they say \u201CActually, no one talked to me. Actually, no one listened to me.\u201D, and we do not feel it is a child-centred system. We need an investment approach. We need to use that same evidence and research to know where we need to put our dollars to get the best effect long term for those kids. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220de68ee76a50408897161a68d5528959\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: They\u2019re collecting some evidence and making decisions based on evidence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226bb239a485354730b9134833f9302523\u0022\u003EHon ANNE TOLLEY\u003C/span\u003E: The Opposition does not like any of this because it is content to sit back and watch these kids be abused, be re-abused, and be revictimised and continue to live lives where they are not succeeding in life. That member smiles, but, actually, the statistics are really bad because we know that the statistics tell us that 90 percent of those kids who live in care will end up on a benefit. The statistics tell us that 80 percent of them will not get NCEA level 2. They deserve better than this, and this Government is going to deliver it for those kids. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders know that this National-led Government\u2014and I want to pay tribute to our coalition partners, because we cannot do it without them. They have been part of all the success that we are celebrating here in the House in the conclusion of this debate tonight, and we welcome the input that we get from them. New Zealanders know that this National-led Government is working for them because it is actually delivering for them. New Zealanders know that this National-led Government is investing their dollars wisely, based on good research and based on evidence. New Zealanders know that this National-led Government is addressing the hard issues by addressing and understanding the drivers: the drivers of crime, the drivers of poverty and hardship, and the drivers of economic growth and prosperity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders have confidence in this Government. They have shown it time and time again\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=\u002299bff758c248461a9af271e880103953\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002299bff758c248461a9af271e880103953\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I am sorry, but the Minister\u2019s time has expired. Members, this debate has concluded.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002200879171052b4cf8933b3acd25ae25b6\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That all the words after \u201CThat\u201D be deleted and replaced with \u201Cthis House expresses no confidence in this National-led Government because this is a Government that has given up on the future, that has no plan to prepare New Zealand for the future, that is more concerned with scoring political points than solving the big problems facing our country, and is letting the Kiwi Dream slip away.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 58\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 32; Green Party 14; New Zealand First 12.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 63\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 59; M\u0101ori Party 2; ACT New Zealand 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022aae74ebd3f1047abb63bc5b438843eba\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That this House express its confidence in the National-led Government and commend its programme for 2016 as set out in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement to Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 63\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 59; M\u0101ori Party 2; ACT New Zealand 1; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 58\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 32; Green Party 14; New Zealand First 12.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\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=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d13788af408d455f889e6cbacfd3f8ac\u0022\u003EBuilding (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cb4b074012534a7787b8d55602d00af3\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000660\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 18 February.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022 data-id=\u002256985e0f59ea4216bf29ea678fe68c44\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022893adc11-ce4e-419c-a079-08f04b3d75f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002256985e0f59ea4216bf29ea678fe68c44\u0022\u003EThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch)\u003C/span\u003E: I call David Seymour\u20145 minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022babe05661f2c484c9d7314799fb2762f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022babe05661f2c484c9d7314799fb2762f\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I rise on behalf of the ACT Party in opposition to the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill. This debate has been characterised by overflowing wells of empathy from members around the House\u2014and it is difficult not to when we recall the tragic losses in Canterbury and when that city, Christchurch, is still shaking anew, even in the past few days. However, the warmth in some members\u2019 hearts appears to have drifted up to their heads into policy making because, when you make public policy, real empathy is about making it for people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe first mistake in this policy process was not to base the policy making on the risks faced by New Zealanders but to apply an arbitrary standard of 34 percent of new building code across the country. What that did, from the point of view of individual New Zealanders, was it meant that the costs and benefits of applying this policy were vastly different for the risks that New Zealanders face as individuals, and also vastly different in terms of cost-benefit analysis between different regions of New Zealand. In fact, some analysis of the initial bill said that the Auckland population would be spending 3,000 times more to save a life than people in Wellington. Minister Nick Smith made a very revealing comment in his speech to this second reading. He said that even as an engineer, he was surprised at how much variability there is to earthquake risk across New Zealand. With respect, only a member from the South Island could say that. We Aucklanders know that although, for our excesses and sins, we may well one day drown in runs of lava from our many volcanoes, the risk of an earthquake in our part of the country is practically nil.