Hutchison Paul: Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill (No 2) Taxation (Parental Tax Credit) Bill — Third ReadingsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHutchison Paul: Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill (No 2) Taxation (Parental Tax Credit) Bill — Third Readings[Sitting date: 15 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:18010. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Hunua): It is indeed a privilege and a pleasure to speak on the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill (No 2) and the Taxation (Parental Tax Credit) Bill. Indeed it signals a great day of celebration in New Zealand. It is part of a $500 million package directed towards families and children by this excellent National Government. What a shame it was to hear those pious words from Jan Logie. How can she reconcile such pious and sanctimonious words with the awful tweet that she has just sent regarding the finance Minister and his family? It is quite shocking and I hope the media will indeed dissect it further because it is undermining to this very very important legislation.In fact $171 million towards extending paid parental leave in such a reasonably short time after a major financial crisis is absolutely appropriate. National has targeted its spending very carefully and absolutely differently from how the Greens and Labour would have done when they were prepared to splurge $500 million—half a billion dollars—absolutely undirected on every baby born in New Zealand. That was not going to help. We have got no idea how that money was going to be spent whereas in this legislation which has arisen from the Budget Measures (Financial Support for Newborn Children) Bill and has been split into the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Amendment Bill (No 2) and then the Taxation (Parental Tax Credit) Bill we have a realistic approach firstly to paid parental leave and then to helping families who are not receiving paid parental leave but are on lower and medium incomes. So this is very targeted. It is very appropriate. It is indeed realistic in terms of the money available that New Zealand has to spend. It is very generous towards families and children.The legislation extends in two tranches paid parental leave from 14 weeks to 16 weeks and then from 16 weeks to 18 weeks which is a total of $172 million with a further $42 million in the parental tax credit bill. This is a very very impressive change. The tax credit is going from its current maximum of $150 a week to $220 a week and is also extended from 8 weeks to 10 weeks. The tax credit is currently being paid to low and middle income working families who are not on a benefit or receiving paid parental leave.That is exactly as I was saying Dr Prasad. This is appropriately targeted and that is the difference between Labour the Greens and the National Government. As we heard Jan Logie say she thought this offered crumbs. That is the sentiment. Labour and the Greens would spend more they would tax more and indeed they would borrow more absolutely irrespective of prudential financial management. Here we have a National Government highly responsible putting the country back into the black and at the same time investing a very significant $500 million towards families and children.