SpeechDr LIZ CRAIG (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's an absolute pleasure to rise in support of the Prime Minister's statement. And I'd like to spend a bit of time talking about our Government's proactive response to COVID-19. Looking back to my public health training what we did as trainees is we needed to know about the New Zealand influenza pandemic action plan. This was something that we studied for our part two exams and at the time it seemed quite theoretical. So it was something where the ministry ran these pandemic exercises preparing the health system we had to study. And looking through the documents there was talk about closing schools it was talking about restricting public gatherings there was talk about these things called CBACS or community-based assessment centres but they seemed quite theoretical quite remote. And I think looking back basically it didn't really prepare us for what we've confronted today.I think the other difference was we were preparing for a different virus. All the models were based on the fact that what they were thinking was we'd get 40 percent of the population experiencing the virus over an eight-week period. So what they were expecting was that the rates would come and peak at about week three to week five. And so none of us really thought that we'd be in the situation that we face today where we're now entering our third year of a global pandemic and we're actually sitting down now preparing for the Omicron wave.So for me thinking through the other thing I never envisaged was that our Government had taken this very simple plan for another virus but adapted it using real-time data. And then they'd use it to create a world-leading response to COVID-19 which has resulted in us having some of the lowest COVID-19 case rates hospitalisations and mortality in the world.So I think the other thing we've thought through over the last two years is none of us ever envisaged that we'd have to be creating this huge health infrastructure and we'd be having to do it for such a significant period of time. Thinking through we've had to stand up fully functioning managed isolation and quarantine facilities and run them for a period of time we've had to upscale our COVID contact tracing we've had to upscale our testing capacities and in the last year we've had to run a full national vaccination campaign. Basically we've delivered whole other aspects: the wage subsidies the business supports making sure that our businesses can get through these very difficult times. And so as a result as we await the Omicron wave rolling out across the country over the next few weeks and months we're coming to it with very high vaccination rates by global standards but also historically some of the lowest unemployment rates we've seen as a country.And in that I'd just like to acknowledge the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern I'd like to acknowledge our Minister of Finance Grant Robertson our Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins our Minister of Health and our Associate Ministers of Health for the huge considerable role that they've played in taking us through these difficult times. I'd also like to acknowledge though the people I think about down where I am based in the South—those that have got up every day and have gone out and run our testing centres they've run our vaccination campaigns those that have been on the phone lines; basically when people ring in providing that support providing that advice. I'm thinking of our GPs thinking of our pharmacists and thinking about those working in our hospital system and the huge role they've played in keeping us all safe. And looking back over the last two years just thinking about how many of us—we never know whether it would have been us or not; the role they've played in potentially saving our lives. And as we look back and as they look back on this time in years to come I hope they're really really proud of the role that they've played in this pandemic.But looking ahead: I think many of the people I talk to down South looking ahead as we face the Omicron outbreak what they really really want is for the next few months just to fast-forward. They want to be able to see Omicron in their rear-vision mirrors. And I think it's important to remember when we're looking ahead to the next few months that we do have a plan. We've planned for this we've put the structures in place. And the majority of people who've gone out and had their vaccination have had their booster dose if they encountered Omicron they're going to end up with a mild to moderate disease that they're going to be able to end up managing very well at home but the hospital system will still be there for those who need that extra support.But I also think it's our role to look after each other and that means getting out getting vaccinated and continuing to scan our COVID tracer apps so that if we do test positive people can be notified very very quickly. It means social distancing it means mask wearing as we're doing in the House today. So for me I'm really proud to be part of a Government that's led a world-leading COVID response and it's something I never envisaged when I was reading those public health documents all those years ago.