Utikere Tangi; O'Connor GregTANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North): Kia orana Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to rise as the local MP for Palmerston North and make a contribution in today's general debate. And can I just say that the previous contribution from the previous member Paul Goldsmith was nothing more than a time filler. It was a good example of all talk no substance no plans no good news to share on that side of the House—no good news full stop. On this side of the House we are far from that. We are full of good news full of excitement reared up and ready to go.I am proud to be part of a strong and stable Government that is absolutely delivering for my community of Palmerston North. There is no easy fix for the cost of living but we are taking a range of actions to relieve the pressure. And when I reflect on the steps and actions that this Government have taken I think about that short-term cost of living payment that benefits so many people in my community of Palmerston North. I think about the winter energy payment—the continuation the active and deliberate decision of this Government to continue that through winter through tough times through cold months to support people in my electorate. I think of the work that Dr David Clark is leading in terms of tackling the monopoly that supermarkets have in this country to provide equitable and easier access to food items and the rest.Then of course we recently took the next step which is providing support to a majority of Kiwi families from 1 April next year by opening up the eligibility for subsidised childcare support. More than 50 percent of whānau with children will be eligible. And when I reflect on what that means for my community it means that Māori and Pasifika women will just clear another barrier that is in their way to provide equitable and equity assistance for them as well.I reflect on the last couple of weeks—actually the last week. On Friday I spent time visiting a couple of kindergartens in my electorate—Somerset and Tākoro kindergartens—and I spent time with the teaching staff with the support staff and with the tamariki as well to learn about what it means for them the various aspects of my community and the support. And I want to acknowledge that they're doing in that early childhood education and kindergarten space. But also just on Monday I spent time at Cloverlea Primary School talking with the principal and the staff—a great school—[Interruption] Thank you Ms Boyack—talking about and seeing the investment that this Government has made in infrastructure: their school investment package the Astroturf the new teaching and learning spaces making a difference for classrooms that have been underfunded for significant periods of time for members on the opposite of the House. We're not about that here—we are prepared to front up with the resource to support our teachers to support schools to support communities to deliver for their whānau.I also spent time visiting Palmerston North Girls' High School in the last few weeks and then on Friday visiting Freyberg High School looking at their healthy lunches in schools programme. In between visiting Tākoro Kindergarten and Freyberg I stopped into Ellesmere Crescent to see two-bedroom homes for Kāinga Ora that have been built in my city in my electorate—in over 20 years. Those folk on the Opposition benches were far more focused on hocking off selling Kāinga Ora State houses than building anything in my electorate—an absolutely shameful indictment on the actions of previous Governments. You can't shy away from that. Members cannot shy away from the fact that if I think of Palmerston North for the first time in many many years we are building warm dry secure homes for whānaus and families. So it was a pleasure to be able to see what they were doing in that particular space as well.I want to congratulate some young folk in my electorate—those members of the Amanaki STEM Academy for their success. They were celebrating that over the weekend. I'm proud of the fact that this is a Government in Labour that has invested in science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes has provided resourcing has provided funding to tackle the support of innovation of science of technology of engineering of mathematics. You know that is such a rich area of expertise and resource and I'm proud of the fact that I'm part of a Government and part of a Labour team that is investing in the future of our community investing in the future of Palmerston North. I'm also proud of the fact that we are continuing to invest in apprenticeships. We heard Minister Little talk about the fact that we have had huge numbers of apprenticeships up and down the country. I reflect on the two-bedroom houses that Kāinga Ora had built in my city. They were actually developed and built and constructed by WelTec and I know that that's another example of apprenticeships working.So I am proud to be part of a stable strong Government in Labour that is delivering for communities up and down the country and in particular it is delivering for the people of Palmerston North.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Members the next call is to the Māori Paati. The Māori Paati are not present. What I intend to do is go straight to the next speaker. It means there will be a spare slot. I'll invite each party to give me a name of a member who they would like to fill the No. 12 slot and I will choose a member. So if you can just approach me with a name on a piece of paper it will be a surprise to one in four members in the House. In the meantime can we go to Angela Roberts.