Robertson GrantGENERAL DEBATEHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business. This past couple of weeks we've seen the reaction around the world to the Prime Minister's video where she has gone through the achievements of this Government. Now the Prime Minister had just over two minutes to do that. I have five minutes today so I am not even going to attempt to get near that list because the Prime Minister took three minutes and we all know that there were many things on that list that she could not fit in. On this side of the House we know that we are addressing the long-term issues that are facing this country—the nine years of neglect that were left to this Government to clean up. We are making a great start on that and today we saw that more than ever with the release of the household labour force survey that showed that the wages of New Zealanders the average hourly earnings of New Zealanders are up by $86 a week since this Government came into office. That is money in the pockets of New Zealanders who are finally getting to share in the benefits of growth. When the Prime Minister's video goes around the world people hear that 284000 families are $75 a week better off. They hear about the Best Start payment. They hear about the winter energy payment. They hear about the extension of paid parental leave of child poverty being reduced and of nurses in schools. These are the achievements of a Government that cares that is focused on the big long-term issues. New Zealanders know it won't all be solved overnight but finally there is a Government that is taking a positive attitude to our future that is firmly looking forward for future generations. Our work has had an unlikely supporter who in an unusual moment of clarity on Radio Hauraki on Friday last week said—when Mr Bridges was asked by the host there about what had been happening—Talking about the Government you know they've achieved a lot in the last couple of years." So finally Mr Bridges sees it. Finally he gets it because normally it's negative National. Christopher Luxon has arrived in Botany or "Grabaseat" as we now call it and he's a much more positive character than what we normally see over there. He was very keen to let us know that he wasn't parachuted in. He actually just walked on to the plane and found there was no pilot. That's what happened when he got there. The only person he found was Judith Collins gently pushing people towards the emergency exit. But other than that there was absolutely no one in charge and Mr Bridges should always remember "Your exit may be behind you." That's naughty Mr Speaker. But to be honest the National Party is a little bit like an airline meal: way too much packaging not enough substance a little bit salty and made up of small bits that don't really go together. So when Christopher Luxon arrives he is going to discover that the airline that he's arrived in isn't exactly Air New Zealand a modern airline. He's going to discover it's a bit like Pan Am or some kind of airline of the 1970s: focused on ignoring climate change and focused on rehashing tired old beneficiary-bashing kinds of policies. The difference between the two sides of this House could not be clearer at the moment: a Government on this side of the House this week passing legislation to help New Zealanders deal with climate change a Government that's improving the wages of New Zealanders that's focused on the future of work and a desperate divided Opposition on the other side of the House. That is what we are seeing. Simon Bridges has taken to saying that he's "being Susie-ed". Well actually he's "being Simon-ed". What's happened there? The dictionary definition of "being Simon-ed" is to have self-inflicted wounds caused by incoherent yet relentless negativity. That is the dictionary definition of "being Simon-ed" and week after week day after day members opposite and members on this side of the House have to be put through the Leader of the Opposition "being Simon-ed" while the reality is there's now a new person on the block. Mr Luxon's flown in and Mark Mitchell and all of those people on the other side of the House—who Simon Bridges said are in a queue to change the leader I heard on the radio this morning—have now got a competitor. We're going to enjoy watching the spectacle on this side of the House while we get on with solving the problems left to us by nine years of neglect and ensuring that every New Zealander gets to enjoy economic growth. The wages are up. There's more people getting into work. This is a country in good shape and I'm proud of our Jacinda Ardern - led Government."