Shaw JamesHon JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green): E Te Māngai o Te Whare tēnā koe. The job of any Government including ours is to be equal to any challenge that we face. Over the last few weeks the crisis of COVID-19 has continued to grow around the world. The impact that this could have on New Zealand is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes and we have been absolutely clear that we must act accordingly. Our response as a Government as communities as New Zealanders needs to meet the scale of this crisis head-on. The health and wellbeing of our families our friends and our communities depends on it. Over the weekend we agreed to a number of strong actions that will help to keep the number of people in New Zealand with COVID-19 as low as possible. These decisions will give us the time that we need so that no matter what happens we are ready. What the Minister of Finance has announced today is a comprehensive and compassionate approach to managing the impact that COVID-19 could have on our daily lives. It's a package of measures designed to help us manage the crisis in a way that makes sense to people and their families ensuring that whatever happens people can continue to support their families pay their bills and put money back into their local businesses and into their communities. It was clear from the Minister of Finance's speech that what he was saying boils down to this: none of us are alone in this. We are all in this together. There are thousands of New Zealanders up and down the country who are living pay cheque to pay cheque. And then of course there are those who work tirelessly to improve our communities or put on events that bring our whānau and our friends and our neighbours together. Now I'm sure that nearly every single one of them has been sitting around the dinner table over the course of the last few days asking themselves what COVID-19 means for them and for their families wondering what additional support they would get so they can continue to provide for their family and thinking about what will happen to the great businesses that make their communities such great places to live. Every conversation that we have had about how to manage this crisis every decision every single dollar allocated is about these people. It has been about making sure that we are doing everything that we can to care for the communities likely to be most affected by the health and economic challenges ahead—those on low incomes our older friends and whānau working families with children and people with disabilities.The Minister of Finance has made it clear that we have three priorities for doing this: more support for our public healthcare system extra help for those who need it the most and assistance for businesses so that they can keep people in work. So first: the public health system. Now as most would agree a public health system that can care for us and the people that we know and love no matter what our income is or where we live is the foundation of a fairer and a more equal and a more resilient New Zealand. None of us can go about our daily lives or raise a family or stay healthy without it. The additional support that our public health system will receive as a result of this announcement will help to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus and keep the number of infected at any one time at a manageable level.Money will be spent on making sure that care in the community continues on testing and tracing any cases that come up and on communicating more with New Zealanders about what we can all do to help to limit the spread of the virus.Evidence tells us that Māori as a population group are likely to experience significantly worse effects from COVID-19 so we must make sure that our Māori whānau hapū and iwi have the information and the support that they need—the same is true for our Pacific friends and neighbours. Wherever we are from whoever we are every one of us values similar things: the health and wellbeing of our communities of those we love; safe healthy and secure places to work and to live. Let's make sure that we provide all of that for those people.Importantly our public health package also includes a comprehensive leave payment scheme to help people who have to self-isolate because when people need to go to work in order to take care of their family the last thing we want is people going to work who are sick and who can spread the virus.Now even with those measures in place we know that if the virus does spread it will be those on the lowest incomes who will be the worst affected. That is why the second area that we are prioritising is extra support for those who need it the most. We are increasing the rates of all main benefits by $25 a week changing in-work support and doubling the winter energy payment all of which will help more people to pay the bills and to put food on the table and to stay well.That brings us to our third priority which is business. At times like this it is important that people continue to have access to good stable work that they can count on. A temporary wage subsidy will support businesses to keep people in work so that no matter what happens as many New Zealanders as possible can continue to provide for their families and contribute to their local communities through their work. There will also be some support for people who do lose their jobs so that they can access other work or retrain.Now there are two other areas that I'd like to touch on and the first is mental health. We know that some of the social and psychological factors that can lead to poor mental health include hardship loneliness and disconnecting from others. So with more people working on their own from home or going into self-isolation or possibly losing some of their income it is critical that we keep the mental health of New Zealanders at the forefront of our minds. It'll be all too easy for people to feel like they're all alone in this but this is a moment where we need each other. So if anyone out there sees someone struggling please reach out and ask if they're OK. Put them in touch with one of the many incredible organisations that are out there supporting our people. Above all else we are here today to say to people: You are not alone." We are always stronger when we have each other's backs and when we're looking out for one another. Let's just make sure that we keep it that way.The second point that I wanted to raise is a reminder to all of us to treat each other with humanity and respect as we face the challenge. People are understandably concerned about what is happening around the world but that must never be an excuse to lash out against our neighbours or to engage in xenophobia or racism. Making sure that everyone is aware of the facts so that they understand what COVID-19 is and do not direct their concern at others is critically important. We can all play a part in this and remember our kids and our grandkids are watching. How we act in these situations will be a valuable lesson for them to follow.On behalf of the Green Party in Government I would like to conclude by making clear our full support for today's announcement. It is the first phase of our Government's plan for managing COVID-19 and its impacts. Further announcements will need to focus on what we can do next to build a better New Zealand from everything that we're going through right now. But managing this isn't just a job for the Government. So to all New Zealanders I would like to say this: please also show leadership in your homes and in your communities by looking out for each other by supporting the older people that you know and please please please wash your hands. We will pull through this when we all pull together. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa."