Brownlee GerryHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam): Well Mr Speaker I'll obviously want to say some things about the commentary just offered to the House by the Rt Hon Winston Peters but can I begin by wishing you Christmas greetings; all the best for 2018. I'm sure that your early form is going to—I was going to say improve; that'd be inappropriate for me say that—develop over the next year and alongside that our understanding of how you choose for the House to operate I'm sure will also develop.Can I thank the attendants in the House the Clerk's Office and others who make this place work. Can I thank all of those who make the building a pleasant place to work in. Our own staff some of whom were with us in Government—to all those who were with us when were in the Beehive thank you and best wishes for the season to them. To those who have come with us over to this side and the new people who have joined us we also thank you for your effort as well and look forward to working with you throughout the next couple of years.I think it's interesting when a Government steps up at a time of an adjournment debate and wants to outline the record that they've had albeit in their short time—in this case—in Government but can't do it without being sort of overtly nasty about the way in which they present it. In the end if you think about the last speech that was just given not a single mention of a single achievement by that gentleman's party in coalition Government—not a mention. Not a mention about what is going to happen in the next 12 months not a mention about anything that has happened in the last three months. That leads us of course to the conclusion that it's all in that secret 33-page document that only he knows about and the Prime Minister knows about and Grant Robertson knows about and any number of other Ministers including Phil Twyford know about.This is a Government that has a brilliant way of saying to New Zealanders We are open we are transparent we are listening we are caring" and then being absolutely none of those things at all. As you heard outlined by the Rt Hon Bill English even a simple thing—a simple thing—like talking to children whose opportunity is about to be taken away from them is something the Prime Minister can't find a few minutes to do.It was interesting to hear this new term—I think it's new; we haven't heard it in the House before—"the living standards framework". Well what is a living standards framework going to look like? What do you expect they would measure for those things? Well is it going to be employment? We heard today that the employment Minister doesn't even seem to realise that we have the lowest unemployment—the highest level of employment—that this country has seen. No understanding of where the 245000 jobs came from in the last two years. He said "Well it's through innovation and entrepreneurship and the Government." Well it was this side of the House who were in Government and the entrepreneurship and innovation is not something that we're seeing the other side of the House demonstrate at all. Every one of the policies that have been brought in so far are old—most of them from last century.I just want to make the point when it comes to child poverty that had that package not gone through this week on 1 April next year 50000 young New Zealanders would have been above what is known as the poverty level—50000 of them. And alongside that all those working New Zealanders who contribute to the well-being of this country would have been $1000 a year better off. Further had we gone through with the promise from this side of the House—and everyone knows it could have been delivered—in 2020 another 50000 young people would have been lifted above that low level. Those are the sorts of things that matter in people's lives.But what we got from the Government was this bold claim of 88000 young people being moved above the poverty line from about 2021—a year after National would have delivered 100000. But worse than that they've been told by the officials who look at all these things that the actual number is only 12000 more than what would have happened on 1 April next year—a lousy 12000 more three years later than it could have happened. And it won't take long before that sort of spin that the Government put on it is well exposed by people who are interested in it.Rt Hon Winston Peters: This is not a leadership bid.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: And when we—well you see there we have it. The gentleman over there on the far side of the House is calling out "This is not interesting." I've got to say that when you're in your advanced years and you are looking at a holiday and you're poring through the brochure to work out what you can get off your revised SuperGold card probably a speech in Parliament isn't that interesting. But most certainly it's a lot more factually condensed than anything the member offered today.So since he's engaging—since he's engaging—let's look at some of what he had to say. Firstly there was that ridiculous comment about defence being underfunded. The first thing is that if the member likes to look at it that was as he said a 15-year programme. We assume now it's gone—it's not going to happen. It was a 15-year programme to replace important assets that the New Zealand Defence Force have on a case by case business case basis which is perfectly reasonable. So here's the question—just give me a nod—will the P-8s be purchased by the Government in the decision next March? [Interruption] No. Ron Mark said "No." Ron Mark just said "No." They're gone because he wants to buy some shonky piece of equipment that's probably on the second-hand market to ensure that the New Zealand Defence Force remains in the sort of dreadful condition that it's been in through all the years of previous Governments—mainly Labour Governments.Then there is the question—here's the question: will we be getting the replacements for the armoured vehicles? Doesn't even know about it—doesn't even know about it. Doesn't even know about it.Oh well here's another one. Here's another one: will we be getting military personnel transport capable of getting people to the Antarctic? [Interruption] What? "Where's that?"—"Where's that?" I can't believe it. The member just asked "Where is that?" Well it's a little distance south from here but it's a place New Zealand has huge responsibilities for. That is even more unbelievable than I had thought.So that whole defence programme—that's absolutely gone. It's staggering because I heard the Rt Hon Winston Peters quoting Omar Bradley. Well General Omar Bradley was a great soldier. He really was I suppose the second in command to Eisenhower during the Second World War in Europe. I wasn't there at the time; the gentleman probably was. And I've got to say—Hon Ron Mark: You'd never pass the fitness test Gerry.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Oh I see—I see. I see. So now Mr Mark wants to tell me I'm not going to pass the fitness test but we know he's got the Defence Force taking him through parachuting—yes?—Hon Ron Mark: I've done that.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: —or they haven't told you. Well just make sure they put a pack on your back when you go out the door. The second thing is they want to take him through the obstacle course. They wanted to take him to the rifle range out at—where is it?—the SAS training thing. Unfortunately when they handed him the gun he picked it up the wrong way and they had to take it off him in a hurry.But getting back to Omar Bradley he was one of the great leaders and he would not have countenanced anything that Mr Mark is doing. He will be the first defence Minister to preside over the serious deterioration of New Zealand's defence capability. I have no doubt about that and it's pretty clear from today's performance in the House that he himself knows that's going to happen.We also of course look at this programme put together by the Government and it's extraordinary that they sort of come in here and say "Oh look what we've been able to do after all this time. Look what you guys didn't do. Aren't we wonderful for doing it?" Well where do they think the cash came from? Where do they think the capacity came from?Then we look at these extraordinary claims like from Phil Twyford over here. Let me tell everyone in New Zealand that when this House resumes in February there will not be one—not one—of the 100000 houses that Labour intends to build. I don't doubt we'll go through most of next year and still not see one of them. The other thing is when he was saying "Well there were 5000 houses sold." he's got no idea of how many of those houses were put into social housing organisations which are far more capable of looking after people than the institution that he's now become the great protector of.This has been a great year. It's been a fantastic year. I agree with the Rt Hon Bill English when he said that the transition of Government—while of course difficult for this side of the House—was conducted well. It shows what a great country we are. We should all be very proud of that. I wish everybody a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year."