"\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=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022bca4a13103004f18ab6d4d4b83c94f13\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2020\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022508c4f7d1a904790a072e84bd0f1f18f\u0022\u003ETHURSDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2020\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 10.30 a.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000004\u0022\u003EKarakia.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d4d06bfc956241878a7dc0ce796deb6d\u0022\u003EConfirmation of Election of Speaker\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229098a02156c244ec9fd132e181cbece0\u0022\u003EConfirmation of Election of Speaker\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb330345921148ea970df66654a03cd3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb330345921148ea970df66654a03cd3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have to report that, accompanied by members, I waited upon Her Excellency the Governor-General at Government House yesterday, when I addressed Her Excellency as follows:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EFollowing Your Excellency\u2019s request, the House of Representatives has elected me as Speaker and I now present myself for Your Excellency\u2019s confirmation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHer Excellency replied as follows: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, it is with much pleasure that I confirm the choice by the House of Representatives of you as its Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI congratulate you on your election to this distinguished office, marking as it does the appreciation of the House of Representatives of your impartiality and ability.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI then replied to Her Excellency as follows: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI thank Your Excellency for your confirmation of the choice made by the House of Representatives of me to be its Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI now, on behalf of the House, lay claim to all its privileges, and especially to freedom of speech in debate, to free access to Your Excellency whenever occasion may require it, and to the most favourable construction being put on all its proceedings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHer Excellency replied as follows: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, I confirm all the rights and privileges of the House of Representatives which have ever been granted. I assure you that the House of Representatives shall always have ready access to me, and that I will at all times place the most favourable construction upon its proceedings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00226db52c6d30374731b313a97e025d7649\u0022\u003EAuthority to Administer Oath\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224c4b1017d2ed4a32aef52284ab33770b\u0022\u003EAuthority to Administer Oath\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022d684ff3444144db3b059adc99032164d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d684ff3444144db3b059adc99032164d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have also received the following authorisation from Her Excellency the Governor-General to administer the oath or affirmation prescribed by law to be taken or made by members of the House: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn accordance with section 11 of the Constitution Act 1986, I, The Right Honourable Dame Patsy Reddy, Governor-General of New Zealand, authorise you,\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Right Honourable Trevor Colin Mallard\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESpeaker of the House of Representatives\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003Eto administer to members of Parliament the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance to Her Majesty The Queen required to be taken or made by every such member before that member shall be permitted to sit or vote in the House of Representatives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EJacinda Ardern, Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAuthorised by Patsy Reddy, Governor-General\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E25 November 2020\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a7aa83c1b26d41f799e2bcdb07e94b6d\u0022\u003EMihi\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f1d8855d85424bdc8e5bd1d706a194de\u0022\u003EMihi\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022fbeeec0f44d9441a999c84f89006a03f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fbeeec0f44d9441a999c84f89006a03f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I now call on the senior M\u0101ori member to deliver a mihi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022a9a446bd15f841ba9908b11b9934c9ba\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a9a446bd15f841ba9908b11b9934c9ba\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister for M\u0101ori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113nei te nihinihi, t\u0113nei te tupua, tau rori ana ki te whare o Uenuku, e here ki reira te ihi, te wehi, te mana, te tapu. Ko te k\u012B kei runga taupokongia atu ki te p\u016B, ki te w\u0101nanga, ki a t\u0101tou e hui nei. Ka tau ko te tangikura kia \u0101kina ake ki te iwi nui, kia tau ki runga ki a t\u0101tou, t\u0113nei te nihinihi, t\u0113nei te nahanaha, t\u016Bturu o Whiti kia whakamaua kia tina.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E(Tina)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EHaumi e, hui e, t\u0101iki e.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EE te M\u0101ngai o te Whare, t\u0113nei taku mihi tuatahi ki a koe, n\u0101u nei i whakap\u016Baretia t\u014D t\u0101tou huihuinga i runga i ng\u0101 kupu karakia, n\u0101u nei i honotia te rangi ki te whenua, te whenua ki te rangi n\u0101 reira, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koe. T\u0113n\u0101 hoki koe, n\u0101 te K\u0101wana-Tianara i whakamanahia t\u014D t\u016Branga n\u0101 reira e mihi kau ana ki a koe m\u014D t\u0113n\u0101 t\u016Branga. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EE tika ana kia hura t\u0101tou ki te w\u0101hi ngaro, \u014D t\u0101tou tini mate, ng\u0101 mate n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa i p\u012Bkaungia ki roto i t\u0113nei Whare. Haere ng\u0101 mate, haere. Ko t\u014Dku hoa, a Rudy Taylor, t\u0113tahi. I t\u0113r\u0101 wiki kua tukuna atu ki te k\u014Dp\u016B o te whenua n\u0101 reira, Rudy me te tini, te mano e takoto ana kei runga i ng\u0101 marae maha puta noa i te motu. Haere e ng\u0101 mate, haere, haere atu r\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EEngari, r\u0101tou ki a r\u0101tou, te hunga wairua. Kua hoki mai ki a t\u0101tou ng\u0101 kanohi ora me ng\u0101 kaupapa kei mua i a t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ETuatahi m\u0101ku, e mihi kau atu ki te Pirimia, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koe e te Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, kourua ko the Hon Grant Robertson, te Pirimia me te Pirimia Tuarua. Kua k\u014Drero te motu. N\u0101 r\u0101tou i whakatau ko kourua ng\u0101 kaiwhakahaere o te motu, o te K\u0101wanatanga n\u014D reira mihi kau ana ki a kourua. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EKa whakawhiti ahau ki te \u0101pitihanga, ki te tumuaki o Te R\u014Dp\u016B Nahinara, the Hon Judith Collins, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koe me t\u014D k\u0101hui mema e tautokongia ana ki a koe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EE te tuakana, e Shane, mihi kau ana ki a koe n\u0101u nei i whiwhingia te Tumuaki Tuarua o Te P\u0101ti Nahinara. Kua whakamanahia e koe \u014D iwi, \u014D hap\u016B o Te Kapotai o Ng\u0101ti Wai n\u0101 reira t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koe m\u014D t\u0113n\u0101 t\u016Branga.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EKa huri atu ki \u014Dku whanaunga kei roto i Te Paati M\u0101ori. E R\u0101wiri, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koe e te tuahine, Debbie, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 kourua. Kua k\u014Drero hoki Te Ao M\u0101ori\u2014kei konei hei h\u0101pai, hei akiaki ai i ng\u0101 kaupapa M\u0101ori o te motu. Ko koutou, ko m\u0101tou hoki, e kawe ana i t\u0113n\u0101 kaupapa n\u0101 reira t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 kourua.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EKi a koe e te tumuaki o Te R\u014Dp\u016B ACT, David Seymour. T\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koe kua puawai t\u014D p\u0101ti, t\u014D r\u014Dp\u016B, n\u0101 reira e mihi kau ana ki a koe. Mahara ake ahau i mua ake n\u0101u nei i mea mai ki ahau t\u014D tino hiahia kia tupu ake t\u014D p\u0101ti, n\u0101u nei i tinanahia t\u0113r\u0101 moemoe\u0101 an\u014D. N\u0101 reira, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EE te hoa, the Hon James Shaw, me te tuahine, the Hon Marama Davidson, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 kourua, ng\u0101 kaiarahi o Te R\u014Dp\u016B K\u0101kariki, kua puawai hoki t\u014D kourua r\u014Dp\u016B n\u0101 reira e mihi kau ana ki a koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EMe ng\u0101 mihi hoki ki ng\u0101 Minita o mua, the Hon Eugenie Sage, the Hon Julie Anne Genter, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 kourua m\u014D ng\u0101 mahi n\u0101 kourua i mahingia i te P\u0101remata o mua. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EN\u0101 reira, ng\u0101 mema hou, huri rauna, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EKi t\u014D m\u0101tou p\u0101ti, ko Te R\u014Dp\u016B Reipa, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koutou ng\u0101 mema h\u014Du. Mihi kau ana ki a koutou i whakawh\u0101nuitia t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koutou ng\u0101 mema o te k\u0101hui M\u0101ori o Te R\u014Dp\u016B Reipa\u2014he mahi nui kei mua i a t\u0101tou hei kawe ai i ng\u0101 moemoe\u0101, ng\u0101 whakaaro, ng\u0101 hiahia o te iwi M\u0101ori n\u0101 reira, mihi kau ana ki a koutou me ng\u0101 Minita o te K\u0101hui Matua. T\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 t\u0101tou, \u014Dku hoa, Minita M\u0101ori a Peeni Henare, Willie Jackson, Nanaia Mahuta, Kiritapu Allen, Meka Whaitiri, t\u0113nei t\u014Dku mihi ki a koutou. He mahi nui hoki kei mua i a t\u0101tou. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EN\u0101 reira, ng\u0101 \u0101piha o t\u0113nei Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 koutou m\u014D ng\u0101 mahi ka mahingia koutou i ng\u0101 tau e toru kei mua i a t\u0101tou. E mihi kau ana kia koutou m\u014D \u0113r\u0101 mahi ka mahingia koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EN\u0101 reira, ka nui \u014Dku mihi. Huri rauna i t\u014D t\u0101tou Whare\u2014e te M\u0101ngai o te Whare, t\u0113nei ahau mihi kau ana ki a t\u0101tou katoa i runga i te t\u016Bmanako ka mahi tika t\u0101tou, ka mahi t\u0101tou i runga i te tika me te pono m\u014D t\u014D t\u0101tou motu wh\u0101nui o Aotearoa, n\u014D reira huri rauna, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E[I summon guidance. I summon the great unknown. The house of Uenuku shakes with fury. A house of power, of fear, of strength, of the sacred. It is said that we can bring forth the enlightened wisdom from those above. The heart mourns the multitudes who have gone to the great beyond as we seek guidance and direction today. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ELet it be for all time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EWe are united.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, I would, firstly, like to thank you for opening our session with a prayer, you have connected heaven to the earth, the earth to heaven. Thank you. I would also like to congratulate you on being confirmed to your current position by the Governor-General. Congratulations to you on the appointment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EIt is appropriate that I acknowledge the multitudes who reside in the hidden realm, those who shouldered many in this House. Go in peace. My friend Rudy Taylor was one. Last week, we returned him to the womb of the land and so I acknowledge Rudy and those who are lying on the many marae throughout the country. To those who we have lost, rest in peace.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI will leave the dead to themselves and bring my speech back to us, the living, and the many important tasks we have in front of us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EFirstly, I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, and the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Grant Robertson. The country has spoken. The people have decided that you two will lead the country and our Government. Congratulations to you both.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI cross the floor to acknowledge the leader of the National Party, the Hon Judith Collins, and your caucus that stands behind you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ETo my relation Shane, I would like to congratulate you on your election as deputy leader of the National Party. You have brought great honour to your tribes and your sub-tribes of Te Kapotai and Ng\u0101ti Wai. Congratulations on your appointment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI turn to my relations in the M\u0101ori Party. Rawiri, Debbie, congratulations to you both. The M\u0101ori world has also spoken\u2014you have been elected to work and advocate for M\u0101ori issues of the country. We too endeavour in the pursuit of that goal. Congratulations again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ETo the leader of the ACT Party, David Seymour, congratulations on the fruition of your party. I remember a while back we spoke and you told me about your strong desire to grow your party and you have made that desire a reality. Well done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ETo my friends the Hon James Shaw and the Hon Marama Davidson, congratulations to you both, the co-leaders of the Green Party, as you have also grown your party. Well done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI would also like to acknowledge the previous Ministers the Hon Eugenie Sage and the Hon Julie Anne Genter. Thank you for your hard work in the previous Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ETo all of the new members, congratulations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ETo my own party, to the Labour Party, congratulations to the new members. I would like to thank you for expanding the size of this Government, I would like to thank the members of the M\u0101ori caucus of the Labour Party\u2014there is much work to be done to fulfil the hopes, the dreams and the needs of M\u0101ori. I would also like to congratulate the Ministers of Cabinet. To my M\u0101ori Minister colleagues, Peeni Henare, Willie Jackson, Nanaia Mahuta, Kiritapu Allan, Meka Whaitiri, I congratulate you all. There is much work to be done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EFinally, to the officials of this House, I would like to thank you for the hard work that you will be doing over the next three years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI will leave my thanks there. To everyone in this House, to the Speaker, I congratulate you all and hope that we can conduct ourselves with respect and integrity for the betterment of everyone in our country. To each and every one of you, thank you, thank you, thank you.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EWaiata\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, if I could just break into English for a second. You might have noticed that I stepped to the side here to sing that waiata. When I had the privilege of giving the first mihi in the last Parliament, my mother rang me afterwards and said she had heard me. I said, \u201CHow did it go, Mum?\u201D, and she said, \u201COh, that was good, son. But next time step away from the microphone, because the whole country heard how flat you sound.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EN\u0101 reira, huri rauna, 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=\u0022ced6021684ec45aea73d0053215a4807\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ced6021684ec45aea73d0053215a4807\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: On that basis, I will now\u2014no, I\u2019m unmuting my own mike, in order to keep the quality of the sound of the Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMembers, the House will now wait for the summons to attend on Her Excellency the Governor-General.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e7f86ee932b04e6d8ef494dc6557e272\u0022\u003EState Opening\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223cb9efd5a4ba441b86d2d116f5a6c066\u0022\u003EState Opening\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000070\u0022\u003EA message from Her Excellency the Governor-General desiring the immediate attendance of honourable members in the Legislative Council Chamber was delivered by the Acting Usher of the Black Rod.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000072\u0022\u003EAccordingly, the Speaker and honourable members, preceded by the Serjeant-at-Arms, proceeded to the Legislative Council Chamber, and, after a short absence, returned.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b2e541d5b7c94000bc3830f2e2838a49\u0022\u003EGovernor-General\u2019s Speech\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228e4ee1068c89436ea64f3d381d64215b\u0022\u003EGovernor-General\u2019s Speech\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00221af75d644cba4dd9b41dfa85a62f87ec\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221af75d644cba4dd9b41dfa85a62f87ec\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: After Her Excellency the Governor-General made a speech to the House in the Legislative Council Chamber today, she handed me a copy of the text of the speech and I now lay this on the Table of the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EE aku hoa i te ara o te whai, \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EKia kotahi t\u0101 t\u0101tou takahi i te k\u014D, ko t\u014Dku whiwhi kei t\u014D koutou tautoko mai. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EKo t\u0101ku ki a koutou, hei whakapiki manawa m\u014Dku.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHe horomata rangatira te mahi, e rite ai te whiwhinga a te ringatuku, me te ringakape ake, i \u014Dna painga. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHei ruruhau, hei kaitoko i te ora, hei kaiurungi, hei kaiwhakaawe taumata hou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHe mea pai, i oti tahi\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EN\u0101u, n\u0101ku, n\u0101 t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHonourable Members of the House of Representatives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt is my privilege to exercise the prerogative of Her Majesty the Queen and open the 53rd Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn the October election, New Zealanders elected a majority Government for the first time under our Mixed Member Proportional electoral system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government not only enjoys the confidence of a clear majority of members in the House of Representatives, it is also privileged to have the confidence of a majority of New Zealanders who voted in the general election.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Labour Government took Office when I swore in the Prime Minister the Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders voted for stability and certainty at the election. They have placed huge trust and responsibility in the Labour Government by providing it with a majority mandate to implement the policies it set out during the campaign, while responding to the issues that will inevitably arise, and bringing to bear the same values and strong leadership established in its first term. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETo add further stability to the New Zealand Government, the Labour Party has agreed to work together with the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand through a Cooperation Agreement. This agreement commits the Government to working in the best interests of New Zealand and New Zealanders, working to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and working together on specific policy areas where the Green Party can continue to add expertise and where both parties can achieve mutual gains that advance the goals of the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Labour Government takes office at a time of unparalleled international crisis. It faces the greatest public health emergency since the global flu pandemic a century ago. The ensuing economic shock represents the largest global downturn since the Great Depression.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe health risk posed by the pandemic is greater now than it was when we first closed our borders. The global economic outlook continues to worsen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealand will not be immune to these deteriorating conditions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn this year of crisis, protecting New Zealand and the lives and livelihoods of New Zealanders has been the urgent and abiding consideration. It remains so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EBut that does not mark the full extent of what a government can do, and it does not mark the full extent of what this government means to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ECrises do not form an orderly line waiting to be addressed. Three of the country\u2019s longest-standing and hardest issues demand continued and determined action: affordable housing and homelessness, child poverty, and the global climate crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EOn each of these areas there is a need to do more and go further. Problems that are decades in the making are not easily or quickly solved. But this Government is committed to relentlessly pursuing progress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe government means to build on the foundations laid in the first term. New Zealand must continue to tackle these issues, at gathering scale, at gathering speed, and with gathering effect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Labour Government will have three overarching objectives:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETo keep New Zealanders safe from COVID-19\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETo accelerate our economic recovery \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETo lay the foundations for a better future\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe scale and pace of the recovery offers an opportunity to reshape the way things are done in New Zealand, to innovate and improve our position and our economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealand\u2019s success in fighting the virus means we are better positioned for recovery than many other countries. Already we have seen employment, export and growth numbers that are better than expected. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe programme outlined today seeks to make the most of our head start.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EKeeping New Zealanders Safe from COVID-19\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe first objective of the Government will be to keep New Zealanders safe from COVID. In keeping New Zealanders safe, we protect jobs, livelihoods, and strengthen our economy. A strong health response has given the New Zealand economy the best chance at coming back stronger. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government remains committed to a strategy of elimination, but will always remain open to evolving ways of achieving it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENo system is perfect. That is why we look to continually improve. As we learn more about the virus and other countries\u2019 experiences, and as new technologies are developed, there will be opportunities to improve our response. Our response has never been static and we will continue to innovate and learn.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will retain and enhance the multiple lines of defence to keep COVID at bay and stamp it out with minimal disruption to the economy and to our everyday lives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe first layer of defence is our border. With COVID cases increasing around the world, in a growing number of countries, the risk of travellers arriving at the border with COVID increases. The Government will continue to strengthen border protections. Testing, infection control procedures, and professional and quality staffing will remain cornerstones of the response. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EFor those countries where the virus is successfully managed, the Government will look for opportunities for freer travel. Planning for quarantine free travel zones is currently underway with the Cook Islands, Niue and Australia. We will look to continue to advance these opportunities, but with safety as our priority. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe will continue to welcome New Zealanders home. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe will also create opportunities for businesses to access the skills they need. The Government will ensure that up to 10 percent of places in our managed isolation facilities are used by people granted exceptions to enter New Zealand to contribute to accelerating our recovery. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will continue to enhance the next layer of defence, our contact tracing and testing systems, to ensure in the event of cases entering the community it can quickly circle the virus and stamp it out. This will involve investment in ongoing technical enhancements to the COVID Tracer App and looking for ways to increase the use of technology.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe have expanded the surveillance testing programme to provide extra protection against pathways for infection. This term we will look for opportunities to take advantage of developments in technology to expand the reach of our early warning system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EFinally, the Government is working to deliver effective and free vaccines to New Zealanders as soon as they are available and safe to administer. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ERecent news of the progress in vaccine development is welcome and a bright spot on the horizon. This will be a central focus for the Government next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government is working hard to secure supply for New Zealand and to design an immunisation programme to support distribution in New Zealand. New Zealand also has an important role in supporting Pacific countries with access to a COVID-19 vaccine and their rollout of their immunisation programmes. New Zealand\u2019s obligations to the Pacific are a core part of the Vaccine Strategy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe are hopeful that 2021 will be the year of the COVID vaccine. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAccelerating the Recovery\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government\u2019s COVID recovery plan is already underway. It will now be accelerated as the plans for recovery set out in Labour\u2019s election manifesto are implemented. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe New Zealand economy has held up better than expected. Aggressive action to eliminate the virus; strong and early efforts to save jobs and support businesses; and innovative and nimble responses from our businesses have positioned the economy well. But the global picture is bleak. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe ongoing impact of COVID on the global economy is the most significant risk to our future growth. The virus\u2019 spread abroad will have a downstream impact on our exporters and impact economic activity domestically. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealand will be cushioned from that slump by the Government\u2019s five point economic plan to foster jobs and growth:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E$42 billion of infrastructure investment to future proof the economy\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETraining and job creation opportunities to support workers and businesses\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESupport for small business to grow and thrive\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EProgrammes to bolster our exports\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAnd policies that prepare New Zealand for the future by making the most of our competitive advantage in renewable energy and waste reduction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EInvesting in infrastructure is at the core of the Government\u2019s economic plan. As we begin this term, we already have a record $42.2 billion on the books for infrastructure investment over the next four years in roads and rail, schools and hospitals, houses and energy generation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWaka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency will receive $9.6 billion to invest in new roads and public transport projects that reduce congestion and travel times, support businesses, open up new areas for housing, and increase choice, including safer options for walking and cycling.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E$3.8 billion is being spent on education facilities, including building new schools and classrooms for 100,000 students and starting the planned upgrade of around 180 schools right across the country over the next 10 years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E$3.6 billion has been committed to health, including new hospital facilities in Dunedin, Christchurch, New Plymouth, Auckland and Counties Manukau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EKainga Ora will invest $9.8 billion across the next four years and the Government is on track to deliver a total of 18,000 public and transitional homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Three Waters programme will see a $710 million investment to initiate an overhaul of the nation\u2019s drinking, waste and stormwater infrastructure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThese investments in housing, transport, schools and hospitals will help future proof our economy as well as create jobs. It also provides a pipeline of work that will provide businesses with confidence and certainty to invest in capacity to undertake these projects.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn addition, over 150 smaller community infrastructure projects will roll out over the coming months and across the term. The Government will invest in community projects like pools and stadiums, local fire stations and surf clubs, and libraries, art galleries, marae and museums\u2014facilities across the country that bring people together to provide support and strengthen communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EImproving our planning system is also a priority. It will create jobs by making it easier to deliver construction projects while protecting our environment and building the right thing in the right place. The current system is too costly, takes too long, and has not adequately protected the environment. The Government will ensure that New Zealand\u2019s resource management system is fit for the future by repealing and replacing the Resource Management Act. The Randerson review provides a sound platform for the Government to advance this work. In the first six months of 2021 the Government intends to release an exposure draft of key elements of the first bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAlso vital to the recovery is our investment in trades training and apprenticeships. Education is the greatest enabler in our society and one of the biggest levers we can use to improve the productivity of the economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn the early stages of our COVID response the Government focused heavily on growing training and apprenticeships. It launched a comprehensive support package for apprentices and their employers, assuring job security for existing apprentices and creating openings for new ones.