"\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=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00229d67b719694c486cb6087bd141f8db51\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b53f4beb1bc64196885367ec5affe928\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000004\u0022\u003EKarakia.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002285809899166f40ce9fb3ea09d49cd9cc\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223477bb78c79f4e1ea18deb49948be1ac\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225351dee40b304049a03fd9d198b688d5\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u00226dc1d0f6d8974e3db35782de73896548\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226dc1d0f6d8974e3db35782de73896548\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government\u2019s statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u0022c659af52bb924771abaae31d252ef196\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c659af52bb924771abaae31d252ef196\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, particularly the Government\u2019s actions this year to address New Zealand\u2019s long-term challenges, including record capital investment in hospitals and schools; the passing of the zero carbon Act; the announcement of $12 billion to continue to address the infrastructure deficit, including another $6.8 billion in transport projects. We\u2019ve built over 3,600 State houses, added to that base of housing, invested in mental health and cancer treatment. We\u2019ve recruited more than 1,800 new police since we took office, created a $229 million sustainable land-use package, and supported our regions through the Provincial Growth Fund. We\u2019ve expanded Mana in Mahi apprentices. We\u2019ve banned military-style semi-automatic weapons; continued to roll out a three-year transport programme, including 3,300 kilometres of safety improvements; and the $100 million Green Investment Fund\u2014that is just to name a few. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e55228d29f4147dfab2d4b4253ce5f4d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will remind the Prime Minister there is opportunity for 10-minute speeches later in the day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227fcab3a4293941b39950cdb10607dde6\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is the reason she didn\u2019t mention child poverty just then because seven out of the nine indicators are much, much worse?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4e73011b71747a5bb617c7ff6c97ff4\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: On child poverty, we\u2019ve introduced the winter energy payment, we\u2019ve extended paid parental leave, we\u2019ve increased the family tax credit, we have indexed benefits to wages\u2014all of those policies are projected to bring 50,000 to 70,000 children out of poverty. If I may, the member knows the data that he is referring to is data under his Government. He is deliberately misleading the House and he\u2019s misleading New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206a7c3f546294ab5b95bc7e889752348\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Why is her Government now in deficit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218d1701b5525477c81b0b5a5efa1f4cd\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Obviously, if you look around the world, a number of nations are experiencing issues with global growth rates. Relative to others, our performance is solid. The member will well know, though, that it\u2019s had impact on ACC investments, and that represents a significant portion of what New Zealand is experiencing right now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209955497e9a1475782b38b64aef35611\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does she accept that lower economic growth and wasteful spending are the primary reasons why New Zealand\u2019s now back in deficit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d463e3b8edc4a97b2b9550bb391b2aa\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228af4cdeec300448f84fadbec3be03457\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is she embarrassed that after inheriting surpluses that were forecast for at least another 15 years by Treasury, her Government has turned that into a deficit within just two years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ad0d4b20d52489ca96f9bab6eba8cd2\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: That member well knows that his Government was more often in deficit than it was not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f657f4ad39a94fca9228514bd17637e8\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Can she confirm that growth has decreased from 4.5 percent in 2017 to just 2.1 percent now, and that that means less tax revenue and more spending by her Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264608d99745243beb04eb4525a4666a7\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: What I can confirm is that when you compare New Zealand to Australia, as the member often does, to a range of different countries within the EU, and against the UK and against Japan, we are outperforming when it comes to our GDP growth. When you look at the global headwinds, New Zealand is well positioned. We have low unemployment\u2014some of the lowest we\u2019ve seen in a decade. We have had wage growth that is amongst the highest in a decade. We have solid growth rates. We are in a good position to invest for our economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a21d574c91e4c4687ae3618d1a38cf7\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Can I ask the Prime Minister as to whether she\u2019s received reports explaining that if the economy was roaring along in 2017, the Government lost?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9f873822ce74ac1b8bf957c1588cd3e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d753d167417a43b59fa5173780b9565e\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s a report.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236d7fdae52084578a3ef8500b34aeff6\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It might well be, and it might well be a device on the part of the member to invite the Prime Minister to comment on something which in some ways as the leader of the Labour Party she might have had responsibility for, but certainly doesn\u2019t as Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221d98c7f414c24757a36d55a6cd1a39c7\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Look, what I do know is that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ba6a3fd95ae64958ad6354c347781031\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! No, I\u2019ve ruled the question out. [Interruption] The member should be too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cbc1d48ac89f4f249d5961eee46ce013\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: In light of her last answer to the last supplementary, to the effect that things are going well, can she explain again, then, why New Zealand is in deficit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d85a90c7dc34b10b2f77066af83d32b\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As I\u2019ve already acknowledged, the global headwinds that New Zealand is facing are exactly the same as what the rest of the world is facing. If the member thinks that 2.4 percent growth is bad, I wonder what he thinks about the 2.1 percent, which was the average under his Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206866e869548465288ff05b0143941a4\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Can she confirm that her Government is to spend $23 billion more on day-to-day spending than previously predicted?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223aa1def600364622836ec3964d215a95\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: No, I cannot confirm that here and now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286bed1006f334646bedb074c6464aafe\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does she accept that running a deficit breaks the promise she made to New Zealanders to stay in surplus unless New Zealand is in a crisis?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a4d7e30103f4ad1aa8dcf9d64ff2a26\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: The member will see from the forecast that we move quickly out of that position, and, again, I would point out that the situation that New Zealand finds itself in is not dissimilar to Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, the EU\u2014other nations within the OECD we compare ourselves to\u2014with some significant differences, those being that our growth rates outperform many of those, that our unemployment levels are low, and that our wage growth far outstrips that under that Government. On almost every marker, we are outperforming, including projected deficits, which that member experienced far more of under his Government than under ours.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221875ba082210478e9df1a2ee5b74a977\u0022\u003EHon James Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Prime Minister confirm that the promise that she made to the country was actually that the Government will deliver a sustainable operating surplus across an economic cycle?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002295fb6b125e344c95bd04639a37d1a870\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I can.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022519bbcdd9450473fb2daa0e0004f2e82\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Was, in fact, the pledge that she made that she would deliver surpluses unless there was a natural disaster, an economic shock, or a crisis in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022758fbd9b6956493ba517c8b58f9272ad\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: It is as the member Mr Shaw outlined: a sustainable surplus. I point out again that we have delivered surpluses over $10 billion to date, and forecast to be over $10 billion in the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002296c182971fd545fe8332b49b018a7cb8\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Did she make a statement that she would deliver surpluses under a Labour Government unless New Zealand had a disaster, an economic shock, or a crisis?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286e3eba8e21a445cb29b84ab057167ce\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: We assured New Zealand that we would deliver sustainable surpluses over an economic forecast cycle. We have delivered surpluses over $10 billion to date, and projected to be over $10 billion in the future. I have to say, I am proud of what this Government has managed to do in the face of significant headwinds. What we\u2019ve done on the cost of living, what we\u2019ve done on unemployment, and what we\u2019ve done on wage growth is fundamentally making a difference to New Zealanders. If the member read Treasury reports, he would see that Treasury has advised the Government not to make changes in the short term around austerity just to achieve that short-term surplus, because it would not be the right thing to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002280fac63091704fb691a4e283520c8f96\u0022\u003EMarama Davidson\u003C/span\u003E: Are the deficits and surpluses the only way to measure the economic wellbeing of a nation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e9c72782d6442bf83ad61775bc7b045\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m glad the member has asked. She, of course, is acknowledging that around the world the move, of course, is to take into account the wellbeing of a people\u2019s nation, its people, its environment, and, of course, its infrastructure. On those measures, it is fair to say that we have been left with a lot to do. Whilst those opposite have not yet had the data to demonstrate what we\u2019ve done\u2014for instance, on child poverty\u2014we\u2019ve made more than $5 billion worth of investment to low and middle income New Zealanders because they are the very people who needed this Government to start investing in them beyond a three-year cycle, and that is exactly what we\u2019ve done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c12b9c6e8cf4e20bf9457b8ca4facda\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: So is she borrowing $35 billion additional over the next five years because, as she says, austerity wouldn\u2019t be the right thing at this time?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227e8d26f633c04ebcba3b15fc6f6ead53\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re borrowing because infrastructure deficits exist in this country, interest rates are low, our debt rates are low\u2014lower than what we inherited under that Government\u2014and now is the time to invest. In fact, his finance spokesperson himself, some three months ago, endorsed that very position. That is exactly why we\u2019ve made the $12 billion worth of announcements into infrastructure. And I would point out that as a percentage of GDP, New Zealand\u2019s debt will still be lower than what we inherited from that member under the last National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9686609891447109722e4e59ef9d0af\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: If she\u2019s borrowing for \u201Cinfrastructure\u201D, why is only $12 billion of the $35 billion she\u2019s borrowing in the next five years going on infrastructure?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e02f6d4f7e445d1862835f57e1accf3\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, I refute what the member has outlined, but again point out that the member\u2019s own finance spokesperson has endorsed the idea of this kind of investment in infrastructure. Interest rates are low, Government borrowing is low\u2014lower than it was when we started in office, under the last member\u2019s Government\u2014and, even at its highest point, will reach 2.5 percent over this cycle, which is lower than you left it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dcf29f87833d412cb66198d7836a91e7\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Why is she breaking her pledge to keep debt at under 20 percent of GDP by 2022?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e95a2a82709f4808b4b82771215489ff\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: The member well knows that we\u2019ve delivered that on two occasions. We also, though, listen to Treasury advice to move to a range. It was advice that we agreed with, we did so recently, and we are falling well within that. Again, I do want to point out that if the member thinks that our debt levels are high now, he must think very poorly of the last Government, because they were higher then.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c01c2f409fa444e49910537b43c68291\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: What is the point of making promises to New Zealanders, like running a surplus and paying down debt, if she just chooses to ignore them?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d8398bd2a3846deace0731451a5eea1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: While I refute what the member is claiming, I just have one thing to say: GST.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223f20079a38104e5583d8c4c0a64fa2e7\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u0022bcabfa4b580842e4ba071ea39904d4f4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bcabfa4b580842e4ba071ea39904d4f4\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by all of the Government\u2019s policies and actions in relation to the economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u00224746257a46c4466bb50638a7d0b9063b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224746257a46c4466bb50638a7d0b9063b\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context that they were made. In particular, I stand by this Government\u2019s careful management of the books, which has seen us run $13 billion of surpluses in our first two years in office and forecast around a further $12 billion of surpluses over the next four years. I\u2019m also particularly proud of our $12 billion investment in capital that is forecast to increase the size of the economy significantly over the coming years. There are many other things I am proud of, which the Speaker will, no doubt, give me an opportunity to talk about shortly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290f50ef1151e40cc889bb0f7ad2f414c\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: How can he stand by his economic policies which have seen New Zealand transform from strong growth and surpluses into slow growth and deficits in two short years? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002201f8e82512884f478afb7e958ad4f275\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I completely refute what underlies that member\u2019s question. If he looks around the world, he will see that New Zealand continues to grow at a pace faster than Australia, Japan, Canada, the UK, and the eurozone. The New Zealand economy is doing well amid global headwinds. It would be nice, just one day in the House, for the member to stand up, back New Zealand businesses, and say we\u2019re doing well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227758700e3c4a439680cb9860a12b19d6\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: What was he talking about yesterday, when he said, \u201CWhen we came into Government we ranked 34th in the OECD in GDP per capita, and we\u2019ve improved [on] that. We\u2019re [now] 32nd and we will keep moving forward\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b477467f150a428da5835db9e7d86b0a\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I was responding to the member\u2019s question about growth and GDP per capita. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232e0ae8b18f84bf6aa20d755e8027c63\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Well, is it not the case that New Zealand\u2019s growth per person in 2017 was 24th in the OECD, and now it\u2019s 28th? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233172278c8e24186ac98d65e7dc60dfd\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No. No, the OECD told us that we were left, in terms of growth and GDP per capita, in 34th position in 2017, and this improved to 32nd position. We can have this fascinating argument about OECD stats, or we can celebrate the fact that the New Zealand economy is in good shape, jobs are growing, and wages are growing. The member needs to cheer up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ba37227098e43d39706058ee6b96c1f\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave to table a note from the Parliamentary Library which is a compilation of the latest OECD stats on GDP growth per person, showing that New Zealand\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222cd9c22a5b9c46059f3dc72efde6e956\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! That\u2019s it. Is there any objection to that document being tabled? There is none. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EDocument, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233bab72b2950487b9f3a18351d7a6915\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Well, why is he peddling fake news in this Chamber? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002240860a6a1f6d46cd8c372d28161f83c4\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! No, that\u2019s it\u2014that question\u2019s gone. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5aee75748aa41c5a950189615f2c21d\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. What was wrong with that question? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a23a172eef604ad784afbbc282320556\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I will give the member a seminar later if he wants one. He should know by now\u2014he\u2019s been round long enough. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a272feeac1174538a1e020ef4d49db19\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Is it also not the case that growth per person in 2017 was 1.7 percent in New Zealand, and it is now less than a third of that, at 0.5 percent? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc7aa018005546eabca76a0abac5210c\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: The member\u2014his way with numbers is such that I\u2019d like to go away and confirm that. What I do know, from memory, is that the average per capita growth over the forecast period that we have released last week is ahead of New Zealand\u2019s 10-year average. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252e4cfe09c014871ba688c36e8e3a91b\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Can I ask the finance Minister, if GDP per person is the proper measurement, how many examples as precedent has he been able to use from Ministers in this House from 2008 to 2017\u2014by way of precedent? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9c4941491ea44d8aa0a6f7fae038f48\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, I try not to use that particular period of time as a precedent for this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223da1f344573e48e9ad78f8c4dde4fdd0\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: So what impact on Kiwi families does a drop in growth to less than a third of what it was two years ago, on a per person basis, have? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218190fa2ee3e4786be8819db4dc69f66\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: We all know that New Zealand is continuing to grow. We\u2019re continuing to grow as an economy faster than most of the countries we compare us to. If the member wants to pretend that the rest of the world doesn\u2019t exist and that we\u2019re frozen in time in 2016 or 2017, he can do that. On this side of the House, we are governing in real time in a way that\u2019s leaving New Zealanders\u2019 books in good shape. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a2751c8eed84e189546d1e5f95ebac7\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Just explain to me how New Zealand\u2019s books are in good shape if we\u2019re running a deficit only two years after you inherited massive surpluses? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7f7afac3f884ce0aa0892af15870aa8\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I can do that at great length, if the member would like. In our\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229cc41cfd5a8c4346902a1eb8e148ff64\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022413962b1b3194d869381f5438c70e118\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014first two years in office, we ran very strong surpluses. We\u2019re going to be running another $12 billion of surpluses. In the face of global headwinds, the economy continues to grow above trend, unemployment is at the lowest level in a decade, and wage growth is at the highest level in a decade. That\u2019s why the New Zealand economy is in good shape. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fb10950abfea4ce49a14a63f3622f0b7\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u0022d529c1b4f90842599bfea1bd5028e148\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d529c1b4f90842599bfea1bd5028e148\u0022\u003ETAMATI COFFEY (Labour\u2014Waiariki)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: He aha ng\u0101 r\u012Bpoata hou kua kitea e ia m\u014D te \u014Dhanga o Aotearoa? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E[What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u002213679a84cd834b73882ed6b1fdba007c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002213679a84cd834b73882ed6b1fdba007c\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Friday\u2019s BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI) showed that, seasonally adjusted, the index was at 51.4, expanding for a second straight month. Similarly, the BNZ business Performance of Services Index (PSI) out yesterday showed continued expansion of the services sector in November, recording a reading of 53.3. The PMI reading is above those of Australia, the UK, Japan, and the eurozone, while the PSI reading is above the UK, the US, the eurozone, and Japan, demonstrating the continued solid fundamentals of the New Zealand economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a251421458c4cb0aba13e0f989a2d9a\u0022\u003ETamati Coffey\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he seen on business confidence in the New Zealand economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3e1bb10e9d240f7af86152cbcef8d0b\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Yesterday the ANZ Business Outlook Survey, a favoured survey of members opposite, showed that headline business confidence jumped another 13 points in December, after jumping 16 points in the month before, up to its highest level since the Government took office. Firms\u2019 expectations for their own activity rose 4 percent to a net 17 percent expecting higher activity over the year ahead. Across the survey, employment intentions rose 5 points to a net 8 percent of firms intending to lift employment. While this survey remains a sentiment survey, it is great to see New Zealand businesses feeling more upbeat about their prospects as we head into next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c419c71d30a84805a24ac7d68c80d393\u0022\u003ETamati Coffey\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has he seen on consumer confidence?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229b942a8f74b44ea69af8f3138a96f49d\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s not just businesses that are feeling more confident. According to the latest Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence report released yesterday, consumer confidence rose sharply in December to 109.9. Westpac said that the rise in confidence had been widespread across the country and was seen across all ages and income brackets. It said increasing optimism around the economic outlook is behind the turnaround in household sentiment. The number of households who expect to be better off financially over the coming year rose to its highest level since 2009. It\u2019s clear from these surveys that businesses and consumers and households are finishing the year on a confident and optimistic note and we wish all in the House to feel the same way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c9681a38e2c24b85b6ef0034a32a7e03\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 4\u2014Transport\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb4f3517b7664cc58cbd522000aff467\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb4f3517b7664cc58cbd522000aff467\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National\u2014Hutt South)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: What is his best estimate for when construction of the City Centre to M\u0101ngere light rail project will begin, and what is his best estimate of when the completed project line will be open for passengers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u00224465bb8b5b594304ae0d97079e6bdc0a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224465bb8b5b594304ae0d97079e6bdc0a\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E As the member is well aware, we\u2019re going through a process that will give the Government a preferred delivery partner and an announcement will be made on time lines next year. However, my best estimate for both parts of the question is that the line will be open well before the date that the previous transport Minister, Simon Bridges planned, which was 2047.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002225d4ee016eed4258860ef7e84a910e51\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: What did the chief executive of the Ministry of Transport (MOT) mean when he said last week, \u201CAt this stage this process is about deciding who the preferred delivery partner will be not the specific solution.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a4207ea3e1c4321afa4403d9050afbd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll let the question go because it\u2019s close to Christmas. It doesn\u2019t actually relate to the primary or the answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022146eb5f444e04de9976633396a0e3ae2\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I think that the MOT\u2019s chief executive Peter Mersi was quite clear in this explanation that the twin track process that\u2019s currently under way is about informing a Cabinet decision on the delivery partner and delivery model. What I think he also said was that questions about route alignment, about design and traffic segregation\u2014all of those things\u2014are part of the process because they are what the parties are putting in their bid. But the decision on those things\u2014route alignment, design, traffic segregation\u2014will be made after Cabinet makes its decision on the delivery partner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022511fbff438a0493a928bc9dc12881f46\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the comments of Matt Lowry of Greater Auckland, who has said \u201CYou don\u2019t go to Fletcher\u2019s and say \u2018We want you to build us a road.\u2019 and Fletcher\u2019s go \u2018OK, where do you want us to build it?\u2019, and then say \u2018I don\u2019t know. We\u2019ll work that out later.\u2019\u00A0\u201D; and why is he overseeing a process where precisely this scenario is happening in relation to light rail?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2f4d9dafe814ee7b052d96780726b61\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it\u2019s not that scenario at all. We are choosing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed22f72b1cd14ace9a78f9b0d1c0e7db\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: It is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221922309ac0da4a98a01e2f7ca5fc0829\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: No, it\u2019s not. It\u2019s not that scenario at all. We are choosing a delivery partner and a delivery model, and that\u2019s partly because the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and their Canadian partners have made a bid that is unlike any other procurement model that\u2019s been attempted in New Zealand before, and the Government has taken the view that it is compelling, it\u2019s promising, and we are determined to give it serious consideration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238968700ac1248729f88997e887bc442\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Is it fair to say that in December 2019 the Government has not yet settled on the exact route that light rail will take in Auckland?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d2f042ef9184acca495daac1810a8b6\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, we know that the line that\u2019s been prioritised in the Auckland light rail project, which is the city centre to M\u0101ngere, will cross the isthmus, will cross the harbour, and will connect two of the biggest concentrations of jobs in the country, but the precise route alignment is subject to work that is ongoing, and that decision will be made next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d2088cae3ff41d4b26ae00b2082545d\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Is it fair to say that in December 2019, the Government has not yet settled on what type of rail will be used for the light rail project?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002231efe5ea79f24976b4c1120ce95c8262\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: No. It will be rail with two tracks that go forward in parallel.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b81470d21f564cd2837a3f60f3816e28\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 5\u2014Health\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022 data-id=\u00229b46daa0641943f3af60502115501a38\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229b46daa0641943f3af60502115501a38\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: Is he satisfied with the performance of the health system this year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u0022fcc0a7e0922d44f0bb65e108517aa1c5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fcc0a7e0922d44f0bb65e108517aa1c5\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E My concern as Minister of Health is that New Zealanders get the services they need. I\u2019m satisfied that more people are receiving more care from our health services. I\u2019m satisfied that we\u2019re making progress rolling out new front-line mental health services and that we have New Zealand\u2019s first ever suicide prevention office up and running. I\u2019m satisfied that making it cheaper for 600,000 people to visit their GP has made it easier for people to get the care they need when they need it. I\u2019m satisfied that the newly established Cancer Control Agency will drive improved care and better outcomes. Of course it will take time for our health services to fully recover from nine years of neglect, and there is more work to be done, but I am satisfied that we are on the right track and we\u2019re making progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221741873ad5404e908aa07d7bed0e3663\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Is he sure the health service is delivering more health for New Zealanders when the only published data are all showing indicators going backward on his watch?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c932e4be962a47e8ac351599410ee357\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I refute the second part of the question, clearly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa04dc8a8c9b4936aa7ce1798f647552\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Well, does he stand by his statement, \u201CI want to see meaningful and transparent measures of progress in health.\u201D, and, if so, is he satisfied that his removal of published elective surgery throughput is consistent with that statement?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a197aa61cfad4515a2775fdf4dac99a0\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I yesterday spent some time sharing with the member some of the shortcomings of the narrow set of political targets the previous Government chose, and I can tell the member today good news: 5,000 more planned care interventions happened in the last year, more New Zealanders are getting more care in appropriate settings. This Government will have to take time to address all of the neglect that we\u2019ve inherited, but we\u2019re making good progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225fce261a9aff42f8b6956f4bba9cf8b0\u0022\u003EMichael Wood\u003C/span\u003E: Well, is he satisfied that, under his leadership, DHB deficits have ballooned to over $1.1 billion?