Bridges SimonHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the House): It is fantastic to speak in this adjournment debate and to follow Chris Hipkins. It was a good speech. He got round to a sort of almost maybe possibly kind of apology there for his weekus horribilis" I think they call it. It is not that hard: "I apologise." But can I agree with Chris Hipkins that it is a hard job but it is even harder for families and I acknowledge the various thanks that he made which were absolutely right and which we agree with acknowledging also Hekia Parata and the sparring between them. What a contribution she has made to New Zealand.Of course it is customary to do a lot of thankyous. Can I thank you Mr Speaker—chief zookeeper in this place—for the job that you have done. As someone who has now had a bit more time with you up close I can say you do it with aplomb and you do a great job for this House so thank you. I thank also as we have heard Chester and Lindsay who are retiring and who have made fine contributions particularly as officers of Parliament. Can I thank the staff of Parliament and of the Government whether it is the cleaners whether it is the caterers whether it is security. We have heard about Sheryl and we just thank her for her service. To the librarians Hansard officers the Clerk's Office the Parliamentary Counsel Office the Cabinet Office the research unit ICT all of those who have been involved and staff across parties who have found ingenious ways to try to catch me out on Official Information Act requests and written questions over time—but I am up to the task—thank you all for what you do and the role you play in this Parliament and in democracy.Can I thank and acknowledge all of the colleagues who are retiring—on both sides though particularly of course for us on this side those whom we have worked so closely with. I see around me Chester Lindsay and Hekia. I think I saw Craig and others as well—Todd is up there. Can I just acknowledge your contribution to this House and the great work that you have done. And of course you are just like us the ones remaining behind entirely energised for the campaign ahead what we have got to do and the tough but strong campaign that we will be waging.Most of all I am sure members on this side of the House will want to join me in thanking the person who is leading us and leading us we believe to victory the right honourable Prime Minister of New Zealand Bill English. What we know is as Minister of Finance of this country and now as Prime Minister he has taken us from the tough times actually to the much better times and there are better times to come under this Government. Whether it has been the global financial crisis whether it has been earthquakes—we have heard from the Hon Gerry Brownlee about the $15 billion of damage and the work that has gone on there year after year—whether it has been the Rena whether it has been Pike River there has been a steady hand at the tiller but also one that has brought a lot of experience and innovation in social investment and other areas and that is our Prime Minister. He has had the criticism from the other side of being a rock; well I say he should wear it with pride because he has taken us from tough times actually to better times and there are better ones to come. His strength his stability and his knowledge of this place are second to none and we thank him for his role.This is a country that today is absolutely I believe upbeat and aspirational—more upbeat and aspirational than it has been for some years. It is travelling in the right direction and I believe that most New Zealanders understand that. And it is because actually when it comes to the economy we have got growth of 3 percent. We have had growth every quarter I think it is now for the last 7 years in this country. We have got employment that is nearly the strongest in the OECD—I think the strongest ever in New Zealand's history. We have got unemployment that is falling and that means more people able to get jobs able to get ahead able to provide for their family in a system that because it is going well is able to pay for the things that New Zealanders expect and deserve. We have heard already from the Hon Gerry Brownlee but we have a country where all of the regions are growing actually where fundamentally we have got an economy diversifying into all sorts of areas and we should be proud of where we are as a country and from where we have come over the last few years.We on this side of the House are incredibly focused on New Zealand on its issues and on the economy. You did not hear that from Labour in its two speeches. It has got sort of a "2-minute microwave meal" view of the economy—you rip the cardboard off you put it in and you walk away. That is what we have got on the other side of the House. We heard of course from the Labour leader in a speech that sounded a little like a Whitney Houston song I have to say on repeat. We have heard there—Kris Faafoi: You're a big fan.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Eventually Kris she did mention the economy—once at the end. She strayed into our field she realised her error and she quickly moved on. She got off the patch. I do not think we heard it once from Chris Hipkins. Well on this side—from Gerry Brownlee from me from any National speaker who would get up you would hear from them about the economy because we realise that it is the economy that needs ongoing persistent effort in this country to do the things that New Zealanders need to pay for the environment. It is only countries that have got strong books that can have better environments and have the solutions in those areas—in health in social welfare in all of those areas.The Labour Party we know wants a breather. There is a very clear contrast. It along with New Zealand First and the Greens wants to slow down immigration. It wants to slow down the inward investment. It wants to stop the trade. It thinks that somehow the Trans-Pacific Partnership and opening us up to 40 percent of the world's economy is a bad thing. It says "Actually let's put a handbrake on this." with more taxes—I think at the moment it is about three a week but Grant is just getting started. I can tell from his smile. There is his capital gains tax water taxes and regional fuel tax—and more to come.I remember as a bright-eyed bushy-tailed new candidate in—Grant Robertson: Oh it is your valedictory.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: No no. You will have to wait a few years for that. You may even be here Grant. I remember those adverts with John Key and the Cake Tin and that many—what was it; 30-something thousand people a year were leaving this country. Now we have come from those times—the brain drain—when people were leaving to a country where people want to stay. They know that this is a better place that there is more to come and that we are moving in the right direction.They know—they want to come home from all around the world. They know that we have got the answers that New Zealand needs on the modern issues whether it is environmental issues and there were a series of announcements that we made over the last week or two; whether it is in mental health where we have taken a very evidence-based approach from Dr Jonathan Coleman on those issues; whether it is dealing as Amy Adams has with the 150 hardest youth in our society and having good strong answers evidence-based to hard questions. This is a party on this side of the House that is energised that knows New Zealand is going in the right direction that knows we have the answers to the modern issues that New Zealand faces and that has gone from tougher times to better times and under this Government with the right decision on 23 September there will be better times to come."