Tabuteau FletcherFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader—NZ First): Thank you sir. It's a pleasure to rise on behalf of this fantastic Government. I do have to say I was ready and willing to listen to the member Amy Adams and her audition for the finance spokesperson's role but I actually stopped—I stopped listening because actually I took umbrage. She was somehow offended at the composition of the Finance and Expenditure (F & E) Committee. I have been a member of that committee—privileged to be a member—in the last term and this and there could not be a greater contrast in the composition of that committee. On that side of the House that committee membership was pale male and stale and they made no attempt themselves. And yet the contrast today on this side of the committee's composition—more females more Māori participation. The contrast couldn't be more stark and so I stopped listening—I stopped listening but then I heard the words about debt and she made some obscure references to the debate that we're having today.Could I first touch on wages which the member raised. This Government is committed to raising wages amongst New Zealanders. We want to incentivise a highly productive contributive economy and this is what has been outlined in this report from F & E. What the member opposite may not realise is that in doing that and saying somehow it will be bad for the economy she has discounted the nature of a circular economy—the very nature of those increases in wages and what that will do to aggregate demand. Those increases in wages are a good thing for New Zealand in so many ways—retaining and attracting skilled employment—but in stimulating economic growth actually they are a good thing and I am proud to be in a Government that is part of that. I speak to the audition or the contribution from Mr Joyce and I say to Mr Joyce—he spoke about how that previous Government brought the Government's books into surplus. For seven long years year after year after year after year they were never able to achieve that. The unbelievable nature of not having achieved that was that at the same time whilst we are actually spending money on growing infrastructure in health and education that party over there while they could never get to a surplus for seven years froze the police budget cut tertiary education budgets cut the health budget managed to cut back on the conservation budget so severely—in all that time they could not reach a surplus.I put it to the House that while those members opposite grinned about achieving that near 3 percent—[Interruption] Oh yes Mr Speaker. Yes Mr Speaker I will come to the matter for the debate. Well OK let's put it in this context: we are forecasting just under 3 percent growth for the economy in this half-yearly report and I have no doubt the Budget will confirm that. In contrast to that Mr Joyce in his time as the Minister of Finance spoke about his 3 percent in GDP growth. He never spoke about the nominal growth rate that discounted the impact that that growth was having on individuals which was negligible—nothing to negligible—and he never spoke about investment in the New Zealand economy because that Government was too afraid and unwilling to spend a dollar on New Zealand business to generate and grow our regions.By contrast I'm proud to speak to the Budget Policy Statement today which very much speaks about a Government that is willing and able to contribute to growing New Zealand business. Yes our focus is in the regions because we all know that the regions have been neglected for nine years—nine years of neglect—and it is only now that a Government is willing to stand up take stock and rejuvenate what I put to this House is the heart of this country. We are a Government that has stood up and in this report has put forward our commitment to the well-being of children in this country because this is a Government that says that is at the heart of the decision-making process that we undergo on this side of the House. We believe that in doing that we are looking at the well-being of all New Zealanders.This Budget Policy Statement kind of had a past and future focus. What we're talking about when I say that is that we are about addressing the issues because now we need to build better-quality public services and improve access to core services like health and education. The contrast could not be more stark. The members opposite spoke about 3 percent GDP growth rate with that grin on their face for so many years when they were in Government but at the same time—I put it to the House—they wore like a badge of honour the fact that people were living in cars and cardboard boxes because that was simply symptomatic of their financial success. We do not accept that on this side of the House. We cannot accept that that is a measure of economic success and so this Budget Policy Statement commits to building better-quality public services.We had a contribution from this side of the House that spoke about the shortage of teachers—3000 I believe is projected in the not too distant future. In fact—Mr Hipkins correct me if I'm wrong—I think we're talking within the next financial year. So we have issues to deal with there because of chronic underfunding to our education system. We know that New Zealanders have been missing out on their access to doctors nurses and medical experts because of chronic underfunding from the other side of the House and so now this Government must address that.The other issue that we must address—and we cannot and we will not look past this—is poverty and homelessness. This is the core the heart of this Budget Policy Statement. So we must be about supporting families and sharing the wealth generated by the economy with hopefully all New Zealanders—those who want to engage those who want to be part of it those who want to work hard and earn a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. We want to reward them for that and we want to encourage New Zealanders to be a part of it—to say to you no a job is not one hour a week. A job to this Government is a full-time job where you can be proud because you can look after your children you can look after your family and you can enjoy yourself in the weekend—have a beer or if you don't want to do that have a Fanta and enjoy yourself and reap the rewards of your effort. We say that everyone must enjoy that.I spoke to the other part of this report from the select committee. We are proud to say that this Government is absolutely focused on sustainable economic development and supporting regional New Zealand. I couldn't be more proud to have been part of the group of Ministers that travelled to Gisborne on Friday. I was there to share in the announcements from the Prime Minister the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Regional Economic Development. In Gisborne every person in that hall—and that hall was packed—had a smile on their face because finally they had a Government that was committed to supporting good people with good ideas good economic plans and a commitment to make it work for this country. What they needed and what they need still is just that little bit more of that support and this report talks proudly and speaks proudly to that.I suppose I must finish by saying that we have made a commitment to managing New Zealand's natural resources and taking action against environmental challenges like climate change and I'm very proud to say that that is our mandate forward too. Thank you Mr Speaker.