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226228c022bfc14a70a0de07bc545bf5fe\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: As the member knows full well, DHB deficits have been building up since 2013, and the bulk of this year\u2019s deficits relate to one-off costs incurred during his and Simon Bridges\u2019 Government\u2019s time. That includes $772 million to put right a decade of underpayment to nurses, doctors, and other health workers. We\u2019re going to put that right. We\u2019re going to make sure they are paid appropriately, unlike what the previous Government did, and I want to take this time to thank the doctors and nurses and allied health workers who were underpaid under the previous Government\u2019s watch. That is something we want to put right. There are many long-term challenges we\u2019ve still got to sort out, but I think the former Minister needs to look in the mirror when he\u2019s raising concerns about this year\u2019s deficit, most of which relates to historic problems created by that Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224c009f389f4340aba95e55d3b963a065\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: But is he satisfied that, in the year of delivery, he is delivering poorer health outcomes for New Zealanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b49a73fd18541faa6327b358f762e57\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: The member is flat out wrong. This Government is delivering cheaper doctors visits: 57,000 fewer people say they can\u2019t afford to go to the GP than they could a year ago. We\u2019ve made a record investment into mental health and addiction. We\u2019ve rolled out new front-line mental health services. We rolled out Mana Ake, a programme in Kaik\u014Dura and Canterbury for children in the wake of the earthquakes, in primary and intermediate schools. We rolled out Piki, free counselling for young people in the Wellington and Manawat\u016B area. We\u2019ve rolled out a suicide prevention office\u2014New Zealand\u2019s first ever suicide prevention office. We\u2019ve got an interim Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission up and running. In the cancer control area, we\u2019ve got a cancer action plan. We\u2019ve got a Cancer Control Agency. We\u2019ve funded 12 new linear accelerators. We\u2019ve got Pharmac approving five new cancer drugs since the Budget. We\u2019ve got bowel screening rolled out to 10 DHBs; 420 cancers detected early when there is better prospect of having life-saving interventions. We\u2019re rebuilding and upgrading our hospitals: $2.45 billion set aside to address the neglect we\u2019ve inherited\u2014$2.45 billion. That is more than twice what the previous Government set aside in their whole nine years. Mr Speaker, there is so much more I could say, but I fear you will not let me continue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223f2beb010a304d5cbe197364756496a5\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 6\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022 data-id=\u002298e617749fc4401387af5500775ee6f0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002298e617749fc4401387af5500775ee6f0\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN (Labour\u2014Dunedin South)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: What is the Government doing to develop a sustainable vocational education system that delivers the skills that learners, employers, and communities need to thrive?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022f5bd3848ad8045b590740fa6813e64e4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f5bd3848ad8045b590740fa6813e64e4\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E The Government inherited a polytech system posting collective losses of around $70 million per year and with plunging enrolments. We needed to take bold and concerted action to ensure that our vocational education system remained viable, and, in fact, we\u2019ve done a lot more than that. This year, we\u2019ve developed a completely new integrated model that\u2019s going to take vocational education in New Zealand into the future, that\u2019s going to put industry into the driver\u2019s seat, and that\u2019s going to put students and trainees at the centre. Work putting our institutes of technology and polytechs into a sustainable long-term position is already well under way. Workforce development councils will be established in 2020. Centres of vocational excellence are also being established, and the funding system is on the way to being overhauled.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219e47ac05f9744c2976c446fe2aee887\u0022\u003EHon Clare Curran\u003C/span\u003E: What decisions has he taken to prepare industry to take a leading role in the reformed vocational education system?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a1cc894b6d24324bfaed4f78a8350aa\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Yesterday, I announced that we\u2019ll be establishing six industry-led workforce development councils. The areas of coverage for those six councils will be construction and infrastructure; another for primary industries; one for service industries; one for health, community, and social services industries; one for manufacturing, engineering, logistics, and technology; and one for cultural, creative, and recreational industries. These groupings are based on the vocational pathways that schools are already very familiar with, and they are industry\u2019s favoured model. Combined, they cover most of the industries that employ around 2.5 million people in around half a million businesses across New Zealand. They\u2019ll bring together a number of new industries or sectors not currently covered by industry training organisations, including areas in IT like web and graphic design, fashion, other ICT fields, teacher support qualifications. They will now also have a powerful industry voice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022086651267a804b42906a6508323baf4b\u0022\u003EHon Clare Curran\u003C/span\u003E: How will those workforce development councils be important to the vocational education reforms?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa31097bf3f0445cb72a9012be719d7d\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Workforce development councils put industry in the driver\u2019s seat of determining what their skill needs are, and they\u2019ll ensure that the education system delivers on those. The councils will ensure that training and qualifications meet industry standards and that courses that are taught are relevant and up to date, and unless a training and education programme has the confidence of industry through its workforce development council, it won\u2019t be approved and it won\u2019t be funded.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022617626a52f084ffb815597fa1e42357f\u0022\u003EHon Clare Curran\u003C/span\u003E: What is the Government doing to encourage more people to enter vocational education and training?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022007b73108eed4eaa81061fb797491686\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Heaps, but to name just a few: 4,000 more Gateway and trades academy places are being funded from next year; 345 students received the very first Prime Minister\u2019s awards for vocational excellence this year; initiatives like speed meets are helping to connect up employers and students, to create a stronger link between employers and the education system; and, of course, apprentices and trainees are eligible for two years of fees-free training under the Government\u2019s fees-free scheme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227f6c88a270ee438e8c878c1438e13e7f\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 7\u2014Social Development \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u00228c00f6764e7943f5a9cc60c4468a314f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228c00f6764e7943f5a9cc60c4468a314f\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development: Does she stand by her statement earlier this year that \u201COur plans will result in fewer children growing up in extreme poverty and see more people moving off benefits and into decent long term work\u201D; if so, does she believe that she has delivered on this promise?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u002235d0ebc424ca419ca5289998514cf298\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002235d0ebc424ca419ca5289998514cf298\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, I stand by this statement, and this Government is delivering on this. As I\u2019ve said before, there is more to do. However, we have already introduced the Families Package, which has benefited over a million New Zealanders; committed to indexing benefits to wage increases for the first time in New Zealand\u2019s history; invested more into helping young people upskill and move into work through programmes like Mana in Mahi and Limited Service Volunteers; lifted benefit abatement thresholds so people can keep more of what they earn; passed legislation to repeal the harmful sanction that penalised sole parents and their children; and put an extra 170 case managers on the front line at the Ministry of Social Development to support people into sustainable employment. Finally, as I also said earlier this year, we\u2019re taking a balanced approach and are committed to delivering change over the longer term and prioritising areas like housing and mental health, which impact on all New Zealanders but particularly those in the welfare system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228406a3a74bfe44a08839f39357e38d90\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: How can this have been delivered, when there are 22,000 more people on jobseeker benefit and 8,000 more children in benefit-dependent households since the Government took office?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002267282ec93b0c450b894673f5d9ae8810\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: We know that the number of working-age New Zealanders on benefit proportionate to the population is one of the lowest that it has been in over a decade, at 10.2 percent. What we\u2019ve also seen during the July to November period was an additional 3,600 benefit exits into employment compared to the year before. That\u2019s a 13 percent increase, and that came about around the time that we introduced the new work-focused case managers. So I do believe that this Government is delivering for New Zealanders. Is there more to do? Absolutely, and this Government\u2019s committed to doing it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d31cf409a524689a06c57e7fabe7154\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: How can she believe she has supported people into long-term work, when she has not delivered 4,000 Mana in Mahi places that the Prime Minister promised and only five percent of Oranga Mahi participants are still in work after six months?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002234a31456733041c38bf72e2ef845b0b1\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: Can I say that with respect to Mana in Mahi we are absolutely meeting the targets that we have set with getting people into Mana in Mahi placements. I think that the outcome that we\u2019ve seen to date is that 70 percent of those who started in Mana in Mahi have continued in Mana in Mahi and, of those that have come out, about 16 percent have gone on to do something else, supported by MSD, and about 16 percent have ended up back on benefit. But we haven\u2019t given up on that 16 percent, and we will continue to support those young people to get into meaningful upskilling and training, because, unlike that side of the House, we don\u2019t believe that young New Zealanders are \u201Cpretty damn hopeless\u201D. We believe in their potential.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1bdf898c1334debb4154823f8cf5f83\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: Does she believe she has delivered on child poverty when John Campbell is stating that \u201CThere are many children here and they are waiting for food that their families might run short of\u201D and when Green Party MP Marama Davidson says that the My Food Bag trial only hides the fact that people simply don\u2019t have enough to eat?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c22a0ef38a064b079505e88e040ebcfa\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: We have to be really careful in this House not to over-politicise child poverty. There\u2019s a reason that we all signed up to the child poverty reduction targets, and that is because we know that we have an issue as a country. That issue didn\u2019t just come about when we took over two years ago. There were, unfortunately, children living in poverty under the previous Government, but, for far too long, it was ignored. We\u2019re not ignoring it anymore; we\u2019re doing something about it. We\u2019ve set those targets. We are absolutely focused on achieving those targets, and we look forward to working constructively with other political parties in the House to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002221f7d18c18394829ad5a4cf72338bc88\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: How can she be delivering on poverty when the head of the Christchurch City Mission said that things were better under National and food banks are reporting that they have never seen so many people in need?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e57b7684d474ab28b0a2cb7586f90b9\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: We have to reflect on more than the past two years. Already, what has been mentioned in the House has been the Children\u2019s Commissioner and his comments. I need to refer back to something that the Prime Minister mentioned, and that is the Child Poverty Monitor. The stats that that side of the House keep referring to are stats that came about under their time in Government, not ours. We are committed to addressing child poverty. That is why we introduced the Best Start payment for New Zealand families. That is why we introduced the winter energy payment. That is why we\u2019ve lifted Working for Families. That is why we have indexed benefits to wages. That is why we have lifted the abatement threshold\u2014so that people can earn more whilst being able to maintain their benefit and not be penalised. There is a lot that we\u2019re doing on this side of the House. Is there more that we have to do? Absolutely, and we\u2019re committed to doing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b90b936561434ac8b88f8795325050d3\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 8\u2014Health \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022 data-id=\u00229e225e1a98044c348cb7bc3f7520b6a1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229e225e1a98044c348cb7bc3f7520b6a1\u0022\u003EANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Health: What progress, if any, is the Government making to improve access to quality healthcare for New Zealanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u002203ec6d9641c14467b9c76b2850314bd0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002203ec6d9641c14467b9c76b2850314bd0\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E I have more good news. This Government is committed to a strong health service that is delivering more care to more people\u2014that starts in primary care. We know early intervention is always better, and that\u2019s why in December last year we made it cheaper for around 600,000 people to visit their GP. That investment is already paying dividends. In the latest New Zealand Health Survey there was an almost 10 percent drop in the number of people who reported that they couldn\u2019t afford to visit their GP. I\u2019m proud to be part of a Government that is making it easier for people to get the care they need when they need it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e32dc7554dd84810b57ec1b7600299ed\u0022\u003EAngie Warren-Clark\u003C/span\u003E: What progress is the Government making to improve access to mental health and addiction services?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282ee9e90f3e14948afb94b23bf7b7863\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: This Government is taking mental health and addiction seriously. We\u2019ve rolled out Mana Ake, putting mental health support into primary and intermediate schools throughout Canterbury and Kaik\u014Dura. Piki is delivering free support to 18- to 24-year-olds in Wellington and Wairarapa. We\u2019re rolling out new front-line mental health services. Already, 170,000 people across seven DHBs have access to free mental health services at their local general practices, with new sites to be added and announced next year. We\u2019re investing more into addiction services and we\u2019ve announced funding for new mental health facilities in Waikato, Tai R\u0101whiti, and Palmerston North.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290923b62f8fc4972bd4e5beda9cec0e5\u0022\u003EAngie Warren-Clark\u003C/span\u003E: What progress is the Government making to improve access to hospital care?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9e15c84e8664bd68475477bd98d588b\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: Every day the staff in our public hospitals take care of thousands of people. I want to take this opportunity now to say thank you to them for their dedication, professionalism, and hard work. I want to wish them a merry Christmas. Last year they delivered more planned care interventions than ever before\u2014an increase of 5,000 on the previous year. Even more progress has been made in the first quarter of this year, when we\u2019ve seen 3,150 more planned care interventions than over the same period in the previous year, as well as 5,800 more first specialist assessments, and 2,710 more acute discharges. I know we have more work to do and our new DHB chairs and boards face many challenges, but after nine years of neglect our health services are making real progress in delivering more care for more people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ab1bda84927e47979acc2d63d1035871\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: What has been done to ensure New Zealanders who need it have access to high quality, affordable medicinal cannabis?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a93445e11a0246dda097d941836a73c6\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: Just today I\u2019ve announced that new regulations are going to be in place that will allow local cultivation and manufacture of medicinal cannabis products that will potentially help ease the pain of thousands of people. Today\u2019s regulations, which will come into effect on 1 April next year, set out the quality and licencing arrangements for manufacturing and distributing medicinal cannabis. I want to thank all who have worked on this across the coalition and confidence and supply: those on this side of the House that have made medicinal cannabis so much easier for New Zealanders to access.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d4ee8411aadb4726872578922fc529c7\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 9\u2014Regional Economic Development \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022 data-id=\u0022e707603f088242f894d79b888bd5f32e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e707603f088242f894d79b888bd5f32e\u0022\u003EJENNY MARCROFT (NZ First)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: What has the Provincial Growth Fund achieved in 2019?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022 data-id=\u0022578eeb2f2eac4d2bbd51969d4614eb4d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022578eeb2f2eac4d2bbd51969d4614eb4d\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES (Minister for Regional Economic Development):\u003C/span\u003E In 2019, the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), amongst other things, has achieved endless publicity; in addition to that, the occasional eruption of two of the seven deadly sins from the other side of the House: envy and lust.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225366f88f6af244a5b58615ad1692de64\u0022\u003EJenny Marcroft\u003C/span\u003E: What recent successes regarding PGF projects is he aware of?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022284612a4b31b4c3bbaa73588572e51aa\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: This answer may take a tad longer, given it\u2019s the season of good cheer. In terms of green minerals, I\u2019d like to point out that Geo40\u2014the loan that was allocated to a Taup\u014D company\u2014has proceeded to achieve all of its milestones, not only the extraction of battery grade lithium from geothermal fluid but a development that would never have taken place but for the Provincial Growth Fund. Just to show that we\u2019re conscious of legacy industries, the Dunedin residents are overjoyed about the reopening of the Hillside workshops. Just to show that we spread the good cheer across the four winds: the Ngati Porou - Tai R\u0101whiti roading package of $137 million is on its way. I wait with bated breath to see if T\u016Bhoe want a road.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022676b0bc5-331b-4818-b261-ecf892d0bf23\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d8e401edd3da4007ba9f51b428c6df94\u0022\u003EJenny Marcroft\u003C/span\u003E: What will the Provincial Growth Fund deliver in the coming year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229828ffb1a9794e7e9cff977195df279b\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: Next year is an incredibly important year, and given the constitutional role that I\u2019m fulfilling in answering this question, I shall be sober and clear-headed in my answer. During the course of 2020\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e1eca8c65df4692bf8c903e5cff9e9c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Now, this\u2019ll be a fine thing!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d07e456347345618b13841ec31e16e1\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014we will see a M\u0101ori Battalion museum, which will offer a testimony to all of the families and the men who served overseas, at Waitangi. We will see the Whanganui rail upgrade. As you know, we are a party, we are a Government, that is deeply committed to rail after the last nine years of woeful neglect. We will also see, in an area that has been neglected for far too long, the Westport Airport seawall rebuild. To round things off, we will also see the \u014Chaaki northern plant completed and the rolling ball clock.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c78101cbafda4e4fbf19126c91fd0f50\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Could the Minister tell us how many times he\u2019s literally been knocked over by National Party provincial MPs trying to go to the PGF announcements?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245bc36e21ecf42008d8e5fbd830c54ff\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: We did fund the initial study into the relocation of the Ports of Auckland out of Auckland, and I have noted that Mr Matt King is now an enthusiastic supporter of this stance, and indeed the leader of the National Party has announced that the port will go, and actually he\u2019s favouring\u2014I\u2019ve warned him about conflicts of interest\u2014Tauranga over Northland. [Interruption] Perhaps. Although Steven Joyce is antagonistic to the idea, the real boss, John Key, is highly supportive. Look forward to a very colourful and informative year from my good self next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002239a47c1fb9ec43e49097b6296ae12a24\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 10\u2014Transport\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u0022231168b1ce3f4acf8401cec5fbcdde57\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022231168b1ce3f4acf8401cec5fbcdde57\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National\u2014Hutt South)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister of Transport: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022 data-id=\u00228f8eeebabf60431ea0a7991225a2a0f3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228f8eeebabf60431ea0a7991225a2a0f3\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Associate Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context they were made and given.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9f92138a02d480baae85418f628c5b4\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: What actions this year, if any, did she take to try and resolve Wellington\u2019s bus issues, described by one Wellingtonian as a \u201Clasagne of failure\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227aae1249f51e4aa087f28061991a89a3\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: I agree that the Wellington bus fiasco has been unfortunate. Unfortunately, I don\u2019t have ministerial responsibility for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022594a16116f994e998b6ae5fb4ef0795f\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Will she be taking to Twitter over the Christmas break to lambast \u201Ccar fascists\u201D, or has she suddenly developed new respect for the millions of New Zealanders that drive a car every day?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022269a05048fe84a34a58467e829580ac6\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: I completely reject the assertion that is in that question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022706fc10098354229b097603704b93e11\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Question No. 11\u2014Marja Lubeck.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247eb95f600c74f0c87a7cd4087d4e59a\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary? Supplementary?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e31bf49b71644080b60b5805b08770c3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the member has to stand up, not look at the members behind him while he\u2019s sitting down, if he wants another supplementary. Because it\u2019s Christmas, I will let the member have it, but he\u2019s got to remember to stand up if he wants a supplementary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc0ade8607f84055b278f4d3e753d58b\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I appreciate your indulgence. Has she met former mayor Justin Lester recently and asked him why he was telling people she had threatened to resign if the second Mt Vic tunnel was prioritised in the Let\u2019s Get Wellington Moving plan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291293fc823414a3d9a54bace5efe19f1\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: I have not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022395b3698dd8f47b986a3e7457dc919bf\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Will she provide Wellingtonians with an early Christmas present and release her secret letter to Minister Twyford?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258f935f1-6646-40ab-9d99-17029396850c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9a3cfc7b69946ee89a7dfc14cf69d18\u0022\u003EHon JULIE ANNE GENTER\u003C/span\u003E: As the member is well aware, the Ombudsman has said that we were right to withhold the letter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022601f5f9a68e04d87ae5131c2814b098a\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Will she write any further secret letters to oppose a second Mt Vic tunnel being brought forward as a priority project in the Government\u2019s new transport package?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e2bda416bc34a568cb01110277c7274\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That question is ruled out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222c5903f811dd4dc99c64168241ca7bb3\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 11\u2014Workplace Relations and Safety \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022 data-id=\u0022fc19f518ff254e6397a0a4c924eb36aa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fc19f518ff254e6397a0a4c924eb36aa\u0022\u003EMARJA LUBECK (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What steps has the Government taken to increase wages for the lowest-paid workers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022 data-id=\u00225e8d065c1b094316b479e82412dffe49\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225e8d065c1b094316b479e82412dffe49\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Today, I announced that this Government is lifting the adult minimum wage by $1.20, and from 1 April next year, that will bring the minimum wage to $18.90 per hour. This complements work to raise wages in the State sector and major pay equity settlements. For example, 30,000 people working in our schools, including teacher-aides, librarians, and therapists, will get a pay rise in the new year which will see them all receive at least a living wage. This Government believes in sharing prosperity more fairly and for the right of people to get a fair day\u2019s pay for a fair day\u2019s work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225589a24bf13147e2a5d11e46d2be1e4c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Before the member comes, I am going to explain to our visitors in the gallery that during debates such as the one which is going to come up soon, we do relax our rules a little bit for clapping at the end of speeches, but we don\u2019t do that during question time. The only noise that\u2019s meant to happen is meant to be from members on the floor, and I will remind the members on the floor that they are members of Parliament, not seals, and to stop clapping.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002293a6bf1349f64c2e835b94343043a28c\u0022\u003EMarja Lubeck\u003C/span\u003E: Why did the Government decide to increase the minimum wage?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200a575918db04f318e146d70aa11f4c9\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there\u2019s just so much good news. The fundamentals of New Zealand\u2019s economy are strong, our unemployment rate is low at 4.2 percent, and our economy is predicted to add 43,600 new jobs in 2020. Our GDP is growing at a faster rate than Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK, European countries, Japan, and others. With our economy doing well, we want to make sure that our lowest-paid workers also benefit. The rise in the minimum wage is estimated to boost wages by $306 million a year across the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211da7787d6eb4cb5a3e1c38951aacc54\u0022\u003EMarja Lubeck\u003C/span\u003E: How many working people will receive a pay rise on 1 April?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022730bb4a97b8e45909b0d69538b877864\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: About a quarter of a million workers will be better off under this increase to the minimum wage. The new rate will mean an extra $48 a week in Kiwis\u2019 back pockets, if they\u2019re working for 40 hours a week on the minimum wage. Wages across the economy are now growing at their fastest rate in a decade, a 4.2 percent increase to the rate of hourly average wages. This means more money in working people\u2019s pockets and more spending throughout the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002254a20c0f0b0845e69184f9ccf245eab2\u0022\u003EHon Tracey Martin\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister confirm that the latest step is merely still on the pathway towards fulfilling the coalition agreement between New Zealand First and the Labour Party to take the minimum wage closer to the living wage?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002237a973b614a2492991d46bf2a4c397ff\u0022\u003EHon IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY\u003C/span\u003E: I can confirm that. We are well on the path to making the minimum wage $20 an hour by 2021.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002271ff6578cdcf4584a39abe3a38d2dfa3\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 12\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022 data-id=\u0022e434d21cc5f44de58d0176d013460863\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e434d21cc5f44de58d0176d013460863\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader\u2014National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government\u2019s statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u0022eeb9926f015447dca931dacf93d6541c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eeb9926f015447dca931dacf93d6541c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. Now, the members will have heard many of the highlights from this year alone from this Government, but I wouldn\u2019t mind traversing just a few more, including, as the member has said, boosting the minimum wage up to $18.90 on 1 April 2020, benefiting more than 200,000 New Zealanders, and an economy delivering 4.2 percent unemployment and 4.2 percent wage growth. We are doing well. Cheaper doctors visits, which recent surveys show is making a difference in terms of people accessing doctors when they need it; a Cancer Action Plan, including 12 linear accelerators to make sure people get the cancer treatment they need in regional New Zealand; bowel screening, which has made a difference, potentially saving more than 400 New Zealanders\u2019 lives; mental health care, Mana Ake down in the South supporting children and young people with mental health issues; rolling out school-based health services\u2014Mr Speaker, I could go on, but I do not wish to test your patience.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d8df058faa649b483af48be4c0e9c45\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the member failed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc41c2747299435d862ad2b4e6743493\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Has she seen the summary of submissions from the Ministry of Transport\u2019s public consultation on drug-driving that showed a majority support for the introduction of oral fluid testing?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f63760e4d0654d81845d467507677e77\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I have not seen the document that the member references.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270dc3ff933444e208c62bb58af4ab15b\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Why has the Government not yet moved to introduce a random roadside drug-testing regime when 71 people died on our roads last year with drugs in their system?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f3044d3e7d5749e58e2c6ca05a33fe28\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: The member well knows the Associate Minister of Transport is working on this very issue and, I\u2019m sure, would be very happy to update the member if the member were willing to ask. Again, this is an area that I do acknowledge we are having to do work on that the member\u2019s Government themselves did not complete.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022009f23a6e5944594bf28c10c6b7b78bd\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Why is there no detail concerning drug-driving in the draft legislation for legalising recreational cannabis?