Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement

It is a pleasure to stand and speak in the House today to our Prime Minister’s excellent statement. He is quite right when he says that New Zealand is in good shape and that it is getting better. Actually, New Zealanders know that. When you go out and talk to them, as we all did during the election campaign last year, people knew that we were certainly working towards a brighter future for all New Zealanders, and they gave this Government and our coalition partners a mandate to get on with the job.

We have to acknowledge in all of this that New Zealanders have shown extremely good resilience throughout the years of the recession. It makes you very proud to be a Kiwi. We are the sort of people who roll up our sleeves and just get on with it when the going gets tough. That is what this Government has done. We have provided good, stable leadership over the last 6 years, and we have an outstanding Prime Minister who New Zealanders know is in touch with what they are thinking, understands the difficulties they are having, and is showing strong leadership throughout these very difficult years.

During his speech, the Prime Minister said that this Government was focused on improving the drivers of long-term performance. For those of us working in the social sector, that means quality education for all New Zealanders, it means good health for all New Zealanders, it means employment, and it means independence from the State for all New Zealanders. The results from the Ministry of Social Development, when you look back over the past few years, have been absolutely excellent. It has worked tremendously well with our community and produced some very, very good results. We are seeing the lowest number of solo parents on benefits in 22 years. I have to compliment my colleague Minister Bennett, who for 6 years worked away at making sure the systems were in place to support those solo parents back into work, at making sure that their children were well looked after, and at convincing education Ministers to invest in early childhood education and in after-school care, which is so important when we are trying to talk to parents about how they go back into work. So we see the lowest number of solo parents on a benefit for 22 years.

Every week in this country—every single week—1,600 people move off a benefit and into work. That is an outstanding achievement when you consider the deep, dark days of the recession. There are 80,000 more people in work today than there were 12 months ago. Eighty thousand people who a year ago were looking for work are now out there working. Again, that has not happened without a great deal of effort. Employers can take some credit for that, the Government can take some credit for that, and certainly the people working in Work and Income need to be given a great deal of credit for the work they have done. This country is now seeing 217,000 more people working than there were 5 years ago at the height of the recession. That is an enormous achievement for any Government. We are seeing unemployment now at 5.7 percent in December, which is lower than most of the other countries that we compare ourselves with—in particular, as we look across the Tasman at the Australian Government, which is coping with unemployment up at 6 or more percent.

If you want to talk about young people, we have put a tremendous amount of focus on supporting young people. They are always the first ones affected by any recession. We put in place the Youth Service, that pipeline managing those young people aged 16 to 18 who are dropping out of school and waiting around to go on to a benefit, and today we are seeing 40 percent more of those young people in education or training than there were 3 years ago, before we started the Youth Service. Forty percent more are back in education or some form of training, and that means their chances of ending up on a benefit at age 20 have dramatically reduced. They will have skills and qualifications that will help them into work.

So that is some tremendous work that has been done, but we are not resting on our laurels. This Government knows the research; the evidence is very clear. This Government believes that people are better off in work. They are better off supporting themselves and their families, and so we are helping them into work. But this is not a new idea, actually. It was quite interesting talking to a couple of other countries about how they were facing the numbers on unemployment benefits, and it was quoted to me that Galen, who was a prominent Greek physician, surgeon, and philosopher from 129 AD to 200 AD, said that employment is nature’s physician and is essential to human happiness. This is not a new idea. Actually, it has been around for a long, long time. Of course, this Government has not come up with this as a new idea; the evidence is very clear that if you have people supporting themselves and their families, they feel better about themselves and they are in better health, and, of course, we know that that enables their children to live a better and much more successful life.

This Government is focused, then, on continuing to support people off the benefit and into employment. This year we have a great deal more to do to support them, building on those early results. We are not going to rest on our laurels; there is always more to do. First of all, we are going to look at extending those youth services that we put in place to support 16 to 18-year-olds. We are going to look at how we can extend those to support 18 and 19-year-olds. We know that we have the criteria for identifying those at risk, but how can we support them into education? I am always a strong believer that we have got to get them those skills and qualifications. Otherwise, they circle around on the benefit. But if that does not suit them, how do we help and support them into work?

At the end of the December quarter we had about 55,000 people on Jobseeker Support who were in the health condition and disability benefit section—55,000 people who should be able to be out there looking for work but because they have a health condition or a disability they have been unable to do so. It is not a long-term condition. We will be working very closely with the health sector over this year to see how we can address their health conditions earlier so that they are able to get back into work. Second, we are going to look at how we can address their mental health conditions much more effectively. That is a growing area that employers have made us aware of, and we will be working to help those people back into work faster and with better support.

I could not possibly be talking today about the year’s plan if I did not talk about our vulnerable children. We identified 20,000–odd children as part of the Children’s Action Plan in the bill that we passed last year. We have got two Children’s Teams that have been going for over a year now: one in Rotorua and one in Whangarei. This year we have opened Children’s Teams in Horowhenua, Ōtaki, and Marlborough, and by the end of this year we will have Hamilton, Tai Rāwhiti, Whanganui, Eastern Bay of Plenty, Clendon, Manurewa, Papakura, and Christchurch up and running. We are targeting about 20,000 children who are classified as at-risk to prevent them going into State care.

While I talk about State care, we are undergoing a major review of Child, Youth and Family—a major review. It is about the children who are victims of some horrendous neglect, abuse, and crime, and they are victims in our society. They figure too highly in all of our statistics around prison and poor education results, and we as the State owe them a better set of outcomes, and so the focus for this year in Child, Youth and Family is how we achieve that.

I went overseas recently to look at how other countries are dealing with this, and was surprised to see that although we are talking 17-18 as the age until the State takes care of children, in Europe they are talking 23-25. We have a lot of work to do around how we get the voice of the child into that process, and I am delighted to be able to lead some of that work this year. This is an excellent statement from our Prime Minister, and I commend it to the House.

Ā, tēnā koe e Te Pika. Tuatahi he tino mihi rawa atu ki a koe mō ō mahi hei whakawā i ngā taupatupatu o ngā kaitōrangapū. E tika ana me mihi atu ki ngā tini mate, ērā o ngā tangata rongonui kua hipa atu ki tua o te ārai, tērā ki a Apirana Mahuika nō Ngāti Porou. Ki tērā o ngā tangata rongonui a Tama Huata rātou katoa e huri atu o te marama, o te wiki o nanahi. Haere, haere, haere atu rā.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. First of all, I really commend you with regard to your determinations during debates by politicians. It is apt that the myriad deaths are acknowledged with regard to those noted people who have passed beyond the veil: Apirana Mahuika, from Ngāti Porou; Tama Huata, another famous identity; all of them throughout the month, the week, and yesterday. Farewell, depart, and journey on.]