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAlready thousands of New Zealanders have embraced the opportunity to take up a trade and train for free. These New Zealanders are acquiring new skills and exciting prospects, and at the same time addressing the need to build the workforce that will be required to carry the vast workload of the coming infrastructure projects.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will also complete the reform of the vocational education system. As the country rebuilds and more people are looking to retrain, it\u2019s now more important than ever that we have a vocational education system that\u2019s responsive to the needs of industry and learners. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government recognises the need to welcome skilled people from overseas to support New Zealand\u2019s economy, and will work alongside industry to help provide for that but it will, as a priority and a starting point, seek to develop New Zealand workforces to meet those skills needed here at home. With many New Zealanders looking for work, we need to do all we can to fill existing job opportunities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWhile unemployment is lower than expected, the economic fallout has had an impact. The Government will remain focused on creating opportunities for people to get back into work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EHistory shows that significant economic events have a disproportionate impact on women, M\u0101ori and Pacific communities, and our focus will ensure our recovery responds to that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will reinstate the Training Incentive Allowance to assist sole-parents, disabled people and their carers with the costs of getting a degree level tertiary qualification. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will continue the successful Mana in Mahi and He Poutama Rangatahi programmes which are providing skills and qualifications to unemployed young people. It will also continue to rollout Tupu Aotearoa\u2019s expansion across the regions and provide wraparound support for Pacific communities to secure sustainable employment and educational pathways for Pacific peoples of all ages.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe government will lift abatement thresholds to ensure that people are not punished by transitioning from a benefit to paid work. It will also support those at risk of long-term unemployment through funding up to an additional 40,000 New Zealanders into work through the Flexi-wage programme. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAs well as creating jobs, the Government will remain focused on growing the incomes and wages of New Zealanders, especially those earning the least. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will increase the minimum wage to $20 per hour next year, extend Living Wage guarantees to cleaning, catering and security guards who the public service pays through contractors, implement Fair Pay Agreements to set minimum standards for pay and conditions, and extend sick leave provisions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will leverage our successful COVID response to position New Zealand globally as a safe and secure place to trade with, to invest in, and eventually, to visit again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will pursue high quality and comprehensive trade agreements that diversify our trade relationships. It will continue to open new opportunities, including through trade deals with the EU and the UK, and the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade, and Sustainability; and by expanding the CPTPP and the Digital Economic Partnership Agreement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will continue to progress our trade relationship with the United States, including into new areas such as digital and green technology. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAn important milestone has been accomplished with the conclusion of the China FTA Upgrade, which will provide access into new services markets in China, including e-commerce. The New Zealand Government will continue to support New Zealand exporters doing business with China. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Pacific regional trade and development agreement PACER Plus will enter into force in December this year. The agreement positions Pacific countries to better engage in international trade. It will make trade easier, will grow jobs, boost sustainable economic growth and contribute to a safer and more prosperous Pacific.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn the Indo-Pacific region, the Government will work to implement the signing of RCEP; and through chairing APEC in 2021, New Zealand will lead on the world stage to drive initiatives for strong regional economic recovery. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will work with industry through Industry Transformation Plans to support the transition and grow high-value export firms. It will continue its investment in innovation, including through the research and development tax credit programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will work to implement the primary sector roadmap Fit For a Better World to accelerate the productivity, sustainability and inclusiveness of the primary sector. It will work to support our tourism sector in its transition to a sustainable, low carbon, high skill and high wage industry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will expand the Innovative Partnerships programme and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise\u2019s dedicated international investment attraction team to attract companies to invest and establish in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESmall businesses are at the heart of New Zealand\u2019s economy and the recovery. The Government will continue to support small businesses with practical support. That will include tackling barriers to innovation and growth as identified by the Small Business Council\u2019s Small Business Strategy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government has already extended the Small Business Cashflow Scheme for a further three years and extended the interest-free period for another year, and will investigate permanent financing for smaller businesses. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will regulate Merchant Service Fees to reduce costs on retailers, and will support small businesses to digitise through digital training or short-courses as part of a new Digital Training programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe new Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications will work with the technology sector, including through the Digital Technologies Industry Transformation Plan, to help speed growth in jobs and incomes in that important sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealand\u2019s COVID-19 recovery provides an opportunity to reshape our economy and prepare for the future through investment in energy and waste projects.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government is committed to the shift away from fossil fuels in order to build a new low-carbon future. It is a shift that will create jobs, improve the environment, and enhance New Zealand\u2019s global brand which our exporters trade on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThis term the Government will lay the foundation for the electrification of New Zealand\u2019s economy by bringing forward our 100% renewable electricity target to 2030, prohibit the building of new thermal baseload electricity, investigate dry year storage options such as pumped hydro, and invest in emerging technologies like green hydrogen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will remove barriers to renewable energy generation through a National Policy Statement and also investigate regulatory or market barriers to the uptake of solar micro-generation on residential and commercial buildings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will invest in electrifying and decarbonising industrial and process heat, including by preventing the installation of new low and medium temperature coal-fired boilers, and supporting businesses to replace fossil fuels in industrial heat processes by connecting to the grid. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will implement the recommendations of the Prime Minister\u2019s Chief Science Advisor by phasing out hard to recycle single-use plastic items and supporting the development of alternatives through a Plastics Innovation Fund. It will also invest in waste infrastructure and projects to enable more efficient recycling, and work with industries to establish regulated product stewardship schemes for priority products. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThis economic plan is underpinned by continued responsible management of the Government books. As a consequence of the wider economic outlook and fiscal constraints, it is more important than ever to ensure a balanced approach. This requires investing in our priorities while ensuring that all Government spending decisions are made with particular consideration for the sustainability of the Crown\u2019s long-term fiscal position. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will continue to ensure vital public services are supported, while keeping a lid on debt. Investments to accelerate the recovery will be prioritised. Ensuring our health and education systems continue to be supported will also be a priority. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThis will include implementing the Government response to the Health and Disability System review. The efforts of many hardworking and committed health professionals and the health of New Zealanders are hampered by a system that needs fundamental reform. Initial decisions on policy will be taken in 2021. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ELaying the foundations for a better future\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government has marked out the need and importance of taking a broader view of success. Wellbeing will continue to be a priority for Government this term with a focus on reducing child poverty, tackling climate change, and addressing housing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealand\u2019s response to COVID would be insufficient if it were to simply return us to the way we were before the virus.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ERecovering and rebuilding entails determined and connected action by government. That action can, and will, be used to reshape the economy to be more productive, more sustainable, and more equitable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EOver the next term it will place a particular focus on sustainability, and pursuing carbon neutrality. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will respond to the first set of Climate Budgets recommended by the Climate Commission, which will set the total emissions permitted for the next fifteen years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will take steps to decarbonise the transport fleet. It will introduce vehicle emissions standards for imported vehicles and incentivise and accelerate the uptake of electric and other low emission vehicles, including by increasing the Low Emissions Vehicles Contestable Fund. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn line with the direction set out in the latest Government Policy Statement, it will prioritise investment in public transport, walking and cycling so users have a more accessible, affordable and reliable service, and implement region-specific plans to increase the number of people using public transport and walking and cycling. Supporting the use of public transport is a key element to reducing New Zealand\u2019s transport emissions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EGiven the importance of public transport to New Zealand\u2019s future transport system, it will require only zero emissions buses to be purchased by 2025, and aim to decarbonise the public transport bus fleet by 2035. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealand\u2019s farmers and growers are creative, innovative and constantly looking to improve their practices. They are taking steps to improve freshwater quality, protect biodiversity and reduce emissions. This will create real value for our exports and is a core part of our New Zealand brand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will bolster these efforts through increased investment in world leading research that helps us reduce emissions and will support farmers to use integrated farm plans to simplify processes, reduce compliance costs and meet reporting requirements in a coherent way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe economic impact of COVID will have a disproportionate effect on those least equipped to deal with it. That will require a continued focus and determination in reducing inequality and addressing child poverty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EProgress has been made, but there remains much to do. The Government will continue the work from last term that has already seen improvements to the weekly income of around 85,000 sole parents by an average of $100 a week. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will continue the overhaul of the welfare system, building on the changes already made, including the indexing of benefits to increases in the average wage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will extend the Free and Healthy Lunch programme to cover 200,000 students and will add 20 more mobile dental clinics to improve access for children and young people to free oral health care. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will roll out mental health support to all primary and intermediate school age students, and continue to roll out nurses in secondary schools.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will continue to tackle the prevalence of rheumatic fever by expanding the Healthy Homes Initiative to every DHB around the country to ensure more homes are warm, dry and safe. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EA focus on housing will be a priority for this Government. Earlier in the year house prices were predicted to fall. Instead they have increased. Globally, low interest rates are having a similar effect. And the situation has rapidly evolved. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWhile it is pleasing to see that efforts to stimulate the economy and support jobs and growth in the wider economy have been effective, the perverse impact on housing affordability will require the Government to continue its focus on this issue. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government has set out the parameters of what it is prepared to consider during the election campaign. This will not change. But there is room to do more to support both the supply and demand side of housing to see outcomes that are more productive and fair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will review its housing settings with a view to implementing policies that improve access to the housing market for first home buyers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will continue to focus on homelessness and implementing the Homelessness Action Plan.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will review and enhance the Tenancy Tribunal, Tenancy Services\u2019 Compliance and Investigations team, regulate property managers, and increase funding to proactively monitor compliance with the Healthy Homes Standards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn each of these areas, climate, child poverty, and housing, the Government will be guided by its values, and by its commitment to the wellbeing of people, looking beyond GDP to find our measure of success. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EAs part of this focus on wellbeing and creating a fairer New Zealand we will continue to strengthen social inclusion in New Zealand. This is about supporting our diversity and creating a New Zealand where all people feel safe, have equal access to opportunities and do not experience discrimination. This is important as we prepare to receive and respond to the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques on 15 March 2019. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWellbeing might not be as readily reckoned as GDP, but that does not mean it cannot be measured and tracked. Imbalances and deprivation can be recognised and remedied and this Government is determined to do so. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESignificant levels of government investment in a time of crisis can be a powerful tool for change and it\u2019s a tool that is being used. The way we choose to govern is also a tool for change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EM\u0101ori-Crown relations\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will strengthen the M\u0101ori-Crown relationship to ensure that the Crown can grow to be a better Treaty Partner and work in true partnership with M\u0101ori. It will continue to work to settle historic Treaty of Waitangi claims. It recognises the importance of te reo M\u0101ori as a taonga and the responsibility it has to protect it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ETe Ao M\u0101ori plays a large part not just in defining who we are as a nation, but in setting us apart from the rest of the world. As such the Government will make Matariki a public holiday, creating a holiday that distinctly recognises and celebrates Te Ao M\u0101ori. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThe Government will ensure Oranga Tamariki partners with iwi, hap\u016B, and M\u0101ori organisations to find appropriate solutions for children in need, and will strengthen M\u0101ori housing outcomes through collaborative partnerships, home-ownership models, and papak\u0101inga provision. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will support Wh\u0101nau M\u0101ori enterprise and opportunities through a progressive procurement policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt will continue to invest in Wh\u0101nau Ora and support other agencies to implement the Wh\u0101nau Ora model to get better outcomes for M\u0101ori, continue wh\u0101nau-centred pathways to break the cycle of M\u0101ori reoffending, work with other M\u0101ori organisations like Te K\u014Dhanga Reo, and look at ways we can expand the Wh\u0101nau Ora model into communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EA Government for all New Zealanders \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENew Zealand has entrusted the government with the responsibility of bringing the country through a crisis. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ENothing in the programme set out today will come easily. But our opportunities and potential greatly outweigh our problems.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn this pandemic we have shown our willingness and capacity to do what must be done. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe have more freedoms, are a more open economy and have saved more lives than nearly every other country we normally compare ourselves to. We can rightfully be proud of our success to date as a nation, as a team. But we cannot afford to be complacent, nor stand still. We must keep going. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIt is the Government\u2019s aim to achieve change alongside consensus. That is why it has committed to being a Government that will govern for all New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThat does not mean that it can or will represent the views of every New Zealander all of the time. But it does mean it will have a focus on the things that matter most. It means it will be listening to New Zealanders, being pragmatic, doing the things it said it would do and focusing on lasting change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EWe can recover and we will recover. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EBut that is not enough. We can be better than we were.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThis government\u2019s mission is to make it so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e4369929847b4533b5c7822268288ba5\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ee5ff649f8464aeaa0cc47dde9766625\u0022\u003EBusiness Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002234f9b0bb757941fb81c927a849fdce1f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002234f9b0bb757941fb81c927a849fdce1f\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Next week will be the first full sitting week of the 53rd Parliament. The first oral questions of the Parliament will be answered by Ministers on Tuesday. The Address in Reply debate will continue and will feature 14 further maiden statements. After oral questions on Tuesday, the House will debate a motion on the climate emergency. That evening, the House will go into urgency to pass bills on tax changes and other matters. Other legislation to be considered next week will include the first readings of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bill and the Social Security (Financial Assistance for Caregivers) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u0022b4fe0e12b0c04eb999d9f805a9c253d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b4fe0e12b0c04eb999d9f805a9c253d7\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you to the Leader of the House for that. I just ask the Leader of the House whether or not it\u2019s the Government\u2019s intention to progress the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill before Christmas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022244bbbe923554172a0e1a1f874af036f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022244bbbe923554172a0e1a1f874af036f\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E Of course the Government has an incredibly busy programme. It\u2019s a little premature because, of course, that business hasn\u2019t been reinstated as yet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa0e4288836a470196af8670ce6008de\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022aacbab67cea842008e71cebe5b0db2d1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aacbab67cea842008e71cebe5b0db2d1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, the member will resume his seat. The practice here is for the major Opposition spokesperson\u2014the shadow Leader of the House\u2014to ask questions. It\u2019s not an opportunity for all other members.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b2c977a6447a45bdad5d1b9776b9f678\u0022\u003EPetitions, Papers, Select Committee Reports, and Introduction of Bills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002255a96a4a2a9547409b1f62aa2ef1e2fd\u0022\u003EPetitions, Papers, Select Committee Reports, and Introduction of Bills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00228150ad01bed84d2c9cbeed2a4e0f7861\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228150ad01bed84d2c9cbeed2a4e0f7861\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Petitions have been delivered to the Clerk for presentation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u0022d3922d5ea41e4a3c978177652a8f4b99\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d3922d5ea41e4a3c978177652a8f4b99\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EPetition of Lawrence Yule requesting that the House inquire into the Government\u2019s decision to decline funding for the new Cranford Hospice\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Karli Thomas on behalf of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition requesting that the House pass legislation to ban bottom trawl fishing on seamounts and stop the issuing of permits for bottom trawling in international waters\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Shannon Parker for the New Zealand Police Conduct Association requesting that the House urge the Government to provide support and legal advice for complainants and victims of police misconduct, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Tami Harris for Friends of Mt Hobson Middle School requesting the House urge the Minister of Education to reconsider the application from Mt Hobson Middle School to establish a State-designated character school serving children with diverse learning needs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022ccdffba4b32d42039bbb662b19951893\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ccdffba4b32d42039bbb662b19951893\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Those petitions stand referred to a select committee allocated by the Clerk. Ministers have delivered quite a few papers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u00220c064ca7910c42dfb2a6be33b245c8c9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220c064ca7910c42dfb2a6be33b245c8c9\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EReports in relation to selected non-departmental appropriations for the year ended 30 June 2020:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMinister for Arts, Culture and Heritage\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMinister for Economic and Regional Development, Vote Business, Science and Innovation\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMinister of Energy and Resources, Vote Business, Science and Innovation, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMinister for Social Development and Employment, Vote Labour Market\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Eannual reports for 2019-20:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMinistry of Housing and Urban Development\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Green Investment Finance Ltd\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMinistry for Primary Industries\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EAnimal Control Products Ltd\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EElectricity Authority\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand On Air\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Police\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMinistry for Culture and Heritage\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ERemuneration Authority\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ELotto New Zealand\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EDiversity Works New Zealand\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EGambling Commission\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EEarthquake Commission\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Symphony Orchestra\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EHeritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EBroadcasting Standards Authority\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ELand Information New Zealand, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EEnergy Efficiency and Conservation Authority\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Estatements of performance expectations 2020-21:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Green Investment Finance Ltd\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand On Air\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ELotto New Zealand\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Symphony Orchestra\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EHeritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EBroadcasting Standards Authority, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Estatements of intent 2020-24:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Green Investment Finance Ltd\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand On Air\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EHeritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EBroadcasting Standards Authority, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Estatement of strategic intentions 2020-24 of the Serious Fraud Office\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EFinancial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the year ended 30\u00A0June 2020, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EThe Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022e86394acb03f4d4c9292f5228ee76fa1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e86394acb03f4d4c9292f5228ee76fa1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I present the 2019-20 annual report of the Controller and Auditor-General, and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment\u2019s annual report for the year ended 30 June 2020, and the 2020-24 strategic intentions. Those papers are published under the authority of the House. No select committee reports have been presented, and no bills have been introduced.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d00b2e1748714852b0f0f71aabbd700b\u0022\u003EAppointments\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002283b98f7708b246e6a5bf51533bb60c46\u0022\u003EDeputy Speaker\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u002267f3999ada7d48349151c9c9a06250a2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002267f3999ada7d48349151c9c9a06250a2\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That Adrian Paki Rurawhe be appointed Deputy Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe member Adrian Rurawhe has been the member for Te Tai Hau\u0101uru since 2014. He has, of course, a distinguished political pedigree, though. His grandparents Matiu and Iriaka Ratana were both MPs for Western M\u0101ori and he\u2019s the great-grandson of the Ratana founder, T W Ratana, and his mentor was Koro W\u0113tere. He\u2019s a highly respected figure amongst M\u0101oridom, and he has served this House well as Assistant Speaker during the last term of Parliament. He has proven to be a calm and fair but decisive and firm Assistant Speaker. Members have responded well to his approach to presiding over the House, and I\u2019m sure that he will be an appointment that will be supported across the Chamber. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u00220c5ffd98086542acb441d4c5fe87feb1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220c5ffd98086542acb441d4c5fe87feb1\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. The National Opposition is pleased to support the nomination of Mr Rurawhe to be the Deputy Speaker. As the Leader of the House has noted, he is someone who brings huge mana and wisdom to the position. He\u2019s already served as a presiding officer in the last Parliament and discharged that important role with dignity and with decorum, and we welcomed his rulings as a presiding officer in the last Parliament. On a personal note, it\u2019s great to see a member of the class of 2014, the time I entered Parliament, assume the position of a presiding officer\u2019s role, and we look forward to his continued discharge of his duties. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00221f7421602519413d9b6f9165ed46f46a\u0022\u003EAssistant Speakers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022c5eec45d45c648dda37ce7b96187597e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c5eec45d45c648dda37ce7b96187597e\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That Jennifer Salesa be appointed Assistant Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EJenny Salesa is the member of Parliament for the new seat of Panmure-\u014Ct\u0101huhu, having previously been member for Manukau East since 2014. She\u2019s served as a Minister in the last Government as Minister for Building and Construction, Minister for Ethnic Communities, and Minister of Customs, as well as being an Associate Minister of Education, Associate Minister of Health, and Associate Minister for Housing and Urban Development. She brings many perspectives to this role. I\u2019m sure her cheerful manner and her commitment to the people of her electorate will make her a popular choice amongst members of the House. She will, I\u2019m sure, be diligent, liked, and respected in the role of presiding officer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u0022a63768b2ce824320abff1f58382a6fa5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a63768b2ce824320abff1f58382a6fa5\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. National is pleased to support the nomination of Jenny Salesa to this august position. As well as what the Leader of the House has noted, as someone who has been a former Minister but also a member of a variety of select committees in her time in Parliament since 2014, Jenny Salesa will bring a range of different experiences to the role from her time as a member of select committees, as a Minister, and, of course, as an electorate MP, and as the new electorate MP for Panmure-\u014Ct\u0101huhu. