Lu NancyNANCY LU (National): I'm actually really pleased and excited to speak on this bill because it is my first bill as a member of Parliament. I am so proud of this moment because I joined and I wanted to be a member of Parliament working for New Zealand and for our future generation for one reason and that is because I have now two very beautiful children—they are the future for New Zealand.I remember when I first stood in the 2020 election—and the reason why I did that was because I had enough of the Labour Government already then—and I thought If I am to be a responsible parent then I'm going to do everything that I can to deliver something for my children so they can have a better future in Aotearoa New Zealand. I need to do something about it." So I ran in 2020 didn't make it. I ran again in 2023 and here I am talking about the very first Budget which I think came just in time for our current generation and also for the many future generations of New Zealand. Why? Because the country was in the wrong direction. Why? Because New Zealanders had voted on 14 October 2023 to make sure that we are turning the country and bringing it back on track.So I am actually really excited to hear as you can see and as you can feel to talk about the Budget because—guess what? In the last three weeks of the recess I was up and down the country. I didn't take one single day off including the weekends because I wanted to be out there with the community talking to people across different cities in New Zealand talk to them about the Budget. Because you know what? Most New Zealanders are struggling. Every single family that I've talked to has told me they are struggling so so bad. "When can you guys fix this? We are struggling on this front. We have now decided to cancel our kid's education programme on this front. We are no longer going on holidays. We are cutting down on the heat that we can put on because we are struggling." And so when I talk to them—and guess what most of them are so busy with getting their own lives back on track that most of them have not realised about the changes coming ahead.So for every single family that I've talked to I was telling them about "Hey have you tried the tax calculator? Let me try it out in front of you and do it for you." And then I talked to them about the FamilyBoost. Well coming on to the FamilyBoost—actually the former member who spoke before me talked about the challenges for families with young children when they need to now collect invoices and then put it onto the IRD system to get support. Guess what? When you need support you will do the extra mile to get the support that you really need. And guess what? I have actually talked to the early childhood educators for my daughters. I have two daughters who are 2½ and 4. They're currently going through the ECE programme and I've asked their teachers and their ECEs—based in Pakuranga Auckland—about the responses from the parents coming into ECE. Now Pakuranga is one of my favourite electorates and I think it's the best electorate in New Zealand. The best—where I grew up and I've spent almost all my life in Pakuranga with all my extended family. Love it so so much. Not the most affluent but there are a lot of hard-working families in Pakuranga. So I talked to the educators and I said "How are these families coming in?" Not a single negative response. Everybody asked "Why is it not sooner? Because we need the help. We really really do need the help." But guess what? Things take time. We need to set up the system. And why do we need time to set up the system? Because we want to make it easier for families.The other reason why we are doing it online for every three quarters is when you have a blanket policy—like the 20 hours or the 30 hours that the Labour Party campaigned on during the last election—when you have basically a blanket policy out there for anyone to just get it for free you have also provided financial assistance to families who don't necessarily need it; but it is their right to have it. What we are doing with the FamilyBoost is actually targeting the support that we can give to families who really really do need it.And now—this is the perfect time where I raise it again—from this family parents called Yalei and Isaac who also have two children who are kids in the same ECE that my daughters go to. I remember them texting me on that very night the Budget night 30 May with the screenshot and said "Oh my God we're getting over $3000 a year." And that is enough that they can now put their two children back into an after-school after-daycare after-kindergarten care where they originally had the children but could no longer afford to pay for. But now they're planning to take the children and enrol them again. Also on top of that they are going to take the kids to the zoo as a family treat to go out as a break from all of the challenges that they are facing in trying to get their family back on track.So you know in the last three weeks of recess I've been up and down the country and talking to different families who have struggles and continue struggling. Last night when I arrived in Wellington I actually popped around to the local restaurant just about 50 metres away from Parliament. I was talking to the family owner who employs 12 full-time employees and she said she is struggling so so bad—so so bad. She's waiting for the OCR to start to move down. She's waiting for inflation to start to move down. She's waiting for the National Government to start boosting the economy. And I said to her I said "But don't just tell me about the good things that you're waiting for tell me your real thoughts. Because I'm a National MP tell me something that you can—what is the best advice for the Government?" And she goes "I know it is so tough out there. I know the last Government have wasted so much money because I've seen people I've heard stories in my restaurant from people who talk about the little things that they get from the last Government." And she was not happy to hear them because she is a taxpayer herself. So I actually told her I said "Hang in there. There is so much that we are doing as a Government. We are doing the extra sitting hours. We are doing urgency. We are doing law and order because law and order also matters for New Zealand as a whole." I said to her "Just hang in there a little bit longer." And then she said "But it would be nice if you can work even harder because we need to get New Zealand back on track and we need to bring our country back on track.So then I went to talk to her further and I said "Can you tell me a little bit more about doing business in general in New Zealand right now?" And she told me a couple of things that she's really struggling with. One it's the red tape. She said "When are you going to make it easier for New Zealanders for small and medium businesses"—like herself—"in terms of banking in terms of interest rates. When are you going to make it easier?" So I said—I actually told her what we're doing in the Finance and Expenditure Committee and I told her the things that we're bringing into the Budget. And then she said "What about law and order? I'm so frustrated with law and order. I have 12 employees and the last thing that I want is for someone to call me at about 10 p.m. when the restaurant is shut and say 'Someone has broken in' or 'Something has happened to one of my staff'." She is so concerned about law and order. And then I reiterated it to her: "Law and order is one of the most—it is this Government's plan this quarter quarter three." And then we went on to talk about the Budget and the plan. And guess what? She is a huge fan of the quarter three plan and of all the plans that the Government has announced because when we have a plan we actually deliver them.So a couple of the things when I went up and down the country talking about the Budget is when constituents have told me they are actually feeling a lot more relieved—when they looked into the Budget and saw the commentaries around it—that there is a clear choice. They voted for this Government. This Government has put forward what we promised and we have given people the choice. But also we are clear on the consequences of people not meeting their delivery.But we've also made it really clear with New Zealand that we are here looking for value for money. Because New Zealand is struggling at the moment we are in this economic crunch that everybody including the Government and families and businesses we just need to tighten our belts so that we can deliver better for New Zealand deliver better for our businesses and also deliver more value for the hard-earned taxpayer money.This is why I am so proud to seek and give support for this bill as this is my first Budget as a new MP and I'm so proud that we can deliver this for everyone in New Zealand as the National-led Government. So I commend this bill to the House."