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe Minister got pushed back hard, and he introduced a differential level of strengthening for different parts of the country. He said: \u201CIt\u2019s OK. We\u2019ll exclude some buildings and some structures.\u201D, and that was admirable. He said that we would have more time\u2014up to 50 years\u2014to strengthen in low-risk areas. But it raises the question: if it is not important to do this for the next 50 years, then how urgent and how important is this strengthening overall? The bill was somewhat improved, but according to the regulatory impact statement for the bill in its new state, the net present value for this particular piece of legislation is negative three-quarters of a billion dollars. In Auckland, even just to find out whether a particular building complies with the requirements of the legislation is estimated to cost $10,000 to $20,000 per building.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EIf we were making empathic public policy, we would be highly focused on ensuring that the amount of money spent and the resources that go into earthquake-strengthening are commensurate with the price that we are prepared to pay to avoid and mitigate other risks. And yet, in Auckland we will be spending money on earthquake strengthening when the risks that we face by being in those buildings are hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of times lower than the risks that we face every day in the course of riding bikes, driving cars, and flying planes. GNS Science was commissioned by the Auckland Council, and it suggested that in Auckland this legislation might reduce deaths over 10,000 years by three lives. It would save only three lives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThere is a very simple way that this bill could be enhanced and could be passed, and that would simply be to exempt the low-risk areas that have already been identified in the enhanced bill. Take away those $10,000 and $20,000 costs that the Minister has admitted are not addressing any urgent concern\u2014because he says he has got 50 years to do it\u2014and that would be a bill that the ACT Party could support. But right now it is an unempathic bill, which does not deal with the risks faced by New Zealanders but seeks to preserve an arbitrary standard at all costs. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022 data-id=\u0022f4451f1a310d4d4a912d385d52f5d2c9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f4451f1a310d4d4a912d385d52f5d2c9\u0022\u003EJOANNE HAYES (National):\u003C/span\u003E I stand to take a very short call on this piece of legislation, but before I do I just want to pay tribute to the late and great Dr Ranginui Walker\u2014moe mai, moe mai, moe mai e koro. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EAs I said, I stand to take a very short call on this piece of legislation. It has some key changes in it that we have heard before, but I just want to reiterate those. One of the key changes is to do with national time frames. It implements a national time frame. That actually identifies the risk level of buildings\u2014low risk, medium risk, and high risk\u2014with high risk giving councils 5 years to do the assessment on these buildings and 15 years to strengthen them; medium-risk buildings having 10 years for identification and assessment of these buildings, with a 25-year strengthening period; and for low-risk buildings it is 15 years for identification and assessment and 35 years to strengthen the buildings. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThis bill also addresses areas around unreinforced masonry. Those are things like facades, parapets, and verandahs. It makes sure that, once that assessment has been made, those areas are reinforced as quickly as possible. Those are the areas that fell in the earthquake in 2011, and up to 35 people died because of that. We need to address those areas very quickly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThe bill also identifies key buildings like schools and universities and hospitals, and makes sure that those that have been assessed as medium to high risk are upgraded in half the time that other buildings in the area would be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThis legislation also identifies category 1 historic buildings and allows them to have a longer period for strengthening, just because of their character and the types of buildings that they are, and their historic significance to the region. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThis is a good bill. It is a bill that addresses a lot of the issues around the earthquake-prone area that exists in this country, within the Ring of Fire. So, along with all my colleagues here in National and across the House, I support the bill at its second reading. