Wood MichaelMICHAEL WOOD (Labour—Mt Roskill): It is a pleasure to speak to conclude Labour's remarks on the Prime Minister's statement. It is a real pleasure because the very first speech I heard in this House some 8 years ago—it feels like 8 years ago given the National Government members' speeches this afternoon—I mean 8 days ago was the Prime Minister's statement straight after I was sworn in. I came to this House full of enthusiasm vigour and verve hoping to hear from the leader of our country some vision a plan for the future and a sense of direction. Instead I felt the energy seeping from my pores at the end of that 20 minutes.What I was looking for was a sense of some imagination from the Government some policy innovation and some political courage. Instead what we had was a reaffirmation of the Prime Minister's statement earlier in the year that this is a Government that has reached its limits. That is what we heard for 20 minutes from the Prime Minister. And was there any better example of that than in his comments about housing and the ensuing speeches about housing from the Government benches? Because what we heard from the Prime Minister in his statement was that 10000 houses have been built in Auckland over the last year. This is the best that the Prime Minister could claim. That is what he put on the record. He did not mention that we needed 13000 houses. So the best that this Government could claim was that we had a shortage of 3000 houses built in Auckland this year. So we wonder why we have house prices of $1 million average in working class constituencies—like mine in Mt Roskill—where an ordinary person used to be able to buy a house. We wonder why we have had an increase of 40 percent in rental prices over the last 5 years. It is because there is that singular indifference.Later on we had Ministers Smith and Joyce boasting apparently that this is a better time to buy a house than it was under the previous Government. Well I simply challenge those Ministers to make that statement outside the warmth and comfort of this House and in the community centres and the town halls of the suburbs of Auckland during the election campaign this year.What we also heard from the Prime Minister was an admirable objective. He claims that he wants people to get ahead—he wants people to get ahead. Every member of this House would support that objective. We are all here because we want this to be a better country in which people can achieve their dreams. But what he did not go on to mention is that we have 90000 young people who are not in work not in education and not in training. How is this Government helping those young people to get ahead and to achieve their potential?What he did not mention is that we have got 40000 people who have been turned away from elective surgery in our public health system. How is that fact—that those people cannot get the health services they need—helping them to achieve their potential and helping them to get ahead?What he did not mention is that we have had school operations funding frozen over the previous years. How is that helping our hard-working public schools—Hon Jo Goodhew: That's an alternative fact if ever I heard it.MICHAEL WOOD: Well I can tell those members as someone who sits on a board of trustees that I know just how hard it is for our low-decile schools to make ends meet.What we also heard from the Prime Minister and other members on the Government benches was a lot of pride about the announcement around police officers—1000 new police officers slightly less. I have to say it was something of a surprise for me coming off the Mt Roskill by-election where for 6 months the member opposite Parmjeet Parmar was telling the people of my constituency that we had enough police that there was actually no problem that it was all under control. Dr Parmjeet Parmar: That's a lie.MICHAEL WOOD: So what we had was some belated recognition—[Interruption]The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order! The member will resume his seat. The member will stand withdraw and apologise.Dr Parmjeet Parmar: I withdraw and apologise. That is untrue.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Because the member is a relatively new member I will not take the normal action of asking her to leave the Chamber. What she will do is she will stand withdraw and apologise—and she will add nothing.Dr Parmjeet Parmar: I withdraw and apologise.MICHAEL WOOD: Thank you Mr Assistant-Speaker. So what we have from the Government in that area is a patch-up job—a patch-up job after our police force has been run down over the last 8 years. What we actually needed to hear from the Prime Minister was some vision. What we needed to hear from the Government was not the idea that we have reached our limits but the idea that actually this country is full of potential and full of opportunity if only we will let people harness that.What I look forward to in this House when I come back next year is having Andrew Little delivering the Prime Minister's statement and making a commitment to building the affordable houses that our families need and making a commitment.Hon Members: Ha ha!MICHAEL WOOD: It is a laughing matter on the Government benches that a Government might actually get stuck in and build those houses. Those members laugh at it. What I look forward to hearing from Andrew Little next year is a Government committed to investing in our public health and our public education systems and what I look forward to hearing from Andrew Little when he delivers the Prime Minister's statement next year is a commitment to unlock the opportunity and the potential that is in every single one of those 90000 young people who are currently not in work education or training. I look forward to that day in 1 year's time.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): The Hon Simon Bridges—and his time is somewhat abridged I understand.