Rurawhe AdrianGENERAL DEBATESPEAKER: Would some honourable member care to move that the House take note of miscellaneous business.Dr Duncan Webb: Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: I call—Hon Carmel Sepuloni: I thought it was me? SPEAKER: —Dr Duncan Webb.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: I have so called.SPEAKER: Too late; I've given it to Duncan Webb.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: He didn't call. I so call.SPEAKER: He did so.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: He said Mr Speaker."SPEAKER: I called him. Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Oh it's you—sorry it is you.Dr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business.What an outstanding Minister of Finance we have. I am proud to be part of a Government that is absolutely on top of its game. Today we—Hon Carmel Sepuloni: No you've been promoted Duncan! Dr DUNCAN WEBB: Thank you Minister. I am so proud of the childcare support package that we have announced because we know that childcare is one of the biggest barriers to participating in the workforce not only for women generally but particularly for Māori and Pasifika women. This is a package that has been put together by the Minister with a great deal of thought and it will open up the workforce to many many more people. What's more is that this is part of the Minister for Social Development and Employment's fantastic programme working towards moving more and more people off main benefits. We have absolutely made unbelievable progress in this—progress that that lot on the other side of the House went backwards on. We are a Government of progress. We have taken steps and have moved the needle on every social indicator in respect of every measure of child poverty. What happened on that side of the House? Absolutely nothing. What did they do about housing? Worse than nothing: they sold off our State houses. This is a Government which at last has built State houses when we need it.Whilst we're here we accept that there are cost of living challenges. This is a Government which is stepping up and addressing the cost of living challenges. We are taking steps to alleviate that not only through things like the winter energy payment the cost of living payment half-price bus fares and much more but also by a long-term approach that sees a strong and resilient economy—an economy which keeps people in work. When people have jobs we can sustain and ride out these difficult times because people are in employment with rising wages. In fact despite the naysaying on that side of the House wages are rising faster than inflation and have been for the past five years whereas under that lot wages went backwards. What's more along with this we are lifting the wages of workers not only through lifting the minimum wage but also by the fantastic fair pay agreement legislation that's been put through that will see our lowest-paid workers being able to deal on equal footing with employers. That is a huge leap forward.This Government—every member on this side of the House—is committed to seeing a highly employed well-paid workforce and one where people who haven't got jobs who can't get into the workforce are looked after properly and with dignity. Every Minister in this House is working towards an equitable New Zealand and one where everybody is looked after.So whilst childcare might address one part of the workforce it's an important part of the workforce.Barbara Edmonds: That's right. It gives choices.Dr DUNCAN WEBB: Once again—that's right Barbara Edmonds. We're giving choices to women: the choice to work if they want to the choice to be a caregiver if they want to the choice to contribute to a stronger more equal and fairer society in the way that's right for them and right for their whānau. This is a Government which will remain committed to it and it will go to the public and go to the nation and say here's what their choice is: a choice that wants to give you a flourishing life or a choice which wants to give your rich mates more tax breaks—and that's not going to happen on this side of the House. We are committed to an absolutely equitable system of tax and an equitable system of employment as well. So I'm very proud particularly of the Minister of Social Development and Employment who has worked tirelessly to make sure that things like illegitimate sanctions are taken away and to make sure that abatement rates are appropriate and help people into work.This is a Government that's going to go to the nation very soon—a real Government and a real offer—and that lot over there have nothing to offer other than to say "We're going to roll back the advances that this Government has made." SPEAKER: Order! Slow clapping is out of order. Counting down as I've said a number of times is also out of order. Let's not do that again."