I just want to acknowledge that, as this is my first speech in the House this year, it is an opportunity to say how delighted I am to be back in the House, on the Opposition benches, holding this Government to account on the things that really matter. I listened very carefully to the Minister for Social Development speak about jobs. Why is it then that those unemployed were fewer than 100,000 in 2008 and now there are 46,000 more people in addition to those on the dole queue? Why is it? In the last quarter there are 8,000 more people unemployed, and in our towns, rural communities, and provinces we have seen job losses not job increases.

I want to stand to support the amendment to the motion that Andrew Little moved. He made it really clear that Labour is here to represent people on the issues that matter to them in their communities, and on the things that will make a real difference in their lives. The No. 1 issue for Labour is jobs, jobs, jobs—more jobs, not fewer jobs, like what the Government is dishing out. In terms of housing, we want warm, affordable, healthy homes for all people, no matter where they live, where homeownership is a real prospect. Cost of living issues—we will tackle those types of issues that really hold families back and down, so that they can get better opportunities through a good public education and affordable healthcare. We want a regional economy that works for everyone, where people can see the benefit in their towns from Invercargill to Kaitāia, from Wanganui over to Te Puke and everywhere else in between. More important—and I guess given the topic of today in question time—we want a country that we can be proud of both here and abroad.

The political year has not started well for the Government at all. State homes are being sold off. Overcrowding is occurring in many communities, and Alfred Ngaro knows it. Homeownership is out of reach for many, and Auckland members know that more than many of us. More important, homelessness is becoming more visible on the streets of many of our cities, when 5 years ago that was not the case. There is a by-election in Northland, and public confidence in the Government is wearing thin. The Skycity pokies deal has been revealed to the public, who were being asked to put their hands in their pockets to the tune of $100 million for a world-class convention centre. That will be now significantly scaled back. Pokies for policy concessions—Labour does not support that.

The Government’s position on good employment law means zero-hour contracts and unstable work conditions. That is what this Government is standing for. There is a growing gap between rich and poor, where more kids are going to school without. In fact, they are living without, and the Government looks the other way. There are not enough teams working with the most vulnerable in our communities. Jacinda Ardern knows it, and, I tell you what, the Minister responsible is neglecting it.

The Government is potentially sending troops to Iraq without a United Nations sanction, to a live combat zone, all the while assuring the public that they will be behind the wire. What we heard today was that they will not be in combat roles, yet the Government cannot rule out protective action. This neglects the real worry that the public have on this particular issue. This is classic National: reality defies the spin machine, but, hey, let us stick with the spin!

We are listening and talking to people from all walks of life about the issues that matter to them and will make a real difference in their lives. National would have some people believe that more people are employed, and we have just heard that, but what National really means is that the job fairs are doing a fantastic job at bringing people who are already in work to fill up roles that people who are not working cannot even fill. Where is the sense in that? Local people here could fill those roles. Labour believes that reskilling, upskilling, and investing in that simple initiative will help more local people get the jobs that are available. Do not cast your eye the other way. The group of people whom I am referring to are actually stuck. They are stuck in seasonal employment and temporary work, and they need better solutions. They certainly do not need people being brought in from offshore to fill the jobs that are in their communities. National does not have a long term plan to invest in a high-skilled, high-waged workforce. Labour does. Labour’s Future of Work Commission will look towards regions, local government, community business, iwi, and the education stakeholders—a whole range of groups—for sustainable solutions to crank up our regional economy and create jobs and better work for people that will be sustainable. We are looking forward to that work programme in the year ahead.

You know what? Housing is in a shabby condition. The Government said it would not sell off State houses—“nek minnit” it sells off State homes. It makes it hard for people to get the homes that are left. Homeownership has absolutely been out of reach. We are seeing increasing private market rentals. What that is doing is increasing overcrowding. This is not a responsible solution in a country like ours. Social housing is just a myth under the National Government. This Government has got housing badly wrong. Both local and central government need to play a role in social housing, and Labour believes that.

You know, the Government’s plan for regional economic development neglects places outside of Christchurch and Auckland. But let us just talk about Auckland for one minute and the Skycity deal—the pokies for policies deal. Steven Joyce and the Prime Minister promised the public that they would not be reaching into their own pockets for this world-class convention centre—next minute, we hear that it could cost $100 million. Well, you know what? Labour initiated a petition, and in a number of hours a whole lot of names were collected—around about 28,000. I am pleased to see that the Government is retracting and listening to what Labour had started. The public should not be funding a deal with Skycity for a world-class convention centre. A Government subsidy on this is a no deal.

The cost of living and growing inequality should be the motivation for any Government in a country like ours. We pride ourselves on coming from New Zealand. But National does not want to set child poverty targets. Where is the sense in that? Targets would make its whole-of-Government policy platform more accountable to outcomes for our most vulnerable, our children. Sadly, the Government’s four priorities that the Prime Minister talked about fall short of measuring outcomes for children. I continue to implore the Government to rethink this strategy. Things could be better, and under Labour they will be, and I am confident in saying that.

This political term started with the annual pilgrimage of politicians to Rātana and Waitangi. Māori have put this Government on notice and set a challenge to Labour that, in time, I am confident we will rise to meet. Māori are saying that new thinking to old solutions is required. The country needs bold leadership to move beyond past hurts and resist scratching old wounds like the sovereignty debate. The symbols of our identity—the Treaty of Waitangi, a flag, our culture, language, and identity—no longer exist in a vacuum. Ask your Scottish grandson who has got Māori heritage who can do a karakia in his classroom. A more equal society is a fair one. Māori understand. Māori are no longer benefactors of benevolent policies churned out from the Government, and we want to be active determiners of our future in a new economy and determining what social responsibility can look like. The thinking amongst many iwi and Māori has reached a new maturity. No matter how hard the National Government might try to outsource this thinking in its relationships with other parties, it must be embedded in the political consciousness of its own party. Labour has that. We will grow that. I am hopeful that we will meet the challenge that Māori have set. Kia ora koutou.

I am not sure whether anyone is still awake out there after Nanaia Mahuta’s soporific mumblings, but if you are, there are a few points that badly need rebutting. That was really an alternative commentary on what is happening in New Zealand at the moment. There was so much there that you could drive a truck straight through.

Labour says that it is all about jobs. In actual fact, there were 80,000 more people in work over the last year. It is incredible. Nanaia Mahuta was talking about the cost of living. Inflation is at less than 1 percent. Nanaia Mahuta was talking about Skycity convention centre concessions. They are exactly the same concessions that the Government she was a part of gave Skycity when it built the original casino. Those are three points—three things you are actually being misled on by Labour members. Can you trust anything else they say? No, absolutely you cannot.

