SpeechFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader—NZ First): I appreciate that very much Madam Chair. Thank you for this opportunity for the contribution this evening on the Finance and Government Administration Estimates debate. I just want to actually take this time to thank the previous speaker Collins and actually before her the Rt Hon—CHAIRPERSON (Hon Ruth Dyson): Full name please. FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Oh really? Judith Collins. Hon Members: Hon Judith Collins. FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Hon Judith Collins—absolutely. Very honourable. And in that case I also thank the Rt Hon David Carter because they took time in their contributions this evening to acknowledge the circumstance in—well there's so many of them—the world in which this isolated economy is performing and performing incredibly well. So I acknowledge that they took time out of their contribution and spoke quite eloquently to the fact that New Zealand is very much caught up in those international headwinds. Both of them spoke quite eloquently—Dan Bidois: Which headwinds? The Rugby World Cup? FLETCHER TABUTEAU: —which is unusual. But Mr Bidois you were clearly not listening to your own members who were speaking eloquently as I said about the trade debate the trade issues the contest that is trade between America and China. They were speaking about the circumstances in Europe and much of the issues that this world is facing right now and the impact that is having on the economy. But I want to take the time to acknowledge the hearings where we had the Minister of Finance in front of the select committee where he was able to outline some of the highlights for the New Zealand economy and why the other side of the House needs to cheer up. They need to cheer up because right now we have a huge amount of New Zealand businesses who are making large sums of money overseas right now. Exports are at some of the highest that this country has seen in a long long time and that's hard-working New Zealand men and women doing what they do well supported by a Government who's making sure that they can make some good coin overseas. And those on that side of the House don't like it—they don't like it. It's just ridiculous. So what else? [Interruption] The Minister spoke to the committee about managing surpluses Mr King. He spoke to the committee about $6 billion worth of projected surpluses in this current Budget period and the fact that whilst we are paying down debt—debt" being a dirty word on the Opposition side right now because they just don't know between the spokesperson who should be talking about debt on their behalf and the Opposition leader just what a good level of debt might look like. But we do. We know and we have committed to meeting the 20 percent of GDP in the next couple of years. Actually at one point we were meeting that target and—Mark Patterson: It's met already. FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Yeah we were already there and now we are back on track to do that because it is a responsible Government. I say that in all sincerity because whilst we are running surpluses this is a Government that is spending money in our regions on our hospitals in our schools on our roads on our transport sector—Hon Members: Roads! FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Yes roads. Listen to the gaggle of the Opposition members. They bring joy to my heart—they bring joy to my heart because spending on roads by this Government as the Minister pointed out is tens of millions of dollars higher than those now in the Opposition attempted to do themselves. There's so much more to speak about but I only have 15 seconds left and I really want to hear the member from Northland. So I will sit down and say this is a great Government to be a part of. We have a great Minister of Finance and Minister of Revenue and I thank them for their efforts."