Barclay Todd; Mallard TrevorTODD BARCLAY (National—Clutha-Southland): Thank you very much Mr Assistant Speaker for providing me with the opportunity—Mr Bayly was starting to eat into my 5 minutes. I wanted to have the opportunity to speak today because this is a fantastic Budget—a Budget that delivers for all New Zealanders. We are the Government of infrastructure the party for education and the party for health. National is seeing the stewardship of a strong stable growing economy a stable political environment and the Opposition cannot grasp that—that we have made choices based on the success of the economy of all of those who participate in it. Over the last 3 years there have been 200000 jobs created low unemployment and more people experiencing higher incomes. This is the landscape that gives us choices.The Government is New Zealand's infrastructure Government. We are seeing huge investment into schools hospitals housing roads railways ultra-fast broadband and broadband. Southern District Health Board (DHB) is experiencing a $31 million increase this year bringing total Budget spending on Southern DHB to $914 million. Over the last 9 years this Government has invested an additional $223 million into funding for Southern DHB.Everyone is sharing in the benefits of a growing economy. Everyone supports this Budget except for the Labour Party. The Labour Party voted against tax cuts. The Labour Party voted against helping the most vulnerable New Zealanders. Labour voted against people earning more than $22000 a year being $11 a week better off. The Labour Party voted against people earning more than $52000 being more than $20 better off. Labour voted against around 750000 superannuitants and it voted against over 41000 students benefiting from the Family Incomes Package. That is disgraceful. We are the Government that has handed more benefits from the growing economy to those very people who are the success of our economy. The Labour Party voted against a more prosperous and a better New Zealand. The Labour Party voted against around 60000 fewer children living in families receiving less than half of the median wage—that is what they did by voting against these tax cuts and that is shameful.Education has experienced huge benefits from this Budget and it is worth acknowledging the Hon Hekia Parata and the Hon Nikki Kaye who have worked tirelessly to deliver a $1.1 billion injection of new operating funding over the next 4 years into education. The largest ever investment into education has been delivered by this Government. If I was the Labour Party and claimed to be the beneficiaries and the stewards of the education sector I would be embarrassed. I would be embarrassed that I voted against education spending I would be embarrassed that I have not supported those very people who benefit from the increase in education spending.Take South Canterbury Principals' Association president Jane Culhane: We're absolutely thrilled that there's been an increase in operational grants". Take John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh: "It's largely a thumbs up to the budget by and large it appears the Government has finally listened to what the sector needs and have responded." These sector representatives are impressed with the Budget; they are supportive of it. Take principal Phil Palfrey from Kaitao Intermediate: "I am also impressed with the money going to early childhood education." This is the largest ever increase into early childhood education and the Labour Party voted against it. Listen to Anna Simmons a nurse and a mother of two: "The education investment is really important I have two young children and I want to see them have the best start in life."This is absolutely fantastic. We have talked about the early childhood education investment increases and the universal increase to operational grant funding and targeted funding has been the largest ever—$60.5 million over 4 years will be used to boost schools' operational grant funding by 1.3 percent in 2018. Over $450 million of additional operating funding for the next 4 years will go into our schools. This is the largest ever increase into Vote Education and for the 100000 people who work across our communities within our communities across this country they are experiencing a Government that is listening to what they see as being beneficial to them.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order! The member's time has expired."