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6c241468d6a400cb4d9b288535d395c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Because the member well knows that these issues are, as are workplace health and safety issues, dealt with in entirely separate pieces of legislation. So health and safety legislation covers drug-based impairment in the workplace, and, of course, in the same way that we regulate and legislate around alcohol, that\u2019s where it\u2019s best placed to make sure that, within our transport safety and within the Crimes Act, you\u2019re dealing with impairment around both alcohol and drugs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e25556a7c6414401b81ba7f47853a534\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Does she think it acceptable that a drug-driving testing regime should come after cannabis is legalised, as her justice Minister has written in his Cabinet paper?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222684106597594eab9cbed3d6afdab2c1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I do want to point out to the member that, actually, these things\u2014impairment is impairment, regardless of whether or not New Zealanders choose to vote for or against the referendum. Of course, we have to deal with the safety issues relating to impairment through drug-driving regardless. In fact, whether or not a New Zealander chooses to vote in favour of this bill will not change that we do not want to see people impaired by drugs on our roads. What the member, of course, knows well is that making sure that we have a regime that accurately captures impairment has been the challenge that faced both the last Government and this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022672a1fc7393c4285836ff163776f293d\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Does she consider it a highlight that, in her year of delivery, what she\u2019s actually delivered is more on the unemployment benefit, more homelessness, and\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220295e8988bfa4195afcc02cf566725f4\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7b830b04c80401cadee591388e2d241\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014more child poverty?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cec7829390c14c868fbd811e6078b407\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m happy again to correct the record. The National Party continues to use stats from their time in office to attempt drawing conclusions around child poverty. It is absolutely fake news. We have implemented more than $5.5 billion worth of changes going directly to low and middle income New Zealanders that will lift between 50,000 and 70,000 children out of poverty. The first data\u2014the first data\u2014capturing a snapshot on child poverty will not come out until the beginning of 2020, and even then it won\u2019t fully capture the issue. If the member wishes to keep raising the appalling record of her Government on child poverty, she\u2019s welcome to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f8ce9afa10e42b5ba08c278f53dda8a\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I note that earlier you ruled out a question about fake news yet were quite happy for the Minister to then use it in her answer inappropriately and incorrectly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a75d748b6bd74ca89d98ab148a5ce14a\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to the point of order, the problem wasn\u2019t the phrase, it was the fact that there was an assertion in a question that wasn\u2019t the question, and I thought that\u2019s why the Speaker ruled it out\u2014not for the use of the words.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e90e026fedb141d19778c3fbe74d03f1\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: I seek leave of the House for the Land Transport (Random Drug Testing) Amendment Bill to be introduced on the next member\u2019s sitting day and receive its first reading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ad590a3fc854718b7034302757c3d1d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that? [Interruption] Order! Order! Both sides will be quiet on this particular issue. Neither side has any glory on it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\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=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cc4ddc20b1dd4f978b48bdc373e0cf9f\u0022\u003ETe Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua K\u0113nana / Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d46ef9079c8840ab8eabc7b864117d44\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u0022f86f475543fe4bb29274b78dbf1c1a25\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f86f475543fe4bb29274b78dbf1c1a25\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for M\u0101ori Development):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua K\u0113nana / Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill be now read a second time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002274a54c028dd5412ab153bbdd26b84919\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u00225017ae75d31448508ba0bacb26c5429c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225017ae75d31448508ba0bacb26c5429c\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for M\u0101ori Development):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua K\u0113nana / Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill be now read a third time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EKi a koutou e te wh\u0101nau a Rua, ka nui te mihi, ka nui te mihi atu ki a koutou kua tae mai nei hei kaimataara i te kaupapa m\u014D t\u0113nei r\u0101. E ai ki te k\u014Drero a Rua, kotahi te ture m\u014D ng\u0101 iwi e rua, he tika t\u0113r\u0101 k\u014Drero, \u0101, kua mana \u0101na kupu whakaari i t\u0113nei r\u0101. E te tupuna, e te tohunga, e te rangatira Rua K\u0113nana Hepetipa, hoki wairua mai, k\u0101ti r\u0101, huri noa i t\u014D t\u0101tou nei Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ETuatahi, ki ng\u0101 uri o Rua, ng\u0101 kaiwhakapono o Te Iharaira, tae rawa ake ki ng\u0101 uri o Tama Kaimoana, o Maungap\u014Dhatu. Koutou kua puta i ng\u0101 wh\u0101rua o Te Urewera. N\u0101 koutou i p\u012Bkau t\u0113nei kaupapa i roto i ng\u0101 tau, me \u0101na piki, \u0101na heke hoki. Ahakoa \u0113r\u0101, kei konei t\u0101tou i t\u0113nei r\u0101 m\u014D te p\u0101nui whakamutunga m\u014D t\u0113nei pire. N\u0101 koutou, n\u0101 t\u014D koutou maia, kaha hoki, kua tae t\u0101tou ki t\u0113nei r\u0101. N\u014D reira, kei ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana, t\u0113nei a Tainui waka e mihi kau atu nei. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EKa tangi ki ng\u0101 tini aitu\u0101 i roto i te w\u0101. T\u0113nei m\u0101tou e tangi tonu nei ki a r\u0101tou, otir\u0101 kei ng\u0101 mate o t\u0113n\u0101 marae, o t\u0113n\u0101 hap\u016B, o t\u0113n\u0101 iwi, puta noa i te motu, haere, haere, hoki atu r\u0101. R\u0101tou ki a r\u0101tou, ko t\u0101tou ng\u0101 kanohi ora e tau nei ng\u0101 mahuetanga iho o r\u0101tou m\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E[To you the family of Rua, many greetings, many greetings to you who have come here as witnesses for today\u2019s initiative. According to the statement by Rua, there is one law for both peoples. That statement is correct, and his prophetic saying has been validated today. To the ancestor, to the spiritual leader, to the chief Rua K\u0113nana Hepetipa, return in spirit, enough, right around our House, greetings to all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EFirstly, to the descendants of Rua, the faithful of the Iharaira, right through to the descendants of Tama Kaimoana, of Maungap\u014Dhatu. All you who have emerged from the valleys of Te Urewera. You have borne this matter throughout the years, with its ups and downs. Despite them, we are here today for the final reading of this bill. Because of you, because of your courage and strength, we have arrived at this day. Therefore, to the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana, this is the canoe of Tainui congratulating you unreservedly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EWe lament the many who have passed away throughout time. We still grieve for them, and indeed the deceased of each marae, of each subtribe, of each tribe, throughout the country, farewell, farewell, return in peace. May the deceased remain with the deceased, we are the living, those left behind by them, greetings to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EWe gather here today to honour Rua K\u0113nana Hepetipa, a prophet and leader of the Iharaira faith, a T\u016Bhoe rangatira and community leader. In 2017, my predecessor, the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, on behalf of the Crown, along with the Hon Christopher Finlayson, signed an agreement with Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki a Iharaira me Ng\u0101 Uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu Charitable Trust to introduce legislation to provide a statutory pardon for Rua.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EMany wh\u0101nau, rangatahi, kaum\u0101tua, pakeke, and followers of the Iharaira faith also signed that agreement. I mihi to Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki a Iharaira me Ng\u0101 Uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu people of Rua, today, here in the House, and those watching from afar.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI also acknowledge the leadership and passion of the trustees of Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki a Iharaira me Ng\u0101 Uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu Charitable Trust, the signatories of the 2017 agreement: Richard Tumarae, the chairperson, Frederick Heurea, Atamira Tumarae-Nuku, Nancy Tait, Anthony Toko Miki, Miro Heurea, Tane Rua, Dan Hiramana-Rua, and Myrtle-Jean Hiramana-Rua.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe people of Rua have waited over 100 years for this pardon, and it is my hope that it will go some way in healing the land and its people. It\u2019s their hard work and undying commitment that have led us here today. For so long, they have helped carry the burden of this kaupapa, and must be acknowledged.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EFor this, the third and final reading of the bill, I would like to turn my attention acknowledging the people of Rua, many kaum\u0101tua of whom have since passed, and who have fought so hard and so long to get this far. I especially want to acknowledge the contribution of Kirituia Tumarae-Teka, who passed away before the first reading of this bill. Atamira Tumarae-Nuku, Kirituia\u2019s moko and spokesperson for Rua K\u0113nana wh\u0101nau, gave evidence before the Waitangi Tribunal at Maungap\u014Dhatu as a 14-year-old. She spoke of the impacts of the invasion of the families of Maungap\u014Dhatu, the things that happened to her kuia\u2014the hurt, the pain, the suffering that was caused not just to them 100 years ago but how it was handed down to them and the stigma that was associated with it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EKirituia passed away last year and, sadly, won\u2019t see the pardon passed into law. Atamira told reporters after the first reading that she is proud to carry her nanny\u2019s legacy, and that she will be at rest knowing that we\u2019re almost there\u2014moe mai r\u0101, moe mai r\u0101, e te whaea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s pertinent that the third and final reading of this bill is taking place in the last sitting session of this House in 2019, a year that has shown the Government\u2019s commitment to ensuring our history and our stories add to the full account of history that will soon be taught in all our schools across New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EAs was mentioned by Professor Taiarahia Black at the unveiling of the New Zealand Wars plaque on 12 September this year, following the announcement from the Prime Minister that we will soon be introducing New Zealand history to our education curriculum, and the same day as the first reading of this bill, we have entered into a millennial moment of our nationhood\u2014those were his words. He mentioned that millennial moments are the result of rigour\u2014both through debate, discourse, academic endeavour, and, importantly, societal receptivity. For too long, our stories have remained untold, held on to in the dim, dark corners to be shared amongst wh\u0101nau, at home, around the fire, and on the marae.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe story of Rua is not unique; it is not dissimilar to the experiences of other M\u0101ori prophets throughout our country and in our history, but it is, none the less, part of our history, part of what has happened to our people. We are now, at this moment, completing an unfinished chapter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EToday, we consider legislation that will provide a statutory pardon for Rua, as well as acknowledgments and an apology from the Crown for him, his followers, and his descendants. It will give effect to an agreement between the Crown and Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki a Iharaira me Ng\u0101 Uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu Charitable Trust, signed on 9\u00A0September 2017.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe purpose of this bill is to restore the character, mana, and reputation of Rua and his descendants, and apologise for the deep hurt, shame, and stigma suffered as a result of the invasion of Maungap\u014Dhatu. The bill concludes with the statutory pardon for Rua for the conviction for moral resistance to arrest. It also declares the restoration of the character, mana, and reputation of Rua, his uri, e Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki of the Iharaira faith.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill is designed to alleviate the ongoing suffering of the people of Rua, and achieves the Crown\u2019s objectives to promote reconciliation in the wake of historical wrongs. I\u2019ve detailed much of the historical context relating to how the Crown perceived the threat of Rua\u2019s influence and subsequent arrest. But can I say this: Rua sought to uphold the principle of kotahi te ture m\u014D ng\u0101 iwi e rua\u2014one law for both peoples\u2014and this was echoed regarding the control at the time of the liquor trade at Maungap\u014Dhatu, and unequal treatment of Rua at this time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EOn reflection, the presence of a large contingent of heavily armed police at Maungap\u014Dhatu in 1916 was deemed by the Waitangi Tribunal to be out of proportion to the liquor charges involved and posed a danger to the Maungap\u014Dhatu community. Police kept women of Maungap\u014Dhatu under armed guard for a time. T\u016Bhoe recollections of these events are that some of the women were raped by police. A waiata composed by Rua while in prison, \u201CTe Taura Whiu Kau\u201D, refers to these rapes. This incident has been described by some historians as the last shooting of the New Zealand Wars, Te P\u016Btake o te Riri. It is an incident that has dwelt long in the T\u016Bhoe memory, and has continued to cast a shadow over more recent events in our history.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill is the result of extensive consultation between Crown officials and Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki o Iharaira me Ng\u0101 Uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu Charitable Trust on the terms of the agreement underpinning the bill and the drafting of the legislation that we are passing today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EI think we\u2019re taking a good step towards reconciliation. When I reflect on some of the points raised by my colleague the MP for Te Tai Tonga, Rino Tirikatene, and the gift that was given by his tupuna when roads were opened up to Maungap\u014Dhatu, we can do no less than ensure that those roads stay open and are well guarded to enable the people of Maungap\u014Dhatu to flourish.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EThe bill is also a sign of the Crown\u2019s commitment to restore the relationship with his people; understanding the deep hurt, shame, and stigma carried by them was not remedied by the T\u016Bhoe Deed of Settlement that was signed by the Crown in 2013.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003ESo we have come to this time. To all those who have gathered here, many people have put their hearts and energies into ensuring that we have the ability to not only pass this bill but see the Governor-General visit Maungap\u014Dhatu this coming Saturday. It\u2019s an important moment. I want to acknowledge Rino Tirikatene as chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, and also the legacy connection that you highlighted earlier, with the people that are gathered here, to be able to acknowledge the work that you\u2019ve done in a pretty quick time frame to ensure that the aspirations of the wh\u0101nau could be achieved, that we pass this bill this side of Christmas to be able to enable reconciliation and to move forward. I\u2019d also like to recognise the Parliamentary Counsel Office, and, in particular, the Te Puni K\u014Dkiri officials who have been working tirelessly to make sure that all the logistics and all the arrangements and all the detail of the legislation can be in such a state that the people here today that are gathered have confidence that what we are doing is supporting their aspiration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, he iti t\u0101ku kia t\u0101piri atu ki te kaupapa kei mua i t\u014D t\u0101tou nei aroaro, koutou katoa kua t\u014Dp\u016B mai ki te tautoko i t\u0113nei kaupapa, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E[Therefore, I have but a little to add to the matter before us. To all who have gathered here to support this initiative, greetings to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022 data-id=\u002222588452afc4499fad732b9e7dbc9a7c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002222588452afc4499fad732b9e7dbc9a7c\u0022\u003EJO HAYES (National):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te Mana Whakaw\u0101. E koro m\u0101, e kui m\u0101, e rau rangatira m\u0101, e te wh\u0101nau o te tangata, wh\u0101nau wh\u0101nui o te tangata, o Rua K\u0113nana, nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whare P\u0101remata i te r\u0101 whakahirahira.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker. To the elderly gentlemen and ladies, the many leaders, the family of the man, the extended family of the man, of Rua K\u0113nana, welcome, welcome to Parliament on this important day.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EIt is certainly a day of celebration, but it is a day of remembrance of all the things that have gone wrong in our history of New Zealand, and how we stand here in this Parliament, on all of our M\u0101ori bills\u2014whether they be Treaty settlements or whether they be reconciliations like this here today\u2014in remembrance and an apology to the very people that the Crown came in and assaulted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003ERua K\u0113nana, a prophet of Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe descent, set up in Maungap\u014Dhatu; he set up his dream for his followers, for the Iharaira faith, because he believed in moving forward with his people. Today, we stand here and we apologise for the Crown\u2019s actions back in those days and for the pitiful arrest of Rua K\u0113nana, the leader. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI\u2019m humbled to be on this side of the House, participating in this apology, participating in the third reading of the Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill, as a member of the National Party, and also as a member of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee where we heard submissions all overwhelmingly in favour of this particular bill, where we pushed forward. Rino Tirikatene, the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, and members spoke about how we could make this happen for the wh\u0101nau of Rua K\u0113nana, and we worked hard to make this happen for you in that remembrance and our respect for Rua K\u0113nana.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EI need to pour out this feeling from this side of the House because many people don\u2019t see us like this. But I am privileged and will be privileged to be able to witness the signing of the Royal assent at Maungap\u014Dhatu on the 21st. My colleague the Hon Nicky Wagner and I will be travelling up for that precious moment in your history and our history, and I will be humbled and honoured to do so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003EThe Minister Nanaia Mahuta gave an eloquent speech\u2014as she does\u2014on this bill. I just want to say that I support everything that she spoke about, because that\u2019s what this is all about; this is about you, at the end of the day. I look around the House\u2014and, no doubt, there are people sitting behind me as well\u2014you have come a long way to hear these words, to hear us stand here and put back in place the mana of Rua K\u0113nana; the mana that was so wrongly taken away.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019m not going to say too many more words, because I feel that if we keep carrying on I\u2019m going to actually lose my voice. That\u2019s no disrespect to you people, but, as you can hear, I\u2019ve got a bit of a heavy cold. So I want to congratulate you for keeping up with the fight. No doubt your tupuna\u2019s sitting up there going, \u201CYou did well; you kept up the fight.\u201D Now we are here today in the last throes of this particular work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022758dcaf3-9976-43ac-8593-79f66ee4da22\u0022\u003ESo I too want to acknowledge all of the work that went on with your side, with your wh\u0101nau, with your negotiators, with the Parliamentary Counsel Office, with the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, and with everybody who participated in making this happen for you today. So without any further ado, I\u2019m humbled to commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299e1c1aa6e564b3c88ee3d2be49b63f8\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call. I call the Hon Peeni Henare\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u0022db68197da3c04b52b34737fb779f7404\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022db68197da3c04b52b34737fb779f7404\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE (Minister of Civil Defence):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare. Ka noho tonu ahau ki roto i Te Reo M\u0101ori. E \u014Dku rangatira, e \u014Dku tini whanaunga kua tau mai ki roto i te poho o t\u014D t\u0101tou Whare. Heoi an\u014D t\u0101ku hei tautoko atu i ng\u0101 mihi ki a koutou katoa kua tat\u016B mai. Koutou kua haere mai i tawhiti, koutou kua haere mai i tata. Haere mai r\u0101 koutou ki roto i t\u0113nei Whare o koutou, kia kite atu, kia parangia nei ki te rae ng\u0101 mahi i oti nei t\u0101tou i te r\u0101 nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EKua k\u014Drero mai nei t\u014Dku tuahine Te H\u014Dnore Nanaia Mahuta i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero katoa e whai p\u0101nga ana ki t\u0113nei pire. Heoi an\u014D t\u0101ku, hei tautoko ake. Hei tautoko ake i ng\u0101 mihi ki a r\u0101tou kua nunumi ki te p\u014D. R\u0101tou i hinga atu ki roto i ng\u0101 tau maha kua pahure ake nei, tae rawa atu ki te w\u0101 i mauherengia ai t\u014D koutou tupuna a Rua K\u0113nana. Heoi an\u014D, kotahi tonu te tangi ki a r\u0101tou kua ngaro atu ki te p\u014D, haere mai, haere. Ka whakahokia mai ng\u0101 r\u0101rangi k\u014Drero ki a t\u0101tou te hunga ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ERua tau ki muri, k\u014D atu i te rua tau ki muri, i tae atu ahau ki roto i te poho me te aroha nui o Maungap\u014Dhatu, hei noho tahi, hei kai tahi, me ng\u0101 iwi o Tama Kaimoana, me ng\u0101 uri katoa o Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki o Iharaira, me te tini o Maungap\u014Dhatu. I taua r\u0101, i kaha heke mai te ua. \u0100, ka \u0101hua raruraru nei a Peeni me te whakaaro ake ka noho tonu ahau ki roto o Maungap\u014Dhatu m\u014D te wiki. Engari, i \u0101hua m\u0101m\u0101 ake te ua, ka tae rawa atu a Peeni te puta atu.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAhakoa te ua, i uru atu ahau ki roto i te aroha o Maungap\u014Dhatu. I uru atu an\u014D au ki roto i te mamae me te aroha o te iwi ka noho ki roto i te kohu o Maungap\u014Dhatu. I te r\u0101 nei, m\u0101 t\u0113nei pire ka \u0101hei t\u0101tou te tepe ki mua. Ehara i te mea hei haerenga tawhiti rawa, k\u0101hore. Koinei te tepe tuatahi ki runga i t\u0113nei huarahi. Kia kitea ai e ng\u0101 tamariki me ng\u0101 mokopuna kua tau mai ki roto i Te Whare nei, i ng\u0101 mahi kia unuhia i te hara i tau ki runga i t\u014D r\u0101tou ake tupuna. N\u014D reira, e tino harikoa ana ka t\u016B au ki te tautoko i t\u0113nei pire.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EKo te mea pai o t\u0113nei pire, he pire tino rerek\u0113 nei ki ng\u0101 pire tat\u016Bnga i ng\u0101 take Tiriti kua kitea nei i t\u014D t\u0101tou Whare. Kua k\u014Drero mai Te Minita m\u014D te \u0101huatanga o ng\u0101 tohunga whakairo i te kupu, kia kite atu ai t\u0101tou katoa i te ng\u0101kau o w\u0113nei kaupapa ki roto i t\u0113nei pire. He mea rerek\u0113 ki ng\u0101 pire kua kitea. Kua kitea i ng\u0101 pire tat\u016B ai ng\u0101 take Tiriti, ana, ko ng\u0101 k\u014Drero h\u012Btori, ana, ko ng\u0101 whenua ka whakahokia atu, w\u0113n\u0101 mea katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EEngari ko t\u0113nei, ko t\u0101ku e k\u012B nei ahakoa te kupu o t\u0113nei pire, ahakoa te rahi o te p\u016Btea ki te ao, ka kore e ea i te mana o te tangata, o te tupuna a Rua K\u0113nana. Ahakoa te rahi o te p\u016Btea, nui k\u0113 ake te mana o ng\u0101 m\u0101tua t\u016Bpuna ki te rahi o te p\u016Btea. Koin\u0101 te pai o t\u0113nei kaupapa. Koinei te pai o t\u0113nei kaupapa, kia whakahoki atu an\u014D te mana i t\u0101haengia e Te Karauna kotahi rau tau ki muri i ng\u0101 uri e noho mai nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, ehara t\u0113nei i te takaroa i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero. Heoi an\u014D t\u0101ku ki ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana e noho mai nei, te aroha mai ki t\u0113nei t\u014D koutou whanaunga o M\u0101taatua waka, ka kore e tae atu ki roto i a koutou \u0101 t\u0113nei w\u012Bkene. Engari, k\u0101ore e kore ko reira tonu ng\u0101 whakaaro nui o \u014Dku ake o Te Tai Tokerau ki runga i a koutou, kia pai ai t\u014D koutou noho ki raro i te maru o t\u014D koutou maunga, kia hoki wairua mai an\u014D t\u014D koutou tupuna ki roto i ng\u0101 mahi o, kaua ko koutou anake, engari ng\u0101 k\u014Drero katoa o te motu wh\u0101nui.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira e \u014Dku rangatira, haere, hoki atu ki te w\u0101 k\u0101inga ki raro an\u014D hoki i ng\u0101 manaakitanga o te w\u0101hi ngaro. Ka t\u016B au ki te tautoko i t\u0113nei pire. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker. I will remain in the M\u0101ori language. My leaders, my many kinsmen who have come to rest in the embrace of our House, all I have to do is support the greetings to you all who have arrived here, those of you who have come from far away, and those who have come from nearby. Welcome to this House of yours, to see, to see clearly in person the task which is accomplished by us all today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EMy sister the Hon Nanaia Mahuta has addressed everything related to this bill. All there is for me to do is support\u2014support the acknowledgments of those who have departed to the underworld, those who have passed in the many years gone by, right back to the time when your ancestor Rua K\u0113nana was imprisoned. And so, there is but one salute to those who have been lost to the underworld, greetings and farewell. The discussion returns to us the living.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ETwo years ago, over two years ago, I went into the midst of the immense caring of Maungap\u014Dhatu, to sit together, to eat together with the tribes of Tama Kaimoana, and all the descendants of Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki o Iharaira, and the multitudes of Maungap\u014Dhatu. On that day, the rain came down heavily. And Peeni was a bit troubled and thought to himself that he might be stuck in Maungap\u014Dhatu for the week. However, the rain eased up, and Peeni was able to get out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EDespite the rain, I was enveloped in the affection of Maungap\u014Dhatu. I was also enveloped within the pain and the compassion of the tribe living in the mist of Maungap\u014Dhatu. Today, this bill will enable us to step forward. Indeed, it is not on a particularly long journey, no indeed. This is the first step on this path, so that the children and the grandchildren who have arrived in this House can see the actions to pardon the crime for which their ancestor was accused. Therefore, I am very pleased to stand in support of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EThe good thing about this bill is that it is a different bill to the bills settling Treaty matters that are seen in our House. The Minister has spoken about the feature of the expert wordsmiths, so that we can all see the heart of these matters in this bill. It is different to the bills that have been seen. Generally, historical narratives, lands being returned and other similar things are seen in the bills settling Treaty matters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EHowever, this I tell you that despite the words of this bill, despite the extent of all the money in the world, the prestige of the man, of the ancestor, Rua K\u0113nana will not be paid in full. Despite the size of the financial redress, the prestige of the ancestors is much bigger than the sum of money. That is the good thing about this initiative. This is the good thing about this initiative, to return once more the prestige which was stolen by the Crown a century ago from the descendants sitting before me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ETherefore, I\u2019m not wanting to prolong the speeches. All I have to say to the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana who are here is please forgive this kinsman of yours from the M\u0101taatua canoe, who won\u2019t be with you this weekend. However, no doubt the consideration of my own from Northland will be with you, wishing you well for your stay in the shelter of your mountain, that your ancestor may return in spirit to the activities of not only you but all discussions around the wider country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003ETherefore, my leaders, farewell, return to your home with the protection of the unseen. I stand in support of this bill. Greetings, greetings, greetings to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u00227cea9e7ce26e48e2bb640cd137e625d5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227cea9e7ce26e48e2bb640cd137e625d5\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe Te Mana Kaiwhakaw\u0101. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou \u014Dku rangatira, Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe, ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, nau mai, whakatau mai. He h\u014Dnore nui m\u0101ku ki te t\u016B ki te tautoko i t\u0113nei pire, Te Pire Unuhia Hara kei Runga i a Rua K\u0113nana, n\u014D reira t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker. Greetings to my leaders, Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe, the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana, greetings, greetings, welcome, welcome. It is a great honour for me to stand and support this bill, the Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill. Therefore, greetings, greetings, greetings to all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s indeed a privilege to stand at this third reading of the Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill. I want to add my endorsement to all the k\u014Drero and the welcomes that have taken place and to welcome the wh\u0101nau of Rua K\u0113nana and all of his many descendants who have descended upon Parliament this afternoon. I\u2019m very proud, as the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, that we achieved what I think could be close to a record of actually giving a thorough examination to the bill and a full submission period that was opened up, we were able to complete that mahi, and also, now, we are ushering in this third reading. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ESo I want to acknowledge all the members of the committee. In particular, I want to acknowledge the Hon Nanaia Mahuta for her tautoko and our mahi, and the many submitters that we had on the bill. They are too numerous to name, but\u2014another record, I guess\u2014this bill had 100 percent tautoko from submitters, and there was not one opposed. That\u2019s testament to the tautoko and the yearning of this bill for this day to arrive, so I want to acknowledge all of the wh\u0101nau, many of whom\u2014in fact, the majority of whom\u2014are mokopuna or wh\u0101nau of Rua K\u0113nana. We acknowledge their pleas to us to hasten the passage of this bill, and I\u2019m pleased that we were able to do that, which will culminate in the Royal assent in Maungap\u014Dhatu this weekend. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve got only a short call, but I want to acknowledge Rua K\u0113nana. I was handed this wonderful commemorative booklet by Professor Black to commemorate not only his works and his profound impact but also this occasion, and what a striking young man Rua K\u0113nana\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265ce4d68ba7249a48f03a5883186f4bc\u0022\u003EMarama Davidson\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, we were just saying that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a227f37f88e5422bb0ce77b8f1ae3b86\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah. He has many, many descendants, and they are all here to witness this occasion. But he was a striking\u2014a striking\u2014prophet, leader, rangatira, an activist, and a freedom fighter. He was quite a leader and he founded the Te H\u0101hi Iharaira, and I want to acknowledge that also. Such an impact that this rangatira had that we are pardoning today through the passage of this legislation. Terrible wrongs were committed against Rua K\u0113nana: trumped-up charges culminating in invasions into Maungap\u014Dhatu, and imprisonment. The impacts of that on the Iharaira faith and the wh\u0101nau of Maungap\u014Dhatu have been long lasting, but it ends today. It ends today with the passage of this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThis bill formalises the agreement that was negotiated very thoroughly with Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki a Iharaira me Ng\u0101 Uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu Charitable Trust. I want to acknowledge their work along with the officials from Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, who worked to come up with this agreement. I guess not every detail was able to be included, but at the end of the day that agreement was reached and the parties were happy with what we\u2019re enacting through the passage of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThe most important aspect is the pardon and I want to, just in conclusion, read a lovely quote that is contained herein this booklet. It was by Paetawa Miki. He said, \u201CKua kitea e te ao, k\u0101ore he hara o Rua, o ng\u0101 t\u0101ngata o Maungap\u014Dhatu [The world has seen Rua was innocent, as were the people of Maungap\u014Dhatu].