Thursday, 31 August 2023 - Volume 771 The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m. KARAKIA/PRAYERS Hon JACQUI DEAN (Assistant Speaker—National): Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the King and pray for guidance in our deliberations that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom, justice, mercy, and humility for the welfare and peace of New Zealand. Amen. PETITIONS, PAPERS, SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS, AND INTRODUCTION OF BILLS SPEAKER: A petition has been delivered to the Clerk for presentation. CLERK: Petition of Millicent Dickenson requesting that the House subsidise New Zealand citizens taking a degree that leads to a mental health job. SPEAKER: That petition stands referred to the Petitions Committee. Ministers have delivered papers. CLERK: Government response to the report of the Petitions Committee on the petition of Amy Blaikie. 2023-24 statements of performance expectations for Drug Free New Zealand, Sport New Zealand SPEAKER: Those papers are published under the authority of the House. A select committee report has been delivered for presentation. CLERK: Report of the Social Services and Community Committee on the petitions of Rosalina Ngakopu and Brett Rawnsley. SPEAKER: The Clerk has been informed of the introduction of bills. CLERK: Digital Services Tax Bill, introduction Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (Improving Mental Health Outcomes) Amendment Bill, introduction Electoral (Equal Protection of Māori Seats) Amendment Bill, introduction Employment Relations (Trial Periods) Amendment Bill, introduction. SPEAKER: Those bills are set down for first reading. ORAL QUESTIONS QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS Question No. 1—Finance 1. HELEN WHITE (Labour) to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Mr Speaker— Hon Members: Big trouble! Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No, just joking. I have today seen the ANZ New Zealand Business Outlook report, which says that business confidence is at its highest level since June 2021. Businesses' confidence in their own activity is at the highest level since December 2021. This remains a tough time for many New Zealanders, but the economy is turning a corner, there are sunnier days ahead, and, as the ANZ business outlook is titled, "Goldilocks is in the building". Helen White: What else did the report say about the economy? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, what the report said, and I will just quote directly from it: The … "ANZ Business Outlook survey was 'the best of all worlds' in terms of the monthly moves." Economy-wide activity indicators lifted across the board, both forward- and backward-looking, from activity to export investment and employment intentions, to profitability expectations and anticipated ease of credit. This has been a difficult time for many businesses, but they are looking on the upside, as is this Government. Helen White: What other reports has he seen on the economy? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, I have seen reports coming forward of international indicators of the economy, and that includes from Moody's Investors Service, who reaffirmed the stable outlook for New Zealand's triple A rating, and Fitch Ratings, who also reconfirmed their rating and said that it was the Government's policy framework and attention to making sure that we supported New Zealanders that has got us through the last few years. Helen White: What reports has he seen on the impact of the labour market on the economy? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, employment in New Zealand continues to grow, and we have seen the labour market supporting the economy. Unemployment is at 3.6 percent, compared with 4.6 percent when we took office. The New Zealand economy has delivered eight quarters of unemployment below 4 percent—only the second time in our recent history that that has occurred. We've added 322,000 jobs since 2017, and average hourly earnings have risen 29 percent over the same period. We know that many Kiwi families have done it tough in the face of cost of living pressures, but they've done so while in paid work, with their wages rising. Helen White: What other reports has he seen on proposals to support the economy? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, the Government is taking a balanced approach to supporting New Zealanders in dealing with the cost of living, while investing in strong public services in a financially sustainable and responsible manner. Alternatively, there are proposals that I've seen that involve dodgy costings for new taxes and billions of dollars of cuts to the public services that New Zealanders rely upon. If these proposals were adopted, the impact on future Budgets in the economy would be significant, making life much harder for New Zealanders, shutting out first-home buyers, and ending investment in climate action. But the good news is it ain't gonna happen! Question No. 2—Prime Minister 2. CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): Yes, particularly our actions that have led to record low unemployment and more Kiwis in work than ever before; our actions that have led to wages growing and outstripping inflation: up 29 percent—wages—since we became the Government; minimum wage earners earning nearly $7 an hour more since our Government took office; the creation of 281,000 more jobs since 2017; the 274,000 Kiwis who have taken up free apprenticeships and targeted trades training; the Kiwis who are saving $15 million in just the first two months since we removed prescription costs for all New Zealanders; the introduction of Fair Pay Agreements to deliver fairer wages and conditions for our cleaners, our supermarket workers, our security guards, and our bus drivers, amongst others; the families who will be saving as much as $133 a week because of the introduction of 20 hours a week of free early childhood education for two-year-olds. Mr Speaker, I could continue to go on, but after your warning yesterday, I won't. Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm that despite spending $5 billion more a year on education, there are fewer kids going to school and more leaving without NCEA than six years ago? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No, I can't confirm that there are fewer kids in the school system. In fact, there are more kids in the school system than there were when we became the Government; it's called population growth. Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm that despite spending half a billion dollars rearranging DHBs, Kiwis are waiting longer for surgery, longer for cancer treatment, longer to see a GP, and longer in overcrowded emergency departments? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: He gave up on education relatively quickly—clearly it wasn't part of the script. What I can confirm is that our health system has performed remarkably well despite having to support New Zealand through a global pandemic. Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm that despite spending $2 billion more on social development than six years ago, there are 57,000 more Kiwis on the jobseeker benefit, and there are 35,000 more children growing up in benefit-dependent homes? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I note he's given up on health now already, as well, after a single question. But I can confirm that we have more New Zealanders exiting a benefit and going into work under this Government because of the investments that we've been making in that system to ensure that we are supporting Kiwis back into work. Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm that the Government has built less than two percent of the 100,000 KiwiBuild houses it promised six years ago. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I note that's still two percent more than was built under the last National Government, because on this side of the House we believe that when you're in a housing crisis, you should build more houses. We're building more State houses than any Government since the 1950s. We've had record-building consents, and I note, for example, that one of the things we're doing that's helping to build more houses faster is the fast-track consenting. I note that the National Party's pledge to repeal the repeal of the Resource Management Act and cut the funding for the people who would have to design the alternative replacement. Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm that, despite spending $155 million on Auckland Light Rail over the last six years, the Government still hasn't delivered a single metre of track? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Auckland Light Rail is an intergenerational project. Unlike the members opposite, we're not going to give up on that. I noticed, for example, some of the roading projects that National promised in the nine years they were in Government never started, in the entire nine years they were in Government. Christopher Luxon: But, based on that, is KiwiBuild also an intergenerational project? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I've indicated, I'm not going to make any apology for the fact that our Government has been focused on building our way out of a housing crisis. Christopher Luxon: Does he agree with his police Minister that New Zealanders feel safer than six years ago, despite a 107 percent increase in serious assaults, 70 percent increase in gang members, and two ram raids happening every single day in New Zealand? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The most surprising thing about that question was that Nicola Willis' lips didn't move while he was asking it. I am very proud of the fact that we have 1,800 more police on the beat under our Government, and that our police are better resourced than they ever have been before. There is more work to be done in the law and order space—there's no question about that—but, unlike the National Party, who talk a tough game on law and order and then fail to deliver when they are in Government, we are backing our police to do the job that's ahead of them. Christopher Luxon: Does he regret that despite the Government spending $60 billion more than six years ago, he's left the company with a—country with a shrinking economy—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Order! Interjections—I'm going to point out a couple of people now, I think. We know the rules during when questions are being asked. Mr Henare and Dr Woods, you need to get your timing much, much better. Hon Peeni Henare: Right now, then! SPEAKER: Perfect example. The Hon Peeni Henare will stand, withdraw, and apologise. Hon Peeni Henare: Withdraw and apologise. Christopher Luxon: Does he regret that despite the Government spending $60 billion more than six years ago, he's left the country with a shrinking economy, more crime, worse health, worse education, more job seekers, higher rents, higher prices, higher interest rates, and a record number of Kiwis saying this country is going in the wrong direction? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The member just needs to cheer up. So many of the claims in his statement—much like the claims made in their alternative tax policy released yesterday—simply do not add up. I would note that National's vision for the future of New Zealand is that we will sell $5 billion a year worth of houses to foreign investors and we will have four times as many New Zealanders gambling online in order to make their numbers add up. Perhaps those New Zealanders taking up online gambling will be those who get shut out of the housing market and just give up hope. Question No. 3—Prime Minister 3. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and policies? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): Yes, particularly the fact that there are 77,000 fewer children living in poverty than when we became the Government; that we have taken record numbers of New Zealanders off benefits and got them into work. We have delivered a hundred million free and healthy school lunches. We have 3,800 more teachers in our classrooms, and, in fact, there are 2,250 more classrooms under this Government. We've provided 1.4 million packs of period products in schools. We've reduced the strain on the families of 400,000 students by not asking them for school donations. We have delivered 26 weeks of paid parental leave. Kiwis are enjoying healthier homes and cheaper power bills because of the 110,000 low-income families that have benefited from warmer Kiwi homes. We've delivered free doctors visits for the under-14s. We've delivered more than 13,000 additional public homes—one in seven of the public homes that we have at the moment. We have 1,800 more police on the beat. We have delivered lower emissions three years in a row under our Government, where we have record levels of renewable electricity generation, and the lowest level of coal imports since 2013. I could go on. David Seymour: Is he proud of his Government's record on housing, when the average house price is up $220,000, or 33 percent, while average weekly rents are up $175 a week, or 44 percent, both significantly outstripping people's wage growth since 2017, and if that's success on housing, what would his Government failing have looked like? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Given the shortage of houses that the Government's inherited, and the work that we have done to build record numbers of new public homes, and the record numbers of building consents that we are seeing, we are starting to turn around the situation that we inherited in housing. That was never going to be an overnight answer, but I am very proud of the work that we have been doing to ensure that we build our way out of the housing crisis. David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister understand that if his Government inherited a shortage, and increased supply, the price would go down, but the fact that the price went up means that his Government's housing policies have failed at great cost to New Zealanders? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: What I do understand is that all of the problems that the member asked questions about will get worse under a change of Government that proposes to cut funding for public services, that proposes to put more people out of work, and that proposes a range of economic policies that will take the country backwards. David Seymour: Was Jacinda Ardern right when she said, "Climate change is my generation's nuclear-free moment" and declared a climate emergency, or, given the Ministry for the Environment's latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports net emissions increased 3 percent under his Government, were those gestures just a warning to New Zealanders they'd be subject to six years of ineffectual gesture politics by Labour? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I note that the member neglected to mention that, in the last three years, our emissions have gone down because of the work of this Government. I note that almost every one of the initiatives that the Government has in place, that's helped to achieve that reduction in emissions, are on the chopping block either by the ACT Party or by the National Party. Hon David Parker: Can the Prime Minister confirm that, because of the interest deductibility limitation, the foreign buyer ban, and the house build in Auckland under this Government, rents in Auckland have gone up by less than the rate of inflation? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I am very proud of the work that we have done around housing and I am particularly proud of our decision to ban foreign buyers from buying up Kiwi homes. I note that the National Party's plan would see $5 billion every year of Kiwi homes being sold to foreign investors. Nicola Willis: Does the— Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Oh, Christopher's given up. SPEAKER: Order! Nicola Willis: Will the Prime Minister accept that application from the Minister for the Environment for his old portfolio back? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I'm not sure the member's particularly in much of a position to be talking about people auditioning for other ministerial roles. I find the question quite phenomenal. I'm very proud of all of the work that David Parker has done in the various ministerial roles that he has had, and I am particularly proud of the work that he did to ensure that Kiwi first-home buyers get more of a look in the housing market than they were under the last National Government. David Seymour: Is he proud of the performance of his Government's education Ministers, when the education budget has increased by 38 percent in five years, but the portion of children regularly attending school has fallen from 70 percent down to 60 percent, the portion of kids who are chronically absent has doubled from 4 percent to 8 percent; is he proud to have a lower portion of kids going to school, despite spending an extra 5 billion bucks a year on education? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Well, of course it's not schools that determine which kids actually regularly attend; that, of course, is what parents determine. But in terms of the regular non-attendance, I note that the first figure the member quoted has been most significantly influenced by the mandatory seven-day isolation period for COVID-19. In terms of the doubling of the number of students who are persistently absent, that is completely unacceptable and we do need to do more to get those kids who have been disengaged from the education system for far too long back into some form of education, training, or employment. David Seymour: Is his Government really doing a good job on delivering on its promises, and, if so, then why does he think New Zealanders tell the Labour Party's own pollsters this country's going in the wrong direction, by a whopping margin of 55 to 37 and the governing Labour Party is being abandoned by 18 percent of voters since the last election; is it Kiwis that are overwhelmingly wrong or Chris Hipkins? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Of course, one of the things that comes through in the polling is that he is one of the least popular politicians in this Parliament, and I do happen to believe New Zealanders when they make that remark. But I am very proud of the track record of this Government leading New Zealanders through a very tough set of circumstances. There is more work to do, but I notice in every one of the questions that the member has asked, he has failed to mention that he intends to cut funding for all of the support put in place to deal with the very issues he is questioning about. David Seymour: Supplementary? SPEAKER: The member's run out of supplementaries. Rawiri Waititi: Is the Prime Minister happy, as David Seymour is, to see me back in the House today; if not, why not? SPEAKER: As far as the Prime Minister is responsible for that— David Seymour: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister has no responsibility for my attitude but, for the record, I think it's a disgrace that he was suspended when he wasn't even here. SPEAKER: I was about to give you a— Hon Member: Point of order? SPEAKER: I'll deal with one at a time. As I said, as far as the Prime Minister is responsible, which it's hard to imagine exactly what that would be. I was contemplating giving David Seymour an extra question, but I think you've had your say in your point of order, which was out of order. Please, Rawiri Waititi, don't do another one. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Everybody knows that I'm a naturally happy person and I particularly welcome the member back to the House and I'm looking forward to his waiata after his contribution later on. Question No. 4—Housing 4. SHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote) to the Minister of Housing: What reports has she seen regarding foreign buyers in the housing market? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): I have seen some concerning reports regarding the proposed removal of the foreign-buyer ban for houses over $2 million, enabling more speculation in the housing market. We know that increased speculation will increase house prices, and that's why we introduced legislation within our first hundred days in office to ban foreign buyers of existing houses in New Zealand. This Government believes that New Zealanders should not be outbid by wealthy foreign buyers. Shanan Halbert: What proportion of foreign buyers bought houses for over $2 million prior to the 2018 ban? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Before this Government's foreign-buyer ban in 2018, an average of 4,120 homes were sold every year to foreign buyers. Homes over $2 million were only 5 percent of the market. In contrast, reports I have seen assume that nearly half of those homes would be sold for over $2 million in order to pay for some proposed tax cuts. I can advise that on this side of the House, we are not banking on an influx of overseas-based speculators in the housing market to fund tax cuts for millionaires. Once again, the evidence shows that National's tax take does not add up. SPEAKER: Order! You went too far. You were OK up until you mentioned a party's name. I don't think we'll have any more supplementaries on this question, and I will give one supplementary to the National Party, if there is one. Hon Peeni Henare: Well, they need it. SPEAKER: Oh by golly, don't make me send you out on the last day—no more chances. Question No. 5—Finance 5. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Finance: Have the Government's actions contributed to the New Zealand economy being in recession with an ongoing cost of living crisis? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Most economic commentators would reject the member's assertion that the country is currently in recession, although we will not get the updated data for the second quarter of 2023 until next month. With regard to the longer-term pressure on the cost of living that the country has been facing, I think the Government's actions have contributed to softening the impact, particularly on low and middle income households. While this has been a challenging time for many households, we have also managed to maintain historically low levels of unemployment and record-high levels of labour force participation during this period. More recently, we've also seen wages keeping track with inflation, which put more households in a stronger position to manage the current economic headwinds. Every country in the world has had to fight hard to protect their people from rising inflation. Our targeted measures—such as free and half-price public transport, the removal of prescription co-payments, and making 20 hours' free early childhood education available for two-year-olds—do make an important difference to household budgets, and I note they would be at risk under a change of Government. Nicola Willis: Does he think he has been a good steward of taxpayers' money when Government spending is up 80 percent but hospitals are in crisis, educational achievement is in decline, and many New Zealanders feel worse off? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It doesn't matter what I think about it; it matters what people like Fitch Ratings and Moody's Analytics think about it—and they think that the Government has been responsible. Nicola Willis: Is it his position that it matters more what Fitch Ratings think than it does whether New Zealanders feel financially secure, or is he that blissfully unaware of how bad the cost of living crisis is? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. The member asked me what I thought, and I told her what those two independent rating agencies think. What I also think is that a lot of New Zealand households have been doing it tough over the last little while—and that's exactly why we've stepped in to support them by lifting main benefits, by lifting the family tax credit, by lifting childcare assistance, by seeing the minimum wage go up. This has been a tough time, but as indicated in today's ANZ New Zealand Business Outlook, confidence is rising, spring is coming—the member should cheer up. Nicola Willis: Why is it that whenever a Labour Government is given long enough in office, they wreck the economy, mess up the books, and leave the country going backwards? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The history of New Zealand is in fact that when Labour is in Government, we come in, clean up the mess of the National Party, grow jobs, build houses, and support New Zealanders through tough times. We also, when we're in Government, make sure that what we're promising, we can pay for—and that what we promise adds up. The member might like to reflect on CoreLogic head of research Nick Goodall's comments about what would happen with the foreign buyer policy that the member is promoting, which says that, actually, it would "affect the broader market" and it would mean that there would be a reduction in the "overall supply of housing for locals", and this would "flow through to higher prices for all properties." It's the member's policy that will make things worse for New Zealanders. Nicola Willis: Will he—once the dust is cleared and the election campaign is over—join me as the founding members of the Johnsonville amateur dramatic society, with a successful local performance of the 1998 young adult novel Holes? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, I would be interested in working with the member on both of us [Looks through papers]—you'll just have to give me a minute—honing our dramatic skills. I would like to be paid for mine; I don't want to be in an amateur dramatic society. [Holds up printout of cartoon] But I do think we could certainly re-enact this moment from Sharon Murdoch in the Dominion Post yesterday. Nicola Willis: Is this really the lasting impression that this Minister of Finance wishes to give—that in the end, he had to resort to putting up cartoons and calling people names because he had left the economy in such a mess? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. I look forward to being back here facing my eighth National Party finance spokesperson, delivering from here more of the professional, dramatic performances. Question No. 6—Transport 6. DAN ROSEWARNE (Labour) to the Minister of Transport: How is the Community Connect package benefiting New Zealanders? Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Transport): The Community Connect package is helping ease cost of living pressures on families by providing free fares on buses, trains, and ferries for children aged 5 to 12 and half-price discounts for all passengers aged 13 to 24 from 1 July. This has meant cheaper public transport fares for many hundreds of thousands of Kiwis, and it's not just public transport users benefiting from this great initiative. Access to public transport means less congestion on our roads for all road users. Cancelling the programme would increase bus fares and the cost of living, add to traffic congestion, and increase road building costs. Anahila Kanongata'a: How many Aucklanders benefit from Community Connect? Hon DAVID PARKER: There are 427,577 Aucklanders eligible for the Community Connect public transport discounts; 281,000 of these are young people. At a time of cost of living pressures, substantial savings on public transport make a big difference to hundreds of thousands of Auckland families whilst reducing congestion. Increasing public transport usage in Auckland is a critical objective for this Government and for the Mayor of Auckland. Dan Rosewarne: How much would a family with two primary school - aged children save under Community Connect? Hon DAVID PARKER: Making public transport free for children makes it easier to get kids to school and helps with family budgets. Free fares for under-13s can save $30 per week for a family with two primary school - aged children. These are real savings and actual back-pocket boosts to New Zealand families that are at risk if that setting was ever to change. Rachel Boyack: How would doubling public transport prices for young people, low-income, and disabled New Zealanders while cutting funding by $1.5 billion improve access to public transport? Hon DAVID PARKER: Well, it's pretty obvious that a mean-spirited action like that would not improve access to public transport at all; it would have the opposite effect. It would be a slap in the face for the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who benefit from current settings and it would raise their cost of living significantly. It would also increase congestion, making congestion worse in our cities, which, of course, no one wants—except, it seems, the Opposition. Question No. 7—Corrections 7. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Corrections: Does the Government still have a goal of reducing the prison population by 30 percent, irrespective of the level of crime in our communities; if so, has that goal impacted on public safety? Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister of Corrections): When we became Government, there was a prison population crisis—a moral and fiscal failure, according to Bill English—which was predicted to see the population balloon to more than 13,000 people by now, far more than the network could accommodate by some 2,000 extra places needed. That's why we set a long-term 15-year target reflecting the situation at the time. When we set the target, it was not, as the member's question implies, a policy to do so instantaneously or without regards for any other factors, including public safety. The Government will continue to protect public safety and support the justice system to hold offenders to account, and I am progressing no specific policies to further reduce the total prison population. We inherited a prison system that was bursting at the seams, and we faced things like quadruple bunking and converting old boarding schools into prison facilities. The member asks about public safety, but I don't think having to put prisoners in old boarding schools would have been safe for anyone. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Point of order, Mr Speaker. He did not answer the second leg of the question. SPEAKER: I think it was. If you listen carefully to the answer given, it was addressed. Hon Paul Goldsmith: OK. Has the 33 percent increase in violent crime since he set that target given him any pause for thought? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: As the Minister of Justice has explained to the House on a number of occasions, we know that a big part of this increase is due to the increase in the reporting of assaults by victims of family harm. And two new offences were introduced in 2018: assault on a person in a family relationship, and impedes breathing. These two new offences make up 70 percent of all acts-intended-to-cause-injury offences reported to police. Many of these offences were not reported previously. As a Government, we have strengthened a range of laws relating to sentencing since coming into office, including by introducing an aggravating factor when an offence happens in a family violence context, changes related to the new offence of strangulation or suffocation, and introduced firearms prohibition orders against offenders who are charged with a specific violent offence. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Has the 100 percent increase in retail crime since he set that target to reduce the prison population come what may given him any cause to stop and ask whether reducing the number of people in prison is still the right priority? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Quite an amount of the retail crime is caused by young people who have not yet been to prison, so I don't see how the reduction is impacting on the behaviour of those young people. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he agree with the former justice Minister Kiri Allan that the gangs regard prison as their "university of crime"; and, if so, hasn't he been in charge of the prison system for six years, and what responsibility, if any, does he take for that state of affairs now? Hon KELVIN DAVIS: There was an explosion in the prison population from 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, which grew the enrolment rate of gangs in our prisons. Question No. 8—Police 8. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her statement, "It is my view that New Zealanders feel safer"; if so, why? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN (Minister of Police): I stand by my full statement at the time it was given. It is important, though, to consider all statements in full and the context in which they were given. For instance, I'm advised that, in speaking with Today FM last year, the National Party spokesperson for police was reported saying, "When I was in police, I was a police dog." [Interruption] SPEAKER: When you're ready, the supplementary extra questions meter is ticking. [Interruption] I'm on my feet. That question's clearly designed for a purpose, and the answer given was out of order. You have no responsibility for what a National Party MP has said. Mr Mitchell, how would you like to move forward? Hon Mark Mitchell: If I could have a supplementary, Mr Speaker—or two. SPEAKER: Well, let's decide how many you get at the end of this process, eh? Ka pai. Hon Ginny Andersen: Point of order, Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: Be careful. Hon Ginny Andersen: I just seek leave to table the transcript. SPEAKER: No, no. I'm telling you to be careful, because if you're taking a point of order to table something to support something that I've just ruled out, then you're going to be in trouble. Arena Williams: What further steps has she taken to improve community safety? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: I've previously spoken of the importance of police's operational independence, and I respect this important principle. However, if I did have the power to direct police, I would be tempted to ask police to immediately begin an investigation into the wilful damage caused to Nicola Willis' tax plan, which has been found absolutely full of holes. Further, I would consider asking police to lay charges against the Hon Peeni Henare for the illegal possession of firearms—specifically "Gun No. 1"— SPEAKER: Order! I should have taken the shovel off you when I had the opportunity. No more supplementaries from the Government, and the Hon Mark Mitchell can have two supplementaries. Hon Mark Mitchell: Thank you, Mr Speaker. What does the Minister think Kiwis will think when they see the police Minister having a laugh while there has been a 30 percent increase in violent crime; a 40 percent increase in victimisations; a 60 percent increase in mental health crisis callouts; a 70 percent increase in gang membership; a 100 percent increase in retail crime; an over 500 percent increase in ram raids and aggravated robberies; brazen daylight smash-and-grabs across our cities; 17 days of horrific gang and gun violence resulting in five homicides; police response times blowing out; gang members taking over our roads and towns; record levels of assaults on police, with our police officers now just focusing on getting through their shifts safely; shopkeepers afraid to go to work; our city CBDs too dangerous for people to walk in at night; and the fourth police Minister in 12 months defending gang members' right to wear patches? SPEAKER: I'll count that as the two questions. I just want one answer. Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: I absolutely do not think that crime is funny, but what I do think is that that member's performance during question time in this House since May has been a joke. Question No. 9—Social Development and Employment 9. Hon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many more people, if any, are on the jobseeker benefit as recorded in the June 2023 quarter compared to the September 2017 quarter, and how many more people, if any, spent more than a year on the jobseeker benefit as recorded in the June 2023 quarter compared to the September 2017 quarter? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment): It is hard for some to reconcile our near-record unemployment rates, our record labour force participation and employment rates, and the record number of Kiwis in work with benefit numbers because it is complex. Despite the strength of the labour market, we do have 52,404 more New Zealanders receiving jobseeker support than in September 2017, with 34,872 for more than a year. But as at July, around 37,000 of our job seekers are actually earning an income while on benefit, 16 percent more than in 2017, and in March 2011—three years after the beginning of the global financial crisis—12.3 percent of our working-age population were receiving a main benefit. In March 2023, three years after the beginning of the global pandemic, that number is 11.1 percent. We have come through COVID strong, but we certainly know that there is more to do. Hon Louise Upston: Can she explain why, despite two years of businesses crying out for staff all over the country, there are now over 57,000 more people on the jobseeker benefit and there are 35,000 more people who've spent longer than a year, so are now long-term welfare recipients under her watch? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As I said, it is hard to reconcile our near-record low unemployment and more Kiwis in employment with the benefit numbers sometimes because it is complex. But I do want to just mention that more than 100,000 Kiwis moved off benefit and into employment last year. That was 25.7 percent higher than the 79,737 in 2017. I'm very proud of the investment we have put into upskilling and training, and supporting New Zealanders into employment. We need to continue that work, and we certainly are the people to do that. Hon Louise Upston: Can she explain why, after two years of businesses in every part of New Zealand being desperate for staff, there is a record 211,000 children being raised in benefit-dependent homes under her Government? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I want to say that the children that are living in homes that are receiving a benefit are better off under us because of the investment that we've made, and I'm really proud of that. We continue to support their parents, including those sole parents who are on benefit, with things like the Training Incentive Allowance, which has been reinstated under us. It was axed under the former National Government, and I would be fearful if I was a New Zealander about what could potentially be cut in the welfare system if they had the opportunity to take the reins. Hon Louise Upston: Does the Minister take any responsibility for consigning more New Zealanders to a life of welfare dependency—and their children—and wasting a golden opportunity to support New Zealanders into work? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: What I take responsibility for are the over 5,000 young people that have successfully gone through Mana in Mahi; over 50,000 New Zealanders who have participated in the Apprenticeship Boost programme; nearly 30,000, I believe, with Flexi-wage; and the nearly 5,000 who have taken up the training incentive allowance. That's what we take responsibility for. Ricardo Menéndez March: Will she commit to expanding the Working for Families package so that it reaches all families, including those on a jobseeker benefit, to honour the critical work that caregivers do? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As I have said in the House before, the review is still under way, and there will be a report back to Cabinet before the end of the year. Question No. 10—Education 10. LEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour) to the Associate Minister of Education: What changes is the Government making to early childhood education? Hon JO LUXTON (Associate Minister of Education): We are easing cost of living pressures for parents by extending 20 hours' free early childhood education (ECE) to two-year-olds. Childcare is one of the biggest costs New Zealand families face, so this change will make a big difference. We know that people are feeling the pressure right now, and we are determined to do all we can to support New Zealand families through these tough times as we plan for the future. Lemauga Lydia Sosene: How many families will benefit? Hon JO LUXTON: The changes brought about by the Government at the Budget this year mean around 40,000 two-year-olds will benefit from breaking down the cost barrier to early childhood education. It means that 79 percent of all children attending ECE will now get help with childcare, compared to 60 percent when we became Government. Extending 20 hours' free to two-year-olds follows Labour's legacy of introducing 20 hours' free childcare to three- to five-year-olds in 2007, and it will continue to significantly reduce financial pressures on families at critical early years. Lemauga Lydia Sosene: How much will families save each fortnight? Hon JO LUXTON: Under our policy, families with two-year-olds are expected to save $130 per week, which is much more than what other parties are offering in this space. It builds on the progress that we have made over the last six years, supporting hard-working families through increases to the childcare subsidy, free healthy school lunches, and free period products in schools, and boosting Working for Families and Best Start. Lemauga Lydia Sosene: What other changes is the Government making to the early childhood education sector? Hon JO LUXTON: Today, I am proud that we have confirmed a raft of early learning funding changes to boost teacher pay, to address systemic issues in the ECE funding model, and to support the home-based sector. I know from personal experience that those who work in the ECE sector must be recognised for the work they do with our littlest tamariki. We have delivered on our promise to make things fairer for ECE teachers by closing the pay parity gap this term of Parliament. On this side of the House, we value teachers and the vital role they have in educating our young people to be the best that they can be. Question No. 11—Climate Change 11. Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister of Climate Change: What recent reports, if any, has he seen on New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions? Hon JAMES SHAW (Minister of Climate Change): Stats NZ has recently confirmed that greenhouse gas emissions fell to 18.43 million tonnes in the December 2022 quarter, following a downwards trend. This compares to 20.5 million tonnes at the end of 2017, when we came into Government. This proves that this is a Government committed to delivering effective climate action. Hon Marama Davidson: Does he agree with Green Party co-leader James Shaw, who said in 2017 that the one measure of whether a country was succeeding or failing in its fight against climate change was whether its greenhouse gas emissions were rising or falling? Hon JAMES SHAW: I always agree with the Green Party co-leader. When I became the Minister of Climate Change in 2017, I had one goal: to bring down greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand, and, as the Prime Minister said in this House on Tuesday, climate pollution fell in 2020, 2021, 2022, with the December 2022 quarter delivering the lowest figure in at least nine years. This is important. We do have so much more work that we need to do, but we are bending the pollution curve downwards. New Zealanders need to know that amidst all the bad news on climate change, there is hope, we are winning, and our hard work is paying off, and we need to continue that momentum through the next Parliament. Hon Marama Davidson: So why are emissions failing? [Disturbance in public gallery] SPEAKER: Order! Order! Can we have security, please? You need to leave the gallery right now. Hoki atu! Ināianei! [Go back! Now!] Can we have that removed, please? Hon Marama Davidson: So why are emissions falling? Hon JAMES SHAW: Emissions are falling because the Green Party, with our Labour Party colleagues, in Government have taken more action on climate change than the previous three decades of Governments combined. We have passed the zero carbon Act and become one of the first countries to put the 1.5-degree Celsius global warming threshold into primary legislation. We've released the Emissions Reduction Plan, the Government's first ever plan for reducing emissions in every part of the country. We've established the Climate Emergency Response Fund, with money paid for by polluters. We've established the Climate Change Commission and agreed to our first three emissions budgets. We declared a climate change emergency and committed the Public Service to be carbon-neutral from 2025. We committed $1.3 billion to support the countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We launched the New Zealand Green Investment Fund. We invested billions of dollars into buses and trains, walking and cycling. We introduced the Clean Car Discount, which means that, in the month of June, one in two new cars sold in this country was an electric vehicle (EV). We've invested in EV charging infrastructure in this country and brought in vehicle emissions standards for the first time in New Zealand history. We've helped businesses to switch to clean energy, with the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry Fund. We've made Green Star 6 the minimum build standard for all new State homes. We've started the Building for Climate Change programme to cut emissions in building and construction. We've— SPEAKER: Order! That's well and truly answered. I'm not sure if I should allow this next question; you can ask it. Hon Marama Davidson: Has he seen any reports about the best ways to use revenue raised from polluters through the emissions trading scheme (ETS)? Hon JAMES SHAW: Yes, as it happens; I have. I've seen reports that ETS revenue could be used to fund solar panels on homes and community centres and marae to reduce both emissions and power bills. There are also reports the ETS revenue could fund clean transport options, making it safer for kids to walk and bike to school instead of making their parents sit in traffic, and also for paying bus drivers decent wages. I have seen reports the ETS revenue is helping investment in major industrial polluters to switch to clean energy. I've also seen reports the ETS revenue could be used to pay for tax cuts for property speculators, but those reports just don't make any sense. Hon Marama Davidson: Does he agree with Green Party co-leader James Shaw that "We think patsy questions are a waste of time."