Bridges SimonBUDGET DEBATEHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition): I move That all the words after That" be omitted and the following words inserted: "this House has no confidence in the Government led by Winston Peters and Jacinda Ardern because this Budget shows they are a Government that is borrowing more taxing more and spending more—but has no plans for how we as a country can earn more."The tragedy is that today it could have been a great Budget from the legacy gifted to that Government by this former Government by hard-working New Zealanders all over the country and by the National Party. Government books are incredibly strong the economy is growing and there's serious investment in public services. Grant Robertson has an enviable position for really any Finance Minister all around the Western World.But instead of acknowledging this fine legacy this is—what does Grant Robertson call it?—the "rebuild Budget". The "rebuild Budget". Life's so hard for Grant Robertson—just ask him. Rebuild what exactly? Ten thousand new jobs have been created every year for the last couple of years. More New Zealanders—2.6 million New Zealanders—in work than we've seen ever before and the lowest unemployment since the global financial crisis. Minimum wages up every year. Three straight years of GDP growth of over 3 percent.When this Government took office they inherited a bustling dynamic economy improving the lives of everyday New Zealanders and a country that is more confident prosperous and outward-looking—an exciting New Zealand to live in. I'll give them a real "rebuild Budget" not a fake one. In 2008 through the global financial crisis earthquakes decades of deficits we had a plan. We supported New Zealanders. We invested in social services. We had sensible economic policies and we delivered rising surpluses and falling debt. Labour I might add voted against every single initiative that we put up. Grant Robertson—you're welcome.Sadly this Budget enabled by us takes us as a country precisely in the wrong direction and down exactly the wrong path and that's because the Government is not happy with the state of the finances. For Grant Robertson enough is never enough. It's a tax and spend it's a borrow and hope Budget and through what is really a special form of incompetence they're still managing to break nearly all of their promises.Let's look at tax. Let's look at tax Winston Peters. They promised—the Prime Minister prior to the election promised no new taxes in the next term. Now it's "Why have one when you can have half a dozen of them; let's tax this" Jacinda Ardern. Regional fuel tax—$600 million over four years. Excise tax—a billion dollars. An Amazon GST tax—over $200 million. A brightline extension of around $300 million not to mention a capital gains tax they'll legislate for before the next election—you mark my words Mr Speaker—and I'm sure many more.And that's ultimately because Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson think they can spend people's money in New Zealand better than those people can. There is more than $2 billion more in tax over the next four years; whereas we were giving families—hard-working New Zealand families—a thousand dollars back in their pocket in tax relief. What a stark contrast.Borrowing—$10.8 billion in additional debt. It was going to be $56 billion—$56 billion in debt. Well that's not enough for Grant Robertson. He's taken that out—wait for it—to $67 billion debt. But actually it's worse than that. He's hidden another six—it's $73 billion in debt as a result for this country. What does that mean? Well it doesn't just mean a few more cheese rolls for Grant Robertson. It is $10000 more in debt for every single household in New Zealand—$10000 more in debt for every single household in New Zealand—and another $800 million in debt servicing and interest over the next four years. Where was your press release on that Grant Robertson in the Budget packet?It's worse than that: like I said $6 billion more that snuck off into Housing New Zealand the New Zealand Transport Agency and the Crown Infrastructure Partners. There is $17 billion of borrowing from this Budget; a $7 billion blowout from Grant Robertson Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters and he's increased his allowances. That takes—it's another little secret—the debt to GDP to over 20 percent. He might as well Grant Robertson have breached his Budget responsibility rules. That interest those payments would be enough to meet the promises they've broken whether it's cheaper universal GP visits or 1800 more on the beat or maybe—maybe—funding health like they said they would like they promised New Zealanders they would whereas what we've seen is one example of many—mental health no $100 million. All the talk in the election; no real funding for mental health. And that's not to mention the small things—the children's camps the rural health services that aren't there.Then we get with all that taxing and all that borrowing to the spending—the spending that they're doing from the strongest books the taxing and borrowing. Forty billion dollars they have to spend over the