Lee Melissa; Kuriger BarbaraHon MELISSA LEE (Minister for Economic Development): Thank you Madam Speaker. I'd like to begin my contribution today by first of all acknowledging you Madam Speaker. As my colleague the Hon Erica Stanford has actually said earlier your history with the National caucus is tremendous in the sense that you have been a nurturing senior whip who actually looked after the newbies coming in. Whoever was actually ever in trouble you were always very generous with your time and your energy and wise counsel. So I'm sure that you will do tremendous work as the Deputy Speaker.I just want to comment on the very lacklustre contribution by the Hon Dr Duncan Webb. You know I love speaking in this House and often when I speak I actually tag on to something that the opposite member has actually said and we can have our you know tit for tat and you feel absolutely energised. I just felt completely drained after that speech because I was like sitting there going Oh my goodness can he just drone on?"—something that my mother would actually say "Put a mirror in front of you to look at your history and see what you have done before you criticise someone else."On that note I'd like for him and his colleagues to potentially actually think about how under the previous Labour Government they had a 65-seat majority—it was a complete majority ever in the history of you know MMP and they haven't actually achieved anything really. They haven't delivered for New Zealanders. They couldn't even deliver something that I think Michael Wood actually calls—it's the light rail all the way to the airport down Dominion Road that was supposed to have been completed last year—Hon Simeon Brown: 2021.MELISSA LEE: 2021! Oh my goodness two years ago. It was supposed to have happened in 2021 all the way to Auckland Airport that they were so happy about and championed that they were going to deliver. They had 65 members a complete majority in this House; they could not deliver a centimetre of that light rail—it's a light fail.KiwiBuild—100000 KiwiBuild homes they said they were going to deliver. Instead what did they deliver? 14000 public servants and 1400 KiwiBuild homes. It's nowhere near the 100000 that they actually said. And I know that Duncan Webb actually talked about emissions and I think you know as somebody mentioned something about a dud you know COP28 award that New Zealand actually got; I thought awards were actually given to the country for the performance in the previous year. So I guess it's actually—I think we need to look at the emission profile of the previous Government's performance when they have to import so much coal from Indonesia because they couldn't actually power the generators so they had to actually import coal from overseas. So the profile for emissions in New Zealand was worse under that Labour Government.I was thinking that maybe the Rt Hon Gerry Brownlee was going to be sitting on this session and I had some funny quips about him but I'll have to leave that for another time. I'd like to acknowledge my colleagues—well actually acknowledge the people of Mt Albert who came very close to electing me as their MP. They came very close but not close enough. But I'd like to acknowledge my colleagues the MP for Mt Albert Helen White and I have to say the Mt Albert community actually have two list MPs and one MP of the electorate who will actually work for the benefit of the Mt Albert community. I think we are blessed to work there but I think the people of Mt Albert will be very very pleased to actually have three MPs who will actually work to their benefit in representing them across the House in this Parliament.It's an honour to have made the Cabinet of the coalition Government and to join the ranks of my distinguished colleagues right across. It's an absolute privilege and since this is the first time I had some Labour colleagues—former Ministers who have also given me some tips about how I should actually take on my role. I think that's very kind of them to actually do that you know in terms of the overwhelming amount of paperwork that you tend to get buried in and the ability for Ministers to actually read and actually understand the responsibilities that come with the role. I thank those colleagues from across the other side who have actually been very kind to give me their counsel. So thank you.I want to acknowledge former Ministers as I said who held the portfolios you know that I currently hold. But I just want to actually say to Willie Jackson who was the former Minister for Broadcasting and broadcasting is no longer the word that we're using we're using Minister for Media and Communications. I can just guarantee that I won't be wasting $20 million trying to actually dream up something called ANZPM—Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media bill—and literally pay nearly $20 million to consultants who had absolutely no clue about broadcasting. The ANZPM was literally about bringing Radio New Zealand and TVNZ together and he couldn't actually give us a realistic answer as to why he was doing that. You know there was no reason to bring Radio New Zealand and TVNZ together and they weren't going to deliver for New Zealanders something that they didn't already deliver separately as Radio New Zealand and TVNZ.There is so much that we have to do and you know I'm looking forward to working very closely with the Under-Secretary for Media and Communications Jenny Marcroft. We look to address a wide host of matters during this parliamentary term. As a Minister I have to think about the delegation but I started off talking about her passions and where she would like to work so I think we're going to work really really closely and really well to deliver better outcomes for the media and communications sector.As the Prime Minister the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon stated our 100-day plan is focused on rebuilding the economy easing the cost of living restoring law and order and delivering better public services. These are things that New Zealanders voted for and expect us to deliver. Unlike the previous Government who couldn't actually deliver on as I said light rail couldn't really deliver on ANZPM couldn't really deliver on KiwiBuild—or anything actually. They didn't deliver on anything when they had a majority. I think that's dire indictment on their ability to deliver. So we won't take any advice on that delivery aspect of the work that they did but I think on this side of the House we know that we have a commitment that we have made to the voters of this country that we will deliver together as a coalition Government. And I know that my colleagues actually are going to be working really really hard. I know that Ministers have actually been pulling like really really long hours. Like I didn't realise that I had to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and sometimes it's actually going until 2 o'clock in the morning—but hey we're on to it right?I think we need to get on with the job of delivering for New Zealand that they expect and they voted for and I look forward to working hard with my colleagues to deliver that. I would like to acknowledge particularly my caucus colleagues actually. They're all amazing but I want to actually pick off a couple of very special ones. Dr Carlos Cheung—it's amazing that he won Mt Roskill. I want to actually welcome back Paulo Garcia—it's amazing that he managed to get New Lynn which is a Labour seat. I'd like to acknowledge Rima Nakhle—amazing—you know three ethnic MPs. I'm sorry I'm the worst one I didn't actually win Mt Albert—you guys won a Labour seat. I didn't quite make it but what a turnaround it was. I literally literally came very close. But having said that the member for Mt Albert has actually said to me that we will work together for the benefit of Mt Albert and I hope to keep her word—I hope to make her keep her word and I promise that I will do the same.I look forward to working with everyone across the House and I know that sometimes it has been frustrating in Opposition when you try and actually go see a Minister and they say "Yeah we'll take good ideas" and they never do. I'm saying if you have good ideas come and see me. I'll listen to you. Thank you.DEPUTY SPEAKER: The House will suspend for the dinner break and will resume at 7:30 p.m. to continue with the Address in Reply Debate.Sitting suspended from 5.57 p.m. to 7.30 p.m."