? Hon JAMES SHAW: Well, yes, in general I do, but I think it's less of a waste of time than asking the police Minister the same question 14 times over. SPEAKER: Yeah, I should have ruled that question out of order. I don't usually have to admonish members of the Green Party, but I find myself today having to do so. I suppose you're just catching up with the rest. Question No. 12—Transport 12. SIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga) to the Minister of Transport: How much money has been spent in the past six years on contractors and consultants for light rail in Auckland? Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Transport): Sixty-six million dollars, less than half a percent of the likely project cost. I note for the benefit of the member that none of the revenue raised by the Auckland regional fuel tax has funded this. Simeon Brown: Is it true that after $66 million has been spent on contractors and consultants for light rail in Auckland, not one metre of track has been delivered, and will Grant Robertson's supposed clampdown on consultants and contractors extend to the failed light rail ghost train in Auckland? Hon DAVID PARKER: It is true that as with the City Rail Link, the planning and design of those projects proceeds before the building starts. The member doesn't seem to find that easy to accept. I would also say that if the member was really worried about compliance costs for projects, he would've backed this Government's reform of the Resource Management Act, because through the Infrastructure Commission, we proved that in New Zealand, consenting costs—not the design and engineering costs, but consenting costs—for mid-size infrastructure in New Zealand averaged 5.5 percent of project cost compared with an average of between 0.5 percent and 5 percent in Europe. We fixed that problem through the resource management reforms and through the fast track, which the prior Government didn't do in nine years, and they now say they're going to repeal and go back to the Resource Management Act. Simeon Brown: How devastated is he that on the last day of this Parliament, not one single metre of light rail track has been delivered despite Labour promising it would be built to Mount Roskill in 2021? Hon DAVID PARKER: I refer to my original answer—that the $66 million so far spent is less than half a percent of the likely project cost. Simeon Brown: Does he agree with the Prime Minister, who told question time earlier today that light rail in Auckland is an "intergenerational project", and, if so, in which generation will it start or be completed? Hon DAVID PARKER: I think it will be built during that member's lifetime. Simeon Brown: Which will be completed first: Auckland Light Rail to Mount Roskill by 2021 or 100,000 KiwiBuild houses in 10 years? Hon DAVID PARKER: As has previously been said, the record of this Government on housing—which has been enabled through, among other things, investment in roading—is unparalleled for many, many decades in this country. It's a record that we're proud of, and I'm surprised the member asked that question. SPEAKER: Korōria, hallelujah! That concludes oral questions for the 53rd Parliament. STANDING ORDERS Hon KIERAN McANULTY (Deputy Leader of the House): Thank you, Mr Speaker. In accordance with a Business Committee determination, I move, That the amendments to the Standing Orders set out in Part 2 of the report of the Standing Orders Committee on the Review of Standing Orders be adopted, with effect from the day after the dissolution or expiration of the present Parliament. Mr Speaker, first of all, on behalf of Government members of the Standing Orders Committee, I want to thank you for your chairing of the committee. As you do in this House, you set a very good tone, and I think it was demonstrated in the collaborative way that all members conducted themselves in the review of Standing Orders. I can understand why public access is not allowed into this committee, but it is shame because I think the public would come away with an example of members from each party in this House, working collaboratively to make this Parliament work better. I also want to acknowledge the submitters for their thoughtful contributions. Some may see the rules of Parliament as a minor matter, but they have a massive impact on the way our democracy functions. Members will see in the report that there are changes that will come into effect in the next Parliament. They cover improving the scrutiny of the executive. They cover increasing transparency. They cover improving the procedural requirements for entrenchment, recommending an inquiry into international treaties by the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, making it clear that the Attorney-General may present a paper concerning the consistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act of a bill that has been or is proposed to being amended, and it proposes a number of procedural changes. We feel that these make an improvement to Standing Orders, and we hope that the House will support it. Since this is the last day of this term, Mr Speaker, I hope you will indulge me that I can wish those who are retiring, a wonderful time with their families, and for those who are seeking to return, an enjoyable campaign. SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given the vagaries of politics and the fact that the electorate that I stand in is pretty red, this could be the last contribution I make to this House, so it's rather appropriate that it be about the rules of this place, because I have, I think, over the years gained a reputation for being one of the "rules guys". So, somewhat appropriate. I think this is the third Standing Orders review that I have participated in, and a clear pattern, I think, has emerged over those years, not just for those but I think for previous Standing Orders reviews, and that is what I would describe as the "make haste slowly" approach to the review and improvement of our Standing Orders, because we start this process with so much optimism and then we end up sort of grinding down to some marginal improvements that, on reflection, could've been so much better. I have to acknowledge the clerks on this issue, because I think David Wilson and his team, David Bagnall and Gabor Hellyer particularly, have done a gargantuan job of distilling the very, very good submissions that we had, listening carefully to the arguments on both sides of any change, and then coming up with things that I think in their hearts they would agree could've been so much better. I was more optimistic than most in this process when it started nearly 18 months ago, because it was at that time, I think, the case where there was about a 50/50 chance that either main party could lead Government—I'm very confident that the balance has shifted in that time. Hon Dr Duncan Webb: Thank you! Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: But in the past—nice try, Dr Webb!—I've been party to conversations not just with my own colleagues but with others where the conversation will go something like this: "Well, that's great when you're in Opposition, but once you get to Government you wouldn't like that Standing Order." I thought, with a 50/50 chance when we started this that either side of the House could lead Government, we may have made more progress than we actually have. I'm a little disappointed that we haven't, but that is not due in any way, I think, to the efforts of the Standing Orders Committee, who I agree with Mr McAnulty have done a very good and collaborative job; the amazing work of the clerks; and I want to also acknowledge my own researcher, Carlos Webster, who helped me distil a number of those complex issues down. I just want to touch on two really important things that I think we could have done much more on. The first one is the scrutiny of the executive. We all agree—and I have Mr Hipkins' words ringing in my ears, who was a member of this committee before his elevation to the Prime Minister role—that the scrutiny of the executive, particularly in Estimates reviews, is very poor, and I'm not sure we've made as sufficient an improvement in this Standing Orders review and recommendations as we could. My retort to that, though, is that Opposition members particularly become quite frustrated by the lack of meaningful inquiry and answer in a very, very short period of time. One of the hopes that I had was that we would extend the time for executive review, scrutiny of the executive, through Estimates and annual reviews, and we weren't able to do that. I remain hopeful that that can happen in the future. The second is in the hours of this place, where I had hoped that we would get to fewer weeks and longer weeks, because that's family friendlier, I think, for those who travel from out of Wellington to be here, and also that the carbon footprint would be reduced. We have made some changes at the edges and they will work, but I think we can, and I think future Standing Orders Committees should, continue to review that, particularly given the trend that we've seen on the use of extended hours, where, when extended hours came in in 2014, more than half of them were used for Treaty bills and non-controversial things like statutes amendment. Now they are simply what they say on the tin—a way of the Government extending the time that they have to push through legislation, however controversial. I don't think that was the intention of extended hours. We had an opportunity in this review to have fewer weeks but more hours in a year so that the Government could get through its legislative programme in a more orderly fashion, and we haven't quite got to that, but, nevertheless, there are improvements in this. I think in terms of scrutiny of the executive, if I might just jump back to that, we've seen two very good exceptions to a general rule of select committees breaking down party lines. One was in the Finance and Expenditure Committee in its report on one of the three waters legislations, where there was a pretty strident criticism of changes being made to bills that hadn't been put through the committee. And, of course, I think it was the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee that reviewed the Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment Bill and actually unanimously agreed that it shouldn't proceed. Now, that could be seen as a slight on the Government, but actually I prefer to see it as very, very good select committee work that didn't fall along party lines. It's a rare thing, and I hope it happens more often in the future. Thank you to you, Mr Speaker, for your chairmanship of this committee. I think it was very well chaired—a lot more listening than talking, which is your style, but I think that belies the wisdom that you brought to that process, a process that's better for your chairmanship. With that, I wish those who will be tasked with the responsibility of running this place and our democracy under the new Standing Orders the very best. It's probably not going to be me, but that's OK—I won't even be watching. Cheers. BROOKE van VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT): Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to be a member of the Standing Orders Committee with other members across the House. It's a committee where politics actually goes out of the window and where we examine the House's rules and practices and we look into how laws are made and how the Government is held to account. Before I go on, I'd like to take the opportunity to pay my respects to the family, colleagues, and acquaintances of David McGee, the former Clerk of this House and the author of Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand, as we recently heard of his passing. I know his work, and the work of our current Clerk, David Wilson, has given many members, including myself, here great context for the Standing Orders and the Speaker's rulings. I'd like to also thank the many people who submitted to the Standing Orders Committee for this review for 2023. It was very wide ranging and it led to long and fulsome discussions over many months. It was also quite thrilling, for some of us who are interested in the Standing Orders, to see media even attend some of our submission process. And I'm sure we'd invite media and other members of this House to also take an increased interest in the Standing Orders. So what are a couple of the small changes that we've made? Firstly, we are simplifying a lot of the language within the Standing Orders. So I hope that the Speaker and the next Chair will allow a period of understanding, as a lot of the calls that end and start debate will be changing. For example, "that the question be now put" is ending, and we will now be saying "that debate on this question now close", and the word "forthwith" may no more be mentioned in this House, but, instead, we'll be saying the word "immediately". So there will be, hopefully, a grace period of understanding. I note that the sitting hours for many members here—they'll be happy that dinner breaks are now increasing to 7.30 instead of 7 p.m. And we will be having two extra weeks of scrutiny of the Estimates of the Government. One area that I'm happy to see changed was for members' bills. So allowing a members' bill that has been stuck halfway through its first reading to continue on before the second and third readings of members' bills take precedence. Because, I remember, back in the day, when we were working on end of life choice, Darroch Ball had a members bill that got stuck for about 18 months, I think, halfway through a reading and he never really got the opportunity to come back for quite a long time. It is a bit of a pity that that bill can't actually go to select committee because it's still waiting for another bill to come back through the House. So I think that's a very sensible change. Another really sensible change is about entrenchment provisions—that we don't allow the committee of the whole House to pass a clause with an entrenchment provision without that entrenchment provision being seen and scrutinised by a select committee and having submissions open to members of the public. That should have never have happened, in our recent example in this House. There were a few areas that ACT would have liked to see changes, but we didn't have consensus of the full committee. One was the removal of the title "Leader of the Opposition." I think this title is outdated, and I know an increasing number of people and members of the public have believed that David Seymour, here, is the Leader of the Opposition. I don't believe it is actually right that under MMP, where we have multiple parties in Opposition, there is an official "Leader of the Opposition", because people vote for different leaders of different political parties, and they see those political parties as quite separate. We'd also have been in favour of reducing the number of sitting weeks and increasing the amount of hours that we have per sitting week so that we can reduce our emissions—as a party and as a Parliament. We'd also like to have seen the select committees be led by Opposition, to increase the scrutiny function of laws as they are going through select committee, because the Standing Orders Committee did note that scrutiny is not always optimal when we have scrutiny of Government legislation. But we could go on for a very long time talking about the Standing Orders review, but I certainly hope that the Clerk and the Clerk's Office staff have a wonderful rest after this enormous amount of work. JAN LOGIE (Green): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm stoked to get to talk about this in my last speech to this Parliament because I've completely geeked out on this through the entire process. Hon Grant Robertson: Such a nerd. JAN LOGIE: Thank you, thank you. I'm going to take this moment. The rules of Parliament—it sounds like it's something abstract and in-house that's not relevant to the general public. But, actually, how we make laws, how we hold and test the effectiveness of Government, and how we enable the community to participate in our processes are central to a thriving democracy. We got to have weeks and weeks of very long—enjoyable, actually—conversations about how we could make things better for the public and deliver what I think we all come into this place wanting to do and participate in. I do want to acknowledge the Speaker for chairing the committee and all the colleagues around the table and the clerks for a huge amount of work, as has already been noted. I'm going to start off by also acknowledging the submitters, and talking to one of the points—several of the points that were raised that were not progressed through the process. One of them was not within the ambit of the committee, and that was that we should be increasing the number of parliamentarians, which came from Sir Geoffrey Palmer and another submitter. I want to start with that point because a lot of the discussion we had about increasing scrutiny was in an acknowledgment that we're not being very effective in doing that at the moment. Sir Geoffrey's point was that, actually, outside of the 62 Labour Party members of Parliament and the two Green Party Ministers, we're only left with 56 MPs who have a distance from that legislation to really drive scrutiny. What we see in the behaviour mostly of Government members—and I've been here and seen both sides of Government—is that it's a different level of engagement from Government backbenchers in that process of scrutiny. So we're only left with 56 people and 261, I think, pieces of legislation that came through this House in this term, and the interrogation of the many, many, many agencies and all of the Budget. People are stretched too thin to be able to do it effectively. That's an unpopular concept—I get it—but I also, as I leave, stand up here and say, actually, if we treasure our democracy and we want to make sure that we are doing the best possible job for the people of this country, we need to ensure that people have the capacity to be able to do that job effectively. I agree with Sir Geoffrey Palmer that we need to look at the numbers of members of Parliament as a core part of that discussion. We are doing what we can around the edges through these discussions if we're not looking at that. It also goes to the point from a rare cross-party proposal that came in from the Hon Jacqui Dean and the Hon Jenny Salesa looking for more family-friendly hours in this Parliament in recognition that there is a problem around work-life balance for many people here, and that, actually, the less we are able to be connected to our outside lives and our families, the more detached we are, and that that actually has an impact on the quality of our work in this place as well. We were not able to accommodate those because, actually, there is too much work to do; there was an absolute acknowledgment around that table that we do not have the capacity to be here less, and people need to be in their communities. That was a trade-off around people wanting to be here for longer periods of time but fewer weeks; for those who had family back at home, that was too much, so that was seen as not being family friendly. When we don't have enough people to be doing the work and we're pressuring the work, things just don't actually add up, and I believe that we do need to look at that. Other points that were raised about people wanting to be broadcasting and hosting select committee on Parliament TV; for there to be bilingual proceedings and more New Zealand Sign Language interpretation; for there to be a contestable fund to support NGOs to be able to put in really considered submissions on bills where they don't have the resourcing at the moment to be able to do that; for there to be more use of citizens assemblies or digital engagement through the select committee process; to be able to release written submissions more quickly; and to have independent advisers to select committees as a normal part of process, recognising that departmental advisers are often very much invested in the legislation and are not able to have the intellectual or emotional distance to provide independent advice to the committees. But all of those things are not in our report because all of those things would require money, and, actually, this Parliament is also at a point where we are seeing in several services around the place that the money is so stretched. We're not at a point to even be able to consider how we improve the democracy, the functioning of the democracy, and the people's ability to engage when it costs money. We are at a point where it is generally acknowledged, and a huge amount of evidence backing it up, that democracy around the world is almost on a point of crisis. We are seeing democracies undermined all over the place. We are seeing disinformation increase in our own communities at a higher rate than even in the US. In this moment in time, it is the Green Party's view that we need to be actively doing more to resource our Parliament and strengthen our democracy. It is not enough to keep working around the edges, as much as I am pleased to see these points of progress—and I will touch on those now. The scrutiny plans—I do want to speak specifically to having two weeks a year where the House will not sit and that members of Parliament will be engaged in scrutiny, and that there will be three-hour sessions for large or particularly important entities. The initial idea had been six hours, and to be able to have themes and questioning and interrogation, but three hours—at least it's a start to extend that, and the idea is to have more people being able to follow through a whole series of questions rather than having to jump between one member and another member having one question and maybe one supplementary and never being able to actually properly dig in to any issues. So this is an attempt to shift that culture, but it will require every party in this House actually engaging with the new MPs on that conversation about what is the role of parliamentarians in scrutiny, and actively supporting and encouraging people to use their political time in that role. I genuinely believe that that is for the benefit of Parliament and our democracy, but also Government, because the truth is that people in the Executive actually get the