Dyson RuthHon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills): Can I begin by just acknowledging my friend and colleague Willow-Jean Prime who's just resumed her seat and put on the record how proud I am of her and all our 2017 intake particularly as I've watched them in response to the Budget. They just wouldn't take prepared lines from the research unit in the way the National Party do. They read the documents they asked questions they challenged us and they have come down to this House well prepared to be able to contribute. I am really proud of the work that they've done.I want to also acknowledge and thank the Hon Grant Robertson the Minister of Finance. This is his first Budget and I know it will be his first of many. He's had such a huge and positive response around the country as he has travelled around talking to people about the Budget and answering questions. It's just been fantastic. We had a meeting in Christchurch yesterday morning—packed not a single spare seat. People were trying to get in but couldn't because it was fully sold out. Dr Megan Woods outlined the Canterbury component of the Budget—that was great as well.I also want to acknowledge New Zealand First and the Green Party and commend particularly the Ministers from all three parties for the work they have put in to prepare this Budget. It's not easy. There's only a certain amount of money and every Minister wants to make the most of the opportunity to improve the outcomes. But instead of just saying We want more money." I've watched every Minister saying "We're moving to focus on outcomes. What difference will this contribution make?" That's where you can make a really smart impact on the well-being of people.This has been a Budget that's based on values with people at the centre of it. I just want to mention one contribution in the Budget that I'm particularly pleased about because it will benefit people on benefits and superannuitants many of whom are the most vulnerable people in our community. Many superannuitants for the last decade have been unable to afford to buy a home—not enough money to put a deposit on a home—and end up living just on superannuation and renting. In this Budget is the winter energy payment and I am delighted that people will get an extra $30 a week for a couple or someone with children—an extra $30 a week—which I know will give them the confidence to turn on the heater and keep their house warm instead of what they've been doing under the National Government and that is going to bed early and not having a life.Andrew Bayly: No we were going to give them a big tax relief.Hon RUTH DYSON: I know that the member whose name escapes me would have preferred to have given himself a tax cut and a superannuitant no winter energy payment but that's not the way this Government thinks. We want to ensure that the most vulnerable have warm dry homes where people will be able to afford to buy a home or when they can't save a deposit there will be a State house for them.This is a Budget for people. This is a Budget that ensures that we are acting responsibly with our finances but that we are also putting the money not to the highest income earners who didn't need a tax cut—no one in this Parliament needed a tax cut—but to people who genuinely find it hard to get by day after day. That should be the priority for us. So we'll have more houses for Kiwi families we'll have more construction and we'll have more stable house prices. The previous National Government sold off State houses. They sold off State houses so that people in entire regions—in the Wairarapa as an example there are no State houses left because the National Party sold them off. Some people might think well that's quite good if they use that money for housing but they didn't put one cent of the house sales money back into housing. So we've ended up with a housing crisis which our Government is determined to address.This is a positive Budget. This is a Budget that is forward-looking and lays the foundation for a solid future. It has balanced the books properly. We've had a surplus declared after nine long years of borrowing and increasing the debt from the National Party. We've finally got a Budget that works for all New Zealand. I am so proud of our Ministers of our Prime Minister the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern and so pleased to work with New Zealand First and the Green Party."