What I would say is that this Prime Minister’s statement to Parliament is really a sound plan for the future. What we provided over the last 6 years is very clear leadership of the economy. We have focused on the things that matter to New Zealanders. The things that really count are whether you have got a job, and, as I have said, there are 80,000 new jobs. It is whether you can get to the hospital and access the general practitioner. I will speak some more about that. It is whether you are happy with the local school. Of course, what we have done is go around the unions and the Labour Party to connect directly with parents to actually provide the sort of certainty about their kids’ education that they want. And ultimately, of course, it is all about the economy. Law and order is very important as well. We have presided over the lowest crime rates since 1978.

So contrast John Key’s very solid path for progress in the future with what Labour is focusing on, which is all the in-fighting, the hara-kiri stuff, the changes of leadership. Andrew Little is talking about zero-hour contracts, not to mention that he favours zero-pay contracts where, actually, the poor bloke who was working for him during his leadership campaign had to get an article printed in the National Business Review before Mr Little would actually pay up. Of course, the treachery is still going on. Grant Robertson, fully aware of that, today asked Bill English a question that invited an answer that totally exposed Andrew Little’s duplicity in this matter. So look, it is all bad over there. It is not looking good. It is pretty low energy over there, actually. You would have seen from Nanaia Mahuta’s sort of 30 heartbeats-a-minute speech there that there is not a lot happening.

Meanwhile, over here we are getting into our portfolios. I am very proud to be the new Minister of Health, building on the excellent work that Tony Ryall has done over the last 6 years.

💬 Hon Annette King: You wait.

Annette King said: “You wait.” I do not know—we will be waiting a long time for her to get up and ask a question. It has not happened yet. I think, actually, Annette is just looking forward to the Wellington mayoralty, a soft retirement, and leaving that bunch of losers to it over there, because she is a winner. She is always there beside the winner of the Labour Party election campaigns, but she is saying: “I’m out of here, man. I’m having nothing to do with these people.”

When you look at the health system—I have spent the first 3 months going around all 20 district health boards having a look what is happening—I can say we have the best doctors and nurses and allied health professionals in the world, bar none. It is a highly dedicated workforce, which National is backing. There are 1,600 more doctors, 3,500 more nurses in that workforce. When I go there, I say to them—

💬 Hon Annette King: Trained under Labour.

Yes—try it under Labour. They do not want to try it under Labour. Under Labour the doctors all went to Australia. Now they have come back. But what I say to them is: “OK, look at what has happened in health. In the end, is the health system getting better, is it getting worse, or is it staying the same?”. They all look at me and say that it is actually getting better, and that it has got better over the last 6 years. It is actually backed up by the statistics. Under Labour 760 people had to go to Australia to get cancer treatment; under National zero. Under Labour 30,000 people were waiting over 6 months for an operation; under National zero.

So we have set very direct targets around the health system and we are meeting them. We have brought that discipline and at the same time we are putting an extra $500 million a year into the health system. So we are funding it properly, but we are looking at the quality of spend. Under Labour money was frittered away on all sorts of stuff. Things were blowing out left, right, and centre. We are making real progress.

I am very proud of this one: under National smoking rates are down from 20 percent to 15 percent—a drop of 25 percent, so everyone’s paths can change. Look, this is very positive stuff. Under National we were achieving our first cancer target of everyone who is ready for treatment getting treatment within 4 weeks. We have achieved that. We have now moved on to this new gold standard target that everyone will get their treatment once they have been referred by their GP within 62 days. So we are setting the bar higher all the time.

Cancer treatment is very important. We are actually now delivering an extra 44,000 operations per year. When Annette King was the Minister of Health she put an extra $2 billion into the health system to deliver 2,000 fewer operations. Can you believe it—more money; fewer operations—and she has not even got a reply to that. So there are 118,000 operations a year, going up now to 162,000 a year, and these are the things that people really want us to focus on.

Immunisation rates under Labour were hopeless: 80 percent of kids were being immunised. We are now almost at 95 percent. It is just incredible. Heart and diabetes checks—we have set very rigorous targets around those, so we are delivering on that as well.

Emergency department waiting times—you know, at the select committee today Clare Curran was whining on about equipment being stacked in the corridors at Dunedin Hospital. Scott Simpson, MP for Coromandel, said that under Labour it was patients being stacked in the corridors, and that is absolutely true. That has to be the zinger of the day—absolutely true. I can remember going to North Shore Hospital, my local hospital, where the good people of Northcote, my electorate, go to. People were waiting in the corridors for 24 hours when Annette King was running it. Now, 95 percent of people are in and out of the emergency department within 6 hours. That district health board has turned round.

The people of New Zealand do not want Labour running the health system again. We could not afford to have Labour running the health system. No wonder Annette King is leaving because, frankly, she does not want to be the Minister of Health again. That is why she never asks a question in the House. She is out of here completely.

So when you look at it, you have also got to look at the international context, and I think Nanaia Mahuta should just go away and have a look at the facts of this. There is 3 percent economic growth for the next 3 years. Everywhere else in the world they are actually facing zero levels. There is deflation everywhere else, huge unemployment numbers everywhere else. Here we are looking good: fewer people out of work, the unemployment numbers are projected to drop over time. It is a very good economic story overall.

But look, it is not just all about health and the economy; it is the Cricket World Cup. It is a great time for New Zealand. New Zealanders are in an upbeat mood. If you look at New Zealand’s world cup record under the National Government over the last 6 years, well, who knows what might happen. The Cricket World Cup is going to be great for this country: over a billion people watching that, 30,000 to 40,000 visitors here over the next 6 weeks, and great legacy benefits. It is going to be an excellent time for New Zealand.

We have also got, of course, the FIFA U-20 World Cup coming here. That is a global opportunity. We had 100 million people watching the draw last week. We are going to get great long-term legacy benefits from those two tournaments. If you look at what we have done with high-performance sport, my predecessor, Murray McCully, did a great job: $30 million into building that network around the country. Labour members do not like sport—they will never admit it; but Helen Clark hated rugby—they really do not. You know, actually at the cricket on Saturday I could not see a Labour MP there.

💬 Hon Anne Tolley: Really?

No, they just were not there. But the point is that you would never have got that money into the high-performance network without the National Government. Mr McCully did a great job.

In the end that is what counts for New Zealanders. It is the hard stuff like jobs, the economy, law and order, health and education. But they love their sport as well. These people are just so far out of touch there. I would encourage members over there—how many Cricket World Cup games are people there going to?

💬 Louisa Wall: I’m going to two.

See—one. One person is going to two games and that is it. And what is more, I bet you that none of them has bought a ticket. So Labour—get with the programme, get behind the Cricket World Cup, get behind John Key and the National Government, get behind the winners. Thank you very much.

