Hipkins ChrisCHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka): A week is a very long time in politics and the next 50-plus days are going to be an even longer time for the members opposite in the National Government. I have a useful piece of history for them that was pointed out to me this morning.Bob Hawke became the leader of the Australian Labor Party 1 month ahead of a general election that he won by a landslide. If he can do that in 1 month and we have the luxury of having 7½ weeks to do that we are going to make the most of every single day that we can do that. Bob Hawke a lot like my good friend and colleague Jacinda Ardern was in touch with the mood of the nation—in touch with the people he sought to govern. He did not desperately try to pretend he was relevant by putting spaghetti on pizza or try to be a person of the people or enter the Fight for Life to prove that he was tough or do a bizarre America's Cup video like the one Bill English did where he kind of looked like he was having some kind of seizure.Unlike that Jacinda genuinely is in touch with the mood of the nation and it already shows in the very warm reception that she has received since she became the leader yesterday and I am looking forward to campaigning alongside Jacinda in the next 7½ weeks to secure a change of Government because let us be absolutely clear—Jacinda Ardern and Kelvin Davis represent something that Bill English and National will never represent and that is change and hope. Bill English's message to New Zealand—and it is one message—is that this is as good as it gets. Jacinda Ardern's message to New Zealand is: we can be so much better. And I think that is absolutely the right message to put in front of the voters because New Zealand should be a country of opportunity security and fairness for everybody not just those at the top whom the National Government seeks to represent.Kiwis at heart fundamentally believe that we are all in this together. The National Government has spent the last 9 years trying to convince them that it is everyone for themselves and at this election they will have that choice. They can have the extra $20 or $30 a week in tax cuts while housing continues to become unaffordable for more and more New Zealanders while rental accommodation becomes available to fewer and fewer New Zealanders who need it while our education system continues to be run down because of lack of investment while people are being denied the healthcare they need because National has starved the health system of the funding it needs and while climate change continues to be overlooked by this National Government; or they can choose a future where we tackle those things together as a country. And that is the promise of the incoming Labour Government. That is the promise that Labour will be taking to this year's general election. I think that is what New Zealanders have been crying out for and that is what they will hear from us.You can see the look of hope draining out of the faces of the National members opposite because they know that they represent the past and not the future. They know that Bill English has only one mode: doom and gloom. And try as he might to read the lines that the focus group researchers are giving him he simply cannot pull off positivity and a vision for the future. We know that they are already in panic mode because Gerry Brownlee has already let slip that they are worried about the level of positive reaction that there has been to Jacinda Ardern's leadership. He gave Paddy Gower a set of pompoms because he thought Paddy Gower was too positive about Jacinda Ardern. Well there is one thing that you could never confuse Gerry Brownlee with being and that is a cheerleader. Gerry Brownlee will never be a cheerleader for anybody.Then of course you have got Mr Doom and Gloom No. 2" Steven Joyce who stood up in the House and tried to bore everybody into submission with his contribution. The best that Amy Adams could then offer was the strong and stable leadership line that worked so well for Theresa May in the United Kingdom. And of course we have yet to hear from Maggie Barry Parliament's own cross between Hyacinth Bucket and Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous. I am sure that she has got a contribution to make in this debate that will be equally full of hollow clichés hollow rhetoric with no real hope for the future and of course a good lashing of nastiness as only Maggie Barry can deliver.Over here we are feeling positive and optimistic and upbeat about the future and we are looking forward to the next 50 days on the campaign trail."