SpeechHon TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): I listened to that last speaker Jan Logie carefully and I think I understand the points she's making. But essentially her speech could be summed up by saying Don't blame us; we tried." Well of course this is not a game; this is an incredibly serious issue affecting every New Zealander many of whom have lost their jobs many of whose livelihoods and future security are at risk and so every member of the public would expect us to take the matter seriously and I believe every member of this House does.For those who will receive this assistance in my Hamilton West electorate—Dan Bidois: Great electorate.Hon TIM MACINDOE: —it is a great electorate Mr Bidois and it's always lovely to see you in it—I am both relieved and supportive. There are as I say many in my electorate who have already had to access wage subsidies and I want to do everything that I can to assist those who have lost their jobs to find work again but also to stand alongside those businesses that are highly vulnerable—and I've been into many of them in recent weeks or at least in the days since we've been able to come out of lockdown and I've seen the struggle that many of them are facing. The customers aren't just flowing through the doors once more and if the customers aren't flowing through the doors then stock isn't moving sales aren't being made and that of course has a direct impact on employment because you can't continue to employ staff if you're not selling your goods or taking your services out to the market painting the house weeding the garden—whatever it might be whatever line of small business you're in.I do want to make the point that this Government has been operating under urgency in this House for most of the last few weeks. They are extraordinary times but that is something the Government needs to reflect upon—that here again we're dealing with a bill under urgency where there's been no select committee process and therefore it's been for the Opposition to ask the questions that people who would have come along to the select committee would have asked. Again I say to Ms Logie that's not a game; that's doing our job as Her Majesty's loyal Opposition. I do ask the Government to reflect very carefully on the fact that they used to say that urgency should be used sparingly; now it's become the norm. It's not only become the norm; it's even excluding select committee processes altogether so the public are being shut out. At a time when the public can't come into this House—they're not allowed up in the gallery; they can't gather out on the forecourt—for them not to be able to submit to select committees on bills that in many cases aren't super-urgent such as we saw after the Budget is a very very chilling attack on our democracy.I am very sorry that those who are directly affected by this bill haven't had a chance to be heard and to have their concerns noted and I am disappointed that the Green Party members have again been compromised as a result of their association with the other two parties in the Government. Ms Logie claimed in her speech a moment ago that the Green Party has been misrepresented. They hadn't been misrepresented; it's simply been noted that they hold very strong views on this subject but yet again they've been forced to vote in a manner that is completely at odds with their strong views. That's not misrepresentation and it's not even my view so much as it is Metiria Turei's view and that of many other Green Party members within the community. No matter how much Ms Logie wants to try to persuade us that this is just a game and that we're trivialising the issue that is the fact of the matter: they are yet again not able to vote as they would wish to do and they're looking increasingly impotent in this particular Government.I am particularly concerned that this Government's focus is not on keeping businesses in business. That is the best way to save jobs. That is the best way to save people's livelihoods and to enable New Zealanders to regain independence to become self-reliant once more and to contribute to rebuilding our economy and our society both of which of course are at such huge pressure.It was suggested by a couple of members opposite that in some way the National Party was beneficiary bashing by opposing this bill. I want to put the focus on supporting everybody who can be in work to get back into work because it is not beneficiary bashing to say we shouldn't just be turning a blind eye to the fact that more and more people are going on to the jobseeker support benefit. Everybody who needs that support has my support in getting it. I have never bashed a beneficiary in this House and I never will but I do want for those who are currently vulnerable exactly the same opportunities that I want for myself and my own family and my own children. I want all of them to be given every encouragement and every incentive and that's why I'm saying to the Government: put the focus into supporting businesses to stay in business. That's the best way possible to support them and also to reduce the pressure on the taxpayer—and it's not that I don't want the taxpayer to be contributing to supporting those who need it; I do support that principle but the more we can get businesses back into business the quicker we will take extra pressure off the taxpayer.So I simply want to make the comment again that I am pleased for those who are going to receive this assistance and I respect the fact that it is necessary. I am however very concerned that it's a two-tier system and that it is embedding unfairness and we know that many people are feeling that it's very unfair. But I will always stand up for those who work hard who pay their taxes and who obey the laws. They deserve our support and our encouragement and everything we can do in this House to enable people to get back to being self-reliant so that they can take care of their families will have my total respect and support."