I note that in the Prime Minister’s statement he emphasised that the Christchurch rebuild will be one of the Government’s four key priorities and I want to focus on that. Although it is welcomed by residents of Christchurch, it is disappointing that there is no mention of the importance of ensuring accessibility in the rebuild. It is worrying that there is no acknowledgment of the policy and legislative changes that are needed if they are going to ensure an accessible city for everyone, whether young or old, able-bodied or disabled, to live, work, and play.

It is very surprising that there is not that commitment expressed because it is one of the key priorities that the people of Christchurch want. There was a Share an Idea forum hosted by the Christchurch City Council and accessibility came out as the second-highest priority—second only to generally ensuring a place for everyone. Because of this it is really, really important that the Government fix that, because if it does not then we will see buildings going up now that are not accessible, that have major barriers in their way. It is also a critical issue because we have an ageing population. We have now nearly one in four New Zealanders with a disability.

An accessible environment is incredibly important from a whole number of viewpoints. It is important because it reduces social isolation so that people can participate in and access services. It also has significant economic benefits because it removes a barrier to employment for disabled people. There is no point constantly bashing disabled people on benefits on the head and telling them they have got to get out and work when they cannot often even get to a job interview because they cannot get in through the door. There are benefits for tourism. Christchurch has a unique opportunity to be the most accessible city in the world. It also makes Christchurch an attractive venue as a host for international conferences, for sporting events, and for study. It reduces reliance on paid support such as for transport, and so should immediately save public money.

Last week, more than a year after two petitions were presented to Parliament calling for the Government to take accessibility seriously and ensure an accessible city in the rebuild, the petitioners were finally heard at the select committee. The Earthquake Disability Leadership Group handed around photos to members of the select committee that showed just what was happening with the rebuild. They showed buildings that had wheelchair accessibility signage at the front door, but there were steps immediately in front of the door. There is no legal requirement that says that you cannot use that signage even when the building is clearly inaccessible. They talked about how developers were avoiding their responsibility by exploiting the loops in the building code to avoid meeting access requirements, such as not installing lifts in buildings that should require them by putting in artificial false dividing walls and that sort of thing. So the group has asked that the Government takes urgent steps to ensure that assessed buildings are accessible for everyone and that it really gets the policy and legislative changes that are needed now, as urgently as possible, because buildings are going up now. The inaccessible buildings that are going up now are locking in inaccessibility for the next 20, 30, and 40 years—a whole generation of people’s lifetimes. This is just simply not OK.

I do want to acknowledge that the Government has started a review of this through the Office for Disability Issues. A major report came out last year, but that report did not say anything new. It repeated the kinds of things that people have been saying for years. Access issues are continuing to be designed into buildings in New Zealand as a result of the way that the legislation is drafted and the resulting approach by architects, by developers, and by building owners. The purpose of the Building Act, which does say that the buildings need to be accessible, is not flowing through to the building code and acceptable solutions. This is resulting in buildings that are code-compliant but not accessible, and they do not meet the access needs of the users of the building. This is just simply not OK.

These issues are not new. We have known about them for years. The Human Rights Commission wrote a report on this several years ago, and yet this Government is still not taking the actual steps that need to happen to change this situation—really decisive action. There is a need, as I have said, for urgency because of the buildings that are going up now. There is concern that the changes in the Resource Management Act that are being proposed by the Government are actually going to make things worse. We have an opportunity with the Resource Management Act to actually require these issues to be considered right at the start of the process. But in the Government’s rush to go ahead and allow developers to build willy-nilly around the country and the removal of some of the perceived constraints around planning, it is also going to mean that an opportunity is missed to ensure that accessibility is considered right early on in the process.

We have an opportunity to make Christchurch the most accessible city in the world. We are missing that opportunity and it is a crying shame. It is a crying shame for the people of Christchurch, but it is also a shame for the whole of the country because the changes to the building code and the solutions that are needed to ensure that buildings in Christchurch are accessible will also, of course, affect all new buildings going up anywhere in New Zealand. So it is part of making the whole of the country more accessible for people with disabilities. If only you knew the number of people for whom access issues almost dominates their lives, who have to ring up and check with every building that they go to and ask whether it has really got an accessible entrance. And when they get to the building and maybe get inside, they cannot reach the push button to open the door or a lift because they are put in corners where people in wheelchairs cannot reach them, or they are put too high or they are put too low.

There are so many things that are just simply fundamental design flaws that are being allowed and certified as code-compliant either because of a lack of awareness in the planning and consenting authorities and also because they are inherent design flaws in the building code, which is actually enabling these kinds of inaccessible solutions to be consented and developed. Developers have spoken to me and said that until access is actually a fundamental requirement, inaccessible buildings will continue to be built.

This Government is very ably led by John Key and, as we heard in the Prime Minister’s statement, New Zealand is in good shape and it is getting better all the time. That is something we believe in very strongly on this side of the House. We have a plan, we have a programme, and we are rolling it out. I need to look no further than my own three portfolios to see evidence of the fact that New Zealand is in very good heart. I think that for my call today I am going to concentrate on some of the aspects of my three portfolios and give an indication of the challenges and priorities that fit into what the Prime Minister was saying about our broad vision of where New Zealand is heading.

I have the great privilege of being the Minister of Conservation, the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and the Minister for Senior Citizens. It is the first time in New Zealand’s parliamentary history that one Minister has held the portfolio of conservation and the portfolio of arts, culture, and heritage at the same time, so it gives me the unique opportunity to explore not only what our flora and fauna do by way of defining us on the world’s stage but also how we see ourselves as New Zealanders—what defines us and what matters to us.

In this year of the World War I 100th anniversary commemorations—the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I—we look back at the crucible of how our nationhood was forged and at how important it was for us as a fledgling, colonial nation to step forward out of the shadows and be a nation in our own right, because of the bravery and commitment of our soldiers. I will touch on that later, and on the importance of the contribution that seniors have made to New Zealand society, because we would not be where we are today without their talent, their skill, their hard work, and their unfailing energy and belief in the values that underpin the society that we are today.

I would like to begin, though, by talking about conservation. It is by telling our stories in conservation that we can connect with people and really highlight the issues and challenges that are important to our everyday lives. Winning the hearts and minds of New Zealanders around our conservation challenges means that we need to engage with the science. We need to understand the problems that exist and how they can be solved. We need to understand why it is so important that the Government leads but communities and partners and volunteers join together to combat the problems that we have.

One of the latest examples that I have seen as the incoming Minister of Conservation was launched last year by my predecessor, Dr Nick Smith, and it was called Battle for our Birds. That was a very deliberate way of describing the challenge that lay ahead of us at that time. What we needed to do was not get bogged down in the emotional arguments around the toxicity of some of the methods that we use to combat the pests that were going to be engulfing and literally extinguishing our at-risk birds. We had to rise above that, concentrate on the science, and look at the fact that we have very good baiting, very good trapping, and very good 1080—used in the sense of aerial drops—that will, in hard to reach places, really make it the only method we can use in some of those places to annihilate the rats and the stoats, and to a certain extent the possums as well. As people will recall, last year there was a beech mast, which meant that there was an epic plague of rats of biblical proportions, which needed to be exterminated.

