Whaitiri Meka; Tisch LindsayMEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): Tēnā koe Mr Assistant Speaker. Otirā ngā mema o Te Whare nei tēnā tātou katoa. I am pleased to take a call on the Appropriation (2015/16 Supplementary Estimates) Bill and say that Labour stands for a productive and fair and just society where all benefit and not just the elite few. Poverty levels and inequality levels are real and are growing in this country. Today we had Statistics New Zealand release some inequality-related figures and I would like to share them with the House. European people had an individual median net worth of $114000; Asian people $33000; Māori people $23000; and Pacific people a very sad $12000. That is individual net worth. That is what we have in this country under this National-led Government. Like previous speakers have said the supplementary estimates are a normal part of the Budget cycle where we seek to authorise and vary the appropriations for 2015-16 the financial year that is about to end which were made in Budget 2015. For the time that I have got I want to make my contribution in reply to the Minister of Finance's opening statement where amongst other things he talked about value for money and a commitment to showing results. He made mention of the results framework and the social investment framework. I want to give a snapshot of the electorate that I represent and paint the picture of the so-called results that people in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay are experiencing particularly around unemployment and homeownership. The statistics that I want to share with the House were taken from Statistics New Zealand's household labour force survey. It paints a picture of when Labour left Government in 2008 and when National took over. The unemployment rate in Gisborne - Hawke's Bay in 2008 was 5 percent—5 percent was the unemployment rate in Hawke's Bay - Gisborne. The New Zealand unemployment rate was 3.7 percent. Let us fast-forward to 2016. The Gisborne - Hawke's Bay unemployment rate is now 7.7 percent—7.7 percent—and New Zealand's unemployment rate is 5.7 percent. That demonstrates that unemployment in the Gisborne and Hawke's Bay region has grown significantly in these last 8 years. Let us look at the real numbers. In 2008 in the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne area we had 5200 people who were unemployed. Fast-forward that to 2016 and there are now 8200 people unemployed. The Government's policies around addressing unemployment in the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne region are failing. If I look at the real numbers of Māori unemployed people I see 3000 people of Māori descent in 2009 growing to 4200 in 2016. For Europeans the real number in 2009 was 3900 growing to 4400 in 2016. Again many more people in Gisborne are facing the sharp end of unemployment which this Government has taken its eye off. Homeownership in Hawke's Bay has decreased by an average of 30 percent. We all know that when we have homeownership it leads to stable whānau within that home it leads to children being in education and it leads to their health issues being addressed. But when you take away that dream of owning your home—not to mention the homelessness that I see experienced on a daily basis in my electorate—again this Government's record has failed when it comes to showing social investment results. Like I said for the short time I have got I have looked at the Estimates particularly around Vote Māori. All I want to say is that one of the roles that Te Puni Kōkiri did have in ensuring better Māori outcomes was the monitoring of all the mainstream agencies. I am saddened that that is not one of its key pillars and I suggest that we should do that—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch): Order! The member's time has expired.