\u201D, and that has come to pass today. With that, I tautoko this bill. Kia ora t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9d59fe2dffc4b9e9ea766ae83b09c96\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9d59fe2dffc4b9e9ea766ae83b09c96\u0022\u003EHon NICKY WAGNER (National):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora. T\u012Bhei mauri ora. Te Whare e t\u016B nei, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. Te papa e takoto nei, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou. Ng\u0101 mate, haere, haere, haere. Ng\u0101 reo, ng\u0101 mana, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. Kei te k\u014Drero ahau m\u014D te p\u0101nuitanga tuatoru o Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua K\u0113nana / Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003E[Greetings. Behold, it is the breath of life. To the House standing here, greetings to you. The earth lying here, greetings to you. The dead, farewell, farewell, farewell. The representatives, the authorities, greetings to you all. I am speaking about the third reading of the Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua K\u0113nana / Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThis is a very special day. It\u2019s a special day because it is a chance to recognise a past wrong\u2014to recognise a past wrong\u2014and for Parliament to do everything it can to reconcile that wrong. Our mahi today is to restore the mana, to restore the reputation of Rua K\u0113nana and his descendants, and to apologise\u2014to apologise for the deep hurt, the shame, and the stigma suffered as a result of the invasion of Maungap\u014Dhatu in April 1916.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EIn many ways, Rua K\u0113nana was a victim of his times. He was a visionary, a prophet, and an enlightened and peaceful leader. But he lived in a time when New Zealand was in great turmoil. If you think back, the New Zealand Wars were only a generation or so past and, indeed, Rua\u2019s father had been killed by the Crown, and the hurt and the mistrust of those times lingered on both sides. And in 1916, New Zealand and New Zealanders were grieving from the terrible loss at Gallipoli\u2014that campaign that caused the death and wounding, both psychologically and physically, of so many young New Zealanders, so many sons, so many brothers, so many husbands. Every family and community had been affected. So on the back of a huge wave of patriotism for the First World War, when it broke out, and the dreadful pain, hurt, and disappointment of Gallipoli, the public were looking for scapegoats. People were upset, people were paranoid, and people were prepared to believe all sorts of nonsense and mistruths about traitors in their midst. Rua K\u0113nana, prophet, pacifist, leading a non-violent religious community in Maungap\u014Dhatu, was seen as an easy target. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003ELots of allegations were made about him: he was letting the side down; he was an unwholesome influence over his people\u2014some even said he was the M\u0101ori kaiser and had machine guns mounted at Maungap\u014Dhatu. Anger flared because it was known that he had discouraged M\u0101ori from enlisting, saying M\u0101ori shouldn\u2019t be fighting in the white man\u2019s war.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EBut it also seems that Rua and the Maungap\u014Dhatu community were also victims of the Commissioner of Police, John Cullen. He was a staunch Irishman. He was the commissioner from 1912 to 1916, and he\u2019d been trained by the Royal Irish Constabulary. That\u2019s not the sort of police that you would normally expect to ring up if you had a burglary. They were like a paramilitary organisation and they were designed to stamp out rebellions. He brought that experience to the New Zealand police force. The problem for commissioner Cullen, of course, was that Rua wasn\u2019t breaking the law. His discouragement of M\u0101ori from enlisting wasn\u2019t illegal. So Cullen revived an old charge of sly-grogging, selling alcohol without a licence, and, much to everybody\u2019s confusion and dismay, decided to re-enforce it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EThe arrest of Rua K\u0113nana on Sunday, 2 April 1916 by John Cullen and nearly 70 heavily armed policemen was an invasion, and it was a total overkill and violence to a peaceful community. Indeed, as we\u2019ve heard, the Waitangi Tribunal in its Te Urewera inquiry found that the Crown used excessive force, and although the local police had met Rua cordially, as soon as Cullen turned up things quickly got out of hand and, as we know, Rua\u2019s son, Toko, and another young man, Te Maipi, were killed. There were also another three M\u0101ori injured and four police wounded and, on top of that, the people of the community were harshly and violently treated\u2014and all along the arrest was illegal. Despite that, after one of the longest trials in New Zealand history, Rua was convicted of moral resistance and that was because the jury couldn\u2019t support any other conviction, and he served 18 months in jail. And that conviction and the 18 months made the jury members so concerned that they protested his sentence. But nothing changed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003ESo today, now, we recognise that the Crown\u2019s treatment of Rua K\u0113nana and the community was unreasonable and that it\u2019s had a long-lasting effect for the whole Maungap\u014Dhatu community, Rua\u2019s followers, and, of course, his wh\u0101nau\u2014and it\u2019s wonderful to see so many of you here today. So today, the New Zealand Parliament acknowledges that miscarriage of justice and the harm that was done to the community and to the Iharaira faith, and provides a pardon for his conviction of moral resistance to arrest. The restoration of the character, the mana, and the reputation of Rua K\u0113nana, his uri, and Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamaraki o Iharaira faith is declared.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002292824476-4e66-4052-8435-b049833d8b83\u0022\u003EToday is a hugely significant day and it\u2019s been a very long time coming. And I\u2019d like to recognise the work of the Hon Chris Finlayson and the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell for beginning this process and for everyone that\u2019s here today for completing it. It has been a collaborative effort. People have worked long and hard and we\u2019ve done it before Christmas. But most of all, I would like to thank the wh\u0101nau and the followers of Rua K\u0113nana for their grace and for their tolerance in accepting this pardon and the accompanying apology. And I particularly look forward to coming to Maungap\u014Dhatu to celebrate with you this coming Saturday. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022 data-id=\u00228dbd69ba1a594d8ea53a934ec29e888b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228dbd69ba1a594d8ea53a934ec29e888b\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES (Minister of Forestry):\u003C/span\u003E \u0100, Reo M\u0101ori. Kia ahatia? Kei ng\u0101 m\u0101tua, kei ng\u0101 wh\u0101ea, waiho hei w\u0101hi w\u0113nei k\u014Drero w\u0101ku me hoki au ki te karakia mai i taku tupuna i a Ng\u0101puhi, \u201CTe Karakia Nakahi\u201D. T\u0113nei an\u014D te whakam\u0101turuturu i a Rangit\u016B\u0101tea, ki a Papat\u016B\u0101nuku e takoto nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ETuruturu \u0101-uta, turuturu \u0101-tai\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ETurua te hau kia tupu\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ETurua te rea kia tupu\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EI aha te matua wh\u0101ngai\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EE pihi nei te ao e totoko i te p\u014D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EKia aweawe, kia aweawe, oi e\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EE k\u012B, e kara, e Rua\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EPungarehutia an\u014D t\u014D tapuwae ki te whare e\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EK\u0101hore, tahia te p\u016Bng\u0101werewere, tahia te puehu\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EKia mahea, kia mahea\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EKia puta whakaritorito t\u014D p\u0101 harakeke\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EKi t\u014D rahi, puta ki te whaiao, ki te ao m\u0101rama\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ETihewa mauri ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EKo te tikanga o t\u0113n\u0101 k\u014Drero he whakamahea. P\u0113nei me t\u0101 Ng\u0101puhi e k\u012B nei, ka pokea te ingoa, ka pokea te kaupapa, ka tukuna te karakia kia muru ai i te hara. Koia t\u0101 t\u0101tou i t\u0113nei r\u0101 i roto i t\u014D t\u0101tou Reo M\u0101ori, me \u014D t\u0101tou whakaaro M\u0101ori, e rapu me p\u0113hea r\u0101nei t\u0113n\u0101 mahi pokepoke ki te ingoa o te koroua nei, ki w\u0101na uri e whakamahea ai i t\u0113nei r\u0101. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EItiiti noa iho ng\u0101 w\u0101 e kite ai t\u0101tou, m\u0101tou, ng\u0101 kait\u014Drangap\u016B i roto i t\u0113nei Whare, t\u0113tahi pire e p\u0113nei ana. Ahau ka mahara ki t\u0113tahi k\u0113 atu m\u014D te kaum\u0101tua i k\u014Dhurutia ai ki roto i te rohe o Whakat\u014Dhea, a Mokomoko. N\u0101 reira, koutou kua tat\u016B mai nei, e rapu nei, me p\u0113hea r\u0101nei \u0113nei mahi o mua e whakatutukitia ai i roto i te m\u0101ramatanga, i roto i te rangim\u0101rire, me te pono, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou kua tau mai ki t\u0113nei Whare.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EKa mutu, me p\u0113nei taku k\u014Drero koutou Ng\u0101 Toenga, ng\u0101 uri o te koroua nei, \u0101 T\u016Bhoe wh\u0101nui, t\u0113n\u0101 an\u014D koutou katoa. I a au i te tamariki he mea tono au ki te kura i T\u012Bpene. Ko waku hoa katoa ng\u0101 mea i oti Te Reo M\u0101ori, \u0113tahi o m\u0101tou ng\u0101 Tarar\u0101 o Te Aup\u014Duri me ng\u0101 poi o T\u016Bhoe. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E1977 i ahu ake m\u0101tou ki Ruat\u0101huna i runga i t\u0113tahi pahi. Kuku ana m\u0101tou p\u0113nei me te hipi ki roto i t\u0113n\u0101 pahi. P\u014D rawa ka tae ake ki Ruat\u0101huna. K\u0101ore au i m\u014Dhio he aha te take i noho ai a Te Rangihau i runga i taua marae i taua w\u0101 ki te p\u014Dhiri i a m\u0101tou. Ka whakaritea e te tuakana o taku matua a K\u012Bngi \u012Ahaka tana tuakana ko Te Rawhiti ko au te kaiwhakautu m\u014D te kura o T\u012Bpene.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EN\u0101, ka puta mai ng\u0101 k\u014Drero mai i \u014D koutou tuakana, \u014D koutou m\u0101tua, i t\u0113r\u0101 tau, 1977. Ka riro m\u0101ku e whakautu. K\u0101tahi a Te Rangihau, ka k\u012B atu, \u201CE kare m\u0101, he aha r\u0101nei t\u0113nei white man on a brown horse, brown man on a white horse r\u0101nei?\u201D K\u0101tahi ka karanga atu taku m\u0101hita kura, \u201CWaihongia taku mokopuna Tarar\u0101, waiho kia k\u014Drero.\u201D K\u0101tahi a Te Rangihau ka k\u012B, \u201CE pai ana, p\u0113nei he Tarar\u0101 t\u0101 t\u0101tou kai i t\u0113nei p\u014D, he w\u0101ina whero.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EN\u0101 reira, me mihi atu ki a koutou i roto i te wairua ngahau, te wairua m\u0101m\u0101, t\u0101 te mea m\u0101 roto i te whakamaheatanga e oti ana i roto i a t\u0101tou i t\u0113nei r\u0101, kaua rawa t\u0101tou e waiho kia taimaha rawa kia p\u014Duri, k\u0101hore. W\u0101hia kia puta ai t\u0101tou atu i t\u0113nei pito o te huarahi mai i te w\u0101 i meatia ai w\u0113nei mahi kino ki te koroua nei, \u0101, h\u0101unga an\u014D ki te tangata engari ki ng\u0101 tikanga, ki ng\u0101 ritenga, ki te t\u0101tai, e pupuru tonutia ana i waenga tonu i a koutou. N\u0101 reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E[M\u0101ori language. What is to be done? To the fathers, to the mothers, to open my address I should return to the incantation of my ancestor from Ng\u0101puhi, \u201CTe Karakia Nakahi\u201D. This is also to sprinkle with water from the Sky Father to the Earth Mother beneath us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EIt is dripping inland, and dripping out to sea\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ELet the wind grow\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ELet the shoot grow\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EWhat did the nurturing parent do\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EThe world of light grows forth from the night\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ETo be tall and lofty, indeed\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EYou don\u2019t say, my friend, Rua\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EYour footprint in the house has become ash\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ENo, sweep away the cobwebs, sweep away the dust\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ESo that it is clear, so that it is clear\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ESo that your flax clump emerges with young centre shoots\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ETo your multitudes, emerging to the daylight, to the world of light\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EIt is the breath of life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EThe purpose of this speech is to clear the way. As Ng\u0101puhi says, if the name or initiative is affected, an incantation is delivered to clear away the wrong. That is what we are doing today in our M\u0101ori language and, according to our M\u0101ori thinking, finding how that action which affected the name of this elder and his descendants can be cleared today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EThere are very few times that we see, us, the politicians in this House, a bill like this. Myself, I remember one other about the elder who was murdered in the tribal region of Whakat\u014Dhea, that is Mokomoko. Therefore, to you who have come here, who are seeking how these actions of days gone by can find resolution in understanding, in peace and the truth, greetings to you all who have arrived in this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EAnd furthermore, I must say this to you, Ng\u0101 Toenga, the descendants of this male elder, and wider T\u016Bhoe, greetings to you all. When I was a child, I was sent to school at St Stephen\u2019s College. All my friends were those who completed the M\u0101ori language, some of us were Dalmatians from Te Aup\u014Duri, and the boys from T\u016Bhoe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EIn 1977, we went to Ruat\u0101huna by bus. We were squashed together like sheep on this bus. Finally at nightfall we arrived at Ruat\u0101huna. I didn\u2019t know why Te Rangihau was at that marae at that time to welcome us. My chief K\u012Bngi \u012Ahaka\u2019s elder brother Te Rawhiti arranged for me to be the responding speaker for St Stephen\u2019s College.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ESo the speeches arose from your elder brothers, your chiefs, in that year, 1977. It was up to me to reply. Then Te Rangihau said, \u201CMy friends, is this a white man on a brown horse, or a brown man on a white horse?\u201D Then my school teacher called out, \u201CLeave my Dalmatian grandchild, let him speak.\u201D Then Te Rangihau said, \u201CThat\u2019s fine, we will dine like Dalmatians tonight, with red wine.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ETherefore, I must acknowledge you in the spirit of entertainment, a light spirit, because through the clearing which was completed in the House today, we shouldn\u2019t let it remain too onerous, to be sad\u2014no indeed. Break through so that we emerge at this point on the path from the time when this horrible act was wrought upon this male elder and not only to the man but also to the customs, the practices, and the lineage, which is still retained amongst you. Therefore, greetings, greetings to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EI stand to support this bill. I want to acknowledge the former M\u0101ori MP Te Ururoa Flavell, who carried this take. It is difficult to imagine when we were young at St Stephen\u2019s College, when we were younger in our protest days\u2014much thinner\u2014that we would ever have seen parliamentarians gathering in common purpose to pass a bill which recognises that in those earlier times of poor legal decision-making, of prejudice, of fear, that we have now revisited those sins of history. I\u2019m sure for those of us in the House today, it reflects how far we\u2019ve come on the journey in terms of reconciliation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EBut this is only one step. Whilst we pass this bill\u2014and there\u2019s such a treasure trove of information in this document that I\u2019m holding\u2014more importantly, it falls upon those of us who are politicians to speak out against those who doubt the wisdom of what we are doing here today. I support what the Hon Nanaia Mahuta has had to say: this bill redresses a wrong that reflects how the prevailing power culture was around the early 1900s. But the challenge is to ensure as the character of New Zealand society changes\u2014the challenge is those of us who descend from the M\u0101ori tribes, the P\u0101keh\u0101 side, that we do not lose the foundation influences that define us as classic New Zealanders, native New Zealanders, people of the Pacific. Do not lose those foundation influences. That\u2019s why, in particular, my party, my leader, and my colleagues are happy to support this particular bill on this day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EOn the question of why we do this, we do this partly because we are still in the process of redressing the wrongs of history, but we want to show our fellow citizens that not everything is about money; not all feelings, all emotions, all sense of pride can be monetised. And in an almost religious, spiritual way, the highest court in the land, our Parliament, is being used to ensure that we clean this blot off the relationship between the Crown and the people of Te Urewera, and that is something I beseech all of us, as I said in our language, to teach our children, teach our community, teach the next generation\u2014not so much that it can be magnified beyond what it should be, but to show what type of nation we are becoming. If you have those aspirations, then every day fight for them. The identity of us as Kiwis, New Zealanders is stronger by redressing these historical colonial wrongs. I salute the wh\u0101nau, the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana and his many wives. Kia ora t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022 data-id=\u002258a3f086ff6742ec8f9c9300dab07db2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002258a3f086ff6742ec8f9c9300dab07db2\u0022\u003EMATT KING (National\u2014Northland):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. Look, I\u2019m really proud to be in the House today, and it\u2019s a real pleasure to be speaking on this bill. It\u2019s long overdue. I can feel the emotion in the room here today, and it\u2019s a long time coming. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the Hon Nanaia Mahuta for bringing it forward, and I\u2019d also like to acknowledge the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, which I am on: Rino Tirikatene, a great man. He and I are tallest in Parliament, the twin towers of tall timber.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EAnyway, Rua K\u0113nana was a great T\u016Bhoe man. He was from a community in Maungap\u014Dhatu, in the Urewera mountains. We\u2019re dating back to 1916 here, where he was arrested for sedition for opposing M\u0101ori conscription in World War I. It\u2019s a real struggle to believe that that actually happened. You know, we all know it did, and it\u2019s incredible times, as the previous speakers have said. It was incredible times to think that that could actually happen. One of the longest trials in New Zealand\u2019s legal history it was, and he suffered a great injustice\u2014a great injustice\u2014an injustice that we\u2019re attempting to put right today, if that\u2019s possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge the great work of the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell and the Hon Chris Finlayson, who helped make this a reality. Those two guys did some great work for New Zealanders, and specifically for M\u0101ori, and I want to thank their efforts on behalf of the National Party. It\u2019s an appropriate response to a set of circumstances which focus on the criminal conviction of Rua K\u0113nana, and it seeks to restore his mana and his reputation and that of his descendants. So we acknowledge that mana and the preservation of his reputation, because I know it\u2019s of high importance in the M\u0101ori community. It\u2019s not about money; it\u2019s about the apology, the heartfelt and deeply meant apology. So like we say, we\u2019re here today, working together across the House altogether, acknowledging that today for you guys.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EI struggle to believe it. He did 18 months incarcerated for that arrest, and it\u2019s incredible to think that he actually did nothing wrong and he spent 18 months in jail for that. I\u2019m an ex-policeman and I can\u2019t imagine putting someone away in jail for something they didn\u2019t do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a statutory pardon and apology, and I hope it\u2019ll go a long way to healing the wounds that were caused way back then. It\u2019s a part of New Zealand, but we have to own up to it and we have to acknowledge that it happened, and this agreement and pardon is about moving towards reconciliation. The historic agreement brought closure to the 101 years of conflict between T\u016Bhoe and the Crown. What happened with Rua K\u0113nana has a long-lasting intergenerational effect on wh\u0101nau. It\u2019s now up to the descendants to help the next generation move forward and rebuild a prosperous community. It\u2019s important for wh\u0101nau to reconnect those disconnected back to the land\u2014identity, faith, and wh\u0101nau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003EToday is a great day for the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana and the followers of the Iharaira faith. I commend this bill to the House. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022 data-id=\u0022891cb44c3a5e41a685049fbeb60bf70f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022891cb44c3a5e41a685049fbeb60bf70f\u0022\u003EMARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. Ng\u0101 uri o Rua, Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki o Iharaira, e \u014Dku rangatira, koutou katoa, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou. T\u0113nei te uri o Te Tai Tokerau me Te Tai R\u0101whiti e mihi kau ana, e mihi aroha ana ki a koutou katoa i tae mai nei, i noho nei i t\u0113nei Whare, t\u0113nei r\u0101 whakahirahira. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, kia ora mai t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E[Greetings to you, Mr Speaker. The descendants of Rua, Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki o Iharaira, my leaders, all of you, greetings to you. I am a descendant of Northland and the East Coast, greeting unreservedly and with love all of you who have come here, who are seated in this House, this important day. Therefore, greetings, greetings, greetings to you all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EAn Aotearoa that acknowledges her wrongs is an Aotearoa that sets an enduring foundation of justice for her future, for everyone. An Aotearoa that even knows her own true history in the first place is an Aotearoa that inspires us to know each other better and to work together for the benefit of everyone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIt is with immense humility and admiration for Rua K\u0113nana and his descendants that I stand today as the Crown to support this long-overdue pardon, to herald the start\u2014and only the start\u2014of the Crown righting its wrong. In essence, in 1916, there was an unjustified Crown invasion into a small pacifist community that left two men dead\u2014one being Rua K\u0113nana\u2019s son Toko Rua, and another young man of Maungap\u014Dhatu, Te Maipi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI have my son sitting here among all of you, ng\u0101 uri o Rua, today in this House. I am pleased that he is able to be here to sit amongst us on this historic day, and I particularly want him and all our nation\u2019s mokopuna to understand the importance of what happened at Maungap\u014Dhatu.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIn that invasion, after a series of injustices and the invasion that was subsequently then carried out, the Waitangi Tribunal report called this an \u201Cunjustified invasion, carried out with excessive force\u201D. If that wasn\u2019t enough\u2014the resulting miscarriage of justice around the undue detentions, the arbitrary arrests, and the unreasonably long trial, with all charges being dismissed and yet Rua being imprisoned for 18 months for morally resisting what was an immoral arrest in the first place. We must properly acknowledge the harm of what all this injustice did for the people of Maungap\u014Dhatu in that time and on the generations since.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EWe heard from submitters to the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, mostly all descendants of Rua K\u0113nana, who were overwhelmingly in support of this bill. I wanted to quote in particular the submission from Ngawaiata Turnbull, who helps to sum up some of the mamae carried through from the generations to today. In the submission: \u201CGenerations of wh\u0101nau suffered this attack and then the following stigma passed down through the years has weighed heavily on the health, wellbeing and lifestyle of Tama Kaimoana, Iharaira. The mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellness of Tama Kaimoana, of Iharaira has suffered through the years of alienation from our lands and the loss of customary intellectual properties.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIt is important to put right at the forefront the voices of ng\u0101 uri o Rua, the voices and the descendants of the generational harm that happened to that community and to those people. So I acknowledge all of the submissions, written and k\u014Drero, that came to us to further express what the dismantling of that community did\u2014that community that many people had helped to build with blood and sweat and tears, and to build with the commitment to the wellbeing of their people and of the land. I acknowledge the importance of confronting the Crown wrong, in all its ugliness, to, hopefully, learn from it. As descendants said in their submissions to us, now is the time for our voice to be heard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EWe were reminded of how the stains of injustice still exist among the whakapapa of Maungap\u014Dhatu, and we were reminded, for example, of how Rua\u2019s mokopuna set against him. Something that was said constantly in submissions was, \u201CKia kitea e te ao te weriweri o Te Karauna.\u201D\u2014so the world can see the offences of the Crown.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ESo today is not just about restoring the mana and the dignity of Rua K\u0113nana, of Maungap\u014Dhatu, of Iharaira, but it is also about being honest and upfront on the wrong of the Crown.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI\u2019m really, really clear that this bill is only the start\u2014he t\u012Bmatanga noa iho [it is just a start], albeit a long overdue one. Many submissions call for us to go further to rectify the harm, suggestions that do fall outside the scope of this actual bill. But, Mr Speaker, if you\u2019ll allow it, I would like to share my support for the call from some of those submissions around what else is needed. For example, we heard a call for public awareness raising, for private and public apology forum around the motu\u2014Rua K\u0113nana history in schools definitely has to be a thing\u2014a memorial to Rua K\u0113nana, letters of recognition, and financial compensation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI think the k\u014Drero that must stay on the table is one that asks: what will it take to truly restore justice, to hohou te rongo [to make peace]? What is required of the Crown to rebalance the harmony for a positive Tiriti justice relationship with the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ESo, again, I take the guidance of the descendants to sum up the importance of what this bill does do. \u201CKia wetekia te kino\u201D was what we often heard in the submissions\u2014to release the wrongdoing. The bill alone cannot restore the mana of Rua K\u0113nana, but an enduring commitment from the Crown to an equal partnership is what will hold us all in good stead, and so our nation\u2019s children can see Aotearoa is a country that embraces our lessons. There is no need to fear justice is what Rua K\u0113nana has taught me. There is every reason to hold justice tight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EThe bill actually says, in the part of the apology, that the Crown unreservedly apologises for, for example, the lasting damage and the deep hurt, shame, and stigma. That is a starting point that I know means a lot to everybody here in this House today and to many more who aren\u2019t able to be here in this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI was not able to come to the p\u014Dwhiri and the welcome today for our manuhiri from Maungap\u014Dhatu and Ng\u0101 Uri o Rua. But I was able to watch my good friend Jos Wheeler\u2019s photography and video work to see you carrying in the photos and the images of those people who are no longer with us today who have helped to bring this incredible mahi to fruition. So I was there with you today thinking of you all day today, and I am coming to Maungap\u014Dhatu this weekend. I am incredibly rapt, and I am bringing my tamariki because they need to know this story. I am going to ask Nika to give my office some clear instructions on how to get there, because Google apparently doesn\u2019t know the way either.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI am incredibly excited to be coming to Te Urewera for the first time in my life and for such a historic occasion, for us to really get serious as a country about how we truly uplift us all collectively to honour our past, and to go forward with a future that acknowledges its truth and brings us together to work together for a future that can uphold the mana of all of us. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022 data-id=\u00223e3978b2a3814456916bbefe10f02a17\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223e3978b2a3814456916bbefe10f02a17\u0022\u003EDAN BIDOIS (National\u2014Northcote): \u003C/span\u003ET\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te Mana Whakaw\u0101; Te Whare e t\u016B nei, t\u0113n\u0101 koe; te papa e takoto nei, t\u0113n\u0101 koe; ng\u0101 mate, haere, haere, haere. Nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker; the House standing here, I greet you; the land lying here, greetings; the deceased, farewell, farewell, farewell. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Greetings to you all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a pleasure to rise and take a call on the third reading of the Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill. I\u2019d just like to start out by acknowledging everybody in the room today who\u2019s come here from near and far\u2014descendants from Rua K\u0113nana, the people of Maungap\u014Dhatu, and everyone else who\u2019s here today. It\u2019s a pleasure to have you with us on this occasion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EWe are here to honour Rua K\u0113nana, a man who was a prophet, a good man, a leader in his community, and what I\u2019d call a positive deviant in our society\u2014someone who challenged the status quo and lived strong to his principles.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EThis bill that we\u2019re discussing today gives effect to an agreement that was signed in September of 2017 under the previous Government, and that agreement, in essence, formally pardons Rua K\u0113nana. It acknowledges the harm that he suffered but also that the people of Maungap\u014Dhatu also suffered. It also has an official apology from the Crown to Rua K\u0113nana\u2019s descendants and promotes reconciliation for the future as we move forward. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard a lot today about Rua K\u0113nana and the wrongs that were done by the Crown, whether it be from the invasion that was unjust or the lengthy trial, the number of people that were detained, the two deaths that resulted from the invasion, the 47-day trial\u2014one of New Zealand\u2019s longest trials in our history\u2014or also the 18 months that he was wrongly imprisoned for. This is a proud day for the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana. You can be proud of his legacy but also his contribution to our country and to your community as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to certainly acknowledge the many, many people who have been part of bringing this bill to the stage that we\u2019re at today. Te Ururoa Flavell and Chris Finlayson did a tremendous amount of work putting this together, and I think they deserve a proper acknowledgment for their contribution. Minister Nanaia Mahuta, thank you for your contribution\u2014and also Rino Tirikatene, the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, which I\u2019m a member of. We heard a lot of submissions, and all of them were unanimous in their support for this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EBut also I would like to acknowledge the many people behind the scenes that don\u2019t necessarily get formal acknowledgments, the people from the Parliamentary Counsel Office, the Crown officials, and the hard workers at Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, who do a lot of the negotiations and hard work behind the scenes to bring these deeds to the House. But also, to the Maungap\u014Dhatu charitable trust, thank you for your patience. It\u2019s taken us over 100 years to get this stage, but I am certainly proud to be on this side of the House as we acknowledge the wrong that was done to Rua K\u0113nana and also the unjust behaviour from the Crown to the people of Maungap\u014Dhatu.