I am happy to report that the predator control that we employed with Battle for our Birds worked very well, and the results have shown that we have successfully knocked back the rat and stoat numbers and that has allowed our native bird populations—and bats for that matter—to breed over the summer, to proliferate and do what nature intended them to do, and that is multiply instead of being exterminated by eco-invaders.

In addition to extensive pest control, given my background and interest in plants, I have really tried to concentrate our resources and our thoughts a little bit more on protecting our endangered plant species. Once again, it is about controlling eco-invaders. We have what I would call the war on weeds, which is about to be rolled out. We have identified, again, what I call the dirty dozen—the weeds that have choked New Zealand plants and forests for a very long period of time—

💬 Carmel Sepuloni: The front bench of the National Party.

—and really, we are talking about plants, not politicians on the other side of the House. We need to really combat these eco-invaders.

For the Greens’ benefit—we have clematis vitalba, and that is known as old man’s beard. These are plants that have botanic names and common names, and we do need to ensure that they are kept well under control.

Wilding pines are another problem. We have invested in this space, and I acknowledge the work that has been done by the Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy. We really need to get to grips with the problem of wilding pines. These are the ultimate garden escapees. These are conifers that were planted in order to hold back erosion and for shelter belts and so forth—all of these good ideas—but because they did so well in this wonderful country of ours with its climate, they have proliferated. They have seeded too well, and you can have too much of a good thing. So we spend a lot of money, about $10 million a year, on combating weeds, and about a third of that is on wilding conifer control. The rest of it is on the sorts of sites that we need to concentrate on to really save our endangered plants. So I am focusing more time and attention on that in the next year.

I take great heart from Project Crimson, which was, as some of you might recall, launched about 20 years ago. At the time pōhutukawa trees were threatened to the point where people felt that they would disappear from the north. That is not a science fiction, made-up dramatisation; that was the real deal. That is how much damage possums have done to our native plants. The pōhutukawa was in danger. Project Crimson is a great blueprint and one that has reminded me of the importance of getting together with the Department of Conservation—an early partner in that. We also get together with partners that can provide money and expertise and communities and volunteers as a group, as a force, because the Government cannot do it all. But they have achieved remarkable things with Project Crimson. It was an honour for me last week at Government House to present prizes to the people involved and to acknowledge and value the work they had done in Project Crimson.

I remind the House and people out there in New Zealand today about Project Crimson because there are those who are pessimistic about our ability to save the kauri. Kauri dieback is a disease we do not know very much about and it is very complicated. We have put in a lot of money now, some $26 million, to trying to find out what causes it, how it arrived here, how to contain it, and really what to do about trying to stop its spread. At the moment we have emphasised this, and really added extra urgency to this, by putting in proper signage so that people know that they need to clean their boots, spray on disinfectant, and do what they can to not spread this disease, which is a soil-borne pathogen, from tree to tree. We have contained and confined the disease where we see it by closing off parks, by continuing public education. Along with the Minister for Primary Industries and the kauri dieback management programme we are spending $26.5 million. We are rolling that out now. In Whangarei we have just appointed a designated individual who is leading a team that is really working hard to ensure that that programme will do what it needs to do. You can expect to see more areas of bush contained and confined.

I have travelled around the country and have seen the work that partners have been doing in saving kiwis, for example, and I am going to be working more with those people and with iwi as well. The urgency, really, that I suppose kauri dieback has brought to the notion of protecting the north has, I think, added impetus to the notion of having a national park. So I am stepping up the work that was done by my predecessor, Nick Smith, in trying to get that Waipoua national kauri park established—to make our 10th park. Parks are good for people. They are good for our health.

Our oceans are the next challenge. I will be releasing very soon a public discussion document about the recreational fishing reserves, seabed reserves, and as well as that species-specific ones. That is coming out in the next few weeks.

We will also be looking at arts, culture, and heritage priorities around WW100, and looking at our heritage sites and, again, preserving and protecting what we have, and spreading the word that this is a young country and we are a young nation but we have a proud history. I will be engaging with the heritage groups and people commemorating the 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi to really spread the message. Those are those sorts of challenges that are coming up at the moment.

The Positive Ageing Strategy, which we are rolling out at the moment for seniors, concentrates on areas to do with valuing our seniors, not looking at them as if they are at some kind of disadvantage. Those 660,000 New Zealanders are a very important part of our population and we need to be very aware of the problems to do with elder abuse and social isolation. These are difficult issues but this Government, led by John Key, is making sure that we address them. We are not going to leave our elderly in a situation where they are living with dementia, living with social stigma, and living in a way that is not befitting of the wonderful contribution they have made to New Zealand society.

I understand this is a split National call.

It is an honour to speak this afternoon on the Prime Minister’s statement. Last week I attended the release of the state of the nation report from the Salvation Army. The report is entitled A Mountain All Can Climb. Why I was heartened by this report was actually that the statements that were used as the foundation of this report were talking about the values that Sir Edmund Hillary had. He talked about being of modest ability and having determination and ambition, which really sort of states the things that we as a Government also believe that all New Zealanders have and that are important for a growing and thriving country as well.

At that time, on that morning, what was quite interesting was that the Salvation Army was putting forward this report to indicate what it believed the Government was doing to meet the needs of the country. It is a report that has 22 indicators and five focus areas, and often the Salvation Army’s report is looked at as being a critique on the social and economic infrastructure of the country and its state at that time. I want to say that this report is encouraging for the Government. Out of the 22 indicators, 13 of those indicators indicate that there are things that the Government is doing that are making a difference.

We can hear from the Opposition, which will tell us about all the things that are going wrong from the inside looking out to the public out there. We will also tell our story. What becomes heartening, and what creates evidence to the fact of whether we are making a difference, is when those social commentators on the outside validate the direction that this Government has taken.

I want to encourage the indicators in this report. It talks about child poverty, which has been reduced by 2 percent. Yes, we know there is more to come and there is more to do, but the signs are encouraging. Children at risk—the number of substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect is down by 15 percent. On child poverty, the report talks about the percentage of children living in benefit-dependent households.

Today we had the annual review of the Ministry of Social Development. The opening statement by the chief executive officer, Mr Brendan Boyle, talked about the reduction of those benefit numbers. We on this side applauded that because that is one of the things that are absolutely important to us. From the Opposition, all we heard was the little nit-picking about all the systemic things that could go wrong.

