Jackson WillieHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): I'm pleased to have the opportunity to speak in this debate on the report of the Finance and Expenditure Committee which was released on 14 December. Can I also take the opportunity to pay tribute to this Government for the Budget Policy Statement and the seamless way in which it has happened as part of the first 100 days on the Treasury benches. So I'd just like to applaud ourselves for the work we've done.But first of all I really need to give my condolences to Mark Mitchell over there. Mark you were our choice. You were our choice because—Mark Mitchell one of the good guys on the other side did the numbers—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Mr Jackson—Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Yes I'm coming back to it.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): No no you come to it now—right now.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Hang on. Sir it's only right that I pay my condolences to Mark and to Jami-Lee Ross because he missed out—the other two Māoris beat him.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Try speaking to the Budget Policy Statement—Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Well I'm speaking to it.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): —while you're doing it.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I'm speaking to it because these people are the same people who have been saying—and I was really offended in the last hour with the rubbish I kept hearing for instance about jobs and the waffle about how things were tracking so well in terms of the National Party and the way that the stats have come down. We're very proud of the way the stats are coming down too but you can't pat yourself on the back as Mark Mitchell and Jami-Lee Ross have been doing when you've got statistics within statistics—when you have Māori struggling at double the rate of the general unemployment figures at 9 percent; when you have jobs being advertised that a job's a job" when you do one hour a week. And we had the Hon Judith Collins waffling on about how well the previous Government has done—that's not reality that's just nonsense. That's just nonsense.This Government is into investing into real jobs and into the people. We're not into investing into our mates. That's the difference with this Government. We're not going to give tax cuts to our mates to avoid investment in health. It's clear. The statement is clear: we're going to actually invest in the people. So I'm pleased with where we're going on this. I think we're on track in terms of building an economy where everyone can benefit.Marama Davidson from the Greens mentioned a couple of areas I think that our Budget Policy Statement talks about particularly in the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act that was passed in November which sets minimum standards for rentals. Māori in particular are going to benefit in that. No longer are we going to have the types of sicknesses that we're getting in some of our kids and that in South Auckland. We're actually going to invest in healthy homes. I mean it's fantastic.Other features of our plan which have been coming out are restarting contributions to the Superannuation Fund a ban on overseas speculators buying existing homes the Tax Working Group student allowances and living costs to be increased by $50 a directive to Housing New Zealand to stop the sale of State houses—it goes on and on; you know this has all been happening in the 100 days—the Pike River Recovery Agency the inquiry into abuse of children in State care. You know this is what this country wanted. We didn't just want waffle; we wanted investment in terms of our people.Chris Bishop: You're the Crown prince of waffling.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: That member over there he knows what I'm saying—that this is a Government that will invest in families. Families. The Families Package is something that's outstanding; something that that member and his mates forgot about in the previous nine years. So I'm proud of the package. I'm proud that the package provides a significant boost to the incomes of low and middle income families. Many have been struggling under a National Government who was fixated—fixated—on investing into their mates. The sad part of that is that data tells us that the richest 1 percent of New Zealand own 30 percent of the country. Meanwhile the poorest 30 percent own only 1 percent. That's data that the previous Government should be ashamed of.And we're going to change things. We're going to try and set up a more equitable society for everyone where we're not just going to look at the stats at 4.5 percent; we're going to look at equity and equality for women for Māori for disabled for people right across the spectrum. So today I'm proud to stand up and support our Government who are absolutely on track at the moment. Kia ora Mr Assistant Speaker."