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a short contribution from me, but I do want to again acknowledge everybody who\u2019s come down today for what is a fantastic and positive occasion. I commend this bill to the House. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u00222e353b7264f34816a6add2a8d4ff66ee\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222e353b7264f34816a6add2a8d4ff66ee\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: This is a split call. I call the Hon Willie Jackson.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022 data-id=\u002264fb1086eb974da4abbc3938ed287fcf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002264fb1086eb974da4abbc3938ed287fcf\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON (Associate Minister for M\u0101ori Development):\u003C/span\u003E T\u016Bhoe moumou kai, moumou tangata ki te p\u014D, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou; e ng\u0101 tamariki o te kohu, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou; t\u0113n\u0101 koutou e ng\u0101 mokopuna o Rua K\u0113nana; t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, \u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 an\u014D t\u0101tou katoa. He h\u014Dnore nui ki te k\u014Drero e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei kaupapa. T\u0113nei te mihi ki a koutou i t\u0113nei w\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E[T\u016Bhoe wasteful of food, destroyers of mankind, greetings to you; to the children of the mist, greetings; greetings to the grandchildren of Rua K\u0113nana; greetings, greetings, and greetings to us all. It is a great honour to speak about this matter. I acknowledge you all at this time.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003ECan I say, I enjoyed the p\u014D\u2019hiri this morning. Wonderful seeing so many from the hauk\u0101inga in terms of T\u016Bhoe here. Normally, we just have the flash T\u016Bhoes in Wellington, like Rawinia Higgins and Wena Tait and others. So it\u2019s really good to see the people from the coalface here to tautoko the kaupapa. I was going to say Tai Black too, but he goes back and forth all the time, and, hopefully, he\u2019ll get his boy right for the Blues this year. But anyway, just adding to the kaupapa, I tino tautoko our Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who\u2019s done some wonderful mahi and our chair, Rino Tirikatene. It\u2019s just fantastic seeing their work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EI was asked by a rather ignorant person\u2014sadly, M\u0101ori\u2014what this was all about this morning. I should reveal their name but I won\u2019t\u2014I\u2019m tempted. \u201CWhat was this all about, given that Rua K\u0113nana only spent a year or so in jail and one or two people got killed? What was the big deal all about?\u201D And, of course, that\u2019s been explained beautifully today by the various speakers. I had a think about that, and in this short time I thought of two words to sum this kaupapa up: mana and tino rangatiratanga. A very famous M\u0101ori said to me\u2014I told him I wouldn\u2019t reveal his name: Judge Joe Williams\u2014that the most important tikanga is mana, and the ultimate indignity is living without mana. Our people prize their dignity above everything. I think that\u2019s what this kaupapa is about. Why else would a group of people\u2014sorry Joe\u2014why else would an iwi pursue this kaupapa so vigilantly? So I congratulate people in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EKo te mea nui ko te mana, koir\u0101 te k\u014Drero a Joe, tino tautoko t\u0113r\u0101 k\u014Drero.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E[The main thing is the prestige; that is what Joe said. I strongly support that.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve pursued it; you have pursued it for over 100 years\u2014over 100 years. That\u2019s what this fight is about: restoring and restating the mana of Rua K\u0113nana. Congratulations for that. I know Minister Jones has said it\u2019s not about money. I know there\u2019s not a lot of kotahitanga about that, but I think it\u2019s about everything\u2014it\u2019s about everything, but mana first and foremost is the overriding priority here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EThe second part of that is tino rangatiratanga. What is tino rangatiratanga? Surely it\u2019s the right to run our own show, to do the business as Rua K\u0113nana was doing\u2014as Rua K\u0113nana chose to do. He chose to make outrageous statements in those days: \u201CLet the white man fight the white man\u2019s war.\u201D Again, our prophets saying things years and years before other famous people said it, like Muhammad Ali, for instance, in the 1960s when Ali was saying that type of k\u014Drero. Rua wanted to do his own thing, run his own show, sell booze to his own people, kei te pai. That\u2019s rangatiratanga, that\u2019s tino rangatiratanga, and that\u2019s something I tautoko and our people should tautoko.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003ESo in my short contribution today, I think those two words describe the actions of the people who\u2019ve taken this up, and, in many ways, they are the blueprint for M\u0101ori going forward. What do we want as a nation in 2019 and 2020? We want our mana and we want our tino rangatiratanga. So I thank the great koroua Rua K\u0113nana. I thank T\u016Bhoe for your persistence, your commitment, your contribution, and it\u2019s an honour to speak on this bill today. T\u0113n\u0101 n\u014D t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022 data-id=\u00221180aef8b7584f9391b201aadba9250e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221180aef8b7584f9391b201aadba9250e\u0022\u003EHARETE HIPANGO (National\u2014Whanganui):\u003C/span\u003E Ka nui te mihi ki ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana, ng\u0101 uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu, ng\u0101 uri o Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe. E tautoko ana ng\u0101 kupu, ng\u0101 w\u2019akaaro o ng\u0101kau, wairua a taku tuahine Te Minita Nanaia Mahuta. N\u014D reira, kei ng\u0101 uri o t\u0113nei, te mokopuna o Hoani W\u012Bremu Hipango r\u0101ua ko Te K\u0113pa Te Rangihiwinui. N\u014D Te Iwi o W\u2019anganui m\u0101tou, e mihi kau atu nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E[Many greetings to the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana, the descendants of Maungap\u014Dhatu, the progeny of Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe. I support the words, the heartfelt thoughts, and the spirit of my sister Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Therefore, to the descendants, this is the grandchild of Hoani W\u012Bremu Hipango and Te K\u0113pa Te Rangihiwinui. We are from Te Iwi o W\u2019anganui, greeting you unreservedly.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI stand to take a brief call this afternoon on a longstanding and enduring burden. I am ever mindful that when I do stand to address the House on such poignant and significant matters of the burden that is associated with that responsibility as a Crown agent in conducting oneself appropriately in conveying the message of sincerity, of an apology, and a pardon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ERua left his mark on this world\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ERua K\u0113nana, T\u016Bhoe prophet from the Urewera\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EHe told his people not to go to war\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ELet the white man fight the white man\u2019s war.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThese are the words of the waiata that resonated when Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe came to join us of W\u2019anganui at our 79-day occupation of P\u0101kaitore in 1995. I was there with my people but I was also a young lawyer working in the courts. Many of my people and the people of Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe were arrested and they were taken before the courts, and I attempted to advocate and represent the people of T\u016Bhoe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ESo standing here to speak today, I make that connection of T\u016Bhoe, of W\u2019anganui, and the shared journeys that we have embarked on and the depth of the mamae that we have felt. As I look at you all in the gallery, you are the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana. I stand here as a descendant of my people, knowing what it is to carry such a burden.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EAlthough my k\u014Drero is brief today, it is about the Crown and New Zealand acknowledging this history, because often this history has been buried in the perspective from the perception of another person\u2019s conveying of that story.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI turn to the words and the lament of Rua K\u0113nana from the prison walls of Mount Eden. Some of those words that he shared were that \u201CAlthough my hands are locked in chains, the people know the scriptures have spoken \u2026 [and] to caress my sleep within my sanctuary. When the dawn is finally realised I emerged outside \u2026 Enough said, my vision for prosperity will be everlasting.\u201D Here today, you as the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana gather here for the acknowledgment of the official apology being conveyed and that pardon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe Maungap\u014Dhatu invasion and the Crown\u2019s treatment of Rua was unreasonable. It was repugnant; it was reprehensible. The convictions have caused severe prejudice and burden to you, his uri. It is now appropriate for the Crown to pardon Rua and to lift that burden from all of you here as his descendants.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe official pardon and declaration to restore character, mana, and reputation is provided to Rua K\u0113nana for the conviction he sustained for moral resistance to arrest. The restoration of the character, mana, and reputation of Rua K\u0113nana, his uri, and Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki a Iharaira faith is declared. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u00228e3e5734082e41478404dc2dd1c34a1d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228e3e5734082e41478404dc2dd1c34a1d\u0022\u003EKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, e Te M\u0101ngai; otir\u0101 ki a koutou ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana kua hara mai nei i t\u0113nei ahiahi tino whakahirahira. I t\u0113nei r\u0101, ka huri ake au ki a koutou, ko koutou e kawea te mana o t\u014D tino tipuna, o Rua K\u0113nana. Anei t\u0101 m\u0101tou nei h\u0113 i ng\u0101 w\u0101 o mua, heoi an\u014D ko t\u0113nei t\u0101 m\u0101tou r\u0101 ki te huri ki a koutou ki te k\u012B ki a koutou, aroha mai, aroha atu, aroha mai. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker; indeed, to you, the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana who have come here on this very important afternoon. Today, I address you, you who are carrying the prestige of your important ancestor, Rua K\u0113nana. This was our wrong in the past, and so this is our day to turn to you and to say to you, sorry, love and compassion given, love and compassion received.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EI cast my eyes up to you all this afternoon\u2014indeed, this afternoon when you came into the p\u014D\u2019hiri\u2014and I looked across as we saw young and old who came from the tihi o t\u014D koutou maunga o Maungap\u014Dhatu [the peak of your mountain, Maungap\u014Dhatu] to this House, our Parliament, and we looked upon you all as you came in. Some were chuckling, some were quiet, and there were many who carried tears, not just of those that came to this House today but for the generations that have come before you and for the mamae that many of you have carried for so long.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EIt is upon us, as members of this House, to acknowledge that mamae and to acknowledge that pain, for the generations of hara that you have all carried for the wrongful incarceration of the prophet Rua K\u0113nana. We cannot undo the trauma that has been carried for generations, but what we can do is acknowledge it and turn to those of you that have carried that trauma and have carried the mana of his name, of his toto, of his whakapapa, and for the role that you all have played in ensuring that that wrong was restored today. We acknowledge the many, many years that has taken.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EIn particular, I want to turn to the young people who have come to this House\u2014\u0101 t\u0101tou nei taiohi, \u0101 t\u0101tou nei rangatahi [our youth, our young people]\u2014because, today, we as the Crown turn to the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana and we say, \u201CThere has been a wrong that has been incurred, and today we seek to restore the mana of your tipuna.\u201D But let this not be the last day that you all, as a generation, hold us as the Crown to account, because this day is a day in the restoration of that wrong, but this Crown has an ongoing role to ensure that we act with you all as our partner. I turn to the words of my colleague the Hon Willie Jackson who just prior said that today, and this pardon, is about the restoration of mana. But, too, in turn it is to acknowledge the tino rangatiratanga of all of you from that maunga.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ESo, as we embark upon the new dawn and the new day, and when we all gather on Saturday for the Royal assent so that that mamae is restored, may you turn to us as well and say, \u201CBut now you guys have got to keep your word\u2014every single day from here, you keep your word.\u201D And that\u2019s a challenging issue for us all as we have to try and understand what this partnership looks like in this day and age. That\u2019s a k\u014Drero that we will have with you ongoing and with our people ongoing. How does that partnership manifest?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EBefore I close my remarks today, I also want to acknowledge the close hononga that you all have to Ng\u0101ti Awa and the impacts of Whakaari on all of you that have gathered here today. I know I saw Jackie Te Amo, who was up there in the trenches working alongside many people in the recovery. I know that all of the people gathered here today have a close hononga to that motu and to those that have passed. This is a big day for you all, and I acknowledge you for coming to this House. With that said, we commend this bill to the House. N\u014D reira.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022 data-id=\u0022c505772f683947428c59804ad60e86e1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c505772f683947428c59804ad60e86e1\u0022\u003EHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour\u2014Ikaroa-R\u0101whiti):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koe, otir\u0101, ng\u0101 mema o Te Whare nei, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. I t\u016B ki te mihi i ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana, te iwi o Te Urewera, Maungap\u014Dhatu, anei ng\u0101 mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa. \u014Cku rau rangatira m\u0101, e kui m\u0101, e koro m\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003E[To the Speaker, greetings to you. Indeed, to the members of this House, greetings to us all. I stand to acknowledge the descendants of Rua K\u0113nana, the people of Te Urewera, Maungap\u014Dhatu. My affectionate greetings to you all. My esteemed leaders, the female and male elders, greetings, greetings, greetings to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EI am pleased and honoured as the member for Ikaroa-R\u0101whiti, the neighbouring M\u0101ori electorate to Waiariki, to celebrate and support the passage of this significant piece of legislation. Can I acknowledge all those who are here in the House today. Can I acknowledge the hurt and the harm\u2014basically, the Crown stuffed up and here we are trying to make a small contribution of acknowledging its stuff-up with a pardon and an apology to this great leader, Rua K\u0113nana. He was a great man, a visionary, a prophet, and I want to acknowledge his role as a protector of the wh\u0101nau, as a protector of whenua, which led to his arrest. I want to acknowledge in these contributions that we do the significance of the relationship I have with the people of Maungap\u014Dhatu. I want to acknowledge particularly Rua\u2019s stance on leadership on the protection of whenua and his leadership role.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003ETo that, I want to acknowledge the Te Whaiti Scholarships which come off the T\u016Bhoe whenua. I acknowledge the Te Whaiti Scholarships because, without those scholarships, my two sons would never have got to Lindisfarne. My colleague here, the Hon Willie Jackson, acknowledged Justice Joe Williams of the Supreme Court, who also benefited from the Te Whaiti Scholarships, which enabled him to be educated also at Lindisfarne. So, as a mother of two boys who graduated through the generosity of T\u016Bhoe whenua, I say thank you. I say thank you. Last week, my oldest son gave the graduate address at the Victoria University graduation, and he centred his speech on leadership and posed this question: \u201CWe are all leaders but the question remains\u2014are we ready to lead?\u201D So, to those that are here, I personally want to acknowledge the journey my sons have made through the connection and the generosity of Ng\u0101i T\u016Bhoe and the whenua that Rua stood up and protected. So I want to acknowledge that and say thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EThis is an auspicious day. It is an amazingly important day for the hurt and the mamae that you, as descendants, of Rua have carried over these hundred years. I want to add my acknowledgment to all those\u2014the negotiators\u2014on behalf of Rua\u2019s uri. I want to acknowledge the officials, I want to acknowledge the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, who\u2019s brought the bill here, and my colleague Rino Tirikatene as the chair of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee. I\u2019m honoured to be a member of that select committee. I do know the enormous amount of work that people have put into this bill\u2014the submitters and the report that came back to the House. It is a significant day, it is one that we should celebrate as a nation\u2014this righting of this wrong\u2014in memory of Rua K\u0113nana, an amazing leader, and I do hope that his legacy of protecting wh\u0101nau, protecting whenua continues to his current people today. Kia ora t\u0101tou. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022e17e4e61abe7452284429146665d62f1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e17e4e61abe7452284429146665d62f1\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (National\u2014Whangarei):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. E rau rangatira m\u0101, e ng\u0101 iwi, kia ora mai t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E[My esteemed leaders, the tribes, greetings to all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a pleasure to speak to this bill. Looking through the background of the bill, on 9 April 2009, Wai 894 was addressed by the Waitangi Tribunal: the Treaty claims of iwi and hap\u016B of the Te Urewera district. Three years later, on 20 December 2012, Part 4 of the claim was released, containing material particularly relevant to this bill. It concluded three things. First of all, police used excessive force against the Maungap\u014Dhatu community. Secondly, Te Tiriti o Waitangi was breached. And, thirdly, the arrest was unlawful, taking place on a Sunday, when arrest warrants were not allowed to be used.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIn traversing the background, in 1916, Rua was convicted and spent 18 months in prison. He was tried on 17 October 1916 in the Auckland Supreme Court for the charges of sedition, resisting police, counselling persons to murder, counselling persons to discharge arms, counselling persons to wound, and counselling persons to assault police, amongst other things. He was acquitted of sedition, charged with one year\u2019s imprisonment and 18 months\u2019 reformative detention for resisting police. The jury disagreed on the other charges, and indeed they rejected the sedition charge and went to public domain complaining about the judge\u2019s eventual conviction, which was 18 months of reformative detention and one year\u2019s imprisonment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThis is actually a petition to Parliament as well. Rua remained in prison until 1918. When he returned home, changes against his people\u2014famine, land loss, and urbanisation\u2014had taken effect. Shortly after returning home, there was further devastation of a people already under threat. The 1918 influenza epidemic had a huge impact on the iwi and hap\u016B of Whanganui. In 1918, the Whanganui M\u0101ori population suffered a death rate of an estimated 36.3 deaths per thousand. This figure was well in excess of the national P\u0101keh\u0101 death rate of 5.3 deaths per thousand. In fact, Whanganui had the 12th highest general death rate for influenza across the whole country. The M\u0101ori death rate due to the 1918 influenza pandemic in the Whanganui district was over six times the national average for the P\u0101keh\u0101 population.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EFrom then to now, Wai 894 describes a \u201Csocio-economic chapter [that] is a sad history for the peoples of Te Urewera. \u2026 It chronicles over a century of neglect, relieved only somewhat by the [large] impact of the welfare state and of the expansion of the forestry industry. Hardship, poverty, disease and lack of opportunity pervaded the twentieth century experience[s] of the peoples of Te Urewera.\u201D The M\u0101ori Affairs Committee received 60 written submissions and heard oral submissions also. Some of these submitters included mokopuna, wh\u0101ngai, and a great-niece of Rua K\u0113nana. Officials concluded that the submissions were overwhelmingly in support of the bill in its present form and unanimously recommended it to the House. There is no question of redress across many domains. In 1895, Premier Richard Seddon, speaking to a delegation of Te Urewera leaders in Wellington, fully acknowledged the customary rights of the peoples of Te Urewera: \u201CThe lands are yours, the forests are yours, and the birds that flock there\u2014they are yours.\u201D However, that is a discussion for another time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThis bill has the title Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua K\u0113nana / Rua K\u0113nana Pardon Bill. This bill confirms the historical background, makes acknowledgments, an apology, pardon, and declaration to restore character, mana, and reputation. In essence, it is a pardon for a criminal conviction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EOnce passed into law, the statutory pardon will be only the fourth arising from Crown-M\u0101ori relations. The first, in 1988: those of Ng\u0101ti Awa descent who were arrested, tried, and labelled as rebels in or about 1865 received a statutory pardon in Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Act. The second, in 2013: Mokomoko received statutory recognition of a previous Royal prerogative of mercy pardon for his involvement in the murder of missionary Carl V\u00F6lkner. The third pardon, in 2014: Kereopa Te Rau received a statutory pardon for his role in the murder of Reverend V\u00F6lkner through the Treaty settlement with Ng\u0101ti Rangiwewehi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ETo that rare list, we now today add Rua K\u0113nana. In conclusion, then, this was an injustice that we need to make right, and today this House is unanimous in that endeavour. Today, we pardon Rua K\u0113nana. Kia ora mai t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022 data-id=\u0022e3febc7178ef4a1dbeec10b7fc84a00a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e3febc7178ef4a1dbeec10b7fc84a00a\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare. E ng\u0101 mana, e ng\u0101 reo, rau rangatira m\u0101 o T\u016Bhoe, Maungap\u014Dhatu, ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. Kua tae ki te w\u0101 kia unuhia te hara kai runga i a Rua, kia whakahokia t\u014Dna mana me t\u014Dna ingoa rangatira ki a ia me ana uri.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker. To the leaders, the spokespeople, the chiefs of T\u016Bhoe, Maungap\u014Dhatu, the descendents of Rua K\u0113nana, greetings, greetings to us all. The time has arrived to pardon the crime that sits on Rua, to return his prestige and his chiefly name to him and his descendants.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI repeat those words of Nika Rua, who is the spokesperson for Ng\u0101 Toenga o Ng\u0101 Tamariki a Iharaira me Ng\u0101 Uri o Maungap\u014Dhatu Charitable Trust. I repeat those words because those words were spoken today, as the wh\u0101nau of Te Urewera, of T\u016Bhoe, came to this place, this Parliament, seeking\u2014my mate Willie called it mana restoration, but from our perspective, it was seeking justice, seeking justice for your t\u016Bpuna, because there was a miscarriage of justice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI want to thank my colleague Shane Reti for outlining the whole historic interface with Government in terms of this injustice. Now, the definition of a miscarriage of justice is that there\u2019s a conviction of an innocent person, and, obviously, this bill is about Rua K\u0113nana, but I also want to acknowledge that your women were raped, that some of your future leaders were killed, and that many of your t\u016Bpuna were imprisoned, criminalised through a deliberate act of the Crown. They did that via the police as their agent, and so they abused their power. It was institutional abuse, and it was deliberate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo what this bill says\u2014and it is part of our truth and reconciliation process that we are now being honest about some of the things that have happened in our country through colonisation, and we confront the consequences of that colonial history every day in terms of institutional racism and the ongoing effects on our people right across the motu. So I want to acknowledge that this bill has happened because of you, the people from Te Urewera. We wouldn\u2019t have done it ourselves. We needed you to use your voices through the processes, the Waitangi Tribunal process, through your commitment to clearing the name of your tupuna.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s what I want to acknowledge, that resolute commitment to historic abuses of our people. We need to tell these stories, and so through your acts, we now provide, I believe, content for our books that we need to teach our kids. We need to remember these histories because they are relevant today, and they\u2019re relevant for all New Zealanders. We have issues of racism in our country, and when you think about where we\u2019ve come from, of course we are going to have continued issues of racism. It is only through telling these truths that I believe we can move forward in partnership and actually realise Te Tiriti o Waitangi, because that\u2019s what I also think this bill signifies\u2014that we now have a capacity within this Parliament to acknowledge those historical wrongs, and, through pieces of legislation like this, to correct them, which puts us on a pathway, a very positive pathway, going forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo to all our rangatahi here, this is a historic day for you. I, like you, lament all those t\u016Bpuna that have passed, but I know that they are here with us, because we are them. We are the mokopuna of our t\u016Bpuna who started these journeys. So for the wh\u0101nau of Rua K\u0113nana, I hope that you find peace, and I hope that with what will happen on Saturday, with the Governor-General actually coming for the first time to sign a bill that assents to this pardon, you feel a sense of satisfaction about where we are as a country. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00220a5990dfced04d27a58ab0db7e86e4dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220a5990dfced04d27a58ab0db7e86e4dd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, members and people in the gallery\u2014I thought it would be useful at this point to outline the process. I\u2019m soon going to call Mr Coffey for the final contribution to this debate, the question will then be put, and the Clerk will announce the result of that. There will then be an opportunity for a waiata from people in the gallery. After this debate, there is an adjournment debate where, traditionally, the leaders of the parties, at the end of the year, make a contribution, but I understand that there will be some movement from the galleries after the waiata.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWhat I\u2019m proposing to do, members, is to give the opportunity for people who want to leave after the waiata to do so, so they have a little bit of time. I\u2019ll say to members on the floor, I observed people coming in. There are quite a few people up there who are even older than I am and don\u2019t move quite as quickly, so we will have an unusual situation where we will have the opportunity to talk amongst ourselves for a short period of time until I call order and start the next debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u0022772965fa1ee749868b42297fa91994b0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022772965fa1ee749868b42297fa91994b0\u0022\u003ETAMATI COFFEY (Labour\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te Mana Whakaw\u0101. Tuatahi, ka huri ng\u0101 whakaaro ki ng\u0101 mate o te puia o Whakaari, i mate ai i t\u0113r\u0101 wiki. Ka tangi m\u014Dteatea te ng\u0101kau ki a r\u0101tou kua wehe, kua ngaro. E ng\u0101 mate, e moe, e moe, e oki. Ka tangihia Te Arawa i ng\u0101 mate o M\u0101taatua, ka tangihia a M\u0101taatua i ng\u0101 mate o Te Arawa. E aku rangatira kei runga ake, ng\u0101 Tamariki o te Kohu, ng\u0101 uri o Rua, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker. Firstly, my thoughts go to the deceased from the eruption on Whakaari / White Island, who passed away last week. The heart laments for those who have passed, who have been lost. To the dead, rest peacefully in your eternal slumber. Te Arawa grieves the dead of M\u0101taatua, M\u0101taatua grieves the dead of Te Arawa. My esteemed leaders above, the children of the mist, the descendants of Rua, greetings, greetings to you all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EFirst of all, can I, like many other members, acknowledge the work of the previous member for the Waiariki, Te Ururoa Flavell. A member, a colleague of mine, said this started with the Waiariki and it will finish with the Waiariki as well. So I acknowledge the hard work that both Te Ururoa Flavell and the Hon Chris Finlayson did in bringing this to the House. Secondly, to our visitors, our manuhiri from the gallery: we all stand here alongside you, acknowledging the hurt and the pain that you have suffered over the years, and we do that with our hearts open to you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThree: I was accosted when I was recently up at Ru\u0101toki. One of the aunties came and she said to me, \u201CTamati, what\u2019s this pardon thing all about? What does a pardon mean?\u201D I said to her, \u201COh, it\u2019s kind of like an apology. It\u2019s like saying sorry.\u201D And she said, well, a pardon, in her argument, was actually\u2014she felt as though it was the Government pardoning Rua K\u0113nana for his wrongs. I had to have a wee think about that, and I had to say, \u201CNo, no, no. I get where you\u2019re coming from on this one, but actually, this is the Government asking to be pardoned for the crime that took place, the injustice that took place, all of those years ago.\u201D So to our auntie out at Ru\u0101toki, if she\u2019s listening, then actually, I hope that I\u2019ve clarified that, because it did have me for a wee bit. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ECan I be really honest and say that if I had the opportunity to meet Rua K\u0113nana, the man himself, I\u2019m pretty sure I would\u2019ve liked him, because it sounds like he was a pretty hardcase fulla. It sounded like he was somebody that knew his wh\u0101nau, he knew his followers, he knew his place in the world. He had been guided by his kuia, his kaum\u0101tua. Also, he was, I understand\u2014in the Star, there was a bit of k\u014Drero back in 1916 about him being the M\u0101ori kaiser, and he made some reference to the fact that if the Germans won the war, he would be on their side. I don\u2019t know if that was lies or not, but it would be something my uncle would say if he was up against the wall, I\u2019m sure. That\u2019s kind of what happened to Rua.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EIn the early days, I understand that he was very against alcohol; he didn\u2019t like it. But, in fact, he learnt that to be able to control the impacts of it, to create the minimisation of harm, he needed to control the sale and supply up at Maungap\u014Dhatu. So that was something that he tried to do. But, of course, the laws at the time and the direction that the country was going in was the way of prohibition, so, actually, that wasn\u2019t an option for him. So he wasn\u2019t able to do the admirable thing, the thing that we talk about lots here in the House of Parliament\u2014about minimising the impacts of alcohol in our community. He wasn\u2019t able to bring that to fruition. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EWe talk about history in schools and the impact that this is going to have with our tamariki growing up and learning about the wrongs of our Government, our country, the pathway that we\u2019ve taken. We will celebrate the good stuff, but we\u2019ll also acknowledge the warts, as our Prime Minister says, as well\u2014warts and all. Let\u2019s have a conversation about that. But actually, just hearing the contributions from my colleagues in the House this afternoon, I realised that, actually, there\u2019s been a spin-off effect to that, and that\u2019s been the learning in this House. Yes, our children will learn that, but actually, our politicians have learnt that, too. They\u2019ve learnt about the journey of Rua K\u0113nana, they\u2019ve learnt about the discrimination and the hurt that his descendants have faced. