Parata Hekia; Borrows ChesterHon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā tēnā tātou e whakawhāiti nei i roto i tō tātou Whare Pāremata i tēnei ahiahi. [Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker and acknowledgments to all of us gathered here in our House of Parliament this afternoon.] Good afternoon. I am pleased to stand in support of the motion to support the Prime Minister's statement. It has been only 8 short years that this Government this National-led Government has been on this side of the House not only offering hope and aspiration and ambition to New Zealanders but delivering the environment and the conditions in which that can be realised. We have done that from an approach where we believe in New Zealanders and their capability to make choices for themselves to take decisions to lead better and hopeful lives. Unlike members on the other side of the House who consider themselves the third partner in every family—the increase of dependence on the Government the happiness with which they embrace other people's unhappiness and inability to get ahead—we most definitely are not that kind of Government. We continue to hold high aspirations for all New Zealanders and we can stand here proudly not boastfully but proudly on the record that our Government has of our last 8 years. It is important to recognise that we have come a long way and that a strong economy gives us choices and investing in that strong economy has been a hallmark of this Government under the previous Prime Minister and under the previous Minister of Finance who is now our Prime Minister—Bill English.How many Prime Ministers and how many leaders can be so fit so agile and so gritty that they can shear a sheep and do it to beat Sir David Fagan who is of course the 20-times gold medallist Olympian in one of the most difficult and most challenging sports and areas of work in the world? Of course that is our Prime Minister Bill English. If the House has not seen it it is free to go on to my Facebook page like it and be able to watch that video. Under this Prime Minister Bill English a plan most definitely has been articulated to the House and for members of the Opposition who remain unclear or confused because they live on a planet of alternative facts we have them produced in colourful pamphlets with pictures and photos to help those who are unable to understand facts even when they stare them in the face.We have a record—we have growth in the economy of New Zealand which is the envy of the world. It is still one that we aspire to improve but it is a fact and it is that fact that gives us the choices that enable us to help New Zealanders make their lives better. We have had more jobs created in the past year—130000 of them. We see the median income growing. We see our Government continuing to invest in those sectors that will help it to grow even more. We have been the Government that has made the biggest investment in infrastructure.Again may I invite members to visit my Facebook page and see on there the Hon Nathan Guy celebrating the fact that the Kapiti Expressway will open formally this week. The Kapiti Expressway is only one example of this Government's investment in real infrastructure. Up and down the country as I drive on newly built roads I say: Thank goodness for a Government that continues to give." We just need a little bit more attention on State Highway 35 but I am not here to get parochial. I am here for the greater good of wider New Zealand.Infrastructure has not been confined to roads. The previous speaker on this side the Hon Amy Adams talked about an area close to her heart—ultra-fast broadband (UFB). Ultra-fast broadband will allow for greater connectivity into the regions the very regions that the previous speaker from the Opposition Chris Hipkins is out of touch about. He does not seem to understand that we have had growth in those regions. Growth is not confined to our metropolitan centres. Over in Taranaki we see tourism dairying and the energy sector growing and growing. Down south we have got an outbreak of economic development occurring—Hon Jacqui Dean: Otago.Hon HEKIA PARATA: —all through Otago as the member from Otago is chiming in. That is as much because we have invested in infrastructure. In schooling alone this Government has invested just on $700 million in information and communications technology to make sure that all 2500 of our schools can be connected and can facilitate learning that enables them to engage in the global challenges that our kids are increasingly becoming a part of and leaders in. So we have been involved in investing in infrastructure—not just talking about it but putting the hard-earned taxes of New Zealanders where our mouths have been. We understand that the arteries of a nation are its roads its energy transmission and modern infrastructure such as information and communications technology.I come from a little town well known beyond its actual size—Ruatōria. It is one of the towns that is on the list for UFB to come to first as we move out into the provinces. That is going to make a difference for businesses for the potential of employment there for people to get jobs. The call centre that was recently opened there and in Waverley which the Prime Minister referred to can currently employ 10 people because that is all the load that the line will take at the moment. The owners of that company have told me that with UFB the potential for greater employment is huge and untapped and they are excited about it. These are real New Zealanders backing themselves.I see my time is nearly up—I am going to speak even faster because I want to talk about education. Under this Government again we have seen more kids participating in early childhood education. We set ourselves a target. We have been publicly accountable for it and it is one of the problems of success. Almost 98 percent of all our earliest learners are participating in early childhood education and that is a result of doubling more than doubling the funding into early childhood education. Where do people get the argument that funding has been frozen? Only in the alternative "factosphere" because we are now up at $1.8 billion. When we came into Government it was $800 million. In regular maths that is twice as much under this Government. In schooling it has increased 35 percent. Vote Education is the highest it has ever been at over $11 billion. That is a 35 percent increase in education. How can that possibly be described as frozen funding?And underfunding? At the same time student numbers have gone up by 3.56 percent. I am trusting that the Opposition can understand the difference between those two things. Funding has gone up 35 percent student numbers have gone up 3.56 percent. How can that be underfunding except for in the alternative reality of Andrew Little and them over there? In education has that made a difference? The answer is yes. "Ae" Māori tell you "yes it's made a difference." I posted—again on this fabulous Facebook page. Clearly I am going to be swamped by people wanting to go there and see the latest report of our accountability as a Government. But on there we have seen overall achievement go up to over 77 percent for all New Zealanders and the member for Mana will just be euphoric to know that Pacific Island success has gone up to 77.6 percent from the parlous 51 percent that his Government was proud to leave to members on our benches in 2008. So it is not just that the funding has gone up; we have seen real results for that. More kids are getting more opportunities to make more choices about the quality of life they and their families can have because this Government has understood the critical cornerstone that education does play.So the members on the other side can go on and on about alternative facts of underfunding frozen funding and undermining children's futures but anyone looking at the facts will know that that does not bear scrutiny. It does then lend doubt to the kinds of assertions and allegations that the Opposition seems intent on making.This Government has a record of 8 years of achievement. It has a plan to go forward in 2017. It has fit energetic gritty and determined people of high calibre and competence who are committed to a bright future for all New Zealanders. When we look at the leadership of the Rt Hon Bill English and the Hon Paula Bennett and the team that is alongside them and then contrast it with the people on that side—and some who have been selected and characterised as fresh faces are older than me and I am leaving—we have got to ask ourselves: is that the kind of team the contrast that we are interested in?Hon Annette King: Oh it's about age is it?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I am really talking about the definition of freshness as opposed to ageism.I think that this Government has got a record to be proud of. It has got more to do and it is fit and purposeful in the interests of New Zealanders. Thank you.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: A 5-minute call on behalf of the Green Party—David Clendon."