Robertson GrantAPPROPRIATION (2018/19 ESTIMATES) BILLThird ReadingIMPREST SUPPLY (SECOND FOR 2018/19) BILLSecond ReadingHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I move That the Appropriation (2018/19 Estimates) Bill be now read a third time and the Imprest Supply (Second for 2018/19) Bill be now read a second time.It is my great honour and privilege to be able to present this third reading of the Government's first Budget to the House. I want to thank all of the select committees who worked through the Estimates particularly the chairs of the select committees and all those who spoke in the debate. It is an important part of our democratic process that the Parliament gets to assess the plans of the Government put those under the spotlight and then come back to this House and debate them and I am very grateful for the work of the select committees.This Government has brought to the House a Budget that provides the balance that New Zealand needs to continue a record of strong economic management and make the investments that we need to fix the long-term problems that are facing New Zealand. Budget 2018 is about building the foundations for the future; the foundations for a future economy that delivers productivity sustainability and inclusion for New Zealand; that leaves behind once and for all the belief that we can have a casino economy where we gamble on whether or not house prices will go up where we leave ourselves exposed to commodity markets and we rely on population growth to fuel our economy. As the Governor of the Reserve Bank said at the weekend the next three to five years are about making that transition and this Budget is the Budget that lays the foundations for that.In particular Mr Speaker I want to reference three key areas that this—Madam Deputy Speaker. You changed while I was looking down—and for the better I might add. There are three key areas that are going to lead to a more productive economy within this Budget. The first of those is a $1 billion boost to research and development funding. I want to thank Minister Megan Woods for the work that she has been doing since the Budget was tabled—going around the country and working with New Zealand businesses on the detailed design of our research and development tax incentive. This will finally give the businesses of New Zealand certainty about their ability to invest in innovations and research and development that will drive productivity. It was an important step forward.I also want to note the major investments being made in this Budget in the provinces and regions of New Zealand. The $1 billion Provincial Growth Fund will make the biggest difference to New Zealand's regions of any single investment made in the lifetime of any member in this House. I'd encourage Mr Goldsmith to get out of Epsom and take a look around the country. He'll actually see that in the regions of New Zealand they are excited that they have a Government that backs them and is actually going to get in there and help build sustainable economic development and jobs in our regions. From the Far North to the far south of New Zealand people are responding to the Provincial Growth Fund as a way of building up our economic development.The Green Investment Fund which the Hon James Shaw has been driving will start to leverage private sector investment in that transition to a low carbon economy. This side of the House is not prepared to sit on the sidelines and say it is other people's responsibility for New Zealand to start to live up to the obligations we have when it comes to climate change. And it's not just about those obligations; it's actually New Zealand's brand proposition. This Budget is about making sure that we actually start to live up to our clean and green reputation and use that to help drive economic opportunities and the Green Investment Fund is an important part of that.The other element of that is the infrastructure challenge. This Budget puts in place $10 billion more investment in infrastructure over the next five years than the previous Government had planned—$10 billion extra going into making sure that we actually unclog the roads of Auckland; that the $1 billion a year being lost in productivity because of congestion in Auckland comes back into the economy and delivers jobs. We'll do that by investing in rail by investing in roads by actually getting coastal shipping going again and by having a transport strategy that's actually for the middle part of the 21st century not looking in the rear view mirror as some would do. So R & D skills infrastructure and investment in the Green Investment Fund—all of these things are vitally important to supporting businesses to grow. On the other side of the ledger what this Budget does is begin to rebuild the critical public services undermined so much over the last nine years. An extra $3.2 billion is going into health services. I want to add to that: $750 million this year is going into capital in our health sector. When we look to what happened in the previous Budget from the previous Government the equivalent figure was $150 million. This Government is saying $750 million. The reality of a $150 million commitment from the previous Government is mould in the walls and people not being able to use operating theatres unless they're wearing hazmat suits. That's the health sector that this Government inherited and we are turning it around. It will take time but we have committed to a long-term investment to make sure that happens. We're reducing GP fees by $20 to $30 a week for 540000 New Zealanders on low incomes and all under-14-year-olds will be getting free GP visits.We've started sorting out things for the midwives and since this Budget was put in place I want to acknowledge the work of Dr David Clark in making sure we got a fair resolution for our nurses because having the nurses in our workforce feeling that they're valued is the first step to making sure we get things right in the health sector. In the Budget speech I gave my commitment to the professionals who work in our health sector that we will work with them to rebuild. We are in that space now and I'm very proud that we've been able to make that progress.We also see in this Budget a huge boost for operational funding for education to ensure that our schools are fit for purpose into the future—15000 more teachers. We are making sure that early childhood education services are funded properly—the first across-the-board funding increase for early childhood education in a decade and that is what is in this Budget today.When it comes to housing the 6400 community and State houses that will be built make the first dent in what has been a deficit that has built up under the last Government. Be absolutely clear: this Government stopped the State house sell-off and now we're building 6400 more. Never again will we allow that stock that is so important to the well-being of New Zealanders to be undermined so much. There are too many other areas in the Budget to dwell on too much but I do want to talk about two in particular. The first of those is the funding for conservation. It is true that among the three parties of this Government we have made a commitment to a significant increase in funding for conservation. It has been the record of the previous Government to not fund conservation properly and to look to the private sector to fill in where the public sector should be. Finally we have a Government that is committed to turning that around.The matter I want to spend a little bit of time on now is the Families Package because from 1 July when this Budget came into force $5.5 billion will be rolled out over the next four years to improve the living standards of our families. There can be few things more important than knowing that the basics will be there. There are few things more important for children than to live in a house that is warm and dry and for their parents to have the income they need. I have been humbled by the people who have written to us in receipt now of increased Working for Families payments of the Best Start payment and in particular of the winter energy payment. What we are hearing from New Zealanders is that it is these basics that have worried them. The thing that causes stress in families is that they don't have those basics and we're finally getting it right.I also want to acknowledge the fact that we are starting to address the inequalities that have grown in our society with a $16.50 minimum wage lifting to $20 paid parental leave out to 18 weeks—22 weeks now and then 26 weeks by 2020. We are looking out for future generations. We have restarted contributions to the super fund that were stopped in 2009 and we will have a fund worth $64 billion that will look after future generations of New Zealanders.This is a Budget that I am proud of. It is the first of three for this term of a Government that will build on the foundations that we have laid. We know there is a big job to do. We know New Zealanders have high expectations but we have the balance right in this Budget. We're being careful with our money but we are finally getting on with building the public services that New Zealanders want and deserve. I am immensely proud of this Budget and I commend it to the House.