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ESo I thank you for being here. I thank you, everybody that has been involved in this from the start to this very point right here. Can I say, as your adviser in the Waiariki, that, actually, now\u2019s a really good time to get in and start hustling some of our Ministers for some money. They know who you are now. So if you want some roads, let\u2019s talk about some roads. Let\u2019s talk about some Provincial Growth Fund money, Mr Shane Jones. Let\u2019s talk about some money for tourism so that if you guys want to embark on that, let\u2019s go and hit up our Minister of Tourism as well. I advise you to start engaging and to start getting into the hustle. I look forward to seeing you in the weekend. Kia ora r\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EWaiata\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EHaka\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022199adefa5c5546dcaac6a33e91c2d4e3\u0022\u003EAdjournment\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cd4bc2df93bf43bb946fba798dd4afdd\u0022\u003EAdjournment\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00223394d815279546a89c530d723f5f603c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223394d815279546a89c530d723f5f603c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think we can now say normal transmission has resumed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u00222b14d37b7d234b70b73b314b84aab959\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222b14d37b7d234b70b73b314b84aab959\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the House do now adjourn.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, friends, colleagues, one and all: for New Zealand, it\u2019s been quite a year. In amongst Aotearoa\u2019s highs and our lows, for me it has been our people who have stood out all the way through. And those people\u2014they are, ultimately, embodied by the people who are present in this place. So, as is tradition and as is only right, I am going to commit the first few moments of my words this afternoon to acknowledge those people who are often our unsung heroes in this place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EOf course, Mr Speaker, I should start with you, our referee, our adjudicator, our tennis coach\u2014of sorts; 5-love\u2014except in tennis, you can\u2019t deduct points in the way that you are able to. Mr Speaker, your job is not an easy one, but we appreciate the role that you play in this House and in this precinct, and I want to pay special tribute to what you\u2019ve tried to embody in this place through simple acts like putting a slide on the forecourt of this Parliament, which I think speaks to the kind of place we wish to be in the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ERight through to, for instance, our parliamentary security\u2014who have a difficult job, at times, but hide from us the worst of their job and always undertake it with a smile; to the Chamber and meeting support staff, who are always attentive and kind; to the cleaners, who are here in the wee small hours, often passing us as we exit and entering for their night\u2019s work; to the catering team, who provide for us a home away from home, in many ways reflecting the kinds of meals we would otherwise serve ourselves, except the quality of the toasted sandwiches is probably better; to our parliamentary librarians, who deal with sometimes random requests for information; the tour guides, who make this place sound much more exciting than it probably is in reality for the visiting public.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThe Cabinet Office\u2014they are unseen but unsung heroes, in my book; the Office of the Clerk, the seen heroes of this Parliament and debating Chamber; Ministerial Services; Parliamentary Service; the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet\u2014my personal gratitude to them for the work that they do servicing me and my needs; the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage and the child poverty teams, again\u2014selfishly, I acknowledge you; VIP drivers, which I know both sides of this House would care to acknowledge, for their selfless professionalism, and for always providing company and a smile; and the Diplomatic Protection Squad, who do have, from time to time, a difficult job, but who always perform it with courtesy and respect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ETo those who work in our electorate offices, who are the face of parliamentarians when we cannot be present, and who do, at times, the most difficult and the most trying and the most traumatic work on behalf of New Zealanders every single day; to the Prime Minister\u2019s Office; to the staff who work in Premier House; and to the gallery, who provide an incredibly important role in our democracy\u2014to everyone who makes this place work, makes this an institution we can be proud of, we all, I\u2019m sure, say thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EAnd I ultimately believe that no matter what side of the House that you\u2019re on or no matter what role you play in this place, we are, essentially, motivated by very similar purposes. We have an ambition that we want New Zealand to be even better than it is today, than it was yesterday, and even than it was the year before that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EAnd we, of course, have a special insight into some of the people who, on a day-to-day basis, do that job themselves, and so well. I can\u2019t help but reflect on the extraordinary insight I\u2019ve seen, in particular into our front-line public servants, during events like 15 March, and, more recently, Whakaari / White Island\u2014again, testament to the extraordinary people who work in our health services: our ambulance drivers, our doctors, our nurses. No two days are the same for those people, and yet they bring with them a huge amount of humanity and empathy and professionalism. To our firefighters, who have been working abroad in Australia in recent times, and in our own tragedies in New Zealand and extraordinary events\u2014right through to, of course, our police, those on the front line, and I do want to add those who work in our marae, our iwi, our hap\u016B, who, in times of trial, have been right there making themselves available and opening their doors.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIn every regard, I have seen brave, courageous, professional humans representing the very best of New Zealand and, as a nation full of ordinary people who do extraordinary things, they deserve the best place in the world to live, to work, to raise their children, and it is the ambition of this Government on this side of the House to provide that. So this has been our unashamed year of getting thing done for them, and so I\u2019m going to start canvassing what some of that year has looked like. I\u2019m going to start at the very beginning\u2014a very good place to start; I can assure you that will be the only Sound of Music reference that I will make for the course of this, although I\u2019m sure the team could pull it off. I absolutely believe that Kieran in particular would look excellent in a set of curtains\u2014not least because I\u2019ve seen him in elf tights, and if he can pull off that, he can pull off anything. But we won\u2019t do it with song, because I\u2019ve heard Grant Robertson sing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIf we can start at the very, very beginning\u2014I want to start, actually, from December, because even before we came into the new year, one of the incredibly important things we did was make sure that people experience in New Zealand cheaper doctors visits. Those cheaper doctors visits have rolled in through this year and have meant that 540,000 people on community services cards have paid $20 to $30 less to go to the doctor. A recent survey has shown us that more people have been able to afford to go to their doctor as a result\u201457,000 people have said they haven\u2019t put off that important visit, because those visits are cheaper. The same with prescriptions: more people are picking up their prescriptions because of the work that we have been doing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIf we come into April, we lifted the minimum wage\u2014up to $17.70, and over 200,000 people with a boost directly to their income, and higher wages. In May, we scrapped NCEA fees, we increased funding for schools so that they didn\u2019t have to charge school donations\u2014all of that making a difference to parents\u2019 back pockets. And in the Budget, who could forget the landmark Wellbeing Budget, where we increased the biggest boost in funding for mental health this country has ever seen? And it wasn\u2019t just about the cash; it was the services it brought. We already had Mana Ake, a service in schools for all of the young people and children in primary and intermediate schools in Canterbury and Kaik\u014Dura to deal with the devastating after-effects of the earthquakes. We already had counselling services for under-25s in this region, but what we have now done is begin the national roll-out of primary mental health services for all New Zealanders throughout the country. It will take time, but the impact of that more than $1 billion investment will be long-lasting and huge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EAlongside that, Housing First places have increased, and I want to acknowledge that\u2019s alongside a big increase in State house building\u2014more than 3,000 houses, more than 2,000 being built as we speak; the impact has been incredible in housing. We are building KiwiBuild houses and we will keep building KiwiBuild houses, because we know there is more to do on housing supply and we will keep going until we address those issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EMid-year: we heard the people who said get rid of single-use plastic bags, but we\u2019ve done more than that; we\u2019ve started investing in improving our waterways, fencing, riparian planting, planting trees around our important catchments\u2014Kaipara is one area we\u2019ve started, directly supporting community groups there, and we\u2019re working on standards to improve the health of our waterways and stock degradation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EA hundred and forty nine million trees have been planted. We\u2019ve passed the historic zero carbon bill. We have an historic agreement with our primary sector to make sure that we address emissions. As we roll into the end of the year, $400 million is already going into our schools to improve property. Eighteen hundred police have been trained. We\u2019ve increased Gateway places and Trades Academy places. Mana in Mahi. We\u2019ve recently opened the Suicide Prevention Office. The Cancer Control Agency. Today, another increase in the minimum wage was announced for April next year. I could go on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIt is clear\u2014in the short time that I have available\u2014that this has been the year when we\u2019ve been getting things done. Now, we will never claim perfection, but we will always claim progress. I can guarantee you this: we will be back in 2020 better than ever, ready to fight an election, and ready to keep on going. We are ready to win in 2020.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u0022747f943c63f84523a10f237b17f49463\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022747f943c63f84523a10f237b17f49463\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to start by thanking the cleaners, the presiding officers\u2014including yourself, Mr Speaker\u2014the Clerk\u2019s Office, the Hansard Office, the Bills Office, the Table Office, the catering staff who serve us and help us so well, the security team, the messengers, the library and the IT teams, and my staff who do a fantastic job, the National Party headquarters, and members of Parliament. This year, I got hold of Santa\u2019s naughty and nice list; I found it on the Treasury website, actually, after Santa asked Grant Robertson to take good care of it and make sure it doesn\u2019t leak!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ESo on to the list and what is on it. Jacinda Ardern: she\u2019s on the nice list; in fact, she\u2019s probably on the cover of it because she says lots of very nice things.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EWinston Peters, the oldest naughty there is: he\u2019s on the naughty list, obviously, as well. Maybe, he\u2019s actually on the Electoral Commission\u2019s naughty list as well. But we\u2019ll see how that goes next year, Mr Peters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ESanta doesn\u2019t actually have a clue about Kelvin Davis\u2014mind you, neither does he; he spent most of this year avoiding question time on witness protection, I think, is where that\u2019s been.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EPhil Twyford: you\u2019re on the naughty list, because if you can\u2019t build a single house or a single road, Santa\u2019s not giving you a single present!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EDavid Clark: he\u2019s opted out. He doesn\u2019t like having lists or targets, actually, that\u2019s sort of where he\u2019s at.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EIain Lees-Galloway\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229d1508b312b74cb1a8347644ea2ad463\u0022\u003EHon Iain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: Ha!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022544bc79a73c64c198db9b28c4777282c\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014he\u2019s naughty\u2014well, there he goes again. He\u2019ll do anything to get in my video! He\u2019s clearly on the naughty list for giving a convicted drug smuggler residency. But he\u2019s nice because every time he opens his mouth, our 17-year-old William Wood gets more votes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EStuart Nash: naughty list for not doing his rego. Come on, mate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EKris Faafoi: naughty list for obvious reasons. Wh\u0101nau, wh\u0101nau, bro!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EWillie Jackson: he\u2019s on the nice list for giving me a boost and downgrading his own Prime Minister on TV a week or so back.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EDuncan Webb: he\u2019s on the naughty list because eating kiwis is never OK.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ETracey Martin: she is definitely\u2014oh, no, she\u2019s very interested\u2014on the nice list for her quality\u2014[Interruption]\u2014no, this is a serious one, actually\u2014Facebook videos. I\u2019ve got 32 social media staff and I can\u2019t do that; you know, it\u2019s every single day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EDr Deborah Russell\u2014doctor: she\u2019ll be on the good list. She\u2019ll be in a state of eudaimonia this Christmas. That\u2019s E-U-D-A-I-M-O-N-I-A.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EClare Curran\u2019s on the nice list. She\u2019s seen the writing on the wall and she\u2019s pulling stumps. We wish her well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EAndrew Little: he\u2019s on\u2014well, actually, Santa had him on the nice list until Winston decided we\u2019d need a referendum to decide, so he\u2019s going to have to wait until next Christmas to find out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EJulie Anne Genter: I don\u2019t want to miss out Julie Anne Genter. We\u2019re going to put you on the nice list as a thanks in advance for dropping your punitive car tax. Thank you so much, Julie Anne Genter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EMarama Davidson: she\u2019s on the naughty list for trying to reclaim the \u201Cc\u201D word. Well, they\u2019re going to have to try harder reclaiming the \u201Cd\u201D word: delivery. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s remember what the Prime Minister said at, I think it was the start of this year, 2019: \u201C2019 is now the year that a lot of delivery um will be required of us and is actually already under way. So whether it\u2019s, for instance, our child wellbeing strategy um, of course, our housing programme across community housing, Housing New Zealand and KiwiBuild, the receipt of the Tax Working Group, and all the work that falls away from it.\u201D Well, what work hasn\u2019t fallen away from it this year? By any measure, this Government has failed to deliver on its promises in 2019. After Treasury predicted\u2014surgery, that too\u2014surpluses as far as the eye could see, in just two short years we\u2019re back in deficit. That\u2019s not just a broken promise; that\u2019s rank incompetence by this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EThe economy has slowed down, we\u2019ve seen basically a halving of growth, and monthly job growth is down almost 70 percent. By the end of this term, when Phil Twyford should have been delivering 16,000 houses, what is it? Not 300 from KiwiBuild. Cost of living has increased sharply with Kiwis paying more tax at the pump, with rents rising\u2014and they don\u2019t like this one and they won\u2019t acknowledge it in the House\u2014$55 a week and food getting more expensive. Seven out of nine child poverty indicators have gone backwards under this Government, and the Christchurch City Mission said things are much, much worse now than they were under National. Literally not a single infrastructure project has started under this Government. For all their talk and bluster about a new infrastructure package, there is no detail and barely any spending in this term of Government. The only person dressed in red who will deliver, this year, is Santa Claus.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ELabour cannot deliver on its promises; 2019 has, though, I\u2019m pleased to say, been a year of delivery for the New Zealand National Party. We have released 10\u201410\u2014discussion documents with over 700 proposals, commitments, and questions. [Interruption] Well, they\u2019re getting very excited over there, and I can tell why: it\u2019s the only policy we\u2019ve seen this year\u2014it\u2019s literally the only policy we\u2019ve seen in 2019. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EJust some of those commitments: no new taxes\u2014no new fuel tax and no regional fuel tax in Auckland; creating a primary sector visa to help provide workforce certainty for employers in the primary sector; we\u2019ll reopen charter schools and reduce classroom sizes thanks to Nikki Kaye; we will keep our communities safer and disrupt and harass gangs every single day\u2014take that Strike Force Raptor, Iain Lees-Galloway\u2014we\u2019ll reform the Resource Management Act and actually build some house; we\u2019ll repeal the oil and gas ban, the industrial law changes, and the new overseas investment Act rules; we\u2019ll introduce roadside drug testing, and build safer roads; and we will reinstate public sector targets to drive better outcomes for New Zealanders; and we will set up a truly independent cancer agency, and fund more lifesaving cancer drugs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003EWhether it be Paul Goldsmith on how we will grow opportunities for New Zealanders, or whether it\u2019s Nikki Kaye on how we will give our kids a world-class education, Mark Mitchell on holding offenders to account and putting victims first, Scott Simpson on how we protect and enhance New Zealand\u2019s environment, or Louise Upston on how to get people out of a cycle of dependency, National has done the work in Opposition so that we don\u2019t have to set up 300-plus working groups and committees. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002281456ef4204a428aa7f01faab72ab952\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: How many? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de94df9abb2e41d2b0c52cd3f8ea9731\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES\u003C/span\u003E: Three hundred, and about half a billion dollars. We have done the work now so that if we have the privilege of governing next year, we can hit the ground running. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003ENext year, New Zealanders will have a very clear choice: a choice between a Government that only two years in is tired, out of ideas, and, in just two short years, has taken a whopping great surplus as far as the eye can see and turned it into a $1 billion deficit on Kiwis\u2019 credit cards, or a Government that has the ideas, the track record of delivering, and the ambition to see New Zealand better\u2014much better\u2014than it is now. New Zealanders can\u2019t afford this Government. We are ready. Bring it on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022 data-id=\u002247b3d37e1c2340d8b3628ea9aa313532\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002247b3d37e1c2340d8b3628ea9aa313532\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E We have just been reminded that sleeping pills and Mogadon have a serious competitor. The competitor is Simon Bridges, and if you are having sleepless nights out there in New Zealand, give me a call and I\u2019ll send you a copy of the video of that speech. I guarantee it will work like lightning. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EHe talked about a whopping great surplus. It can\u2019t be, can it, because his predecessor in finance was saying there was a $11.7 billion fiscal hole. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EHe can\u2019t hold a commercial thought together for five minutes, and he says, \u201CWe\u2019ve got 10 studies out there and we\u2019ve been doing all the work.\u201D Now, doesn\u2019t it strike you as somewhat odd that you had nine years in Government to get the Resource Management Act (RMA) right, but you decided to wait until you had no power and then you\u2019d get it right. You know, this is not even logical\u2014I mean, a kindergarten child could work that out. Here he is, he\u2019s got all these things he\u2019s worked on in the RMA. They had nine long years, did nothing, and all of a sudden they have been seized with a sense of unction and urgency. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EFirst of all, Mr Speaker, I wish you and your staff a very happy Christmas. We extend season\u2019s greetings to all the parliamentary and ministerial staff, the cleaners, the caterers, the maintenance and security staff, the drivers, the library, and the Hansard staff, as well as to the many office staff. Thank you, and enjoy time relaxing with your families and friends over the festive season. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ETo New Zealand First Ministers, members of Parliament, and both parliamentary and ministerial staff, and around the provinces from Invercargill to Kait\u0101ia, thank you for your hard work. You deserve a great Christmas. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EWhen a year like this one comes to an end, Parliament is duty-bound to consider what shaped it, and there has been no shortage of tragedy. The deadly attack on 51 men, women, and children in Christchurch will be seared into our collective conscience for ever. Only last week, White Island erupted, taking so many lives. We had the Nelson fires in February, and we had the bus crash in Rotorua in September, killing five people. These events were all terrible reminders of how callous the world can be. These events, as you know, though, have one lesson, and they are a lesson in humanity and how meaningful leadership and cooperation can guide us through calamity. Our Prime Minister has exhibited just that. One cannot help but wonder if we could have processed these terrible tragedies with such grace if we were led by others. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E2019 has been for New Zealand First a serious year of achievement\u2014this is the great news that you\u2019ve been waiting for, over there\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a796220986548e197102d9e49e3d930\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Name three. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cdd9754c10b84fe0868de81f9b76f858\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014for a long time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ab2370e64d744e10a3b22556e184d707\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau\u003C/span\u003E: Here we go\u2014here we go. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022584789ee61fa4ee8aabae71aa4a83202\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, here we go\u2014first in accountability. We were the party that announced in just the last 24 hours that a terrible helicopter crash, after 10 years, is going to be properly investigated\u2014just like Operation Burnham. That\u2019s accountability. Pike River has finally been re-entered, and it is now beyond 170 metres. We are well on the way to lifting our minimum wage to $20 an hour by 2020. Because of us, more young people are getting free doctors visits today than ever before. On your second hand, now, start counting, Mr Speaker\u2014not Mr Speaker. What does he call himself over there? Oh, I know, a casino operator\u2014a casino operator. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223dc36f9ec479443fba3cef0910470176\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b765a8748db04723ad4a97a7e7dc521e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A point of order, the Hon Gerry Brownlee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291124aa3f6964047ab8d80528652b07a\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. You\u2019ve covered it off for him. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee6f5aa66cc6410d90ad9be06e712632\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I was going to refer to the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f0d0c1ab3814d9b88fb810f3814b3d2\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! No, the member will resume his seat. I just want to make it absolutely clear that we\u2019re not going to have that sort of facetious point of order, going forward. I\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4485050378b475db77fcd00465de0c3\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Well, commentary\u2014the Standing Orders allows it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fec68a55ec14511a9d61cd332192578\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! And I\u2019m not going to have interjection while I\u2019m on my feet from the person who should know more than anyone else that it should not occur. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d57894474fc40ccbcc3cfa5351c88aa\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: What I was saying was that you\u2019re on to your second hand now, for the counting, and sooner or later, it\u2019ll have to be socks off for 11, 12, 13, to 14. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EOur defence force are doing so much humanitarian work as well as their usual responsibilities and are, at last, being funded properly. We have surpassed the target of training of 800 new front-line police already, in just on two years. The Minister of Police can take a lot of pride in that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EToday, in foreign affairs and aid, New Zealand has a new respect, and that\u2019s a fact. Go to the Pacific, go to Japan, go to Indonesia, go to the United States, and\u2014dare I say it\u2014go to the UK, where we are walking into an environment where we\u2019ve got friends. Why? Because we had the presence of mind years ago to see who was going to order the world next\u2014not like them. They followed every bit of advice and have got no idea what they\u2019re talking about, and who have a leader who called the new Prime Minister, the renewed Prime Minister, of the UK\u2014he called him a buffoon. [Interruption] Yeah, that\u2019s what he called him. Then he gets published in the New Zealand Herald advising us on how to get a free-trade agreement with the UK. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272182941268a446d93ba93fd5b3e7981\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: One all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e7fc48c73e44a6ea78d7991b2d356d9\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Your paper coverage, my friend, is stupid, and so is he. Unbelievably naive. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224860ac9b4e7a48a384b2cebd6fa6d89b\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, don\u2019t say that about Boris Johnson. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cade39a05c12468f8c5296203f2d15b7\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, I\u2019m saying that about you, sunshine. I\u2019m saying it about you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EThe Provincial Growth Fund is transforming New Zealand. There\u2019s real hope in the provinces, and out there, from Invercargill to Kait\u0101ia, they are saying, \u201CThank heaven for certain politicians in Wellington. We are no longer being neglected and no longer being forgotten.\u201D I find it so difficult when I go to these Provincial Growth Fund meetings and announcements, because I have to fight my way through rural National Party members trying to get there first, and all their supporters. They\u2019re trying to get the sort of halo effect from positive Government. Can I just say\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022446d12bdfe814eaaaf4b1f1197071bd7\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Tell us about your foundation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268dacae2c1d0406a90c403d7c8789af5\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, I\u2019m getting to the foundation very shortly\u2014oh, yeah\u2014but I\u2019m not going to take too much time. Like a famous guy in Australia said, I\u2019m going to stew you slowly, son\u2014I\u2019m going to stew you slowly. You are not getting away with this any more. This is a guy\u2014I mean, I want to ask those backbenchers over there: do they really think that that\u2019s what they want from the front bench of the National Party? Oh yeah, you know what I\u2019m saying, don\u2019t you? Deep in your heart, you know you can\u2019t get home with him. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ENow, look, I can help. Look, I could help you. You know, I was playing a song for a radio today, and they said \u201CWhat\u2019s your favourite song for the National Party?\u201D, and I said, \u201CI can\u2019t help but saying that there\u2019s a song by Joan Armatrading called \u2018Drop the Pilot\u2019.\u201D Do you know how it sounds? If you get a chance, listen to it. It comes to a theme, and I\u2019d really recommend it to you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ECould I just say that the Climate Change Commission was launched, and 33,000 rural farming stakeholders now know that help\u2019s on its way and that they can transition, that they can make a profit, that they will be sustainable, and that they will be world leaders. Oh yes, one guy over there, one guy there\u2014Mr Muller\u2014knows it. But all the rest know that they\u2019re back-stabbing around the back door all the way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EBut one guy that should be in the leadership of the National Party these days\u2014Mr Muller\u2014is showing responsibility, showing forward vision. Oh no, no, no. No, he\u2019s got somebody at the front there. He\u2019s got somebody at the front there who\u2019s never been in business for five seconds. He\u2019s never operated a business for five seconds, and he thinks he understands business\u2014unbelievable. Can I just say that the Global Compact for Migration, which the National Party signed up to, but which then became directed by neo-Nazis in Austria, has not seen the result they said. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ECan I say that I want to turn my attention to the National Party and ask Mr Brownlee this: where is the report on bullying with the National Party? When will the Serious Fraud Office report on the National Party\u2019s electoral donations? When will we hear about the $100,000 receipted by National as one sum and then split up later? When are we going to hear the answer to that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003ECan I also ask, is it clear that Mr Bridges is facing or not facing a problem with his party\u2019s leadership now? I see it\u2014very, very clear.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022527efa52477d4080816712ba13bbbb59\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Count to 10.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a8de6e636f3482fa928d7c9efdf5418\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: Oh no. I can count to more than 10. Can I just say: when will we hear about that $160,000 arranged from offshore and funnelled through a shell company in New Zealand into the National Party? When are we going to hear that? Can I just say one thing. Mr Brownlee made a speech recently, and, being the rather simple-minded person he is, he actually dropped them in it. He said that they were living off the National Party\u2019s interests, not the donations and not the capital; just the interest. And he\u2019s going to say that the capital and interest is different where electoral law\u2019s concerned. He was so silly, he dropped them in it, because they have tens and tens and tens of millions, which they\u2019ve got in their fund.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EAnd Mr Nick Smith, can I just say very, very clearly: why would people allow that man to go out there and launch his attack, lead this attack? There\u2019s a guy, for example, that hates Winston Peters. Guess why? Because on 12 March 2012, in a 4\u00BD minute speech, I finished his then ministerial career.