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00222196662263a94c2c969648a829e5f152\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222196662263a94c2c969648a829e5f152\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That Jacqueline Isobel Dean be appointed Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EJacqui Dean is one of the most experienced members of the House, having been an MP since 2005, first for the Otago electorate and, since 2008, for the renamed Waitaki electorate\u2014one of the biggest electorates in the country. She was previously a councillor and has been Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Minister for Small Business in the Government of the Rt Hon Bill English. A diligent member of select committees, she\u2019s demonstrated a willingness to work on issues on a cross-party basis. Some may argue that her experience in broadcasting would set her up very well for the role that she is about to undertake, and I commend and warmly support her choice by the National Party for the role of presiding officer. I believe it completes a very strong team.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u0022040daf4179b34f019bef1abb4b7e178c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022040daf4179b34f019bef1abb4b7e178c\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. National is equally very keen to support Jacqui Dean as another Assistant Speaker to complete the quartet that the Leader of the House has outlined along with you, sir, Mr Speaker. As the Leader of the House has noted, Ms Dean is a very experienced parliamentarian. In fact, reading back through her biography, it\u2019s quite an astonishing list of select committees that she has had the privilege of serving on, everything from the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee; the Education and Science Committee; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade; Government Administration; Health; Justice and Electoral; Law and Order; Local Government; Environment\u2014in fact, I think there\u2019d be very few select committees in the Parliament that Jacqui Dean has not served on. And, along with being a very diligent member, as the Leader of the House notes, on select committee\u2014something that I can attest to from having served on a committee with her\u2014she\u2019s also been a Minister of a variety of portfolios in the last Government. She brings to the Chair, brings to the presiding officer role, dignity and grace and mana, and we\u2019re pleased to support her.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ebe4ae6c3d244f24ac3bf24fff0a0223\u0022\u003EReinstatement of Business\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e167aa3829f94acdab75bea38b7da4e1\u0022\u003EReinstatement of Business\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00220b739fb6c40c4b97bfd72b1e3ed353ce\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220b739fb6c40c4b97bfd72b1e3ed353ce\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I move, Government notice of motion No. 4 in my name relating to the reinstatement of business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThis is a routine motion that\u2019s moved at the start of each Parliament so that the business of Parliament can be resumed where it was left off before the election. The only exceptions are the items of business that are defunct or that need to be replaced. By convention all members\u2019 bills are being reinstated, select committees can resume consideration of bills referred to them by the House by the last Parliament. They decide what pieces of committee-initiated legislation business they may wish to continue with.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u00227503cd4dfc504766b73bd846f4a5325f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227503cd4dfc504766b73bd846f4a5325f\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and the National Party will be supporting the reinstatement motion moved by the Leader of the House. Can I first take this opportunity, sir, to congratulate you on your election to the role of Speaker. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll continue on in the tradition that you established in the last Parliament of fairness to both sides of the House and recognising that we are in a slightly unusual situation of a\u2014for the first time under MMP\u2014majority Government elected in its own right without any extra support needed to get over the line on confidence and supply. And that, of course, has implications for select committees and has implications for the way in which the House operates. But I\u2019m sure you will, as someone who is a lover of Parliament and someone who realises the important job\u2014constitutional job\u2014that the Parliament provides in holding the executive to account, take that into consideration. I know that that is something that you take very seriously. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003ENational will be supporting the reinstatement motion. It\u2019s a slightly different situation to the last Parliament. In the last Parliament, we obviously had a change of Government, and the incoming Government wished to not reinstate some items of business on to the parliamentary Order Paper. And so there was quite an extended debate at that time. Members who were here will recall some extended debate on that. National will be supporting this motion but we do wish to make a few points about some of the business that is being reinstated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EThe first is that we would like to know from the Government why the Autonomous Sanctions Bill is not being reinstated on to the parliamentary Order Paper\u2014something that sat on the parliamentary Order Paper for three years in the last Parliament with no progress being made. And we look forward to hearing from the Government as to exactly why that is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWe also welcome the chance for potential progress on the Electoral (Integrity Repeal) Amendment Bill, which was a member\u2019s bill drawn at the tail end of the last Parliament in the outgoing Rt Hon David Carter\u2019s name. And we look forward to the chance for the Parliament to consider that. With the departure of a longstanding member\u2014members will know who I\u2019m talking about\u2014the opportunity presents itself for the new Parliament to wipe from the statute book that repugnancy to our constitution and to this Parliament. There are parties in this Parliament who have been very keen to repeal that legislation, and now they will have the opportunity; that\u2019s being reinstated as a member\u2019s item of business. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWe look forward to the Parliament considering things like the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill, for example, which the National Party pushed hard in Opposition and was unable to make any progress on. This Parliament has the opportunity to take up that issue with alacrity and with urgency. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EWe look forward to the Parliament discharging the petitions on the Order Paper better. If you read through the Order Paper and the reinstatement motion, there\u2019s an enormous number of petitions\u2014a point that I know you, sir, Mr Speaker, have noted\u2014and the new Petitions Committee of the new Parliament, thanks to the new Standing Orders, will have the opportunity to deal with those petitions in a more timely manner. It is, frankly, unacceptable that select committees sit on petitions for two to three years. People who petition Parliament with members of the public have a right to expect that Parliament answers those petitions in a timely manner. Two years or three years is unacceptable. The new Parliament will have an opportunity to consider that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003EOn a final note, the Privileges Committee will consider the New Zealand Bill of Rights (Declarations of Inconsistency) Amendment Bill. This is not, one would say, a particularly sexy piece of legislation. It\u2019s not something that the public out there listening probably are too concerned about. But\u2014and I know the Attorney-General agrees with me on this\u2014it is of fundamental importance to the future of our constitution and our Parliament, the issue of whether or not the courts are able to issue declarations that a law passed by this Parliament, a democratically elected Parliament, is inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022061fd7fb715842eeb90d6f432ffc54a9\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: They already can.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed952b130c4d4cc9b6d4794772a828bd\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right, and the question for the Parliament is: what does Parliament do about that in response? We\u2019ll be considering that at the Privileges Committee and it does raise issues to do with privilege and to do with our constitution, and we will be considering that. That is not a bill that I would urge the Government to proceed with haste on. That is a bill that requires due consideration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019ll be supporting the reinstatement motion and members on this side may wish to make a few other remarks. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022b62a2702f93849b4ac07660153131989\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b62a2702f93849b4ac07660153131989\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (Deputy Leader\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I wish to speak to the motion, and particularly with a view to the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill, a bill that was introduced by the Hon Jonathan Coleman in 2016 and supported by his Associate Minister the Hon Peter Dunne. I ask the question: why did this not progress in the last Parliament? What hurdles were there there that are not here now? How quickly might we expect this to progress? We know on the campaign trail it seemed to receive significant support widely across the House, and so we might reasonably expect that this will progress rapidly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c24d1a5df684f31960d887685d7473b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4bf760e24aa43a1a0867b5c8179e778\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: Again, we would anticipate that any hurdles they might have envisaged have now been removed. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022 data-id=\u00228e4d523537a446c498a07fed628d4f14\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228e4d523537a446c498a07fed628d4f14\u0022\u003EHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National\u2014Coromandel):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I\u2019m rising to support the motion, but in doing so, I want to particularly make comment about the lack of progress on the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill, which has been reinstated under this motion. Now, that was a piece of legislation that was first mooted way back in the 51st Parliament: talked about in 2015, introduced to this House in 2016, unanimously supported at first reading across the House, and sent to a fulsome select committee\u2014the Local Government and Environment Committee\u2014chaired by none other than myself. It received a very fulsome and appropriate, detailed analysis at select committee, came back for second reading, and there it has languished. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa0d3532502e4027901c82b9060a16ee\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b1bee0c6d952435c9b0f8a1c56762960\u0022\u003EHon SCOTT SIMPSON\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s languished there, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EI listened carefully to the Speech from the Throne today. I listened carefully to see whether there would be mention in the Speech from the Throne of any progress or imminent speed and haste about the Kermadec ocean sanctuary, and there was\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226334423a95b7472e8b4ff46fbd6bd129\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! I\u2019m now going to give the member his second and final warning. This is a very narrow question, and it\u2019s whether or not it should be reinstated. The speed in the past and the speed in the future is not part of that, and I\u2019m pretty sure that member knows it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226604623f94174e9da64977c2b80de855\u0022\u003EHon SCOTT SIMPSON\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, sir. The question really is: if no progress was made in the previous Parliament, what hope and prospect is there for progress in this Parliament? I\u2019m heartened, to a degree, that the new Government has created a Minister for Oceans and Fisheries. I hope that that Minister can give this House some degree of certainty about progress on what is an important piece of legislation that the public of New Zealand and the environmental movements and the NGOs are very keen to see progressed. It wasn\u2019t progressed previously, and I\u2019m hoping that we will see a degree of urgency, a degree of focus, that was not present previously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022b02163d52deb471f963d5930cb83f59d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b02163d52deb471f963d5930cb83f59d\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise on behalf of ACT in support of this motion and I think it\u2019s a very good thing that the Government is, without dispute, taking all business from the previous Parliament into the 53rd Parliament. I note a couple of issues on the Order Paper. There is one petition that stands out from all the rest because practically every petition is, I guess, pr\u00E9cised by the number 2017, meaning that\u2019s it from the Parliament that began in that year; there is one petition in the name of Lucy McSweeney, which has 2014 before it. Lucy is an Epsom electorate constituent who has been doggedly, determinately, and quite deftly campaigning for better attention to mental health in schools for over four years since her petition was first lodged. It\u2019s now been reviewed by a select committee and is on the Order Paper awaiting a Government response. So I certainly hope on behalf of my constituent Lucy McSweeney that she\u2019s going to get a fulsome and proper response from this Government, after petitioning Parliament for four years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI would also note something about the amount of business, particularly the amount of Government bills that are being continued into this Parliament. I wonder how many of them will be progressed, because this year, for circumstances largely beyond our control in this House and around the world, the House has not sat for very many days. And yet, despite the election being behind us and the country returning to level 1, we\u2019re scheduled really to only sit for four full days for the rest of this year, post-election. One has to wonder what the value of some of this business that the Government is bringing forward into the 53rd Parliament is if they didn\u2019t have the alacrity to at least sit another week while most New Zealanders will still be working\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c3bcd91dedfe42eca7463b2b364e5bbe\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: He wanted us to sit less! He wanted us to sit less!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e5d8b40c589542d5b7c3d7ce9f0005c2\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014in the second-to-last week before Christmas. And I hear the barracking from Chris Hipkins; the problem is it\u2019s his Government that is lacking the bills here and they\u2019re going to have to come up with some new ideas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da6b8d7c1e1543fb963038f8fa302ce4\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I\u2019m giving the member his final warning to get back to the subject. And I will warn the Leader of the House not to encourage irrelevancy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282746b30d3bc4b8ba9ed8a0ce9527a84\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: I have to say that\u2014thank you for that, Mr Speaker, and certainly, I was very focused before Chris Hipkins interrupted. I certainly hope\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f020b263b3b47bcb32eed4b8093a05f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s misleading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022339f5b79b8804d5cba544f9568dc429f\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014that the Government\u2014ha! Well, Mr Speaker, it\u2019s a matter of opinion and debate, and I happen to disagree with you on that one. But I certainly hope that the Government will soon augment this business brought forward into the 53rd Parliament with business that it has a greater value in and a higher priority for than it\u2019s shown to the business that it is bringing forward for which it\u2019s only prepared to sit four full days this year. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022 data-id=\u00227a3ddf8ca656454b9740910203ddf839\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227a3ddf8ca656454b9740910203ddf839\u0022\u003ENICOLA WILLIS (National):\u003C/span\u003E Speaking to the reinstatement motion, I wish to draw members\u2019 attention to a member\u2019s bill that is to be reinstated, and that is the Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. This side of the House wishes to welcome the reinstatement of that bill and note the importance of it. That bill was introduced to this Parliament by departed member Nikki Kaye and was the result of significant consultation with apartment dwellers, body corporate managers, and others who have been affected by legislation which is no longer fit for modern purpose. I know that there are members opposite who will also welcome the reintroduction of this bill. The Hon Grant Robertson, on the campaign trail, spoke fulsomely of the need for reform in this area, and I would encourage the Government to take a constructive and pragmatic approach in progressing this member\u2019s bill at the first opportunity, at its first reading, rather than taking an alternative, more political course of introducing their own bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EThe reason I make that argument is that this is an area that is overdue for reform. If we are to address housing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e5e68ef6c9241afa2853bddabe3ca26\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The member is now getting into the substance of the bill, which is outside the remit of this\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a57b9b2632e94ae29ac554caa2909d95\u0022\u003ENICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: Sure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022055eca1555a444d6bc7f1c98859e8cc5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: When I stand, the member sits, and she is now on her final warning.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f9126fc58121419c9970cfdef52f8db1\u0022\u003ENICOLA WILLIS\u003C/span\u003E: So I would encourage the Government to support this member\u2019s bill, and I would just note my hope that we don\u2019t needlessly frustrate its progress by requiring a Government bill to be introduced instead. I would note our support for progressing this constructively at select committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022 data-id=\u00226bbe035ca137429da4dc92206d7376a2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226bbe035ca137429da4dc92206d7376a2\u0022\u003EKIERAN McANULTY (Chief Whip\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the question be now put.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022918b095d4ce64b0fa88fc4b52b5d3e94\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b00592ddf054cfa95d9e4d94926cc5d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, we have a very experienced member who I\u2019m sure will be able to make a relevant contribution\u2014more than has been the case recently. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u00226a6d2991c5894f1aa240409255aeeb86\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226a6d2991c5894f1aa240409255aeeb86\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Well, I thank you for that compliment, Mr Speaker, but I wouldn\u2019t be at all surprised if you do give me some kind of warning along the way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EWhile the National Opposition supports the reinstatement of this business, we do express concern about the Autonomous Sanctions Bill not making the list, and the reason we do that is because New Zealand has had a strong independent foreign policy for a very long time. Certainly since 1984, it has been something that New Zealanders have been very proud of. What this bill would enable is for New Zealand to, on its own, issue sanctions where international organisations\u2014the United Nations, particularly\u2014have not been able to move to do so. We know that happens. Under section 41, it\u2019s not always easy to get everyone to agree on everything, and there is, of course, the sanction on the UN Security Council as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s a concern to us that in a week where we have seen the Government\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a5ac5f8b27f4bfe939c22ca48e449c0\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! I am going to interrupt the member, and I think he\u2019ll know the reason for it. We\u2019re debating a matter which is before the House at the moment, not a matter which is not before the House. The fact that a bill is not part of the motion is something that could have been remedied, but members have chosen not to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223272e146027c4f21988fcb8c1753c692\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, at this point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e52c6a229944bdfa32f6c2696709a14\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f69c5ebb5c2e4d1b998231c039b4680e\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: At this point.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6d94774a60d4e7fa4e5ba678d831f50\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, if the member actually has an amendment that he\u2019s speaking to, he should have moved it and tabled it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271444929dde745e8b7d2edfcea3c1fc6\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Well, my apologies, and thank you for the instruction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EI move, That the Autonomous Sanctions Bill be added to the reinstatement motion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa365c6ffd2346b380ada7ca5aac3482\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That the reinstatement motion be amended by the addition of\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228bf03819ee3b4f5098e5ada0e9d628d7\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. Your words will do mine. Thank you. The reasons for it are because it enables the Government to make decisions independent of other countries. I\u2019ll say again: in a week where we\u2019ve seen New Zealand join with others\u2014the Five Eyes particularly\u2014to augment a statement that New Zealand had already made, it seems to me that without the bill on the statute book, we are abandoning our independent foreign policy status. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022b5857d117e6341d3adda15db8b3c52c5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b5857d117e6341d3adda15db8b3c52c5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the amendment be agreed to. I\u2019m being relatively slack here in that it hadn\u2019t been tabled. Is there any debate on that? There is none. The question is that the amendment be agreed to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022f9abe910b3614831bda6ec0e3501b8cd\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That the amendment be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 43\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 76\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 64; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ETe Paati M\u0101ori 2.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022c1a4bfd64d154ac2ab9a94be6c7d9c33\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c1a4bfd64d154ac2ab9a94be6c7d9c33\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The question now is that the motion is agreed to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022468ea4d2c8f643f99baeaf640cef9da8\u0022\u003EStanding Orders\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c7301b2ef73b49b99ab49c6448e13af0\u0022\u003ESessional\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002272582209ce2b4a3cb45965614bf744df\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002272582209ce2b4a3cb45965614bf744df\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: According to a determination of the Business Committee, I call on the Leader of the House to move a motion regarding entities deemed to be public organisations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022c57c7d7a29bd4f5a95abf34a2c4db1ed\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c57c7d7a29bd4f5a95abf34a2c4db1ed\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That Air New Zealand Ltd, Genesis Energy Ltd, Meridian Energy Ltd, Mercury New Zealand Ltd, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the Judicial Conduct Commissioner, Kiwi Group Holdings Ltd, M\u0101ori Television Service, and Te P\u016Bkenga\u2014New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology be public organisations for the purposes of the Standing Orders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThis is the last of the routine motions that I intend to move this morning at the start of this Parliament. It has the effect of opening up the organisations that I\u2019ve just listed to parliamentary scrutiny through the annual review process where they would otherwise not be. There are two changes from the last time I had to move this motion in the House. The Abortion Supervisory Committee has been omitted on the basis that it no longer exists and the newly formed Te P\u016Bkenga\u2014New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology has been added on the basis that it now exists. Other than that, this motion follows the same formula as the last time Parliament considered this matter, and it simply means that these organisations which otherwise wouldn\u2019t be subject to parliamentary scrutiny will be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022bf5d1658e49a4bda97c43223b6de985d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bf5d1658e49a4bda97c43223b6de985d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The House is suspended until 2 p.m. today for the Address in Reply.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 12.01 p.m. to 2 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f81ea6dc4cee41bd93d09d62ec02a460\u0022\u003EAddress in Reply\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002263df9b53f8b44014aba0039293f86765\u0022\u003EAddress in Reply\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022 data-id=\u0022cc281920b63f4439ae8b02a9b3127acf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cc281920b63f4439ae8b02a9b3127acf\u0022\u003EARENA WILLIAMS (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That a respectful Address be presented to Her Excellency the Governor-General in reply to Her Excellency\u2019s speech. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, I congratulate you on your election to the Speaker and acknowledge this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EE te Whare e t\u016B nei, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. He mihi atu ki a koutou e pupuri ana ki te mana o te whenua nei, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, e Te \u0100ti Awa me Taranaki Wh\u0101nui hoki. E ng\u0101 huihui o te motu, e rau rangatira m\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E[To the House that stands proudly, greetings. I would like to acknowledge the holders of the mana of this land, Te \u0100ti Awa and Taranaki Wh\u0101nui, thank you. To the people and the leaders from around the country who have gathered here today, greetings.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EPrime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, members of the 53rd Parliament, and our guests in the gallery, we gather here today to celebrate another chapter in our democracy, our democracy as young as Te Tiriti o Waitangi and as old as the talanoa of my voyaging ancestors, our democracy, of which we are all custodians for the duration of our service. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EThe oath we swore yesterday was of allegiance to our country and a pledge to faithfully protect the democratic institutions which are a taonga for all New Zealanders. These institutions are woven strands in the wh\u0101riki of our democracy, and while checks and balance on their power are essential to human rights protections, we should tread lightly upon them, lest we risk undermining democracy itself.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI thank the people of Manurewa for electing me to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The humbling weight of their expectations is on my shoulders, but their support lifts me up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EE taku reo rangatira, he whakatau\u0101k\u012B e p\u0101 ana ki te ingoa o taku m\u0101t\u0101mua, ko Te M\u0101kahi. \u201CIti te m\u0101kahi, paoa atu noa, pota pota noa.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E[I now turn to my chiefly language and say this; there is a proverb about the name that was bestowed on my eldest, Te M\u0101kahi. \u201CThough the wedge is small, deftly struck, it shatters large objects.\u201D]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EThe meaning of that whakatau\u0101ki is this and it refers to my son\u2019s name that carries the story of Tuterakiwhanoa, who with his m\u0101kahi cleaved the valleys and the lakes of the South Island. It means that \u201CDeftly wielded with determination, the m\u0101kahi, though it is small, will fell any obstacle\u201D, and that is what progressive politics is to me. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI believe in a politics that empowers ordinary people to come together, to organise and build power in their communities, and, together, to shape our country and build a better life for themselves and their families. Labour has always been the political party that stands for that kind of progressive change, and I\u2019ve seen the power of this change in four generations of my own family. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMy father, Haare Williams, is here today. He\u2019s in his late 80s, or early 90s maybe\u2014we don\u2019t know. He\u2019s never had a birth certificate. Dad wasn\u2019t a poor kid, because that would suggest that he didn\u2019t have enough money to get by. In fact, he had no money, never had a reason to see it, and never handled it. He was raised by his M\u0101ori-speaking grandparents on the shores of the \u014Chiwa Harbour, in a raup\u014D whare with a dirt floor, in a place that was sacred to the H\u0101hi Ringat\u016B and to Te Kooti. These were people whose first touch-point with the State, after years of not being extended the rights of every other citizen, was the extension of the old-age pension to M\u0101ori by Michael Joseph Savage and the first Labour Government. That meant Dad didn\u2019t have to spend his childhood gathering kaimoana and caring for his kui. That meant that he started primary school as a big nine-year-old and learnt to read English from the only book that his grandparents had: the Bible. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EPeter Fraser\u2019s Labour Government put rural school buses on the road and Dad went to high school because of it. After repeating sixth form, he made it to teachers college, and in the 1980s he became a broadcaster with M\u0101ori radio, where his voice is still heard today. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EDad taught me that there is dignity in humility and that dignity is the most fundamental of all rights. He taught me that a change of opinion isn\u2019t a sign of intellectual weakness, and how to make peace from conflict. It\u2019s his skill of practical peacemaking that I want to bring to my politics: a practical peacefulness for which my tupuna, Te Kooti Arikirangi Te T\u016Bruki, came to learn in his age. Te Kooti\u2019s story is documented in a book, Encircled Lands by Judith Binney, which I read at law school. Te Kooti was falsely imprisoned twice and kept from his land. But despite all that, he saw the law as the most powerful tool for change and something which could be a shelter for those oppressed: \u201CKa kuhu au ki te ture hei matua m\u014D te pani.\u201D [\u201CI seek refuge in the law as a parent for the orphaned.\u201D]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMy mum, she\u2019s Ng\u0101i Tahu. She was a campaigner for sexual and reproductive health and gender equality. As a GP, she\u2019s looked after some South Auckland families for five generations. She served as a royal commissioner on genetic modification and in countless community organisations, and is my model of a woman who gets things done. She also taught me to give without expectations and to love generously. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI had many great teachers and mentors at school, work, and in politics, but I\u2019d like to speak about just two of them, who serve in Parliament today. The Hon Nanaia Mahuta: papaki kau ng\u0101 tai o mihi ki a koe [may the tides of gratitude continue to lap gently towards you]. Since I was a teenager, I have been inspired by Nanaia\u2019s work in her community and in Parliament. My dad\u2019s grandmother was born around 1870. Women couldn\u2019t stand for Parliament until 1919, and it wasn\u2019t until 1933 that the first woman entered Parliament. It took until 1949 for the first M\u0101ori woman to be elected, and in the year 2020, we\u2019re much closer to the equal participation of women in the exercise of power in this place. I\u2019m grateful to trailblazers like Nanaia who have paved the way for progress for all women in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003ELikewise, I\u2019ve learnt valuable lessons from the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern. When she was a list MP in Auckland Central, I saw firsthand how hard she worked to advance progressive policy while I was the president of the Auckland University Students Association. She stood out back then as a leader capable of connecting so well with young people. I love that she explicitly talks about kindness. In New Zealand politics we\u2019ve never been brave enough to talk about the need for kindness in policy making. She\u2019s shifted the goalposts and now we expect our politicians not just to be kind in their interactions but to put the welfare of people at the heart of political decisions. Most recently, her response to COVID-19 has been a masterclass in the management of a global health and economic crisis. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMy wh\u0101nau are here: my wonderful husband, Max Hardy, and our two little children, Te M\u0101kahi and Waioeka. They\u2019re giving up a lot so I can serve in this House. I fell in love with Max at uni. He challenges me to do good wherever there is need and he is as much a part of the Labour movement as I am. This job is the next step for us in our commitment to the change we want to see for New Zealand. And I grieve a little, as many working parents before me have and many after me will, for this time I give up with Waioeka and Te M\u0101kahi, who\u2019s turning three tomorrow\u2014happy birthday, baby. They will no longer have a mum who is at every playdate and rocks them to sleep. I hope when they\u2019re older that they\u2019ll understand that there were other kids in Manurewa who needed me too: kids with rotten teeth in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, kids without warm, dry homes, kids I met in schools whose eyes light up when they meet a politician who looks and talks like them. Doing my best for the future of my kids means fighting for all families in Aotearoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, it\u2019s my privilege and pleasure to introduce you to some of the people in the gallery above us who believe in the power of local democracy: volunteers for my campaign\u2014among them, doctors, students, retirees, unionists, a COVID returnee, an African freedom fighter, a solo mum of three, a bus driver, and a temple leader. Some I have been organising with since I was a teenager, and some I met in the final months of the campaign. I see in them a practical manifestation of the community organising politics that I believe in. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003ESo thank you Cameron Jacob-Sauer, Melissa Cosgrove, Helena Fairhurst, David Hopkins, Faisal Halabi, Ray Boxter, Andrew MacDonald, Raj Singh, Kurt Sharpe, Paul Protheroe, Dawn Trenberth, Len Richards, Jill Ovens, Christine Hawea, Kharag Singh, Sam and Erica Bookman, Ilango Krishnamoorthy, Brooke Loader, Viiga Alapati, and Naresh Perinpanayagam. Thank you Mel, Britt, Sonny, Harley, Sioeli, Chandan, Lynn, Ben, Poppy, Seamus, Raewyn, Sam, Flor, McKenzie, Shankar, Antonia, Sione, Ofa, Matt, Josh, Shane, Shari, Kim, Tutamure, Kororia, Annabel, Maria, Gadiel, Sago, Reece, Bhupinder, Ranbir, Teisa, Arthur. Thanks Amar, Ash, Alice, Aloka, Ella, Eric, Caleb, Judith, Linda, Jessie, Harman, Sukhwinder, Kamaljit, Kuldeep, Taran, Joy, Bill, Zara, Kathy, Craig, Laura, and Patrick. Thank you for your part in building our movement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EMy thanks also to Louisa Wall for her work in Parliament and for Manurewa. I look forward to serving in this House with her. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI want to highlight three issues that I care dearly about. They\u2019re not the only issues I\u2019ll work on in my time here, but they\u2019re important to me and to Manurewa. Housing: every family in New Zealand deserves a warm, dry home. This Government also believes in building more houses, and we need to strengthen basic protections for renters. In Manurewa, 56 percent of homes are rented. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EHealth: I served as a member of the Waitemat\u0101 District Health Board. I\u2019m committed to a prevention strategy at the top of the cliff. Better maternal and mental healthcare, dental care, and diabetes prevention will save lives and money. We need to address invisible and physical barriers to local healthcare access.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EJustice: during law school, I was a community probation officer at Panmure, and in my early 20s I was seeing men my age\u2014mostly M\u0101ori\u2014being caught up in a failing system. I was working there as the new bail laws were coming into effect, and I saw firsthand how small policy tweaks can unintentionally change someone\u2019s entire experiences of the justice system and, ultimately, lead to longer and more punitive sentences. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EOver the last decade, I\u2019ve given deep thought to systematic justice reform. The impact of domestic violence and violent head trauma on women\u2019s offending is poorly understood. Bail and sentencing laws can be unjust and counterproductive, and offending against people in custody is inhumane. It\u2019s not just; nor is it restorative. As the Hon Grant Robertson said in this House, we send people to prison as a punishment, not for punishment. There are four prisons in the Manurewa electorate, and their men, women, and young people are my constituents too. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI\u2019m one of the youngest members here. I first ran for Parliament aged 24, and now I join this House aged 31. My generation\u2014people in their 20s and 30s\u2014and our kids\u2019 generation will bear the brunt of the decisions we make this term. This is especially true for inequality and for protecting our natural environment. Now is the time to address racial inequality across all sectors, address insecure work and household debt, and take bold steps to level the playing field between generations, to clean up waterways, mobilise the world to fight climate change, and prepare communities for global warming\u2019s worst effects. As we build back from COVID, we have a strong mandate from New Zealand, and especially from the youngest people in this country, to do the hard mahi for generational change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EI am proud to be a member of this progressive Labour Government. I am proud to be a member of the most diverse Government in New Zealand\u2019s history, which looks more like the country it has been given the job of managing. We still need other voices here\u2014people with disabilities, our growing Asian communities. I will do my part to ensure their fuller participation in our democracy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EAt the beginning of my speech I spoke of the oath I made yesterday to my country, but this is my oath to my wh\u0101nau and my friends who are here to support me today: I promise to be kind, to keep people at the heart of my decision making, to lead by empowering organisers and communities, to lift up the voices of ordinary people, and to work hard on their behalf.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EKei ng\u0101 mana, kei ng\u0101 reo, kei te Whare, e te M\u0101ngai me \u014Dku hoa o te Whare P\u0101remata, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E[To the leaders, to the voices of authority, to the House, to the Speaker, and to my parliamentary colleagues, thank you.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003E[Applause] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b464a62e-d900-452a-b842-e3cf4ccc6149\u0022\u003EWaiata\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022 data-id=\u0022402fe578a2f44c27a4e150dbab237131\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022402fe578a2f44c27a4e150dbab237131\u0022\u003EIBRAHIM OMER (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, I second the motion that a respectful address be presented to Her Excellency the Governor-General in the reply to Her Excellency\u2019s speech. E ng\u0101 mana, e ng\u0101 reo, e ng\u0101 iwi, e ng\u0101 rau rangatira 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=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, I want to acknowledge and congratulate you on your re-election to your role. I also want to acknowledge other presiding officers who have been elected today. I look forward to your guidance and your wisdom.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EKia ora and salaam alaikum. My name is Ibrahim Omer. I\u2019m an Eritrean. I\u2019m a son, brother, a friend. I\u2019m a Muslim. I\u2019m a former refugee. I\u2019m a trade unionist and living wage activist. But most importantly, I stand here today in front of you bursting with pride as a Kiwi who loves Aotearoa New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EMy journey to this place has been a long one. The story of my journey is the story of every refugee displaced and forced from their home country and their loved ones. My vision is for my journey to give hope to the many other people with stories like mine.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EMy journey began 15,000 kilometres away, in a beautiful, small East African country called Eritrea. My forebears were chiefs, warriors, who led their people to defend their land from invaders, who handed down their values of social justice and defending human rights to me and to my family. My grandfathers were leaders in their village and their clans. Our family slowly moved to the city and my father went to school and learnt many languages. My mother was a loving mum to me and to my four brothers and my sister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EMine was a happy and typical Eritrean upbringing. I grew up in a tolerant society where people from different cultures and religious backgrounds embraced each other. My extended family were Muslims but our neighbours were Christians, and we shared our lives together. We celebrated Christian holidays with them and they celebrated the Muslim holidays with us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EI attended public schools, including an Islamic primary school, and then my local junior and high school. It was a loving and tolerant environment, culturally conservative, but there was a strong sense of social justice and standing up for people who didn\u2019t have enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EAs a child I was full of hopes and ambitions and dreams. Among the very long list of things I wanted to be and do, two things stood out for me: to be a football player like Ronaldo from Brazil or a politician. But those dreams were cut short by a brutal dictatorship that killed the dreams of thousands of young Eritrean men and women.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EIn my home country, I saw how politics and politicians ruined people\u2019s lives, and, hence, I gave up my dream to be a politician. My homeland has a long history of invasion and colonisation by, first, the Italians, the British, and the Ethiopians. The impacts of colonisation are still being experienced as I speak here today. Right now, tens of thousands of innocent Ethiopians are being displaced by this unnecessary and senseless war in Ethiopia. In the last two weeks alone, 40,000 Ethiopians have become refugees, fleeing to Sudan for safety. In addition to this, about 100,000 Eritrean refugees who have been living in the areas of conflict are now in danger.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ENearly all my life in Eritrea there was a war. For 30 years my country was locked in a war for independence. I remember the terror when the war raged in our city. I was young, but I vividly remember the fighting. There was no power. We had very little food. The city was surrounded by the fighters for months and months. Then independence was declared in Eritrea. I saw music and people dancing in the streets all the time, day and night, for months. We believed that Eritrea could be the shining star for Africa, where everywhere else there were coups and civil wars. But our country was betrayed by the same people who fought to free Eritrea from colonisers. They took away our dreams. And now, Eritrea is one of the biggest refugee-producing countries per capita in the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EI was drafted to the national service at a very young age, as a high school student. I was subjected to extreme hardships. The national service in Eritrea is meant to be for 18 months, but in reality, it\u2019s indefinite. Once you are in, there is no way out of it. Eritrea was and still is a place where citizens disappear for no reason. Gross human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests, and imprisonment are normal. I knew I had no choice but to leave before my time came. So I left behind everything I loved: my country, my family, my friends, and my dreams, including the long list of things I wanted to be and do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EThe chance of making it to Sudan was probably about 50:50. Lots of people don\u2019t make it. At the time, there was a shoot-to-kill policy for deserters. I took the risk. I said to myself that I would rather die trying to escape than to die a slow death in Eritrea. Weeks later, I made it. I made it across the border and handed myself in to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camp and the Sudanese authorities, and I was granted refugee status to stay in Sudan. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EFive years later, I came to New Zealand as a refugee. I had never heard of this place, to be honest, but an immigration officer told me it was one of the most peaceful countries in the world. That was good enough for me, because I was sick and tired of looking over my shoulder. I arrived at Aotearoa on 15 May 2008. From the moment I landed at Auckland Airport, I felt the manaakitanga and aroha that this country is known for. After six weeks in M\u0101ngere, I moved to Wellington to start a new life. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EMy early life in New Zealand wasn\u2019t easy. I got a job as a security guard, but I left it after I was attacked and beaten in the middle of the night. I did farm work, fruit picking, and started cleaning. My low wages meant I couldn\u2019t save to study, and in order to support my family back home, I picked up more and more hours until I was doing 80 hours a week. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ETen years ago, I was cleaning at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. I worked with some of the hardest-working people I know. Some of them are here today: Rebecca, Awak, and Emma. All I did was clean, clean, clean, day and night. I didn\u2019t have a life. I didn\u2019t meet people. I wasn\u2019t active in the community. I didn\u2019t have the time to think or even dream.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EThen one day in 2013, my union organiser asked me to speak at the forum at Victoria University to challenge the mayoral candidates to make a commitment to pay a living wage. It was the first time I had ever spoken in public and I was speaking on behalf of about 100 cleaners. I was scared and I wanted to turn away when I saw that The Hub was packed. But the response to my speech changed something inside me. Before I spoke, I threw away the speech that I had prepared before and I spoke from my heart. I said to the students, \u201CI see you each night studying and working away at your degrees and Master\u2019s and PhDs.\u201D I told them that my dream was not to end up as a cleaner, working 80-plus hours a week. My dream was to study, but I am stuck in the trap that is poverty. I got active in the union, in the living wage movement, in my refugee background community, and the Labour Party. I got a pay rise and I decided to go to university. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EA few months later, one Sunday night, I was cleaning a lecture theatre. The next day, I had my first lecture\u2014Politics 111\u2014in the same lecture theatre. It was a very emotional moment that I will never forget. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EMy life has been transformed so quickly. In 12 years after moving to New Zealand, and in the five years after being a cleaner, four years after graduating, I became a member of this Parliament. This is the result of the overwhelming support that I have received. It is because of the people that I have met along the way. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EI\u2019m very proud of my refugee background community and the ChangeMakers Resettlement Forum and other advocacy groups across the country. I have always wanted to help my community and that\u2019s why I got involved in ChangeMakers, first as a member and then as the chair of the organisation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EOn March 15, our country suffered a tragic terrorist attack. It was like a bad dream. You never think that this could happen in New Zealand. How could this happen to us? I was worried that it would be the end of the safe and peaceful New Zealand that the immigration officer told me about. Then I saw the leadership of our Prime Minister and the massive support of New Zealanders. The mosques were not just a garden with flowers and loving messages, but the whole country came out and wrapped themselves around us, figuratively and literally. I couldn\u2019t control my emotions. That terrorist did not just want to attack the mosque and take away a few lives; he wanted to turn us against each other, but things did not go the way that he wanted. Thanks to our Prime Minister\u2019s leadership and the 5 million Kiwis who reacted with aroha and embraced the Muslim community, our bonds grew together. To me, it\u2019s reinforced my identity and the love that I have for New Zealand. I will use my platform in Parliament to support and rebuild our community, champion the voice of refugee-background New Zealanders, and to stamp out racism in Aotearoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EOne thing that I really admire about New Zealand politics, and which restored my hope to be a politician, was when my friend told me that although politicians may debate in this Chamber, they will then go afterwards and share a coffee and meal together. I will treat everyone, all my colleagues here in this House, with respect and dignity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EI am proud of my union living-wage wh\u0101nau. I\u2019ve been an E t\u016B member, a delegate, and an organiser. I\u2019ve been a leader in the living-wage movement. I was so proud, a few months ago, when E t\u016B members who were MSD security guards won the living wage. When I recruited them, I talked to them to join the union and told them that we will win the living wage if we all stand up together. After we won, I rang up all of them and told them that this is what it means to be in the union. This is what it means to be active in the living wage movement. This did not come from nothing; it\u2019s our victory. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EAnd now I\u2019m here to be a voice for workers like those security guards and like my co-workers from uni. While my life has dramatically transformed, people like Rebecca, Awak, and Emma are still on the lowest paid wages. They work hard, they work very long hours, and, yet, they still struggle to provide three meals for their kids. In 10 years of working hard, they\u2019re still poor; it should not be like that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EMy vision is for all workers to lead decent lives and participate in society with dignity and respect. My voice will be for every New Zealander who is struggling on low wages, whether they were born here or they have recently arrived. I will still stand up for every New Zealander who needs an opportunity, every New Zealander who needs decent pay and conditions, every New Zealander who needs equality and the chance to live in a fair country where everyone can thrive and live with dignity. Throughout my experience as a low-paid worker, I realise that a strong labour movement is essential to protecting the rights of vulnerable people. A strong labour movement is what\u2019s needed to create a just and fair society. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EI am proud to be part of the Labour Party because it\u2019s the party that shares my values of fairness, community, and equal opportunities. I stand here because of the support the Labour Party wh\u0101nau have given me, and an opportunity to be a voice for those who often struggle to have their voices heard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EThank you to our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, and the Hon Grant Robertson for your leadership and also for your personal support to me. I\u2019m here today because of the inspiration and support of many, many people, too many to name. Everyone I have met along the way has made an impact in my life and enriched it\u2014thank you. This includes the people from my early life in Eritrea, to my family who passed on to me the values of social justice from a very young age\u2014I send my love from afar. To everyone who helped me to get through, early in my days in Sudan, my cellmates in Kober Prison, the UNHCR, the people I nervously shared the plane to New Zealand with, and the friends I made in M\u0101ngere. Ng\u0101 mihi nui ki a koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ETo my \u201CNew Zealand Mum\u201D, Lyndy McIntyre, thank you for everything. To my E t\u016B and living wage wh\u0101nau, especially Annie Newman, thank you for believing in me. Thank you to the workers who have risked a lot by standing up and trusting me to be your organiser. Paul Tolich, who chased me around Wellington with the Labour Party nomination on the day it was due, I can\u2019t thank you enough\u2014thank you. And thank you to Fleur Fitzsimons, who planted the possibility of me becoming an MP in my mind just about a year ago\u2014thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ETo Rory, Isabella, Gordon, and Winnie, because of your love and support, I never feel like I\u2019m away from my family\u2014thank you. To my friends, who also became my campaign team, Rory, Isabella, Nick Davies, Sam Gribben, Steph Gregor, and the many, many others\u2014thank you for making me a better person. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ETo my caucus, I\u2019m proud to be with a group that looks much like New Zealand, and I\u2019m excited about the next three years\u2014kia ora. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EI end with the final acknowledgment to all millions of people displaced around the world. Your courage in the face of unimaginable adversity will always inspire me. The reality is that many millions of people will not have the luck that I have had. Until the world changes, innocent lives will continue to be lost and displaced in the hands of evil and war. That is what we must change\u2014that is what we must change. In my mother tongue, which is called Saho, I just wanted to say to these people: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ESen abliuk ane, which is \u201CI see you\u201D;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ESen abliuk ane, which is \u201CI feel you\u201D;\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003ESen arar ye abeuk ane, which is \u201CI will be on your side and fight alongside you.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EN\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=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003E[Applause]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226e419a18-df21-483e-9650-2aaee4e06211\u0022\u003EWaiata\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00224c6c685cdac04d15a57f15fd304ca0f3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224c6c685cdac04d15a57f15fd304ca0f3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that a respectful address be presented to Her Excellency the Governor-General in reply to her speech.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u00229978e03b288a4a9a8dde3dcf21c7290f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229978e03b288a4a9a8dde3dcf21c7290f\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition):\u003C/span\u003E I move\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022810071c50b7249c0b07b6094eba14d3d\u0022\u003ERawiri Waititi\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298ed9a1ae53f4716b5372cda92a5038e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m not certain that there can be a point of order at this stage. The member has a very few seconds to convince me that there could be one. The call is very clearly that of the Hon Judith Collins.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8501c16c0cf412c81a1f5e4c42dd90f\u0022\u003ERawiri Waititi\u003C/span\u003E: Kei te m\u014Dtini Te Paati M\u0101ori kia riro i a m\u0101tou tekau m\u0101 rima m\u0113neti ki ng\u0101 kaiarahi o Te Paati M\u0101ori i roto i t\u0113nei w\u0101hanga whakautu k\u014Drero.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E[Te Paati M\u0101ori would like to make a motion that, as co-leaders of Te Paati M\u0101ori, we be allocated 15 minutes to speak in the Address in Reply.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce6dc13dd4d647308a21731dc0be43ca\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The Hon Judith Collins.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de89c88ddf764bdeb94797bd5cfdfcca\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I move that the following words be added to the address, That in the context of a Government that is borrowing more than any other in our history and the burden this leaves future generations, the Government will be held to account for the poor quality of its spending. The Government will be asked to focus on the core issues that matter to New Zealanders, to urgently reform planning rules and make it easier to build houses, to rein in escalating house prices, to build more roads and unclog our cities, to stop work on the light rail distraction, to grow our productivity, to address falling outcomes in education, to improve outcomes in law and order, and to balance the books.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ECongratulations to the Prime Minister and the Labour Party. The Prime Minister has achieved a remarkable election result. She has a clear mandate to implement her agenda, and no excuses this time. I\u2019d like to also congratulate you, Mr Speaker, and the other presiding officers. I\u2019d like to also acknowledge the Deputy Prime Minister, Grant Robertson. Good to see Grant Robertson getting the job that he\u2019s really been doing for the last three years. I acknowledge the leader of the ACT Party, David Seymour, and the new ACT MPs. I acknowledge the Hon James Shaw and Marama Davidson on returning the Greens and the new Green members. Can I acknowledge the M\u0101ori Party co-leaders, Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer on returning the M\u0101ori Party to Parliament; all of the new MPs, particularly the two who have just spoken, Ibrahim Omer and Arena Williams. Arena Williams is my neighbouring MP with Manurewa right beside Papakura. And I\u2019d also like to acknowledge Louisa Wall for her grace today. Thank you, Louisa Wall.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ECan I acknowledge all those MPs who are new to Parliament and to say to you this is a privilege to be here, and particularly to our new National MPs: Nicola Grigg, Christopher Luxon, Joseph Mooney, Penny Simmonds, and Simon Watts. There are only five of you but, as I\u2019ve told you, I came in with a group of five in 2002 and three of us ended up leaders of the National Party and the other two have gone so they won\u2019t be there. So it\u2019s great to have you here. