Kanongata'a-Suisuiki AnahilaANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI (Labour): Kia ora e Te Mana Whakawā. It's an absolute privilege to be the 12th speaker in today's general debate. My speech today is going to be full of gratefulness and full of thankfulness. But I want to ask one question: how did we get here? How did we get here that our team of 5 million is COVID-free? How did we get here that COVID-19 is only coming through our borders? How did we get here? I tell you this: the answer relies on leadership. When we're talking about a Government that is compassionate and that is caring well the details of what demonstrates that is what the people receive.I want to thank the leadership of our Prime Minister and of our Director-General of Health—that we are world leading where it's normal to go alert levels 1 2 3 and 4. Where did you get that from? I'll tell you what: the people were at the centre of this health response. It was at the centre of this health response that we needed to go hard and we needed to go early. Levels 1 2 3 and 4 that's so common now but that came from somewhere. It derived from a place of caring.In a time where to be informed can save lives our communities needed to rise up and to recover. This year's Budget provides our team of 5 million our community with opportunities; an opportunity to provide; an opportunity to care; an opportunity to empower our own; an opportunity to recover; and an opportunity to rebuild.I heard the member for Papakura the Hon Judith Collins really giving up—defeat. It was her defeat that she was already commenting on what the next Cabinet would look like—what a Labour Cabinet would like. That is an indication of defeat already. What that side is already starting to say is We'll lose" and they're starting to say what the next Labour Government is going to look like. That was an indication of defeat. Not once did I hear the voices of the community.I want to acknowledge that the wage subsidy is so important. To walk the mean streets the caring streets of Papakura I want to acknowledge Alvin the owner of Aoyama Sushi in Papakura. I like to dine out supporting our local businesses. I asked him "What do you think of the wage subsidy did that help?" Arms up he jumped up and he said "Tell Jacinda that I said thank you. It saved us." That itself is a business. I think the member who just sat down Jacqui Dean spoke about what we don't do for business. Alvin said "The wage subsidy saved us. The loan to small and medium enterprises saved us. Tell the Prime Minister thank you." I also spoke to Bun at Satay Noodle House in Papakura and I asked him about the wage subsidy. He said "Thank you. Thank you to the Prime Minister. That helped us." So these are the voices of businesses. When we are talking about businesses please the other side of the House include small to medium enterprises because they are the people who will make up the majority of what we call businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand.I did say before that the time of information is important and saved lives in these times. I also want to thank the Hon Phil Twyford because in Papakura—nobody actually talked about what's happening—we're at full steam ahead with the Papakura to Drury State Highway 1 upgrading. Nobody said thank you. Thank you for that Phil Twyford. We are full steam ahead with the Papakura to Pukekohe electrification of rail—nobody said that.I'd like to end this by acknowledging the many thanks from the principal of Papakura High School John Rohs and also the principal of Ramarama School Tania Campbell. The funding that they received for the school infrastructure improvement—there were things that they wanted to do but they couldn't do so they asked me to convey their thanks to the Minister of Education Chris Hipkins for that because with that they are able to provide a covered outdoor assembly area at Ramarama School and a covered walkway for the students in this time of winter; next year they'll be warm and dry. Thank you.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."