Willis NicolaNICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National): Today I want to talk about the people that this Government has forgotten—the forgotten people in the squeezed middle of New Zealand who work hard for a living. They juggle multiple responsibilities sometimes multiple jobs family obligations. They do their best every day and yet under this Government they are falling behind and they cannot get ahead. Every day they are pummelled by the cost of living crisis. When they go to pay for their groceries when they go to fill up their tank when they go to pay their rent or their mortgage it just costs more and more. My message to those people those forgotten people in the squeezed middle is that if you're doing it tough that's because it is tough. It is not your fault that this Government has mismanaged the economy so badly that interest rates have doubled in just two years. It is not your fault that the Government has mismanaged the economy so badly that price increases are shrinking your paycheque every fortnight. It is not your fault that the Government has mismanaged the economy so badly that you can't keep up with your bills. The person you have to look to the person you have to blame is the Labour Government. I know that too many New Zealanders feel completely taken for granted by this Government. They get up they work hard they pay their tax and all they hear from the Government is they're too rich to deserve tax relief—they don't deserve tax relief because the Government needs to spend it maybe on a farewell party for a Government department maybe for some more sausage rolls maybe for some more consultancy reports about a cycling bridge over the harbour or maybe for some refurbishment of the IRD's offices. That's more important to this Government than tax relief for working people in the squeezed middle.I'm talking about people like Anna who said to me We struggle to make ends meet and keep food on the table for our kids due to the increasing cost of food and petrol. We earn too much for any assistance but not enough to get by. I don't want my kids to miss out." and Sarah who said "We are living week by week. As a middle-class family we have never done this before." Some of the stories are gut-wrenching and they are ignored by this Government who refused to give these people the tax relief they are owed.I challenge the members opposite to tell Ben why he doesn't deserve tax relief. Ben says that he and his partner got married last year: "We haven't really been able to enjoy the first six months of marriage yet because we are stressed about money. Rent is expensive food is expensive fuel is expensive. No matter how many hours we work we are constantly dipping into our savings. It's only going to get worse." What the members opposite say is that Ben and his partner they don't deserve tax reduction because Grant Robertson thinks he can spend Ben's money better than Ben can. Well on this side of the House we disagree and we will spend New Zealanders money wisely and responsibly so that New Zealanders can keep more of what they earn—so that a household on the average income squeezed by the cost of living can have $100 more a fortnight and so that a worker on the median wage who is an electrician a plumber or a nurse can have an additional $50 per fortnight because that is more meaningful than having another Government strategy document. It's more meaningful than another visualisation of light rail on the front page of the paper. It's more meaningful than the smoke mirrors and failed promises of the members opposite.I want to talk about Jay finally. He said "By the time I pay my rent utilities phone internet insurance fuel pet food and groceries I have literally nothing left about two days after I'm paid. I feel like I'm bashing my head against a wall." Jay hope is coming for you and it comes in the form of a National Government.Labour has delivered a cost of living crisis. With us there's no smoke there's no mirrors; there's cold hard cash for you."