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EMiss Ardern is governing New Zealand during one of the most important times in our nation\u2019s history and I wish her well because the decisions that we make here in this Chamber over the next three years will shape the country we live in for decades to come. Our infrastructure, our prosperity, our productivity, our ability to pay back debts, the education our children receive, and the strength of our communities\u2014in basic terms: how long Kiwis spend sitting in traffic, how much of their hard-earned money is spent on rent or the mortgage, their ability to find a good job and earn a decent income, the quality of their local school, and how safe they feel in their community. These are the things that matter to people on a day-to-day basis. These are the things that New Zealanders expect their Government to be focused on: high-quality spending, transport, housing, education, law and order. These are the things that Labour has failed to deliver. At a pivotal time in our country\u2019s history the role of the Opposition is more important than ever. It is critical that the Government be held to account on its decision making and spending and National will do just that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThis is a Labour Government entering its second term in office and it\u2019s worth remembering that because we heard very few new ideas in today\u2019s Speech from the Throne. In fact, this Government failed to deliver on so many of its promises from three years ago, it was as if someone had picked up a copy of the 2017 Speech from the Throne, blew the dust off it, added a COVID section, deleted the KiwiBuild section, and that\u2019s what we heard today. The hardest thing for me today was to keep a straight face while I listened to it. The Labour Government promised in 2017 to address New Zealand\u2019s housing, child poverty, and transport issues. And what\u2019s happened? Well, they all got worse and that was even before the COVID-19 pandemic. House prices rose 25 percent nationally under the Labour Government before COVID hit, and now it\u2019s up to 37 percent. Under Labour, the State house waiting list doubled. It\u2019s now trebled. More New Zealanders are becoming victims of crime. The number of children leaving school with basic numeracy and literacy skills is in sad decline. The Prime Minister cannot point fingers in other directions to explain her failures; she must own them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EIn National\u2019s last four years of Government, 56,000 children were lifted out of poverty. Under Labour, 12,000 more children are now living in material hardship, and that\u2019s before COVID hit\u2014that\u2019s before COVID hit. That\u2019s an extra 12,000 children living in households that cannot afford essentials like fresh fruit and vegetables. That\u2019s an extra 12,000 children living in households that delay going to the doctor when they\u2019re sick. That\u2019s an extra 12,000 children living in households that now have to borrow to meet everyday needs. We have the ability to do much better for our people. We have the resources, we have the work ethic, and we have the entrepreneurs. And if we are to, we need to back them to succeed, we need to grow our economy, and we need to lift these children out of poverty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 will continue to cast a shadow over this country and the rest of the world for some time to come. On top of the eye-watering debt that this Government has already piled up to hold our economy together, there\u2019s a looming challenge of how to fund and distribute a vaccine and reopen our borders to the world. The next three years will require shrewd investment as well as prudent fiscal and economic management. And New Zealanders want to see a plan to grow the economy and return us to surplus to pay down our debt. Unfortunately, while we\u2019ve heard plenty of slogans today like \u201Cfutureproofing the economy\u201D and \u201Caccelerating the recovery\u201D, we haven\u2019t actually heard one real plan about how to grow the economy, and that\u2019s because the Government doesn\u2019t have one. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EDebt is fast becoming one of the most significant and growing issues facing our country. The pre-election Budget had no single year where a surplus was forecast; just deficits for the next 14 years. That\u2019s 14 years of debt being piled on top of debt. That\u2019s a mountain of debt. At the start of this year, New Zealand had $65 billion of debt; now it\u2019s $94 billion of debt, and by 2024 the forecast is that there will be $200 billion of debt. It all adds up to a future where, as a percentage of our total economy, Government debt is higher than any time since the 1930s, higher than the levels we experienced even in the 1980s when New Zealand narrowly avoided financial crisis. This is the future that Labour will leave for the next generation. There is no money left when the next crisis hits, whether it\u2019s 10, 15, or 20 years from now. Lax spending today will burden future generations with higher taxes and lower incomes, and people across New Zealand all have to be careful with their money, and their Government should be as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThe Government says it will overhaul our welfare system this term. Well, where\u2019s the money going to come from? No detail, just they want to overhaul it. More than a third of Government spending is already for welfare payments at a time when debt is piling upon debt. We will be very interested to see how the Government expects to overhaul our welfare system. We will hold the Government to account on its spending.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThe Government will talk about how our economy is holding up better than other developed countries. They won\u2019t mention how they have spent more as a percentage of GDP than any other OECD country. It is not an achievement to increase debt by $140 billion in just four years. The Government has a responsibility to ensure that every dollar of borrowed money they spend results in future growth and expanded opportunity for Kiwis. National will hold the Government to account for the quality of its spending, for delivering infrastructure that actually unlocks economic activity, for making investments that actually help lift our productivity, for prioritising investments that support the private sector to create high-quality, high-paying jobs, and we\u2019ll hold the Government to account for throwing millions at ideological pet projects like green schools that add nothing\u2014nothing\u2014to New Zealanders but just debt. That\u2019s all it adds. Spending taxpayer money on any old construction project is wasteful, and we will hold the Government to account for wasteful spending. If it\u2019s a simple stimulus that is needed, New Zealand taxpayers can spend their own money better than any Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EAnother key problem facing Kiwis right now is their ability to provide a home for their families. There should be no doubt that the cause of high house prices is New Zealand\u2019s arcane planning rules. There\u2019s a reality check for the Government. The time and cost of cutting through Government red tape is what\u2019s keeping Kiwis from being able to own their own home. It was never foreign buyers, nor was it Chinese-sounding names. It was a disgrace that such people were targeted by the Labour Party. Labour\u2019s plan for the Resource Management Act (RMA) looks like it will just make the problem worse. They\u2019re all set on working with the Green Party, and what a disaster that\u2019ll be, no matter how fondly I view the Green Party members. Labour has already wasted three years being distracted by a capital gains tax and KiwiBuild, and meanwhile house prices have jumped more than a third. Since Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister, the average house has earned more than the average worker. Let\u2019s say that one again, shall we? Since Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister, the average house has earned more than the average worker. That\u2019s the legacy of the Labour Government. In the three years since Labour was elected, the median house price has gone up by more than $200,000, and in that same period, a worker on the median income had earned about $160,000\u2014that\u2019s a disgrace. It\u2019s a sad state of affairs, and it needs fixing right now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThe Government will point out that they plan to build 18,000 more State houses, and we will point out that the State house waiting list is growing at a rate of a thousand people per month. The Government wants to spend $10 billion to build 18,000 houses over four years at a time when more than 20,000 families are already waiting. Some of us will remember when they planned to build 16,000 houses in three years, too, and they got, I think, 600. By the time these State houses are built, the waiting list will simply have outgrown them, and people\u2019s hopes will be dashed again. It\u2019s a colossal amount of money, and it won\u2019t fix the real problem, that New Zealand\u2019s planning regime is utterly broken. We now have more than 360,000 New Zealanders receiving the accommodation supplement. That\u2019s more than half of the entire rental market that is having at least some of their rent paid for by the taxpayer; 18,000 more State houses won\u2019t solve that. We can\u2019t go on this way. The RMA needs to be scrapped. My offer to the Government to work on bipartisan reform that will stand the test of time still stands. We need to do this urgently to release more land for housing, to remove barriers to development, to fast track new subdivisions, and to unleash a house building boom. Every day, we will hold the Government to account for its failure to deliver on housing, and, every day, we will hold the Government to account for its failure to deliver on its promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ELet me come to transport. When Labour came into office, they cancelled 15 roading projects up and down the country\u201415. They gutted the construction pipeline in favour of a light rail project\u2014remember the light rail project?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022392e778576eb45dfa55b63a134b1f4c4\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: How\u2019s that going?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220afa43b812254c17a422b6953f06dc48\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the Government still can\u2019t decide. [Interruption] These are good questions. What\u2019s happened to it? Well, the Government can\u2019t decide if it\u2019s going to be a tunnel, a road, or, apparently, up on stilts. It was supposed to be built by 2021. We\u2019ve only got six weeks to go\u2014they\u2019d better get on with it. We haven\u2019t even seen a detailed design or construction plan, and in the meantime, Aucklanders, all 1.7 million of them, are paying 10c a litre more for petrol to fund the ghost train that never arrives. New Zealand should be in a construction boom right now. Instead, we\u2019re waiting for projects like the Tauranga Northern Link and Mill Road to even be started. We will hold the Government to account for its failure to deliver on transport.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThe Government outlined this morning that one of its key priorities will be climate change, so we\u2019re wondering how come emissions have gone up under them for the last three years. National will continue to support robust, sensible policies that will help us reduce emissions. We worked with the Government, cross-party, to establish an independent Climate Change Commission. We note that the initiatives highlighted by the Government today are not recommended by the independent Climate Change Commission. We will hold the Government to account on its ability to reduce emissions, not on how many things it can ban.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ENational will focus, this Parliament, on core education outcomes. For two decades, New Zealand has been falling down the international tables on literacy and numeracy, and the status quo simply is not delivering for many of our children. National will speak up for them. We will hold the Government to account on its inability to improve education outcomes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EUnder this Government, front-line police feel disempowered and disrespected. Just ask them\u2014disempowered and disrespected. More police are being shot at. Gang numbers are up by a third since Labour took office, and with all the \u201Csoft on drugs\u201D rhetoric, methamphetamine-related charges are up by almost as much. Under this Government, violent crime reported by police is up but convictions are down. Labour is more interested in getting prisoner numbers down than it is in keeping communities safe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c1eaf7cfe15c4160bf5b206f9e92c01d\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Soft on crims.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9c3fa5b13c143edbcf2aaad27948df7\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS\u003C/span\u003E: Soft on crime is right. They are putting criminals ahead of victims.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EComing back to corrections, assaults on corrections officers working in our prisons have risen by 37 percent in the past 12 months alone. Kelvin Davis has been asleep at the wheel, and the Prime Minister too. Staff at Auckland Prison have been the victims of more than a hundred assaults in the past year. As an employer, the Minister\u2019s not looking after his staff, and he needs to do better.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EPrison populations may be coming down, but at what cost? The Government isn\u2019t keeping communities safe. It just wants to give all those criminals a big hug and they\u2019ll make them be good boys and girls\u2014it simply doesn\u2019t work like that in the real world. New Zealanders are the victims of a Government\u2019s poor law and order policy. Crime fell dramatically under the previous National-led Government and, sadly, it\u2019s back as a major issue in our communities. National will hold the Government to account on law and order. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ELet me reflect on what Labour hasn\u2019t talked about. Well, they haven\u2019t talked about KiwiBuild, but we\u2019ll all know why, don\u2019t we? [Interruption] There\u2019s 16,000\u2014100,000 houses in 10 years. It\u2019s not going well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EFor the past three decades\u2014[Interruption] Let\u2019s talk about something we want to talk about. For the past three decades, now, the global technology sector has been the fastest-growing sector in the world. In New Zealand too, the tech sector\u2019s grown to be one of our biggest export earners\u2014about the same size as our meat exports. COVID-19 might just supercharge this. Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have returned home from places like San Francisco, London, and Hong Kong, and New Zealand has a base of a thriving tech sector here already. News for the Labour Party: it\u2019s not just a data bank. It\u2019s a lot bigger than that. It\u2019s a sector where being at the bottom of the world isn\u2019t necessarily an impediment, and we can double or even triple our exports from technology over the next 10 years. National will work with the Government to put our tech sector in the spotlight to highlight this as an area to grow our economy and our prosperity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThree years ago, the Prime Minister said in this very debate that if National is to defend its record, we must defend record homelessness and child poverty. Well, three years on, the Prime Minister has not delivered; it\u2019s got worse. Homelessness and poverty are worse now. In October 2017, the Prime Minister said, \u201CIf you have hundreds of thousands of children living in homes without enough to survive, that\u2019s a blatant failure. What else could you describe it as?\u201D Well, the numbers of households needing food grants more than doubled in the first two years of her Government, and it\u2019s just got worse since COVID\u2014more than doubled before COVID. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWe all know that the Prime Minister has good intentions, but good intentions are not enough. Three years ago, in this very same debate, the Prime Minister pledged her Government\u2019s intention to build 100,000 KiwiBuild houses to reduce child poverty and to reduce homelessness. On each of these measures\u2014her own measures\u2014she has failed. The impact of this failure is felt by hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders and their families, and in this term of Parliament National will hold the Government to account for its delivery. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWe will stand up for everyday New Zealanders who were promised so much by Labour\u2014promised so much. We will stand up for those hard-working, hard-saving people who were promised a pathway to owning their own home, and every year\u2014every month, indeed\u2014it gets worse. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EWe will stand up for the small-business people, who are working day in and day out, who have put their homes on the line, who have taken a risk to employ a new employee, and who are struggling to pay the bills. Today, I heard from the Speech from the Throne that the only help for small business was they could borrow more money, get more debt, and pay another holiday\u2014that sounded like it. There was no vision. I think the Labour Party\u2019s idea, or the Government\u2019s idea, of how to help a small business is to take a medium one, put Labour in charge, and look at it going down to small. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EFor the people dependent on Government benefits, though, they want a job. If they just want a job, we will stand up for them. For the innovators and the entrepreneurs, who want to try something new but don\u2019t want to get tied down by red tape, we\u2019ll stand up for them too. For the farmers, who get up early to earn New Zealand\u2019s way in the world and expect the Government to think practically and with principle about what those regulations mean for them, we\u2019ll stand up for them too. For the parents and the families, who expect a world-class education for their kids and they don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re getting it, we\u2019ll stand up for them too. For the workers doing it hard, who want the Government to be as careful with their money as they are, we\u2019ll stand up for them too. And for every New Zealander who aspires for more, who wants a pathway forward and who wants their hard work to be rewarded, the people who want their children to have more opportunities than they had\u2014yes, we\u2019ll stand up for them too. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003ENational will speak for these people. We will speak up for New Zealanders in this House because they deserve better than they have had. They deserve more from a Government of good intentions and many excuses. They deserve a Government that delivers, not just a Government of good intentions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003EThank you, Mr Speaker. I\u2019m very proud to be able to speak in this debate because this is a debate where good intentions from the Government will be put to the test by this party. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002271e554d1febd48b3ad5aeef88078793d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002271e554d1febd48b3ad5aeef88078793d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the amendment be agreed to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u0022a2776edcd2bd4882be29ca413bbc8008\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a2776edcd2bd4882be29ca413bbc8008\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E I do want to begin by acknowledging all the new members who have entered into this House and the extraordinary privilege that I know you are feeling as the opportunity to represent New Zealand dawns on you and you enjoy that new experience. I extend that to every new member. To those parties that have grown\u2014I acknowledge the ACT leadership, I acknowledge my colleagues in the Green Party where we have a cooperation agreement, and I acknowledge the new members of the National Party who have joined this House this day. I also acknowledge the M\u0101ori Party as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThe Leader of the Opposition, of course, stood up and acknowledged it\u2019s not the size of the intake, reflecting on her own history and the fact that in her intake there were three National party leaders within that cohort\u2014perhaps foreshadowing the leadership prospects that sit within that new cohort that are coming today! I\u2019m not sure if that was the intent, but I wish you well none the less.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI wish to reflect on, first of all, if I may, the speeches in which we began our debate in this House today, and I cannot imagine better speeches to set the tone of this new term of Parliament, and I want to particularly express the pride that I have in Ibrahim and Arena. They, as you will have seen for yourselves, are extraordinary individuals, but I would say that of each of our new MPs. I\u2019m extraordinarily proud to be the leader of the Labour Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThis is, in this 53rd Parliament, the most diverse Parliament we have ever had, and that\u2019s because voters\u2014that\u2019s because, ultimately, New Zealanders\u2014have chosen to reflect who we are as a nation in this House of Representatives. I can speak, of course, for the Labour Party, when I say we have teachers, we have social workers, we have a midwife\u2014quite lucky, in our case, to have that in our midst\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be5e4548d0644764836bdaccde65c107\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Any farmers, any business people?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d5eee248260448ba01dd8f9c184019b\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014we have doctors, we have journalists, we have unionists, we have one ex-diplomat, we have lawyers, we have environmentalists\u2014obviously, on that side there are old hands. We have tax specialists, equal pay advocates, we have people who have farmed, grown, run their own business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b907b8ca6af4616876112300f2e91d4\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: No, you haven\u2019t\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b9b92c5e8514f0193f71edebd3024f8\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: We have different languages, we have ethnicities\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022141e00db11794d1781d84d926fc38734\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Point them out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299fdf4f4e10e49608575c89ec94bded9\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: We obviously have more respect. We have the largest M\u0101ori team we have ever had in this party. We have New Zealand in this place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ENow, as I said, while parties play a role in that, it is ultimately the public that decides who is elected. So I want to begin my acknowledgment in this House, my speech in this debate, by thanking New Zealand for the honour and the privilege of being back here and forming a Labour Government. The support we received was diverse. It came from rural communities, it came from urban, towns, cities, and with that rightly comes a responsibility that I know every member on this side of the House and up into that side of the House\u2014that all of us\u2014feel strongly. I have said before, and I recommit again, we will be a Government for all New Zealanders, not least because that is what is needed in these times.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI have stopped saying that these are extraordinary times. COVID has meant that we\u2019ve had to find a dramatic new normal. At the beginning of 2020, which feels for all of us like an absolute lifetime ago, we saw the pandemic emerge on the other side of the world. By the end of February, New Zealand had its first known case, and what quickly followed was unprecedented moment after unprecedented moment: the closing of our borders, first, selectively in small part, then there was the asking of everyone who came here to quarantine for 14 days. And I recall, as we made that decision, I felt at that time that I was, essentially, closing off our borders and shutting down the hospitality that we pride ourselves in providing. And then we closed it completely. Of course, we\u2019ve had limits on gatherings. We\u2019ve had a complete lockdown. We\u2019ve had the introduction of quarantine. We have had first after first, but all of it has been necessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIn amongst all of this, it\u2019s never been the decisions themselves that have necessarily stood out the most to me; it has been New Zealand\u2019s response to those decisions. New Zealand has taken everything in its stride. That is not to say that it hasn\u2019t caused pain. Now, when we made that decision to close the borders, we knew what impact it would have on some of our regions. We knew the impact it would have on places like Rotorua and on Queenstown, and we felt that acutely, but we knew what was required. The collective action of New Zealand in support of those actions has been probably one of the most humbling experiences of my lifetime.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ENow, this Government does not take that sacrifice for granted, and that is why we owe New Zealand not just our gratitude. We owe them our ongoing action to make sure we preserve the gains that every single New Zealander contributed to, that every business that openly closed its doors when we asked, that cancelled a wedding or a celebration, that didn\u2019t have a tangi or gather in a time of grief\u2014we owe every single one of them to fight every day to preserve the gains that they fought so hard for too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThat is why there are three priorities for this Government. You will have heard them from the Speech from the Throne, but I do want to take this opportunity to say them again. Each of them centres on the same wellbeing approach that you saw us take in that first term, that was grounded in the work of the Wellbeing Budget, of saying that there is more to governance and to progress than GDP. And those three priorities for this Government are the following: to keep New Zealanders safe from COVID-19, to accelerate our economic recovery, and to lay the foundations, as we said in that speech, for a better future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThere is no doubt that as long as COVID is in the world, we must maintain our absolute focus on our health response; there is no question. We have always maintained that the best response for us was one that put our people first. And I remember some of the discussions we had as we watched other countries around the world deliberate on the options in front of them. We heard the debates about plunging into the idea of herd immunity. We heard the discussion about some countries that said that they would rather keep their borders open and learn to coexist with COVID and make it their new normal. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWell, that wasn\u2019t right for us, and the reason it wasn\u2019t right for us was because we knew that we had health inequalities in our country. We knew the capacity of our health system, which is excellent, but no health system in the world is built to deal with a global pandemic of this scale, and we knew what flattening the curve meant. Flattening the curve meant that we would not have the capacity to cope with everyone who needed hospital care. So we deliberately decided on a strategy of elimination. Not everyone has supported that move, but as long as I live, I will stand by the decisions that we collectively made to do that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThe strategy of elimination means that any time COVID emerges, we stamp it out. It\u2019s a strategy that we have evolved and we have refined, because there are very few countries who have adopted that approach. The premise is the same, though. We will not coexist with COVID amongst us, because that means coexisting with restrictions all of the time. It means coexisting with economic hardship consistently. And it means accepting an inevitability around loss of life, and we do not. But that vigilance around our health response means we all have a role to play, and everyone in this House has a role to play. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EFor us as Government, it means making sure we continue to manage our borders. That is our first line of defence. It means making testing widely available and accessible. It means supporting people to isolate if they are unwell. And at the heart of that, of course, are our moves to extend sick pay in this country to make sure we have the legal basis that supports our response to the pandemic. It means having an excellent contact tracing system and making sure we\u2019re using technology in that as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EBut for all of us, for every single New Zealander, it means staying home when you\u2019re sick, it means getting tested, it means keeping a record of where you have been at all times, and it means things like mask use on public transport. Now, that list may sound easy, but we all need to make sure that we create the environment where the public feel like they can undertake that response too. If we create an environment of blame, of judgment, where we publicly crucify those who may contract COVID-19, we fundamentally disrupt our ability to respond to this virus. We will only be as successful as a New Zealand public who are willing to get themselves tested, are willing to say if they\u2019re unwell that they will stay home, and that means we cannot stigmatise; we must support. So that is my message\u2014as Dr Bloomfield said, \u201CPeople are not the problem,\u201D and it is up to us to make it so. Ultimately, this is a formula that can save lives and support our economy, and it\u2019s a formula that has been endorsed. I note, even this week, Bloomberg has listed us as number one in terms of our resilience to COVID-19, and in that measure they\u2019ve looked at our health response, they\u2019ve looked at our ability to make sure that we\u2019ve reopened our economy. It is an endorsement of the team of 5 million\u2019s work and I acknowledge that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EOn the Opposition side, I absolutely understand and expect that they will play their role in holding us to account in our health response to COVID-19. The one thing I will ask them to remember is the alternative\u2014there is no such thing as a cost-free response to COVID. No country in the world has experienced a response that is not coming at a cost in some form. Our view is that we have chosen the path that allows us to avoid the greatest of costs, and that is the human cost. The natural question, though, that everyone will be asking is: \u201CHow long for? How long will we be living in these unprecedented times, with these extraordinary moves? How long will we have to be in this form of new normal?\u201D Next year, there is a clear path for the globe around the response in the form of vaccination, but we must be realistic with everybody\u2014not just in New Zealand but globally\u2014that there are hundreds of vaccine candidates. Not all of them necessarily will meet the needs of our population base. We will need to sequence, as these vaccines roll out, the immunisation of our population. It will not happen en masse, it will not happen quickly, and we\u2019ll need to sequence that vaccine protection with changes in our border settings with top of mind the safety of our public and our community. Next year does present opportunity, but it also presents risk. We, as a Government, undertake to communicate clearly with New Zealand what that path around vaccination will be and what it will mean. We will keep focused on looking after our people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIn the meantime, recovery has already begun. We\u2019ve always said the response and the recovery must happen at the same time, and we already see the signs of that recovery. There were predictions early on, even at the Budget, that we would be facing unemployment levels up around the 10 percent mark. We, in the last quarter, saw unemployment at 5.3 percent. Now, we don\u2019t celebrate any level of unemployment\u2014we are the Labour Party\u2014however, what we are seeing with more than 230,000 more in employment in September than predicted is that the response we have chosen is cushioning us from the harshest edges of this pandemic. But this has not just been through good luck; it has been through planning, it has been through policy, it has been through a concerted effort to focus on protecting livelihoods, and we must continue with that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EAt the election, we presented a plan that New Zealanders endorsed. It includes investing in our people to stay in work or to get work, supporting small businesses to thrive, job creation initiatives, programmes to bolster our exports, and preparing for a sustainable future. When COVID-19 struck\u2014and I will always remember this very well\u2014the Minister of Finance very, very quickly identified the need for us to keep people linked to their work and the dignity of their work; 1.7 million people were supported through the wage subsidy. Now, key for us in the delivery of that programme was speed, and to any worker from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD)\u2014and I acknowledge you, Minister Sepuloni\u2014who is listening to this, I thank you for the role that you played. Only a week ago, I met someone from a small business who said, \u201CI remember filing for my application for the wage subsidy on a Friday, and going into the weekend and wondering if I would be able to keep my staff, my family\u2014and that payment came through that weekend.