Meager JamesJAMES MEAGER (National—Rangitata): Look I join my colleague in congratulating a very excellent foreign affairs Minister one of a number of excellent foreign affairs Ministers we've had over the past few years that this House can celebrate I'm sure.I'd like to say that today is a great day for New Zealand it's a great day for Mount Roskill and it's a great day for the people of Northcote and for Dan Bidois because for many working New Zealanders today is pay day. For many working New Zealanders they will check their bank accounts today and they will see more money in their account this week than what they saw last week. For many working New Zealanders after 14 years of hard work and toil finally they are able to keep more of what they earn because today tax relief is here.Today is a great day for the people of mid- and South Canterbury. It may surprise you to know that my electorate is the hardest-working electorate in the country. We are ranked number one in the country for the number of workers who work between 50 and 59 hours per week. One-fifth of my electorate are labourers and 16 percent are in manufacturing which are both the second highest in the country. We know what hard work looks like. We know what turning up to work looks like. We know what it's like to grind and toil day after day night after night to provide for our families.Speaking of families in my electorate 23 percent of families in my electorate earn between $70000 and $100000 per year the highest rate of all electorates in New Zealand. They are the ones that will benefit from tax relief. They know what it's like—Cameron Brewer: They'll be happy.JAMES MEAGER: —to provide for their families Mr Brewer. They work hard. They deserve to keep more of what they earn. From today they will start seeing that in their pay cheques and in their bank accounts.Today is a great day for the freezing workers of Smithfield and ANZCO Foods who spend 10 hours a day on their feet in gumboots on concrete processing meat and goods for export around the world. Today they see their hard work rewarded with tax relief for working New Zealanders Mr Costley. Today is a great day for the supermarket workers at Countdown Browne Street in Timaru and at New World Temuka who pack the bags and stack the shelves working long into the night to provide the essential goods and services that we need for our families. Today they see their hard work rewarded with tax relief for working New Zealanders. Today is a great day for truck drivers and port workers and mine operators irrigation services and nurses and teachers and police officers and taxi drivers and baristas and retailers and every other working New Zealander. They finally have a Government who backs them to know what's best for them a Government which knows that they are the ones who are best placed to make spending decisions for them and their families.But this is not a Government which rests on its laurels. Today has also revealed an uptick in unemployment as the hangover from years of economic mismanagement finally kicks in and we on this side are left to clean up the mess. Inflation is dropping but continues to sit above the 3 percent target meaning a prolonged wait for mortgage-holders as interest rates stay high in order to beat inflation down. Every single day we have Ministers of this Government discovering more and more hidden financial time bombs and every day we on this side of the House give thanks that New Zealand has a strong and courageous finance Minister in Nicola Willis to steer us through.We will continue to hold up our end of the bargain. We will remain disciplined in our spending ensuring every dollar is providing a return for New Zealanders in stronger economic growth in safer streets and in better health and education. There will be a high bar for new spending as the finance Minister said and it must align with Government priorities. What we save as a Government we will return to working New Zealanders. Because while no side of the House owns the workers only one side of the House truly supports the workers.Finally today is a great day for one Rose Stocker the queen of Timaru who turned 60 years old today. So on behalf of myself Stuart Zachary Mykhaela Harry Oscar Theo Alfie Xavier and Lachlan happy birthday mum. You are a legend. Thank you for walking the dogs.