Russell DeborahDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour—New Lynn): The Opposition live in some fantasy world. They live in a world where they can say that an economy is broken when unemployment is down to 3.2 percent an extraordinary low. The live in a fantasy world where they think it's a broken economy when growth will be about 4 percent by about June 2023. They live in a fantasy world. We will have net debt topping out at about 19.9 percent of GDP. They call that a broken economy—it is fantastical stuff. It's the sort of fantastical stuff that refuses to admit that there has been a global pandemic refuses to admit that this is a Government that has responded nimbly to the global pandemic and seems to think that New Zealand exists all on its own and doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the world.On this side of the House we are realistic about what is happening in New Zealand and what we need to do to help New Zealanders. Inflation worldwide is rampant; it is running. In the US inflation is at about 8.5 percent; in Canada it's 6.7 percent; in Germany it's at 7.3 percent; and in the UK it's heading towards 9 percent. The OECD average is around 8.8 percent. In New Zealand we are not immune to worldwide phenomena we were not immune to the global pandemic and we are not immune to what is happening with inflation around the world. In Australia they are currently at 5.5 percent inflation and their Reserve Bank over there is predicting it is going to head towards between 6 and 9 percent. Here in New Zealand we are experiencing inflation too. But all the predictions are in the real world that it will ease off next year—this is a somewhat temporary problem. It is a spike. Do you know why that will happen? It is because central banks around the world are taking action to curb inflation—just like ours. We know that even though all the respectable predictions are that this will be a temporary phenomenon driven by the supply chain crisis and the war in Ukraine—both situations are expected to ease up—it is nevertheless hard for New Zealanders at the moment. So we have a cost of living package that is designed to help all New Zealanders. Bear in mind that part of this cost of living package is the cut in the fuel excise and the reduction in road-user charges which has been extended for another two months. It is the subsidising of public transport with a 50 percent fare subsidy which is being extended for another two months. These are measures that help all New Zealanders.Every single New Zealand family is better off as a result of those changes but this particular change that we are debating now is cold hard cash in the back pocket of people on incomes below $70000. On that side of the House they oppose it. They oppose helping out families and helping out people who are earning less than $70000 a year. What did they say? Oh we don't like that." They just want to carry on their mantra "Tax cuts tax cuts tax cuts." without thinking seriously about the nature of our taxes. There's a really good reason why we have chosen this approach in terms of helping out families through the winter that is coming. It takes time to put tax cuts in place. They don't just happen magically overnight because someone in fantasyland decides that they should happen. It takes time to get them implemented and through systems. We can do this payment now. It will take a wee while to get it up and going but it is money that will be in people's back pockets this year. Unlike the Opposition we are going to help everyone who has earned an income—who is not currently on a benefit or on super—from zero dollars to $70000. So more people will be better off with what we're offering to help them get through in this time when inflation is hurting. That is part of a package that we've put together. It is a package that is designed for all New Zealanders. It is a package that puts straightforward cash in people's back pockets. It won't cover all the costs. It's a contribution to the cost of living and it's a contribution that on this side of the House we are proud to make to help New Zealanders out during the tough times. I commend this bill to the House."