Whaitiri MekaHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): E Te Māngai o Te Whare tēnā koe. Otirā ngā mema katoa o Te Whare nei tēnā tātou katoa. As a custom in my culture when we've come through a major event it's to acknowledge those that we have lost. So e ngā mate huhua o te motu kua wehe atu i te pō haere haere moe mai rā [to the multitudes of this land who have gone to the night go go rest in peace].Māori work best when we work together and over the last few months that's exactly what we've seen right across the motu. As a team of 5 million we've done well to fight COVID-19 and I want to support the previous speaker my colleague Rino Tirikatene in his acknowledgment of those across the motu that responded in the appropriate manner. I want to just briefly touch on all our essential workers our NGOs iwi hauoras DHBs police our health professionals supermarkets and particularly the generosity of our local food producers who came to the fore right throughout my electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti. That generosity has given us the resilience to rebuild and recover over this time. I am pleased to speak in the Budget debate in support of the Appropriation (2020/21 Estimates) Bill. I want to touch on how this Budget—I describe it as the Jobs Budget". Jobs—this is what this Budget is around helping the recovery. It puts the commitment of this side of the House on creating protecting and growing jobs in our regions. I want to talk about the $200 million Māori employment package. I want to talk about the $121 million investment in growing expanding He Poutama Rangatahi. I want to talk about the $50 million that's going towards Māori trade training part of the $900 million Māori-specific budget of this coalition Government. I'm telling you sharing with this House what the feedback was from throughout Māoridom on this side's commitment to Māori at a time when we really need it—$900 million. Today we had the Hon Megan Woods talk about another $33 million towards Māori research and development opportunities. We support and acknowledge the huge investment that's gone on under this Government and towards all people of the nation but particularly Māori. This is on the backdrop of $1.1 billion environmental jobs; $1.4 billion trades and enterprise. On top of that there is $200 million towards kōhanga reo and the $136 million that has gone to Whānau Ora. Can I acknowledge the Whānau Ora commissioning agents up and down the country who was one of the first agencies that set up and supported our vulnerable people up and down the country. It is exciting to be part of a Government that has put investment into our regions and is growing the jobs. I've touched on it briefly. There's so much more in this Budget that I'm really proud of. I want to acknowledge the strong leadership of the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern. In fact when we returned to this House I was given clear directions from my aunties from Pakipaki and my aunties from Manutuke to go and give that Prime Minister of ours a hug and thank her for keeping us safe—thank her for keeping us safe. Of course they're all fan—I shouldn't call them fangirling; they're fan-auntying on Dr Ashley Bloomfield. They want to actually get his signature. But in all jest. I want to say in great humility that the way that communities rallied together in a real time of need is mirrored by the commitment of this Budget that we're debating here. It touches the very points that we need in our regions. It is around creating and growing jobs. It is around working in partnership with iwi and Māori who own multiple assets. It is investing in our small-business sector.I want to acknowledge my colleague in front of me the Hon Carmel Sepuloni and her agency that moved very very quickly around the wage subsidy and how they got that out the door. Those actions show that we weren't only talking about acknowledging the hardship of many of our communities but we were backing it up with actions. I'm really proud of this Budget—the Appropriation (2020/21 Estimates) Bill—and I commend it to the House."