Tremain Chris: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Tremain Chris: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 18 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:7779. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CHRIS TREMAIN (National—Napier) 
: 
 Tomorrow will mark the first anniversary of the National-led Government and I take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to the people of New Zealand for giving us the opportunity to be the Government. I say through you Mr Speaker that it is an absolute privilege to be the Government of this country a privilege that we do not take lightly. Day after day month after month we are focusing on the issues that matter to New Zealanders. That is the key point I want to make. I also thank the people of Hawke’s Bay for giving me the opportunity to be their MP and I take that as a real privilege as well. 
At the start of the term of our Government I started one of my speeches with a whakatauki called “Whakataka Te Hau.” At the end of that whakatauki the proverb says: “E hi ake ana te atakura. He tio he huka he hauhunga.” I want to remind people what that means. The last piece of that proverb says: “Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air a promise of a glorious new day.” The point I was making was that this country at that time wanted change. It wanted to see a new vision for this country a new way of doing things and a way forward. 
One year on despite the rhetoric of the Opposition the New Zealand public are seeing that change across the country. They are seeing a new dawn for this country and they are excited about what is happening. The focus of this Government is on the matters that count for New Zealanders not on the issues that we heard the Opposition talk about today such as the size of someone’s underwear the size of his pants or whether he should be a star in an advertisement. The public are concerned about the issues that matter to them: how we will get people into jobs and how we will raise wages. Those are the key points that they are concerned about. 
I am pleased to say that commentators across the country—even some of our staunchest critics—are now saying that yes the Government is getting on with the job and it is doing what it said it would do. 
Hon Damien O’Connor 
: Name one. 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: We are keeping our promises. That is one of the things I am most proud of in this new Government. We are delivering on employment. 
I have been asked by the Opposition to name a number of the promises we are keeping. I am happy to take up that challenge not just once but on a number of occasions. In a global sense let us look at the 16900 youth opportunities that the Minister for Social Development and Employment has put into the market. 
What about the commencement of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme which is delivering over a 4-year period 180000 insulated homes into the New Zealand economy? That programme is delivering new jobs and warmer homes. What a great thing! What about the $7.5 billion that has been invested in new infrastructure? I have named just a few to answer the Opposition’s critique. Those are the bigger things. 
I would like to echo what Mr Heatley said in respect of some of the smaller things that are making a difference to New Zealanders’ lives. Mr Heatley talked about the 12-month programme of Herceptin for women with breast cancer. What about lifting the minimum wage from $12 to $12.50 per hour? Within a month of coming into Government we were there lifting the minimum wage for New Zealanders. That was something that surprised the Opposition. It could not believe it. 
We have also introduced teacher and doctor bonding and we have focused on small communities to make sure that teachers and doctors are brought into those communities. Eight hundred and thirty-four people have signed up to that programme—834. These are things that are delivering results. What about the 24-hour PlunketLine? That was a commitment we made—a small thing that makes a big difference to young parents with children. They know that when they get on the phone PlunketLine is there to support them and their children. That is guaranteed. 
What about the Community Response Fund? That is an “under-the-radar” sort of scheme that came about through the Ministry of Social Development and delivered $50000 for community groups that were struggling. I know that in my own community in Napier DOVE is one of a range of community groups that benefited from that programme. That small policy alone has allowed community groups to continue through one of the toughest recessions in a couple of generations to deliver the most urgently needed services to Kiwi families and to those on the breadline. That is the sign of a Government that is out there doing great things for our community. 
Some of the initiatives that are happening in the Hawke’s Bay are occurring on a provincial level. I know that all my colleagues here today can stand up and say that they have seen things happen in their provincial areas. Having been elected we have got on and delivered for this country in our first year. I am proud to say we are doing great things. Thank you.