Luxton JoHon JO LUXTON (Labour): Thank you Mr Speaker. It's a pleasure to take the opportunity to speak in this Address in Reply debate. It is the first opportunity I have had to speak in this House since the general election. I want to acknowledge and congratulate all the new members to this House here in Parliament and in particular I'd like to acknowledge James Meager and congratulate him on winning the electorate of Rangitata. I wish him all the best. It is an absolute honour and privilege to serve the people of Rangitata and one I know that he will take very seriously. Mr Speaker I also want to acknowledge you and all the other presiding officers and congratulate you all on your positions. It seems a bit strange to be doing this this late in the piece given that the election was nearly four months ago but as I say it is the first opportunity I've had to speak in the House since we came back after the election. I'm incredibly grateful to be back here in this House with and as part of the Labour team a team that is going to be an extremely strong united Opposition that will hold this Government to account every opportunity that we get. I'll now turn my contribution to the Speech from the Throne that we heard from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon—Tim van de Molen: Great speech.Hon JO LUXTON: Yeah well that's debatable. So I went into the Chamber to listen to the speech. I thought I would give him the benefit of the doubt—you know I'm open to new ideas and different ways of thinking—but I was highly disappointed. There was no vision there were no transformative ideas; actually there were no ideas—no new ideas. It was nothing but a speech that was punitive to certain communities and people in New Zealand and it was all about repealing legislation and I wonder if that is because they have no ideas of their own. All they do or have been doing is repealing legislation that was put in place by the previous Government for the sake of repealing it with nothing and no ideas to replace it.So I'm all up for having a change and repealing legislation if there is something that is worthwhile and that it is being replaced with but we are not seeing any of that and New Zealanders are not seeing any of that either. In fact I imagine and I'm quite certain there'll be people out there in New Zealand who are having a bit of buyer's remorse right now. During the campaign period Christopher Luxon said that they would have a laser-sharp focus on the cost of living crisis and on improving the lives of everyday New Zealanders. What we heard in the Speech from the Throne outlines the way in which they plan to do it and I just want to cover off some of those things that they raised as a way of supporting Kiwis. The first one I want to talk about is repealing the world-first smoke-free legislation. I am unsure how that will help improve the lives of everyday New Zealanders but we do know that that legislation is being repealed in order to be able to afford the tax cuts that we do know will benefit the rich and the high-income earners. So yes I guess they'll be better off at the expense of New Zealanders and their health. Hon Kelvin Davis: Looking after their mates.Hon JO LUXTON: Yep for their rich mates. I want to talk about the fact that they will bring back the 90-day trials for every business—every business. As a business owner myself I exclude that clause from any employment agreement I have because actually I trust in my staff and the relationship that I have with my staff. We can have conversations and I can support them through what is called a probation period I suppose as well. You can work together and communication is the key to ensure that you are the right fit together for the business. So I just completely disagree with bringing in the 90-day trials because that doesn't help everyday Kiwis with the cost of living—not that I can see.They got rid of the fair pay agreement legislation—legislation that would simply set baselines and pay and conditions for Kiwis. They've repealed that so how does that help everyday Kiwis with the cost of living? I sat on the select committee that heard submissions from New Zealanders—these everyday Kiwis that this Government professes to want to support with the cost of living crisis. I sat there and I listened to one submission that will always always stick in my mind: a big burly bus driver brought to tears—brought to tears—in front of the select committee when he told the stories of his working conditions and said that he was having to work several shifts. He hardly ever saw his family but that is what he had to do in order to make ends meet. And what do we see from this Government? One of the first things that they do is repeal that legislation—the legislation that would quite simply support the everyday Kiwis that they purport to support.They want to repeal the affordable water reforms—we've heard that. When Labour was in Government we had a plan to fix all the issues that we're seeing in our water infrastructure but this incoming Government is simply going to repeal it. We're not too sure what they're going to replace it with but what this Government needs to do is stand up and be honest with New Zealanders about how much its plan will cost them when it comes to councils having to increase rates for ratepayers in order to be able to fix their water infrastructure. I am not sure how that will help everyday New Zealanders with the cost of living.I want to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart and that is my sister Teresa who has Down syndrome. I listened to the Speech from the Throne because I have hopes and aspirations and dreams for Teresa so I was interested to see what the Government's aspirations hopes and dreams were for people like Teresa—people with disabilities. What did we hear? Crickets—absolutely nothing.This Government has no hopes no dreams and no aspirations for people with disabilities. In fact we learn that Whaikaha now has to look for 7.5 percent cuts. We heard the Minister of Finance today say that it wasn't going to affect delivery of services but that Minister of Finance had also earlier indicated those agencies that would be required to seek cuts and Whaikaha wasn't one of them. Whaikaha wasn't one of them so how can we believe her when she says things like that?Hon Member: Broken promise.Hon JO LUXTON: Yeah broken promises—completely—from this incoming Government. They talk a lot as I've mentioned about supporting everyday Kiwis with a laser-sharp focus on the cost of living crisis and yet when Labour was in Government Labour did many things to support people with the cost of living. We increased the minimum wage every year we brought in fair pay agreement legislation and we abolished prescription fees. We did many things like that that would help and did help everyday Kiwis with the cost of living crisis. In fact we were going to introduce 20 free hours' early childhood education for two-year-olds which meant for many families that both parents could both be out working if that is what they chose to do. It would have saved on average $133 per week for families in order to go back to work however that might be—whether or not it was both parents—to be able to bring in additional income to support them. I want to talk about this Government and the issues around Māori and te reo Māori. When Labour was in Government we did many things. We introduced the first Matariki public holiday we increased funding for Whānau Ora by 145 percent and we introduced New Zealand histories in schools—an opportunity that too many of our previous generations have missed out on and with me being one of them. So I have hope and I have aspirations for my grandchildren—Hon Kelvin Davis: They don't. Hon JO LUXTON: —that's right that's right—but they are dashed by this Government which now wants to get rid of te reo Māori language from all Government agencies. What is that telling this next generation of children who so proudly learn about our history in schools and who so proudly participate in their kapa haka? What is this that we are telling them? That we don't value them and that we don't value their language. This Government is shameful.