The Prime Minister has made it really clear. Children in hardship is an area that we are focusing on. We know that we are beginning to make a difference to that as well. Teenage pregnancy—down by 14 percent, the rate of pregnancy among 15 to 19-year-olds. Overall crime—down by 3.7 percent. We know that crime as a whole is down at a 35-year low. That is an indicator that we are proud of, and we will continue that ongoing work as well. Imprisonment—down by 3.2 percent. Recidivism—down by 0.5 percent, and there is still work to be done there.

When we talk about jobs—Nanaia Mahuta talked about the importance of jobs and what they contribute to our communities as a whole. So let us talk about employment. The number of jobs within the economy has grown by 3.5 percent. We know that is encouraging. Household labour force surveys have shown that we have grown not only by 80,000 more jobs but by 215,000 jobs in the last 5 years. That is encouraging. Unemployment numbers are down by 0.4 percent—again, making a difference that we know of in our communities.

Let us talk about incomes. We know the difference that that makes for households in order for them to pay for the needs of their families, for education, for health, and for recreation as well. The average weekly wage or salary for employees has risen by 1.8 percent—1.8 percent. We know that the rate of increase in the average weekly wage is far above that of inflation at the moment. Living and food costs and poverty are down by 2 percent. It truly is making a difference. Social hazards, alcohol—we know that these things are making a difference.

I have got 1 minute to be able to summarise, and I want to summarise by quoting Simon Collins, who is a social commentator for the New Zealand Herald. This is what he said in last week’s New Zealand Herald on the state of the nation report: “More jobs, better incomes, and fewer on welfare, but we need 4,000 homes”. We will not deny that there is a need for work to be done. Here is what he had as a title on the middle page, on A14: “Life getting better on most indicators”.

We can have the Opposition talking about all the things that are going wrong, but from the outside looking in, most New Zealanders—47.5 percent of whom voted for this Government—believe that we are making a difference. That is the fact. That is the truth. It is hard to argue with it, but that is why this Government is making a difference. Thank you.

A certain Alfred Ngaro and I were debating who would go first and, of course, with his great passion and exploration of the truth it is a difficult one to follow, but Alfred, Mr Ngaro, has indicated some of the really strong elements of this Government. I am very pleased to take a call in support of the PM’s speech in a rejection of what are the “distractionary” comments of the Labour Party—in particular, in fact, bad grammar as well; always a shocker. But I want to acknowledge Alfred. He works incredibly hard for the good people in Te Atatū, in particular, and provided me with great support in Tāmaki with his connections there. But drawing on the fact of his passion, it is a passion shared by every member on this side of the House and a passion that is, importantly, unified. This is a National Party with purpose, and purpose behind the Prime Minister.

We know from the facts—and, as Alfred has said, the facts are very clear—that unemployment is coming down. We have an economy that is growing, and we are seeing wages increasing. And I myself find, as I move around my electorate, and Tāmaki is a diverse electorate, that people are feeling the benefits. They are feeling the benefits in their businesses, in their homes, in their schools, in the health sector—wherever they are engaging they are seeing the differences that the National Party is making. And, really important, they again see a strong, unified party that is united behind its leader.

I want to draw attention to a couple of what I think are really excellent elements happening within my electorate that manifest this. Most recently there was an announcement for the Government—this was in the space of public transport around shared cycleways. Tāmaki has been very pleased to receive, in effect, $2 million immediately to help with a cycleway between Glen Innes and Tāmaki Drive. This is something I have been very passionate about and that I know our local board there in Ōrākei has been passionate about: joining up our communities. Joining up our communities from Glen Innes to Tāmaki Drive—a $9.5 million project that this Government is committed to and the good people of Tāmaki are thrilled about. And it is symbolic, too. I used those words “joining up our communities” quite deliberately earlier. That is a core work that we in our constituencies do, and that we as a National Party seek and push towards.

We want to unite our communities—those doing well, those doing not so well, those who are in ill health, and those who need better educational outcomes. We are working across the board. We heard in the initial speech from Minister Tolley about the great work that she is leading in social development. I would be remiss now, as chair of the Health Committee, to not speak of what Jonathan Coleman is doing. We have had two Ministers in the health sector during this National Government. Obviously, the record of Tony Ryall stands for itself. In fact, I think all members across the House would acknowledge the amazing work that he did. But I want to acknowledge Minister Coleman as well. He has picked up the mantle and run with it incredibly strongly, and it is a pleasure to work with him.

We are hearing in the Health Committee at the moment really positive stories coming out of the district health boards particularly, but also from other groups like the New Zealand Blood Service—incredibly strong and helpful work that is going on for all New Zealanders. So in thanking the Minister I think it is also important, if I can in my role as chair, to thank all those involved in the health sector, from the doctors to the nurses to the cleaners to the health support workers and to the community workers. What they do makes an enormous difference.

I want to touch very quickly too—we have had a lot of talk about housing; where are the houses being built, what are the changes being made, and where are the statistics and figures. I just invite people, particularly from the Opposition, to come to Tāmaki, to come to Glen Innes, in particular actually, where the Tāmaki Transformation Project is really gaining legs. Houses are being built and lives are being changed. But I sense the bell is to ring—[Bell rung] There is some prescience for you.

I just want to finish, though, with a fun fact for the House. Goff lasted as leader of the Labour Party for around 1,100 days. David Shearer lasted for around 640 days. Mr Cunliffe lasted for over 300 days. So it seems to me that each Labour leader since 2008 has lasted about half as long as his predecessor—half as long as his predecessor—and so far Mr Little has lasted for 90 days. So, according to the numbers, he has got about 90 days to go. I would say that Mr Little has got about until late May before someone comes for his job. This is all about the maths, people. This is the Labour Party’s own Fibonacci sequence. In fact, looking across, the members there could have a chance of being in the leadership by December. Thank you.

Mr Speaker, tēnā koe. E ngā mema o te Whare nei kei te mihi. Ā, ko Tākuta Apirana Mahuika, ko Tama Tūranga Huata, e ōku rangatira kua wehe atu ki te pō, he taniwha, he tipua, he tangata, haere, haere, haere atu rā.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. To the members of this House, I acknowledge you. To Dr Apirana Mahuika and Tama Tūranga Huata, my revered leaders who have departed to the void, you are awesome, supernatural, and manly. Depart, go forth, journey on.]

I am pleased to take a call to debate the important Prime Minister’s statement for 2015. However, before I do that, may I wish you and all members of the House warm salutations, and I trust you have all had a very restful summer break, because, boy, are we going to need it this year.

In our Māori culture it is proper to acknowledge the recent passing of a great rangatira, and in my beloved Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, we have had our fair share. Dr Apirana Mahuika—scholar, teacher, leader, husband, father, koro, and uncle to many—was unequivocally passionate about and without deviation for the advancement of our Ngati Porou people. During his tangi he was acknowledged as the ultimate politician, playing and beating many in this House at our own game. I acknowledge his contribution to our people and to our nation: e te rangatira, moe mai [esteemed one, rest there].

