Hipkins ChrisHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): In my time in Parliament I've heard some truly incredible speeches from a Leader of the Opposition. I regret to tell the member that that was not one of them. If I was him I'd get someone more creative to write my speeches for me because Christopher stick-to-the-script Luxon still has a wee way to go if he wants to capture the hearts and minds of New Zealanders and particularly the hearts and minds of his own caucus. It's no surprise after listening to that speech that Christopher Luxon said he's going overseas to gather some ideas because it's clear that his own party doesn't have any because not one new idea was put forward in that five-minute contribution from the leader of the National Party. But he wants to talk about results so I'll take up that challenge. Let's talk about results delivered by this Government. We could talk about the two world-leading triple A credit ratings something few countries have been able to achieve which has been achieved under this Government. We could talk about the fact that GDP is up by 5.6 percent compared to two years ago. Economic growth under this Government which actually at various points has outstripped what was being achieved under the last Government despite the fact that we've had COVID-19 to deal with which has been the largest economic shock I think the world has faced in a very long time. Record low unemployment at 3.2 percent. You want to talk about results? We've got more Kiwis into jobs and fewer people out of work than ever before. That is a result that we are proud of on this side of the House. We could talk about the fact that up until this year wage growth has outpaced inflation. I acknowledge that there is a challenge with inflation around the world at the moment and let's put that into context. Across the OECD up until April the average OECD rate of inflation was 9.2 percent and inflation in New Zealand was 6.9 percent. It was lower than the OECD average lower than many of the countries we trade with lower than countries we compare ourselves with like the UK at 8.3 percent the UK at 7.8 percent Germany at 7.4 percent—the list could go on. Inflation is an international phenomenon and it is putting pressure on households and that is why we are taking action on that front as well.I could talk about the cost of living payment announced in this year's Budget that delivered for 2.1 million New Zealanders; the work that we've taken to reduce the cost of fuel by cutting fuel taxes; half-price public transport; increased minimum wages; the winter energy payment. And yes we are going to take action on the duopoly of our supermarkets because New Zealanders are paying far too much at the supermarket because there has been a lack of competition and it is time that we did more to address that and that's exactly what we are going to do. We've boosted financial support for New Zealanders—boosting student allowances boosting superannuation and yes boosting benefits because we realise that there are people living on benefits at the moment who have aspirations; they've got goals for the future as well. And unlike the members opposite we don't refer to them as—and I'll quote from this because I think it's a quote that's worth reminding New Zealanders about: we don't just do bottom-feeding and just focus on the bottom … we focus on people who want to be positive and ambitious aspirational and confident". Right? That was from the Leader of the Opposition. I say to him go and have conversations with people who are working on the minimum wage go and have conversations with people who are living on a benefit and you will find people who are positive and aspirational and who want to get ahead and who want a better life for their kids and a better future for their country and they are committed to working for that. I say to the National Party: why don't they back those Kiwis? What is it about them that they so resent? What is it about them that says that the National Party thinks that they should get a cup of coffee a week in tax cuts when those on the highest incomes should be getting thousands and thousands of dollars a week in tax cuts? What is it about the National Party? What is it that they have against those people who are toiling and working hard and doing the vital jobs that we need here in New Zealand to keep our economy moving and to keep the many other New Zealanders in the style of life to which they have been accustomed—what is it that the National Party has against those people? I say that we should be celebrating those workers. Remember during COVID-19 when people were out in the streets applauding the people who were going to work in the supermarkets? Today they are more likely to be the subject of abuse. I think we need to recapture that spirit that says we will recognise and value those New Zealanders who are getting out there and doing the hard work every day. They deserve more than a cup of coffee and the cup of coffee they're being offered so that other people can have thousands of dollars a week in tax cuts just isn't right."