Lotu-Iiga SamHon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie): Lau afioga I Le Fofoga Fetalai ae tainane Le paia maualuga I Sui usufono o Le palemene a Niu Sila Faafetai mo Le Avanoa e fai ai sa'u fa'amatalaga I taualumaga o Le Fono nei.Mr Deputy Speaker I greet you in my mother tongue of Samoan. It is Samoan Language Week. It is the language spoken in heaven but it is only the third-most spoken language in this country and the second-most spoken language in Auckland. I know you have a connection to Samoa through your beautiful wife Mr Deputy Speaker and I greet you in Samoan here today.I rise to speak in the Budget debate because it is done through the reading of this the Appropriations (2017/18 Estimates) Bill. Can I start by acknowledging the Minister of Finance Steven Joyce. It is his first Budget but it is a Budget that carries on the fine work of our Prime Minister Bill English. It is a Budget that focuses on quality public services. It is a Budget that is prudent that manages debt over the long term whilst being compassionate to those New Zealanders who need Government assistance and it is a Budget that has been welcomed by many many New Zealanders across our great nation. I know Darroch Ball the previous speaker does not believe me but I would like to quote from just some of the external sources out there—the people actually who matter. These are the New Zealanders out there who are receiving services who believe in this Government who have faith in this Government and who are supporting us in our ninth year in Government.Corin Dann said that help with housing supplements is essential and [it is] the right thing to do". It is the right thing to do. Scott Figenshow of Community Housing Aotearoa said: "We congratulate Government on the proposed changes to the Accommodation Supplement. Government's message has been that investment in housing is an investment in good social outcomes."Darroch Ball: That's not investing in housing.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: That is right Mr Ball—good social outcomes. Finally Kirk Hope of Business New Zealand said that it was about "Increasing the two bottom tax thresholds" and it was "a positive investment in family incomes for many."—for many. He said: "Investment in infrastructure innovation and trade in the 2017 Budget is positive." Do not believe me Mr Ball; believe independent commentators believe the NGO sector and believe business interests all around this country which are in agreement that is a positive Budget it is a decent Budget and it is the right thing to do. Of course we have heard tonight about the flagship policy which is of course the Family Incomes Package: $2 billion per year to support low to middle income New Zealanders with tax cuts and an increase in the accommodation supplement. But what does this mean? What does it mean practically for New Zealanders out there? Well we know that 1.3 million families on average will benefit on average by $26 per week. That is over $1300 dollars per year on average per family from these reforms. In Maungakiekie of course that means families—and they have been giving me feedback since the Budget—can purchase clothes for kids. They can spend it on treats like taking the kids out for a meal and they can save for holidays. The package also helps those facing increasing housing costs and if you qualify for an accommodation supplement it means for a two-person household you can qualify for a supplement of up to $3900 per year. For larger households that amount goes above $4000 per year—$4000 per year. That is real support for families. It gives them more choices. It means that they can spend on the things that they want to do and that they want to spend on and it means they are not being overtaxed and burdened by rising costs in the economy. It also improves their well-being their wealth and the ability of New Zealanders to live the lifestyles that they choose.Darroch Ball: This is just hot air.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: As I said the feedback from my constituents in Maungakiekie has been hugely positive. The No. 1 priority for them is jobs—jobs so that they can look after their families so they can clothe and feed their children so they can go about their lives. Mr Ball seems to ignore this feedback. I do not know which electorate he represents but he needs to get out a bit more and start listening to people because what they are saying is that in the last 3 years we have had over 200000 jobs created—200000 jobs—and over 215000 jobs will be created in the next 4 years. That is over 2½ million people employed—2½ million people employed—and that is more than at any other time in our country's history. Darroch Ball: That's because the population is growing.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Mr Ball might ask you know what about social investment? Well I can tell you in all the social investment models nothing beats someone getting a job. You can go to a prison and talk to prisoners who are about to get out on parole or release. You can go to markets and talk to people. You can doorknock as I did earlier this week in Māngere and they will tell you that a strong economy—jobs—is what they are after. They also want rising incomes. So this family incomes policy is a great way to reward those hard-working low to middle income families out there who by and large are not actually interested in politics and just want to go about their business live their lives in their own communities and benefit from the fruits of a bulging economy and the great nation that we are.The management of the economy is important and it helps the Government first to afford first-class services—and I will talk a little about health and education—but also to prepare for any major shocks. We have had Kaikōura we have had Christchurch—natural shocks—but there are also external shocks from a world economy that at any time could go into recession. The feedback from the families I talk to—I was doorknocking with the Māngere candidate Agnes Loheni—and the feedback from business owners in shops and from elderly folk who were at home during the time when we were doorknocking earlier this week has been largely positive. The migrants and the families we talked to—migrants from India who run businesses Croatian families and Samoan families—understand the importance of immigration but they also understand the importance of hard work. Those were the families whom we were talking to who are particularly attracted to what this Government has to offer in this Budget.Of course there is investment in our schools. Darroch Ball: Ha ha!Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: You are welcome to come along Mr Ball to the 24 classrooms that were opened last year at Ellerslie School to the new learning environments that we saw opened in Sylvia Park School. Those are the sorts of things that actually make a difference to local communities. Those are the sorts of things that families want to see. They want their kids in modern learning environments and able to get ahead through education. They also know that roads are important—for example State Highway 20 and the East-West Link that runs through my electorate of Maungakiekie. Those investments—the $1.8 billion for the East-West Link the second-biggest roading project in this country—are going to make a huge difference not just to businesses in my area but also to those in local communities who want to go about their lives go to the sport on Saturday go to work from Monday to Friday be part of their community and use quality public services. I am especially proud that the Minister of Education has brought in reforms. We have had very good successive Ministers of Education from Anne Tolley in 2008 right through to Hekia Parata. Now we have got Nikki Kaye and $386 million of operating funding over 4 years. That will make a difference to schools that are looking to invest in their children and that are looking to provide the services that their parents demand. Of course people still enjoy the 20 free hours for preschool children and what I am particularly proud of is the funding that is going into those kids who are at-risk require a little bit more resource and require a little bit more help. We were able to build on those kids' learning outcomes.I am proud of this Budget. It is a Budget that as has already been said is well supported within this House. The Green Party which opposes almost everything that this Government does is voting for this Budget and New Zealand First is voting for this Budget and yet we have got Labour members over there who are sadly not quite following through. This is a great Budget. This is a Budget that will continue the fine work that has been done by this Government and I just want to wish you well in this special week Samoan Language Week. Ia manuia lava le vaiaso o le gagana Samoa. I wish you well. Thank you very much."