Mahuta NanaiaHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for Māori Development): It's pretty evident having listened to that speech that that member Alfred Ngaro has overcooked that bubble and squeak analogy. In fact there's been more bubble and more squeak in the points that that member has made than we've heard through the whole Budget debate. What a laugh—what a laugh. But cheer up—cheer up. People will judge this Budget not by the negative sentiment of members in the Opposition but by how they feel about a change in Government and in fact throughout all our communities we know that the mood and the sentiment are high because they can feel the change in the air. So there's no bubble no squeak from this side of the House.In fact there's a very real urgency to start to turn around a ship that had gone in the wrong direction that had seen too many people left behind that had heard about a rock star economy—but that rock star economy was only for rock stars. In fact what we know on this side of the House in all the bubble and squeak talk that's happened on that side of the House is that the mood is changing. It's a serious kind of opportunity for people to reset and say We can be a better country. Our communities can feel better. Our regions can operate the way that they're supposed to because we've got a Government who works for us." Organisations who are committed to supporting those most vulnerable feel supported. The mood is changing and it's serious business.But this is just the first Budget of three in this term of Government. In fact the Minister of Finance in his very difficult role to try to get the balance of interests right to try to apply our Budget fiscal responsibility approach has tried to ensure that the balance is going to be right for addressing the serious issues and setting a platform of change that shows New Zealanders we can be a different country a more caring country a kind country a country that doesn't want see the gap between the very rich and the very poor get larger but in fact wants to close that gap and that's why we're doing the types of things that we are doing. He's got a Budget fiscal responsibility plan that will see surpluses pay down debt see modest investments in key areas make structural change and see a progressive taxation system deliver a fairer outcome to far more people. But that has meant that our Government—our coalition Government—has had to have some very difficult conversations.So we're not saying that in this first Budget everything can be delivered all at once. Yes some people are disappointed but by and large on balance they can see where we're going and what we're trying to do to turn this ship around and get it back on track. Investing in our public healthcare system and in our education services is really important. Why? Because we know that when people need healthcare most—when they need to go to the hospital when they need it most—they need the assurance of a good healthcare system one where what you have in your pocket doesn't compromise your need to get healthcare when you need it most. That's a caring Government. We know that the future of our economy relies on investment in a quality public education system. There's been a lot of bubble and squeak about that side of our investment decision but we'll stand by it every time. We'll stand by it every time because no matter what's in your pocket you can rely on a public education system to deliver the very best outcomes for your children your grandchildren—in fact lifelong learning outcomes for many more New Zealanders. That's where things are going to.But when people break this Budget down it's actually about how they feel about more money in early childhood more money for special-needs education more money going towards teachers—in fact ensuring that we're going to have far more teachers in front of our kids helping them learn and prepare for the modern economy. It's about making sure that our schools aren't run down. These are the types of things that people judge a Budget by: how they feel about where we're putting our investment priorities. And we'll stand by that because we know it does make a difference.But let's get back to basics because many of us on this side of the House—without the bubble and squeak—actually campaigned on bread-and-butter issues that would assure people that we'd get the basics right first. We'd get the basics right first: a thriving regional economy where we could be assured that we were growing jobs here in New Zealand for our people to be able to secure some local opportunities.The commitment to the regional investment fund will ensure that we can partner some of those opportunities. But we can't do it by ourselves. In fact every member of this Government has realised that the kinds of conversations where we are encouraging collaboration to ensure regional growth and opportunity investments can deliver outcomes require a whole lot of people not only talking together but working together. That's the type of mood change that's happening. I'm really keen to ensure that we can continue with this effort because by the third Budget we'll be able to ensure that we can speak to these stories locally as we represent many communities throughout New Zealand.I come back to the real criticisms that have been raised about the "bubble and squeak" package around the Māori development—specific issues. Now I thought long and hard: how do you approach this kind of a question when you're actually criticising the previous Government? I found it really hard because in the Māori development space every gain is a gain. But you've got to ask yourself: when funds were spent on initiatives where there was one million dollars here two million there three million there and some initiatives were only funded for a year and not carried on—you've got to ask yourself: is it OK to be criticised against a commitment where there was a bits-and-pieces approach to Māori development?I could go through line by line and itemise the little bits of funding that were given here and there. Well this Government isn't taking that approach. In fact what we're saying is that Māori development and aspiration sits alongside—Chris Bishop: You're just cutting it. Rubbish.Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: —the broader programme of opportunity that this Government will deliver because we know that there'll be outcomes.Now that member Chris Bishop won't want to hear it. He won't want to hear it but he knows like I know that the funding that we'll commit to youth initiatives for community-partnered projects for young people who've been left on the wayside will work alongside communities to innovate opportunities for young people. That can look really different. So when we're coming into these communities and saying we want to be able to ensure that our young people aren't left by the wayside if it's an opportunity to reset them back into school or into employment or into enterprise that's the kind of conversation we want to have. These kids aren't done; it's just that the current system isn't working for them and we want to make sure it does.In the area of land development—because we know that regional economies are sustained by what happens within the primary production area but more importantly in terms of the way we want to go—how do we move from a volume-based economy to a value-based economy? For Māori we can get that transformational shift very quickly and the whenua fund will actually help to get that shift alongside other things like the Provincial Growth Fund like the billion trees initiative and like the climate change funding that helps people progress different economic uses of land. The whenua fund can partner with that. It's a new opportunity for Māori; it's something we want to see grow.Lastly let me come back to papakāinga in terms of the Māori development space. When people have a secure home a home where they can bring their children up a home that their mokopuna can be brought up in we know that that going down passing through the generations there's an opportunity not only to have a home but to go back to your whenua and create a sustainable opportunity for your whole whānau. That is the kind of focus we want to have.Just recently we've learnt from some of the projects that have been funded and we want to continue to grow that. Papakāinga can be in our rural areas but it could also be in our towns and our cities. We have a number of whānau who are wanting to go into this space because they know the unaffordability of homeownership could be transformed if we do more in the papakāinga space. I'm so pleased that alongside all the housing investments that this Government is making papakāinga is a unique bespoke kind of initiative—it will get cut-through.This isn't about bubble and squeak; actually it's about delivering. But we will judge this Budget not just by the dollars that are spent but by the way people feel about the priorities we as a Government are investing in. I think the mood is better—they call it sentiment if you use social media kind of jargon. The sentiment is high you know and we're growing our audience share because people know this is a Budget that puts people at the heart of the transformation that we want to occur where prosperity is shared amongst a lot more people. Just remember: when the previous Government talked about the rock star economy only the rock stars benefited; when we talk about well-being we want to make sure that everybody in New Zealand benefits from a change in Government a change in sentiment—a Government that puts people at the heart of any Budget decision."