Twyford PhilHon PHIL TWYFORD (Associate Minister of Immigration): Thank you Mr Speaker. I want to start by saying just how happy we are on this side of the House to have our mate Kiritapu Allan back in the House. I want to speak today about one of the elements of this Government's massive work programme. It's designed to keep Kiwis safe and navigate this country through the economic recovery and most importantly to build back better. The Government's economic plan involves a managed transition away from a low-wage low-productivity economic model a model this country has embraced for decades and at its heart it has had consistently high net migration figures. This effort that is already under way led by Minister Kris Faafoi continues even as we try to recover from the pandemic and the border closure has given us an opportunity to accelerate the work we started before COVID focused on tilting the profile of migrants who've come to and stay in New Zealand towards more highly skilled workers. As a small and until very recently a very open economy migrants will always always play an important role in New Zealand society. We simply can't provide and generate the skills that we need right across the economy and migrants as our friends colleagues family and community leaders make an incredibly positive contribution to New Zealand. But even prior to the pandemic it was becoming increasingly clear that we needed to re-evaluate the immigration settings. Migration levels grew over the last 10 years prior to the border closure as the previous National Government focused on growing GDP through the immigration system rather than by addressing the structural impediments to wage and productivity growth. This led to New Zealand having the highest share of temporary migrants as a proportion of our labour force of any OECD country and an entrenched low-wage low-productivity economic model that we inherited when we came into Government in 2017. This Government is rebalancing our approach to immigration. There will always be a place in this country for temporary workers and new residents particularly those who are highly skilled and can do technical and specialised work that we need. But we cannot and must not let the immigration system act as a kind of fall-back for failing to train Kiwis and build the workforce that we need for the new economy. We cannot allow the immigration system to inhibit the investment and innovation that will result in higher productivity higher wages and more wellbeing in our community.Now this is going to take work right across the system of Government not just in immigration. That's why Minister Chris Hipkins is rebuilding a 21st century trade and vocational training system a polytech for the entire country. For too long in this country we've failed to give Kiwis the opportunities to get the skills they need. We're going to have industry transformation plans regional skills leadership groups workforce development councils and a skills and training system that delivers what the regions business and employers need. We're also investing across the board in raising productivity. In our industry transformation plans in sectors like biotech digital high-value processing of food and beverage we're working with employers and the workforce to grow these industries to lift productivity. We've got tax incentives for R & D and an investment attraction strategy that's designed to bring high-quality investors here to grow businesses and grow the industries that we need. This Government is working hard to build a high-wage high-productivity economy. It's the opposite of what National stands for; they say they want to raise incomes but every time in this House they oppose any effort to raise wages. Fair pay agreements raising the minimum wage—you name it their business is actually keeping labour costs low. On this side of the House we stand for building a high-wage high-skill high-productivity economy and reforming the immigration system as Kris Faafoi is beginning to do will make a very important contribution.