Turei MetiriaGENERAL DEBATEMETIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business. This National Government is dozing and denying—dozing and denying. Look at them; they are basically asleep. Look at that; they are sleeping on the job—on the most important issues that face this nation. They are dozing and denying. This Government is asleep at the wheel and what is it doing? It is driving families up against the wall—families who are living in cars and kids who are sick in hospital with avoidable diseases. Waterways are polluted and the economy is designed to make the rich richer Mr Woodhouse. That is National. That is what National has made of our beautiful country Aotearoa New Zealand. National members certainly talk big. There is no doubt that they talk big but they do bugger all.Mr SPEAKER: Order!METIRIA TUREI: They spin the facts—yes Mr Speaker—they deny the reality of pollution and they rehash old social policy because they have no new ideas. They turn their gaze away from the families who need them the most. It is shameful short-sighted and an indictment on the Prime Minister and all of those who are in his Cabinet.Far from governing for all New Zealanders the Prime Minister and his Government are content to leave 150000 children without the basics but they need to live a decent life. This Government is content with 40 percent—40 percent—of New Zealand families sharing just 3 percent of the nation's wealth between them. It is satisfied with a rate of chronic lung infections in children that is at seven times—seven times—the OECD average. It is happy to leave 50 percent of Pasifika children living in overcrowded homes and it is ignorant of the growing rate of homelessness that is infecting our country. So much for the brighter future that National promised New Zealand. This National Government is entrenching hardship and insecurity. It has policies that make children sick and leave New Zealanders living on the street. The Government is dozing and denying while ordinary New Zealanders suffer the effects. Those members so not suffer the effects; they are part of the top 10 percent who are doing quite well under this Government. The rest of New Zealand are the ones who are suffering.We heard today of course from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. We heard in her scathing report her criticism of the Government over the health of our environment. She has rightly criticised the Government for not providing New Zealanders with real information about how our natural environment is doing. National repeatedly cut funding to conservation and that means we are losing the fight to protect the kea the kiwi and the pekapeka and all of those natural environments and native species—iconic native wildlife the birds the bush the rivers and all of these things that are our children's birthright. National is squandering our children's birthright. National has shown that it is far more interested in spinning stories about New Zealand's clean green image rather than facing up to the reality of unswimmable rivers declining native bird populations and the major effects of climate change which are hurting farmers hurting our communities and concerning coastal communities.This Government is out of touch uncaring dozing and denying. We must create a more equal inclusive society in this country. Protecting our environment is fundamental to our future and that is why we must change the Government. New Zealand deserves a Prime Minister and a Government that will build homes for New Zealand families cut climate emissions protect our environment and end child poverty in this country. New Zealanders are compassionate responsible and trustworthy and New Zealanders deserve a Government that is the same. We will change the Government and the Green Party intends to deliver that new Government to this country. Thank you.