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022cbc6f12dee6c4d168e4dfb5458d63ac3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cbc6f12dee6c4d168e4dfb5458d63ac3\u0022\u003EPOTO WILLIAMS (Labour\u2014Christchurch East):\u003C/span\u003E Firstly, I just want to pull up the member from ACT, David Seymour, on a matter of geology. He does not realise that in a volcanic region like Auckland, when the volcanoes explode, it will have an impact on the land. I would recommend to the member from ACT that what he should do is go to where the children of Auckland go to find out about geology and volcanology, and that is the museum at the Auckland Domain. They have a very good exhibit there\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8085dfdcb1340f89a51d13b74fc7ad7\u0022\u003ECarmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: Isn\u2019t Mount Eden\u2014isn\u2019t that in his electorate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022294149f1e3bb4baaa37bb9f9331e5188\u0022\u003EPOTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. They have a very good exhibit there that actually shows you the impact on buildings of a volcano exploding. There are lots of buildings in Auckland that will be impacted if one of the many volcanoes\u2014and, let us face it, there are, what, seven, nine volcanoes in Auckland\u2014happened to explode.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EHowever, we are here to talk about the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill. As the previous speaker, Joanne Hayes, discussed, it is around amending the Building Act to ensure that we deal with earthquake-prone buildings as a result of what has happened, the earthquake sequence, in Canterbury. There are some time frames in which to put that in place, and also there are some definitions around risk and what types of buildings will be covered. This bill will have a huge impact on the territorial authorities; there is no doubt about that. But there are some specific issues I want to deal with. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EWe know that it is impracticable to deal with all the buildings. However, this bill actually excludes particular buildings, such as farm buildings, retaining walls, and other such structures that will not pose a risk to human life should they come down in an earthquake. We know, also, that there are some things that are not covered in this bill that, actually, were impacted in the Canterbury earthquake sequence. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EOne of the things that I really hope does get covered off is poor engineering. We know that with the CTV Building, for example, no one has really taken responsibility for the poor engineering that caused the deaths of all those people in that particular building. That was, really, a failure of engineering, and I do not believe that we can really continue without actually having some way of determining whom to hold responsible for that. I would hope that this bill actually takes account of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThere are some priority buildings that are included in this bill: hospital and emergency facilities, of course; certainly educational facilities; and parts of buildings that are reinforced\u2014such as parapets\u2014and that could fall in an earthquake. Actually, some of these did fall, and some of these did cause deaths in the earthquake sequence, particularly in the 22 February quake. There are some issues that are not addressed in here that we are fully cognisant of in Canterbury, and those are things such as the risks that become apparent from building materials once buildings either come down or are demolished\u2014and I am speaking specifically about the risk of asbestos, which is quite a risk when we are demolishing buildings. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EBut what I want to do, particularly, is I want to honour a particular person for whom, if this bill was in place and if our territorial authority had enacted what it should have done and assessed buildings\u2014and assessed this particular building\u2014as being risky, then she would not have died. That is Mrs Maureen Valerie Fletcher. Mrs Fletcher is the mother and mother-in-law of very dear friends of mine, and she was 74 when she passed away, when a verandah of a cafe that she was having a cup of tea at collapsed on top of her during the earthquakes. What is particularly sad about Mrs Fletcher\u2019s case is that she was unidentified for a couple of weeks. There were 2 weeks in which her family had not heard from her and they had no idea that she had actually perished. What had happened was her body was taken out of the building where she died, but it was misidentified. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThere was a family in Christchurch who thought their mother had passed away, and there was a family\u2014my friends\u2014in Auckland who had no idea that their mother had passed away. So for 2 weeks my friends were perplexed about what had happened to their mother. They travelled to Christchurch, spent a lot of time on the ground, and spent a lot of time with the emergency services trying to identify what had happened. When the mistaken identification did actually come to light, of course it meant that another family realised that their loved one was safe and, actually, in a rest home in Auckland; and my friends, of course, realised that their mother had passed away. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EWhy I bring this up is that this bill is about saving lives. If this bill had been in place, if the Christchurch City Council had been able to assess its buildings and assess that building with the verandah as unsafe, Mrs Maureen Valerie Fletcher might not have died. That is what this bill is about, Mr Seymour. It is about ensuring that no one else is put at risk, because we can do something about that. It is about ensuring\u2014do not shake your head, Mr Seymour\u2014that there are no further families that have to go through the ordeal that the Fletchers had to go through while they waited to see where their mother was. It is not something to shake your head about, Mr Seymour. