Macindoe TimHon TIM MACINDOE (Minister of Customs): Before I commence my comments about the Budget may I as other members have done briefly acknowledge the terrible atrocities that we have seen in recent weeks with acts of terrorism in Manchester and London; the dreadful explosion in Kabul Afghanistan last week; and all too regularly in other parts of Europe America the Middle East and even sometimes very close to home in Australia. Especially we are all thinking of the New Zealander Oliver Dowling and his family and we wish him a very speedy recovery from the horrific injuries that he suffered just a few days ago.I would like to echo the words of the Hon Anne Tolley who commenced the Government's attack this afternoon on some of the ideas that have been put forward by Opposition speakers. I too am very proud of this Budget especially the families package which she spoke about in such detail. The Budget has been very well received in my electorate of Hamilton West where I know it is going to make a very significant difference for many many people. Family incomes will increase across the board and we are investing in public services that will make a real difference to vulnerable children to those who depend on our health services to those who will benefit from the new drugs that are being made possible through the increased expenditure available to Pharmac to the communities across the country who welcome the extra police numbers—there are 101 new police coming to my own Waikato district and that is a tremendous thing—and so on.The changes to tax thresholds the Working for Families package and the accommodation supplement will make a difference to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders and it is a real shame that the Leader of the Opposition failed to notice the last aspect. Around 750000 older New Zealanders will benefit because of the link between New Zealand Superannuation and after-tax wages and I am quite sure that at least one of those superannuitants with whom I am intimately connected will be watching right at this moment.A few weeks ago I was honoured to be appointed Minister of Customs Associate Minister of Education and Associate Minister of Transport. They are all great portfolios and I have to say it was a particular thrill to be the first person to become a Minister while representing the electorate of Hamilton West in this House. This is a Budget that as the member for Whāngarei noted in his contribution a few moments ago shares the benefits of our stronger economy particularly in the areas that I have just mentioned and for which I am the Associate Minister in transport and education.New Zealanders have worked incredibly hard over the last 8 or 9 years through very tough times and we now have one of the best-performing economies in the OECD. Opposition members know this but they cannot bring themselves to acknowledge it particularly in this Chamber. Instead they prefer to spread false and alarmist claims without any references to the facts. So in the immortal words of Charles Dickens' Mr Gradgrind I would like to put a few facts on the table. We have seen in this Budget $3.9 billion invested in New Zealand's health system and another $1.1 billion invested in schools and early childcare centres. Metiria Turei and other Opposition speakers have repeatedly chosen to talk about that new investment as somehow being a cut. Well if they are a cut let us have more of them because they are very very significant increases.For more of their imaginary cuts lets us note how significantly the Government is investing in infrastructure for our growing economy. We are the infrastructure Government—there is no question that that is how this National-led Government will be remembered in many years to come. For the first time the Government is allocating $4 billion in new capital funding—in one Budget in just one Budget—across the education health defence justice housing primary industries and transport portfolios. We will also invest another $7 billion in new capital spending in the next three Budgets taking our total additional capital spend to $11 billion—$11 billion. Through this new capital expenditure and our existing commitments the Government and its key infrastructure agencies will invest a total of $32.5 billion over the next 4 years in new infrastructure. That is continuing to build our nation in ways that will make a huge dramatic difference in people's lives. It is a 40 percent increase over the last 4 years so if Opposition speakers want to describe those as cuts let us have more cuts of that nature.This Government will make the largest ever investment in our education system through this current Budget. We are committed to building an education system that caters to the individual needs of children and supports them to succeed. Our children are already starting school better prepared to learn than ever and they are leaving school better qualified than ever and therefore they are better prepared to go out into the workforce or undertake further training or tertiary study. In this Budget early childhood education will receive an additional $368 million of operating funding over the next 4 years. For the first time targeted funding to support children at risk of not achieving is being extended to the early learning sector with $35.5 million over 4 years being targeted to around 2000 licensed providers.The Budget delivers both a universal increase for operational grant funding as well as additional targeted funding and I am very proud of that. Schools with high numbers of at-risk pupils will receive an increase of 2.67 percent in their targeted at-risk funding bringing the total increase that they will receive to 4 percent—that is well above the Consumer Price Index and will make a big difference. This investment in the Budget will see more classrooms to accommodate roll growth and new schools in areas of high population growth and those are major areas of focus for me as the Associate Minister. There is $456.5 million of investment in school property which will bring about a significant increase in capacity. There will be six new schools a further expansion of two schools 11 special education satellite units and 305 new classrooms nationwide.We inherited a property portfolio with an average age of 40 years. We are making a priority of funding to tackle issues around earthquake strengthening weathertightening and major redevelopments and of this funding—quite appropriately given the area of greatest growth—a total of $277.6 million will be committed to projects in Auckland. There is $63.3 million of operating funding that will be invested over the next 4 years to support pupils with additional learning needs including expanding specialist behavioural services. Those services do a great job and that funding will be put to very good use. It includes more teacher-aide hours and a new programme for parents and teachers of young children with autism. We are all more aware of autism now than we ever have been before and I am thrilled to see those most deserving families getting that additional support. We have increased funding for children with additional learning needs by around 33 percent since 2009 to $633 million per year. So again I say that I am putting the facts on the table and if the Opposition wants to describe those as cuts let us have more cuts of that nature.Moving into transport—in the very short time I have available—there is $9.17 billion of capital investment for our State highways. The Government is going to be investing in our State highway network over the next 4 years through the New Zealand Transport Agency in the biggest investment ever seen in our State highway network. It will be a key pillar in our commitment to building the infrastructure that we need in the future and that too is making a huge difference.There are many other facts I could put on the table but let me conclude as I started by saying how proud I am to support this Budget how proud I am of the way New Zealanders have worked collectively to achieve the very strong economy that we have and how proud I am of the international recognition we now receive for the strength of our economy and how well we are doing. These are not cuts. This is a very good Budget from a very good Government.