information that comes from their agencies—from the questions that they ask—and they are better off and more informed the more information that they get, the more the advice from the officials are tested. That requires Opposition to be able to deliver. The one other point is that we will also be enabling select committees to release advice for the purpose of public feedback on summaries of submissions before reports are being written to be able to test that advice, which I think is also a very important thing. There is much, much work that we could do, and it is important work. Thank you. Motion agreed to. ADJOURNMENT Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): I move, That the House do now adjourn. It has been an incredibly eventful three-year term. Since coming into Government in 2017, we've become familiar with a very well-known saying: expect the unexpected. A cascade of unprecedented events has defined the last six years for this Government and this Parliament: a global pandemic, horrific terror attacks, volcanic eruptions, a global economic crisis, to name just some of the major challenges that we have had to face. When I reflect on where we started this parliamentary term, it is remarkable to think how far we have come in that period of time. As this Parliament was sworn in after the 2020 election, our border was still closed, there was no COVID-19 in New Zealand because of the successful elimination strategy that we had pursued, and we had a number of interesting hurdles ahead of us. We have navigated our way through those as a Government and as a country, and I have no doubt that it's been tough for many New Zealanders. The year 2023 proved very quickly on that it wasn't going to break the mould in terms of challenges. On 25 January, I had the enormous privilege and honour of being sworn in as New Zealand's Prime Minister. On the evening of 27 January, Kieran McAnulty ruined it for me when he rang me and said "There's been a little bit of rain in Auckland.", and we then confronted the Auckland floods, followed surely thereafter by Cyclone Gabrielle and the enormous damage that it wreaked right up and down the East Coast of the North Island. It has been an incredibly tough year for New Zealanders and I want to acknowledge that that comes off the back of a tough period of time through the global pandemic as well. Ours is a Government that has been forged through fire. Every challenge that has been thrown our way, we have risen to that. We have responded to an enormous number of challenges whilst also being very focused on making sure that in our actions we are laying the foundations for a better future for our country. First and foremost, our guiding principle has never wavered. For us, it has always been about people, about creating better opportunities that give people the freedom and the opportunity to create a better life for themselves and for their families. We may have faced unprecedented disruption, but we have still achieved a lot over the last three years. As we head into the campaign, my message for New Zealanders is pretty simple: we've achieved a lot, there's a lot more to do, and there is an awful lot at stake in this year's election. As our economy turns the corner, as inflation trends down, as economic growth returns, as our health and education systems get back on their feet after the unprecedented disruption that they have experienced in the last three years, as we get real momentum behind fixing the housing crisis and upgrading our infrastructure so that it delivers what the country needs, as we open up new opportunities for Kiwis—now is not the time to turn back. We can continue to move forward under Labour, or we can face a coalition of cuts, chaos, and fear: a National - ACT - New Zealand First Government that would be one of the most inexperienced and untested in our history. A Government who want to wind the clock back on all of the progress that we are making that is so important to New Zealanders. So let's talk about our record over the last six years and what's at stake at this election. Let's start with the fundamentals first and let's talk about the economy and let's talk about Grant Robertson's track record as our Minister of Finance. Despite the enormous challenges of the last three years, our economy is 6 percent larger now than it was as we went into the global pandemic. We still have record low unemployment, wages have been growing faster under our Government than inflation, we have more Kiwis in work than ever before, we've seen an increase in the number of apprentices, and we have been focused unrelentingly on growing wages because that is how Kiwis get ahead. And I say to the members opposite, who seem to think minimum wage workers should be grateful for an extra 25c an hour that the extra $7.00 an hour they are getting under this Government is significantly more meaningful to them than a paltry 25c that they are being offered by a National Government—by a prospective National Government. We have record levels of research and development in our country now, because of the investments that we are making as a Government. And after years of neglect, we are investing record amounts in our infrastructure. That's investment in roads, it's investment in rail, it's investment in our classrooms, in our hospitals, and in the services that New Zealanders rely on. I am incredibly proud of the 1,700 projects up and down New Zealand that we have invested in through the Provincial Growth Fund that are making a difference to those communities all over New Zealand. I'm proud of the work that we have done to support our exporting businesses through seven new or upgraded free-trade agreements. I am very proud of the work that we have done to grow our exports, increasing exports in the food and fibre sector by over 50 percent in the time that we have been in Government. I am very proud of the work that we have done with our primary industries, and I want to acknowledge the leadership of Damien O'Connor and the eradication of Mycoplasma bovis from our farms. Now is not the time to turn back. Now is not the time to stoke the inflationary fires with unfunded tax cuts as the members opposite promised. And it is not a time to turn our backs on talent by introducing a talent tax that will make it harder for doctors, nurses, teachers, builders, architects, and all of the other skilled workers that we are trying to attract to New Zealand to come to New Zealand. National's talent tax would be a $500 million cost on business that would slow down our economic recovery. I am proud of the work we have done to tackle the cost of living, lifting the minimum wage; putting in fair pay agreements because we believe that growing wages is the way that Kiwi families get ahead; providing free and healthy school lunches; making sure that we are lifting children out of poverty. Every measure of child poverty has improved under our Government, and we reversed Ruth Richardson's benefit cuts at long last. We have increased superannuation and veterans pensions, but we have increased the wages unapologetically of our essential public service workers. Let's talk about that. We've boosted the pay of our nurses. In 2017, the top of the nurses' salary scale was just $66,000 and today it is $106,000 under our Government—not to mention our teachers, who have had a 36 percent pay increase under this Government, in under just six years, compared to the mere 10 percent they got in the nine long years of the last National Government. There is more to do. Cheaper childcare is on the way for families with two-year-olds. We have scrapped prescription fees—something the other side want to bring back in. We are making public transport free or cheaper for younger New Zealanders so that they can get around, and there is more to come in that space. National wants to turn the clock backwards; we want to keep moving forward. And as for law and order, where they talk a big game, our record is pretty clear. We've been funding the police with 1,800 more cops on the beat and a 50 percent increase in police resources under our Government, while National wants to go backwards. And let's not mention the fact that the ACT Party quietly over the weekend confirmed they want to bring back military-style semi-automatic weapons to New Zealand. I think banning those guns from New Zealand was a leap forward and now ACT wants to take it back. Our health system is moving ahead with 4,800 more nurses, 1,800 more doctors, and 700 more psychologists, and an increase in funding for Pharmac of over 51 percent. I note that all of the investments that I have just mentioned are investments the National Party and the ACT Party think is a waste of money. That is what is at stake at this election. We can go backwards or we can continue to move forwards. On this side of the House, we've got a positive vision for New Zealand's future and we will be campaigning vigorously. I look forward to meeting the members opposite on the campaign trail. And I wave goodbye to Michael Woodhouse, too, because he's guaranteed not to be here after the election. Debate interrupted. INTERVENTIONS Making Images and Recordings of Proceedings DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): Point of order, Mr Speaker. I've just been told that Greenpeace has released a picture of the protest earlier that clearly appears to have been taken from a member's seat. Now, to take that picture and share it would assist in the protest and, therefore, impede the House in its duties by encouraging people to enter as strangers and create disorder. That would prima facie make it a contempt. I just ask that you seek reassurance from members present now that they didn't do it, and perhaps investigate who did. SPEAKER: As I said the other day, there's a clear process for dealing with such matters. That is correct. The member is correct, and I will deal with it at the appropriate time. The question is that the motion be agreed to. ADJOURNMENT Debate resumed. CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition): Well, Mr Speaker, that final speech from Chris Hipkins, in his final speech as Prime Minister of New Zealand—I got to tell you—shouldn't have been an adjournment speech; it should have been an apology speech, right? He should have been saying an apology to the parents and the kids who actually have been let down by an education system that's gone backwards over the last six years. It should've been an apology to all the people who have waited for endless times and hours in hospital emergency departments. It should've been an apology to all the victims of ram raids in dairies and superettes up and down this country. It should've been an apology to all the people that are lying awake at night worried about how they're going to make their payments and keep their house and their mortgages. So I've got to tell you, that's Labour's legacy after six years, and New Zealanders would rather hear an apology from Chris Hipkins than that speech. Now, Mr Speaker, I just want to say as this Parliament comes to close, and on behalf of the National Party, I want to thank you. I want to thank all the many people and the teams here that are in this complex place running things for our democracy. As you know, this is my first term in this place. I used to watch some of the great old debates that took place in this very important Chamber. But when I arrived here, I have to be honest and say that the life had been sucked out of the place, and I have to say that your fairness, your tolerance, your good humour, your good sense, has resuscitated it. So personally, and on behalf of all of us, we want to say thank you for the role that you have played. I hope you get a peaceful break where no one shouts out. You certainly don't need to speak to Simeon Brown if you don't want to, and you certainly should only get to your feet when you actually choose to do so. But to you and all the Assistant Speakers who are so well served, as we all are, by the Clerk of the House, the Office of the Clerk's team with all the important functions they fulfil, I just want to say that we appreciate the jobs that you and your teams do. Also, a big thankyou to all the grounds staff, building teams, the catering staff, the security, the messengers, the Parliamentary Library folk, IT, the VIP team and their drivers, the travel office, the cleaners, and the pay office. I just want to say to all those people: each and every role that you play is important in the running of this Parliament and this democracy. Can I also just say a big thankyou to the press gallery. While we may disagree with what you say from time to time, we thank the gallery for the work that you do and the role you play as well. I just want to spread my gratitude a little wider. I do want to thank, in particular, the Prime Minister Chris Hipkins for his services to the National Party, because he rode in very triumphantly in February, and he announced that he was sweeping away everything that Jacinda Ardern stood for—especially kindness. But I have to say it turned out it was all words and no action, because, as we expected, he just carried on doing more of the same: excessive, addicted Government spending. He kept making sure he's punishing Kiwis with higher taxes. He ended up borrowing more, putting future generations into debt, and he kept on being a Government that, frankly, doesn't deliver anything. But otherwise, no one inside or outside this place, I think, now understands what Chris Hipkins stands for, except his desperation to be re-elected. We fully understand why they've gone personal and negative. But I have to say at one of my press conferences earlier this week, I was interrupted by someone who didn't agree with our policies, and I'll just say the last time that happened to Chris Hipkins it was in fact the revenue Minister, David Parker. But the good news is that Chris Hipkins still has some support, because the Mongrel Mob are out there. Actually, they're holding more public meetings in public places than the Labour Party, which is quite interesting. Now, Labour, I have to say, has been a lot like a bus at a Dakar Rally. It all started very shiny and full of promises, with Jacinda Ardern at the wheel. But along the way, whoops! Out falls Gaurav Sharma. Then the relief driver took over, and then oops! Out went Stuart Nash, and then bang! There was Michael Wood. Then there was a ding and a clunk, and Meka Whaitiri leapt out the back door. We had Kiri Allan, you know, leave. And we've had now Labour slam into so many potholes across the road, and the bumps that it's taken and the misturns that it's all taken, and bits of the vehicle are, frankly, falling off, and now we're just left with an absolute, unrecognisable wreck. What we've got is we've got Chris Hipkins clinging on and gripping on to the steering wheel, rolling over cherished Labour policies. Now we have Grant Robertson in the back, and he's looking green, and it's hard to know whether it's from all the U-turns or, frankly, all the dead rats he's been having to eat. But he's got one door out, and he's ready to jump, and he's ready to wobble towards the finishing line. Now, meanwhile, we've got the Greens, who really should be called the "Reds", because they're in this rally too. They're on their e-bikes, and they're peddling along the Wellington cycle lanes, where the car parks used to be. But I have to tell you, the Greens are the "free money" party. They even believe that it's actually OK if there's a warrant out for your arrest, and you're on the run, that you should be entitled to your benefit. It's no wonder no one takes them seriously, and certainly Labour, who forgot to tell them that the Climate Emergency Response Fund had been raided again. Te Paati Māori, they're there in their waka, but, sadly, they're not the party of collaboration that they once were, with Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples, and National when they delivered Whānau Ora. I have to say that I genuinely hope that in the future the National Party will work with the Māori Party again, because I think Māori need results, and they are not getting them under this Labour Government. But to be fair, no one's getting results under this Labour Government. We're actually all going backwards is the reality of the last six years. Actually, that's the only form of unity that we've got in this country under this Labour Government: that we're all going backwards together. Then there are the ACT folk. They're off in their pink van, and it's been wonderful. They're travelling the countryside, and David's reading Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom, which is a good read, as you well know, Mr Speaker. I want to turn to my National team now, and I just want to thank them. I want to thank our incredible chief of staff, Cam Burrows. I want to thank every member of our National leader's office, our whips and our House team, and to all the MPs and all your support people that are here in Parliament and out in the electorates. I want to thank, in particular, our incredibly hard-working deputy , Nicola Willis; can I just say thank you very much for all the great work that you do for us and for our party and for our team. I also want to acknowledge Chris Bishop, our fantastic campaign chair. To the entire National caucus, I want to say thank you to all of you, and all the very best out there for your individual campaigns too. Now, while this Government has actually forgotten why it's here, and it has taken the country backwards and it has failed spectacularly, I have to tell you, National is ready, because we have the team, we have the ideas, we have the energy, we have the leadership to actually get our country back on track and start to realise all the great potential we have in this country, because it is teeming with potential, but it is not being realised under this Government. I think you saw it yesterday—you saw it yesterday with an incredibly intelligent, well-thought-through, costed tax policy and plan. It was quite simply saying to the people, the hard workers of New Zealand, that, actually, if you want to work hard in the best country on earth, you can get ahead, and we're going to help you do exactly that. That means, if you're an average-income household with young kids, you're going to get up to $250 a fortnight, and that will make a big difference. That package will make a big difference. It is going to make a big difference to the families out there that are actually having to cut their kids' extra-curricular activities because they can't afford the mortgage rates at the moment. It's going to make a big difference to the parents out there that are skipping meals because they can't afford food. It's going to make a big difference to the 30 percent of Kiwis about to re-fix their mortgages between now and Christmas. It's going to make a big difference, I'd say, to the tenants that have faced the $175 per week increase under this Government. It's going to make a big increase to minimum wage workers who actually choose to work a couple of extra hours to raise some extra cash, and actually not fall into a high tax bracket. It's going to make a big difference, I'd say, to superannuitants, who actually are on fixed incomes doing it incredibly tough. So, Mr Speaker, I want to say to you that the National Party is ready to govern. We are sorted, we are united, we have the talent, we have the energy— Hon Peeni Henare: Where's the diversity? Not very diverse. CHRISTOPHER LUXON: We have the ideas, we have the diversity to take this country forward. We're going to get it back on track. We are going to rebuild the economy and reduce the cost of living. We are going to restore law and order and personal responsibility. We are going to deliver better healthcare and education, because that's what New Zealanders deserve. Mr Speaker, I want to tell you that Kiwis want a change, and they know they want a National Government, and they're going to get one that's going to get this country back on track. They just have to choose it on 14 October, and that's what they'll do. Thank you very much. Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Deputy Prime Minister): I was really hoping that the Leader of the Opposition may have been able to extend in his adjournment speech beyond the key lines that he's been rattling off on the dailies, but, unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Anyone tuning in and watching on TV, I think, probably went to mute straight after "Mr Speaker". Back to what is important: I do want to start by expressing my warmest and heartfelt thanks to all those who work day and night to keep democracy running and this place ticking over. The various offices of Parliament, Hansard, the Clerk's Office, the Table Office and the Bills Office, select committee staff, the hard-working cleaners, the Copperfields staff, and, of course, our own ministerial, parliamentary, and electorate staff. I also want to acknowledge you, the Deputy Speaker, and the Assistant Speakers for the roles that you have played. Finally, to every member across all political parties that have given a valedictory speech in recent weeks, we wish you well and we thank you all for your service to the country and to this place. I know that I speak on behalf of many when I say "bring on October 14", and also when I say "thank god this is the last sitting day". The battlefield is set and as we embark on the campaign of our lives, I liken the National Party to something out of the film Indiana Jones: venturing into the unknown, facing a multitude of obstacles, loopholes, cuts, and unfunded and uncharted pathways and routes towards "voodoo land". Their quest is not one for lost artefacts, but a quest and pathway to leadership for their leader-in-waiting, the Oscar award-winning actress, Nicola Willis. The acting classes have been put to really good use, taking the political drama of question time in this theatre, to another level. I'm really hoping, though, that overacting will be addressed during the next lesson. For us on this side of the House, this election will be our Avengers moment. We may not have the capes, but we have the track record of delivery, the determination to continue fighting for hard working New Zealanders, the conviction to do what is right, and championing the causes that matter. Not only for the now, but for our future, because seriously, what kind of country do we want our children and our grandchildren to grow up in? Much like an iconic scene from The Lord of the Rings where a diverse fellowship bands together to conquer adversity, we too come from different walks of life, each carrying a unique strength. The magic lies in our unity, our collective commitment to the ideals that bind us. Our campaign is not just about winning an election, it's about forging a fellowship for progress where no one is left behind. That is exactly what we have done over the course of our time in Government. The progress we've made in the welfare system has been at the heart of our fellowship for progress. And like any good movie, taking people along with us on that journey has been instrumental. As part of this journey, I've been working hard to change people's perceptions about those on benefit, and those, who at some point in their lives, find themselves needing to be supported by the welfare system. COVID, weather events, workforce demands and shortages have seen so many more New Zealanders requiring the Ministry for Social Development support. Unfortunately, when it comes to the welfare system, these perceptions can often be clouded by stereotypes that oversimplify complex issues. Behind that term "beneficiary" lie diverse lives, people, and whānau, with their own triumphs and trials. Consider the story, the pursuit of happiness, where a struggling father overcomes immense challenges to provide a better life for his son. This narrative resonates with the experiences of many beneficiaries, who, despite facing hardships, strive for a better future. This Parliament finally has 50:50 gender representation. Our Government's Cabinet also now has equal gender representation. We know that Barbie Land works far better when strong, capable women are given the opportunity to step up. We've seen the chaos in a Ken-dominated land. Let's not let that happen this election, and don't worry men, you are not at risk. You, too, have a place. As political commentator and National Party member Janet Wilson said recently in relation to a certain National MP, "You just need to put your big boy pants on". Relax into sharing power and the world will be a better place. She also mentioned the need to grow something, but I won't go there. I just want you to know you are all "Kenough". It has been an honour to serve as a Minister in this Government again, both under Jacinda Ardern, and now the capable and calm leadership of my friend and colleague, the Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins. I'm really proud of the work we have done to support New Zealanders and secure our future. Today, and I just had to throw this into the speech, I got a question by the National spokesperson on social development, but did anyone notice that she may have gone eight months—225 days—without asking me a single question on one of the biggest portfolios in Government? Either I have been channelling the all-perfect, magical Mary Poppins, or "beneficiary bashing" no longer shows up in the National Party word cloud. That is an accomplishment. It's time to roll the credits on the 53rd Parliament: the biggest increase to main benefit rates in a generation; 77,000 fewer children living in poverty; 100 million free and healthy school lunches; the most public homes built per year since the 1950s; extended ACC cover to birthing parents; extended childcare subsidy to 54 percent of families with children. We've raised abatement thresholds for beneficiaries; we have reinstated the Training Incentive Allowance; we established Whaikaha, the Ministry for Disabled People; we've invested millions into employment programmes including Apprenticeship Boost, Flexi-wage, Mana in Mahi, and Māori Trades and Training. Finally—I had mentioned this one too—we introduced an Artist Resale Royalty Scheme; it was well overdue. Taking care of our precious arts, culture, and heritage sector during a time that could have seen it decimated, and despite all of the correspondence I received suggesting I was going to be responsible for the demise of both Shakespeare and opera, Western arts and culture are still supported, but alongside Te Matatini and Matariki, and Pacific arts. The next 44 days is a story waiting to be written. The plot twists, the challenges, the triumphs—they're all part of our narrative, but at the centre of all of that, for us, remains a clear focus on our beautiful country, and the amazing New Zealanders who have elected us to serve them. To quote the words of Shrek— Hon Peeni Henare: Up the Wahs! Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: —not "Up the Wahs!", Mr Henare—"Onions have layers, ogres have layers." I want to say the National Party has layers, too: layers of cuts and loopholes, cuts to services, cuts to all things that matter to New Zealand, whether that be our education sector, whether that be our health sector. And as Donkey says, "Not everyone likes onions". National's narrative, well, they can own that, and I hope New Zealanders see it for what it is—a fictional movie or perhaps a political satire, one that is unfortunately more tragedy than it is comedy. Thank you very much. DEPUTY SPEAKER: This is a five-minute split call. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Here we are at the end of a three-year parliamentary term. We are on track to see one of the most dramatic falls in popularity in New Zealand history since 1972 and Norm Kirk. Three years ago, Jacinda Ardern stood here, bestriding the New Zealand political scene like a colossus, with a clear majority. She was most popular, giving everybody praise to the stars. And here we are, three years later, and her party is down in the 20s in the polls. A big majority of the country think the country is headed in the wrong direction, and there is desperation for change on the streets of this country. And we're left with Chris Hipkins. The only thing he's got left is "project fear", to frighten people with all sorts of claims. How has it come to this? I think the key to it is what I heard Jacinda Ardern say when she left and she gave all her interviews, "Well, it's not so much what you do; it's how you make people feel." Well, unfortunately, that doesn't really stack up because right now people feel angry. They feel marginalised. Many people feel they are without hope, and they certainly feel ready for change, and that is what's going to happen in two months' time. And it does matter what you do. When you say you're going to build light rail from Auckland Central to the airport by 2021, it matters if you've actually started, if you've even figured out which route it's going to take. If you've spent 150 million bucks and you still don't know what you're talking about, it matters. People notice. It does matter when you say you're going to build 100,000 KiwiBuild houses and you end up building only about 1,600. That matters. It makes you look like you can't actually deliver. It matters when you announce that you're going to spend $1.9 billion fixing mental health and, actually, you get to the end of six years and we find out that we've got 19 fewer psychiatrists in the country and people are waiting longer than ever to get the help they need. All these things matter. It matters when you say you're keen to reduce child poverty but you've neglected the economy to the extent that we're in recession and we've had rampant inflation for more than two or three years. The Government thinks the only sort of thing you can usefully do in the economy is take more money from some people and give it to other people and that somehow that makes everybody richer. It doesn't. You've actually got to have a growth plan and we haven't seen any signs of a growth plan. That's why in two months' time people will be voting for change, and it can't come soon enough. The National Party will do several things. We'll fix the economy. We'll actually focus on how you grow the economy and put more money in the hands of New Zealanders, and that means taking less out in the first place by giving them some tax relief—a hundred dollars less tax for an average couple, and up to $250 a fortnight for an average couple with kids. That makes a real difference to their lives and that's what we'll be focusing on. We'll have a job to get inflation under control, which is to stop reckless Government spending, which we've seen on a colossal scale. Nobody can believe that $50 million was spent on a cycleway across Auckland Harbour Bridge and it didn't lead to anywhere. Day after day we hear stories of properties being rented by Kāinga Ora in Wellington—$250,000 a week and nothing's happening. They're sitting there empty—it's been month after month. It's just emblematic of the waste under this Government. We'll be restoring law and order. We've heard time and time again from this Government that the only priority they've got in the justice space, which they've clearly articulated, is to reduce the prison population irrespective of what's going on in our communities. People see a 33 percent increase in violent crime and they wonder, "Well, why are they still only focused on reducing the prison population?" They see a 100 percent increase in retail crime and they wonder why this Government is focused on everything else. Then when we look at health and education, we see an 80 percent increase in Government spending and fewer kids at school. We've seen a doubling of the number of kids who are chronically absent from school. That is a disgrace. And the fact that a Minister of Education for five years, Chris Hipkins, delivered such an appalling outcome in education and got promoted by his party to be the Prime Minister shows you how short of talent this party is and how much we need a change. And if we look at health, we see the extra billions and billions of dollars going into health, most of it into restructuring, and people waiting longer to get access to the emergency department care that they need and the cancer drugs that they need. That's why, under Shane Reti's leadership in the health space, we'll return to actually having some targets and chasing them down. Change can't come soon enough, and that's what's going to happen on 14 October. MELISSA LEE (National): Mr Speaker, I begin my contribution by thanking the Government Ministers. With 10,128 parliamentary written questions asked, I have to say that some offices have actually done really well, and some would have found out that, if the quality of the answer wasn't that great, they got loaded with more questions! I have also made 150 contributions, according to Hansard. With the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee (EDSI), we found out this morning that we did 94 reports to the House; 20 bills this Parliament, nine in the last 12 months; 84 annual reviews; nine briefings; and 11 petitions. Well done, EDSI team. I'd like to reflect on some of the things that I did during the term. I have to say, when I went to Porirua for a portfolio visit, I visited a business where they actually gave me something called seaweed gin and tonic, which was rather surprising. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Seaweed? MELISSA LEE: Seaweed, yes. And I have to reflect on the day that we went into lockdown, racing along the pitch black darkness of the Ashburton-Christchurch highway to get back to Auckland on the last flight before we went into lockdown again, back in August 2021, not knowing that it was probably the last time I was going to leave the city, and with all of the cancelled flights and taxis remaining in my diary in red as a reminder of the struggles that people in Auckland went through during that lockdown period. Also, when we were visiting Gore, my assistant—I won't mention his name right now—made me stand in the pouring rain just for the right photograph; the things we are actually made to do by assistants! I have to say that, finally, that long-serving staffer, who I drive around because he never had a driver's licence, finally, after eight years of being with me, has got a driver's licence. Maybe he might get to drive me when we're back once again after the election. Also, the virtual golf simulator in Parklands, Christchurch, where I have to say that I beat Sir Bob Charles on one hole—one hole. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Really? MELISSA LEE: It was a simulator. It was only one hole. I was actually brought in to play a hole for one of the members there who said he didn't quite know how to hit it. It was a short hole, and Sir Bob had actually sunk it in the water. I managed not to, so I think that's a win! And teaching classes for our community, where I had to teach them how to make Korean dumplings, was actually quite interesting. And visiting the big fruit in Cromwell. And I had two grand-puppies. My son came home one day and decided that he probably will never have children, so he was going to introduce me to the grandchildren, and in came the miniature schnauzers. I now have two: one is named Olive, and the other one is named Basil. And also an exciting thing to actually see firsthand fibre backhaul being installed down a rural Waikato highway while trying to avoid trucks and lorries. And we actually mourned the passing of the Sovereign of New Zealand, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and saw the ascension of His Majesty King Charles III. Many things have actually happened, but I'd like to acknowledge some of the Korean War veterans who have actually passed in this last term, including Wally Wyatt and Forbes Taylor, and also Mount Albert's grand dame Alice Wylie, who at the last National Party AGM got the first ever Foundation Cup, who was also a foundation member. Considering the fact that the National Party was founded 87 years ago, she was a long-time supporter. And I like to remember Lena Zhang and Janak Patel of Mount Albert, who were killed too soon. I remember attending Janak Patel's funeral and how heartbreaking that was—that a man who was actually just working, trying to save for his family, got killed in what shouldn't have actually happened in somebody wanting to commit crime. I just want to thank my staffers Matthew Stephens and Jo Chou and my Mount Albert team. I obviously don't have too much time left, but everyone in this House—everyone in this House—and everyone who actually works in this precinct, and I know that our leader actually thanked the gallery people as well, who actually make our lives so interesting. They do a great job. And I also like to thank you, Mr Speaker. And I also want to say thank you to my colleague Michael Woodhouse, who actually talked about the Standing Orders. I have to say that his knowledge of House operations is encyclopaedic, and I am always in awe, and I wish you all good luck in the election. Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Melissa Lee had five minutes then and spoke for 3½ minutes about herself, her puppies, her driver's licence, and golf simulator—I think that's indicative of what the National Party stands for: themselves. [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Mr Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge yourself, but also The Speaker, Adrian Rurawhe—and acknowledge that he is the second Māori to hold this position, and as we say in Ngāpuhi: [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] It means the heart swells with pride; and I'd just like to acknowledge Adrian Rurawhe and the job he has done as our Speaker. I'd also like to thank the Clerks, our security staff, the hospitality staff, and all of the staffers across all the business units here at Parliament and the wonderful staff in our offices and in our electorates. This term in Government has really reinforced why I wanted to get into politics and why joining the Labour Party was a no-brainer to me. We've been tackling inequities head on, fighting for workers' rights, working hard for all of our communities—especially those who are marginalised. We've done that and will continue to do that in our next term as Government. Under the leadership of Chris Hipkins, we've been able to build on all the mahi that was started under our former leader, Jacinda Ardern. Mr Speaker, you have heard today about the massive wins we have achieved under this Government for all New Zealanders, but I want to focus particularly on the work that we have done for Māori. As Prime Minister "Chippy" proudly mentioned in the House this week, we have a lot to be proud of: Te Aka Whai Ora - Māori Health Authority; the 145 percent increase in funding for Whānau Ora since 2017—that's 145 percent increase in funding. The doubling of the number of ākonga studying Māori language immersion at levels 3 and 4, and more than 32 percent increase in schools offering it. I also want to add the record investment into Māori education under this Government: that's been more than $1 billion over the last five years. We have achieved pay parity for kōhanga reo teachers, and it is absolutely uplifting to the soul to hear a kōhanga reo teacher—a kaiako—say that her salary has doubled under this Government. We have 1,000 fewer Māori in prison. We're seeing a significant reduction in tamariki Māori entering care in the last five years; uplifts have decreased by 70 percent. We have the least number of young people in Oranga Tamariki care since 2010—the numbers who are entering care have reduced to the lowest point since 2004. We have had the biggest investment ever into Te Matatini. And something I'm especially proud of is Matariki. We now have a public holiday that we can truly say is not just for Māori, but for all New Zealanders—because being able to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and prepare for the future are universal aspirations and we can do that regardless of the culture or the ethnicity that we come from. Since Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki was launched two years ago, there's been a huge uptake in New Zealanders who want to celebrate it in their own way, and I can see that there will be other ways in the future that all New Zealanders can celebrate Matariki. We produced those little karakia booklets that are in Māori and English with an explanation about what each star does. In the future, I see those being translated into other languages—into Korean, into Samoan, into Chinese, into French—so that all New Zealanders from their cultures can celebrate this uniquely New Zealand way and make it even more unique through their ethnicity and their cultural groups; their people celebrating it. We noticed that while Mr Christopher Luxon shied away from celebrating Matariki, he got on the waka that went up to Takaparawhau—that's Bastion Point—with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to welcome in the Māori New Year, and I congratulate him on that small concession. But everything that we've done is at risk with a potential ACT-National Government, because they want to scrap the Māori Health Authority despite practitioners and academics all saying that this is a step in the right direction. And I want to remind them that it's not OK that myself, my whānau, my nephews, my nieces—we will probably die seven years earlier than any other New Zealander, simply because we are Māori. It's not OK that Māori wait longer for operations. It's not OK for Māori to be denied access to healthcare. The facts are the facts, and for the Opposition to accuse this of being race-based policy, it sends a message that not only are they OK with the status quo; OK with Māori dying seven years earlier—they are, in fact, defending the status quo and we will not stand for it. A huge concern that we all should share is the ACT Party want to rewrite the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. David Seymour fails to recognise that under the founding document of our country, we're able to build nationhood; we're able to really come together under the promises subscribed in Te Tiriti. I always talk about how when kāwanatanga—the article 1 proposition—and rangatiratanga—the article 2 proposition—come together, that's when we'll see the magic happen. And that is about New Zealanders coming together; it is not about divisive race-based policies. So, sadly their proposed rewrite of the principles eliminates rangatiratanga, which then means that the co-signatories to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840 just will be written out and their place is jeopardised. Māori, as co-signatories to Te Tiriti, are a minority and historically have a deep mistrust of the system because the guarantees were not upheld. And it's not just Te Tiriti o Waitangi Mr Seymour wants to do away with: it's the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, it's the Ministry for Women, it's the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, and it's the Human Rights Commission. Although it might be hard for them to grapple with, the reality is that we all have different starting positions in the race of life. That's why we've worked hard to bridge the gap and to ensure that all New Zealanders are not just relegated to trying to survive, but to thrive. Mr Seymour reminds everyone of his Ngāpuhi ancestry whenever it's convenient, so I'd like to share with him a proverb from our tūpuna, and it goes: [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] That, translated, means—why is it that I, as a Māori, am judged by Pākehā people who have taken my land and my possessions by dubious means? It would be more appropriate for me to judge you according to my customs, and there would be but one outcome, and that is the truth. So I challenge the ACT Party—and I challenge Mr Seymour—to go and speak to his Māori people in our cultural context, on our marae where our customs prevail, where our language is heard, where our traditional world view is experienced and justify to them, kanohi ki te kanohi—face-to-face—on his side of the bridge that is Te Tiriti o Waitangi, why he wants to write rangatiratanga out of Te Tiriti. And on that note, I reserve my final comments for te Iwi Māori. [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): Well thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will briefly reply to the member who's just returned to his seat, the Hon Kelvin Davis. There's much I could dispute in what he said, but at the core of it, that member believes that there is a correct Māori way to think and that he speaks for that correct way. I'm here along with other ACT members—members, he said, look at the world through a vanilla lens; disgracefully, that he had to apologise for—that he does not speak for all Māori. Māori have a wide range of views and many of us disagree with Kelvin Davis. But it's been a long three years in this Chamber and it has been characterised by one fact that lays bare what has happened, and that is the fact that the Labour Party, in Roy Morgan, polled 26 percent. That means that half the people who voted for Labour at the last election have abandoned voting for Labour in three years. The question that they must be asking themselves is why that is? Well, they may not ask, but I'm always a helpful fellow and I'm going to answer it for them anyway. Before I do that, I just want to thank the many people who have served in this Parliament with good will to make it the place that it is. We should be proud of our democratic institutions, with one person, one vote and free speech to represent those people behind us. Mr Speaker, I want to thank you. I don't think that it was a particularly high bar, but you have more than excelled and your style has been a welcome change and I've been grateful for our interactions and the good will that you've brought to the role of upholding this House. I'd like to thank the Clerk and the parliamentary staff right across the precinct, from security guards to caterers to cleaners, who are often