Woods MeganGENERAL DEBATEHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business.Well it's been another week of change over in the National Party. We've seen some shifting of the deckchairs once again and I would like to welcome Chris Bishop to the housing portfolio. I know he was probably hoping for finance but I'm hoping he'll enjoy the housing portfolio. I'd also like to offer him some helpful advice because that's the kind of person I am. I too have been an occupant of that chair that seat in the House. I would like to call it the chair of doom and suggest that no amount of attempting to date the Speaker will get you out of the fact that everything you say can and will be heard. But this has also been a week when we've seen significant improvements for New Zealand families. We've seen that the Government who has provided stable and united leadership through the most challenging of events for New Zealanders over the last couple of years is showing that that is exactly the approach it will take in response to our recovery and how New Zealanders are faring. I do talk about the 25c-a-litre cut that we've applied to fuel and this is already making a positive impact on New Zealanders' pockets. They are already saving between $11 and $17 a tank every time they fill up their car. They will already be saving from around the beginning of April every time they get on public transport. This is significant and this is going to make a difference.We are a Government that has put the cost of living first and to the fore since we came into office in 2017. We've done a number of things but there are some significant measures that will come into play on 1 April that will make a real and meaningful change to people's lives. I'd like to point to the 60 percent of New Zealand families who will get an increase under Working for Families of an average of around $20. I do not think we can underestimate the rises to superannuation that we're about to see: $52 a fortnight for someone on their own; $80 for a couple. That is something that I know all superannuitants will be celebrating. I also point to the fact that the winter energy payment will re-begin its payments on 1 May. I'd also like to point to the fact that we'll see rises in student allowances. These are the kind of things that will make real and significant differences to people's lives and to their pockets. We can put what Labour is proposing and already doing—we're already seeing that real change—against the proposals that we've seen from the National Party. We're seeing a reheat—a reheat of Simon Bridges' policies from the time he was leader. So I'd like to acknowledge Mr Bridges' retirement from this House and the work the National Party is still continuing to draw on: the kinds of tax policies that are going to mean those on medium and low incomes will see something like $2.16 in their pockets a week whereas those on the highest incomes are going to see thousands. I think on my rough calculation that I'm set to get somewhere between $7000 and $8000 under the National Party proposals while many of the people I represent will get $2.16. This is not something that is going to benefit ordinary New Zealanders.But what we've also heard is another reheat of the familiar Bermuda Triangle" from National which is that somehow we're going to spend all this money on tax cuts for the highest-earning New Zealanders but they're saying that we won't have to cut services. Services will have to be cut. We will see cuts to education we will see cuts to health and we will see cuts to housing. I'm already hearing the rhetoric from the National Party that they sound out like they're gearing up for a sell-off of State houses. I'd put the cutting of the Auckland regional fuel tax—I ask the rest of New Zealand how they feel about a party that was only offering relief for Auckland. There are many parts of the country that indeed were paying more for their fuel than Auckland. So this is a party that is not only out of touch but it also doesn't realise New Zealand exists beyond the Bombay Hills."