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bbf71411602a4f1ca2f15ea54f78d042\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Did too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a09deccde944774b3d475be361735e8\u0022\u003ERt Hon WINSTON PETERS\u003C/span\u003E: I did, in a 4\u00BD minute speech, and, Mr Smith, what I\u2019ve done before, I can do it again, and you make very sure: I\u2019m on it. Tell your pariahs up there in the gallery that write your rubbish that next year we\u2019re coming for you. And guess what? We\u2019re coming for other people here, because the New Zealand First Party has obeyed the law and the National Party has not. The National Party has not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EI can tell you we have got new information about the National Party fundraising. We have new information about National Party fund-raising. [Interruption] And, Mr Bidois, if you knew what you were talking about, I would advise you: I\u2019d hold my nose, keep quiet and hope by hell it doesn\u2019t get to you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003EBut, last of all, can I say to my friends in the Government, all parties in Government, that you all deserve a great Christmas holiday. Next year, we\u2019ll be back and winning is our specialty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022 data-id=\u00225f3b50166482488da44dbc975425c444\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225f3b50166482488da44dbc975425c444\u0022\u003EMARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s Christmas next week, a time for many New Zealanders, many people in our country, who like to acknowledge and spend time with loved ones and families and friends. I haven\u2019t been able to let go of the fact that I know that many people won\u2019t be spending a happy time next week at all. That\u2019s actually a reason for us to take advantage and celebrate that precious time even more so in the knowledge that we\u2019ve had some tough times this year in Aotearoa and around the world. There are many people who are suffering loss at this time and that is actually why we, those of us who can, take our time seriously, acknowledge and have gratitude for what we have, for the loved ones that we get to spend time with. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI wanted to start off on that note, because all week, as I\u2019ve known I\u2019ve had to stand today in this House and speak and acknowledge the end of this year as the co-leader of the Green Party, it\u2019s been genuinely challenging, trying to find the tone, trying to acknowledge the highs and the lows and recent tragedies and tragedies of this year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ESomething I\u2019m really proud of is that just before this adjournment debate started we all here in the House witnessed an incredible display of strength and resilience from ng\u0101 uri o Rua K\u0113nana. Just before this debate started, we had a rousing haka and a beautiful waiata that acknowledged the pain and the celebration of this historical day where this House declared a pardon for their tupuna Rua K\u0113nana, who had been wronged alongside the community of Maungap\u014Dhatu by a Crown invasion in 1916. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI thought that was a most excellent way to start this debate off in the House, to acknowledge the place of tangata whenua and the space that tangata whenua hold for all of us to model dignity and survivability in the face of incredible challenge and injustice. And I thought what an excellent way to start this debate in the House today. What I know from my work, my travels around the country this year, talking with people, meeting in communities, and talking with stakeholders of all backgrounds and all types of work is that it is clear that when people have a warm, secure, affordable, and healthy home, when people have enough money to put healthy kai on their table and feed their wh\u0101nau, when there is enough income left over to pay all the bills that need to be paid, when people can seek help immediately when they need it, how they need it, when our schools and our health systems and our justice services can cater to everybody equally, can help people as soon as they need it and that we step up and show that help\u2014this is what makes communities and families strong. This is how we build the strength of our Aotearoa nation, our beautiful country with its beautiful people. This is how we provide a platform of enduring justice and wellbeing for our communities, for our people, for our water, our soil, our trees, our birds, our oceans. This, I know, is the work that we have to be doing here in this House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ELast Thursday morning, at an early dawn ceremony, we were hosted by Taranaki wh\u0101nui to receive the big cruise ship Ovation of the Seas as she came into the Wellington Harbour from Whakat\u0101ne. Taranaki wh\u0101nui and mana whenua held the space, as is their kaitiaki responsibility, for us down on the water\u2019s edge in Seatoun here. And I was very privileged to attend that karakia and the karanga that were gifted to all of us who wanted to go and support their place in role modelling and leading through loss and receiving the big ship, which had lost many people and whose many people had been hurt at Whakaari.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI wanted to mention that, because that is an example of the richness of what tangata whenua offer us all in this work of repairing the injustice and inequality for our people, of repairing the degradation of our plants and our animals and our living systems, of repairing the broken relationships between us so that we can work genuinely together to build what I know can be an incredible nation that welcomes and supports all of us, that makes decisions with our long-lasting environment at the core of everything we do, that understands that uplifting everyone is the richness for all of us. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EMohi Apou that morning, who administered the karakia, said that what happened in Whak\u0101tane happens to us all. This is the collective care responsibility that I live for. This is the leadership in our grassroots community that I see every day, that it is simply a duty and responsibility to step up, not just because it was your family or your community, but because as humans, as decent human beings, we all have the opportunity to share our humanity together, and that is for everyone to enjoy and uphold. So I wanted to mihi to Taranaki wh\u0101nui and to Ng\u0101ti Awa in Whakat\u0101ne also for holding this space for us to allow a healthy way through loss and grief in a way that will hold us together better. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EWe also had the Christchurch attacks of loss\u2014big internationally known loss. We\u2019ve recently had measles killing many of our families and babies, especially in Samoa and here in Aotearoa. I am going to think of all of those losses and the grief that is being held when I hold all my babies, when I get out of this place very soon and am able to return home. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EToday in the House\u2014well, he said he was going to come and sit in here, my son, my beautiful 14-year-old teenager who I was able to bring with me, and I\u2019m never able to do that. Immediately he reminds me about what is good. And I need to be able to\u2014when I ask for everybody to have the same opportunities, when I ask for our rivers and our soils and trees to be put at the heart of our decisions\u2014and have to be able to acknowledge that the National Party cannot simply stand up and pretend that all of the issues they raise, the problems that our people and our planet are having, just started when we got the reins in Government and acknowledge that they actually handed over after nine years degraded health and education and justice and environment departments and systems. I can\u2019t let that stand because I have to name the barriers and the impacts that our people and our earth have been feeling with them at the helm. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EAnd yes, we have got more work to do, but I am proud of the essential direction change that this Government has worked together to do\u2014essential direction change. At least we can say the words \u201Chousing crisis\u201D because we are not afraid to confront it and deal with it. And yes, I stand here as the co-leader of the Green Party, knowing and pleading to my Government colleagues, \u201CWe need to do more. We need to do it faster. We have to raise core benefits so that everyone has the chance to live their lives with the dignity that we all deserve.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ELastly, I do wish everyone in this House a very merry Christmas and a close, loving time with your precious-held ones. I absolutely acknowledge that the demands of working in this House\u2014and I want to say very clearly I absolutely support all of the well-wishes to our incredible staff across the whole place that humanise this place for us every day. It is not always a human place, but our people on the doors, our people working everywhere, our people in the cafeteria, the lovely cleaners I get to acknowledge\u2014merry Christmas to all of you. Kia ora koutou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022308b125fcac841dc887fbbbafc66ca32\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022308b125fcac841dc887fbbbafc66ca32\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E I also want to wish everybody in this House, every member, all the best for this season, this time of the year. And I want to acknowledge the first part of the Prime Minister\u2019s speech thanking so many in this place who make our life a little bit easier\u2014including yourself, Mr Speaker, and your attendant officers. But that\u2019s about where it stops, because there is no doubt that the speeches we\u2019ve heard this afternoon from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the co-leader of the Green Party indicate that the fantasy that they are living, that a Government is doing things that are extraordinary, has led to some extraordinary delusions by those people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EWe saw that piece of paper the Prime Minister pulled out with a list of apparent milestones throughout the year. They are just things that Governments do\u2014nothing extraordinary about that; just things that Governments do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222ab11b24de747fab2a5b84209f99243\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Except your Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a1b19202c31434680affe0676ef85cd\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: The member up there calls out, \u201CWhat did your Government do?\u201D Well, we did raise spending in all the core services every year that we were in Government, and every year, by the way, was record spending, because that\u2019s what happens in a Budget. It\u2019s unbelievable, isn\u2019t it, that we\u2019ve got a Government now quietly telling the public of New Zealand that the $7 billion surplus they were predicting for the year 2020, just one Budget ago\u2014it\u2019s all gone, all gone, and it\u2019s going to be a billion-dollar deficit. That\u2019s $8 billion worth of spending that has just apparently gone into the ether. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EAnd what\u2019s the difference for anyone\u2019s lives? Well, child poverty on all the measures set up by the Prime Minister has got worse on seven of those indicators. Housing is an absolute mess. The thing they don\u2019t say is that when they talk about, \u201COh, it\u2019s a record build for any Government since the 1970s.\u201D, more than half of that programme was approved and started and funded by the previous Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EMichael Wood shakes his head over there. Go and read the Budget, sonny. It\u2019ll make it very clear. But of course, anyone in the Labour Party would think that reading a Budget is an absolutely abhorrent thing to do, because money apparently just grows on trees. And if you haven\u2019t got enough you just declare a deficit and say, \u201COh, but later, later we\u2019ll have a surplus.\u201D This is a trend and it\u2019s a bad one. It\u2019s not good for this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThen we have the issue of health and the sudden sort of thing about, \u201COh, look, we\u2019re building a whole lot of health services.\u201D Well, why have the delivery end of that in elective surgery and specialist appointments and a range of other things that are done in secondary care all gone backwards\u2014all gone backwards? Apparently, more money is going in, but it\u2019s all gone backwards. And the Minister of Health stands over here today in the House proud of the fact that he\u2019s got no targets. And it\u2019s easy, isn\u2019t it? If there are no targets then you can make any old story up. There\u2019s nothing to test it against. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI think New Zealanders are not silly. They are starting to see this and they are seeing through it. Just go back to housing for a minute. Last year, last year, the first year of this arrangement that we\u2019ve got governing the country at the moment, 25,000 first-home buyers\u2014it could have been couples, so more people\u2014bought houses under HomeStart, 25,000. How many bought KiwiBuild? Well, firstly, the KiwiBuild houses weren\u2019t there and of those that were bought, I think it\u2019s 179 now: 179 versus 25,000; 25,000 from our scheme, a financial instrument, and 179 from their big announcement of 100,000 houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022660bd50a33984a79a6ad34c63858894a\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Hopeless.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa8ee70be05a44728edaf3037d644122\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Hopeless. The really interesting thing is, of course, that the surplus KiwiBuild, the ones they can\u2019t sell, were offered to Housing New Zealand. And Housing New Zealand said, \u201CWe don\u2019t want them. Their specification is too low.\u201D confirming, as we\u2019ve always said all along, they\u2019re junk. And that\u2019s why there is no market for them. So I think it\u2019s amazing that the Government is insisting they\u2019re going to continue with this particular policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EAnd all the time that this is going on homelessness is up. Other colleagues have spoken about the Christchurch City Missioner who\u2019s talking about things and how bad things are there and how much better it was under a National Government. This is a failure of a Government. If this is delivery, then it\u2019s on a dray with no wheels being pulled by dead horses, and I think that will become apparent as next year starts to unfold and there will be a ready audience for a different Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u00226010c404910943d0a56671438b3586a4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226010c404910943d0a56671438b3586a4\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff28214d410d4f1ab0f9bc76df764a8c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have called the member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7476e3c73cb4629b4050931cfd8519e\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: Apologies. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Can I echo the remarks of my colleagues and the Prime Minister and say thank you to everyone who helps make us operate in this strange building sometimes. Thank you to you, Mr Speaker, and your attendant officers. Thank you to the cleaners and thank you to the Copperfields staff for keeping me filled up with short blacks as the days go by.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWe have truly entered the silly season. Henry Cooke, I kid you not, yesterday tweeted a long series of tweets about the top 10 toilets in Parliament and the Beehive\u2014the top 10 toilets\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f0b760b9038146eb9322b8aae10dd87d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: And he got it wrong. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290398d42ef514db9a38beda09843f6cb\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: And he got it wrong. That\u2019s exactly right. I was going to start a list about the top 10 stuff-ups that Phil Twyford made this year, but it would go to 100 and we\u2019d be here for the rest of the adjournment debate. Andrew Bayly is hoping for a big present from his wife and he\u2019s got a big present for her. It\u2019s what he told Newshub. We\u2019ve really entered the silly season.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EI have some awards I want to give out to members around the House, including from my own side. Firstly, the \u201CKip McGrath Award for Services to Illiteracy and Innumeracy\u201D\u2014Stuart Nash, can\u2019t count to 1,800 police. They\u2019re not there. The \u201CClare Curran Award\u201D This is a very special award. The \u201CClare Curran Award for Openness and Transparency in Parliament\u201D\u2014Julie Anne Genter for her secret letter with a special rider: honorary membership of the SIS and the GCSB. She\u2019s done very well for secrecy this year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe Judge Dredd award\u2014\u201CI am the law\u201D\u2014goes to Clayton Mitchell from New Zealand First. The Milton Friedman award for freedom goes to David Seymour for the end of life choice success. The Oscar, the Walter Mitty award for grandiloquence and bloviation: no other winner than the Hon Shane Jones. The Jenny Craig award for a shrinking waistline, something that many of us could take after: Matua Paul Eagle\u2014doing a great job; well done, matua. The Brexit award for Nigel Farage impersonation: there\u2019s no other winner than Andrew Bayly, a double winner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EI want many things for Christmas. Firstly, I want New Zealand to beat Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when I\u2019m there in a few days\u2019 time. But I actually want the Government to get on with building roads. I want them to start addressing our infrastructure deficit and our infrastructure crisis. I see the Leader of the House there, the member of Parliament for Rimutaka. I want a new Melling interchange for Christmas, and I know that if he puts his shoulder to the wheel, he might be able to deliver it, and we\u2019re looking forward to that. I want a new Mt Vic tunnel, alongside Nicola Willis, so get on with it. Wellingtonians have waited far too long, and we don\u2019t want Julie Anne Genter to put the kibosh on it any further. I want \u014Ctaki to north Levin to start for Nathan Guy and Tim Costley\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f81792119cd74dcf886c741190dafccd\u0022\u003EMatt King\u003C/span\u003E: Northland\u2014Northland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252d07ade96e54b018b7d3a65887bcf36\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014our great candidate in that part of the world. I want four lanes to Whangarei, Matt King\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d71c316b5b34adcaa3f75d0568e2650\u0022\u003EMatt King\u003C/span\u003E: What about Mill Road?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de5c250b4684464bafbd832f8d29a0c8\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014because that\u2019s what we need. Mill Road, Andrew Bayly. I want the Tauranga Northern Link, Todd Muller, which was out for procurement when the Government changed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fff99f17f51144418da21412e739218d\u0022\u003EDan Bidois\u003C/span\u003E: East-West Link.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002283f614077fb341188d213f351637c84d\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: I want the East-West Link in Auckland, Dan Bidois. I want Mill Road, Judith Collins. I want the Tauranga to Katikati, Scott Simpson. I just want roads started. It\u2019s actually not that hard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWe just want some stuff to happen, because we spent two years with the Government telling us \u201CWe don\u2019t want to invest in roads.\u201D Actually, 94 percent of trips in New Zealand happen on private cars on the road, and we have to get on with it. I want 2020 to be a better year, because 2019 has been a tough year for many New Zealanders. When Whakaari / White Island happened the other day, many of us reflected on just what else was going to happen this year. In the Hutt today, as I\u2019m sure you probably have noticed, there was an issue with a lift in a building, which plummeted some flights of stairs in a building in Lower Hutt. You just sometimes reflect back on the year and wonder. Hopefully, 2020 will be better. But we have got through it together as a community. We have got through it together as a Parliament, and extraordinary bravery and determination have actually been shown by both the Government and the Opposition in so many ways in response to some of the tragic events this year. So on that sober note, can I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2fef0eee8e9433693a7e375badd84bf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2fef0eee8e9433693a7e375badd84bf\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to thank my parliamentary colleagues for what has been quite an incredible year for our Parliament and our country. I want to thank all of the staff in the different offices\u2014Bills, Table, Hansard, the Clerk\u2014that make this place tick and work. I particularly want to thank my own staff here in Parliament but also in my office in the Epsom electorate. I wouldn\u2019t be at all surprised to find that I\u2019ve got the best staff of the entire Parliament. I\u2019m grateful to them and those that work in the ACT Party as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI realise that if I was to be remembered for anything this year, it would be the passage of the End of Life Choice Bill. I particularly want to thank the Office of the Clerk, the Parliamentary Counsel Office, and some of the people around the House\u2014the Minister of Justice\u2014who have been particularly helpful in allowing that to happen. I want to thank certain opponents, whom I won\u2019t name. We couldn\u2019t have done it without you, to be really honest. That bill will go to referendum next year, and the question will be whether we become, as Chris Bishop so ably put it, a more humane society that is more compassionate, more understanding, and more free.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a time of year to reflect on what sort of country we are and who we are. It\u2019s occurred to me this year, as we\u2019ve gone through various tragedies, that our country is a country where everybody has one thing in common, and we\u2019re so diverse that it\u2019s probably the only thing: each and every one of us has travelled further, or our ancestors have travelled further, for a better life than anyone else on this planet. The runners-up are the Australians, but they didn\u2019t come as far and, in many cases, not quite as freely. But we are pioneers or children of pioneers, and we shouldn\u2019t be here settling for second best. If that\u2019s what we wanted, we\u2019d still be living most probably in Asia or Europe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EYet when we ask ourselves what the real metrics say, not the puffery from the Government, we see, in the Programme for International Student Assessment, 20 percent of 15-year-olds testing functionally innumerate and illiterate for the 21st century. That\u2019s not good enough. Productivity growth\u2014what really matters for people being able to work less and consume more and enjoy life\u2014is in the tank. It remains there, and it has been for some time. This Government promised to fix housing. The truth is that rents have gone up and homelessness has gone up and KiwiBuild has become a kind of joke and a byword for failure. Even child poverty, something the Government made its flagship\u2014they passed the measures, and we know it didn\u2019t work, and I said it wouldn\u2019t work at all, because, actually, it\u2019s gone up even by those measures.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe quality of lawmaking is evident in all of those failings. Our nation, after the tragedy in Christchurch, deserved a sober and effective response to make us safer. It gives me no pleasure to stand here, vindicated by the objective failure of the gun buy-back, to say that this Parliament failed in that objective, and I\u2019m pleased to have stood against it. We won\u2019t be any safer by the Government cracking down on freedom of expression in the wake of that tragedy. It will make us less of a place that is able to reason through its differences and more likely to settle them violently\u2014a sad irony.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003ETime and again, the ACT Party has stood alone in this Parliament opposing low-quality lawmaking. One only has to look at the market studies into petrol companies. Last week, we had the absurdity of the responsible Minister saying he was going to drop petrol prices by 32c. He must have forgotten the importer margin is 25c. How he thinks he\u2019s going to make petrol 32c a litre cheaper, by targeting something that costs 25c, I have no idea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EBut our ancestors, and in many cases ourselves as New Zealanders, did not come so far for a better life to put up with such mediocrity in lawmaking. We must do better, and, for that reason, I\u2019m very much looking forward to 2020 and putting forward the case that we all prosper better in a freer society that makes high-quality laws.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, finally, with the exception of your presiding over question time in relation to me, I\u2019d like to thank you very much for the contribution you\u2019ve made to the integrity and honour of this House and wish you a very merry Christmas. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022 data-id=\u00224db8fd68aa2e46fa848fbd978a261975\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224db8fd68aa2e46fa848fbd978a261975\u0022\u003EMICHAEL WOOD (Labour\u2014Mt Roskill):\u003C/span\u003E I want to start my adjournment comments with some free hot Yuletide tips for friends on the other side of the Chamber as we head into 2020. The very first one is to say that I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve heard enough about slushies in recent times. We heard a lot about slushies earlier in the year\u2014in fact, the Hansard was practically drenched in them\u2014but then it went very quiet on the slushy front. The tip that I\u2019ve got for them is that it could be very, very popular over summer. Sweet, cool, refreshing\u2014a little bit retro 1990s\u2014and they\u2019ll go very well at the barbecues at Judith\u2019s house over the summer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThe other one that I think we haven\u2019t heard enough about recently is Strike Force Raptor. We heard an awful lot about it at the beginning, and then things went very, very quiet. We think it bombed in the focus groups, but I reckon part of it was just about the branding. One of the top branding guys that I\u2019ve talked to has told me that alliteration can help with these things. So here\u2019s my big idea for the National Party: change Strike Force Raptor to \u201CStrike Force Stegosaurus\u201D. It\u2019s completely on brand as well: lumbering, Jurassic, pea-brained, and extinct.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge all colleagues in this House for the contribution that they\u2019ve made to the working of our parliamentary democracy this year. We disagree on a lot of things, but we do have a functional Parliament, and that comes down to the good will of members, of parties, and of other colleagues in this House. That\u2019s important to acknowledge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI acknowledge all the staff in this place who make our Parliament work\u2014the people who clean, cook, deliver, keep us safe, and tend to the grounds.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI acknowledge you too, Mr Speaker. There\u2019s a lot I could say but won\u2019t say, but I will say that you have made real efforts this year that I think will be seen as important in years to come to make this a safer, more inclusive, and more humane House of Representatives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThis is a year of pride for members of this Government. I speak particularly as a Labour member. We believe that our parliamentary democracy can be harnessed to deliver social and economic justice for the people of our country. The progress that we have made in this area has been significant.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI want to have a big call out to the Hon James Shaw and the achievement of the zero carbon Act this year\u2014world-leading legislation that takes on one of the great intergenerational issues of our time. We can also note that our Parliament did do that together. That\u2019s an achievement we can be proud of.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud of the fact this has been a Government that has stood up for the dignity of decent work by lifting the minimum wage this year, by improving workers\u2019 rights, by improving rights to equal pay, and by improving people\u2019s access to the living wage. Those are the values of this Government: dignified decent work for all New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI want to shout out to the Minister of Justice, the Hon Andrew Little, for an achievement that was actually, I think, a bit overlooked, and that was the passing of the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill earlier this year\u2014a bill, and an Act now, that is fundamentally about ensuring that we have access to justice for those who are being wrongly imprisoned in our system and face deep injustices. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThe Child Poverty Reduction Act\u2014we now have a Budget in New Zealand that every year will hold this Parliament to account for what we are doing for the most vulnerable children in our country and will drive action to reduce child poverty. And under this Government, we are on track to lift tens of thousands of children out of poverty. We are very proud of that on this side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EFinally, I am incredibly proud of the work that has gone on to follow through on the commitments that we have made to the communities and the families of the men from Pike River. That work has been incredibly important. We deserve to know what happened there. Once again, I acknowledge the Minister, the Pike families, and the Pike River Recovery Agency for all of the work that they have done in that area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EFinally, I acknowledge our Prime Minister, whose leadership this year has been inspiring, has been positive, and has taken us through some very dark times. I will never forget 16 March, when a cross-party delegation of MPs from this Parliament journeyed down to Christchurch. She walked with us into a room\u2014500 or 600 families of those in the two mosques; people whose grief and emotion and confusion and fear was bouncing off the walls; people who just did not know what had happened. She stood there, and they knew that they had a leader who was with them and would walk with them. That is the leadership that we need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003ENext year is an election year, and, on this side of the House, we are here to win for the people that we represent. We intend to go out and campaign and win with a focus on truth, with a belief that it is our vision for the future that counts, and with a conviction that it is right for all of us to go hard to win but that we must also hold to decent standards and human values as we undertake that general election campaign next year. By God, we are going to go hard to win, and win we will, but we will do it on the right way on this side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EMerry Christmas to all, and may the Advent values of hope, peace, joy, and love be with all members of this House and your families this season. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u0022d8fbcc92d67243f7aa2aa49790d032cf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d8fbcc92d67243f7aa2aa49790d032cf\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. My pleasure to speak in this debate and to start with thanking the many people across this building and this institution of Parliament, whether it\u2019s you, Mr Speaker, and your team, the many people that support us in the Bills Office and the Order Paper deliveries and the cleaners and the security people that keep us safe and the many people that make this a wonderful place to work and an institution that many New Zealanders can be proud of.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EI want to also thank the many staff. My staff\u2014my one executive assistant here in Wellington\u2014is in Guadalajara, I think, in Mexico at the moment. I hope he\u2019s safe. Hamish, I wish you all the best. And the many people that help on the National side to put all our lines and work together, I want to acknowledge your hard work this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s good to be a New Zealander. It\u2019s good to live in this country. We have a great country. We\u2019ve had some real challenges this year, and it is right that we look back and reflect on those who have suffered loss this year, and there have been many instances of that but also ongoing, through sickness and through traffic accidents and the many challenges that families have faced right across the country. But we also acknowledge there are wonderful things that we have in this country. We\u2019re all heading off for summer. I\u2019m looking forward to spending time with my family on the beach around the country, and that is the most important part of experiencing wellbeing in this country. It starts in the home and in our loving relationships across our family.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EAnd so we\u2019re all looking forward to that and we\u2019re looking forward to a good break and getting back into an election year next year where we\u2019ll hope to drive this Government out of office. Frankly, we\u2019d be doing the country a service, because we should and we could be doing better in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s easy to forget the highlights of this year. For me, it started off in February when I pointed out that Shane Jones, for all his talk, for all his huffing and puffing, could actually only come up with 54 jobs so far out of the Provincial Growth Fund in February, which rather annoyed him. But I do have to thank Mr Jones; he\u2019s done great things for my career and he provided me very many opportunities at the start of the year. So I\u2019ll be grateful to him for that. I\u2019m not sure, however, that New Zealanders will be so thankful when they consider that $3 billion will have been allocated and we won\u2019t see very much for it, apart from a few things up in Northland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EWhat about the capital gains? Remember we had that. They were going to bring a transformational change to the tax system in New Zealand, and I can remember that for David Parker there wasn\u2019t a problem in the world that couldn\u2019t be solved by a capital gains tax. It was going to fix everything, and he was passionate about it, the Prime Minister was passionate about, it was what she came into politics for. Grant Robertson was passionate about it. Everybody was passionate about it, and yet they just threw in the towel when things got a bit rough. They looked at the polling and decided, \u201CNo, we\u2019re not going to do that.