Webb DuncanDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central): That was a classic National Party speech which is Cut spending. Let's think about the taxpayers of today and tomorrow"—and I do. I think about the people who pay tax in New Zealand and every other New Zealander and I think about the steps that we've taken over the past two years and the fact that we have saved thousands and thousands of lives and thousands and thousands of jobs. We're in the position we're in because we didn't slash and cut spending like the National Party would. We didn't throw open the doors to business; we supported businesses through a careful and planned approach and we saved jobs and businesses accordingly and our tax base was preserved. And that's why when we look forward now we're in a much better position that we ever would have been.Cast your minds back and think. What would it have been like if the National Party had been in power and they had done what they wanted to do? We would be in a woeful woeful position. But what really amazes me is that they seem to have forgotten history. Let's have a bit of a history lesson. In 2015 the minimum wage was $15.75. That person would be on $630 a week. What would the cost of living problem be like? No—we're committed to raising the incomes of those who earn the least. That's why the minimum wage today is $21.20 hour or $848 a week. They are $208 a week better off. That is a one-third pay increase over that period of time.What happens every time we talk about the minimum wage? The National Party says no. What do they say about beneficiaries? Well what we have done for beneficiaries is raise benefits to a far more reasonable income so 110000 beneficiaries with children will be better by an average of $175 a week. That's what families in need really need. That's what people facing increased costs of living need. They don't need Louise Upston to sit in this House and say "Why are we not sanctioning people because they haven't turned up for a job interview? Why aren't we taking the benefit off families who need to feed their kids?" Well this isn't a punitive Government and I'll tell you what it shows. What does a 3.2 percent unemployment rate show? It shows that our strategy is working—that by preserving the health of New Zealanders and the economy of New Zealanders and by taking a balanced approach more people are in jobs today than has ever been the case. We have lower unemployment than since when records started. Yet what would the National Party do? The funny thing about the National Party is that I'm yet to hear a National Party policy that isn't "We wouldn't do that." What would the National Party do with tax? They'd cut the tax Labour put in place. They would cut the tax for the richest New Zealanders. They would cut the tax for people earning over $180000. Simon Watts: That's all you can talk about.Dr DUNCAN WEBB: That's even more than you earn Mr Watts. What else would National do? They wouldn't have a Matariki holiday. No no—they wouldn't do that. They'd cut a holiday. They wouldn't have any more new holidays. They'd cut Labour Day—we heard that from Mr Luxon's mouth. What would they do about the crisis in Māori health? I heard Christopher Luxon talk on The Hui and when he was asked "What would you do?"—no more Māori Health Authority. They wouldn't have tailored solutions for Māori health. He was asked "What would you do?" and there was a woeful silence. No ideas. We'd like a proposition from the Opposition. All they can day is "We wouldn't do that." What about fair pay agreements—having agreements to have our lowest paid workers have a little more bargaining strength in the workplace so that they can settle reasonable fair remuneration for the critical and important work they do? Well National wouldn't do that either. So if we think about it on this side of the House we have a party that will grasp the nettle and make hard and considered decisions to solve the critical long-term challenges we face."