Bayly Andrew: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBayly Andrew: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 26 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:4015. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ANDREW BAYLY (National—Hunua): Compassionate conservativism—this is what this Budget is all about. It is about the chance of creating a better New Zealand where every New Zealander can get a job and can live in a warm house in the comfort of a secure community with the knowledge that their children are going to get a great education. Unless we continue upskilling New Zealanders and creating higher-paying meaningful jobs the chances of improving New Zealand as a country are limited.We can take no pride in the fact that there is a group that feels disconnected. This Budget is a continuum where this Government has constantly put the individual and family at the heart of the issue. This Budget addresses some of the perceived inequities. I am proud of the initiatives that this Government is making to strengthen families and children. The $790 million child hardship package to assist beneficiaries and working families is well-timed. Obviously the rate increases of up to $25 per week after tax will not address all the financial pressures some of our families face. It is however an important step. It should not be understated that it represents the first real increase in 43 years.When that is considered in the context of the other recent announcements this Government has made it represents yet another step in a range of well-considered initiatives. Specifically I am talking about increasing paid parental leave to 16 weeks which is going to increase to 18 weeks next year; extending payments to primary caregivers recognising that there are over 12000 Kiwi kids being looked after by members of a wider family group; and increasing the parental tax credit from $150 to $220 per week. In the area of health the free visits to general practitioners and free prescriptions for under-13-year-olds effective this year together with the target to have 95 percent of our toddlers and youngsters immunised all mean that our children will be healthy. Healthy children learn better. Healthy children get ahead faster in their schools and in their education.We have also invested more in education. Of particular note is the investment that we have made into special-needs children and their education. We are currently spending over $500 million per year and this Budget commits an additional $63 million to this important area. We have also put another $75 million into early childhood education. We are committed to achieving that ambitious target of getting the participation rate up from 96 percent where it is at the moment to 98 percent. This is important to create a dynamic learning environment and a safe haven for our youngsters.This Government’s support for families goes further. Every New Zealander knows that the family home is the foundation of a secure childhood. Our $280 million HomeStart package is an important ingredient in assisting Kiwi families to buy their own homes. We do want Kiwis to have their own homes to manage their own homes and to actually control their own destinies. Even though we have insulated in excess of 300000 homes this Budget goes further in committing a further $35 million over the next 4 years to improving housing outcomes for Māori.Every one of us as either a parent uncle or aunt or grandparent wants the best for our children. We are prepared to make sacrifices and sometimes even difficult choices but we want to make sure that our children are healthy happy and well educated and that their future holds opportunity for optimism. The changes in this Budget give our children the possibility of a better start. This Government has understood the importance of this. This is a caring compassionate Government.