Bridges SimonHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition): Can I add my heartfelt thanks to those of the Prime Minister to all the people who make Parliament run so smoothly for us here in the House. I thank the outgoing Parliamentary Service general manager David Stevenson. Can I acknowledge the messengers; can I acknowledge Bellamy's for doing a good job for us feeding and watering us; can I acknowledge security for the work that they do; the library staff; the Office of the Clerk; and the press gallery—as I said last night we have a love-hate but mostly love and admiration relationship with them—and can I come back to a few more political thanks later. And can I wish everyone a very merry Christmas.Isn't it good at this time of the year to have one thing that the Government doesn't need a working group an inquiry or a referendum on to know what they think about it. Yesterday it was the cannabis referendum and the Prime Minister doesn't know her position on that. She says that she needs to see the question. Well let me give her a clue: she called the referendum and she writes the question. But that's actually not that fair because she probably won't write it; it'll probably be other Ministers and they'll tell her about that afterwards.Hon Member: In the media.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I think about that with—well you say In the media." KiwiBuild: Phil Twyford Grant Robertson Shane Jones—I don't think Winston Peters was there that day—they told her afterwards. Winston Peters seems to think that applies to the whole area of foreign policy. A little bit of a pivot away from China? No problem—no one needs to know. It sort of means the Prime Minister didn't get to have her visit but other than that it's no big deal.But let's give a little credit where it is due. This is the most open and transparent Government we've ever seen. If you don't believe me just ask them. We've got a great example from over there. Take the United Nations migration pact which actually has probably been signed we think in Morocco already but supposedly it's later this week conveniently after Winston Peters—parliamentary rights. He's smiling. He's already signed it. But the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern told us on the radio earlier this week that it went to Cabinet but she doesn't know what they'll do because this is yet another decision that other people—in this case the Rt Hon Winston Peters—are going to make for her. So in the words of Eminem not "pretty legal"; that's "pretty transparent" I'd say from the Government on that.Then there's the matter of Karel Sroubek. Well we've heard in the last few days that there's a text message. A small minor technical point: we're not allowed to see it. I reckon I know what the reason for that is: inappropriate emojis. That's what it is. It's the inappropriate emojis that get the Prime Minister every time in the end. After Parliament rises we'll get representations from the file that we've been asking about for months and months and months now on dump days of 21 to 24 December and then more to come on that matter we know.Then a little secret Santa gift that we've heard about this week in the very last week of Parliament is that the national Chief Technology Officer literally the only policy in the area of communications and ICT that the incoming Government had—well actually they've dumped it. They're not doing this. Remember Clare Curran the Minister for open and transparent Government? What is the reason Winston Peters why they have dumped this? Here's what the file said: "it would be difficult to find one person with the skill set to do this role". Translation: "No one wants to work with the Government." Just ask the chief executive of KiwiBuild. Just ask the chief executive of the New Zealand Transport Agency. But don't worry—don't worry. They've set up a digital working group—working group 207.I believe three things have stood out this year. The first is that the Government has not had a single fortnight of competence. I ask Winston Peters who's getting ready to get up and obfuscate to find me a single fortnight. Secondly I couldn't be more proud that National is the best team in politics to work with—the National Party members of Parliament on this side—and I thank them. A party that is resolutely focused on what matters to New Zealanders as we go into—the Government members laugh because they know they're not. They're down at the press gallery scurrying around talking to them about bits and pieces.It's an economy that remains strong but a rock star economy that slowly but surely under the finance Minister Grant Robertson is turning into a rock. Take these figures: $17.8 billion—the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update has told us in the last little while—more tax over the next four years. So as growth slows and on Grant Robertson's measure GDP per capita—which he said he'd stake his reputation on—goes down every single year over the next four years New Zealanders will be $10000 per household worse off. Those households that Jacinda Ardern told us about will be worse off and squeezed as a result of more tax and lower growth. Households and businesses will be worse off.The Government—[Interruption] Well steady on Grant Robertson. I know he's excited because of the economy that he inherited. A Government that has more because New Zealanders have less—and they don't want to hear it because it's the stuff that matters out there on the doorstep in the communities that we represent on this side. Petrol: that's come down a little but is still over $2 a litre because of the taxes that Grant Robertson and Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters put on. Rent: New Zealanders are some $30 a week worse off because of the taxes they've done and everyone but Jacinda Ardern knows that that is the figure.We spare a thought for those people at Christmas time who are doing it tough—who Phil Twyford and Jacinda Ardern said would be better off but aren't—at this time of year. Next year I know that on this side of the House we are going to develop and show New Zealanders our positive plans the things that we are doing that will excite them. While this Government is a Government of working groups we on this side of the House will be ready to be a working Government with the plans that New Zealanders want to see. Over there at $1 million a day one every two days—[Interruption] That is not a recipe for success New Zealand.So Mr Speaker we on this of the House thank you for what you've done. You may be surprised. I do thank you Mr Speaker and I wish you a very merry Christmas. Can I say we on our side are glad Chris Hipkins that it won't be four-week sittings next year. I think something tells me he is too and his colleagues are too. But can I thank once again my colleagues on this side of the House the National leader's office all of the people who work for us and our executive assistants all around New Zealand for all they've done. I wish everyone in this House a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year."