Halbert ShananSHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote): Thank you Madam Speaker. On the eve of travel with my colleague across the way in that speech I will do my best to be as kind as possible but I rebut his points because he is out of touch with Auckland's North Shore. He talked about a social crisis and said that he cares about the social crisis but the only thing that Simon Watts is offering anyone is tax cuts for Takapuna—tax cuts for Takapuna. The reality is we look across Auckland's North Shore and it is 15 years since we've had any other representation than National MPs on the North Shore. Now we've got a wonderful Labour MP in Northcote and we have delivered more to social services in Auckland's North Shore than they have seen in 15 years. If I look in this Budget the commitment to address domestic violence for women on the North Shore we've just allocated tens of thousands of dollars to support domestic violence on the North Shore—a social crisis in fact. Secondly the allocation of supporting what was it—in there is the half-price public transport. It's in there supporting good people to take half-price public transport and that's making the change that we need because we know that the cost of living is difficult for everyone. The thing though is that we're in touch with our reality—right? We understand the pragmatic decisions that we need to make to move our people forward—the actual things that will make a difference. This side of the House voted for that; that side of the House voted against it. So when I come back to talking about Simon Watts being an advocate against a social crisis it's only under a Labour Government with a Labour MP on the North Shore that we've managed to make any impact on the bottom end of the people that need it the most—the people that they called bottom-feeders in fact I remember. So I just want to acknowledge that. Also to the point that he raised around the three waters reform—yes absolutely. Three waters is a challenging conversation. I've sat with my colleagues for full weeks of hearings hearing across the country people that open up their oral submission with We agree that we need water reform and we have an infrastructure problem." We have an infrastructure problem and anyone that lives in Auckland and those that live on the North Shore understand that our beaches are closed every month in Auckland—every month our beaches are closed. Right across in Takapuna and Wairau Valley which has some of the poorest—the poorest—water infrastructure and where our waste water goes out to our beaches in fact our beaches are closed. Those are particular points and so I come back to the Budget and our social crisis that Mr Watts cares about. What about truancy and our allocation of money in this Budget that's allocated to our local schools? It reminds the National Party that you cut our truancy services on the North Shore—you cut them. Secondly we've just increased the number of community police teams across both Northcote Kaipātiki Takapuna and up to the Hibiscus Coast because—what?—you cut our community policing team when you were in Government. While this Government has been in town we've added 116 additional police to the Waitematā district. We've added to our number of community policing teams. This Budget is making the difference there. I go now to one of my favourite topics where I'll talk about transport—transport and infrastructure—where we start to plan. More recently I had the Hon Grant Robertson the father of this Budget come over to the Shore. He talked to good Shore people to bring into context the amount of work that we are doing and we can start with the Northcote housing development the investment in water infrastructure and the investment in our local schools and the number of classrooms that are being built under this Government. That was unheard of under the National Government. You didn't deliver any houses in Northcote you didn't deliver any schools and you didn't deliver any investment in water infrastructure. In fact you cut our services. So now is the reality of where we understand that under a Labour Government the North Shore is much better off. Sixty percent of people on the North Shore are supported by the cost of living payment and people in this reality are not going to turn down any money because it's all helpful. Some might use it for some wheels on a car as was said this afternoon. Some might use it for an additional loaf of bread. Some might use it for the sports fees to get their kids playing rugby. Those are the differences that we are able to make in a practical way under this Government—thank you Madam Speaker. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Order! My apologies to Mr Shanan Halbert. This debate is interrupted for the dinner break. We will resume at 7 p.m. and he is welcome to come and complete the rest of his speech. Thank you. Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): The House is resumed. Members when the House rose for the dinner break we were in the third reading of the Appropriation (2022/23 Estimates) Bill and the second reading of the Imprest Supply (Second for 2022/23) Bill and Shanan Halbert had one minute and 51 seconds should he wish to continue. SHANAN HALBERT: Thank you Madam Speaker and I spent a good eight minutes talking about the progress that we were making on Auckland's North Shore under this Government. Having a Labour MP on the North Shore has been helpful to address what Simon Watts my colleague and the MP for the North Shore talked about. He called it a social crisis but in fact it's only under this Government that we've invested heavily in social services on the North Shore. I spoke openly about our commitment to addressing domestic violence which has been a significant issue on the North Shore that hasn't been resolved. So I'm really proud that we are investing in that. Under this Budget we're delivering the largest police force ever. When I look at the numbers under the Waitematā district there are 117 additional police on the beat under this Government and in fact the announcement a month ago when we invested in additional community constables is something that our community has called for for a very long time. There is an increase from two community constables in the Kaipātiki to six. Similarly across in Devonport and Takapuna it's really important and it's something that actually in fact across the House those members cancelled community constables and community police services in our community under their watch. I'm also equally proud of the investment into our truancy services in our schools. Under the National Government they cancelled our truancy services and relocated them out west. We are now looking towards the North Shore service to support our young people—our rangatahi—to come back to school. Lastly I just want to acknowledge in this Budget the additional commitment under He Poutama Rangatahi. It's about time that the North Shore gets its fair share and in that piece of work we're supporting young people back into work and into training. Thank you Madam Speaker."