Bennett David: Debate on Prime Minister’s StatementText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBennett David: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement[Sitting date: 01 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9223. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East): Well it was interesting that that last speaker finished around priorities and the flag change. I remember the New Zealand First Party has come out with a policy that only citizens can now vote in New Zealand and not residents. The New Zealand First Party has an attack on our migrant communities saying that they are not valued members of this society and saying that they are not able to vote. [Interruption] Next the Labour - New Zealand First - Green coalition will come up with taking away—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order! I regret interrupting the member but I think Mr Mark needs to address interjections to the member and not to me. Thank you.DAVID BENNETT: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. That member Mr Mark has been interjecting because he is worried that he will see that the New Zealand public will now know that New Zealand First wants to take away the right to vote from those people who are only residents and not citizens. Taking away the right to vote is something that this Parliament should take very seriously and it is a disgrace that the New Zealand First Party wants to do that to New Zealanders who work hard and make this country so strong and that is the disgrace that is the New Zealand First Party in this Parliament. The New Zealand First Party will not stop at this referendum to take away that right to vote. It will take that into the election and it will take it away on other issues where it sees that only citizens and not residents should be allowed to vote—that is becoming the policy of the New Zealand First Party. We know that is how it works; it has done it in the past and it will continue to do that again in the future. That is the way it operates we all know that.And all those other parties in this Parliament that will support the New Zealand First Party: the Labour Party and the Green Party—they need to come out to make sure that they are not supporting a policy that would take away the vote from residents in this country like the New Zealand First Party is intending to do. I know that New Zealand First is led by the Don Trump of New Zealand politics but if that is the way it wants to do it there will never be a wall high enough for the New Zealand First Party. It will never build the wall as high as Don Trump can do. Its leader has never employed anyone as Don Trump has; its leader would never be able to build the wall that the New Zealand First Party would love to see in this country.It is outrageous to see the attack from that party on our rural sector—that party that would not support the trade agreements of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Go to each of those farmers in Northland; go to each of those farmers around the country and say to them that you come to this House and you are the saviour—or the New Zealand First Party says it is the saviour—of farmers and yet it will not support one of the biggest things this Government and this Parliament could do for farmers this year and that is support a trade agreement. Why will it not support a trade agreement when it actually will deliver for New Zealand farmers; why does it not do things that actually matter; why do they not do something that is substantial and vote for something that will help New Zealand farmers; why does it vote against New Zealand farmers in this House; why does it consistently vote against the people it says that it wants to represent?That is the dichotomy of the opinion within the New Zealand First Party: it does not understand what it actually means to be a farmer. None of its members are farmers. There are no farmers in the New Zealand First Party. There is no one there who understands what farming is actually about. Nobody in the New Zealand First Party is going to support farmers when they need them to have support in a trade agreement. I want to see the New Zealand First Party actually vote for trade agreements vote for farmers vote for regional New Zealand vote for a stronger economy and vote for economic growth—not vote for higher walls no voting and taking away rights from migrants as the New Zealand First Party intends to do.Things are going well in one of the biggest provincial cities in New Zealand: in Hamilton. In Hamilton we have delivered for the people of this country. There is a positive mood in that city and the good representation of the two local MPs Tim Macindoe and David Bennett is part of that. Not only have we delivered new schools for our electorates—new schools have been opened in the north of Hamilton and Rototuna and a new school to come in that area too with the junior high school opening this year and the senior high school opening next year. This is something long awaited by residents in that area. The previous Labour Party candidates have stood on pieces of ground in that area and said this would be a nice place for a school but never actually delivered the money to build those schools. The National Government delivered the money; the National Government built the schools; the National Government gave the residents what they wanted. The National Government has delivered and the National Government has a plan for economic growth that is delivering there.Tim Macindoe: Same story with the expressway.DAVID BENNETT: The other plan for economic growth in the Waikato is the expressway Mr Macindoe. There was a question in the House today about the Cambridge Bypass. Ron Mark is wondering what the Waikato Expressway is. It is a four-lane road—probably two more numbers than he can count to but it is a four-lane road.Ron Mark: Ten long years.DAVID BENNETT: Ten long years or 10 years to build a road that New Zealand First never supported. And the Cambridge Bypass opened before Christmas and many residents have used that because it is an exceptionally great link between the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.Tim Macindoe: And all on time and under budget.DAVID BENNETT: Yes exactly Mr Macindoe. What is more there is more to come: the Huntly bypass is now under construction. Anyone travelling south from Auckland and coming to live in the fine Waikato region which is a great opportunity for all Aucklanders will see the Hamilton bypass that has been started to be constructed: a $450 million project delivering for regional New Zealand—$450 million spent in regional New Zealand; spent for regional New Zealand and spent to build stronger provincial cities in our country. Not only that we have the sod-turning on the next part of the Waikato Expressway: the Hamilton bypass—$800 million approximately for that bypass including another $100 million on top for the Longswamp four-lane road. That $800 million is going to be spent in Hamilton going around the boundary of Hamilton to provide a bypass there that will create the modern city that will be the economic growth hub of the Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga growth triangle: the golden triangle.That is something that this Government has come into Parliament and delivered for provincial New Zealand; it has delivered for our city and it has delivered for our country. At the same time we have seen unemployment reducing through this country and that is something that I think many New Zealanders have been looking forward to for many years. We have seen the minimum wage increasing substantially in New Zealand; we have seen average wages increasing substantially in New Zealand; we are seeing low inflation; we have seen low interest rates which means that New Zealand households are in a much better position. The New Zealand economy grew by 2.3 percent in the year to September 2015. That is great growth when you consider the world economy and how delicate it is out there. That is all part of good economic management; of prudent economic management; and delivering the infrastructure—just as we have seen in Hamilton—for it to grow our country and our city.New Zealand is in great shape. Hamilton is in especially great shape. Hamilton has a strong future ahead of it. It is a provincial city that knows where it is going that is getting the investment and delivering. We welcome all people to the city of Hamilton and we are not intending to take away their voting rights like the Opposition parties will do when they get a chance at some point to put in front of this House bills in their names in their members’ bills.Carmel Sepuloni: Sit down.DAVID BENNETT: The Labour Party says to sit down. Well the Labour Party is supporting the New Zealand First Party. They are mates; they are together in this. The Labour Party is against migrants as well. It has shown that time and time again by wanting to reduce immigration into New Zealand as part of its policy. Its policy is to reduce immigration—that is how it is good bedfellows with the New Zealand First Party. Next it will be taking away voting rights and that would be a disgrace to this Parliament. Thank you.