Walker Hamish; Tolley AnneHAMISH WALKER (National—Clutha-Southland): That speech from David Parker was a sign of this Budget by this Government—it's a sign of neglect towards rural New Zealand. That's the difference between the National Party and Labour. In reality we're working hard in Opposition to actually get to the grassroots of New Zealand to actually find out what's going on compared to this lot here who have spent the last nine years doing absolutely nothing. They need about $250 million to $300 million worth of working groups and at the end of the day Labour has failed. They have failed on all of these promises that they gave to New Zealand during the 2017 election campaign. The fact that the honourable Minister David Parker—he's not a bad bloke. He's from Dunedin so he's a good guy. The fact that he had to use his speaking notes—this is a Minister of the Crown who needs his speaking notes because there's so much spin and branding in the Government. The economy has slowed so sharply meaning there is basically no money left over to go around. So let's have a look at this Wellbeing Budget. It's all about the Wellbeing Budget. In my eyes and to Southland eyes basically it's just a branding exercise. The Prime Minister the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern said that the purpose of Government spending is to ensure citizens' health and life satisfaction and that—not wealth and economic growth—is the metric by which a country's progress should be measured. GDP alone she said 'does not guarantee improvement to our living standards' and nor does it 'take into account who benefits and who is left out.' … To measure progress towards these goals New Zealand will use 61 indicators tracking everything from loneliness to trust in government institutions alongside more traditional issues like water quality." Well what does that mean to a mother who is facing her worst nightmare in the middle of the night in rural Southland in the back of an ambulance giving birth to a 10-pound baby? What does wellbeing mean to that mother when for the sake of $200000 or $300000 per year—to ensure that Lumsden primary birthing unit is maintained? The fact that this wellbeing well-intentioned Government—the spin Government I like to call it—was warned time and time again by the community over the last 12 to 14 months that there will be babies born on the side of the road. The community was told "You're being confrontational stop being so emotional. Stop making up irrelevant facts." The very fact that two mothers within 11 days—this is only a month after the Lumsden Maternity Centre primary birthing unit was shut down by this well-meaning Wellbeing Budget Government. What does that say to rural people across New Zealand? For the sake of $200000 or $300000 dollars to ensure the safety for rural mothers and babies in Southland—it's not there. "Sorry we've spent it all. We've spent $3 billion on students. We've spent $10 million on vaccinations in Papua New Guinea." which is about 33 or 34 Lumsden Maternity Centres per year. For the sake of $200000 or $300000 per year to ensure the safety of rural mothers and babies across Southland what is that saying to them? Rural people across New Zealand are sick of being treated like second-class citizens.National took office in 2008. The health budget was $12.9 billion. We had the Christchurch earthquake we had a global financial crisis—we borrowed to keep critical health services going. We borrowed to ensure that the safety of rural New Zealand was maintained. What do you think the "Spray and Walk Away" Government does despite receiving billions extra in revenue? "Oh we'll just shut down a primary birthing unit right in the middle of rural Southland. It will only cost about $200000 or $300000 dollars to run. That's all right." And what do you think the wellbeing health Minister did when I warned him in early May—three weeks after the maternal hub which is basically just a room for check-ups and a room which provides emergency birthing equipment—[Interruption]—listen to them they're all going at it—what about wellbeing of rural mothers and babies in Southland?This Government has failed Amanda McIvor who gave birth in an ambulance on 26 May. They failed baby Levi who was a 10-pound boy born on 26 May. They failed the father Gordon Cowie who had to follow behind this ambulance not knowing. The fact that that mother had to leave Lumsden Maternity Centre primary birthing because it didn't have critical lifesaving equipment—which I warned the health Minister about a month prior. What do you think he did about that warning? Basically he chucked it in the bin. He said "You've given me no new information. The community's basically providing facts which aren't quite true." Then the following day what do you think the well-meaning Prime Minister said about the baby being born in the ambulance on the side of the road? "I'm satisfied they have an excellent standard of care" for maternity units in Southland. The mothers of Southland were told "Please plan your births better." Luckily I don't have to give birth in my time—obviously being male—but I know it's pretty hard to plan your birth. We're living in 2019 and this Wellbeing Budget Government says to mothers "Please plan your birth better." I think this is disgraceful. The Government members over there are yelling out. I say to them if they're so well-meaning and wellbeing are we going to follow the example of rural Queensland? Five years ago 40 primary birthing units were shut down—40 primary birthing units in Queensland Australia were shut down five years ago. What do you think has happened to the death rate of babies—what do you think?Hon Members: Gone up.HAMISH WALKER: It's gone up from six baby deaths per thousand to 23.5 per thousand because the Government over there has forced rural mums to give birth on the side of the road while trying to make it to hospital. My question to the Government is: if a baby is born on the side of the road blood will be on your hands but what if we follow the unfortunate lesson of Queensland? What do you think this Government's done for Māori since taking office? What's happened in the last two Budgets? It's absolutely nothing. But to make matters worse Lumsden Maternity Centre the district health board and the Government have gone ahead; they haven't even consulted iwi. They have not consulted iwi and in my books that's a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi. So what's the Government going to do about that now? You've basically silenced us you haven't consulted iwi—and that is a breach of the Treaty. If you want to look after Māori you don't breach the Treaty of Waitangi. I think it's incredibly disappointing that in 2019 we're in a state where rural New Zealanders are being treated like second-class citizens. If the Wellbeing Budget meant so much why on the day after a mother is forced to give birth on the side of the road in an ambulance is the Prime Minister saying to rural mums in Southland "You need to plan your birth better." and "We have an excellent standard of care." Well if I live in a country where an excellent standard of care is giving birth in an ambulance I think that's reasonably sad.The National Party was formed and founded by farmers—Dr Duncan Webb: For farmers. HAMISH WALKER: —for farmers and that's why the National Party backs rural New Zealand. The Government MP Dr Duncan Webb is laughing. Duncan would you be laughing to a rural mother who gave birth on the side of the road—after being warned time and time again? Why is that a funny matter? Rural people are being treated like second-class citizens and that's why the National Party backs rural New Zealand. That's why we have allocated a huge sum of $400000 to ensure Lumsden Maternity Centre primary birthing unit is reinstated next year so that we don't have the awful situation of forcing more rural mothers to give birth on the side of the road.Three hundred thousand dollars or $400000—they've spent $2.5 billion of new money. They've spent over $2 billion on a slow tram down Dominion Road. Guess what percentage of Aucklanders won't use that tram: 99.5 percent of Aucklanders won't use that tram. Three billion dollars to try and bribe students to vote for them; yet this year they've realised that's a failure: "Oh we've had 300 or 400 less students enrolled in tertiary education"—another failure by this Government. Next election they want to have a cannabis referendum to try and get the youth to come out and vote. Well I back the youth of New Zealand—they are not that stupid. National will reinstate services at Lumsden Maternity Centre because we actually value the safety and we're going to ensure that no more mothers give birth on the side of the road.DEPUTY SPEAKER: I understand the next is a split call. I call Dr Duncan Webb."