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThis impacted 187 families directly, who lost people in Canterbury, but it also impacted the whole country. Even as recently as a couple of hours ago, we are still experiencing aftershocks in Canterbury. Every time we have an aftershock or a major quake\u2014we had a 5.7 on Valentine\u2019s Day\u2014what does that do to the structures that are already weakened by the severe force that has been impacted upon them? This is not a laughing matter, Mr Seymour, and it is an absolute responsibility of this Government and of the territorial authorities, the councils around this country, to make sure they get it right so that people in Auckland and Wellington and Tauranga do not have to go through the same kinds of dreadful, dreadful things that have happened to the people of Canterbury. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022999c70b730af462391b36995b9bc0e3a\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: What, with volcano-strengthened buildings?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b7db0b979f94eb6a25e05fe0f5cbd5f\u0022\u003EPOTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: We do not wish that upon anyone, especially the people in Epsom, if they are represented by someone who is as uncaring as you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EWe can do something about this, and we should. I am getting quite emotional about this, because people did lose their lives. This is a bill that will actually impact on the lives of people and ensure that they do not have to suffer the way 187 families have had to. Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022 data-id=\u002273d28d381d2d4b0ab59c879b2b261866\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002273d28d381d2d4b0ab59c879b2b261866\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO (National):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora e Te Mana Whakaw\u0101. I stand to take a short call on the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill, and agree with the previous speaker, Poto Williams. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EIn Christchurch we have just had the fifth anniversary. The latest earthquake was on Monday morning, early, about 3 o\u2019clock, and it was right under my house, because that is where the epicentre was, in Cashmere View Street. What we are seeing here is that there is a continuous flow of aftershocks, even after 5 years. So I want to congratulate the Minister for Building and Housing because at least we are being very, very considered here in this bill. It is not just in Christchurch. New Zealand is a young country; there is a lot of seismic risk right across Aotearoa. This bill does address something that people from Christchurch\u2014those who are here now from Christchurch would never want to see anything like what happened in our city. So this bill really is a catalyst, in a lot of ways, to address the whole situation of earthquake-prone buildings across New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EDuring the submissions process we heard from a lot of submitters, a lot of local bodies, and a lot of councils. We even heard from people like Ann Brower, who was injured during the earthquakes. Listening to these submissions explains why there were a number of changes that were made. I think one of the main changes is actually about the varying timetables for strengthening the relative earthquake-risk buildings, from high to medium to low. The reason for that is that we heard from councils right across New Zealand during the submissions process the fact that we needed to categorise these high-risk areas, medium, and low. It is in all fairness, because there are obviously huge costs that are related to identifying these buildings. We had to do it and put a system in place that was really related to the various risk factors right across the country. So that was the first one. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EThe next change was that looking at the bill before, we then came up with a situation, again from listening to the submissions, about the prioritisation of public buildings, particularly buildings used for education, hospitals, and emergency services. The one thing, too, that came out of this\u2014and this was particularly from Ann Brower\u2019s submission\u2014is that there are those buildings that had facades and parapets that were dangerous and that did cause a lot of injury, and in some cases death. So it was during that prioritisation part of the bill that we thought it was important to make that change. The other change was the fact that we needed to categorise, also, other buildings right across, particularly by reducing the number of buildings covered\u2014farms, retaining walls, monuments, walls, and all of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003ELooking at this bill, I say it is very timely. It is a bill that I and all my colleagues, particularly on this side of the House, recommend and support. Hopefully this bill can go through and become legislation. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002227a8d93663b3409a822aea042d88177e\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill be now read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 120\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 59; New Zealand Labour 32; Green Party 14; New Zealand First 12; M\u0101ori Party 2; United Future 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 1\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EACT New Zealand 1.