Bishop ChrisCHRIS BISHOP (National): Well now we know where the Labour Party stands when it comes to helping working families because every time the National Government puts forward a proposal like this bill the Taxation (Budget Measures: Family Incomes Package) Bill every time the Government puts forward a proposal to help out those who need it most the Labour Party votes against it. It voted against the 2015 Budget which raised benefit levels for the first time in 43 years and gave those who needed it most up to $25 a week extra and now it is clear it is going to vote against this measure.Is this a bill that delivers more to those who do not need it? That is the charge that the Labour Opposition has made and that is the charge that Grant Robertson made just before. No it is not. What this bill does—what this Budget delivers is tax cuts for those who need it most at the bottom of the income scale. What do we see in this bill? We see the increase in the two personal income tax thresholds from 1 April 2018. We see an extension from $14000 to $22000 for the 10.5 percent rate. We see an extension from the $48000 bracket up to $52000. Do we see a change in the top tax rate of 33 cents above $70000 a year? Do we see that? No. So those earning above $70000 a year do not get a cut in the rate they pay above that income. Do we see a cut in the 30 percent rate? No we do not. What we see are real-terms cuts at the bottom end of the spectrum. That is why someone earning $20000 a year under this bill faces a 17 percent drop in the tax they pay that is why someone on $50000 a year sees a drop of 10 percent and that is why someone on $100000 a year gets only a 4 percent drop in the tax they pay. So this is absolutely not a tax bill and a Budget that delivers only for the rich. In fact one of the stated aims of this bill and this Budget is to make sure that all New Zealanders share in the benefits of growth. When you have an economy that has grown every quarter bar one for the last 6 years it is important that New Zealanders share in the benefits of that growth. And they are and this Budget and this bill take the next step by delivering this Family Incomes Package.There are changes to Working for Families and Grant Robertson again in his speech just before said that these benefit only wealthy people. But indeed the tighter targeting around Working for Families as in fact many social commentators like Max Rashbrooke have argued—Jacinda Ardern: Tighter targeting? It cuts out below the median income.CHRIS BISHOP: —makes sure that those benefits flow to those—you to go talk to your mate Max Rashbrooke—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order!CHRIS BISHOP: —because he points out that the changes make sure that it goes to those who need it most. It is a complete contradiction to the argument that Grant Robertson was making.What else does this do? Well members opposite like to talk often about child poverty and fair enough. They like to talk about those facing severe housing stress. This package lifts 20000 people above the threshold for severe housing stress. It reduces the number of kids living in families receiving less than the median income by around 50000 kids. This is absolutely a bill absolutely a package targeted at those who need it most so it is just ridiculous for members opposite to argue otherwise. What else is the purpose of this bill and the purpose of the package broadly? Well it is to make sure that New Zealanders get rewards for hard work. Absolutely one of the big dividing lines I think between the parties in Parliament at the moment is the attitude towards tax cuts. You heard what Grant Robertson said. You heard his attitude summed up in one word: they are a bribe". The Government is bribing people—except it is New Zealanders' own money. They earned it; they deserve it. It is pretty hard to bribe someone with their own money. That sums up the philosophical distinction between the two parties. The Labour Party thinks that the money belongs to the Government and that when you give it back to New Zealanders you are bribing with them with Government money. Except it is not Labour's money. It is not the Government's money. It is taxpayers' money in the first place and that is absolutely the distinction.So let us just be clear at the end of my speech. What we have got is a package that targets support at those who need it most; that cuts taxes for the poor; and that—in addition to the changes around the accommodation supplement and the changes to Working for Families and the family tax credit and the other changes included in this bill and the wider package—makes sure that people who are in need of it because of severe housing stress get more money in their back pocket at the end of every week. On average 1.3 million families will receive on average $26 a week as a result of this bill and this package and the Labour Party is opposed to it. Let us be extremely clear about that. The Labour Party is going to oppose this bill and it is going to spend the next 3 months saying to New Zealanders: "No we don't think you deserve another $26 a week. No we don't think you deserve another 60 bucks a week in accommodation supplement. No we don't think you deserve extra money through the tax system. No you don't deserve it." And then Labour members claim to stand up and they claim that they care. They claim that they care about lower-income New Zealanders and about poor New Zealanders. Well the truth has just come out. Actually by voting against this they do not."