forgotten. There's a lot of people—around 700 people—that work on this precinct to make a difference. I want to thank, also, those people outside of Parliament who participate in politics. The tens of thousands of people who have come to ACT's public meetings. The thousands of people, at least, who have come to ACT's street corner meetings. Those volunteers who have put up so many magenta hoardings up and down New Zealand, they have literally painted the country pink. I want to thank those people who serve on the boards of political parties, who donate to political parties, who volunteer to deliver leaflets because they believe in our democracy. Those people deserve our thanks because they make it all possible. I also should acknowledge the parliamentary press gallery—most of them—who I think do a tremendous job in trying to bring information to light, often under trying circumstances, with shrinking budgets, and in an increasingly conflict-ridden and complex world. I thank them for their collegiality. But I also want to point to ACT's team of staff members and MPs. I think the people that have worked in ACT's office have been part not just of a very successful three years of Parliament, where—in stark contrast to Labour—our support has increased by about 60 percent. We've been part of an organisation which has been absolutely extraordinary by the standards of any group of people in any field—and that includes our MPs. There were so many naysayers; so many people who thought it couldn't work, and yet this extraordinary group of New Zealanders from outside Parliament, from all walks of life, have come together and given a tremendous acquittal of themselves in all aspects of being a member of Parliament. I'm so proud of ACT's team and I look forward to what they can deliver for New Zealand over the next six weeks and again in this Parliament in an expanded format. To our two retiring MPs—James McDowall and Damien Smith—thank you for your service. The fact that, on current polls, 80 percent of ACT's MPs will be back is a tremendous tribute to the team we've grown along with the talented newcomers that join ACT's team. I think the reason that we have so much change and support—Labour have lost half of their supporters in the last three years because, frankly, never has so much been promised to so many and yet so little actually delivered. You only have to look at housing. The average house price is up 33 percent, rents up 44 percent, inflation's been 22 percent, wages 28 percent—people are going backwards, their wage growth is less than 1 percent a year above inflation and the cost of their housing and their rent has gone up faster. That's why New Zealanders overwhelmingly say this country is going in the wrong direction, and they also will tell you that their number one concern is the cost of living. That is Grant Robertson's epitaph. We saw his usual smart-arse routine at question time today. That is his epitaph: holding up cartoons, and yet he's the guy who spent all the money, who left New Zealand with inflation, $121 billion of debt, a 29 percent increase in spending per person—after the high inflation we've had—and yet the people have nothing to show for it. We don't see more kids going to school, we don't see the streets being safer. In fact, we have had a 29—30, in fact—percent increase in offences against people per adult in this country in the last five years. We are objectively less safe. We have more victimisation than ever before. They've increased welfare spending by $8.2 billion, and yet there are 120,000 kids still in poverty by the measure of material hardship—the only measure that really matters. All they've discovered by spending more money on welfare is there are now more kids in a benefit-dependent household. These are the problems which the Labour Government has left with us and why they've been abandoned in droves. Life is too expensive, the streets are too unsafe, they don't get results or deliver when they promise and spend our money, and people have had enough. But it's worse than that. They've also fostered a level of division in New Zealand that is unprecedented. This is a Government who has taken a divisive approach to almost every single issue. Take the issue of landlords and tenants. Anyone else can see that they have a relationship where they rely on each other. But taxing landlords, putting more rules and regulations, making it harder to be a landlord, has actually disadvantaged tenants. This is what happens when the Labour Party comes to help you: they actually hurt you. If you take the example of vaccination. Now, I'm a person who says that vaccination was safe and effective. Yet by using ostracism as a tool to try and increase vaccination levels, this Government has eroded social cohesion and divided New Zealanders when they didn't need to. There were better options like vax or test. Then there's employers; then there's workers. They have constantly introduced new rules and regulations that make it harder to get by and employ people. This is a Government that, to paraphrase their former leader, has no gas left in the tank. They came in and they promised kindness. They promised a nuclear-free moment on climate change, but emissions went up. They promised we'd be safer, but we're not. They promised more houses would be built, but the prices went through the roof. They made all of these promises and $121 billion of debt later, they have nothing left to offer but massive debt and an erosion of the social capital and—dare I say it—the kindness that this country is built upon. What do we see when they are in that kind of a hole? Well, what we see is a Labour Party that can't run on its record. You've seen it in question time if you've been watching over the last few weeks. Chris Hipkins never says, "We've done a good job" in response to questions. He always attacks, attacks, attacks the Opposition. Well, in actual fact, the people of New Zealand have had enough of that style of politics. They've had enough of Chris Hipkins going negative. They've had enough of the misinformation, such as their totally incorrect statements about ACT's firearm policy, which would actually introduce better and more stringent checks on the people that can have firearms; when, in reality, people already have them and especially those tens of thousands that are held illegally. So what is the choice and the chance for New Zealand at this point? It is real change. It is not just a change of Government where we swap Chris for Chris and red for blue. Because much as I love my colleagues on the National Party, they have never demonstrated an ability to change Labour's policies. In fact, this election, they can't even change the name of the Prime Minister. That's why you need the ACT Party to put up real ideas, to cut Government waste, to make sure that the balance between rights for victims and consequences for criminals is restored, and to make sure that we are we are reunited in a modern, multi-ethnic, liberal democratic state. That is what real change really means. It means that we all share the same Kiwi values. We've got to bring those back. I'll tell you the truth, though. You won't always agree with ACT on everything. But if you give us your votes, then we will work hard for you. We'll actually deliver what we promise. We'll cut waste, we'll end racial division, and we'll get the politics out of the classroom. Those aren't just policies; those are values that we all share. So this October, party vote ACT to start putting those values at the heart of everything we do. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Hon JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green): It is a great pleasure to rise on behalf of the Green Party following that contribution from the leader of "New New Zealand First". Mr Seymour must be feeling quite grumpy right now, because last term he worked so hard to get rid of Winston Peters so that this term he could become Winston Peters, and now Winston Peters is calling and he wants his Horcrux back because that blackened shard of a soul can only animate the body of one populist authoritarian at once. Whilst the saying goes that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes, Mr Peters is doing his level best to try and disprove the first of those. Chris Hipkins, of course, is trying to disprove the second. It is odd that at this election, the National Party is actually proposing more new taxes than the Labour Party and the Greens are promising more income tax cuts than the National Party. It is very confusing. We here are still trying to work out why the GST exemption will apply to truffles, but not bread or roses. Hon Members: Oh! Hon JAMES SHAW: But the confusion—I know, I know. I'll only mention taxes 10 or 12 more times during the course of this speech—it's fine. The confusion, I have to say, is compounded by the recent rise in misinformation and disinformation, such as how do you spell "cat" or "curriculum", and that's why the Green Party is calling on the National Party not to give any more spelling lessons to children, because in the words of Christopher Luxon, "We will not accept mediocrity in the school system"—just don't ask them to spell "mediocrity". But, while we are on the topic of mediocrity, let's just talk about National's plan to cancel the Climate Emergency Response Fund for a moment. Tell the people of Auckland and Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti and Te Tai Tokerau who lost their homes in the floods and storms earlier this year that now is a good time to stop fighting the climate crisis. Roughly 80 percent of the people in this country are worried about climate change and actually want the Government to do more, and about 90 percent of them want the revenue that comes from polluters to be recycled back into action on cutting pollution. But Nicola Willis wants to use that money to fund tax cuts for property speculators, and then has the gall to call it a climate dividend. Instead, she could have cancelled the Land Transport Fund and returned that money and called that a transport dividend—good luck with your roads then. How would she pay for all of the mega-motorways that Simeon Brown wants to build so that he can increase congestion and drive up pollution? She would never get away with it, would she? So instead, the National Party—except for Todd Muller—are going to do what the National Party has always done—[Interruption] Go Todd. They're going to say that they're committed to the long-term targets for cutting climate pollution, but then they are going to kick the can down the road for another generation to actually do anything about it. Look at their track record. Six years ago, I stood in this House and I asked then Prime Minister Bill English if he agreed that they one measure of whether a country was succeeding or failing in its fight against climate change was whether its greenhouse gas emissions were rising or falling, and he said that he didn't think that it was that simple. But it is that simple. It might not be easy, it might mean that you need to take some hard decisions, and it might mean that you need to take the long-term good of the country into account rather than give voters an election bribe, but it is definitely that simple. Six years later, I can tell this House that our greenhouse gas emissions in Aotearoa are falling, and that is because—and it is only because—with the Green Party in Government with Labour, we have prioritised that work every single day. Now, with the Greens in Government alongside my good friend the Minister of Finance, we have billions of dollars going to support households and communities and businesses to embrace clean energy, and all of that is paid for by polluters. With that fund, we are helping to end the use of coal to heat our schools and our hospitals; with that fund we are helping some of the biggest industrial polluters to switch to renewable energy and high-value, clean-tech jobs—go Megan Woods—and with that fund we are helping the people of Fiji to move dozens of villages away from rising seas and towards higher ground further inland, and National want to cancel that. Under the last National Government, one in 100 new cars sold in this country was an electric vehicle. Last June, it was one in two. From one in 100 under National to one in two under us, and National want to cancel all of that so that they can have an election year bribe, because to the National Party, winning is more important than human survival. You can actually smell the desperation on them, and it smells like petroleum. At this election, New Zealanders do have a clear choice between a Labour-led Government with the Green Party at the heart of it making a real difference, or a National - ACT - New Zealand First Government that wants to take our country back in time. We cannot risk a National – ACT - New Zealand First Government who will use "It's not that simple." as an excuse for yet more delay, who want to double bus fares for disabled people in order to fund tax cuts for property speculators, who are itching to start drilling for more oil and gas in the Māui dolphin sanctuary, who are weirdly obsessed with mobile phones and potholes—you know, the really big, long-term challenges that are facing us as a country. The Green Party is here to tackle those big long-term challenges that we face, and I do want to take a moment to acknowledge the Hon Marama Davidson and her work alongside affected communities to deliver Te Aorerekura. It is our first national strategy to end family violence and sexual violence in this country, building on the foundations laid last term by Jan Logie—kia ora. The Greens have taken action to protect our critically endangered wildlife and our wild places, and for that I also, again, want to acknowledge Eugenie Sage—kia ora. I also want to acknowledge the entire Green Party caucus who have worked with our Labour colleagues to progress alcohol regulation, rainbow rights, electoral reform, ACC, seabed-mining, immigration, public housing, pay equity, saving the St James Theatre, and the control of deer and wild goats, and for all of that—for all of that and much more—I do want to thank the Prime Minister and the Cabinet and our Labour comrades for your partnership and your friendship. We know how much you love our unique combination of humble comradeship and being right about everything all the time. I also want to acknowledge our colleagues in Te Paati Māori. When you called on me to resign, it took me right back home to a Green Party AGM—thanks, I think. Rawiri Waititi: We're going with the theme—we're going with the theme. Hon JAMES SHAW: Ha, ha! And, Mr Speaker, I do want to thank you for your leadership in this House, as so many others have, and your support team: the Office of the Clerk, the Chamber staff, the select committee staff, parliamentary messengers and the Parliamentary Library, security, Copperfields, travel and transport, the maintenance team, the gardeners, the cleaners, the people who make our democracy function—thank you. To our Greens staff, you are truly incredible. Without your work, Marama and I would be perhaps reduced to thinking for ourselves or, even worse, making our own social media graphics. Thank you also to the thousands of volunteers knocking on doors and making calls to get more Green MPs into the next Parliament and more Green Ministers sitting around the next Cabinet table. None of us can stand by when we see a way to prevent future tragedies like the floods in Auckland and around the North Island earlier this year. For decades—for decades—politicians have made excuses for why they cannot do things at the pace or the scale that we need to solve those connected crises of climate change, of biodiversity loss, and of intergenerational poverty, and the Green Party does not accept those excuses. The decisions that will be made in the next term of Parliament must build on the foundations that we have laid for an Aotearoa where everyone has what they need to live with dignity within the boundaries of the planet, and that is what is on the ballot paper this year. Ko tēnei te wā—the time is now. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēna koutou katoa. Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Leader of the House): Sometimes, around this place, I feel like I wear more hats than Rawiri Waititi, so I'm going to try and work my way through a few of them now. I am going to start with the hat that I wear as the Minister for Sport and Recreation and I will say, "Up the Wahs." Given that before we come back here in October, we will have gotten to the first stages of the men's Rugby World Cup, I will also wish the All Blacks "good luck"—and to do as we should all do—and follow the wāhine and make sure that they too perform well, and so I wish them luck too. I also wear the hat, as you well know, of being the Leader of the House. I do just want to spend a little bit of time talking about what's happened in this Parliament since we came back at the end of 2020. I want to start, though, with my recognition of you, as the Speaker, and your team of presiding officers. It is fair to say there has been a change of style in the presiding officer team. While I know it's in the early hours of the morning in Ireland, I'd like to say, Mr Speaker, we've appreciated your arrival on the scene and have appreciated the dignity, the mana, and the wisdom that you bring to this House and, indeed, to your fellow presiding officers, who have done a terrific job as well. Mr Speaker, there's a few statistics I'd like to run through for you. The House has sat for 1,484 hours and 48 minutes in this term of Parliament—or, for the benefit of the National Party, that's 57 hours a fortnight, because I know that's how you do it nowadays. We've passed 194 bills as a Government; there's also been 16 members' bills passed. There have been 2,656 oral questions, approximately half of which were addressed—but, no, I'm sure they were all addressed; not many of them were answered, probably, but 2,656. There were 134,342 written questions lodged. I think anyone who's thinking about slashing the Public Service might want to have a think about all of the work that goes into answering written questions and Official Information Act requests. On that note, I want to thank the public servants who serve us when we are in Government, to the best of their abilities, whoever that Government might be. Mr Speaker, as you, of course, well know, there is a huge team that sit behind the operations of this place. I want to particularly acknowledge the Clerk's Office for the hard work they do here and, indeed, in our select committees as well. I want to acknowledge the whole of the Parliamentary Service, but particularly want to acknowledge our security staff. During this term of Parliament, our security staff had to deal with the occupation outside of Parliament. It was a traumatic experience for many of them, but they did a terrific job on our behalf during that time. Indeed, again, today, we saw the need for our security staff, and I want to make a special acknowledgment to them for the work that they do on behalf of all parliamentarians. I want to thank the buildings, the IT, the travel—I want to make a special acknowledgment of the cleaners. Occasionally, I find myself here late at night—not for the reasons I once might have found myself late at night here—and the cleaners are working through the night to make sure that our offices are clean. I'm very proud of the fact that through this period of time, their wages have lifted, and their wages have lifted to the point of a living wage. And I think that is the right thing to do for people who do a tremendous job on our behalf. I also want to thank Hansard and the library. I want to thank, from a Ministerial Services point of view, the VIP travel driving team—they do an amazing job, as well, at looking after all of us. I also want to thank the travel office for the work that they do. I want to thank the messengers inside this Parliament, particularly for delivering the things that are needed in this House, such as Ginny Andersen received earlier today—that's an in-joke for the Labour Party, that one. I want to acknowledge also those who work and serve for us in our offices. That means our offices here in Parliament but also our offices right around the country. The people who work in our electorate offices are the front line of democracy and they do an unbelievable job on our behalf, often in quite insecure environments, often in very difficult environments. I want to thank them and I want to thank all of our staff. It is dangerous to single out any one individual, but I can tell you, on behalf of the Government, that this Parliament would not run if it wasn't for Peter Hoare, and I want to say that very clearly. Peter is the most exceptional servant of this Parliament, and the work that he does, I know, is appreciated right across the House. So I acknowledge everyone in this House, as we come towards the end of this term, for the work that they have done to make sure that materials got through. I want to acknowledge the National Party's shadow Leaders of the House and whips for the work that they have done to cooperate. I actually do think it's quite sad that Michael Woodhouse has not got to do a valedictory—I think he would have deserved that, given that he is the parliamentarian that he is. And I want to acknowledge all departing members across the House. I particularly want to acknowledge the Labour departing members, who we were worked with so hard over the years: David Clark; Stuart Nash, who I think will be watching from the gym; Poto Williams; Marja Lubeck; Paul Eagle; Jamie Strange; and the now properly and fully dressed Aupito William Sio. All of those are members of Parliament who contributed huge amounts to our Labour team, and I am so proud to have served alongside you. I also want to mention my friend of 30-odd years Todd Muller, who gave an excellent speech in Parliament last week, but also, Todd, for your bravery and your courage, over this term of Parliament, in speaking up about issues to do with mental health and wellbeing in particular, and I wish you well, my friend, into the future. Mr Speaker, I also wear a hat, as you know, as the Minister of Finance, and I can't really let the opportunity go past now just to take another opportunity to have a look at National's tax plan, because I don't think we've heard enough about it over the course of the last 24 hours or so. More holes than Swiss cheese. In the housing side in particular, I actually just need to read out what Nick Goodall from CoreLogic said. "I also did a quick calculation to see where the $740 million tax … came from, and I'm struggling to figure it out … If you assume 5 percent of the 2,600 properties sold above $2 million went to foreigners … that would [get you about] $50 million at 15 percent"—somewhat short of the $740 million that had been promised. Be it that or SkyCity's written gambling tax or the complete elimination of climate action. And let's be clear: that's what sits at the heart of that plan—albeit, the