Tabuteau FletcherFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader—NZ First): Thank you for the opportunity Madam Deputy Speaker to speak to the Imprest Supply (First for 2018/19) Bill and Appropriation (2017/18 Supplementary Estimates) Bill which I'm not sure former Minister Collins was actually doing or the person before her or the person before that. So I'll take the opportunity to address some of the comments made by the member opposite although I'll start by contrasting the styles of the two Governments.What the imprest supply and Supplementary Estimates bills highlight to me is this is a Government that is willing—and in fact more than willing; ensuring—that the people of New Zealand and their representatives are actually talking about the issues. We're actually talking about them and we're dealing with them as evidenced in these pieces of legislation. I say that because in contrast only a year ago there were six stopwork strikes under the previous Government's control but you didn't really notice it because what that Government was good at when they had the reins as it were was suppressing this information. Not stopping it because people need the ability and it's one of the strongest and most powerful ways of people having their voices heard but—urgh! It's frustrating listening to the contributions from those opposite.Amy Adams for example—my understanding is she's the spokesperson for finance in Opposition. Apparently they want the New Zealand public to believe that the National Government never taxed anyone. We know in contrast they never spent on anyone in New Zealand but they keep throwing up this whole tax and spend argument like they never did it. It's just unbelievable and quite sad to watch as they make the argument when yes they taxed. They increased petrol taxes in their time. They did it constantly and consistently. They increased GST in their time despite actually saying that they wouldn't. It was that party that introduced the brightline test capital gains to New Zealand's legislation books yet somehow they're telling the public that it is this Government that did that.One of the examples that Ms Adams used was around this whole tax and spend argument and then in the conclusion of her contribution she made the point—and it was a very interesting one which is highly debatable. But the point she was trying to make was they spent more on hospitals and homes and she listed—it's really hard to talk about because it's so hard to believe but her final argument was that party spent more than we are now.Darroch Ball: It doesn't make sense.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: It just typifies and is a great example of the arguments coming from that side of the House. They're inconsistent and contrary. They don't make any sense.Hon Paul Goldsmith: It's not our fault you can't figure it out.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: You'll hurt my feelings if you say that Mr Goldsmith.DEPUTY SPEAKER: I won't.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Despite Ms Adams' calls of the sky falling in unemployment continues to fall in New Zealand whilst incomes rise in a steady pace. Our forecasts say it but OECD forecasts have steady sustainable growth in New Zealand over the next year at over 3 percent all the while—in contrast to the kinds of National Party - sponsored business confidence surveys—our businesses are increasing their investment on non-residential fixed assets. For the Opposition's benefit in non-residential fixed assets you'd include transport equipment plant and machinery equipment those assets that are growing the business improving productivity—investment in the business. All the while that they're decrying lack of business confidence those very businesses in New Zealand are spending more than they ever had in investing in their businesses in New Zealand. So it's an interesting time that we live in because unemployment's falling. Wages are going up which apparently—I won't go there. That was another argument from Ms Adams. But she decried the spending on our provinces. She said the Provincial Growth Fund was a waste of money. I am not quoting her literally—those were her words to that effect. Our provinces deserve so much better than the now-Opposition provided them in their time.These communities these people are the lifeblood of this country and this is a Government that has stood up and said we will invest in those provinces because we know if we do that it's good for everyone in New Zealand. They disproportionately more than any other part of the country provide a return to New Zealand's economy more than anywhere else and this Government's investment now will empower that will accelerate that will grow that and the nature of the investment is such that it is being done by a great team of people who are working with the communities. In fact thus far it is the communities themselves who are coming to the Government and saying 'This will be good for us—not just good for us; this will create jobs. This will create sustainable jobs. This will grow our communities this will grow our local economy and this will be good for the people who live in our provinces. That was a promise we made to them leading into the election and that is a promise that we have kept and are delivering on every day as a Government and I'm proud to play a small part in that.I just wanted to touch on some of the key Supplementary Estimates that have been raised in this legislation because as I started with they highlight that this is a Government that is addressing the issues that is willing to engage and talk about issues that the previous Government—that National Party—never wanted to talk about while they were in control of the Government.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Oh rubbish—just rubbish.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: So education and training—I've hurt Mr Smith's feelings so there's one little win for the day. Thank you Mr Smith. This is very important. So just in this legislation—just in the Supplementary Estimates—we're talking about $310 million being spent in education and training and some of the previous speakers on this side of the House highlighted the fact that a lot of that actually is in the capital and the infrastructure of our schools that had been neglected over nine years such that some of those teaching environments were unsafe. It was again one of the 100-day plan policies and the New Zealand public knows that in that 100-day plan we kept the promises that we made and in this legislation today we're ensuring that we can continue to do that as we wait for the Budget to be passed in the House. I think that's in August.So education—what we're saying and what perhaps isn't obvious for those opposite in this House is that this is an investment in the long term. There are now 80000 people who are eligible for the fees-free programme and—as was pointed out earlier again but is worth repeating—in doing this we are empowering those who are looking at trade training not just universities or polytechs but those in apprenticeships and trades and that's incredibly important to get that fundamental groundwork. Actually there's quite a lot of money to be made at the moment in those professions.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Come on this is waffle.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Wait your turn Mr Goldsmith. This bill invests $600 million in water and roading infrastructure for timely increases in housing supply. Despite what the Opposition is saying this Government is on its way to building more homes and we're getting the job done—a job that they knew needed to be done in their time but they went on a tour of Auckland to find suitable sites to build homes and some of those sites were power exchange sites and graveyards from memory. It was an unbelievable example of that previous Government in action. Anyway Madam Deputy Speaker thank you for the opportunity. It's good enabling legislation. It's obviously timely and it's a pleasure to support. Thank you."