SpeechDr JIAN YANG (National): Thank you very much Madam Chair. We come to talk about the Estimates of the Government which really wants to tax more and spend more and in the process waste more. Let's take Vote Statistics for example. Vote Statistics has funding of just over $32 million for new policy initiatives—$32 million. Out of the $32 million $16 million will be used to complete the 2018 census and to begin the 2023 census. I understand that the $16 million will be used for that. Now had we had a more competitive more capable Government had we had a more responsible Minister of Statistics and had he shown more interest in statistics then we might have had the census data now which means we would have saved millions and millions of dollars. But unfortunately now we are still waiting for the data from the 2018 census and we do not know whether the census data will indeed be accurate. So this is because this Minister was asleep at the wheel and didn't show much interest in the census. Now more importantly the postponement of the release of census data and the extremely low response rate in the census have caused strong concerns in some communities—particularly in the Māori and Pacific communities—and also because of the delay of the data and the problematic quality of the data now we have to wait and many Government agencies are not able to use the updated data to budget to make their own funding. So this is a huge problem a huge challenge and very costly. Another $16 million out of the $32 million for a new policy initiative in this financial year is supposed to be used for—I quote—maintaining statistical products and services data services and data system leadership". This sounds very encouraging and very positive. However if we look carefully then we'll see this money is not well spent either. So this $16 million is not additional money actually. Stats NZ made a bid and wanted more money otherwise—they made it clear—Stats NZ would have to cut non-priority services. And guess what? Shortly after Budget day Stats NZ indeed cut what they called non-priority services. They dropped four surveys including the commercial accommodation monitor. Whilst Stats NZ might think that that is not important for tourism groups this is extremely important. So they were simply shocked and devastated and later on in mid-July we learnt that a few months before Budget day Stats NZ made it clear that they needed a lot more money—at least a minimum of $20 million—and then more afterwards. In the end it did not happen. Much of the $16 million supposed to be used for maintaining statistical products and services data services and data system leadership will be spent on—what? It will be spent on an improved wellbeing measurement—an improved wellbeing measurement. Now this is yet another example of misguided policies from this Government. What they are doing is attempting to measure New Zealand wellbeing with what they call Indicators Aotearoa but this is not achievable is very elusive and is about spiritual health a sense of belonging an ability to be yourself—all these elusive indicators. How can we trust the Government to do it if they can't do the census properly? Thank you."