Robertson GrantHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): As James Shaw mentioned earlier we received the exciting news from the National Party conference that the National Party would have a laser-like focus on the issues that matter to New Zealand and today we discovered what it is—the greatest issue of moment to New Zealanders: the positioning of artwork in the parliamentary corridors. But I can reveal to you today that this focus for the National Party has gone beyond one portrait. It is now a series of commissions that the National Party have asked for to ensure that we get the big issues that are facing New Zealand in front of the people of New Zealand.The first artwork commissioned by Judith Collins is a graphical depiction of the National Party's laser-like focus on policies in New Zealand. [Holds up an abstract expressionist painting] This followed on from Matt Doocey's commissioning of the highlights of recent National Party caucus meetings through art. In this picture here we can see how those National Party caucus meetings have been going. [Holds up a painting of the assassination of Julius Caesar]The next commission coming from the National Party to focus on the issues that matter to New Zealanders is actually a commission from the Young Nats depicting their views around the National Party's position on conversion therapy—an image that may be familiar to some members. [Holds up a copy of The Scream]Then the next one came from Simon Bridges. He actually wanted a painting depicting his favourite historical figure that could go outside of his office. [Holds up a portrait of the Hon Simon Bridges] So that has now been found—that historic figure. Now Goldie"—Paul Goldsmith—wanted a Goldie to go up beside his office [Holds up a copy of a C F Goldie portrait] but actually it turns out to be a fake so it's going to go up outside Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop's office given their position on conversion practices. Then it turned out that Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop already had a picture of themselves outside of their office [Holds up a copy of American Gothic] so they actually didn't need that. Then finally in the commissioning of artworks to focus on the issues that matter for the National Party Christopher Luxon has finished this painting called The Last Supper and he has made some special arrangements to make sure that the real JC is put in the middle of the Last Supper. Meanwhile on this side of the House we are actually focused on the issues that matter to New Zealand and tomorrow morning we will respond to the report of Professor Sir David Skegg around the next steps in how New Zealand deals with COVID-19 and I do think this is a moment to focus on the things that the Government said we would do in this term. We would firstly keep New Zealanders safe from COVID-19; we would accelerate our economic recovery; and we would focus on those big issues around housing affordability climate change and indeed child wellbeing. The keeping of New Zealanders safe from COVID-19 is the thing that enables us to do those other things that are important to New Zealanders and while from time to time across the House and from their former leaders we hear that managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) has failed no it hasn't. MIQ has seen 162000 people more than the population of Hamilton go through there and at the same time keep COVID out of New Zealand. I think the people who work in our MIQ facilities deserve a huge congratulation from New Zealanders; not being run down by members opposite or their former leaders. Time and time again it has been the work done at the border that has keep New Zealand safe. Our elimination strategy gives us some choices—they are not choices that are available to other countries—because we have worked so hard to keep COVID out; because we have had tragically 26 deaths but so many more would have happened had we not taken the approach that we took. Meanwhile we've been able to see the economy deliver 4 percent unemployment more people in work a growth rate back to where we were before COVID. We've been able to do that because we've taken a health-led evidence-based scientific approach. We haven't flip-flopped around on what the issues are. We haven't lost our focus to go on to the big issues of artworks. We have focused on making sure that our approach to COVID puts in place the values that I think New Zealanders would want us to do: to look after them to make sure they still have jobs to make sure there is still a future. Tomorrow we will outline those next steps but I am an immensely proud of where we're at and I'm very positive about the future for New Zealand if we continue to take that approach."