Upston LouiseHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō): So this is a Budget that is set in the context of a cost of living crisis where every household up and down New Zealand is doing it considerably tougher than they were several years ago. So what is the Government's answer? It's Let's spend more of their money for them. Let's have higher interest rates for longer. Oh and let's tell them to have five-minute showers. Let's tell them to unplug their appliances. Let's tell them how to turn the heater down."It just absolutely smacks of complete disregard and a complete disconnection to the reality of the lives that New Zealanders are facing today. And they've only been in for 5½ years so they've completely missed the point. It's quite interesting when you think about the $28000 of extra spending this Government is spending for every household every year—and $28000. And I know my colleagues are pretty clear about what $28000 would buy. And remember this is the Government who believes they can spend that money better than you can. So I invite people—as I've been doing around the electorate in the last week since the Budget—to say how an individual or family would spend that $28000. I bet you it would be in different ways than the current Government. Oh but they want people to be grateful to the Government for giving their own money back to them and expecting that that's actually purchasing something.Well let's have a look. Let's have a look at some of the areas. I want to talk about social development and employment and I want to talk about child poverty reduction because one of the things that $28000 for every household is buying is another 33000 people on the jobseeker benefit in the next two years. So the result from that side after six years in office will be an extra 81000 New Zealanders on the jobseeker benefit. Oh but this is the time that the Minister of Finance says we've got record low unemployment times are great. Really? Really? Tell that to the people who are receiving the jobseeker benefit. Tell that also to the businesses who have been desperate for staff. When I had Into Work workshops around New Zealand in every region they're like "Where are these job seekers? Where are these job seekers?" We want people to be in employment but one in 20 New Zealanders today is in receipt of the jobseeker benefit. It doesn't sound like success to me. One in five New Zealand children being raised in a benefit-dependent home. And what we do know is that their life outcomes are worse in health in education in income and in justice.So what in the Budget was aimed at supporting New Zealanders into work? Oh guess what? Flexi-wage the big unemployment initiative—funding has been reduced. Māori trades training has been reduced. So instead of actually putting money into supporting people into work and into training so they can stand up on their own two feet this Government when the number on jobseeker benefit is going to increase by 33000 is cutting it. They're cutting expenditure—to me it's actually an investment but they're cutting it. They're cutting funding into programmes that would support New Zealanders into work. And if you look at the businesses out there the businesses who don't have a business unless they've got workers will be wondering why on earth a Labour Government is supporting people to stay on welfare to be stuck on welfare instead of supporting them with practical tools into work—like our Welfare that Works policy. I'm really proud of that we've focused on a group of New Zealanders 50 percent of them under Labour under 25 now long-term welfare recipients at a time we've had record labour shortages.So that is an absolute failure. That is an absolute failure of this Government for not supporting Kiwis into work. It means a life of less opportunities less choices because the Government hasn't done the work to support them off welfare. So with regard to their flagship policy the Flexi-wage extension in the campaign the Prime Minister—it was Ardern at the time—said "We'll get 40000 people into work." Guess what? They got to 25 and gave up. And now they're reducing the funding into the Flexi-wage extension. Well I want to know from members opposite how do you look someone who's out of work in the face and say "We're actually cutting support for the things that could make a difference to you and your family and to support you back up again to work?" Well have a look at those initiatives. Much of the employment support is being reduced. [Interruption]They obviously haven't read the Budget so they don't know the numbers. So let's put a few of them on record. What are we looking at in terms of some of the cuts? Some $14 million for Māori trades training fund $68 million decrease in their flagship Flexi-wage extension—that is about supporting people into work and supporting them to stay in work so they can look after themselves and their families. So not only did they not make the target they've given up. They have given up. So when we talk about welfare dependency yes it's a fiscal cost. But guess what? It's a human cost. And it's a human cost that that side of the House are ignoring. They are ignoring the impact and the impact on the children who live in those households and they are writing off their futures.Do you know how you reduce benefit dependency? You actually tackle it right at the very start. Instead that side of the House is willing to grow the number of people the number of children being raised in benefit-dependent homes and their outcomes—I will repeat it again—are worse in health they are worse than education they're worse in income and they're worse in justice. They might say "This was a Budget for mothers." It was definitely not one for children who are raised in benefit-dependent homes because that side has given up on supporting people into employment and in actually helping people up and on with their lives. It's an absolute disgrace.And so the other side might say well you know we're a bit negative. Well guess what? We actually see that New Zealand has masses of potential but that actually requires you to do something. It's called enforcing the social contract so that if somebody is out of work and they're looking for work and they're not playing their part there should be a consequence. It's called a sanction. No surprise that it's dropped by 50 percent since these guys have been in office.What are we seeing? An explosion in welfare dependency. And their very own flagship policy that was to support people into work—Flexi-wage—they've cut. Oh so they'd rather that someone you know does some training when there's actually a job there tomorrow a business who is reducing their hours because they don't have enough staff. Some are actually closing—Angela Roberts: Because you need trained people so you get an apprenticeship.Hon LOUISE UPSTON: No there are jobs out there today where businesses and people will train you from scratch. And so Labour ignores the very real challenge of people who are on the jobseeker benefit—100000 of them have been there for more than a year. More than a year. And actually on this side of the House we believe in people's ability. We believe in people's ability to get back up. We believe in people's ability to look after their families with the right support at the right time. And that's why our Welfare that Works policy engages community organisations who are connected on the ground and actually supports people not only to get a job but to stay in a job.Because again Labour has failed to support people into work: 22 percent who come off welfare are back on it within 12 weeks. That's a disgrace. And again you are gutting people of their opportunities. I don't see this Budget as anything to crow about. If anything it is absolutely gutting to see that opportunities for Kiwis out of work will be failed by Labour."