Lee MelissaMELISSA LEE (National): Before I begin to talk in the Budget debate I would just like to join my parliamentary colleagues who have spoken before me in sending my deepest sympathies to the people of London and particularly to the family of Oliver Dowling who is recovering in hospital. His family are in fact with him in London.About a month and half ago I was part of a New Zealand parliamentary delegation visiting London and Brussels and it was quite pertinent that we arrived in Brussels a year after the Brussels bombing. To actually go to London after the Westminster knife attack and to hear this on the news about the London Bridge attack seems to bring everything back home to us. We do know that a lot of New Zealanders travel to London in fact and to many different countries around the world where they actually face numerous difficulties and when tragedies like this occur our thoughts are with them.It is my great privilege to stand in support of this Budget and what a fantastic Budget it is. I know that there have been members from the Opposition who have risen to their feet and talked about how terrible it is but I disagree with them. I think it is an absolutely fantastic Budget that our Minister of Finance has delivered. I believe that it is in fact a game-changer for New Zealand families. It is an opening up of an amazing $2 billion package—the Family Incomes Package—to lift after-tax incomes and help hard-working Kiwi families continue to be an exceptional part of our community. It has actually delivered for many many many New Zealanders—in fact almost 1.4 million New Zealanders. On top of that all of New Zealand actually benefits as a result of those 1.4 million people benefiting. This is the centrepiece of our Budget and it is a great one.Not only are we making changes to the New Zealand tax thresholds to put more money in the pockets of hard-working New Zealanders on lower incomes but we are supporting the Working for Families tax credit and increasing the accommodation supplement to make things easier on households budgeting more tightly. The measures being introduced in this Budget are expected to lift 20000 New Zealanders above the severe stress" housing threshold to reduce by around 50000 the number of children living in households earning less than half the median income. That in itself is an amazing achievement by our Government and the finance Minister has done extremely well in my view to have a Budget that is working and providing tangible outcomes for Kiwi families and their communities. The Family Incomes Package is a real reward for hard-working Kiwi families which I am happy to support through the adjustment of the bottom two tax thresholds and lowering the marginal tax rates for low and middle income earners.Supporting families with young children and growing families is an important aspect of this great Family Incomes Package particularly those in areas with high accommodation costs who are on lower wages. The importance of families being in work cannot be overestimated. A loving family in a working household is aspirational and striving for more in life and we need to acknowledge these great Kiwi families and help them with a leg up and more money in hand to give more to their dreams and ensure that they can in fact succeed. The changes will mean for example that a couple with two children under 13 and one partner earning $55000 will gain $41 a week plus any increase to their accommodation supplement. It will mean that they will have a simpler and more effective tax system to work with. Another example is that from April next year an older married couple on New Zealand superannuation can in fact expect to top around $622 a week. That is around $22 a week extra in their pocket with over half driven by the tax threshold changes helping them to enjoy their later years more and supporting their needs.I have just come back for a trip to Korea in the last week where I participated in a global gathering of politicians from around the world and I also had the privilege of participating in the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity. The governor of Jeju Island has aspirations to actually make Jeju Island a peaceful and prosperous island as well as 100 percent energy sufficient. He also drives an electric vehicle and one of the things that he told me was that New Zealand is his envy. New Zealand is an example that he looks to for inspiration when it comes to things like clean government aspirational government. In fact we care about our environment so much that he actually takes a lead from what we have done. So I took great interest in Eugenie Sage's speech earlier and perhaps I can have a conversation with her about some of the things that we actually lead in terms of the environmental work that this Government has put in place.A growing economy with more prosperity is important as it means more New Zealanders are getting well-paid jobs and good quality houses and are able to step up and live out their dreams. To me that means that it has to be in conjunction with everything else: not only is the economy growing not only are people getting well-paid jobs but we also have to care about our environment as well. We want to help New Zealand families spend more of their money and meet their goals in savings and retirement as well as make good decisions for the future. I welcome members' desire for New Zealand to prosper in the environmental sector as well.Helping New Zealand seize the day and seize our opportunities is an important part of Budget 2017. Over 200000 more jobs have been created across New Zealand over the last 3 years and 2.5 million people are now employed. We are at the highest employment rate of adult New Zealanders which is over 67.1 percent and we need to acknowledge support and build on this amazing achievement through supporting our communities and giving them the tools that they actually need to support it. One of the biggest things is to grow this economy. When we grow our economy making sure that our industries are growing people can actually get employed. More people will be employed and more people will be earning bigger money as well and perhaps they can actually provide better for their families. National has New Zealand investing in a growing economy in Budget 2017 and this bill through the Family Incomes Package will help us make the most of our amazing country and people. I am proud to be part of a Government that is making a positive difference to the lives of New Zealanders from all walks of life and for their families.One of the things that I am very proud of is the decision that came through on that pay equity settlement package that the Health Committee has actually been looking at. It is a deal that recognises the hard work of thousands of ordinary New Zealanders who work tirelessly for the weak and the vulnerable in our society and it is great that they will be paid a wage that recognises the skill and expertise involved in the quality of care that they deliver in what can be very demanding conditions. The settlement the Government has come together with the unions and the workers on is something that I think we should all be proud of and the $2 billion package is something that I feel very happy that we have actually come to an agreement on. I am happy that the Health Committee has been able to work on the legislative process that goes with that agreement.This National Government is actually delivering for the people of New Zealand and I have to say that the speeches that were delivered by both the finance Minister and particularly the Prime Minister were excellent. I commend this amazing Budget to the House and endorse the excellent job that the Minister has done."