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EThen, of course, we\u2019ve had KiwiBuild; it was going to solve all the housing problems. If ever there is an example of political hubris, then Phil Twyford is it: \u201COh yep, I\u2019m going to fix it all.\u201D, and then, \u201COh no, it\u2019s all a bit difficult.\u201D We\u2019re still, actually, in negative territory on houses built, because if you factor in the fact that we\u2019ve lost 480 houses at Ihum\u0101tao that Fletchers were going to build, because the Prime Minister blundered in and gave a platform and an opportunity for that group to put up a tent and stop houses being built, we\u2019re still in negative territory on houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EThen we think of the Treasury leak\u2014don\u2019t forget that\u2014the Treasury leak. Remember the botched Budget? We still haven\u2019t received\u2014perhaps somebody\u2019s missed it, I don\u2019t know\u2014an apology from the Minister of Finance for smearing us with the hacking of the Treasury Budget. Remember, we were supposed to have been there. We were sort of almost in cahoots with the Russians, apparently, but we hacked in, and then it turned out that we just looked at the website, and that was the botched Budget of 2019. So it was the first of many fake news elements that came across from that side of the House. The sad reality of that Budget was that there was an enormous amount of money that was spent and so little that we\u2019ve got from it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ETo take a country that was growing strongly, with surpluses as far as the eye could see, opportunities, terms of trade, our export prices as high as they\u2019d been for a generation\u2014to turn that in two short years into an economy that is growing at less than a third of the speed, when you look at per person growth, and in deficit in two years is monumental. It\u2019s economic mismanagement. This Government, I think, will have the notoriety of being the first one-term Government in 50 years, and it\u2019s our job to prosecute that next year. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u0022637ab15d4ad2455ebff849fad57b2b11\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022637ab15d4ad2455ebff849fad57b2b11\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (National\u2014Papakura):\u003C/span\u003E Oh, thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I start by thanking you, Mr Speaker, for your courtesy towards me this year and also, too, I\u2019d like to thank all of our parliamentary staff here within the complex and also the contractors. I\u2019d particularly like to thank my own staff and also my family for the support that they give me. Can I thank also my electorate of Papakura. Thank you for continuing to vote for me and may this continue well into the future. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EI\u2019m also going to break with tradition and thank the Government. I do this because the Government helps us so much every day to do our job. Might I particularly thank the Hon Phil Twyford, my very close and dear friend who everybody knows now is really one of us and on our side. So I promised Simon Bridges, when he took over as Leader of the Opposition a mere 20 months ago, \u201CGive me housing and I tell you the Government will not want to crow about it and we will.\u201D Well, have I delivered, team? Have I delivered? Yes I have, and, by the way, delivered an awful lot more than the current Labour Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EI think it is really important that a Government does, particularly in its first term\u2014and, hopefully, only term\u2014have some pretty big ideas, and what have we got from this Government today? Can\u2019t build houses but, by goodness, can they ban those cotton buds. The cotton buds and the plastic forks are on their way out. The world is safe! And the stickers on the fruit? Mind you, I quite like getting the stickers off the fruit, because it is irritating. But I thought we also had a Government that wanted us all to know where our food came from. I don\u2019t know how that got past the Greens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWhat we are seeing is a Government that is making our job every day in Opposition absolutely sweet, because we know there\u2019s good stuff coming next year for us. We\u2019ve got a Government that has learnt nothing from Boris Johnson and the brilliant win in the United Kingdom for the Conservatives. We have a Government whose Prime Minister, when you go back through the tweets, is very, very uncomplimentary about the Prime Minister of the UK\u2014or, by the way, the President of the United States.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EI think it\u2019s important, though, to remember that we are an Opposition that does not intend to stay in Opposition, and that is why we have been producing policy discussion documents\u2014the sorts of things that if only the Labour Party, in particular, had done in Opposition, they might not have had to set up 312 working groups within their first two years. We have a Government that has achieved little apart from banning plastic bags and 312 working groups, with lots of jobs for their mates.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EOver Christmas, I\u2019m going to be spending my time working on finishing the last few chapters of my first book. And note the way I said \u201Cfirst book\u201D, because, I must say, I think you\u2019re going to like it. I think you\u2019re all going to like it. There\u2019s the odd one that ain\u2019t going to like it quite so much, but I actually figured most of those people have gone anyway, so who cares! I think, hopefully, you\u2019ll have some laughs in it, and hopefully you\u2019ll still talk to me afterwards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EI think it is really important, though, that we remember what a privileged position we are in here in Parliament, and I actually am very much reminded of that as I\u2019m looking through from the days of my maiden speech, a few years ago, to now to realise that we\u2019re still talking about the same issues. In that maiden speech, I was talking about the need to reform the Resource Management Act (RMA) and, by goodness, we are going to get the chance to do that, because the policy work that I\u2019ve been doing is so important\u2014the first time that I\u2019ve had the opportunity to take the RMA by the scruff of the neck. I\u2019m really relishing it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWe talked also in the maiden speeches\u2014what was it we were all talking about? I was talking about methamphetamine and the scourge of it and the gangs. And today, what are we talking about under a Labour Government? The same thing. Why weren\u2019t we talking about it much when we were in Government? Why? Because we were dealing with it. Now, soft on crime, back again, no delivery, experimenting around prisons, unable to actually make decisions except for things like banning cotton buds. I mean, these are clearly the issues!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWhat happened to child poverty\u2014what happened to child poverty? Oh, no, that\u2019s right\u2014we\u2019re not going to do that now. One of the things that I see is so stunning with this Government is their inability to understand that just spending money doesn\u2019t always bring results. That is what we know from this Government. No delivery; experimentation only.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00226c6fd825f4244aea8186c2be2d329a76\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c6fd825f4244aea8186c2be2d329a76\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, it is a great pleasure to take a brief call in this very important adjournment debate, and I will keep it brief because I know the members of the parliamentary press gallery are hanging on my every word, eager to file their coverage of this very important debate before they finish up for the political year and head off to have a few beverages with their colleagues. I know that they\u2019ll be keen to get that over and done with.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s been quite a debate here. I have to say Simon Bridges\u2019 speech was probably one of the better ones that he\u2019s delivered so far this year. He clearly didn\u2019t write it himself, but it was one of the better ones. Mr Bishop told us about all of the roads that he wants for Christmas. That was quite interesting, because he may as well ask Santa Claus for them, because the last National Government certainly didn\u2019t fund them. But this Government, unlike the last Government, is actually focused on filling the infrastructure deficit that we inherited.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ESo here comes the graph; I thought it needed one more outing before the end of the year, because on this side of the House we are very proud to be the infrastructure Government, the infrastructure Government that New Zealand has been lacking. Now, for the members opposite, I thought I\u2019d give them a little lesson. The global financial crisis happened in 2008 and 2009\u2014the first bar of the graph, where there\u2019s still a reasonable level of infrastructure spending, National\u2019s first year in office. Of course, the Budget for 2009 was set by the last Labour Government. Then we see the global financial crisis winds up, and it officially was declared over in 2011, the global financial crisis. Then we see at the end of the global financial crisis that capital spending for the Government continues to be cut. Of course, the Christchurch earthquake was the other excuse. One would think that the Christchurch earthquake might\u2019ve prompted an increase in the Government\u2019s capital spending, but, no, we see the numbers\u2014they keep going down. They went down in 2011, they went down in 2012, down again in 2013, down again in 2014, and then finally National realised \u201CActually, maybe we might\u2019ve made a few mistakes here.\u201D, and you see a little bit of spending going up in 2015-2016, but then it goes down again in 2017.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EAnd what do we see in 2018 with the advent of a Labour Government? Oh, infrastructure spending starts going up. It goes up in 2019, it goes up in 2020, and it goes up in 2021. This is the infrastructure Government, delivering the infrastructure that New Zealanders have been asking for and that New Zealanders have needed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EBut, of course, this is the season to be kind, so I do want to say a few words of thanks to the Opposition. I want to thank the Opposition for their wholehearted endorsement of the Government\u2019s legislative programme this year. How else to explain the fact that this Parliament has passed more legislation than in any other year on recent record? Seventy-four bills have gone through this House. Now, that\u2019s a number slightly different from the number that I know Mr Speaker will probably use, because for consistency\u2019s sake we\u2019ve treated cognate bills or bills that are subsequently divided as one bill, for the purposes of consistency. We went back and had a look at National\u2019s record in Government. The highest point they ever got was in their second year in Government, where they managed to pass 63. So I do want to thank the Opposition for their wholehearted cooperation with the Government to pass this record level of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EOf course, they must have huge confidence in our in our legislative programme, because our legislative programme received half the degree of scrutiny in the committee stages of this House than the bills passed by National in their last full year in Government. I think that that shows they\u2019ve got huge confidence. Despite their public rhetoric, they know, actually, in their heart of hearts that this Government is doing the right thing by New Zealand, and so I thank them for their support. They know that we are tackling the big long-term issues facing New Zealand. They know that we are lifting children out of poverty, they know that we are dealing with the underinvestment that there has been in infrastructure, and they know that we are getting serious about mental health.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EYou see evidence of the Government\u2019s enormous progress and the fact that we\u2019re getting on with the job in my own portfolio in the education sector: $1.2 billion injected in this year\u2019s Budget for school infrastructure, new schools and classrooms throughout the country. Todd Muller\u2019s been bashing down my door, demanding more and more for his electorate, because he knows that his own Government didn\u2019t deliver the new schools and classrooms that his electorate so desperately needs. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EBut it gets better\u2014there\u2019s more\u2014because another $400 million has just now been pumped into a capital injection for school maintenance so we can bring schools up to standards. Of course, this builds on our work earlier in the year. We gave most teachers in the country an average pay rise of $12,000. We had the first across-the-board increases in early childhood education funding, not once but twice. We did it last year, and we\u2019ve done it this year as well. We\u2019ve put extra funding into schools so they don\u2019t have to ask parents for donations, resulting in a lot of families feeling the squeeze not quite so much at the beginning of the next school year. We\u2019ve scrapped fees for NCEA to level the playing field. We have delivered a living wage for school support staff\u2014that\u2019s teacher-aides, caretakers, ground staff, the people that may keep our schools running on a daily basis. They are getting a living wage under this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EWe are getting serious about tackling the skills shortages that have been holding New Zealand back, making sure that we\u2019re focused on learning that\u2019s relevant, learning that\u2019s future-focused, and that\u2019s going to ensure that people can participate fully in our productive economy. Bringing together on-job learning, off-job learning, online learning into a seamless form of vocational education so that New Zealanders can access, anywhere, any time, the learning that they need in that area. It is long overdue, and it is something this Government is very proud to be delivering.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EA brief word, before I end, about the coming election campaign. We will come back to this House, no doubt, all guns blazing next year as we head into election year. Political leaders at their best inspire hope, they bring people together, they show compassion, and they are willing to have open and honest conversations about long-term and complex challenges. At their worst, political leaders stoke fear and resentment, they set out to divide people, they pull up the ladder of opportunity behind themselves, they attack those who dare greatly and who have the audacity to believe that better is possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI believe that New Zealand at its best punches well above its weight. It is clear from their behaviour in recent months that the members opposite are intent on punching down in election year. My message to them is: if they want to be political leaders at their best, if they want to inspire hope, if they want to bring people together, if they want to show compassion, if they want to tackle the big long-term challenges facing New Zealand, we will go toe to toe with them on all of those issues. If they want to drag the campaign into the gutter, they will be down there by themselves because we will not follow them along that dark corridor. They may be inspired by others around the world who have been successful in doing that; well, I believe that New Zealanders are better than that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI believe that New Zealand is given a choice between a Government that inspires hope, that wants to bring people together, that\u2019s open and honest about the challenges that our country faces, that\u2019s not afraid to dare greatly, and an Opposition that wants everything to be a small target, that thinks better isn\u2019t possible, that we should just settle for what we\u2019ve got now, and that we should give up on hope. I think New Zealanders will choose the right path. I\u2019ve got huge faith in this side of the House, going into election year. It\u2019s going to be a fantastic campaign. Let\u2019s bring it on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022 data-id=\u0022c4d406e807e24da78244c67012ab2cc0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c4d406e807e24da78244c67012ab2cc0\u0022\u003EMATT DOOCEY (National\u2014Waimakariri):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. That speech from the party that gave us \u201CChinese-sounding names\u201D, the party that bagged migrants in the last election, and now they\u2019re lecturing us\u2014fascinating, isn\u2019t it? I do want to acknowledge the Leader of the House, Chris Hipkins, for acknowledging the role that the Opposition has played in helping them keep their legislative process on track. Many here will remember Minister after Minister coming down into the House filibustering their own bills, taking 10 minutes a call. You know who I felt sorry for? It was the Government backbenchers\u2014they weren\u2019t even trusted to filibust their own bills; they had to bring the Ministers down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EThe adjournment debate is about endings. I think, ironically this side of the House would probably feel like the year should last another three or four months\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ebf0c1fc0b4b48079aec5327da9e9346\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: What?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225367580b408f4abeb6d935a5c2b0263d\u0022\u003EMATT DOOCEY\u003C/span\u003E: We could go another three of four months, the momentum is there. But then you have a Government that\u2019s happy to pull up sticks. The Ministers\u2019 Crown cars are waiting in Museum Street, they\u2019re waiting for the adjournment debate to end because they\u2019ve had enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EThis has been a year of a failed socialist experiment. It\u2019s been littered, the whole year, with this failed socialist experiment. The people that are going to suffer are the hard-working New Zealanders; the quiet hard-working New Zealanders who see all their hard-earned gains taxed increasingly by that party, and then they go and spend like a drunken sailor. Fees-free: didn\u2019t even meet its targets. KiwBuild: less than 300,000. We had a development in my electorate of Waimakariri, private builders building high-spec four - double bedroom, internal garage houses right next to KiwiBuild houses. The private market was selling them cheaper than KiwiBuild. This Government has failed at every step of this year in this failed socialist experiment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll tell you what, their internal polling will be showing what ours is showing for the region of Canterbury, and they\u2019ll be worried. I\u2019ll tell you what, in Canterbury we\u2019ve been fleeced and forgotten. You won\u2019t find a Government Minister coming into Canterbury.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EAnd then what was Chris Lynch told by the Prime Minister\u2019s press secretary? You\u2019d need another 15 March to get her back on the Chris Lynch show. There\u2019s nothing that winds up Cantabrians worse than $5.5 billion that was stolen out of State highway funding and redirected to Auckland public transport. Cantabrians, the grafters of this country that punches well above its weight for GDP, and we are funding to go to Auckland. Cantabrians don\u2019t like that, and that\u2019s why your polling for Canterbury will be showing the same as well. Cantabrians are feeling fleeced and forgotten. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EI do want to finish on some positive notes. First, I want to acknowledge the senior whip for the Opposition and the National Party, Barbara Kuriger\u2014huge leadership she has shown over the last year to navigate our way through what\u2019s been quite a treacherous Parliament over the last 12 months. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge also my colleague down the road there, Todd Muller, for the work he\u2019s doing in the agricultural space. I represent a semi-rural and peri-urban area, and I know how tough farmers are getting it at the moment. They\u2019re getting kicked by this Government. Todd Muller\u2019s been out there for months on end, public meeting after public meeting\u2014good old-fashioned politics. He\u2019s getting out there and getting in front of the people that he\u2019s serves, and I know that at each farmers\u2019 meeting he\u2019s getting 100 to 150 farmers. They\u2019re the ones that are delivering this economy in New Zealand. They\u2019re the ones that this Government is kicking. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EFinally, I want to acknowledge you and wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I have been in a role where I\u2019ve had to interpret the ups and downs of how you allocate supplementary questions. At times, I have reflected and I have wondered what the Opposition attack dog Trevor Mallard would have done with a Speaker like you, and I have questioned and thought about how he would respond and whether there were any lessons for the Opposition maybe in early next year about how we respond to your refereeing of question time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003ETo all the parliamentary staff, thank you very much for enabling us parliamentarians to serve the country, and what a great country it is. Thank you, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u002269d03e4ea1214bb081c502c6708b1571\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002269d03e4ea1214bb081c502c6708b1571\u0022\u003EBARBARA KURIGER (National\u2014Taranaki - King Country):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Look, I want to start by acknowledging everyone in this place because this place is an ecosystem\u2014Parliament is an ecosystem. Being a whip, I believe, gives you a greater understanding of just all the things that tick over in this place. So a big mention to those that feed us, those that provide our security, the people who work in our offices. Often I\u2019m asked about this adverse, you know, place of Parliament where we\u2019re all having a go at each other all the time, and I often have to say to people: \u201CActually, it\u2019s not a place where we are all having a go at each other all the time. Most of us get on quite well most of the time.\u201D I believe everyone in here is a good person; some people just don\u2019t have as good ideas as other people. So that is where the adversary comes in. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ELook, in most ways it\u2019s been a year of non-delivery, but in a year of non-delivery, a lot of heartache has been delivered. I think this whole ideological failed experiment has been very, very difficult for some people in our rural areas and some of our farmers. Minister Hipkins said that in this country we punch above our weight, and New Zealand farmers definitely punch above our weight. It\u2019s a big request from me for this Government going forward, that, actually, we start to recognise that we have some of the best farmers in the world in terms of, you know\u2014planting trees: I have to tell New Zealand First that planting trees is not a new phenomenon. Farmers have been planting trees in Taranaki for 30 years. The water quality is improving and it\u2019s happening. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ESo we are here and we are delivering the food that you\u2019re all going to eat for Christmas. So I, on this side of the House, and the National Party, want to acknowledge our food producers, because we\u2019re all going to go out of here after this adjournment debate\u2014over the next few weeks, we\u2019re probably all going to eat too much. Some of us may, at times, have one drink too many. But, you know, there are people out there who are producing our ham, our veggies, our wine, cheese, our beef, and lamb. Just think about that cream on that pavlova. Oh, pavlova. That\u2019s right\u2014chickens, eggs. So just forget all of the agriculture, horticulture\u2014you know, the Kiwifruit on top of the pav. I see there\u2019s a new variety of red Kiwifruit out now\u2014R \u0026amp; D. I just really, really want to thank our producers for everything that they do for us. National says thank you. So let\u2019s cut these people some space. Let\u2019s understand that there\u2019s a transition needed. I\u2019ve seen it where some of the targets coming out are far too heavy. People need time and space and tools to get to where they need to go. So one request I have of this Government is to understand what just transition means in relation to our constituents and our farmers out there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EBut I also want them to understand transition very, very carefully, because 2020 will be a very good transition to a new Government, and I have no doubt that my team and Simon Bridges\u2019 team on this side of the House have worked extremely hard. We\u2019ve had a great year. We\u2019re prepared. We are ready to go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, I\u2019d like to thank you for your presiding over this House\u2014sometimes it\u2019s easier than others\u2014but also over the precinct. I know you take your role very seriously. So thank you for all that you do. And just to finish off, I would like to thank our families, because people quite often ask about the sacrifices that we make to be in this place and I say to them, actually, we don\u2019t make the sacrifice; our families do. We have most of what we need done for us. We have our EAs, we have our research people, we all have our staff in Parliament and out of Parliament that work extremely hard for us, get us to where we need to go, and I thank them for that. But our families are the ones who actually make the sacrifices. They do without us for several days a week while we\u2019re in here. They often do without us while we\u2019re out and about doing our job. So I want to acknowledge them and I want to wish them and everyone else a very merry Christmas and a very successful 2020. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00220dc7cb26db204c8189f835f3d5ea785f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220dc7cb26db204c8189f835f3d5ea785f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, members. I\u2019d like to make a few brief comments\u2014some statistics interspersed with some other comments. The first is that we have sat on 90 sitting days this year. There\u2019s been very nearly 30 hours of urgency, and I want to make the point that probably having 28 hours of urgency was unnecessary if proper organisation and planning had occurred. I want to say that there were only four hours of extended sittings, which, in my view, is a wasted opportunity to give better consideration of bills.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThere were 1,005 oral questions asked. They were all addressed and a proportion of them were answered. There were no questions to members. There were no urgent questions, both of which are pretty unusual. There were, however, I understand, 45,653 written questions lodged. I will make the point that going forward as proactive release occurs it is my expectation that there will be fewer such questions asked, because the material will be available not only to members of Parliament, but to the public. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI\u2019m not going to go through the entire list of people, but there are some people who I do want to thank: both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. They have extremely important and extremely difficult jobs and both give it their all. I want to acknowledge the catering staff and the cleaners, and just underline the fact that we came in more than a year early within the Parliamentary Service and the Office of the Clerk to paying the living wage, both for the employed staff and the contractors in this building. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EFor the people who do some of the most socially undesirable hours and sometimes have to work with people who might be described as a bit grumpy, I want to thank them very much. I want to thank members of the Business Committee: the Hon Gerry Brownlee, who, notwithstanding the attitude that he sometimes displays in the House, is actually someone who I find very easy to work with; the Hon Chris Hipkins as the Leader of the House. I think now that he\u2019s got two children and a dog, I can probably consider him\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022498a96e7749441d9a4e605b7d5a4f876\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Two dogs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf99f2716ab243eca3555017bbb53988\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4cdd8c915214523bc3bda5f36f23d49\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Two children, two dogs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b98610553fad48ebab54dce43010effd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Two children and two dogs\u2014I can now consider him as a grown up and no longer the head prefect at Petone College. I want to give special thanks to the new whips and, in particular, the senior Opposition whip, who I have found a pleasure to work with. Normally, the things we work on\u2014in fact, everything that we work on together without other people\u2014is something which is difficult. We don\u2019t bring to each other easy problems. And I just want to thank you for your integrity, your compassion, and your attempts to make the place a better place for people to work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank my fellow presiding officers. I will say a little bit more about the Hon Anne Tolley soon, but also the Hon Ruth Dyson and Adrian Rurawhe. They do a hard job, and, frankly, as a team assisting the Speaker, I think that they have commanded more respect than any other group of people assisting a presiding officer than I have seen in my time at Parliament. And I want to thank them for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank the small team in my office, Jessie Manning and Roland Todd, who continues with the challenges beside me. He sometimes has trouble working out whether I\u2019m putting one finger up or two fingers up to the Opposition, but he manages generally. He manages generally to get there. I also want to think Ainsley McGrath, who has joined our team. She is one who has come across the Tasman voluntarily and she has in a relatively short time seen some of the best and some of the worst of the behaviour of members of Parliament. But I do want her to thank her for that and to tell her that our members of Parliament behave much better than hers do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to thank David Wilson and his team and also Raf Gonzalez-Montero for his team, and to say that they are working together better than they have ever worked together before. There\u2019s some areas which I think used to be badly duplicated and I think we\u2019ve made some progress in stopping that overlap. I want to thank members for passing the legislation necessary, both to do that and to properly recognise, I think, in a constitutional sense, the role of the former general manager and now the chief executive of the Parliamentary Service. I want to thank Andie Lindsay for being the glue that holds a lot of that together and who reminds the three of us of the things that we should be doing, and that is very, very important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI want to make special personal thanks to a couple of people who are part of the Labour team, but are not here. They are Dr Megan Woods and Damien O\u2019Connor, who at caucus where I allegedly wore a bit of a loud shirt did a double-team on me in order to convince me to get some hearing aids. That was very important. And it\u2019s only through what they\u2019ve done that I\u2019ve been able to recognise, regrettably inside the House, but especially outside the House what I was missing previously. It mightn\u2019t be that good on occasions for members on my left, but it has emphasised to me the importance of hearing for social inclusion, and I do want to thank them both sincerely for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMembers, in some ways, it has been a hard year. Debbie Francis did a report which pulled a few punches but was still extremely hard-hitting and emphasised that we have a long way to go to develop a workplace that we can be proud of. I\u2019ve had quite a discussion about it on a couple of occasions with Dame Margaret Bazley, who is probably the expert in reform of this sort, and what she has said to me is that about five years is how long it takes to do the sort of culture change that is required. We have made some progress. We will make a lot more progress next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn that context, I want to say thank you very much to the Hon Anne Tolley. Anne has had a year which, personally and as far as her electorate is concerned, has been just awful. Notwithstanding that, she has put in tremendous work, over and above the normal expectations of a Deputy Speaker, in order to attempt to bring the Parliament together around a way of working which will make this place a better place. It\u2019s something that I think it was important that an Opposition MP lead, and to have someone of the character of Anne leading that work is something which I very much value.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMembers, I think\u2014well, I know\u2014there\u2019s only the Rt Hon Winston Peters who has been through more election campaigns than me. He started in 1975, and I started in 1984. I\u2019ve gone through them as a marginal seat backbencher, as a safe seat member; I\u2019ve gone through them as a Minister, and once as a list candidate. I want to say to members that those years, no matter what your role is, are never easy, and it is exceptionally important to all of us that we do get the rest, that we get the recuperation, and that we come back to Parliament in good form so that we can handle the pressure that will inevitably come on every one of us during that year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMembers, I want to wish everyone all the best for the festive season. Have a good time with the people who you are close to, and be safe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20191218eca6d249f3e74def808dd5f2a651c9ff000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 6.23 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"