Tabuteau FletcherFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader—NZ First): Thank you so much for this opportunity Madam Speaker. It's usually an honour to stand up after the former Minister Judith Collins but it was incoherent and a yelling ramble that I couldn't quite focus on.So let's just talk some facts. I just got some good news and I'll bring that to the debate. We saw some media releases just now from Export New Zealand and Business New Zealand welcoming the announcements from this Government today talking about the billion dollars of R & D tax credit and the money that this Government is spending on foreign affairs. What a surprise that might be to that side of the House—that Export New Zealand and Business New Zealand welcome some genuine investment in our foreign affairs programme around the world. I didn't have time to read the full story but let's picture this: actually sending out good people on behalf of New Zealand to engage with the rest of the world to tell them what it is we're about what we represent and what we have to offer. Funnily enough our exporters are excited about that prospect. And what does that mean? That means our exporters are going to export more. It's a funny thing. It's a complicated equation for the other side of the House but greater advocacy will lead to greater exports which will lead to more income and hey more jobs guys. This is all good. This is fantastic.So look I should've taken the first opportunity I could to acknowledge the Hon Grant Robertson today. I think not only has he done a superb job with the production of this Budget but actually ladies and gentlemen the job he has undertaken in preparing this Budget the work that he has done with the Ministers from across this coalition Government with our support partners there has been a fantastic reflection of the commitment from this Government to get the job done and do—let's put it as bluntly as I can—a fantastic job for the people of New Zealand. This has been a great Budget.So in the general election New Zealanders voted and there's—Hon Dr Nick Smith: They voted for National.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: There we go there's one of them. Nick Smith pipes up like—we arranged this didn't we? We arranged this Nick Smith. It's like you push a button and there he is. I hate to tell you this Mr Smith but the majority of New Zealanders voted for this coalition Government here and that means what we have on this side of the House Mr Smith is one of the most representative Governments this House this Parliament has seen in its entire history and it's a wonderful thing to be a part of Mr Smith. Although—Hon Dr Nick Smith: How many people have ever employed anybody? How many from small business?FLETCHER TABUTEAU: My brain is tuned to tune you out. Ha ha!DEPUTY SPEAKER: I hope it's not me.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: No—oh no never you Madam Deputy Speaker. You see how quick that was? The political party opposite was unlike this Government—and I commend the Prime Minister on her choice of words today. At least we are willing to set those targets and fail. But we have those aspirations—Chris Penk: And you will—and you will.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Oh see there we go—there we go. It's like another button was pushed. See this is the difference here. This side of the House is willing to acknowledge that there are issues. Take a housing crisis for example ladies and gentlemen. Over there for what? Five six years they knew—they knew—it was happening. They knew what was going to happen and how bad it was going to get.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Trebled the house build rate.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: In fact that man over there is particularly responsible for the lack of response from that side of the House. What we see here on this side is a Government that's saying yes actually there is a blimmin housing crisis and we need to act and we need to do something about it right now instead of sending out media spin to say There is no crisis; calm down. Don't worry about all the homeless—oh by the way let's spend $140000 a day"—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Let's build more houses.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Mr Smith you over there—that party over there ladies and gentlemen spent $140000 a day for months on end on motels and hotel rooms for New Zealand's homeless after you sold off the—not you Madam Deputy Speaker; my apologies—after that party sold off the very houses those people were living in.Kiritapu Allan: Shame.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Shame—absolute shame. Let's try and be more positive shall we because I'm getting tired of picking on an easy target. This Government is adamant that we will support New Zealanders. This Budget is a reflection of that. We will bring opportunity back from the four corners of the world and that report I read out to the House is a reflection of the response from the market itself out there—businesses who are excited about the possibilities. We are bringing that opportunity back from the four—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Is that why business confidence has collapsed?FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Oh I've piqued his attention again. And what else we are doing—so the four corners of the world we're bringing it back to New Zealand with an actual foreign affairs and trade programme and what do you know?Hon Dr Nick Smith: It's called "Pacific First" not New Zealand First.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: We unlike that party over there believe in the regions Mr Smith and so they are the recipients of $1 billion per annum for the next three years and already we're seeing the fruits of that labour. The regions have been neglected for far too long and this Government knows it and we are working already to turning that around.We have committed to growing a strong economy a balanced economy with clear commitment to being fiscally responsible and providing certainty. So again let's just look at some of those basics there in terms of the economic situation that we're dealing with: 3.2 percent growth over the next few years—projected growth—unemployment rates coming down to 4.1 percent next year—Hon Dr Nick Smith: All your hard work!FLETCHER TABUTEAU: —and actually—thank you Dr Nick Smith; it is a lot to do with all of our hard work on this side of the House. Thank you for acknowledging that.So we are about supporting regional economies increasing exports lifting wages and underpinning all of this with a commitment to delivering greater fairness in our society. This Government is keen to futureproof our economy to have both sustainability and environmental sustainability to go along with it because I think it was the Rt Hon Winston Peters who said a smart economy a good economy cannot ignore its environment and we will not do that.Look I think it was Mr Robertson as well who quoted Einstein about the fact that—he is reported to have said no problem can be solved by the same kind of thinking that created it. So New Zealand First when we went into negotiations asked the fundamental question: can we change this? Can we make a real difference?Chris Bishop: He should've quoted you!FLETCHER TABUTEAU: And the obvious answer Mr Bishop was—well we couldn't with that side of the House. The only way we're going to get real change is with this side of the House here—with our friends with our colleagues with these hard-working people who are dedicated to New Zealand. So New Zealanders need to be reminded of the contrast in approach.The utter desolation left by the National Party is everywhere you look. They get angry every time we remind people of it and I noted Gerry Brownlee yelled out "Just fix it." "Just fix it." he yelled out afraid that the awful truth of their neglect will get through to the people of New Zealand: district health boards that were underfunded—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Twelve new hospitals.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: —capital expenditure forecasts needing $12 billion Dr Smith and what did you allocate in last year's Budget? Not even one percent of that—$12 billion and you guys weren't going to spend a bean on capital expenditure over the next 10 years. Twelve billion dollars—you didn't even start it.Actually let's finish on that because that is the indictment I put on that side of the House. Unfortunately the best example of this is the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. What they saw on that side of the House were cost savings—short-term closed short-sighted Budget cost savings. Yet what we have now—they saw it on the day. They said "Today we're going to save some money." but they didn't look at tomorrow. They didn't look at the next day and now our agriculture Minister our primary industries Minister is having to clean up your mess and I commend him for doing a good job.This is a great Budget and I truly am proud to be a member of a Government that is working for all New Zealand. Thank you very much."