\u201D And that was because an MSD worker was working through every hour that we had to make sure we delivered for every business that needed that support, and I acknowledge them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EBut some have been displaced. We know that disproportionate impact that we see on women, on M\u0101ori, on Pasifika, on young people. Now, while in some of the statistics we are starting to see job growth back in those areas, where traditionally we do see women, for instance, it is not enough for us simply to sit and wait for that return. We want to invest in our people and provide new pathways and new opportunities. That has meant, for us, looking on the lessons of the past. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWhen we last experienced the global financial crisis, we know the area that took a hit particularly was vocational training and apprenticeships. It is completely understandable that when an employer is thinking about how they will survive an economic downturn, they will, inevitably, look to release those team members who are their newest, their most inexperienced, and who they may still be training. They are our apprentices, and they are the very people that we need for our rebuild. We moved quickly on a wage subsidy scheme to support employers to keep their apprentices on, and they are. But, more than that, we also looked to encourage more people into apprenticeships, so we made them free. That simple act of sending a message that there is no barrier to training has meant that this year we have doubled the number of apprentices on last year. We have 14,000, and amongst that 5,000 women, but more needs to be done. I want to just acknowledge that we have also made vocational training in targeted areas free, that includes in parts of our health system. This is about trying to bring more diversity into vocational training and education, and that is something that we will keep working very hard on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe also know that we need to do more to support our sole parents, more to support those who are carers and those who are on support payments in our system. That is why we\u2019ve committed to reinstating the Training Incentive Allowance so that single parents, those with disabilities, or who are carers can aspire to degree-level training. It is something that should never have been removed\u2014people in this House have benefited from that. It means lifting the abatement rate as we intend to do, and extending the Flexi-wage scheme to support those who will be, and have been, disproportionately affected by COVID-19.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EBut all of this requires, of course, our trainees, those who are supporting themselves into new opportunities, to actually have jobs to move into. Now, in some areas, we have work; we just don\u2019t have the workforce. Our seasonal workforce is one of those areas. Now, whilst we are working very hard with the industry, and I acknowledge in some of those industries they have worked to make sure that they have wages that are decent and conditions that are good\u2014but to everyone, I implore you: this is a chance for us to make the changes we\u2019ve been talking about for years, to recruit New Zealanders into this work through decent wages, decent conditions, and decent opportunities. I thank those in the industry who are doing just this, and I implore the rest to come along with us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThe same goes for the areas we invest in to create opportunities. We want meaningful work that leaves a lasting legacy for New Zealand. In February\u2014again, approximately a lifetime ago\u2014we announced the New Zealand Upgrade. At that time we thought it represented the biggest upgrade spend that we would see in New Zealand. It included decarbonisation of parts of our public sector, investment in projects for every single State school in the country, massive transport upgrades that include public transport, walking, and cycling, and that it is the difference between us and the last National Government\u2014we want people to have choice in their transport options, and our transport projects are not press releases; they are projects that we fund.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EBut then, of course, we saw COVID hit; we knew we needed to invest more. It was an opportunity to stimulate the investment in our communities that isn\u2019t about those large-scale projects but is as meaningful in its impact. Community ventures like libraries, like surf lifesaving clubs, community pools, and creative spaces\u2014we have invested in them all. I will always remember one of the projects I had the chance to announce. I was in Tai R\u0101whiti\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b2aa3cbb25644af9da5a3d532be406f\u0022\u003EHon Kiritapu Allan\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220935b9e0fc364f479de9a62fc18735c7\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014for a very\u2014I always know that there will be a positive response when I mention the East Coast in this House. I now expect, likewise, for many other parts of the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f18a49dce3a44ab29c62130ed697596f\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Give it a go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a8d1125208344a86bddb297c28931d8a\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I was in Tai R\u0101whiti, some distance from the Wairarapa, and they had been working for years to upgrade that community pool. They in that area have a well-utilised and well-loved olympic pool complex, but simple things like the fact that the changing rooms are not directly connected to the pool, so in the wintertime you have to make a mad, near-naked dash from the changing room to the pool\u2014simple things that mean that that well-loved facility didn\u2019t look as well-loved as it could be. Now, that is a huge ask for a council with a rating base that was not growing. So that was an area where we knew we could create jobs but we could also invest in community by partnering to deliver that project. Now, when we announced both Midway Surf Lifesaving Club\u2019s upgrade and the olympic pool complex, people cried. We should never underestimate the impact of these projects and the legacy that, in a way, COVID will leave our communities because these are investments for jobs and for infrastructure and for legacy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe have the opportunity to do the same with public housing now. I will for ever find it galling to be lectured by the Leader of the Opposition who left us a housing crisis, denied it was a housing crisis, and, I have to say, whose major response to that housing crisis\u2014their major response to the housing crisis\u2014was to sell State houses, to cut the public housing waiting list, and on the one thing that apparently would make all the difference, planning, they did absolutely nothing\u2014nothing. So I do find it galling, and a big difference between this side of the House and that side of the House is we do not believe that escalating house prices are a suitable part of an economic plan for growth. It is not\u2014it is not. That is why we are not content with the experience that New Zealand is having right now. We will keep working, as we did in the last term. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe closed tax loopholes, we stopped foreign buyers, we started our plan, and we are on track to deliver more than 6,000 State houses. We have more consents that are being issued in Auckland since the 1970s and more houses than any Government has built since the 1970s. The sad fact is that if that National Party, when they were in office, built public houses at the rate we are, we would not have a housing waiting list right now. So we will continue that work on public housing. We will continue the work that has led to first-home buyers making up 25 percent of the market. But we are not content with that, so we will keep going.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EWe also have an opportunity in areas like, for instance, waste management, which will contribute to our climate goals; investment in water treatment, because in New Zealand, it is a national shame that we don\u2019t have safe drinking water everywhere; and, of course, the ongoing rebuild of schools and hospitals.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003ESmall business is squarely part of our plan as well. During the election campaign, I remember the Leader of the Opposition dismissing taking action on things like merchant service fees. That just tells me a conversation has not been had, by that leader, with a retailer. This is a significant bugbear. It is not the only thing we will do, but it\u2019s not something to be trivialised. We will progress prompt payment, we will keep rolling out Business Connect, and the technological advancement we saw by our small businesses that adapted so rapidly in lockdown\u2014we\u2019ll continue with those digital technology vouchers in the next term.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThe same for our exporters. Already, of course, we\u2019ve invested more than $200 million to support our exporters into markets while our borders are closed. Our borders may be closed, but we want our goods and services to continue moving. I must acknowledge the work that, as trade Minister at the time, Minister Parker did to make sure that those trade flows continued. We are seeing growth in our export markets. Dairy, beef, fruit\u2014kiwifruit is booming. All of that makes a huge difference right now when we are in the throes of recovery. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, of course, will be an important step. The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus will be ratified. The European Union free-trade agreement is clearly in our sights, as is an agreement with the UK. And our agreement on climate change, trade, and sustainability and our chair of APEC all present opportunities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThe last point I wanted to reflect on is that idea of using this opportunity to prepare for our future. We don\u2019t trade on our products alone; we trade on our brand. We trade on notions of trust, on quality, and on the environment. If we don\u2019t demonstrate that we understand the principles of kaitiakitanga, we suffer from that economically\u2014not to mention the moral issue that we leave the next generation. Our response to COVID is an opportunity to hasten the pace on our environmental challenges. We already had an agenda for the restoration of our waterways, we\u2019re rolling out our Essential Freshwater programme, but our Jobs for Nature package helps us to hasten that and support our primary producers and communities as we go, with riparian planting, working on sedimentation, and even supporting with pest control. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EAt the same time, this is our chance also to expedite our work on climate change. We have said, of course, that the progress we made in the last term laid the foundation, but the job is not done. We stand proudly on a record of the zero carbon legislation, the Climate Commission and the carbon budgets they will produce, the ban on offshore oil and gas permits into the future, the establishment of a hydrogen road map, record investment in public transport, and He Waka Eke Noa, our historic agreement with the primary producers on our pathway to properly price emissions in the future. That was a foundation, and I acknowledge the huge role that the Green Party played in the last Government in laying that foundation. Next, more progress on transport: vehicle emission standards, zero emission buses, bringing forward our goal of 100 percent renewable. We are not done. Our next generation cannot allow us to sit still when the climate crisis continues to move at pace\u2014but more on that next week.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EI want to finish on the issue of child poverty. I have to say, in the last term the most frequently used statistic to attack us in this House by the Opposition was actually the poverty statistics for the National Government\u2019s time in office. We still have not had the household income surveys that show the full impact of the Families Package, but undeniably\u2014undeniably\u2014that increase in the family tax credit, undeniably the introduction of the winter energy payment, the first return of a universal child payment, a general increase in benefits\u2014not just one for families with parents and children, which is what the last Government did, but a general benefit increase\u2014undeniably have made progress. But it is not enough; we\u2019ve always said that. We have to keep going. Our children require it of us. So you will not hear satisfaction on this side of the House until you see us reach our goals around child poverty, which we are so committed to we legislated for them. But you will also hear us stand proudly on that record of progress. We will have an unrelenting focus not just on material hardship but on incomes, which the National Government refused to focus on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EThese are some of the harshest times for this country, but as was said in the Speech from the Throne, this is also a time for unrelenting focus on consensus and change, bringing New Zealand with us as we face the challenges of tomorrow. I am confident that we can leave this place having made it better than we found it, and that is what we intend to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022 data-id=\u00222e696270a12a44e481ce5e720b14462e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222e696270a12a44e481ce5e720b14462e\u0022\u003EHon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader\u2014Green):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te M\u0101ngai o te Whare. T\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa, ng\u0101 mema P\u0101remata katoa i roto i t\u0113nei Whare. Ki ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau, ng\u0101 hoa, ng\u0101 kaitirotiro kua haramai nei ki roto i t\u0113nei Whare P\u0101remata, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Mr Speaker. Greetings to all Members of Parliament in this House. To the families, the friends, and the observers who have arrived to Parliament today, greetings one and all.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, I want to add our congratulations on behalf of the Green Party also directly to you. Me, personally, I have enjoyed your firm, your mostly fair, your very entertaining style, and your deeply knowledgeable approach to maintaining the absolute chaos in this House. I did recall back to a time where, as I first entered this House as a fresh new MP\u2014I think I had been in here for a whole entire five minutes, and I was reading my speech for a piece of legislation, a bill going through the House. It may have been day two for me. I recall fondly a little note from you telling me you will not tolerate me reading my speeches from my notes. I look forward to you having that same harshness to all these new MPs who have come into this House today, Mr Speaker. I still have that note up on my board, something I will always treasure that reminds me that you are wanting unique and genuine political debate and not to be so confined by the words we might have in front of us on paper. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ESo as I now look at my paper\u2014I am proud to stand and speak on behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa today. I felt it was worth starting by highlighting the founding charter of the Green Party of Aotearoa, where we start off by absolutely affirming Te Tiriti o Waitangi as our founding document. What that means for us also is that we are all accountable to the self-determination of hap\u016B and iwi, that it is not simply just a founding document, that it involves actions and accountability and a relationship that all of us, certainly, here in this House are bound to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EAlongside our acknowledgment as a party to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, it overhangs the principles that come underneath and as part of that work. It includes having wisdom and care for Papat\u016B\u0101nuku and operating within an approach that she is able to sustain. It includes making sure that community decisions made hold the power at the level that is appropriate, that we are making sure that communities are leading on the issues that impact on them. It includes making sure that everyone has enough to live decent lives, and not just the few. It ensures making sure that all of those values are interdependent and connected to a society of non-violence, to a life where we achieve peace through justice. Right now it seems absolutely appropriate that we recall those values, those key founding kaupapa of the Green Party, as I stand in this House today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI wanted to touch on the historic success of the Green Party on election night, because I cannot dismiss and cannot forget to mention the incredible volunteer support, the love from family members all across the country, the love from new supporters who were rising up to a positive vision of progressive change, not just for now but for generations ahead. It has never been done under MMP, where a smaller party not only maintains their 5 percent threshold after being in their first term of Government, but, in fact, we came back bigger and stronger. I am proud of the values that we put on the ground during our campaign. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI am proud also that for the first time in 20 years and for only the second time in history, the Greens now have another electorate in Auckland Central\u2014woohoo! What Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u2019s campaign was able to prove is that when you have a grassroots campaign driven with inspiring and motivating values that people from across demographics and backgrounds can cling to, then, actually, people can come on board with that vision, and come on board they did. We absolutely congratulate Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick in her work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EWe are fortunate to have expanded our caucus from the eight members we had last term to add three new members to a total of 10 members this term. I am delighted that my colleague Teanau Tuiono will bring his unique Pasifika voice, experience, and connections into this House and Parliament\u2014absolutely. He will give leadership to a range of issues, including the impacts of climate change in the Pacific as well as closer to home. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EDr Elizabeth Kerekere also brings with her decades of lived experience, of strategic planning insights, of academic research and grit to represent the interests of many, many groups, including young people and rainbow communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ERicardo Men\u00E9ndez March will bring his strength and experience as a grassroots campaigner and a connector of people. His passion for economic justice and equality for all couldn\u2019t be more critical right now, as we collectively face one of the harshest impacts and economic recessions that we have experienced in this lifetime. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ESo, historically, when the Green Party\u2019s political support has risen, it has come at the expense of our colleagues in the Labour Party, but not this time\u2014not this time. I would like to take this moment to welcome the many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many new Labour MPs who are joining us this term. We look forward to working alongside you all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EKi a r\u0101tou Te Paati M\u0101ori. Ahakoa k\u0101ore t\u0113nei w\u0101 e noho ana, ka tika kua hoki mai r\u0101tou o Te Paati M\u0101ori ki t\u0113nei Whare o te Whare P\u0101remata. Ko taku pirangi ki te mahi tahi ki a koutou o Te Paati M\u0101ori ki te whakamana i ng\u0101 take Tiriti. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E[To those of Te Paati M\u0101ori. Even though this is not a sitting session, it is great that Te Paati M\u0101ori has returned to Parliament. I would like to work with Te Paati M\u0101ori on Treaty issues. Thank you.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI acknowledge our literal new House neighbours in the ACT Party, and I am sure that David Seymour is happy to finally have some friends with him. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ETo the new streamlined version of the National Party, I fondly welcome you back.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EOur campaign slogan at the election was simple: think ahead. Over the last term of Government, we knew that for every action we take, future generations will be holding us to account. Our focus has always been on ensuring that we are good ancestors, that our descendants will inherit more equal communities, an economy that is greener, and a natural world that thrives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI want to now acknowledge the work of former Minister Eugenie Sage, who oversaw one of the largest expansions in conservation in recent decades and started us down the path of reducing our waste on this beautiful whenua of Aotearoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge Julie Anne Genter, who helped secure billions in new investment for sustainable transport and ushered through historic changes to give women access to equal pay. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge Jan Logie, under-secretary, who courageously initiated changes to how the Government addresses family violence and sexual violence. She lay the foundation that I am privileged to, and hope to, build off as a Minister for the first time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EGolriz Ghahraman\u2014for her work in public and behind the scenes to lift the refugee quota, to improve access to democracy, and to strengthen the protection of human rights in terrorism law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EThe Greens campaigned on becoming a constructive partner to a Labour-led Government, as well as pushing further and faster on our core issues. Our new cooperation agreement with Labour allows us to do just that. In the past three years, with just eight MPs, the Greens demonstrated it is possible to make significant policy gains outside of Cabinet. Much of the commentary in this building would have us believe that politics is a highly transactional business, that politics is just a world of constant horse trading and outmanoeuvring, that politics is a game played exclusively by cunning political operatives. It may not, however, come as a surprise that this is not how the Green Party tends to operate. Many of our biggest wins in the last term came from building relationships, building trust, and eventually building consensus on the best way forward. It\u2019s potentially not as exciting, obviously, but it works. It\u2019s how, outside of our confidence and supply agreement, the Greens were able to put an end to offshore oil and gas exploration, to secure two-thirds of a billion dollars to address family violence and sexual violence, put climate change back in the Resource Management Act, secure thousands of jobs for nature, and many more things. It is why, even with Labour holding a historic majority, it makes sense for the Greens to be a partner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EThis Government will likely spend 15 years\u2019 worth of Budget allowances as we rebuild from the impacts of COVID-19, and the decisions we make this term will shape the future of our economy, our communities, and our planet for decades to come. It is also a time when we face other fundamental challenges to the wellbeing of our people and of future generations: housing affordability, inequality, climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we have just 10 years to halve climate-damaging emissions and protect this planet for future generations. Ten years is a very short time for any Government, at any point in time. This term, the big levers need to be pulled. It is this term that the downward trajectory of carbon emissions must begin. Governments cannot do what they did before and sit on our hands. It is time for action.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud that in the last three years the Government took more action on climate change than in the last 30 years combined. We passed the zero carbon Act, created the independent Climate Change Commission, and fixed the emissions trading scheme. Because of what we did last term, we now have the foundations in place for long-term, meaningful climate action. Now is the time to build on that and get every part of Government working to bring our emissions down. So we are excited to have James Shaw back to the role of climate change Minister to lead this work for what will be a critical three years for our planet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIt is a huge honour for me to take on the role of a Minister for the very first time. The prevention of family violence and sexual violence is personal for me, as it is for far too many New Zealanders. As the chief panellist on a nationwide inquiry into domestic violence and child abuse, it was clear to me how broad and deep the harm is, even when just one person is hurt. It shatters people\u2019s lives and whole communities. It is why this work is so important. It is work that has been at the heart of the Green Party for a long time. Last term, the amazing Jan Logie secured two-thirds of a billion dollars to rebuild a system that would both support survivors and prevent violence in the first place. We have so much more work to do now to ensure that our communities most affected by family violence and sexual violence are properly supported. We have work to do to help those on the front lines, like doctors and teachers, spot the tell-tale signs of family violence and intervene early, and we still have work to do to ensure our justice system ends the retraumatisation of survivors of sexual assault, which puts too many women off seeking justice in the very first place. This is not something one person, or I alone, can do. I know there are many Ministers and members of Parliament in this House and many people working in the community who have helped lead this important mahi for a very long time. I look forward to working with all of you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EOur cooperation agreement is unique in MMP history in that it allows us to play a constructive role to get good things done in Government while retaining an independent voice on key issues. Labour and the Greens agree on much. We have many shared values and goals. Where we may differ is our belief in the degree of change that is possible and the degree of change that is needed to meet the scale of the challenge. The election result delivered a clear message that people trust the Prime Minister and this Government to manage the risk of, and recovery from, COVID-19. That trust is deserved. This country\u2019s response to COVID-19 is a model for what is possible to achieve when we call on each other to come together for a common purpose. It is a model for what is possible when we meet unprecedented challenges with bold, courageous policies and big investments that can meet the moment, and it is a reminder that people are willing to accept change when the realities of inaction are clearly laid out and we are asked to act in our collective interest. Our world-leading response to COVID-19 should give everyone in this House hope for our collective ability to meet the current challenges of our time. It should be a model for how we confront the major challenges of this decade: housing affordability, the growing imbalance of wealth, and an unstable climate and loss of biodiversity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s take housing. If we choose, we can be a country where homes are for living in, not just for wealthy people to make even more wealth. It is fair to say that today the unaffordability of housing is unprecedented. No economists, even, were predicting even a few months ago that we would still be watching house prices and rents soar in the midst of a recession off the back of a global pandemic. House prices have risen 20 percent in the last year, and they\u2019re expected to rise another 15 percent in the next. At the same time, people without assets have watched the median wage drop for the first time in history, and unemployment is up. We are now at a point in time where failing to meet the scale of this challenge risks opening up a wicked divide that will become impossible for future generations to close and to cross, a divide between the property-owning haves and have-nots. We should not accept a country where only the children of parents with property can afford to buy a home, or where rent in a cold, unhealthy home rises well faster than the average wage. COVID showed us that people are willing to make sacrifices big and small to take care of everyone. It is time for us to meet this unprecedented challenge with policies and investment that match the scale of the problem. Now feels like the time to be ruling in solutions that have not before been on the table.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EI turn now to our social safety net, which was formed after another unprecedented moment in history, the Great Depression. It was a recognition that at any point in time, the fickle current nature of our economy could find a person up against hard times. This concept has gone from abstract to real for many more people in the last year. COVID-19 has resulted in more than 70,000 people receiving income support in the last eight months. It\u2019s an experience of hardship that many thousands of other New Zealanders already understood. Our collective wellbeing as a country depends on each of us having enough to live with dignity. Yet today our social safety net is still set so low to the ground that it is hard for many people to ever get back up again. It is the position of our party that the minimum household income needs to be lifted so individuals and families can think about their future and not simply survive the day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003ETo climate change: when much of life is carrying on as normal in Aotearoa, it can be hard to keep in our mind\u2019s eye the risk that the COVID-19 virus poses. When this crisis began, however, we were fortunate that we did not need to see our hospitals overrun before believing that decisive action was needed. This is in large part thanks to the clear communication from the Government, health officials, and media, who clearly laid out the stark, real consequence of inaction. And we are fortunate that the images from elsewhere in the world, almost everywhere in the world, made visible the consequences of not going hard and going early. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIf we are going to address other challenges we face, like the climate crisis, then we need to take a similar approach. On a still, clear day it can be hard to imagine the extreme changes that will unfold if we don\u2019t go hard and early to stop the pollution of our shared planet. Yet we also have images available to us of the consequences of inaction on climate change: unprecedented wildfires in Australia and the US, dying coral reefs in the Pacific, and extreme flooding here at home recently in Hawke\u2019s Bay, for example. We don\u2019t have to imagine the solutions either. They already exist. They are the compact, walkable towns and cities of Europe, the solar revolution in Germany, and the regenerative agricultural movement taking place on farms across Aotearoa. And did someone say, \u201CLand back to indigenous peoples.\u201D? It might have been me. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EIf, as leaders, we are willing to bring the same urgency and clarity to our communications for climate change that we did for COVID, then we make the bold change we need possible. While this is the beginning of a new Parliament, it is mercifully nearly the end of 2020. It has been a difficult year and I recognise that for many those hard times are not over. But it is during the toughest time that we realise what we are capable of. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003EThis year alone has shown us that we can meet unprecedented challenges by being bold, courageous, and uniting behind a common goal. Together, we have kept each other safe and taken steps we could not have imagined taking before. It is my hope that this year redefines what we think is possible in the next and in this coming term. It has been my privilege to present for the Green Party our first speech for this parliamentary term. 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=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022d4951a54eea440c086d7136a0bed6c81\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d4951a54eea440c086d7136a0bed6c81\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise on behalf of ACT in reply to Her Majesty\u2019s speech. I want to acknowledge my fellow MPs, both new and old; and fellow party leaders; and Marama Davidson, for saying I\u2019d be pleased to have some friends in the House. I want to tell Marama Davidson I\u2019ve always had friends in this House, but now I\u2019ve got nine I actually agree with. I also want to acknowledge those people who sent us here. To my neighbours in the Epsom electorate who sent me here for a third time, it\u2019s a great honour to represent you, and my first job has always been to serve as your local constituency MP. To the 219,031 New Zealanders who gave their party vote to ACT, my fellow ACT MPs\u2014welcome, folks\u2014will be your voice in this Parliament standing for those who want to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those they care about, not be fodder for politicians and the grand Government schemes of which we\u2019ve heard so much today already.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re proud ACT MPs to stand and speak freely in this House. We\u2019re proud New Zealanders to be part of a country that just elected its 53rd Parliament freely and peacefully in 166 years. Pitifully few countries can come close to\u2014let alone match\u2014that record. And, unfortunately, while we cherish our democracy at home, it is in retreat abroad. I was born in 1983. Mr Speaker, hello. It won\u2019t be lost on you that you were nearly sitting in this House by that time. The first thing I recall seeing on television, besides Play School, was people attacking a wall covered in graffiti. Sometimes you just know something\u2019s important, even if you\u2019re not sure what it is. And those images are seared on my mind. And we celebrated for two decades the fall of that wall in Berlin. Fukuyama said it was the end of history. Helen Clark said that we lived in a benign strategic environment. That was then; fast forward today and we watch the walls go back up around Hong Kong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThese are just anecdotes, but there\u2019s many to count. And Freedom House, who have been counting these things for decades, tell us that since the great financial crisis, democracy has been in decline around the world. Fewer countries practise it now than they did 12 years ago and those that do are taking it less seriously than they used to. Too many people around the world decide that democracy is not working for them and they elect populists and strongmen. Sometimes it\u2019s quite amusing. The Italians at one point decided to elect a comedian; or my personal favourite, the Ukrainians, who took up an actor who played a fictional president in a television drama and made them their actual president. It\u2019s less funny when we remember the iron law of international relations: that the strong do as they can while the weak suffer as they must. We as a small island democracy cannot afford to ignore this trend that is unfolding around the world. And the question we must ask is why? Why, after a resurgence of democracy after the Cold War, do people turn away from it? Well, there\u2019s lots of theories. The internet circulates fake information, probably. Globalisation creates winners and losers, sure. The Russians are interfering in our elections. The media are dying. And so it goes on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EBut I\u2019ve got a better answer, which is that democratic Governments just are not solving hard problems for their people. The big promise of Western Governments for the last 80 years has been: give us a third to half your income. Let us regulate all the property we haven\u2019t taxed off you and we\u2019ll solve your problems. People look around the world and they see that it just ain\u2019t happening. They see productivity growth is in the tank. We just aren\u2019t working smarter year on year. Some people around the world find their wages go backwards. We spend more time each year trying to follow the Government\u2019s rules and regulations and less time providing for ourselves and our families.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EDemographics are horrible. We\u2019re set up for a Millennial-Boomer civil war. It\u2019s hard for younger people to share the boomers\u2019 optimism when they can\u2019t afford a home and their taxes are paying for their retirement. And the welfare State that we\u2019re in simply does not work when you have an underclass failed by State education and trapped by State welfare. People look at these results and they no longer see shining cities on the hill, but seek other much more dangerous models. And this matters not only for our security as a small island nation but because we have the same problems. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI start my Address in Reply speech with this observation because New Zealand needs to ask what it can do to change this world that is perilous for us. There are not enough of us to change the world by force, but we have always been an exceptional nation: children of pioneers, people who have travelled further for a better tomorrow than any humans have ever migrated in history, a people who can set, by the power of example, great change off around the world. That\u2019s what the ACT Party seeks to do in this Parliament. The problem that we have is that right now our Government does not offer positive, practical solutions to our problems. We are not seeking to be a beacon of light that can actually save freedom and democracy from our place at the bottom of the Earth. Instead, we have our own brand of South Pacific populism powered by smiles and slogans.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe COVID period shows a laundry list of Government failing to act efficiently. No country entered the COVID period with better advantages than us. There\u2019s a few countries that are more remote. There\u2019s some with a younger, more spread-out population. There\u2019s some that are more sophisticated, have more wealth and institutions and better healthcare. But no country had the combination of advantages with which New Zealand entered the COVID period. We were told that we went hard and went early when we were the 63rd country to get a case. We were told the policy was test, test, test, when in truth the Government could test only 1,500 a day. We were told that there was no shortage of personal protective equipment when health professionals, including those I represent in Epsom, were on TV every night saying they had none in their hospital. We were told to be kind while absurd rules separated fathers from seeing their firstborn, and even wives from being supported as they miscarried with their supporters outside pacing in the car park. We were told it was illegal to go out when no legal instrument requiring that existed. We were told butchers and greengrocers were dangerous places, but you couldn\u2019t catch COVID at a dairy. I have constituents who were told they cannot return to say goodbye to dying loved ones because it\u2019s for the public good and yet the Minister of Health said testing the people who work at the border for COVID was a \u201Cbig lever to pull\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re told the Government\u2019s contact tracing app will help isolate any outbreaks and yet so few people use it as to render it completely ineffectual. And so it goes on. At every turn, the Government\u2019s COVID response has looked like Dad\u2019s Army, saved only by our isolation and the spirit of our people. And this matters because we\u2019re about to enter what might be called COVID 2, the vaccine edition. This month, the giants of the pharmaceutical industry have put their reputations on the line, saying they\u2019re going to deliver 90 percent - plus effective vaccines by the million within months. How will New Zealand navigate COVID 2? Will it be the same hapless approach that we took last time? Will we say our approach to risk is that we won\u2019t take any under any circumstances? Will the Government decision-making remain murky and unpredictable with businesses forced to just guess what might happen next? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThat can\u2019t be the best we can do. Imagine if the Government took an open, transparent, and proactive approach to managing the COVID world where there is a vaccine. Imagine if it published scenarios to answer questions such as when do they expect the vaccine? How will it be distributed and applied, and under what circumstances will we start opening borders and to which countries first, based on the risk that they pose? The world is about to drastically change and the Government hasn\u2019t even tried to communicate how we will change with it. Yet again, there\u2019s no briefing paper, there\u2019s no scenarios set out. We\u2019re flying blind, and not only is it an injury to business but it\u2019s an insult, because you get the feeling they think they\u2019re popular enough that they don\u2019t need to say. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s the economic management. The IMF forecasts that our incomes will be lower in 2025 than in 2019 per capita. That\u2019s extraordinary. The Government will spend nearly half of all money earned in New Zealand this year. Then there\u2019s the debt problem. Make no mistake, we squandered our natural advantages in the COVID period and mortgaged our future to boot. This can\u2019t be as good as it gets. Imagine if we were truly world leading instead of just a bit lucky. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe ACT Party says that it\u2019s not too late to follow those who have done well. We should follow Taiwan in having an epidemic response unit, a specialist multidisciplinary public and private sector collaboration, to make sure that we are actually responding intelligently. We should have Government\u2019s role as being a referee, setting the rules and making sure they\u2019re followed, rather than trying to do everything itself\u2014and badly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EWe should take a proactive approach to managing risk. Right now we isolate people from COVID-ridden countries, with the same criteria, right beside people coming from countries that have no COVID whatsoever. We could use better technology, but unfortunately we are virtually technophobic at a Government level and have that hopeless tracing app that is beyond ineffective. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EFinally, we should compare ourselves with the best. We should stop living in a state of State-induced fear. We should instead be saying to people, \u201CHow can we be the best in the world?\u201D, not \u201CAren\u2019t you lucky you\u2019re not the worst?\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EWill we transform our approach from getting lucky to getting smart in COVID too? Well, that is up to the Government, but our role in this Parliament as an Opposition party is to make helpful suggestions where possible and make constructive criticisms when necessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EBut COVID is something that, thankfully, if nothing else, will pass. The longer-term problems that the entire West faces are things like productivity. The real miracle is not that we have anaemic productivity growth in New Zealand but that anything gets produced at all in light of Government policy. I know there\u2019s some people who think productivity growth doesn\u2019t matter. Well, it matters to so many people. Let me pick one: Bella Powell, the brave 15-year-old with cystic fibrosis, who needs drugs that are funded overseas but not here. Ultimately, it\u2019s a productivity issue. I hope the Prime Minister and this Government will keep their campaign trail promise to do a proper review of the rules of Pharmac in Government\u2014very pleased to see them take it up. But, ultimately, if we don\u2019t have the funds, then no funding model will fund the drugs that the Bellas of the world need. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EYou know, employers I\u2019ve always regarded as good people. They assemble investment, ideas and products, and customers together to create, for people, jobs. You might think that\u2019s something that a Government would encourage; yet this Government treats employers like a cash cow for carrying out the social policies they fantasised about as student politicians. Minimum wage increases beyond productivity growth are only going to destroy jobs. Five more days of sick leave for no obvious policy reason other than to reward people who might vote for the Government at the expense of people I suspect they cynically think won\u2019t. A new public holiday for purely political reasons. [Interruption] As a young man who runs a very successful ice cream shop in Christchurch\u2014Duncan Webb will be interested to know\u2014recently said to me, \u201CThe cost of those policies will be $150,000 to $200,000 for our business.\u201D That man said to the Prime Minister herself, would she like to have him employ fewer people or raise prices, sell less, and employ fewer people? That\u2019s the reality for these businesses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003ENow the Government wants to bring back 1970s-style national awards. They want unions to negotiate with a national employer group to set wages for a whole industry, for the whole country, regardless of who it is or what work exactly or whatever. The first problem they\u2019ve got is there\u2019s no national employer group to negotiate with. The second is that this is not actually the 1970s. The economy is vastly more complex and jobs more variable than they were then. But the third problem is that the national awards scheme didn\u2019t work then either. That\u2019s why we got rid of it\u2014because we were struggling under the weight of the bureaucracy and the inefficiency of that archaic scheme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen they tell us they want to raise income tax, and the most interesting thing about the Government\u2019s messaging around the income tax raise is they say it will only affect a small percentage of people. Well, hang on. Since when was it OK to pick on people if there aren\u2019t very many of them? Well, the funny thing is this Government is happy to pick on people so long as they are doing something, so long as they are successful. The values it sends\u2014no wonder we\u2019ve got a productivity problem. We tell our kids to study hard and listen to their teacher, do their homework, get good grades, and turn that into jobs that turn into careers that make them prosper in the long term, and what this Government says, if you do all that and you save some money and you invest it carefully\u2014if you do all of that, then we won\u2019t just tax you more; we\u2019ll have an extra tax rate to tax you even harder. It\u2019s tall poppy syndrome in the tax code. That is the values that this Government promotes, and that\u2019s one of the reasons we have a productivity problem. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen they go after the sectors. You know, farmers in rural New Zealand are the only people who have a job that is to be a conservationist. Their revenue and their income next year depends on how well they look after their land and their animals this year. They have local rules and community cooperation to deal with local problems and manage outliers, and it works. But, oh no, this Government comes along and from on high imposes rules that are unworkable, that have never passed cost-benefit analysis, and that will put cost on to the rural sector for almost no environmental benefit whatsoever.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s energy and resources. This Government seems to be determined to stop New Zealanders extracting natural resources\u2014unless they do it in Australia. The announcement that the oil and gas exploration will be banned will not reduce carbon emissions, but it sends a signal. No papers, no consultation, not even a Cabinet process\u2014just \u201CWe\u2019re at the podium\u201D-ocracy and \u201CWe\u2019re going to do it from the podium\u201D. That sends a signal to the world about what sort of place New Zealand is to invest. So much of our valuable minerals lie tied up in the Department of Conservation estate\u2014areas of no conservation value, that could be extracted\u2014while DOC itself is short of revenue to conserve the parts of its estate that it should be conserving. It\u2019s nuts. As for getting permission from the Environmental Protection Authority for relatively straightforward projects, forget it. Go try your luck in Australia.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s our global links. What about the next generation, who want jobs that are interesting, globally connected, and well paying? Well, there\u2019s foreign investors who want to send money and know-how to our country to help raise our productivity. It beggars belief, but oh no, we\u2019ve got a special Government department to stop them doing it called the Overseas Investment Office. What\u2019s worse, this Government, in the middle of COVID, when it says it wants a recovery, has actually erected more barriers to foreign investment under the fog of COVID-19.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s new technology. I have students come to me saying we can do amazing things with genetics. We can actually make cows that emit less methane, a useful thing for New Zealand. But oh no, our medieval and superstitious laws mean as soon as they want to take it out of the lab, they\u2019d be better to take themselves off to California. And you can tell the same story about financial technology. We are so hostile to technologies that would raise our productivity, it\u2019s no wonder we are anaemic and lacking in them. This can\u2019t be as good as it gets. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EBut imagine if we made productivity growth one of our main goals\u2014not saying, \u201COh, we\u2019ve got other measures, wellbeing, etc.\u201D\u2014if we said we actually want to raise productivity in this country. What if we had a regulatory responsibility bill that forced politicians to ask the questions: what problem are we trying to solve, what are the costs and benefits of this law, who pays the cost and receives the benefits? Imagine, if we started doing that, how much better the regulatory environment would be for investment, jobs, and growth in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd we should go further. We should say that investments originating in friendly democratic OECD countries needn\u2019t pass through the Overseas Investment Office; they need only be screened to check for their security status. Imagine if we set out the friendliest environment in the world for investment, jobs, and growth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EBut then there\u2019s housing. This Government was elected to solve the housing problem. I actually thought the Government might change in 2017, when I knocked on so many doors and people said \u201CI love the way the housing market\u2019s going, except I\u2019ve got these kids and I don\u2019t know how it\u2019s going to go for them.\u201D I recently saw a tweet that summed up how that\u2019s worked out three years later. It said \u201CThe working class, they asked, \u2018Can you make housing affordable?\u2019 National Party: no. Labour Party: no, heart emoji, rainbow emoji, aroha.\u201D That pretty much sums up the response that people have got. The Government\u2019s flagship policy of KiwiBuild was so embarrassing I almost feel that it\u2019s kind of not cricket to bring it up in this new Parliament, but the disaster was completely predictable because the problem was a shortage of serviced land, and even builders working for the Government cannot build affordable homes on $700,000 sections.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen they went after the foreign buyers, Chinese-sounding names. Remember that? Then they wanted to subsidise some buyers. Now they want to extend the so-called brightline test for a second time. You know, trying to end a shortage of houses with a brightline test is like trying to end a famine by taxing food. The reason that we have unaffordable housing is that the price of a section in Auckland went up 900 percent in 25 years. Unless we solve that problem, we\u2019re not going anywhere. And the common element in all of the Government\u2019s policy solutions is that they\u2019re not designed to solve the underlying problem; they are designed to make sure that people who might vote for them are more likely to be in line to buy a limited supply of houses than people who won\u2019t. This can\u2019t be as good as it can get.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EImagine if we had honest conversations about the real problems with our housing market and we actually took the Productivity Commission\u2019s Better urban planning report, not the Randerson report, a report designed to repeal and replace the Resource Management Act with something designed to get homes built. And then we took Infrastructure New Zealand\u2019s city and regional partnerships and had 30-year partnerships between central government, that has the cash, and local government, that does the planning, to get infrastructure built. And then we removed councils from the building consent game, because there\u2019s no good reason to think that a council would know whether a building was being built properly or not. If we took the steps, we could solve one of the big problems that all Western countries are facing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd that takes us to demographics, because nobody wants to spend their life fighting their parents or indeed their children. The property market is only half the problem that we have. We have a problem with housing, but we also have a problem that every time Treasury publishes a long-term fiscal outlook, it becomes obvious to us that we can\u2019t afford to continue with the healthcare and superannuation policy settings to which we\u2019re currently committed. There\u2019s two ways out of this. We either fight and tax each other the way that some parties would like to or we grow our productivity and we build homes and we actually go forward as generations together. It\u2019s that simple. We either grow together or we tax each other and we fight each other. Imagine if instead of the current obsession with redistribution, we had an obsession with growth for all generations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s our welfare State. I\u2019d go as far as to say it\u2019s a total failure. And the reason I say that is that it doesn\u2019t work\u2014well, there\u2019s people who don\u2019t really need it and they would be fine anyway. I dare say, if the welfare State disappeared from the Epsom electorate tomorrow, we\u2019d fundraise for our schools, we would look after our neighbours, and we would actually be fine. To us, it\u2019s mostly a cost, but we wouldn\u2019t mind if we knew it was giving people up and down this country an equal shot at life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe truth is, we had 300,000 people on a benefit before COVID struck. The truth is, we have one of the highest recidivism rates coming out of our prisons of any country in the world. We send unskilled and often illiterate former prisoners down the road with 300 bucks and say, \u201CBy the way, don\u2019t get in touch with your former associates.\u201D Then we have one of the greatest inequities in educational attainment in the developed world, and we have opportunities to do things about that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EIn fact, we did in the form of charter schools. You know what this Government did? It closed them down one day and reopened them the next with only two changes. One, they no longer had to report on their performance and, two, they did have to use union contracts. Isn\u2019t that disgraceful? The Government that puts children at the centre of everything put labour relations at the centre of the most important investment in the future of our country. This can\u2019t be as good as it gets. Imagine if instead we chose to put every family in charge of their share of the education budget and let them purchase a tailored education to get the best potential out of every single child. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EImagine if we retooled our welfare State and used electronic income management to make sure the benefits actually go to the kids that it\u2019s supposed to be all about. And imagine if we made our prisons learning centres where early release was contingent on upskilling and preparing for life outside. That would be the policy of a country that wished to lead the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EI should make a couple of comments about things that weren\u2019t in the Speech from the Throne, and I hope that omission was deliberate. The proposed naked power grab where a party that wins a seat would not get its full representation, where Debbie Ngarewa-Packer would not resume a seat in this House because her party didn\u2019t make the 5 percent threshold. That is naked, partisan, and disgraceful. The only time electoral laws should change is if there is a genuine public problem to be solved. To take away full representation for parties that win a seat just because of a threshold is undemocratic and an affront to those who voted for a particular party. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s the question of free speech. All of the problems that I\u2019ve talked about today are a footnote to a bigger problem that we face across the Western World, and that is the ability to talk through our problems without being cancelled, de-platformed, and shouted down by the mob. Now, there is something cultural going on in New Zealand and actually around the Western World at the moment, where people find it harder to express themselves and disagree civilly. I think that is a real shame. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s lots of theories about why it is. Maybe it\u2019s the internet, it\u2019s parenting, it\u2019s smaller family sizes\u2014people don\u2019t have as much biff with their siblings\u2014who knows? But one thing that would make it much, much worse is if this Parliament decided to start legislating what can and can\u2019t be said based on the subjective criteria of offence, because once you can be punished on subjective criteria for your political views, we no longer have freedom of speech and conscience. We no longer enjoy the humanity that each of us has the right to think our thoughts and express them so long as we don\u2019t incite or threaten violence. We have mob rule. Minorities should care about this, because people who are popular and in the middle don\u2019t need free speech. It\u2019s those who are different who need to call on its defence and have done throughout our history. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EIt is critical that this House upholds free speech, and if this Government decides to legislate it away with so-called hate speech laws, I can tell you the ACT Party will rally this country and bring a citizens-initiated referendum to overturn those laws, because they are too important to our culture and our ability to be human and solve our problems. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe free and democratic world needs to wake from the slumber in which it\u2019s been since the Cold War. We are losing out there and that is a real threat to New Zealand, and we\u2019re losing because we fail to solve hard problems. This Parliament cannot afford to settle for its own form of, kind of, South Pacific populism powered by smiles and slogans. We need to look into our future and confront hard challenges that face our country. That means we need to go all out to solve the problem of anaemic productivity growth. We need to make it easier to develop property and build homes, and we need to retool our welfare State so it actually works for those who really need its help. We ain\u2019t going to do it simply by taxing more, regulating more, and using other people as fodder for the schemes of politicians. We must restore the independence, dignity and self-responsibility of every single New Zealander and be a beacon to the world of what democratic countries can achieve. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002284b74cd710d34e2eae690c3471d1a90a\u0022\u003ESpeaker\u2019s Rulings\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cd5046da3fc44b78ab8ae886ce379eca\u0022\u003EAddress in Reply Debate\u2014Maiden Speeches\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022dc4115a2022e49e8ac4b85463ea0696b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dc4115a2022e49e8ac4b85463ea0696b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It was my intention at this stage to call the M\u0101ori Party, but I think it is worth outlining to the House my response and some of the things which have led up to the situation we faced. The actual technical Standing Order issue that occurred earlier when I interrupted the speech from the co-leader of the M\u0101ori Party when he was attempting to move a motion is very simple: when there\u2019s a motion on the floor, you cannot get up and start moving another one. There are processes to go through, and that\u2019s very clear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EThere has been through this week an ongoing discussion around whether or not the co-leaders of the M\u0101ori Party could have two speeches each in the Address in Reply debate. It\u2019s been made clear that the current rules don\u2019t allow for that. It was a matter that was discussed at the Business Committee, and the offer was made to the M\u0101ori Party for each of the co-leaders to have 15-minute speeches, starting now, recognising both their maiden status and the fact that they are leaders of non-specified parties. That was the approach that was taken, I think, with David Seymour in 2014, so there\u2019s precedent and prior precedent for that. It\u2019s become clear that that was not acceptable, and, therefore, I presume that is the reason that the members walked out. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EI think it would be of value, because there is not long but some important correspondence around this matter, for me to seek leave to table the correspondence between the Clerk\u2019s Office, myself, and the co-leaders of the M\u0101ori Party on this issue. Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EDocuments, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d4fad1da6b1f47c1a32b123dc2855bd9\u0022\u003EBehaviour in the Chamber\u2014Dress Code\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022cd2978f3eab24fd8b0d8d713ac3f5330\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cd2978f3eab24fd8b0d8d713ac3f5330\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s one further matter that I want to refer to, and it was referred to, or alluded to, by the Hon James Shaw yesterday in his comments of congratulations to me. It goes to dress codes in the Parliament, which are set out on page 151 of McGee and also referred to in Speaker\u2019s ruling 17/7. The essence of the rules for dress in this Parliament is that they should be business attire, and while they\u2019ve been expressed in different ways over the years\u2014and, in fact, when I was first a member, the rules applied to male members of Parliament and not to women, because the earlier rules didn\u2019t anticipate the possibility of women being members of Parliament, even at the stage when I was first a member of Parliament. But they have been changed to this\u2014to \u201Cbusiness attire\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EIn the 1980s, when I was first a member and before we had air conditioning in this Chamber, it was the practice for gentlemen to be allowed to remove their jackets when it was warm. That was later rescinded because it never quite\u2014well, while the political temperature might have got hot, the physical temperature didn\u2019t reach the heights that it used to before the air conditioning. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EBut, in my opinion, what has changed since 1984 is the interpretation in most businesses in New Zealand as to what business attire is, and for those reasons, I think it is appropriate to review the interpretation that Speakers have been taking. I intend to do that over the summer break, and I want to invite members to write to me individually with their views on that. I\u2019m not going to take a poll on it, but I\u2019d like to hear reasons and reasoning. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EPeople will also be aware that, with permission, traditional dress\u2014most often from Pasifika communities, but sometimes from others\u2014has been worn during maiden speeches and at other times, and we\u2019ve managed to adjust our rules for that. I am prepared, on an individual basis, to extend that a little bit for the maiden speakers, but I do want to make absolutely clear that until we have a substantial interpretation, I\u2019m not going to allow change by attrition. So there\u2019s an invitation to respond to me, but until then the rules should be obeyed. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00228861e6e7aab441e581349025cf237837\u0022\u003EAddress in Reply\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c4494cb058cf4bdf9bc1d3de4b90f356\u0022\u003EAddress in Reply\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000552\u0022\u003EDebate resumed.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022d30ceacbd0bf43a890373757e9e172a7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d30ceacbd0bf43a890373757e9e172a7\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS (Deputy Leader\u2014Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Speaker. This morning, when I gave the opening mihi I acknowledged you as the Speaker of the House. I\u2019d just like to take this opportunity to also acknowledge Adrian Rurawhe as the Deputy Speaker, the Hon Jenny Salesa as an Assistant Speaker, and also the Hon Jacqui Dean in her role as an Assistant Speaker as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EAlso in that speech I did say that we do have our differences as politicians, but I think we all have the best interests at heart and that we should all be working for the benefit of all New Zealanders. I also just want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the two members of Parliament who gave their maiden speeches this afternoon, and just a couple of points. Arena Williams, I\u2019d like to acknowledge her as an inspiration for young M\u0101ori women and young M\u0101ori mothers. The line in her speech that really stuck for me is when she said that students in schools she\u2019d visited liked the fact that they saw a person that looked and spoke and sounded like her. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI\u2019d just like to also acknowledge Ibrahim Omer. Now, I don\u2019t know if in this House I have ever heard a more inspirational or emotional maiden speech. To know that somebody can come from such hardship from another country and overcome all the hurdles and barriers that he has to become a member of Parliament in New Zealand\u2014I think it shows the tenacity and the character of the man in the first instance, but also what a country of opportunity New Zealand is. I really do want to acknowledge Ibrahim. I found his speech incredibly emotional and I just really want to acknowledge him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EI also acknowledge Dr Shane Reti. Now, if you happen to be in the Bay of Islands and drive from Kawakawa around what is known as the Old Russell Road towards Russell, about 30 minutes away\u2014you have to go through farmland and an unsealed gorge\u2014you come to the little valley of Waikare. The people of that valley are Te Kapotai and there\u2019s also Ng\u0101ti Pare. I acknowledge the honour that Dr Shane Reti has brought on the hap\u016B of Te Kapotai, as well as his iwi of Ng\u0101ti Wai, being the deputy leader of the National Party. I\u2019d just like to restate that, and it also occurred to me later on that I, too, have\u2014my great-great-grandmother came from that very same valley, and so it\u2019s probably unique that the deputy leader of the National Party and the deputy leader of the Labour Party both hail from the same marae. As well, Willow-Jean Prime comes from that marae, as does Peeni Henare. So I\u2019d just like to acknowledge our whanaunga from Te Kapotai and the valley of Waikare.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EOn election night, the country spoke and what they said is they wanted strong and stable Government. There was also an endorsement of the kind and compassionate leadership of the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and acknowledgment of the way she has led us through the COVID-19 epidemic. They also said that they appreciated that there was a Government there that had cushioned New Zealanders from the worst edges and effects of COVID. But also M\u0101ori spoke, and we\u2019re very proud to have retained six of the seven M\u0101ori electorates. But across all of those M\u0101ori electorates we received over 60 percent endorsement from our M\u0101ori people. It was a very proud night for our M\u0101ori caucus, and an acknowledgment of the work that we had achieved over the last three years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EOur M\u0101ori caucus increased from 13 up to 15, and 13 was the largest ever M\u0101ori caucus in any party. Well, we\u2019ve just increased that. But we didn\u2019t just increase it through the M\u0101ori vote, and I\u2019d really like to acknowledge those M\u0101ori MPs who actually won general seats: the Hon Kiritapu Allan, who won the East Coast, and has become a Minister, and I\u2019d like to acknowledge Arena Williams, who won the seat of Manurewa; Shanan Halbert, who won the seat of Northcote; Willow-Jean Prime, who won the seat of Northland; and also Jo Luxton, who won the seat of Rangitata.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EBut I\u2019m not just here to say, \u201CWow, look at us.\u201D Winning those seats means that we have an obligation to our people. Winning those seats means that we need to make sure that we do continue to improve outcomes not just for our M\u0101ori people in the M\u0101ori seats but also for M\u0101ori in the general seats and for all New Zealanders in those general seats. It also goes to show that, yes, as M\u0101ori we can do anything. There was also, once upon a time, when I was the only Labour MP north of the Harbour Bridge, and I\u2019d just like to acknowledge the fact that I don\u2019t know what to do with myself now that north of the Harbour Bridge we have Vanushi Walters in Upper Harbour, we have Shanan Halbert in Northcote, we have Willow-Jean Prime in Northland, we have Marja Lubeck based in Rodney, and, of course, myself in Te Tai Tokerau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299d6a5deb57c4175b059bba34583e356\u0022\u003EDr Deborah Russell\u003C/span\u003E: Emily in Whang\u0101rei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef9c5dbfa5a44286a96abafda6698c39\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS\u003C/span\u003E: Emily in Whang\u0101rei\u2014that was a fantastic win for the Labour Party. I just want to actually acknowledge a little bit more about Emily. We went to a tangi last week of one of our dear Labour Party people, and I just want to talk quickly about that man very shortly. But Emily came along and said, \u201COK, so what do I need to do?\u201D I said, \u201CWell, the best thing you can do is go into the kitchen and say, \u2018How can I help?\u2019 \u201D So she did just that. I\u2019ve got to admire her courage for going into this situation that she\u2019s not familiar with, and she put aside the fact that she\u2019s Dr Emily Henderson, a lawyer, and said to the people of the marae there, \u201CHow can I help?\u201D She spent probably over two days, maybe 30-odd hours, in there, just peeling spuds, washing dishes. It\u2019s a real lesson to everybody in the House that if we just humble ourselves and go in and be servants to the people, we\u2019ll get the recognition, because the people spoke so highly of her. To all members of the House, I\u2019d say just go in and adopt your local marae and become part of the community. But don\u2019t sit there in the powhiri, making out, \u201CYeah, I\u2019m the big MP from your local area.\u201D Go out the back and help the people. It will make a big difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ERudy Taylor was the man that passed away. He was a friend of mine, he was a mentor, and he was a supporter. We talked, we joked, and we argued. In my office, I had a photo of Rudy at Waitangi. It was a photo just of his hands holding his tukutuku. I hung it above my meeting table. It was a constant reminder to me of where I come from, who I represent, and, most of all, who I don\u2019t want to disappoint. And that is, again, a message for all of us as members of Parliament: we are there to represent the people who elected us, and we cannot disappoint them. Rudy was a kind man, and the stories that we shared at his tangi were of his kindness, his strength, his loyalty, and his love for Te Tai Tokerau. It will be the memory of my good friend that will continue to keep me grounded. It will be the life of this Ng\u0101puhi leader that will keep me inspired. He\u2019s one of the people that encouraged me to do things for our people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003EIf I look at some of the achievements that we\u2019ve made in the last three years, and I can start rattling them off in M\u0101ori education\u2014for example, Te Ahu o te Reo M\u0101ori is a programme that\u2019s going to see us train 40,000 educators by 2025 to integrate te reo M\u0101ori into their curriculum. Te Kawa Matakura is a leadership course for young M\u0101ori that will see them achieve degree level and help them to go on to be leaders in their communities. Te Hurihanganui\u2014in Porirua yesterday we launched that\u2014this is to address racism in our schools, even though it\u2019s based around the M\u0101ori kaupapa, the messages go broader to racism around all cultures. There\u2019s work that we\u2019ve done with the k\u014Dhanga reo. The issues around k\u014Dhanga reo\u2014they were allowed to wallow for nine years\u2014we\u2019re starting to address them, and we\u2019ve got them over $200 million in the last three years. But more so than the money, what\u2019s more important is the relationships that we have formed with them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019re all in here to make a difference, and we must not forget that. We must not forget that there are people out there who voted for us, they put their faith in us, and they believe in us, and we must live up to that mandate that we\u2019re all given as members of Parliament. N\u0101 reira, t\u0101tou m\u0101 huri rauna i t\u014D t\u0101tou Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, kia ora mai an\u014D t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E[Finally, to each and every one of you in our House, thank you one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u00221e2289de471f4d56ad34ea606ace025e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221e2289de471f4d56ad34ea606ace025e\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (Deputy Leader\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker, and, firstly, t\u0113n\u0101 koe to you and congratulations. To all my colleagues in this House: Kia ora mai t\u0101tou. T\u0113n\u0101 koe t\u014Dku whanaunga, Kelvin. T\u0113n\u0101 koe m\u014D ng\u0101 kupu ora. T\u0113n\u0101 koe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E[Thank you all. To my relation, Kelvin, thank you. Thank you for your kind words. Thank you.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIn 1832, US Senator William L Marcy, effectively, said: \u201CTo the victor lies the spoils.\u201D And so it is with this Government, and I congratulate them both for the privilege they have and the direct responsibility they now carry. I am of a view that the spoils of the victory are not Cabinet positions or ministerial warrants, but rather the spoils are actually the hopes and aspirations of New Zealanders. It is this that we as an Opposition will hold the Government to account for. In this reply, I will highlight points of accountability across the children and health portfolios, I will present the Government\u2019s 10-day scorecard on transparency, and, finally, I will show how we have hit the ground running and sharpened an accountability tool in a way that I don\u2019t think this Government has fully appreciated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI will start with health and warn this Government up front, here is the headline coming towards them in three words: save our DHBs. One of the sentinel actions that this Government has committed to is a blinded commitment to consolidate our DHBs. When DHBs are merged, the local voice is diminished. This has been done before, and while reinventing the wheel can sometimes bring back the best, it usually reinvents the bad. Those of us who have worked under Regional Health Authorities will remember how consolidation tramples the voice of the regions, which are simply lost in the challenges of big cities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThe DHBs we are concerned for include Northland, Lakes, Tair\u0101whiti, Taranaki, Hawke\u2019s Bay, Whanganui, Wairarapa, Nelson Marlborough, West Coast, and South Canterbury. We challenge the Government, then, to answer the following six questions. Will Northland lose its DHB and be merged with Waitemat\u0101? Will Lakes lose its DHB and be merged with Waikato? Will Tair\u0101whiti lose its DHB and be merged with Bay of Plenty and Hawke\u2019s Bay? Will Taranaki, Whanganui, and MidCentral all lose their localness and be merged as one entity? Will Wairarapa lose its DHB and be merged with the Hutt? Finally, will Nelson Marlborough, West Coast, and South Canterbury all lose their DHBs in a merger with Canterbury? Which DHBs will go? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EHere is the challenge to Labour MPs in these regions: good luck explaining to your constituents why a Labour Government is taking their DHBs. We heard backbench Labour MPs stand on the campaign trail and offer bold promises around how they will fight for their DHB. Well, watch the arrogant machinery of a second-term Labour Government trample your feigned and naive backbench resistance as you are whipped to a new-found evangelism for centralisation and control. Mark my words, the spin will be \u201Cbetter access to specialist services\u201D and \u201Ca sustainable health system\u201D, which is all code for less and less. Why would we have faith in the ability of this Government to undertake such change when, over three years managing health, they have indeed spent more but delivered less?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EMy final word on DHBs is to reflect not only the DHBs that will go, but the mega-DHBs that will be created, and ask how nimble and flexible can a mega-DHB be? How many jobs will be lost? How much money will be spent on new layers of bureaucracy? Well, we can actually model the answer with a similar experiment in the tertiary sector from this Government that has removed industry training organisations, moved apprentices back to polytechnics, and formed one mega-polytechnic. Can we expect the same with mega-DHBs? Will there be at least 11 new chief executives, $267 million in new cost in a single management layer, and official advice ignored when it states reform is unlikely to achieve the desired goals with extreme impact. Can we expect the new health Minister to bring the same experience from the Ng\u0101puhi Treaty settlement where he came in as the new broom, spent a lot of money, broke relationships, swept away years of work on Maranga Mai, and then left Ng\u0101puhi worse off and without a mandate? Is that what we can expect in health? Here, again, is the forewarning: save our DHBs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI want to speak to a new portfolio responsibility: children and specifically child poverty. No bold child poverty claims in the Speech from the Throne this time. No targets, no numbers, just a weak slogan that, in the area of child poverty, \u201CThe Government will be guided by its values.\u201D No one even knows what that means. And so different from the first three years when there were numbers and targets. On 5 September 2017, the incoming Labour Government said, \u201CWe will lift 100,000 children out of poverty.\u201D But in February this year, their media release was 14,800\u2014a long way from the 100,000\u2014a broken promise to children. Three independent reports this year and three failures for a Labour Government with the tools of office and big promises. Their target is: 2021, 10.3 percent of houses in material deprivation. That\u2019s the target that we\u2019re watching: 10.3 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll turn now to the 10-day transparency scorecard I alluded to earlier. Note also: no big statements from the throne today about an open and transparent Government\u2014nothing here today. I\u2019ll sample transparency as an example of how focused we are to be an effective Opposition. The day after the election, we hit the ground running. There was work to do because, on Sunday the 18th at 1 p.m., surprisingly, there was another community coronavirus case. So we got to work. Using the tools we have, we swung into action and, from 17 October to 27 October, we generated more than 20 Official Information Act requests (OIAs). I will speak to 10 of those that I have some visibility on. All 10 OIAs generated in the first 10 days of this Government were to be answered by yesterday. Here, then, is the 10-day transparency scorecard for this Government\u2019s response to OIA requests. As of yesterday, only one of the 10 requests had been successfully completed in time without extensions or transfers, 40 percent\u2014nearly half\u2014were overdue, 30 percent had been extended with very short notice. In the first 10 days of this Government, then, the performance for transparency using OIA requests as a proxy is a miserable 10 percent. Is this a 10 percent Government? Is that what their targets will be\u201410 percent of what they\u2019re saying?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve gone even further as an Opposition and improved some of the tools of transparency that we have. Failures in this Government\u2019s approach to proactive releases were brought into focus for me almost exactly this time last year when the damning Tuia 250 data breach report was reported in a proactive media release 24 hours after Parliament had risen for Christmas recess. As a consequence of this, I met with the Chief Ombudsman earlier this year\u2014concerns and suggestions, which were subsequently incorporated into the release of the document \u201CProactive release: Good practices and proactive release of official information\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ELet me enlighten the Government on how we will bind them. No longer will they be able to frustrate the OIA process like they did in Tuia 250 by hiding behind a future proactive release on an unknown date and with answers hidden in a massive data dump. There are now three elements to a code of practice. The OIA request is to be given the date their OIA will be acknowledged in a proactive release. They are to be told the date that that release is made, and it is to be indicated where the information they are looking for is in that proactive release. We have hit the ground running. We have sharpened the tools.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIn summary, this Government is unfettered and with clear lines of accountability. If they perform well, then all of the credit is theirs and theirs alone. But if they perform poorly, then they will own every single part of that failure. We as an Opposition are the safety net in the new thinking\u2014a safety net to temper the excesses of ideology and the recklessness of spending, a source of new thinking that pushes policy past the inherent instinct of Government officials to manage risk. We will seek to reduce damage and harm, to talk policy to power, and to leave our fingerprints on those actions that lift our collective safety, security, and concept of a good life. In no small part, then, we remain in the service of New Zealanders. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u00226976d36a6330410382c6abfe073a35d6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226976d36a6330410382c6abfe073a35d6\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I call the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, although I\u2019ll just let the House know that I will be exercising the new Standing Order where the presiding officer has the discretion to extend past 5 p.m. The Hon Carmel Sepuloni.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u00220559bd566520494cb328c5e2aceba5b6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220559bd566520494cb328c5e2aceba5b6\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Talofa lava, m\u0101l\u014D e lelei. It is a privilege to be able to speak early in this debate as part of this wonderful new Labour Government. Can I start like so many have already in the House and acknowledge those that have been appointed to the very important roles of Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Assistant Speaker. I think that we have a very fair team of Speakers, a dignified team of Speakers, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Speakers in this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI acknowledge all of the new members of Parliament. Yesterday, when I was watching people get sworn in, I felt quite teary-eyed seeing the new MPs in particular get sworn in, because we never forget how special that is, particularly that first time. My first time was in 2008, and I remember reflecting on that day that, actually, back in 1991, when my social studies class was coming for a trip to Parliament all the way from New Plymouth, I was not able to make that trip because I did not have the $30 to pay for that trip. So it\u2019s a reminder to us how much of a privilege it is to be in this space. I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m crying\u2014I feel like Anahila right now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EBut the achievement is not getting here; it is what we do when we get here, and as has already been laid out by the Speech from the Throne, we are committed to getting some things done over the next three years. We have the mandate to get those things done, because for the first time we have a majority Government under this MMP system, and we take that mandate seriously. One of the first people who rang me the day after the election to congratulate me was my uncle, who\u2019s a farmer in Taranaki and in Taumarunui. He rang to congratulate me, and he wanted to make the point that we have the mandate and that we do need to govern for all New Zealand. We take that very seriously; I cannot say that enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI acknowledge the other side of the House. I acknowledge the National Party. We have been in that position. We know how much it hurts to lose an election. We know how hard it is to see colleagues go. In fact, I was one of those colleagues back in 2011, after three years in here, then exiting alongside Stuart Nash and Kelvin Davis and having what we called a three-year sabbatical, referring to ourselves now as the retreads of that time. But for those that are here, just know that we do understand that there is a cycle to politics and we do understand what it feels like to actually be in the Opposition and to see colleagues go, and we do understand what it feels like to be those colleagues who leave, and so I want to acknowledge that. But we must still celebrate being here. Whether we are in Government or we are in Opposition, we must not forget that it is a privilege to be in this House. So no time for sad faces; I think at this point in the cycle we acknowledge the privilege that it is to be here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge the size of our M\u0101ori caucus: 15 M\u0101ori MPs. You know, decades ago, perhaps even just three decades ago, our M\u0101ori community\u2014iwi, hap\u016B across the country\u2014would not have been able to believe that that is how many M\u0101ori MPs were in one political party\u2019s caucus, and so I want to acknowledge that. I did hear words from another M\u0101ori leader who I do have respect for but that I challenge and that I do not agree with, and those words were that our M\u0101ori MPs have been subjugated within the Labour Party. That is not true. Our M\u0101ori MPs have a strong voice within the Labour Party. Our Prime Minister has made it very clear that meeting and addressing the needs of M\u0101ori in New Zealand, making sure that M\u0101ori have the opportunity like everyone else in every aspect, and honouring the Treaty is a priority for the Labour Party. So I do not agree with what that person, who I do have respect for, said about M\u0101ori MPs within the Labour Party. In fact, I do have to say I am offended on behalf of my M\u0101ori colleagues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge, too, my Pacific colleagues. When I came into Parliament in 2008, there had been very few Pacific MPs in this House. There had been Taito Phillip Field, there had been Vui Mark Gosche, there had been Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, there had been Charles Chauvel, Aupito Su\u2019a William Sio had just got in before me, and then I came along. Now we have more than all of those that I mentioned earlier. We have 10 within the Labour Party, and our Pacific representation spans Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, the Cook Islands.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265322fce818b449eb18e7c06321bac32\u0022\u003EDr Deborah Russell\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re married to a Fijian.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd409a380c574b11af12cce5f4ea3447\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: I am married to a Fijian. I have a Niuean son. We are all connected, and we are proud of the representation that we have here now. We do not forget that there are expectations on our shoulders and that, as I said before, the achievement is not getting here; it is what we do when we are here, and our community expects us to serve and live up to those expectations. We will work together to make sure that that happens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI acknowledge the representation from all of the other ethnic minorities that are in here. Can I say that I\u2019ve seen some rhetoric, dialogue, in the media about representation needing to be about merit. I hate that argument because everyone has a differing view of what merit is and what merit looks like. But this House of Representatives needs to reflect New Zealand. There is only merit if this House reflects every New Zealander in this country and the communities that exist and live here, and so the merit is in the fact that we have the diversity to represent all of those communities across the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EWe have laid out on the table what our intentions are for the next three years. The Speech from the Throne was also an opportunity to reflect on what we have done. We never promised at the beginning of the last three years that we were going to be able to address all the wicked challenges that we face as a country, but we knew we needed to get the ball rolling, and we did. If I only look at one of the areas that I have the privilege of being Minister for, that area being social development, I will say that the criticism that comes our way is that we haven\u2019t done enough yet, and I\u2019ve never said that we have either. We had three years to make some changes. What I\u2019m proud of is that, actually, many if not all of those changes were actually mostly supported by the majority of New Zealanders. Who would\u2019ve thought that, actually, the majority of New Zealanders would sit back and be fine with the fact that we\u2019d do something like get rid of section 192, that discriminated against women that didn\u2019t name the father of their child? Who would\u2019ve thought that, actually, there\u2019d be more people pushing for benefit increases than opposing them? Who would\u2019ve thought that we\u2019d be able to roll out one of the biggest payments ever, if not the biggest payment, through our welfare system, which is the winter energy payment, that we would be able to, within our first hundred days in the last Government, roll out a Families Package of $5.5 billion, and then go on to do things like index benefits to wages so that it would go up just a little bit more every April when those adjustments are made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ESo we hear our wonderful Prime Minister talk about consensus building, about taking New Zealanders with us, and that\u2019s what this is about. It is about enduring change. It is about not only making change but changing the narrative as we go so that, actually, we don\u2019t have the vast majority of the general public coming out and condemning some of the poorest New Zealanders in our country. Those are some of the changes that have occurred that have not been spoken about much. It\u2019s not just about the tangible policy changes; it\u2019s about the attitudinal shift within our own country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ESomeone\u2014I think it might\u2019ve been David Seymour\u2014was criticising the Prime Minister for what he calls \u201Cslogans\u201D. Well, I don\u2019t call kindness a slogan, actually, and I think that we should be proud as a Government, as a political party, as a country, that, actually, that\u2019s part of people\u2019s everyday language now and that kindness is something that we value. I am looking forward to the next three years. Fa\u2018afetai lava.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002240361d04babb4eabae8b2a6fa24295ba\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002240361d04babb4eabae8b2a6fa24295ba\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: K\u0101ti r\u0101, kua mutu a t\u0101tou mahi m\u014D t\u0113nei r\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E[Finally, that concludes business for today.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EThe House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 1 December 2020. Ka kite an\u014D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20201126e0c988e421e6482eacdbdd51473d026f000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 5.02 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"