Brown SimeonGENERAL DEBATEHon SIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business. Mr Speaker it's only one week to go until New Zealanders will for the first time in 14 years get tax relief in this country. I just want to start by saying thank you to the Minister of Finance for the extraordinary hard work that she has done and thank you to New Zealanders who voted for the coalition Government at the last election. We are delivering on our promise to deliver tax relief. We are keeping the promises that we made to New Zealand at the last election. We're delivering the cost of living relief that New Zealanders voted on at the last election. We know by travelling up and down this country over the last three-week recess and talking to real New Zealanders that the cost of living is the number one issue facing New Zealanders. That's why this tax relief which as the Minister of Finance highlighted—over half a million people have been on the tax calculator. We know 727000 households are projected to receive a minimum of $75 per fortnight from 31 July; 187000 households will be benefiting by at least $100 a fortnight by 31 July. We promised tax relief and we are delivering tax relief for New Zealanders for the hard-working families of New Zealand. On this side of the House we're the party of workers because they voted against it; they keep voting against tax relief. Last night they had an opportunity an opportunity in this House to change their mind. They've had three weeks to go and talk to New Zealanders listen to their concerns and they came back and they voted against tax relief again. We remember seven years ago when National last put tax relief in place what did Labour do? They cancelled it. New Zealanders will not forget. Well it's been a busy three-week recess for this Government hasn't it? The Prime Minister has been at NATO in Washington D.C. strengthening our international alliances and our trade connections. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has been providing more support for Ukraine. The Minister of Education—she's announced a new school for Flat Bush. What a great announcement for the good people of Flat Bush one of the fastest-growing parts of Auckland. Minister David Seymour has been keeping Country Kindy open—how good—and deregulating I think and announcing new cancer treatments for New Zealand. The Minister of Health has been fixing up the mess left behind in the health system and what a mess it has been left behind for New Zealanders; the Minister for Regional Development announcing the regional infrastructure funds that are going to help jobs in our regions and combat climate change and support our councils. The Minister of Housing announcing our Going for Housing Growth plan. The last Government—we all remember KiwiBuild don't we and what a useless mess that was. Of course I've been out there busily getting the roads of national significance under way making sure NZTA has 24-hour pothole repair targets for our highways getting traffic management under control and also getting those bridges on our State highways—the Pepe Bridge in the Coromandel; isn't it going to be great to have that double lane in the Coromandel.But what has the Opposition been up to? What has the Opposition been up to? Well Chris Hipkins he's been to that foreign land of Auckland. And what did he do in Auckland? [Holds up photo] He opened an office! He went to Auckland—the International Affairs Office" I thinks he's the Minister of Foreign Affairs now. That far-flung part of the country which rejected the Labour Party at the last election in record numbers. They are now sending their Minister or their member for foreign affairs their spokesperson for foreign affairs to go and search out that once-known land of Auckland to try and find out what the people of Auckland might think and what they might be concerned about.Of course what they think the best way to do that is to sit behind a desk in an office. That's how you find out what Aucklanders think. You've got to have an office you've got to have a desk you've got to sit behind it. That's how they think they're going to win the next election. Well I just say "good luck" to those people—voting against tax relief not supporting our law and order policies not supporting our transport policies continuing to support slower speed limits. Aucklanders will continue to reject the Labour Party. Thank you Mr Speaker."