Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement

Yesterday and today we have been paying our respects to those people in Asia who have been affected by the tsunami disaster. I would like to pay my respects to those hundreds of thousands who died, and to those who have been affected by this disaster. I have been really touched by the generosity of our Kiwi brothers and sisters, who have so generously given so much to the victims of that disaster, and I am proud of this Government that has committed so much—$67 million—towards that disaster. I have really been touched by the many small communities in this country that have given whatever they could.

The other day I was talking to members of the Sri Lankan community, which is a very small community in New Zealand. They told me that they have contributed $400,000 towards the disaster in Asia. That shows the pride of this nation. When I travel around this country and overseas and I hear people talking about New Zealand and the generosity of this nation and its people, I really feel proud that we are proud New Zealanders. I believe that this country has every reason to be confident about its future and proud of its achievements. We believe that a confident, proud nation is one in which people want to live, work, raise their children, and invest. We believe in celebrating our people’s successes across business, education, sport, the arts and culture, and the many facets of our society in which we are doing so well.

A strong sense of national identity makes us a stronger nation. We are building a nation that offers fairness and opportunity, is tolerant and respectful of all, and is economically dynamic, creative, and committed to a sustainable future. As we heard from my colleague the Hon Chris Carter, this country has contributed so much in terms of having better race relations, in promoting interfaith dialogue and good relationships within the communities we live in, and certainly through our contribution to our neighbours in Asia and the Pacific over the years. I feel very proud that we have done so. The building blocks for a confident and skilled nation are confident and skilled families. Individuals and families who are at peace make up skilled nations and are skilled people whom we should respect.

This Government has overseen solid growth—4.6 percent for the year to September. That is equal to the United States and, among the OECD, second only to Korea. This Government wants to lift growth, not as an end in itself, but to improve the living standards and life opportunities of all New Zealanders. Our approach is pragmatic, not dogmatic, and is reliant upon continuous evidence-based evaluation. Although as a result of the economy’s relatively strong growth in the last few years we have now overtaken Spain to move to 20th place among the 30 nations in the OECD in terms of per capita income, there is still some distance to go to restore New Zealand to the top half of the OECD.

Debate interrupted.

The House adjourned at 10 p.m.