Pugh MaureenMAUREEN PUGH (National): This Government is delivering on its commitment to Better Public Services. It is one of National's priorities. We are doing extremely well at reaching our targets with the support of our Public Service sector. I pay tribute to that sector. But we are not sitting on our laurels—no we are not. We are setting six new targets that will continue to make a positive difference in people's lives and ensure that our public services are even more productive and efficient.These new targets are focused on the tough issues but we are up for it: maternity care for women; reduced hospitalisations for under-12s; continuing to improve numeracy and literacy; crime reduction; housing; and to have 80 percent of the 20 most common transactions completed online.We have set targets in areas that are challenging to Governments not just here in New Zealand but all over the world—areas such as welfare dependency crime quality healthcare and educational achievement. We know that more young people are getting educational qualifications to improve their employment prospects than ever before. I recently had the pleasure of congratulating Motueka High School. It has achieved an outstanding result by getting a 10 percentage point improvement in NCEA results with our priority students. I congratulate that school and I am grateful that this Government had the vision to support teachers and students to reach those priority students.These new targets that have been set come with a performance measure so that the ministries that are responsible for them will report against those targets. But none of them can be achieved by one agency working alone. We need these agencies to work together. I am in awe as I work my way around West Coast - Tasman of the NGO sector which has found practical ways of working together and providing services and yes sharing information. They are the heroes in my communities and they are making a huge difference to families and individuals.The targets that this Government has set are meant to be ambitious and they are meant to challenge our public services and they are certainly meant to ensure that improving the lives of New Zealanders is at the core of everything we do. The latest report on Better Public Services targets which was released last month shows that although there is still plenty to do these targets are making a real difference to Kiwi families. We know that but self-praise is no recommendation.International independent reviews done recently have a view about how we are doing. In November last year the Human Freedom Index was released. Of 159 countries New Zealand ranked third. In March of this year the World Happiness Report was published by the United Nations. Of 155 countries surveyed New Zealand ranked eighth. In November last year the Legatum Institute released its 2016 world prosperity index. Out of 149 countries that were surveyed New Zealand ranked in first place—out of 149 countries.One of the quotes that is credited to that report is that free markets free people and the world's strongest society ensure that New Zealand takes the top spot in the prosperity index. It also goes on to note that we have been ranked first in the index for 6 of the past 10 years and since 2012 this is credited to a concerted effort by policy makers. Those policy makers referred to by the Legatum Institute are the members of this capable forward-thinking and caring National-led Government. We will continue to improve the lives of Kiwis.The six new targets that we have set are ambitious. We know they are challenging. We are backing people in New Zealand. We are backing our children and breaking the cycle of benefit dependency. We have faith in the people of this country to be independent of State support. I think we look forward to a bright future under a National-led Government.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.