Tama Tūranga Huata—arts and cultural visionary leader throughout Aotearoa, throughout the Pacific. With the support of his whānau he established Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Tākitimu, one of the first performing arts tertiary institutions in this country. His Kahurangi Māori Dance Theatre company performs regularly in New Zealand, even here in Parliament, North America, and Canada. Employment and opportunities through culture—Tama established the national Waiata Māori Awards and was the first chairman of Te Matatini, New Zealand’s premier hapa kaka movement. Tama was before his time, committed to his culture, committed to his Anglican faith, committed to the descendants of the waka tipua Tākitimu. E te rangatira, moe mai [esteemed one, rest there].

It seems anticlimactic to go from espousing the virtues of these great rangatira, to now turn to the Prime Minister’s statement. It is like moving from a state of admiration and respect to a state of despair. The country deserves better. The constituents of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, whom I represent, deserve better. In the contribution earlier today by Minister Anne Tolley there was reference to the comment in the Prime Minister’s speech about the economy being in good shape and getting better. I rise to bring to this House the reality that I confront as the member for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti. It is not my view of what is happening. It is through the lens of the many constituents who unfortunately get turned away from some of my colleagues on that side of the House when they have issues of urgency, particularly around housing. The constituents of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti are over this spin Government—a Government with no substance, a Government with no policy and no plan, and a Government that simply does not care.

When we came together, after the 2014 election, I had great hope in the new class of members on the Government side when many rose to their feet and espoused the virtues of decency, of fairness, and of equity. I am talking particularly about Nuk Korako, Shane Reti, and Mr Bishop himself. I had great faith that things were going to change on that side of the House. But, alas, it was not to be.

When I travel throughout my electorate, which is 730 kilometres in distance, from Pōtaka in the north, to Wainuiōmata in the south, the issues that continuously come up with the people whom I meet as I travel are jobs and warm and decent homes. [Interruption] No, it is not my view. It is the view of the people whom I have to deal with as a member of Parliament. I have come to this House to put down what their struggles are—not mine, not yours, but theirs. Too much in this House is a big gap between talking about doing something and actually doing it. The results speak for themselves.

Let us turn to housing throughout Ikaroa-Rāwhiti. The waiting list in December 2014 in Gisborne was 46. In Hastings there are 61 people waiting. In Napier there are 93 people waiting for homes, and in Wairoa, a small community, there are 10 people waiting. But let us look at the vacant houses in those same areas. As at October 2014 we have 87 vacant homes in Gisborne, we have 71 vacant homes in Hastings, and we have 130 vacant homes in Napier. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to ask why we have got these vacant homes but there are still people on the waiting list. It is because this Government does not care. It is because this Government is not actively providing safe, affordable, dry homes for the people throughout Ikaroa-Rāwhiti who need them.

I also want to come to the House to raise an issue that has come up in my engagement, again, with constituents. It is the lack of maintenance that is going on in State houses. I deal with the managers in both Hastings and Gisborne. They are great people, because we all need public servants in our regions, but their hands are tied. You have to go into nannies’ homes, who keep immaculate houses and lawns, but the paint is peeling, there is mildew in the bathrooms, and there are holes in the kitchen because the bathroom is leaking, but these people are just grateful to have a home. No one deserves to live like that—nobody. When the concerns are raised again with the managers of Housing New Zealand, they cannot do anything. Why? Because they have no budget. Is this the Government that we are proud of? Is that a “good shape … getting better” Government—which is what we heard the Prime Minister say—when people are forced to live in that level of housing? It is not. That is why I rise to bring that issue to this House.

Employment—we have heard that this Labour Party is prioritising jobs. We are prioritising jobs, and we are not just going to talk about it. We are going to do something about it. Again, I reference the earlier contribution by the Minister Anne Tolley around unemployment. Let us just have a look throughout our electorate, Minister Tolley. In Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay in December 2014 we had an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent. In December 2008 that percentage was 6.4. In Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay we are not in good shape. We are not getting better. The statistics are undeniably going the wrong way. When we have this Government talking about the glory and the benefits that are going out, I, for one, can definitely stand and say that the impact on the people throughout Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is not being felt. When Minister Tolley is up in Gisborne I invite her to come to Elgin and to be part of the community who come in every day when I am visiting to talk about the lack of jobs, the poor houses—in fact, we have got a house right next door to my electoral office that burnt down and is still standing.

This Government is completely out of touch with the ordinary New Zealander. Like I say, on this side of the House I want to hold the Government accountable for its non-performance and non-delivery of the bare basics of a warm, affordable home, sustainable employment, and a decent wage. This is why we are standing to hold this Government to account. That Prime Minister’s statement is just not hitting the mark. It is full of holes. Over this year I look forward to exposing the Government even more. Kia ora tātou.

I understand this is a split National call, Dr Shane Reti.

Ngā mihi ki a koe. Thank you for the opportunity to talk to the Prime Minister’s statement, and to especially talk about smart business, working with a smart Government to provide a better quality of life for New Zealanders. The formula is simple. Smart business and smart Government bring economic development and bring real jobs, and real jobs give New Zealanders options. That is what New Zealanders voted for.

A few weeks ago in Kerikeri the Northland regional growth strategy was released. It is a bottom-up collaboration with stakeholders that gives real direction, and by real direction I mean smart direction, to the region. What do I mean by that? Let us take an example from the growth strategy. Let us look at aquaculture in Northland. Northland has maybe 10 percent of the coastline, maybe a bit more. Aquaculture in Northland is a nascent industry. It is still in its early stages. It has got a lot of potential. It has done the teething time, but has not actually reached that full potential. The players in the Northland aquaculture industry are widespread across the region. We have the kingfish, and we have the finfish people at Ruakākā, and I will come back to them. The oyster industry is well developed—Pārua Bay, the Ōtamatea River in the Kaipara, Waikare, Te Puna, Kerikeri, Haupōuri, Whangaroa, Rangirū, Houhora, and Pāringaringa in the Hokianga. Pāua—who would have known? There are 11 tonnes of pāua coming out of Ruakākā. And the mussel industry is also well developed—Houhora and Whangaroa. They are all well developed and well spread across the Northland area.

What this Government is doing and what it is saying is: “Where’s our bang for our buck? We could actually spread it across everywhere, but where are we going to get the most gain?”. It turns out that most gains are with finfish and oysters. It does not mean we are going to ignore the other parts of the industry. Mussel farmers, for example, have their 70-hectare mussel farm at Stephenson Island in the Whangaroa. We are not forgetting the other areas, but finfish and oysters are our strategic direction. With a clear direction like that, it gives clarity and stability for investors in the industry.

