Tabuteau FletcherFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader—NZ First): That was the most miserable contribution from the Opposition I've heard in a very long time in this House and not even a single show of support from her colleagues on the other side of the House. Imagine if that member Louise Upston's dream and vision came true where she represented her party in that contribution when she said Let's just take all beneficiaries off the benefit." Imagine how wonderful the statistics would be for the National Government to report back to the nation if the solution was "Well let's just take the benefit away." How can she possibly talk about helping solo mums or families when their vision is to make it harder and more difficult for families who need the help at that time in their lives to get ahead and make a difference? Actually this brings to mind a wonderful contrast between this Government and that former Government on that side of the House. The previous contributor spoke about gangs. Let me explore that in just a little bit of detail. Let's explore gangs because for nine years the National Government—what did they do Mr Mark Mitchell? They underfunded the police force and forced the police to shut down their stations across the country. They underfunded schools they underfunded teachers they did everything they could to take people off the benefit and quite frankly—we know now from our experience—they neglected the provinces. On those days that they cut those figures in the Budget—on those days—they saved the country a dollar. But today we see the effect of those 1980s bean counter decisions where they say they're saving a dollar in the Budget but actually they're doing it at the cost of human lives and they're doing it at the cost of today's taxpayer who's having to fix these issues now so that we can get rid of gang members—so that we can get rid of that scourge on our society. Hon Mark Mitchell: You've got more. You've got more gang members. FLETCHER TABUTEAU: And I'll tell you what Mr Mitchell. We're investing forward to do that. Think of a society which this Government is working towards: economic growth for all New Zealanders where we will be and are investing in our provinces—for example in the Hawke's Bay where the gang problem is growing almost exponentially. Why is that? It is because that party over there neglected it for nine years and we're having to invest in it now. The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is doing that for example and I'm incredibly proud of the work that the PGF is doing. Minister Jackson and Te Ara Mahi programme and the work that's being done there: there's so much work going on in a forward investment mentality where we are saying "How do we give these people a hand up? How do we make work and self-pride the option for our young Māori in particular? How do we make that the vision for our youth rather than gangs?" They had no choice under the previous Government and it's absolutely farcical that we be attacked for doing the good work that we are on this side of the House. On a lighter note I just have to give credit—as I unfortunately often do with the finance Minister's contribution—about Mr Luxon and the airplane metaphors that he used. My contribution and observation aren't as eloquent as that except to say it's not so much Luxon himself; it's the observation and the furore that was created in the media. Here's the new leadership. Here's the vision the future of National and he's not even a member of Parliament yet. What that unfortunately says to the New Zealand public is: "Where are the options now? Where's the leadership now?" I tell you what when I was in Opposition we didn't really notice the lack of depth there when you had the Rt Hon Sir John Key and his kitchen cabinet because that was a tight skilled crew—I have to give them credit—and that's what you saw out in the public. Hon Members: All gone. FLETCHER TABUTEAU: All gone—it's all gone. It's all gone. So we have Mr Simon Bridges with a queue—a queue—of his fellow party caucus members getting closer and closer to his back getting closer and closer to his back and I think they might be all shuffling Luxon forward as they get closer to 2023."