SpeechHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Foreign Affairs): Well there were no solutions in that speech but I am proud to speak to the Prime Minister's statement where she clearly sets out three key objectives in our effort to respond to a global pandemic and navigate our way forward. Those three points in my mind were about leading a country through this global pandemic; to emerge economically stronger by being an active Government who wants an inclusive productive economy; and to save lives by putting people first. Aotearoa has shown time and time again its strength as a nation by working as a team.We've taken a science- and evidence-based public health response to COVID-19 and because of that we're a nation that is better prepared for what the future may throw at us ready to grasp the opportunities that we create and will emerge as a result. And when I reflect on my own work I look at the resilience of our domestic infrastructure supporting our region and neighbours towards greater economic resilience.Water is a taonga. And when I think about the way in which water underpins livelihoods and economic growth what we do in this space matters. Whether it is for example investing in water infrastructure and a resilient network safe drinking water ensuring water security ensuring that there are water storage options where needed or even desalination solutions in the Pacific water is a core component to wellbeing and resilience. It is a taonga; it's our most precious natural resource and it brings life to the heart of people and communities and their livelihoods. It's a necessity and that's why we're placing such importance on our nation's water infrastructure.We've seen the effects of compromised water infrastructure up and down the country over summer over winter and certainly when we see significant natural weather events occurring around the land. Our current system is crumbling; it's causing disruption to our communities on a daily basis and everyone knows the problems facing our system. But without maintaining and upgrading pipes and plants to meet the needs of our growing population the changing climate and ever-frequent weather events we're going to see the negative impact of water when it's contaminated; bursting out of our pipes; breaching treatment plants; and affecting our towns cities and communities.Our storm waste and water infrastructure may not be an attractive thing to talk about but we certainly need to do it. It wasn't cool 20 years ago or even six years ago when that group was in Government. They were holding the reins and they did absolutely nothing about it. They hardly even talked about it. Well we will not kick this can down the road. The stark reality is that decades of under-investment in water infrastructure means we can no longer ignore the situation we have arrived at. It is a serious situation. We not only need to talk about water but we need to act. And we need to act in a way that puts the resilience of our water network at the forefront and underpins regional growth and strong economic opportunities.That's why our proposal around three waters is a commitment that was reflected in the Prime Minister's speech. We've been engaging and working on this for four years—working with communities councils water experts and environmental experts iwi and leading industry professionals and policy makers—talking with locals to do the jobs to patch the holes and stop the leaks. When the system breaks down and ratepayers get frustrated at permanent boiled water notices we've got to do something about it. We can't ignore it.The Leader of the Opposition stood up yesterday in this House and predicted that these water reforms will fail while not offering any type of a solution. He's taken a scuttlebutt approach to the serious water matter rather than doing something about it. The fact is: the Opposition don't want water reforms to succeed. It's an Opposition whose only policy position has been to oppose for the sake of opposing and I haven't heard a single solution in the alternative. We cannot let people die from unsafe drinking water and I will not let that happen.But let's go to a brief fact check of Mr Luxon's speech. One: on the consultation process this Government has spent four years and hundreds of meetings consulting with stakeholders and we continue through the governance working group that councils are a part of to engage. We want to ensure the reforms themselves suit the New Zealand context are robust and financially sustainable—a model where infrastructure investment is affordable over time both in terms of value back to ratepayers but affordability to them as well and we're providing for Te Mana o Te Wai.Two: there's no compulsory acquiring of ratepayers assets. Communities will retain ownership through the new entities and the funding package will ensure no council is worse off.Three: Mr Luxon claims the cost savings are unrealistic. These savings are modelled using councils' own forecast water infrastructure costs. His do-nothing solution will see households face incredible costs over the next 30 years to pay for an inefficient system constant repairs and continued disruption.Finally Mr Luxon predicted the Government will back down on these reforms—again wrong. While he may favour political dog-whistling—and his local government spokesperson whoever that is is saying nothing on the matter—New Zealanders want safe drinking water. They want to make sure that no matter where they live around the country in a metro or rural area there should be no difference in the water that they receive. Quite frankly doing nothing isn't an option. We can't ignore the evidence. We must do something about it. But ultimately the proposed reforms are about generating more jobs and are about a financially sustainable way of investing in infrastructure: better value back to ratepayers more affordable outcomes over the long term. It's got to be a way forward for all of us and we've all got to be in on this critical solution.But let's move from local to the Pacific. Briefly while COVID has been a significant challenge for Pacific nations so too is climate change and the impact of sea-level rise. That's why I'm really proud that Aotearoa New Zealand will invest $1.3 billion to support countries most vulnerable a large majority of which will be in the Pacific to help respond to the effects of climate change. We've seen first-hand the impact of climate change in our region: domestically over the summer with extreme weather events and last year with the likes of Cyclone Ana having a deadly toll for our Pacific neighbours and also the recent volcanic eruption Madam Speaker in Tonga which you are very familiar with and its devastating impact on your family and your community.We know that addressing these types of issues are fundamental to the resilience of the Pacific going forward into the future and that's why climate finance spending will be used to support mid- to long-term adaptation like clean-energy projects in developing countries; ensuring buildings are able to withstand more damaging storms; crops are resilient to droughts floods and new pests; and communities are protected from sea-level rise and storm surges. And like our three waters programme it's about creating jobs and upskilling local peoples to maintain and fix their own infrastructure. Resilience isn't just about swooping in to fix things up and leaving again. Teach a man to fish or a woman and they'll fish for a lifetime. Or as my tūpuna would say: Ko taku rourou iti ā-haere maringi kai whenua ko taku rourou iti ā-haere maringi kai moana—while small is our offering it's cultivated with the deepest riches of the land and the sea. Climate change remains the single greatest threat to Pacific lives and livelihoods and at least half of the climate finance that has been committed by New Zealand will go to the Pacific over the next four years and I'm very proud of that—it will make a difference.Finally as I reflect on the Prime Minister's statement and the challenge that is still ahead of us in relation to the COVID-19 response our nation is better prepared than many. And the Lowy report that was referred to by the Deputy Prime Minister is a significant one because when you get to travel around the world and they are looking at the way that New Zealand responds while we can be proud we know there is still work to do like the Prime Minister has said. While we know that our effort is the combined effort of the many New Zealanders who have taken on board a public health response we know that we have to work through many of the anxieties that they face on a day-to-day basis and we do not take that responsibility lightly.What we want is an economy that is underpinned by people who are able to work and contribute to an inclusive economic solution where their livelihoods are being cared for. We want innovation to underpin a high-value low-carbon economy future. All of this is possible because at the heart of our economic response is a health response that puts people first. This Government has taken a COVID-19 response that seeks to save lives; be an active Government to support a productive resilient economy; and ever-mindful that our responsibility to transition to a high-wage low-carbon economy is the goal.Iti rearea teitei kahikatea ka taea.[Even the small bellbird can ascend to the great heights of the Kahikatea tree.]