Wood Michael; Seymour David; Tolley AnneMICHAEL WOOD (Labour—Mt Roskill): I thank the ACT Party caucus for their contribution in this general debate. It's rather like Custer's Last Stand defending ideas that reached their intellectual peak in about the late 1970s and I have great admiration for the member for his commitment to that particular cause. What an absolute contrast we have seen in this general debate and it really does sum up the political environment in New Zealand at this time. We've heard from Government members today with ideas an optimistic vision for New Zealand and an inclusive approach to bringing our fellow New Zealanders together to build a decent country in which everyone has a shot at a good life. That is what this coalition Government stands for. On the other hand we have an Opposition that is absolutely mired in negativity and desperate—desperate—to foster division for their own political ends. That has been the fundamental approach of this Opposition over the last three months and I believe it is a shameful approach. We have a concept in this country of an honourable and a loyal Opposition that fights its corner that fights the ideas that puts forward its vision for a better country but we deserve better than an Opposition that looks for any little issue that can divide New Zealanders one from another in order to win votes. I say that this Parliament and this country deserve better than that. That Opposition in that respect is led by an intellectual and political pygmy who has constructed his entire approach around this divisive approach. Can you imagine a person in this country who chooses to try and make political capital out of the Christchurch Call out of our Prime Minister's efforts on the international stage to stop the proliferation of hate speech and conduct online that fosters division and encourages violent action against minorities? While our Prime Minister is out there on the international stage bringing countries and organisations together to stop that kind of activity that kind of activity and hate that fuelled the awful attack in Christchurch we have a Leader of the Opposition who tried to use that as a wedge who tried to use it as a political tool who criticised the Prime Minister for taking that approach. That is a pathetic approach and actually the National Party has an honourable tradition of being a party in this country which while I don't agree with every position it's taken throughout its history has been an honourable party and they and their supporters actually deserve better than a leader who takes that approach. It's the same with Ihumātao—an immensely complicated issue one that was commenced in the term of the previous Government with different parties involved in that situation and here we have a Government and a Prime Minister who said This is difficult. This is complicated. But we are going to try and bring people together to foster a solution that can be enduring." What response do we have from the Leader of the Opposition? Again a little opportunity to put the needle in to try and divide people apart on crude racial lines to win political votes. That is absolutely appalling and I think people out there are seeing it for what it is. Finally we have gun law reform. I was very proud to chair the Finance and Expenditure Committee during tranche one of the gun law reforms where our Prime Minister shortly after those horrific attacks in Christchurch said "We will take action on this issue that has been ignored for too many years and take the most dangerous firearms out of our communities to keep people safer." It was I believe an honourable thing that this Parliament almost unanimously came together and worked together for that and I acknowledge colleagues on the other side of the House. I particularly acknowledge the Hon Judith Collins who took a lead role in that from the National Party's point of view. That has entirely changed with the next phase of gun law reform which has focused on actually implementing the remaining recommendations that have been sitting there on the table for 20 years coming out of the Thorp report and other investigations that this House has conducted. Instead again we see a nakedly political divisive approach from the Opposition on this issue and I just say to them "Just pause and breathe and think about how we can work together on this issue." This is a Government that is taking action on the long-term challenges which face New Zealand; a Government which has built over 2000 State houses to deal with the housing crisis in two years when that previous Government built about 300 in nine years; a Government which is leading action across all three parties of Government to take action on climate change with world-leading zero carbon legislation; and a Government which is finally saying we are not going to let our streams our lakes our rivers our waterways get more and more polluted as that previous Government did over nine years of taking absolutely no action. I'm so proud of this Government taking action on those long-term issues and building a country that is fair and inclusive for all New Zealanders. Thank you Madam Speaker.DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I hesitated to interrupt the member's speech but I put it to you that his characterisation of members of the Opposition as "pygmies" is highly inappropriate and brings the House into disrepute and also is somewhat ironic.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes I must confess I did think the latter. I think the comment reflects more on the speaker than it does on the Opposition. The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."