Let us drill down on to that a little bit more. Let us get into some details and make it a bit real. What does it mean to prioritise finfish in Northland? This is a $14 million, 150-job opportunity and it is an excellent example of central government working with local government. We have four key stakeholders. We have the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA); we have the Ministry for Primary Industries; we have Northland Inc., the economic development arm of the Far North District Council and Whangarei District Council; and local iwi Ngāti Wai. NIWA did the initial work on finfish in sea cages and land tanks. When the King Salmon decision came out last year challenging sea-based farming, NIWA was simply able to redirect its model to the land-based farming that it was already doing. That is smart—that is smart. We were able to keep the momentum going and use these 500-tonne land-based cages that we have been working on.

Another feature of the regional growth strategy that this Government has and continues to enable is roading in Northland, and I want to talk to that for a moment. We get that roading matters. Furthermore, we do not just want to talk about it; we actually want to put it into action. The Pūhoi to Wellsford road of national significance is important to Northland and important to this Government, and it will be put into action. Between 10,000 and 20,000 vehicles use State Highway 1 near Whangarei every single day. The volume of freight to and from Northland has gone up by 5 million tonnes between 2007 and 2012. That is freight growth of 6.6 percent per annum. The road of national significance to Northland will benefit many Northlanders in myriad ways. First of all, there will be the manufacture and maintenance, tourism, and then we will be closer to Auckland, the economic powerhouse.

So, in summary, the Prime Minister’s statement is good for Northland, good for New Zealanders, and I commend it to the House. Thank you.

It is a pleasure to be standing here in support of the Prime Minister’s statement. In fact, it is more than that; it is actually exciting to be part of the team that is radically overhauling New Zealand and that this Prime Minister has been leading for the last 6½ years. This is clearly a Government with a plan that is working hard, achieving results, and delivering great outcomes. This is not about having talkfests, symposiums, and conferences.

The results say it all—an economy growing by 3.2 percent. We have one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and Treasury is forecasting that we are going to sustain that at 3 percent per annum for the next 3 years. We have got interest rates at a 20-year low, which is great for people wanting to buy new houses and expand their businesses. We have got more jobs—80,000 last year, and even Treasury is projecting that we will create 151,000 new jobs over the next 5 years. That means a quarter of a million new jobs for New Zealanders. That is pretty encouraging for people wanting to gain self-respect from having a good job and earning a regular income.

That brings me to income. Average wages have risen by 15 percent over the last 5 years and will continue to grow now that we have tamed inflation, which is at less than 1 percent. Debt is at a mere 26 percent of GDP and targeted to be at 20 percent by 2020. The prudent steps we have taken to control the Government sector—our Government expenditure is now sitting at just over 30 percent, a far cry from where it was 6 years ago.

I also want to acknowledge the great work that the Minister for Social Development has achieved in getting more people into work. There are 1,600 more people a week who are now enjoying the respect of having a good job.

Better health outcomes—as the Minister of Finance noted earlier today, free doctors visits for under-13s are to be introduced from 1 July this year. There is a focus on immunisation for our young toddlers. There are programmes to reduce obesity and to encourage more active lifestyles.

Improved educational outcomes—after doubling our investment in early childhood education, we are now at a stage where we have got 96 percent of our young children participating in early childhood education. We have much-improved National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) levels. Only this morning in the Education and Science Committee did we hear from the Ministry of Education that level 2 NCEA achievement rates for Māori and Pacific Islanders have increased by 10 percent and 12 percent respectively. They are great outcomes.

We are also assisting to get people into homes, not only with a supply of new homes but also through our Welcome Home Loan package, which allows first-time homeowners to buy their first homes.

We are also creating a better environment for our business people—reduced ACC levies, easier workplace practices, and changes to the Resource Management Act. We are also creating the right environment so that health and safety pervades all our work environments.

Finally and most important is our focus on vulnerable families. Our package of measures is comprehensive, coherent, and welcome. It was timely that earlier this week or last week the Salvation Army released its update report, which showed we had achieved improvement in 10 out of 13 measures. This is a Government that has a heart. This is a Government that has a soul and a desire to improve the well-being of all New Zealanders.

In essence, there is a lot more confidence in our regions as well as at an individual level. This is good government. All of us know that there is more to do, and that is why all 60 of us in the National Party cannot wait to continue focusing on dealing with the hard issues that have been troubling New Zealand’s generations. Our story is incomplete, but it has been exciting reading some of the chapters so far. I commend the Prime Minister for his vision and energy. It is great to be part of his team.

New Zealand is in great heart and so is this Government. We have had a wonderful summer. The Black Caps are performing superbly, and are we not all so proud of them? The Chiefs did the business yet again when they demolished the Blues away last weekend. The people of Hamilton are in great heart and they support this Government. They do so partly because Hamilton continues to be New Zealand’s most desirable city. I invite members from throughout the House to come to Hamilton this month to sample our superb and internationally acclaimed botanic gardens—they are world-leading—and also to enjoy our magnificent summer arts festival set in those beautiful gardens. It is something to savour.

This debate, of course, has focused on confidence in the Government. Good Governments listen to the people. Good Governments focus on matters of importance to those people and deliver results in those significant areas. Good Governments have strong and decisive leadership, talented and committed executives, backbench teams, and high expectations of all who work in our public services, in employment, and in areas that deliver the goods for those people—and they are. That is how good Governments retain the confidence and the trust of the electorates they serve. What is absolutely remarkable is that in over more than 6 years in Government, this Government’s poll ratings have consistently been in the mid to high 40s and sometimes higher, showing that we have retained the trust of the people throughout our time in Government not because we are arrogant, not because there is anything that we are perhaps trying to do that is sneaky, but because we are focused on the things that matter and, more important, because we are delivering in the areas that matter.

So our opponents do not like it, but New Zealanders know that our Government’s management of the economy has earned international acclaim. The economic indicators are all positive. Employment is growing steadily. Wages are rising. Prices and interest rates are steady. We remain on track back to surplus. No wonder our Prime Minister was so highly regarded at the international economic forum that he attended in Davos last month. I am proud to be a part of John Key’s team. In health, education, law and order, and many other important areas, we are raising the bar, expecting better and better results, and together we are achieving. That is why the people of Hamilton West voted National so convincingly last year. That is why I am so proud to represent them in the John Key - led Government. It is why my colleagues and I will be so proud in a few moments to support the motion of confidence that will be voted upon.

Much has been achieved but there is more to be done. I am delighted by our commitment to increase and improve our social housing stock in my electorate and throughout the country. I commend and strongly support the work and passion of those who are protecting our vulnerable children and supporting their families and communities. Their work is crucial. I look forward to further initiatives to be rolled out in this year’s Budget that will assist children who are growing up in hardship and deprivation. They deserve our full support and they will get it. It is this clear and unwavering focus that has captured the imagination of New Zealanders and explains why they so strongly support this Government, and now we have the opportunity to show that confidence as this debate comes to its conclusion.