Lees-Galloway Iain: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLees-Galloway Iain: General Debate[Sitting date: 11 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:7903. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North): My colleague and deputy leader Annette King reminded us that this National Government is 7 years old. It reminded me that it is in fact just a few months younger than my 7-year-old son. That boy he is no angel but I can tell you what: he has got more self-control more maturity and more dignity than John Key and the entire National front bench combined.But I want to say to the House that it does not matter how deplorable the Prime Minister’s behaviour has been over the last few days it does not matter how much he has brought this House into disrepute I am on a bit of a high and nothing the Prime Minister can do can bring me down. It is a fantastic time to be a member of the Labour Party and it is a fantastic time to be the member of Parliament for Palmerston North.The Labour Party has just had a tremendous annual conference in my city of Palmerston North: 530 delegates came from across the country to catch up with each other to discuss policy and to talk about how we are going to get our party into shape to take down this Government in 2017 and to form a Government that will put people first.I heard last week the Government putting down my city and I was appalled. I thought that the National Party members still believed that they could actually take the Palmerston North seat. It is all I have heard for the last 8 years—how they were going to take out Palmerston North. And do you know what? They have given up because they know they cannot ever take Palmerston North off the Labour Party. The way they were talking about Palmerston North last week putting down the regions putting down a fantastic centre like that which can host such a wonderful conference—I know that the National Party hates Palmerston North and they have given up on ever taking it back.But I want to talk about the positives. I want to talk about the wonderful conference that we had and the wonderful discussions that we had. Delegates were walking down George Street enjoying the sunshine. They made the most of the cafes and restaurants and bars and we had some fantastic speeches. We had some great speeches not only from our leader Andrew Little but from Annette King and from Grant Robertson as well. They were laying down how Labour will approach the economy how Labour will approach the health system and then we ended with that amazing tub-thumping speech from Andrew Little in the magnificent Regent on Broadway with a full theatre standing room only in the Regent on Broadway—Hon Annette King: Over 800?IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY: Over 800 actually Mrs King. That theatre seats well over 800 people. It was a wonderful time and it was a wonderful time to be in the Labour Party.What Andrew Little said was that the Labour Party is putting a stake in the ground. We will not tolerate poverty in New Zealand in the 21st century. We will not tolerate poverty. This is not just about making sure that we get more people into jobs and that we back the regions so that the increasing unemployment rate in regional New Zealand under this National Government is reversed. It is also about making sure that when people get into work they are paid a decent wage and they are paid enough to be able to get ahead.It is appalling that under this Government two out of five of the children living in poverty live in a household where there is at least one adult earning a wage. Two out of five of our children living in poverty live in households with at least one adult who is in work and earning. That is a deplorable reflection on this National Government and we simply will not stand for it on this side of the House.We believe that the way out of poverty should be through work. That is why we have a focus on creating jobs on creating jobs on creating jobs—in the regions and across New Zealand; jobs that pay well. We are not satisfied when AgResearch cuts jobs in Palmerston North and in other parts of the country. We are not satisfied to see the regions on a steady decline as they have been since 2010 under this National Government. Over the weekend the Labour Party demonstrated unity and happiness and a sense of purpose heading towards 2017. We are united in the belief that it is time for this 7-year-old childish Government to go and we will win in 2017.