Bennett PaulaHon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Climate Change Issues): Like I have discovered many times over the last 8 years and certainly while I have been a Minister of this Government I expect something from the Labour Party members that might be interesting that might actually be to the point and that might lead a general debate in this House and yet again I am disappointed—like most in New Zealand actually are. I will put our record of what we are producing for and doing with New Zealanders—this Government of 8 years—against the record of the former Labour Government of 9 years head-to-head on a moral compass any single day of the week. I am just absolutely relishing the opportunity to do it right now.This is a country where we can see economic growth that we had not seen in a very long time. We have the fourth-fastest economic growth rate in the OECD. That means people have genuine security in jobs. It means that for people like those in my electorate of Upper Harbour—which is actually the electorate with the most homeownership with mortgages—their jobs matter. Actually having a job being able to pay off that mortgage and spending some time with the kids—those matter to them a lot. So how we look after this economy how we actually play our part in good stewardship is absolutely vital to them and they can see the direct results of that.There have been 144000 jobs created in just the last year alone. That is real New Zealanders being able to go into real work which gives them an income and means that they are able to provide for themselves. The list is long. The average annual wage growth that we are seeing is up $1200 since 2008. Actually there is the money that we are able to put into weekly superannuation for our superannuitants who desperately need that universal benefit which I think is absolutely justified and which they should be getting. But actually what it really means when we get down to it is that the Government now has public services at 30 percent of GDP as opposed to Labour's 35 percent—damn good at spending money damn good at putting more public servants in. Hon David Cunliffe: Rubbish! Make it up.Hon PAULA BENNETT: It is absolutely a fact and as I say I hope you get a call Mr Cunliffe so that you can try to argue that one but that is absolutely true. We saw a Public Service that blew out we saw money getting scattered around everything. What we saw actually—and I see the Minister for Social Development here—was an increase of those who were sick on benefits. We saw an increase of those who were labelled as unable to work or not willing to—or not wanting to. What we have seen and what matters most I reckon when it comes to the kind of management that you are seeing under this Government is that we are able to spend money where it is desperately needed and see genuine results for real people for it. So we are investing in those people early and over a longer period of time.It is all fine to have the Government books in great shape like we do and it is all good that new jobs are coming on but unless we are actually investing and targeting in the right areas for the right people so that they have a level of resilience and independence of Government and are not dependent—quite frankly like Labour members would like them to be. You love it when they are a bit dependent love it when they need the Government so badly and cannot survive without them. They kind of like that because it makes them feel worthwhile and they can sort of patronisingly go out there and say: We know what is best for you and we will provide because you are unable to be providing for yourselves." This is opposed to actually building that kind of independence and resilience and the numbers going forward which you can see.It means we can put in things like—and actually take responsibility for—emergency housing which has never ever happened from a central government before. This is the Government that has put more than $350 million just into emergency housing in the last 12 months alone because we are able to take responsibility in a social area that we see needs our assistance and needs us working alongside community housing organisations and helping.Hon David Cunliffe: What a fantasy!Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well actually in all of those years that you were there Mr Cunliffe we never saw a penny going into emergency housing or any responsibility from central government in actually giving back to those who are really at the hard end and the bottom end of this.The member can talk about all sorts of numbers that are out there and that sort of thing. We count operations. There are more operations under this Government than ever before. We see results in NCEA and we see our children and young people achieving more so that they can go on and lead independent good lives that really make the biggest difference for them. I see the Minister for Disability Issues here who just yesterday put out an amazing strategy that involves really working alongside those with disabilities so that they can determine their outcomes and how they do with the assistance of this Government which will continue to work hard every single day on behalf of New Zealanders."