Bridges Simon; Dean JacquiHon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga): It's a pleasure to be talking in this Parliament again and it doesn't seem like so long ago we were doing that. Can I just acknowledge and welcome the new members. It's very exciting to see so many new faces. Can I acknowledge the last speaker the Hon Kiritapu Allan. I thought she was full of energy. A very kinetic presentation I thought and—Hon Kiritapu Allan: I like that. Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —that was good to see. Look it up I think I've got the right word. Could be wrong—we'll see. Could I also acknowledge you Madam Assistant Speaker Dean and congratulate you on your role. I know you'll do it with aplomb. You're a very experienced member and we really as I say wish you well in it. I want to speak and have a conversation really about the context in which this Government finds itself and the next three years that we have before us in this Parliament. I think the truth is that we start this Parliament with the economy stronger than most economists thought was going to be the case at the start of the year. The $14 billion in wage subsidies probably had something to do with that—I don't know—but there's been a lot of money pumped in. The pundits weren't right and that's a good thing. But I do wonder when the finance Minister and the Reserve Bank Governor are literally printing $100 billion—one third of our economy's GDP—David Seymour: Why didn't we think of it earlier? Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Exactly—when they're doing that where's it all going to end? You know as my good friend David Seymour says why didn't we think of that earlier? Well maybe it's because actually Social Credit weren't right. What we've seen in the past shows that it doesn't work and eventually—maybe not this term maybe this term but some time this decade—it's going to catch up with the world. I was reading a thing. They're calling it modern monetary theory and I think the reality is that if it sounds too good to be true—borrowing yet more money; billions and billions and billions—actually it is. My great fear is that with a Government on that side of the House that says they're about inequality and dealing with hard issues like housing and poverty—actually with policies like that they will be entrenching inequality in this country. On this side of the House we or certainly I believe in smaller government. I think the reality is that it's businesses—not them over there—that make this country great. They get out every day work hard take risks and respond to incentives and bills like this one this evening put up the tax rate and bills like later this week that simply slap on more cost on small and medium sized business around this country aren't going to work. Ronald Reagan said a long time ago—well it must have been a long time ago—that I'm from the Government and I'm here to help." were the scariest few words in the English language. I'm not sure if that's true or not but I do think actually a Government that's got less red tape and less tax and that isn't borrowing so much in the long-term interest of our country has got to be a better thing for this country and I worry actually that we forget our freedoms sometimes. We're very complacent about them economically and also politically. I want to say look there's some big issues in the world today. COVID-19—heaven forbid don't sort of stone me—I don't think that's the biggest issue in the world today actually. I think the reality of it is that it's a big issue but there's a vaccine on the way and we're very optimistic about that. Dare I say it I don't even think that climate change is the biggest issue in the world today. Don't get me wrong—and don't call the Human Rights Commission all right? I mean I know that's probably hate speech or it will be by the end of this Parliament but I think that issues like China and the US and the real potential given a more aggressive China for the misunderstanding in the room for that—it's a real issue. I look at what's happening with Australia and their wine tariffs with real concern and actually I think for countries like New Zealand it's a case of united we stand divided we fall. So predictions: I think there are three scenarios for this Labour Government. They might be bold but I think we can discount that straight away. I don't think there's really any chance of that given our Prime Minister and Grant Robertson's temperament and actually dare I say it a bunch of New Zealanders—farmers and other middle New Zealanders—who lent them their vote will be watching them very carefully. I don't think they'll be bold. There's a chance they'll do nothing and actually if we look at this week when we're going to be debating climate change—it's so urgent that they didn't do it last week. Actually they put it off today and we'll do it tomorrow and when we get round to it all we'll do is have a chat right? That's literally what we're going to do because the reality is that the Government hasn't done much on that. I think the reality is something in the middle. They'll roll along not doing much but with spurts here and there and let me tell the members opposite something: the National Party will be there to hold you to account in the interest of New Zealanders. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): The Hon David Bennett—five minutes."