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\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=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b6ca86ac831e474083fcc263686332fe\u0022\u003ERadiation Safety Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a5513da9be5d492993899ce86fe3e6a6\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u0022e543a962cf1a4e09934522721ab737d0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e543a962cf1a4e09934522721ab737d0\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Energy and Resources):\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Health: I move, That the Radiation Safety Bill be now read a third time. As the House has heard during the passage of this bill, it will repeal and replace the Radiation Protection Act 1965 and its regulations, providing a much-needed update to our 50-year-old legislation in this area. The bill introduces best-practice principles in radiation safety into New Zealand law and enhances security measures, which will provide a means for New Zealand to meet its international obligations relating to radioactive material. In doing so, the bill meets the stated purpose of establishing a legislative framework to protect the health and safety of people and to protect the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation, while allowing for its safe and beneficial use. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EIt is fair to say that this is a carefully considered bill. Public consultation on radiation protection legislation began in 2002, and as a result, in 2004, the Government decided that there was an overall benefit in developing new legislation. I am advised that many technical details, including the overall scope of the 2004 decision, were grappled with at this early stage. The policy informing the bill was reconsidered in some detail, and in 2009 the Government agreed to a refined set of instructions for the new legislation. From there, as you might imagine for a bill of this nature, a considerable amount of science advice and review has occurred. In addition, the emergency provisions of the bill have received input, and even scenario testing, from agencies such as the New Zealand Fire Service, the New Zealand Police, and the New Zealand Defence Force. Also during this period, care has been taken to ensure that New Zealand\u2019s requirements under the international agreements mentioned in clause 3B were incorporated into the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EThe Health Committee made considerable improvements to the bill. I would like to thank the committee for its work in grappling with the content of both the bill and the science and technicalities of the phenomenon of radiation itself. Thanks are also due to submitters on the bill and the Regulations Review Committee for their high-quality input during the Health Committee\u2019s consideration of the bill. Supplementary Order Paper 131, which Jonathan Coleman lodged, made some further minor adjustments to wording, to allow the provisions of the bill to operate as originally intended. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ERegulations and codes of practice are being developed to support the bill once it comes into force. The bill also requires a central register of radiation sources to be established. A register and codes of safe practice are already in use under current legislation and will be upgraded to accommodate the requirements of the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EThe bill provides for a high degree of regulation, insists on very high compliance standards and rates, and shows very little tolerance for safety and security practices that fall short of these expectations. However, at its core, the bill allows for the benefits of radiation use to be made available to New Zealanders across the fields of medicine and other health services, animal health, science and research, and industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EIt is clear that all members have recognised this aim as worthy, and the opportunity to update this legislation is timely. I want to thank all members for their support. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EThere is so much more to say about this exciting bill. I do have more time on the clock and I would like to use it on this bill, but I know that there are many other members who want to have their say. And so I am pleased to be advancing this much-awaited advance to our legislation, and to commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022 data-id=\u00229bc8f32290b0498798dc82b7a8f5fa63\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229bc8f32290b0498798dc82b7a8f5fa63\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I realise that the title of this bill is quite boring\u2014the Radiation Safety Bill\u2014but that must have been the most tired, weary, boring speech an acting Minister has made in this House. And it was a real disappointment that Mr Bridges could not lift himself up and be as excited about the passage of this bill as those of us who have been on the Health Committee, have heard the submissions, and have come into this House and supported a major change that is needed in this area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EYou see, it is 50 years since the original Act was put in place, and so we are changing a law that is 50 years old. So the members of the select committee\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b433b22a3f8482cb01f960968524b55\u0022\u003EScott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: Was the member there?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d50f2d5730e54789b4ead2cf2b57d2e7\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING\u003C/span\u003E: No, I was not there. I was not there, but I have to say that the member looks like he might have been there. He could well have been there. The original legislation is 50 years old, and we in the select committee have worked very hard to get the bill through our committee and into the House. In fact, the genesis of this bill was not 50 years ago\u2014when I was not there\u2014but it was, in fact, when I was the Minister of Health that I started the review\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c461bb46378d4fcfa688354904c64d24\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Some 10 years earlier.