Turei MetiriaMETIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green): Tēnā koe Mr Deputy Speaker tēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o Te Tau Hou tēnā koutou katoa. Nine years. Nine years. That is the conclusion of the new report from the Salvation Army today Off the Track. Nine years and the Government has not made a dent in child poverty rates. It is a damning report a damning indictment of a Government that neglects our most vulnerable kids that neglects our most vulnerable in our society.The figures from the Salvation Army's state of the nation report called Off the Track tell us that our economy is growing. They tell us that jobs are increasing in this country. And then the report asks how it is possible that after 9 years of a National Government we still have 200000 New Zealand children living in poverty. Is that National's plan—to entrench child poverty in our country? To make it the new normal in Aotearoa New Zealand? Is—[Interruption] Yes" says somebody from the National side.Carmel Sepuloni: Jono Naylor said it.METIRIA TUREI: Jono Naylor just said yes to the question I asked which was whether it is National's policy to entrench child poverty in our country. So we have got the answer. We do have the answer—that the National Government with Jono Naylor led by Bill English is happy that 200000 New Zealand children are still living in poverty after 9 years of a National Government. Jono Naylor is laughing and joking with his friends on the National side because they think it is funny that our kids are sick and poor and ill and struggling to have a decent life to get a decent education. They think it is funny on the National side. We do not think it is funny on this side of the House.The Salvation Army's state of the nation report is its 10th report and it uses the Government's own numbers its own data to show whether we have made progress on those issues that are most important to New Zealanders—issues like housing like crime and imprisonment like child poverty. The report is called Off the Track because that is a title that refers to our love of our country to the tracks and the walks that New Zealanders love and to our wild places. But walking these tracks requires a map of where you are heading clear markers along the way to make sure that you are making progress and a clear starting point and a clear ending point for your journey. Off the Track deals with the issues that are most important to families. It is critical that we have this regular snapshot of how our country is doing on these issues that affect families every day.So we in the Green Party thank you Salvation Army for the report and for your consistent work in holding a mirror to us about our progress on things like child poverty and housing. But it is sober reading because it tells us that National's promise to fix poverty by growing the economy has failed us—broken. National has not reduced child poverty. It has not invested in families. National has not made sure that families have what they need to put a roof over their kids' heads to pay the bills and to put food on the table.National says that more people are in work but working families are not earning enough to live in dignity and 200000 children still live in poverty. National says that more people are off the benefit but homelessness is increasing and 200000 New Zealand children still live in poverty. National says that economic growth is the solution to child poverty but we have a growing economy and 200000 New Zealand children still live in poverty. National thinks that economic growth will just magic away all of these problems. It does not know how it will happen; it just believes that it will happen. It is a mantra of National members. It is a magic wish they tell themselves at the end of every day a prayer they tell themselves before their breakfast in the morning. It is a wish and a prayer; it is not a plan. It is not a plan that will solve these issues for our families.Bill English can pray that economic growth will solve his problems for him but the Green Party will act on a plan to solve these issues for New Zealand's families. We know that there is a way to end child poverty to fix the housing crisis to make sure that there are decent incomes for every family in this country and it is our intention to put that plan into action—not pray not wish; to act. When we are part of a new and progressive Government after the election in September we will solve the housing crisis. We will end child poverty in this country. It might take a little time to fix the damage that National has done in the last 9 years but with a plan and the will to act and our kids fully in our minds we can make a difference.The solutions to end child poverty and fix the housing crisis are at our fingertips. A responsible compassionate Government will put those solutions in place. Here are just a few: community hubs in schools to build community services for the families who need them; closing the gender pay gap so that we properly value women and their work; new greentech jobs with decent wages for ordinary Kiwis and their families; a children's payment so that we value our children like we value our elders; building new homes—many more new homes—with iwi and community organisations and with others in the market so that every New Zealand family has access to a decent warm dry home. These are the solutions that will get our country back on track.We know our starting point; it has been created by National. Our starting point is a housing crisis the worst homelessness in two generations jobs that do not pay enough for families or equally for women and entrenched child poverty that degrades the life chances of thousands of New Zealand's children. We know the destination: decent incomes for every family; warm dry secure homes for every family; a great education for every child; men and women—men and women—respected and well rewarded for their work.We have the plan in the Green Party to get us to that destination and this year I am asking New Zealanders this: let us make life great for all of us for all our families for all our kids for all our communities. Let us make life great for everyone in this country and change the Government at this election and get our country back on track. Thank you."