Bennett PaulaHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National): Thank you very much Mr Speaker. May I start please by wishing you a merry Christmas and can I acknowledge all of the acknowledgments that have already been made by the Prime Minister by the Leader of the Opposition by the Green Party and by New Zealand First to all of those fabulous people around this building who make it work. Can I please wish them a very merry Christmas a happy New Year and a break from this place which it feels like we all might be needing a little bit.I thought as my Christmas present—because it is a time for giving—I would offer to dry-clean the marijuana man's suit because he's here most days in the gallery in his marijuana suit. I thought that I might offer to dry-clean that because he is wearing it a lot and he's been here a lot lately. I love a campaign; so I'm not being rude. I just love someone who's passionate about something. He's visual. Hey for a woman who wears a leopard suit I admire the marijuana-leaf suit. So good on him and that's a lot of fun.My other blessing I've got to say is that there's been no singing in this debate so far because that does drive me slightly bonkers each time—and that from a woman who has been given two portable karaoke microphones for Christmas. So it is kind of cool that that's not happened so far.It is a privilege to be here. It's a privilege to be in this place whether you're in Government or whether you're in Opposition. So I want to acknowledge the Government and the work that they've done this year in the heart of being kind and say that on behalf of myself and my colleagues. It is a privilege to be a National member of Parliament to be here in Opposition and to be trying to play our part in democracy for New Zealand. Yes that means that we're in Opposition and as a consequence of that we oppose but I think there are a few areas that we could agree within.I want to give a big shout-out to New Zealanders. I just want to say how much I in this job get to see them at their best at their worst at their hardest at their happiest. We get to celebrate things like graduation. I stood recently at the Vanguard Military School graduation and I watched with absolute pride—and Erica Stanford would say it alongside of me—as we sat next to each other. There were a lot of tears from us as we saw these young people walk up on stage and hug their teacher because of the relationship that they had built with them and the genuine thanks that these young people had for them. That school has been going through a hard time not least of all because of the changes they've had to go through because they're no longer a partnership school but also because of Nathan as we've heard in recent days.That of course happened earlier this year but that has been very very trying for them. And they've also just lost a teacher in really unfortunate circumstances recently. So I want to give a shout out to them. I know it's been a really tough year for some of them but I've seen them stand up and they sort of epitomise to me New Zealanders. These were young people who were tall and short and brown and Chinese and New Zealander and white and just everything else and they just had this thing in common which was pride and they had resilience. Other people had told them what they couldn't do and they found people who told them what they could. And that is something that you shout out about whether you're in Opposition or whether you're in Government—that we celebrate people like that.New Zealanders have seen hard times this year and we are all seeing at the moment that they are feeling it at the moment more than at any other time. It's when your kids want some more time and everyone's tired. If we're tired those little ones feel it more. I've had a three- and a four-year-old living at home with me in recent weeks and I can tell you that they're ready for a break. And so I think about those families that are not like mine and that are struggling financially—that have seen rents go up by 30 percent and are wondering how they're actually going to live and how they're going to pay the rent next week let alone buy a present for their kids. It is kind of chilling when you hear of a 27 percent increase in families needing food parcels or going to the Ministry of Social Development and asking for help. We can have a lot of the words that talk about what they might and might not do but that is the reality and the reality for too many of them. So I want to shout out to them and I want to recognise them at this time.Mr Speaker may I wish you a merry Christmas. We don't always agree. My mother said to me If you don't have anything nice to say about someone don't say anything at all." I have something to say and that is that I admire the way you always have—and I hope you always do—kind of wear your heart on your sleeve. I don't think there's any doubt that you care for us as parliamentarians you care for the people in this building and you care for New Zealanders and so at Christmas time I want to acknowledge that. Thank you very much."