SpeechSARAH PALLETT (Labour—Ilam): Thank you Mr Speaker. I do have something I will agree on with the previous speaker Karen Chhour and that is my disdain for some of the words from my parliamentary colleagues. But in this particular case it would be those of her leader who was using very derogatory terms about a woman who has done nothing to deserve that. She is one whom I admire enormously and whom we are saying goodbye to today as the former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern gives her valedictory statement. She is the woman who led us through the most horrendous terror attack took urgent action to make major gun reforms within just a matter of weeks—within a month—of the appalling mosque shootings who led us through a natural disaster at Whakaari / White Island and whose leadership in the COVID response was responsible at a conservative estimate for saving between 18000 and 25000 lives because of her policies. That was so challenging. Leadership through those times is one of the most extraordinarily difficult things to do. The Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern did this by bringing us together as a country and by reminding us that what matters after all is people. But I'm here today to talk about Labour and what we've done for this country because I do hear as I go through the Ilam electorate—Simeon Brown: What have you done? SARAH PALLETT: —that people will come to us and say that it was fantastic how the leadership change was handled. It really showed maturity and consideration for the people of New Zealand. So those members say But what has Labour done for us?" Well on 1 April—Simeon Brown: Nothing. SARAH PALLETT: —you wait Mr Brown—880000 pensioners got a boost to superannuation including 5000 veterans. Since 2017 the amount paid to a couple has increased by $326.68 per fortnight. A single person living alone has seen a $212.34 increase. In Ilam we have a large population of older people. When I recently visited Age Concern with the Minister for Seniors the Hon Ginny Andersen a few days ago we heard how the winter energy payment has made such an extraordinarily big difference to those who need it most and I'd note that this winter energy payment is on the chopping block should we be unfortunate enough to experience the ACT Party in Government. Then there's the minimum wage which Labour has increased again by a further $1.50 to $22.70 an hour. We've raised the minimum wage from $15.75 in 2017 to $22.70 which makes an enormous difference to those who need it the most—people I might remind the House who are not mostly teenagers or not "not leading households" but 75 percent of minimum wage earners are 20 years or older and 45 percent of them have dependent children and many of those are women. So apart from increasing superannuation for 880000 pensioners introducing the winter energy payment and increasing the minimum wage what has Labour done for us? Well let's talk about women for a minute. Labour introduced the $5.5 billion Families Package provided $65 extra a week for the parents of newborns through the Best Start programme increased paid parental leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks reinstated the Training Incentive Allowance and—one of my favourites—introduced the ACC payments for birthing injuries which will benefit 28000 people each year—each year. We've put free period products in schools we've expanded bereavement leave to include stillbirth and miscarriage and we've introduced child support pass-on to sole parent beneficiaries. Nurses—many of those are women. We said that we would deliver pay equity for nurses and we have. After years of falling behind we've increased wages for the largest group of registered nurses by 25 percent since we came into Government—25 percent. I remember many many years of falling behind in terms of pay increases for nurses so that's a really fantastic achievement. So apart from increasing superannuation introducing the winter energy payment increasing the minimum wage putting period products in schools and delivering nurses' pay equity ACC cover for birthing injuries reinstating the training incentive allowance—15 seconds to go. I can't possibly get through all of it. I have pages and pages of Labour's increases and benefits for those who need it most in this country. As always Labour has your back."