SpeechHon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Minister of Justice): Well first of all it's a delight to be able to come back to this House and give a contribution and a response to the Prime Minister's statement but first of all I would be remiss if I didn't just address my friend the Hon Paul Goldsmith and some of his comments. He started out with this incredible picture where he articulated the billions and the billions and the billions. Now one should remember that when he was the former finance spokesperson he loved to talk about the billions and the billions and the billions—in fact $4.3 billion of a billion-dollar fiscal hole. But it was nice to be I guess refreshed and to remember his efforts when it comes to numbers. It also seems like I don't know maybe it might be a good opportunity for our friend to get out of the little provincial town that is Epsom and come out and see the rest of us in the real world because what I'd tell you is that all the rest of this country is looking to this Labour Government. They are looking to this Labour Government for what it has delivered for New Zealanders and we are talking about the bread and butter issues. We are talking about the action that we have done. We've supported parents with health costs by expanding free and low-cost doctors visits to children under 14—real stuff that helps New Zealanders. We've introduced mental health support into school and expanded school-based health services across approximately 300 schools. The winter energy payment—your constituents know about it my constituents know about and they all love it. We've increased mean benefits the family tax credit student allowances and the accommodation supplement we've extended paid parental leave to 26 weeks and the list goes on and on and on. This is a Government that delivers big. I want to just turn my mind to things that have been pressing in our region and across the country generally and I guess I'll commence this part of my remarks alongside my friend the Hon Stuart Nash as Ministers responsible for the recovery of the recent weather event: for myself in Te Tai Rāwhiti and for my friend Stuart in the Hawke's Bay region. Currently in Te Tai Rāwhiti we have 1100 people still without access to the rest of the world. They've got 58 local roads that are broken and destroyed as are nine bridges. We have extensive and significant damage all across our farms. We're a food bowl. Much like the Hawke's Bay we are a food bowl. We are food producers. The events that have started this year have sent ripples—ripples that will etch the earth for generations. When I took up this role as a member of Parliament for the East Coast something that forms every part of the way that the people think in the Tai Rāwhiti is the remnants of Cyclone Bola. Cyclone Gabrielle and Cyclone Hale will be those markers for our children and their children to come. I want to particularly acknowledge the range of men and women and the good people of my region in particular that I've got to see up close and personal. Whether it be the civil defence lead Frank over there in Te Karaka who had to steward 500 people up two hills in Te Karaka as the rivers broke and absolutely decimated that small township or if it's the likes of our champions Lilian Mere and Hoana up in Tokomaru Bay who have been providing food and sustenance and providing education and schooling to a township that has been completely disconnected they have held their hands to the till. I look down to the township of Tūranga—Gisborne—and I want to acknowledge Mayor Rehette Stoltz. I want to acknowledge Ben Green. I want to acknowledge the tribal leadership: Selwyn Parata and Amohaere Houkamau. I want to acknowledge Rongowhakaata iwi trust: Staci Tama Waipara and Teina. I want to look out to Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki: Ronald Pene and Willie Te Aho. There have been so many champions throughout the region that have stood up in a time of crisis and we'll be leaning into their knowledge their expertise across the 22 hapori of Te Tai Rāwhiti as we undertake the mammoth task which is the recovery. The Prime Minister has said and has continued to say that what's going to be critical to our rebuild will be that these are locally led recoveries and so to that end I am pleased to be able to work alongside and in partnership with the leadership of our region: the growers the farmers our iwi and our council. I also want to honour on a somewhat sombre note the life of John Coates who was a local Te Karaka man who lost his life in that flood and that breach of the Waipaoa that day. DEPUTY SPEAKER: If you could now return to the Prime Minister's statement. Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: Well this is part of our recovery and indeed it was the primary starting point for the Prime Minister's statement for this year—the cyclone recovery. If I turn to the regional development components I want to acknowledge the role that Kānoa played particularly the investment in the flood banks. If I talk to the families in Manutuke but indeed all throughout the Hawke's Bay and actually all throughout our regional community the role and the investment by central government in partnership with local government has been upheld as saving many a township and it's those types of partnership that we can engage in and are continuing to engage in and we are committed to doing so. They are locally led projects in partnership with and supported by central government through regional economic development agencies with Kānoa taking that lead and I'm pleased to be the regional development Minister to take on some of the legacy work commenced by my friend Stuart Nash. I turn my mind now just to some of the other issues that have been arising and that are at the forefront of our minds. New Zealanders demand and New Zealanders want a place that is safe that they can call home. Now for us on this side of the House when we look at the law and order issues of today and the challenges that we face at the forefront of our minds is that we are keeping New Zealanders safe for today but the decisions that we make today must withstand the test of time tomorrow. So from our side of the House when we approach this whether it is youth crime retail crime or any of the other law and order issues that every Government must engage in we have made sure to be tough on the causes of crime. Our focus is on an evidence-based approach to programmes that work. Most recently we entered into a partnership in South Auckland where we're working with young people aged between 14 and 17 years old that have been through the youth justice system. Through our investment in programmes such as that we have seen an 80 percent reduction in recidivism rates comparative to the experience we were having prior to it. These are examples of the evidence-based mechanisms that work and on our side of the House we've said that we will provide every single New Zealander with that chance to succeed regardless of who you are or where you've come from. That side of the House will say a range of things about this Government's approach to law and order and it's not lost on me that we're coming into an election year and it's all good to dog-whistle. But at the forefront of our minds let's just look at a few of the facts. First of all we have invested heavily in our front-line policing mechanisms. Whilst that side of the House were cutting our local police officers and police stations up and down this country it's through this side of the House that we have reinvested in building up that regional infrastructure and funnily enough it's been one of the most critical lifelines in places like Te Tai Rāwhiti as we re-engage with the floods. We are investing in ensuring that we are rehabilitating our young people that deserve another chance and that's something we are proud of on this side of the House. So there are many many things that we are doing and we'll continue to do on this side of the House but I'll tell you one thing: we will build back better we will build back safer and we are committed to building back smarter. This is an aspirational Government and we are going to keep cracking on with the work ahead of us. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I understand this is a split call—five minutes each.