Mitchell ClaytonCLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First): Thank you Madam Chair. It gives me great pleasure to stand on behalf of New Zealand First to talk in today's debate on economic development science and innovation—a very large portfolio under which we had a lot of annual reviews. I'd like to take this opportunity to say what a wonderful job Jonathan Young does in chairing the Economic Development Science and Innovation Committee. Our committee works very very collegially together. We have good robust solid discussions throughout. We don't always agree—sometimes we leave with the agreeing to disagree ideology—but all in all we do come to a good place most days.I'd like to just go back to where this coalition Government started off from which was the idea about giving this Government and making sure that we gave capitalism a human face. In order to do that we had to look at the way that we were building our economy which is to start building our economy from the bottom up. To build our economy from the bottom up requires making sure that our most vulnerable most uneducated most unskilled workforce are being looked after. So to that end increasing the minimum wage heading towards a living wage was a very very vital part of that drive and motivation for this Government.Now we have seen in real terms the largest increase in the minimum wage that this country has ever seen taking the minimum wage to $17.70—up by $1.20—as of 1 April which is a considerable lift for those most vulnerable workers. I think the previous Government—it speaks for itself where they missed out with a trickle-down sort of economic policy that really didn't look after those workers. We've certainly put this country and this Government is putting our people first to make sure that they are being looked after.Also on 1 April we took away secondary tax to assist with those workers earning very low or modest to low incomes to assist with their needs. That was a vital part again to show that those people that are out there putting in a full day's work deserve a fair day's pay for their contribution to the community to look after their families. So those are two things that I look around and I'd like to raise everybody's attention to.But also we needed to raise productivity and that becomes a bit more of a conundrum. Raising wages is a very important part. Wages are essential but productivity to ensure that businesses' profitability can grow and be maintained so they can employ people is a big part of it. With that came the billion-dollar R & D tax credits to actually increase R & D spending in New Zealand—up to 2 percent I think by 2028 is the goal. We're well and truly on the right track for that. Just prior to the 1 April announcement of the R & D tax credits kicking in—the $1 billion over four years tax credits kicking in—actually we were at 1.37 percent. Even without the $1 billion R & D tax credits which kicked in on 1 April that 1.37 percent as I said is there and we're looking at growing that exponentially. Now that's going to open up new opportunities to grow and develop intellectual property rights added value exports to the market place and raise GDP per capita individual persons' per capita wealth in this country—another great way that we can actually assist in building our economy from the bottom up.We've got the second lowest unemployment that this country has seen in the last 10 years currently at 4.2 percent but we still acknowledge the work that needs to be implemented to ensure that those workers can actually get back into the workplace—to use a coined term To get the nephs off the couch". I was speaking just yesterday to the Hospitality Association of New Zealand and that group of people are struggling to find workers. I know we've got people that haven't got work at the moment and we need to get them fit and ready for work to give them gainful employment. There's no more personal mana and respect that you can give yourself than to give yourself the opportunity to get out and work for yourself and for your family to get ahead. This Government is doing everything that it possibly can—Hon Shane Jones: Mana in Mahi.CLAYTON MITCHELL: —the Mana in Mahi ideology—getting people that have served prison time to get out to actually learn the skills that they need so that they can actually contribute to society. So this Government—and New Zealand First being part of this Government—is very very proud to see that we're heading in the right direction and ensuring that our economy is building itself from the bottom up and giving capitalism a human face. Thank you Madam Chair."