Bayly AndrewANDREW BAYLY (National—Hunua): Mr Deputy Speaker at times like this I feel sorry for you. Some of these speeches we have heard today are just—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Do not bring me into it.ANDREW BAYLY: I do not even know whether Mr Ron Mark has actually read the Budget. He did not even quote anything from the Budget; it was totally dislocated from anything we have talked about this afternoon. I was also very disappointed with the Opposition member talking about finance because we are missing a context and the context is how New Zealand is progressing economically. I just have not heard that from anyone over on the other side of this House.May I just take the opportunity to talk about a few of the facts. GDP growth—well we are very lucky are we not because we have got very positive GDP growth. As the Opposition spokesman on finance would have heard this morning from the Governor of the Reserve Bank and if he had read the new monetary statement we have in fact got higher projected levels of economic growth over the next 3 years—3.4 percent of GDP growth a great average that most countries around the world are absolutely envious of. Secondly we are returning to surpluses. We have gone from $18.4 billion of debt 4 years ago to a surplus last year to an even greater surplus. I note that in the 11th-month result of this year the operating balance before gains and losses account was at $2.3 billion in surplus and that means that we are going to have an even greater surplus this year if we can take that forward through to the June month. That is a great achievement by our Minister of Finance.We have also reduced debt. No one seems to talk about it but I love talking about it because we have reduced our Government debt from 25 percent to under 20 percent. That is a good thing. Most people who own a house or whatever know the importance of reducing debt and we have done it very diligently during a period of great economic upheaval around the world.We have also reduced the Government sector. I noted that the Minister of Finance complimented our Government sector and the hard-working people in it but we have reduced the cost of it from a bloated 34 percent as it was under the last Labour Government to now just under 30 percent. That is a great achievement and at the same time we are delivering better outcomes.Also we are turning this economy towards an export focus. Against the backdrop of a declining dairy industry we still reported a $2 billion increase in exports coming from a whole range of export industries: tourism construction the beef industry wine ICT—shall I go on? Maybe not. We have got a growing diversified economy. I can say to you that this morning I have just been down to visit this fantastic little business here in Wellington. It is an animation business. It has world-leading technology. It has been developed here by creative New Zealanders. That is the type of people whom we want to see. That is the type of business we want to see being developed in New Zealand. And here it is only just down the road here on Cambridge Terrace—an outstanding example of creative New Zealanders diversifying creating real value for New Zealanders and in the process actually creating high-value jobs.Just talking about jobs there have been 200000 new jobs over the last 3 years. Even by Treasury's forecasts there are an extra 170000 jobs forecast to be achieved over the next 3 years. Against that there are growing wages. Contrary to what Mr Grant Robertson said—I do not know where he got his knowledge from. It was just unbelievable misinformation. But since this Government came to office in 2008 the average wage has increased by $16000 and is now at $63000.Grant Robertson: Do you want me to table the Budget? Do I need to table the Budget?ANDREW BAYLY: Turning to the monetary thing which I think you talked about this morning Mr Grant Robertson look—we are all aware that inflation is remarkably low at 0.4 percent and it is forecast to go to 0.2 percent in the September quarter. In real terms it is virtually zero Mr Grant Robertson. Even against that wage-price inflation over the last 3 years is—let us quote—1.7 percent in 2014 1.8. percent and 1.8 percent. In my terms that means a net increase of really just under 2 percent and going forward all these figures Mr Grant Robertson are showing positive until perhaps 2019 when they forecast inflation finally getting to 2.1 percent. Even you were sceptical about that this morning Mr Grant Robertson. So we have got growing wages and that is great for New Zealanders.What does all this mean? It means options. It means options for all of us to be able to spend on the things that we really want to spend on to improve New Zealanders' outcomes and it is also about sharing the benefits with all New Zealanders.I just want to go back to the Budget—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Good move.ANDREW BAYLY: There has been $761 million put towards growing an innovative economy. We are making a remarkable investment in science and innovation. We put in another $411 million in this Budget and we are hoping to get it to $1.6 billion by 2020. We are absolutely committed to the science and innovation sector.There is $257 million into our tertiary institutes. Also we have got regional development—$100 million thrown into that.But I just want to turn to the issue of skilled workers. We know that a skilled workforce is the powerhouse for a thriving economy. Budget 2016 allocated $14.4 million over 4 years which means that we are going to get another 5500 new people into apprenticeships. I want to remind you that there are already 42000 people in apprenticeships; this will take us close to 50000 people. But what is more we have put in more money to help Māori and Pacific Islanders and we are hoping to get another 2500 into apprenticeship schemes. This is about creating the opportunity for people to get great jobs get paid well and be able to afford the houses that they need to look after their families. I am fully in support of all those initiatives around that.Education—huge investment. There is nearly $900 million into building new schools. I was just going back through some of the press releases. The Hon Nikki Kaye is just perpetually going to new schools telling them how much we are going to invest in them to improve their lot. We are absolutely committed to creating the right environment for our children to learn and benefit from a great education outcome. This is a huge investment in the Budget nearly $400 million into early education centres and already we have got significantly high participation rates in it. I fully endorse the approach and the investment in that area because we want to see our young toddlers going into early education centres getting the right groundwork for schooling and then carrying on through our great schooling system.Health—it was great listening to Annette King talking before. She has got a good point that health is really a growing investment for New Zealand. We are investing. We are putting $16.1 billion into it. A staggering $2.2 billion was invested or allocated in this Budget. The whole argument around health that I hear is that because we have got 69000 new immigrants on a per capita basis we must be going backwards. On my reckoning $2.2 billion is a significant increase over the existing population and current budget. Most of that is going into district health boards—$1.6 billion. There is $170 million million into disability support. There is $100 million into elective surgery making it 148000 new surgeries that we do every year mainly for our older people which is great. Bowel cancer tobacco prices and the increase in Pharmac Ms King acknowledged.The other area I want to talk about is the environment. I think it is great that we are starting to turn our minds to a significant investment carrying on with the $100 million that we already invest. I greatly appreciated the announcement by the Hon Paula Bennett on the emissions trading scheme changes. The additional $100 million that was set aside in this Budget for cleaning up our waterways the targeted pest control the investment in reducing or eliminating wilding pines and the more recent announcement about being predator-free by 2050 are I think phenomenal and courageous and wonderful initiatives that we should be pursuing.Also I should acknowledge the Minister of Transport who is sitting in front here for the wonderful initiatives around electric vehicles—trying to increase them and get them up to about 60000-odd by 2020.I think those are great initiatives and when you think about all of the other good stuff in this thing—the policing the $300 million that the Hon Judith Collins got—I could just go on but unfortunately I have got to sit down. Thank you.