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022778712209c264ab9a4f4a199b8b1eca4\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014of this Act. Oh, a very good interjection comes from the Minister, because it is 11 years since I was the Minister of Health, although on a daily basis you would think I still had the job if you listen to Dr Coleman. If you listen to Dr Coleman, everything that ever happens in health is my responsibility. But I have to say that 11 years ago, when I was the Minister of Health, I started the review. So now, in National\u2019s eighth year of Government, we have finally got around to passing the legislation. So congratulations to us all\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227851f3cb24d9459c834ca7f72dc18018\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: The busy Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223da26bc5dd2d4fd097ccecaeb15336df\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING\u003C/span\u003E: Busy committee, Mr Bishop\u2014busy committee. Give credit where it is due. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EThis Radiation Safety Bill replaces the Radiation Protection Act 1965. The purpose of the Act is for us to meet our international obligations relating to radiation protection, radiation safety and security, and nuclear non-proliferation under a range of international treaties. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EWe acknowledged that we needed to update this legislation, and we needed to keep pace with technological changes, because think back to 1965, those of you who can think back that far\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0869b058a0546f4abfa366ec3884ba8\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Ha, ha!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be7fc1180113438fab87ff4ed1e6784d\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING\u003C/span\u003E: Not Mr Bridges. He was not even in short pants then. But in 1965\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290cea48598fb44b885b482ee3ac7492f\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Annette had already been a Minister for several years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270c1b75198b141fd8c4d217dc8b4b7b4\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING\u003C/span\u003E: No, I think I might have just left school, Mr Bridges, and I can remember the first time I did see television. But think forward 50 years on and you will see that there have been a lot of technological changes, and we needed to make the changes in this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EI think the bill has got the wrong name, though, and I did put forward during the Committee stage Supplementary Order Paper 140\u2014which I know my good friends opposite on the Health Committee would love to have supported\u2014because I think it should have been called the \u201CIonising Radiation Safety Bill\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EI wonder whether Mr Bridges, who made the previous speech, knows the difference between ionising radiation and non-ionising radiation, because I am happy to give a little lecture on what the difference is and on why this bill should have been called the \u201CIonising Radiation Safety Bill\u201D. People do not know the difference, and we found that out at the select committee when we got submissions from people who thought they were talking about non-ionising radiation. So for Mr Bridges, who said he knows but he has given no indication in his speech that he understood it at all, ionising radiation is high-energy radiation and includes X-rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays that have ionising capability. Non-ionising radiation is electromagnetic energy and includes laser lights, electromagnetic fields, radio waves, cellphone towers, Wi-Fi, microwave ovens, ultraviolet tanning machines, and power lines. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003ESo, Mr Bridges, they are non-ionising and, unfortunately, some of those people who came to our committee thought that we should, in fact, be legislating for them. They are regulated under standards, not under legislation. So I think it was important that, in fact, we gave this bill that title so that there was no misunderstanding about what we were doing. I know that given the opportunity, Mr Simon O\u2019Connor and others on the committee would have voted for my Supplementary Order Paper. But the Minister in the chair, who never said a word during the Committee stage, did not say a peep and did not support my Supplementary Order Paper. So\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b34863ef932e4b5090f7a7e0a0b62fdb\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Bulldust.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229416621f04344104bc9f77d6192aa89b\u0022\u003EHon ANNETTE KING\u003C/span\u003E: No, it was not bulldust, Mr Bishop\u2014it certainly was not. One of the reasons I thought it was important that we did give it the proper title is that the World Health Organization, in respect of the public health risk posed by non-ionising radiation, has said that the evidence is very weak and that, in fact, if you comply with current limits, it has no effects on health.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id201603019700adf4020d4f17b688e3ddd8f1baae000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002209a5b71a-ca7e-4e7c-9e09-f9e63f18aa12\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 10 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"