Robertson GrantHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Mr Speaker I never thought I would say this but thank God for David Seymour because he's at least saved the people of Epsom from Paul Goldsmith. I would say if a snap election were called Mr Goldsmith would you try and win or not?" because you haven't up till now. Mr Goldsmith started his speech by changing the tone. I'm going to change it back just for a moment and say that today unemployment fell to 4.4 percent in New Zealand. Now for all of the naysayers and the negative people on the Opposition benches that is a sign that we are continuing to grow jobs in New Zealand—that we're making sure that people are actually getting into work. We've seen underutilisation rates underemployment drop as well and we've seen wages rise. That's what's happened in the last quarter. That's what a Government that's actually interested in growing the economy sustainably can do for New Zealand. So we're feeling proud of that.We've got a Budget coming in just over two weeks' time which is going to show New Zealanders the plan that we have to ensure we make up for the social and infrastructure deficits that we have been left. At the high level the indicators of the New Zealand economy are strong and that's good for New Zealand. There has been economic growth but the problem is who's shared in that. What share in prosperity have people got in the regions of New Zealand? What share in prosperity have low and middle income New Zealanders found over the last nine years? The problem for the previous National Government is that while they made those indicators look good they didn't pay the bills on the way. It's all very well to be able to claim a surplus if you haven't paid the bills for health if you haven't paid the bills for education and if you haven't paid the bills for housing.What this Government will do is we will do the very thing New Zealanders want us to do. They want us to show responsibility in two ways. They want us to show that we're responsible in our management of the finances of this country and we will do that. But there's another kind of responsibility in Government: a responsibility to future generations to make sure that every New Zealand child gets the chance to grow up in a warm dry home; that every New Zealand child gets the chance to enter into education and achieve their potential; that every single New Zealander knows that the health system will look after them when they get sick. Those basics of building blocks of our society have been run down and this Government is committed to turning them around.But over on "Planet National" it's not good because they're engaged in a very complicated game of "Simon Says". Simon says "Sit still in traffic in Auckland" because that's what's going to happen if the National Government decides to repeal the regional fuel tax and leave the gap in the Auckland Transport alignment plan that had blown out to $9 billion under the previous National Government—$9 billion. And there's no plan from the National Party to be able to say how they will get Auckland moving how they will make sure that the rail is there.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Course there is.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No there's not Dr Smith. The only thing was a gap a giant $9 billion gap and Simon says "Sit still". Simon also says "Close your eyes." Simon says "Close your eyes." because he—SPEAKER: Order! That member is going to stop that now.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I didn't say which Simon Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: And I know which Simon the member is referring to.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: A very wise man Mr Speaker. On the National Party side of the House there's Simon Bridges saying "Close your eyes." That's what Simon Bridges is saying. He's saying "Close your eyes to the future of New Zealand as a sustainable economy." It's all very well to just go along to your Bluegreen mates and say "We're going to reset the clock on the environment." and then there's no policy change. Simon Bridges says "Close your eyes to climate change." Well this side of the House says no. We have to make sure that we do what is needed for future generations to prepare for a sustainable economy—not just say it's going to happen but have a just transition. I feel sorry for Todd Muller who's a good man but he's the climate change spokesperson in a party that wants to close its eyes to climate change in the future.On "Planet National" the answer is "I don't know. I'm not sure what we're going to do. I don't have a plan for the future." On this side of the House we have a plan for an economy that will be more productive more sustainable and more inclusive. We started with a mini-Budget before Christmas that actually is going to put money in the pockets of low- and middle-income families. When we have the Budget in two weeks' time we will rebuild the critical public services that New Zealanders need and deserve."