next four years. Will they spend it well? We borrowed to get New Zealand through the global financial crisis through earthquakes through the worst of issues. They are taxing borrowing spending when the economy and their books are the strongest we've seen in a generation.Where's it going? A billion dollars for diplomats not doctors. It's not "Let's do this." It's "Winston made us do this." "We didn't realise we'd have to do this." says Grant Robertson. And all the hard-working families in New Zealand won't get what it was they were promised. Also when Winston Peters goes to the Islands he's carried up on a throne above their heads into the villages. Well how about "New Zealand first" Winston Peters or is carpet in Stockholm more important?There's a rash of other bad spending choices. There he is—Shane Jones. A billion dollars a year and so far what's it delivered?Hon Member: A roundabout.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: A roundabout to his house—a roundabout to his house. The tragedy is it won't create sustainable jobs.Hon David Parker: Oh yes it will.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: What it's going to see is trinkets in the regions David Parker by killing oil and gas by gutting roading funding and farming. There's $2.8 billion for free fees. But here's another little thing hidden away in the Budget documents: hundreds fewer students going to those universities and polytechs. Not only—and the rationale of that funding to get more students it doesn't just not mean more; it means fewer.Winter energy payments worth a billion dollars even if you're a millionaire. A baby bonus worth a lot even if you're a millionaire. And they have the audacity to say that we're in a funding crisis. New Zealanders know a crisis when they see one and they saw one actually in 2008 when we came in. Michael Cullen had been spending like a drunken sailor but New Zealanders had to go offshore to Australia for basic operations. That was a crisis and we fixed it. Any fool can spend but spraying and walking away won't do it. We'll ensure there's results from the spending that we will do.And here is the worst part the indictment on this Budget: they're borrowing more they're taxing more they are spending more—and there's less on health. There is less on health in this Budget. I couldn't believe my eyes. Page 9—$770 million $812 million $804 million $797 million in the next four years. Sorry what did we spend? It was $880 million. And that was Grant Robertson's top priority. A billion dollars for diplomats and Kelvin Davis can't even fund more in health spending. What a disgrace.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Health cuts under Labour.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Health cuts. Well Gerry Brownlee says "Health cuts". Pharmac—$200 million less than they had. Did you know that Kelvin Davis? I doubt he did—I doubt he did. Shame on you Kelvin Davis. And I've gone through this document—I've gone through this document. Dunedin Hospital—I seek it here I seek it there I seek it nearly everywhere. Where is it David Clark? Oh David Clark says they're designing it. David Clark promised New Zealand and his constituents that he would fund the hospital faster than we would and it's not in this Budget. Tax and spend borrow and hope because they hope we don't notice that they're managing to break a raft of promises because they did no work in Opposition and they've got no real plans of substance today.Let's take KiwiBuild—the flagship policy from this Government. Where is Phil Twyford? Look up Phil. Flagship policy emblematic of this Government—that's why nothing about it stacks up. They did no work and they've got no real plan. What did they promise? It was 100000 homes and $2 billion of spending. And already Phil Twyford is raising the white flag—simply going to buy the developments already happening and slap a sticker on them that says KiwiBuild. Well that's a hoax; that's spin. Phil Twyford that's "KiwiFraud". Be clear Prime Minister; we will hold you to account for those 100000 additional homes that you said on the campaign trail—that Phil Twyford said that he would deliver.And then we come to law and order another doozy in this Budget. What did they promise? Stuart Nash—1800 sworn front-line police officers. Now it's something—what is it 1100? 1200? I don't know but it ain't 1800—mostly delivered by us what's there. I know what that is: that's a broken promise by this Government. "Let's not do this"—or not much of it anyway Stuart Nash.But it's worse than that because sadly in this country to keep New Zealanders safe every now and again you do have to build a prison. I've looked through these documents—Hon Andrew Little: Yeah every two or three years though for your lot.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Oh Andrew Little doesn't think they need to build a prison—we know where he stands on this. He's been told not to say anything but he couldn't help himself. Well I've looked through the Budget documents and I can't see one—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order!Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —and with the forecast prison muster that's a real issue. So I say when the Prime Minister stands to give her speech I've got just one question I want an answer for: will there be more serious sexual violent and drug offenders living next to hard-working New Zealand families? There are a few important requirements of being a Prime Minister and keeping New Zealand families safe is one of them.This is a Budget that's awash with cash for carpets in Stockholm for the children of millionaires for racehorses—$4.8 million for Winston's mates—for "KiwiFraud" and there's still a huge amount that could and should have been done such as cheaper universal doctor visits the police a prison and biosecurity. Damien O'Connor for years has said what a disgrace the level of funding in biosecurity has been. What was it again—about $6 million?Hon Amy Adams: Nine.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Nine million over four years. That's right—$9 million over four years; all talk no action. What a waste of time. What a waste of space.Two hundred less—$200 million less for Pharmac; a design of Dunedin but no building—nothing there. Tax and spend borrow and hope while breaking promises along the way the biggest one being all the rhetoric all the talk of crisis in health and less money than National put in when we were in Government. This is a Government with no plan with 100 working groups—Grant Robertson announced another two in his speech. He literally did; we're at 102 and counting.And it's worse than that in fact because they've got policies that are killing business confidence in this country and will slow down the economy. Everything we did was about making the boat go faster and they've pulled anchor. They've put the anchor in and the rope—well there's a lot of rope but over time it will tighten and lower growth is coming because business confidence points the way David Parker Grant Robertson. You can't do all the things that this Government is doing and not expect it to have an effect.Industrial law changes—by the way on industrial law changes I'm glad we've actually got a Budget because everyone was on strike. Industrial law changes will slow down growth. Immigration changes will slow down growth. Overseas investment changes will slow down growth. Fewer roads and higher taxes will slow down growth. Tax Working Group changes will slow down growth. Shutting down oil and gas will slow down growth. And frankly anything David Parker or Damien O'Connor say about farming will slow down the growth in this country.This Government is an almighty handbrake on New Zealand's growth and economy. They've been gifted a very strong legacy but the real job of this Budget should have been to deliver strong Budgets in the future and they've got absolutely no plan to do that. It's an epic fail in this Budget.With all that legacy—more taxing more spending more borrowing—there's more costs on hard-working New Zealanders. Who are the losers from this Budget? They're families in New Zealand. They're not getting universally cheaper doctor visits; they're getting $1000 less in cancelled tax cuts; they're receiving $700 that they'll have to pay when they pump their gas around New Zealand; and the impact from expensive policies on rent are in the hundreds of dollars—some $2500 less that they will be receiving all around New Zealand. Don't talk to me about a squeezed middle Prime Minister; this Government is squeezing them hard and it's going to hurt.We would do things very differently. We'd ensure that the boat was going faster; we wouldn't drop anchor on New Zealanders. We know it's hard-working Kiwis that make up the economy—it's the mechanics and the midwives—and we would empower them and then get out of their way. We would reduce tax when we can we'd borrow less we'd have sensible not wasteful—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order!Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —spending and we'll keep our promises by ensuring we promise what we've planned for and we don't promise what we haven't. With our plan we won't need a working group every couple of days.This Government has been gifted the best legacy from another Government in a generation. They are awash with cash but they're still taxing more they're borrowing more they're spending more and they're hoping and they're killing the confidence of this country's economy along the way. They're breaking promises and they're dropping anchor on New Zealand's economy. The top priority—Hon Phil Twyford: You're repeating yourself.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: The top priority Phil Twyford in this Budget—where there was a crisis!—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order!Hon SIMON BRIDGES: —is health spending and they are spending less in health. What an indictment on this country.This is a rhetoric over reality Budget and the National Party will be ready with a plan to pick up the pieces in 2½ years' time.SPEAKER: Before I call the Prime Minister I am going to refer members to Speaker's ruling 125/4. That applies to people on both sides of the House and I would have expected senior Ministers to know better."