Bridges SimonGENERAL DEBATEHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business. I want to start by acknowledging the tremendous contribution to this House and to New Zealand by the Hon Nathan Guy. He has been a role model of a member of Parliament doing an incredibly fine job as the Member of Parliament for Ōtaki. He has delivered for his electorate on the little and the large and I for one Mr Guy will remember those four lanes when I drive down them that have done so much to help people get home on time get goods to market get medicines to hospital. You've been a great local member of Parliament Mr Guy. I also want to acknowledge a remarkable nine years as a Minister where he has been an indefatigable—yeah that's right: indefatigable—champion of the primary sector and rural communities in this country. What a great New Zealander.But I want to talk—well actually there's been a lot of talk about polls this week and about whether this Government is up to it. And I don't want to offend Grant Robertson but some are even saying this is a part-time Government. That's what they're saying. That's what they're saying. And that's because under that Government over there New Zealanders are starting to see a few things. One of the things—Hon Dr Megan Woods: Are you allowed to read a general debate speech?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —Megan Woods that they're starting to see is an economy tanking—an economy tanking. And just today business confidence figures out are down another six to net negative 44—the worst since the height or I should say the slumps of the global financial crisis. And don't worry I won't be mentioning the Consumers Price Index Kelvin Davis. You'll be OK on that one And that's as they pile on costs and taxes whether it's on rents whether it's on petrol whether it's on cars Julie Anne Genter. That is what they are doing because this is a Government that doesn't understand the economy. They don't understand the economy they are not to be trusted on tax and New Zealanders are increasingly working out they can't afford this Government because as they get the tax in as they get the costs in they are wasting it on shamefully wasteful programmes that don't make a difference.The other thing—[Interruption]—no no no no. The other thing that's going on and that New Zealanders are saying more and more is this Labour Government is failing to deliver on its promises. That's what they are doing in so many areas. Let's take housing. How many KiwiBuild have they built—87.Hon Member: How many?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Eighty-seven—I'll let you have the answer—87 with the code of compliance 87 houses under KiwiBuild. How many have they stopped at Ihumātao—480. Now for Kelvin Davis I'm going to run them through this: 87 minus 480—that's going backwards. That is going backwards and that's because New Zealanders are seeing Jacinda Ardern is not serious about building houses that New Zealanders need in this country. In fact they're a Government that's failing to build anything. They're not building houses they're not building roads they're not even building rail Shane Jones. Nothing's happening under them and National will be a Government of infrastructure that delivers for this country.They're not delivering in cancer and this is a serious matter because two years ago over on that side they talked about world-class services. They were literally going to save the world and they were going to do—and it was the right thing to say—a national cancer agency. So David Clark what's being done?Hon Members: Nothing.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Nothing. The reality is nothing has been done. Nine thousand people in New Zealand die a year and nothing's been done. In fact Paula Bennett's right. It's worse than that because when you get past the jiggery-pokery they're not even funding the cost of inflation for new cancer drugs in New Zealand. They've got rid of the targets and the measures and the ability to actually see what is happening in this area. That's why I'm proud that we will fund that. We will put a further $200 million in and we will do—no ifs no buts; and New Zealanders know we are true to our word—a national cancer agency. You see on this side of the House we'll keep the economy strong and we'll deliver on it because we know the bottom line is you New Zealanders.