removal, as James Shaw's already said, of half-priced public transport for disabled people, for our younger people, for those on low incomes, and the removal of 20 hours free for two-year-olds that is coming in. There are headlines dotted right through the media, today, that tell you that if you scratch the surface of the National Party plan, you see the holes in it and you see that you still can't trust National with numbers. As I would have said, were she here, "There's a hole in your back pocket, dear Nicola, dear Nicola." I want to finish, in my role, here in the House, as a member of the Labour team. I was pretty excited today when the ANZ New Zealand Business Outlook came out, (a) because it was positive—not always the case—but (b) because of its headline, which I mentioned earlier today during question time: "Goldilocks is in the building". I then thought about, in my traditionally modest way, this story that Luke Malpass wrote, which said, "Meet Grant Robertson: The goldilocks of fiscal probity"—one is too modest to speak further on that matter. But it did make me think about the team that is the Labour Party, and "Papa Bear" "Chippy", who leads us. I want to acknowledge the Prime Minister Chris Hipkins for his exceptional leadership over this period of time. As other colleagues have mentioned, he took over from Jacinda—somebody that we all loved and respected so much, and he has done that in a way that is authentic to the "Chippy" that we know. New Zealanders, on the election campaign over the next six weeks, will come again to see Chris Hipkins as a reliable person, someone they can relate to, and someone who will lead New Zealand well, into the future. I also want to acknowledge "Mama Bear" Carmel Sepuloni, our Deputy Prime Minister who has once again led us and brought us together during some pretty challenging and difficult times that have occurred over this. Megan Woods then made me identify the baby of our caucus—"Baby Bear" Naisi Chen. And I want to acknowledge all of the class of 2020, who came in this term, who've added so much to our caucus. This is a tremendous team. It's a team I am so proud to have worked alongside. It's a team that knows the meaning of Labour values, of looking after our people, and of making sure that we provide for the future generations. I agree with James Shaw: this is an election that is a straight-out contest between a progressive Government with Labour and the Greens, and perhaps another party, which might speak in a moment, or going backwards under National. I know what New Zealanders want and prefer: it's a continuation of our team. SPEAKER: This is a split call. I call Penny Simmonds. PENNY SIMMONDS (National—Invercargill): Thank you, Mr Speaker. In the dying stages of this 53rd Parliament, I want to talk about the perfect storm that our tertiary education sector is experiencing. Whether through wilful neglect or just hapless incompetence from this Labour Government, our universities, wānanga, polytechnics, private training organisations, and industry training organisations are suffering from a combination of domestic student decreases, high inflation impacting on operating costs, international student numbers not recovering fast enough, and wasteful spending by a Government more intent on progressing fanciful ideologies than funding actual education delivery. Domestic student numbers have dropped as student numbers have dropped as students flee New Zealand for studies overseas, and many of those who remain have to try and find work to support their families rather than study. In Wellington, where the cost of living is particularly high, students are fleeing the city and therefore its universities and polytechnics. International student numbers have not recovered in a way that they have in our competitor countries such as Australia and Canada, because this Government didn't open the borders soon enough, didn't get out and effectively coordinate a successful marketing campaign to attract students, and didn't have immigration policies which align with and supported international student recruitment. In fact, we even had the Minister of Education at that time, Chris Hipkins, and the chair of Education New Zealand, Steve Maharey—also a previous Labour Minister of Education—saying maybe we don't need to get back to pre-COVID days of international student numbers, that maybe we should be doing more offshore delivery. That certainly did not send the signal to international students that we want you back and it also ignored the many and broader benefits of internationalisation on our tertiary sector and the New Zealand communities where they live, work, study, and then graduate into. The cost of living crisis is hurting the tertiary providers just as it hurts individuals, families, and businesses. Increased costs of resources, materials, fuel, power, and all the other resources increases tertiary providers' operating costs. Then we look at this Government's wasteful spending of hundreds of millions of dollars on their ideological centralisation of polytechnics and industry training organisations into Te Pūkenga, which has resulted in a dismal and catastrophic failure and put our whole vocational sector at risk. What Government with even an ounce of fiscal understanding would have embarked on spending hundreds of millions of dollars to centralise 16 polytechnics and eight industry training organisations without doing the due diligence to know it would cost around another billion dollars to put the systems and programmes in place to make it operable and then not be able to fund that, leaving them high and dry? It is hard to believe just how much damage this Government could do to our valuable tertiary education sector in such a short time, and that is without even starting to talk about the carnage they have inflicted on the early childhood education sector. Grand, ideology-driven ideas, public money spent unfettered, and a lack of self-reflection to know what they don't know have enormously damaged our tertiary and early childhood education sectors. If we have the privilege of being in Government after 14 October, we will respect the independence and autonomy of our education providers. We will work with them to find a practical long-term solution, not band-aids, and we will restore the international standing of particularly our universities and polytechnics. The damage must be undone. Thank you, Mr Speaker. RAWIRI WAITITI (Co-Leader—Te Paati Māori): It seems like this side of the House can find a grain of salt in a sugar factory. I just wanted to say, as I heard the story about Goldilocks—Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear—I tell you, it's been very difficult to sit next to a polar bear and a gummy bear, and it's been quite hard to contain the grizzly bear in me. Mr Speaker, I do want to acknowledge you. Ngā mihi nui ki a koe, e te Māngai. [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] I do want to say that you are a huge improvement from the last Speaker we had, who kicked me out for the first time. But, I must say, you're top of the pops because you suspended me for the first time. We are on the cusp of an Aotearoa where our tamariki are truly free to thrive in their authentic selves. No more will we allow anybody to treat us like second-class citizens on our own whenua. No more will we allow the entitled and privileged to decide what is best for us. No more will we allow white supremacy and white privilege to reign supreme on our whenua. No more will we allow those who have built their wealth off the blood of our tīpuna, and off the lands they stole, to continue to enforce oppressive policies that keep us at the bottom of the heap. We are the only movement that will fight for our people. We are the only movement that will stand up against the people in this country who only seek to belittle us, colonise us, and assimilate us. We are the only movements that is focused on making mokopuna decisions. We are the only movement committed to an Aotearoa hou. What does an Aotearoa hou look like? It looks like how we would treat you on the marae. We will welcome you. We will feed you. We will house you. We will protect you. We will educate you. We will care you. We will love you. Te Paati Māori is a movement that leaves no one behind, whether you are tangata whenua or a tangata Tiriti, tangata hauā, takatāpui, wāhine, tāne, rangatahi, mokopuna—you are whānau. No one will be marginalised in our whare. No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, everyone is welcome to the waharoa of our Aotearoa hou. We will feed you. Everyone will have the dignity to be able to put healthy kai on the table to feed our babies. No longer will the rich and the powerful feed off the backs of the 98 percent. Our goal is not to reduce poverty, but to eliminate it. We will house you. No one should be homeless. We've got 94,000 empty homes in Aotearoa right now. No one should be paying half of their income in rent to feed their landlord's whānau, when they can barely afford to feed their own whānau. No one should live in cold, damp housing that makes their tamariki sick. Māori make up 60 percent of homeless in Aotearoa, and 50 percent of the housing waiting list. Tangata whenua should never be homeless on their own lands. No one will be homeless in an Aotearoa hou. We will protect you. The greatest violence you can inflict on anyone is poverty. You cannot arrest or imprison poverty out of society. Te Paati Māori will never support legislation that locks up our tamariki at 12 years old. One law for all does not apply to the privileged. No one should get name suppression to protect political agendas at the expense of the victim. We will protect you. In an Aotearoa hou, everyone will know their rights. Everyone has a right to know their whakapapa. If you don't know your whakapapa, your whakapapa knows you. If you don't know your maunga, your maunga knows you. If you don't know your awa, your awa knows you. If you don't know your reo, your reo knows you. We wait and we anticipate more people coming to the waharoa of our Aotearoa hou as we head into this election. Hika mā! It is now time for us to believe in ourselves to be proud, to be magic, and to believe in your mana. Our Aotearoa hou gives a space to dream. You are the solutions waiting to happen. I want to acknowledge our team this year, who punched well above their weight class. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. I am proud of you all, I am proud of our movement, and I'm proud to head into this campaign, doing what we said we would do. All of the things that they've said over there—Kelvin Davis, thank you for outlining the Māori Party manifesto of 2020. We're really, really proud of that. Welcome, Meka, to the team. E te iwi, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou, tēnā koutou. Kia ora tātou katoa. Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister for Broadcasting and Media): [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] You started off so beautifully, dear brother—a bit negative after that, but. Rawiri talked kōrero, and I mihi to you for your courage over last year or so. Can I also support the mihis to you too, Mr Speaker, in terms of your mahi in the last year or so. You haven't been particularly nice to me, but— Hon Kelvin Davis: It's not all about you. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: It's not about me, as Kelvin says. [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Mr Speaker, as you would have heard, Kelvin Davis stole my speech as the deputy leader, but I was thinking that I came into the Labour Party in 2017. It wasn't a very good welcome, actually, if I'm being honest. I think there was a 400-strong petition or something, and it was Andrew Little's fault! But anyway, we're not going there. Rawiri Waititi: Come to our Aotearoa hou, Willie. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Anyway, we won't to the Māori Party, either. Let's just get back to the kaupapa. Hon Kelvin Davis: Good idea. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Yes. I mentioned 2017, not because of what I got from the Labour Party, but because I remembered while listening to Rawiri Waititi speak what the Māori Party got in terms of that targeted National Government Budget of 2017, which was $120 million. That was really good, and I'm being really serious here, because they only had two members and they did their best: $120 million in targeted funding—exceptional. It was actually more than from a lot of previous Governments. But when you compare that, with respect, to what our Māori caucus has got over the last three years, which was $1 billion at every Budget over the last three years, you can see the investment the Labour Party has been putting into Māori. It's been huge right across Te Ao Māori. If we look at Whānau Ora, there's been a 120 percent increase in funding. I want to thank Peeni Henare for his mahi there, and I want to thank our Whānau Ora providers who did some magnificent work during COVID—just fabulous. It's a shame most of them joined the Māori Party, but I suppose it was really hard because the head of Whānau Ora is the head of the Māori Party. But they did some terrific work during that time, and well done to our people, eh, on the ground. Rawiri Waititi: Yes, magnificent. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: No, seriously, during COVID, magnificent—just got to get them to join the right party, Rawiri Waititi. We had $90 million going to Māori broadcasting. They gave our people that iwi radio, Whakaatea Māori—it gives them an opportunity. It gives them an opportunity to get our reo out, to get our stories out—fantastic. And while I'm talking about broadcasting, I should say that it's been an honour being the broadcasting Minister, and to get $25 million out to National Radio was giving them an opportunity to get our new national radio board, TVNZ board, and it's fantastic to get the digital bargaining bill out today. It's a shame that our friend Melissa Lee and the National Party are so confused and that they don't want to back the little guy and make the big global players pay for the news. It was very sad to hear them talking today, but kei te pai—we'll support them. In Māori business, we have a procurement programme worth about $1 billion. We tried to get it through between 2017 and 2020, but Kelvin Davis' relations in New Zealand First have got a few hang-ups, you know? So we couldn't get our procurement programme through, because they thought Māori shouldn't be a priority. If you add the extra funding that Kelvin's got in kōhanga reo for te reo Māori, and we've had Māori trade trainees—it's been fantastic. We have Poutama Rangatahi and Mana in Mahi looking after our young people, and Te Matatini funding of $32 million, which Rawiri Waititi assures me that he got. I never saw him at the negotiating table. I never saw him there, but he assures me it all because of him. I want to thank Kiritapu Allan for her advocacy in that area, and also Willow-Jean Prime particularly. They've been our main Ministers. But, as we all know, that pūtea means so much for our people, so congratulations to all of us in terms of that pūtea. When we look at a kaupapa like Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga, a Māori housing strategy that's been set up and run by people like Willie Te Aho and Annette Wehi—fantastic—and Jamie Tuuta, and supported by our housing Minister, Megan Woods, it's the first by Māori, for Māori housing strategy from any Government. It's just fantastic. I want to say thank you to Nanaia Mahuta for the local Māori seats. That was a huge win for us. It gave our people an opportunity to actually get on councils. They can't get on councils, because people won't vote for our people. I want to thank the tuahine for her mahi in that area. It's been a tough time for her, but if you talk about democracy—well, that's democracy at work. The other kaupapa is the Māori Health Authority. Who would have thought that from a mainstream party, we would have got a Māori Health Authority? And, of course, who would believe that this country could celebrate a Māori day—Matariki. It's magnificent, and it's an example of how we can all come together for one kaupapa. I mention all these kaupapa because, as Kelvin Davis rightly said and as we know in the House, they're all at risk. Even our Matariki holiday—I fear we'll lose that. It's all at risk from the National Party, but I think they know better. But David Seymour has a lot to answer for. You see, he won't support the kaupapa that we talk about. He'll kill our Māori Health Authority. He'll get rid of Māori seats on councils. He'll dismantle not just Māori things but the ministries of women's affairs, ethnic affairs, Pacific affairs. It's shocking what he's going to do, and yet he makes out he's this huge expert in terms of indigenous rights. Well, I can't remember him being a lawyer at the Supreme Court or the Privy Council, but he seems to know more about Māori indigenous rights than every High Court judge, Supreme Court judge, or Privy Council judge who has supported Māori indigenous rights since 1987. As well as that, Mr Seymour thinks he knows more about indigenous rights than every National Prime Minister and Labour Prime Minister. Think about that: David Lange, Geoffrey Palmer, Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley, Mike Moore, Helen Clark, John Key, Bill English, Jacinda Ardern, and our wonderful Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, along with judges like Dame Sian Elias, our current Chief Justice, Dame Helen Winkelmann, and Lord Cooke, who, along with his fellow judges Sir Ivor Richardson, Summers, Casey, and Bisson in 1987, talked about partnership. Are you listening, David Seymour? Oh, he's just cleverer than all of them. They made it clear that partnership is an integral part of the Treaty and that Māori have special rights. But no, not according to Mr Seymour, and, sadly, his members of the ACT Party. We hear them here in the House every week: "Why have Māoris got this?" I'm talking about this because this is important. They are always talking about Māori having special privileges—"Māori apartheid"—and asking is there separatism. So, for the record, for the members in ACT, Māori do have rights that have been legitimised by the courts of this country. They are a separate set of rights because they recognise Māori are the indigenous people of this country, and indigenous people have indigenous rights. This has been recognised by the United Nations. Those rights recognise the horrors that indigenous people have gone through—that's what it's about. That's what Mr Seymour wants to change. He wants to bring us back sad impressions of Don Brash, yet with all these special privileges, do Māori have great health statistics, education statistics, or employment statistics? They're all bad. They're all bad, but they're getting better under this Government. We're putting frameworks in place, and I want to say I'm so proud that this is a Government who has been so courageous and passionate in terms of outlining and supporting the kaupapa with regard to Māori. It gave me faith. In my lifetime, I never thought a mainstream party would embrace some of these kaupapa. I was with the Māori Party. I was in Mana Motuhake. I led Mana Motuhake before the Māori Party even existed. We talked about these issues, then the Māori Party talked about these issues, and now Labour is— Hon Grant Robertson: We've done it. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: We've done it, and we want to go forward, working with the Greens, and perhaps the whanaungas in the Māori Party. I think that there's a lot of hope that New Zealanders should be looking at. Don't worry about all this division rubbish; the division is only coming from one side. We need to embrace the values and the principles of the Labour Party and the principles of Matariki. It was wonderful watching New Zealanders engage and embrace Matariki—wonderful. Pākehā people who don't know the reo are loving the language. We love the Labour Party. To all our people out there, don't forget to support to support us on 14 October. Kia ora. SPEAKER: I understand this is a split call. TAMA POTAKA (National—Hamilton West): E te Māngai, I wanted to acknowledge Maureen Pugh and her whānau at this time for their recent loss, and also my esteemed kaumātua from Rangitīkei, Ian McKelvie, and wily Hamiltonian David Bennett for their support. I'm thankful to speak briefly to a couple of kaupapa. First, education: education needs to return to teaching the basics brilliantly and the realisation of potential across many cohorts, particularly Māori. As Parliament, we should be whakamā of the situation we're in: 98 percent of kids in decile 1 cannot pass a basic writing test. Half of our Māori kids aren't turning up regularly to go to school. Half of our children fail to hit minimum OECD standards. We can do better. But all this happened when an extra $5 billion was spent on education over the past five years. The famous hip-hop song resounds: the more tax money we come across, the more problems we see. Each and every child should gain the skills and knowledge they need for further education and to realise the potential of their lives. Second, Hamilton West is a microcosm of New Zealand. If Hamilton West succeeds, New Zealand succeeds, and if it fails, New Zealand will likely fail. We've got hard-working whānau and organisations like the Wise Group, a super Super Rugby team, and exemplary iwi development like Waikato-Tainui, but as the ram-raid capital of Aotearoa, inflation, law and order, health—fail blog. Housing is particularly difficult in Hamilton: 750 kids and 750 adults wake up in motels and cars every single day, and this Government is giving $25 million a quarter to the motel owners in Hamilton. National will unlock more land and build transport for the future in dynamic cities like Hamilton. As Scribe would say, "Keep our minds on the prize and our minds on the goal," and get our city of the future back on track. Third, in my view, kotahitanga, or unity, across the country has unravelled a little more in the short time I've been here, and today, respectfully, opining that voting choices put everything at risk and that one party is an exclusive representative of Māori communities is unreasonable hyperbole. There are some unreasonable positions around the binary outcomes that people are positioning in our discussions in Parliament, and, to be fair, I think there's a degree of maturity we can grow into. As Todd Muller eloquently observed, we are seeing more toxicity around relationships between relations—Māori, Pākehā, Kiwis, New Zealanders, people from Waatea Marae and Ihumātao, farmers, townies, employees, employers, Pākehā, Māori, journalists, and digital platforms. We are all stronger when we bring evidence-based data together with a bit of innovation—for example, the ingenuity and the innovation around settling Treaty claims, like Christopher Finlayson did and Minister Little is doing tomorrow with [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Accelerating the novel implementation of social investment and wellbeing programmes—if we can have respectful and fun debate, Matua Minita Jackson and Matua Minita Sio, this place would be a better place and we could better create a safe, prosperous, and successful country, Ms Dean. We will maintain stability for whānau and communities and both move and hold the centre in both a sustaining and symbiotic way. The first Māori King, Pōtatau Te Wherowhero, offered some great insight: through the eye of the needle must pass the red, the black, and the white thread—and I would add "the yellow, the green, the purple and the blue". It is time for all New Zealanders, particularly us in this place, to re-splice kotahitanga. We must show that we can be an outperforming economy and an outperforming society. We can help grow health and wealth without having to grow to peak Kāwanatanga and spending of Government. We can ensure that law and order is tied up with productivity and potential, and we must guarantee that exemplary health and education services are delivered for Kiwis. The chaotic winter is coming to a close and with it comes spring and a promise of blue skies and the green growth that comes accordingly. I look over at my empty seat over there, at our friends from the Green Party, and say to them that green only comes through blue—and a bit of yellow. That's the biggest challenge that the Green Party has. The biggest challenge that the Labour Party has is that they know that kotahitanga can only come forth and emerge forth when members of the National Party coalesce and drive it together. And with that, Mr Speaker, e mihi ana ki a koe. [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] CHRIS PENK (National—Kaipara ki Mahurangi): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I join my colleague and friend Tama Potaka in acknowledging our colleague Maureen Pugh and also want to add the acknowledgment of the wonderful parliamentarian and good man that is the Hon Rino Tirikatene at, also, a difficult time for him. I stand as National's senior whip, not only because I gave myself the honour of speaking in this debate but also just to reflect on the way that Parliament has operated these past three years, as is typical at an adjournment debate. Parliament will soon have its dissolution—as though this place were not dissolute enough already—and while the whip is in some ways the quintessential partisan role in terms of that person's internal and external dealings, at the same time, one has a great opportunity for operating across the institution of Parliament, and I want to acknowledge all parties in this place, particularly their representatives on their whip teams and musterers, and so forth. I've enjoyed working with you all, including in those very arcane environments such as the Standing Orders Committee—and I acknowledge the comments made by Jan Logie as well as my colleague and friend the Hon Michael Woodhouse and others in this place on the same subject earlier today. I will also acknowledge Marja Lubeck, who is retiring, but having been based in Kaipara ki Mahurangi and various West Auckland MPs with whom I have enjoyed good interactions, in almost all places—no, I was just kidding. That was that was for Marja, and she'll understand what that means. There are many key players in Parliament—those who are seen and those who are almost entirely unseen. They all play a crucial role, as others have acknowledged. Christopher Luxon has acknowledged them on behalf of the National Party, and he had 10 minutes to speak. I've only got five, so I'll just point in that direction. Hon Grant Robertson: He didn't use a minute of it. CHRIS PENK: Yeah, that's true—I should get an extra minute, Mr Speaker, as the Leader of the House points out. Sir, I also want to acknowledge you, particularly. As I said to you at the time that you were coming into this role, you enjoyed even at that time considerable respect, personally and professionally, and huge mana and esteem you were held in by our people in the National Party. You've actually grown that, if anything, and that's an unusual thing, I think, to come to the end of the parliamentary term and the Speaker's Chair and be more popular even than when you started. So I acknowledge you and thank you for that, and, actually, your predecessor as well—Mr Mallard—with whom, for what it's worth, I personally enjoyed a good relationship, I thought. We've had many changes in this time across the three years. It seems so long ago now that we are operating in a hybrid House environment. Select committees retained their remote option, and I think that's a good move, sir, for the reasons that we've discussed at great length in other forums. I think the institution is better and stronger, but we must always remain vigilant that we don't go backwards in any sense in terms of access to democracy in the way that we operate within our parties and between them across the House. So I'll just comment briefly on the incident in the gallery today. I don't wish to speak in detail and give the notoriety that, no doubt, those people would seek, but I do wish to express that I think it would be very sad if the result of such incidents would be to make Parliament less accessible to the general public and vice versa. I think that would be a shame, albeit potentially inevitable, given the situation in which we live in New Zealand in 2023. I also want to thank and acknowledge the Clerk's team, as others have done, but they're very notable. You are Parliament's person and you have exemplified that phrase, but they, no less, have served all the members of this House, and, through them, I think the people of New Zealand extremely well. I do want to add my thanks on that note. I also want to thank staff, across all parties. No doubt, the sterling work that the National Party team have done has been mirrored in terms of other parties, both here in Parliament but also in the electorate and community offices. I'm glad that we do refer to them as ECOs, rather than out-of-Parliament offices. I think that much better reflects the importance and particular connection of those roles. But while I've acknowledged, obviously, the changes that that were made and not made through the Standing Orders review process, I'd be remiss if I didn't finish on a slightly more political note this far out from a general election. So I will say that of all the changes that should be made, I believe that a change in Prime Minister is necessary, and I support Christopher Luxon in that role, and for the finance Minister, likewise, Nicola Willis. I want to thank them for the leadership of our team on this side of the House, and, hopefully, soon not to be this side of the House. In terms of portfolio matters, I've taken particular interest in cyclone recovery and courts. I think we need a much quicker and robust system in relation to both. New Zealand is suffering a deep malaise at the moment. Change is needed, and, frankly, we need to get New Zealand, our country, back on track. Thank you. TANGI UTIKERE (Chief Whip—Labour): Kia orana, Mr Speaker. It's a real privilege to take what I think is the final call of the 53rd Parliament. It's obviously an opportunity to reflect on what is the absolute privilege to serve as a member of this House, and I do want to start my contribution this evening in acknowledging you, sir. The mana, the dignity, that you bring to this House is something that many colleagues have commented on. I want to personally thank you for your advice, guidance, and leadership that you have shown to me and other members of this House, and I extend that to your Deputy Speaker and Assistant Speakers, permanent and temporary, from time to time as well. As a member who entered in 2020, I join my class of 2020 colleagues and those who have arrived since for whom there have been many firsts for us over the last three years. But I also note that this place has its various quirks about it too, noting that it does, however, appear to be something that is a place that is more family friendly, more dog-friendly. My own dog, Reichen, benefits from that from time to time, and in my recent observation it seems that it is now cat-friendly, based on the corridors as well. But today does have a feel about it, in the sense of it being the last day of school in that we're about to be let loose and we will be free from this place for the next six weeks. I want to say that having been here for a term, I've found this place to be rather collegial, and while there have been a few smart or snide comments from time to time on both sides of the House, as my colleague Teanau Tuiono will I'm sure attest to, there's nothing that a boy from Palmy can't handle from time to time. In the spirit of collegiality, I want to acknowledge those members who have delivered their valedictories, making the decision to leave this place by choice. I want to particularly acknowledge my Kūki Āirani sister, the Hon Poto Williams, and fellow Pacific caucus colleague the Hon Aupito William Sio for the role that they've played in supporting our large and fit Pacific caucus as well over the course of this particular term. Hon Member: Eight-week challenge. TANGI UTIKERE: The eight-week challenge is something not of a mystery, but of a certainty, indeed. But I also want to acknowledge the retirement of my parliamentary neighbour Ian McKelvie, the member for Rangitīkei. Ian and I have known each other for quite some time. Our time goes back to local government together, and I want to acknowledge him for his service to our wider community and to this House. I joined the Standing Orders Committee and the Privileges Committee, and I was told at the time that it doesn't do much work. I have learnt rather quickly that that is not the case on both of those committees, but it has been an enjoyable opportunity. I do want to acknowledge how collegial those committees have worked. I know that the House has already debated the Standing Orders report earlier today, but I also want to particularly thank the Standing Orders Committee for taking on board some of the changes that some of our newer members of Parliament had proposed and put forward. What I think that demonstrates is that this is a House and a place that is prepared to change the way it goes about things, and it will set the next Parliament up, I think, on a particular path where there have been some tweaks and changes along the way. I think that is a positive thing. The adjournment debate does provide for a time to reflect on the highlights of the work of the 53rd Parliament, and I'll talk about that in a moment. But I do want to just acknowledge those who have supported all members of all sides of the House in this Parliament. To our own families, who no doubt keep the home fires burning while we spend most of our time here or away, I think it's important that we say thank you to them. To our electorate and community offices and off-precinct staff, I acknowledge the work that they do while we are often here or away from our electorates or our constituencies. To those who are here on precinct, from staff from the Office of the Clerk, the Chamber and gallery staff; to our own MPs staff—including my own David Bieleski, who has been with me from the very first day of my maiden statement—to the leader's office staff, messengers, cleaners, those in Copperfield's and eateries, security, travel, and the wider Parliamentary Service staff, I say thank you. Can I also thank my own whips team and also the whips, musterers, andmatarau from other parties represented in the Parliament. I think one of the great things is that we are very collegial, and when the Business Committee meets, we are able to deal with things as they need to be dealt with, and that's a positive thing as well. Can I acknowledge the Leader of the House and the Deputy of the House and the wider Business Committee, as well. I am proud of what has been delivered and the milestones that haven't actually only been met but in many cases have been exceeded by our Labour Government. I want to spend the remaining five minutes just covering off some of those, because I think it is important to place on record some of these for the future. In health, fundamentally, we have as a Government successfully navigated our way through a global pandemic. Now, members opposite often, I think, forget about that fact. They have short memories. But it is a reality and one that we should all be very proud of, in terms of navigating that difficult journey that has meant that many, many lives have been saved, communities have been protected, and businesses have been well served as a result of this Labour Government. We have transitioned to a new New Zealand health system in Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora. Why? Because, as other colleagues have said, the fact that Māori, Pacific, rural, women, and migrant members of our community have been overrepresented in all of those negative stats, and those changes are specific changes to address health equity issues in Aotearoa New Zealand. The largest ever funding for health as a sector in many, many years—thank you, Labour. Free prescriptions: it's not even been two months, and already we have nearly 3 million scripts that have been filled as a result of that. All of that is at risk as we head into this election. Let's not have any doubt about that—it is at risk. Why? National have made it very clear that they will, effectively, get rid of free access to scripts—"See ya!"—for our community. I don't think it's because they have actually been out having conversations with pharmacists and community. I have not heard from one single pharmacist a bad thing about making free prescriptions for communities all around Aotearoa New Zealand—not a single pharmacist—and I don't think they have either, because they clearly have not been talking with them out and about in their communities. In police, we have given police the significant tools that they need to do their job. It is about keeping our communities safe. It is about empowering police. It is about having more police resource out on the streets, out on the beat, in our communities all around Aotearoa New Zealand. I hear all the time from National and ACT that it's actually not cops on the beat. Well, who are these extra 1,800 folk? They are forensic accountants, they are those who are working in serious criminal tactic teams, they are the very people that get things done—thank you, Labour in Government—and I will say that National have not announced a single extra dollar of resource in police. They are full of chatter, but no action on that side of the House. In housing, I want to acknowledge the work of the Hon Megan Woods. This is something that we are particularly proud of: building more than 13,000 houses since we came into Government. National was very keen to pull them down, to sell them off, to hock them off. Whatever you want to call it, you can't window-dress that. New houses in my community of Palmerston North—I know the member for Nelson this week was at a recent opening of public houses in her own community. This is something that is happening all around the country. If National continued to invest in building houses, we would not have to play catch up, which is the situation that we are facing at the moment. I am proud of the work that the Pacific caucus have done. Actually, the Hon Poto Williams and I make up the entire Cook Island caucus here in Labour, which is more than the National and ACT caucus in terms of Pacific representation completely. But one particular highlight was the Dawn Raids apology. I know that Mr Seymour would rather we not talk about this. I know that members opposite would rather shove this under the carpet, but the reality is that this is a Government under Labour that did the right thing for our Pacific communities and that is something that I will not apologise for doing. I want to also acknowledge the rainbow caucus and the work that this team has done ensuring that we have been able to pass legislation that effectively has banned conversion therapy as a milestone in this particular Parliament. I am proud of the record of achievement that this Labour team have delivered while in Government, and no doubt all of these issues will be teased out and we are very happy to talk about that over the next six weeks. But rest assured that the New Zealand Labour Party will go into this campaign fighting fit and in very good shape, and that is because in Chris Hipkins we have a leader who Kiwis can trust. We have a leader who people can relate to. We have a leader who cares about communities, and we have a leader who gets things done. Kiwis aren't fooled by hollow promises and fiscal holes and misnomers—they see through all of that. Kiwis embrace unity and diversity, not division and hatred, and they're too smart to be fooled by blatant scaremongering from the right and the coalition of cuts. As we head into 14 October, we are excited. We have fire in our belly because we know that we are going to fight hard for every vote for this community, and for the continuation of a Labour-led Government. Kia orana. SPEAKER: [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] This is the rare occasion where the Speaker gets to speak. I was going to ask Roland Todd to give me five minutes on the clock, but, then again, I am the sole judge of time, so this five minutes might take a little bit longer. But the main thing that I wanted to stand to do today is to do what a lot of members have done in this debate—say thank you to a lot, a lot of people that make our democracy in this Parliament work. Can I start with the Deputy Speaker and Assistant Speakers, to Greg O'Connor, the Hon Jenny Salesa, the Hon Jacqui Dean, also helped during this term by a number of MPs, including Ian McKelvie, Barbara Kuriger, the Hon David Bennett—who knew?—and, of course, my dear friend, the Hon Poto Williams as well. I thank the team, because it's not easy being a presiding officer. I have not once instructed any of my fellow presiding officers in what they should do in the House, because, actually, that's not my job. The job of giving advice is the Clerk, so my next thankyou, if I can borrow a line from Ian McKelvie in his valedictory speech: "They make us look good." Never a truer word was said. Can I thank David Wilson, Deputy Clerk Suze Jones, and all of the staff in the Office of the Clerk. They have a constitutional role and they are independent of the Government, they are independent of the Speaker, and they are independent of this Parliament. They work for our democracy, and I want to thank every single one of them. Also in my role as chair of three select committees: first of all, the Business Committee; I want to thank members of that. It's been both a challenging role doing the work and providing unanimity to do what we do in the House that stands inside the Standing Orders, and I want to thank every member of that. But I also want to thank the clerks that have served us very well—Mary Drakeford and Ian Law—during this term. Also the Standing Orders Committee. A huge amount of work has been done by the clerk, by Gabor Hellyer, the clerk of that committee, with help from David Bagnall. The amount of work that has gone into that to get to the place that we are, passing the new Standing Orders for the 54th Parliament has been enormous. They wrote not only what you see in that report but everything else that was discussed and is not in the report, so you can imagine the amount of work that has been done that I hope in the future will see its way into future Standing Orders. There are some very good things that we did not put in there. Can I also acknowledge James Picker, the clerk of the Officers of Parliament Committee, who served us incredibly well, and also all of those officers that are part of that committee as well. All of the other parts of the Office of the Clerk—and I want to read them out because it's important, I think, that everyone knows that we appreciate the work that they do. Parliamentary Law and Practice; Select Committee Services; the House Office; the Chamber staff, who look after us when we're sitting in here. Can I also acknowledge that the Chamber staff have been a pathway for young students at university passing degrees, who go on to other roles within our democracy, and to other things; they go into Hansard, the House Office—all around this Parliament. They've started here in this Chamber. I want to acknowledge them. The Hansard team; parliamentary broadcasting; Ngā Ratonga Ao Māori, our translation service; Education Services; the messengers; our Inter-Parliamentary Relations team—I just want to have a thankyou to Amber Walters for everything that she has done for all of us who have participated in international travel with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and everything else that this Parliament is involved with. Alongside of the Office of the Clerk, of course, is Parliamentary Service. And I want to acknowledge Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, the CEO—and his deputies Mitch Knight, Amy Brier, and Will De Vos—for all of their work that makes this place logistically run—which of course, though they've been mentioned: security, catering, the buildings team, the cleaners, the library staff, the Parliamentary Engagement team, information services technology, the finance team, our relationship managers, Visitor Services—all of them. I'm sure we'll all join together to thank all of them. Can I thank members of my office: Roland Todd, Tiarne Gush, Brooke Lacey—and we've adopted Andie Lindsay: the Clerk and the CEO think that she works in their office, but I think she works in mine! I want to thank all of them for the work that they've done; had to put up with—I'm really thankful to them. To the party whips, musterers—thank you for your assistance within the Chamber. It makes life a lot easier when the presiding officer knows that you've swapped speakers around; things like that. Sometimes we don't know, but we'll work it out eventually. To the Leader of the House and the shadow Leader of the House—it's important that I acknowledge you because you have a really good role to play in making sure that this place works and you acknowledged Peter Hoare, and I think that's right to do so. Can I acknowledge all of the members who have given valedictory speeches—and not given valedictory speeches—who have chosen not to come back to this place. I wish you and your families all the very best for the future. Thank you for the amazing speeches that we've heard in the last two weeks. To all of our staff, both here in Parliament and outside of Parliament—I join together with everyone to acknowledge them and to thank them. And I have one more thank you, and afterwards I think we'll have a waiata—and my thanks is to the number one Warriors fan in Parliament, and he's up there in that sound booth. His name is Colin Pearce. So, Mr sound man: Up the Wahs! Waiata—Purea Nei [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Motion agreed to. The House adjourned at 5.35 p.m.