Scott AlastairALASTAIR SCOTT (National—Wairarapa): Since the Budget have we not noticed a change in tone from the Opposition? Have we not noticed an increased despondency a tone of giving up? Look this is what we have had and I tell you what those members have had enough. After 9 long years in Opposition they are exhausted—so exhausted that the Leader of the Opposition said he needed a breather. It is such a tough life over there it is such a responsibility and they are such a busy crowd that they needed a breather. We are not interested in taking a breather on this side. We are embracing the speed the strength the depth of this economy and the people who support it—the families the communities and of course this Government supporting those who are contributing to this growing economy.Aupito William Sio: Say it again: After 9 long years—"ALASTAIR SCOTT: After 9 long years in Opposition they lack the innovation and the aspiration. They are not interested in promoting an open economy. In fact what they want to do is they want to slow things down because they need after 9 long years in Opposition time to catch up.This is a Government that has no interest in taking a breather. We are interested only in carrying on with new ideas to inspire New Zealanders to continue to grow the economy at a top speed of more than 3 percent—one of the top performing economies in the planet.Kris Faafoi: What planet?ALASTAIR SCOTT: Or on the planet—take it the way you like. Those members are in disarray. They cannot be organised enough to bring in 85 international students to house them properly to pay them a minimum wage—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: So back to the Budget.ALASTAIR SCOTT: —that is how disorganised the Opposition is. There are no new ideas on that side. Dr Smith asked the last speaker Stuart Nash right at the end after 9½ minutes where the policy was. Where is the new policy? Where are the fresh ideas from the Opposition? There are none. But wait there were a couple—they have a few. There was the universal benefit idea not that long ago of giving everyone no matter what their income a benefit of $11000 per head. What a ridiculously expensive and ill-thought—Dr Megan Woods: This has nothing to do with the bill in front of you.ALASTAIR SCOTT: This is the policy of the Labour Party that is opposing this—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I am sorry to interrupt the member but it is only going to lead to disorder if the member keeps wandering off the bill that apparently there is so much good news about. I would like for him to return to the bill in hand which is the Budget.ALASTAIR SCOTT: Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker. My point was that we have well-thought-out well-considered policies that support a growing economy. We have seen the construction boom in this country. Just a few years ago there were only 100000 people in the construction sector; today we have 250000 people contributing to building the homes that are required because there are more New Zealanders staying at home. They are choosing—they are voting with their feet—to stay in New Zealand and that does present challenges that we are embracing. We say this is an opportunity for New Zealanders to contribute to the construction industry for example. The number of apprentices in New Zealand is at an all-time high. The number of people working in the economy is at an all-time high.It is not just in Auckland; it is throughout the regions. The electorate of the Wairarapa which I am very proud to represent is full of economic activity. The infrastructure that has been invested is being seen on the Rimutaka hill road all the way through State Highway 2 all the way through to Dannevirke and through to Waipukurau to the Hawke's Bay. It is evident that this infrastructure spend as Minister Joyce said will be doubling from that which was invested only 10 years ago—more than $34 billion in infrastructure spend. That is a challenge that we are here to embrace and here to take opportunity from.There is a lot of good stuff in this Budget.Fletcher Tabuteau: He just can't remember it.ALASTAIR SCOTT: The Opposition says there is nothing in it. This Budget promotes stuff that those members do not like—that is stuff that supports free-trade agreements that encourages immigrants to come into the country to fulfil the skills shortages that are in this economy because we will be spending more on engineering projects the number of schools that we are building. The investment in Wairarapa College for example—$10 million directly into the Wairarapa College upgrade. That is just an example of what we can see in every electorate because we have options we have the choice. The growing economy gives us the option to spend more money on hospitals to spend more money on education to build more classrooms to build better roads—these are the things that only a National Government can deliver because we are the Government that grabs the opportunity and contributes to the growing economy. We are going to repay debt. We are going to bring debt down as a percentage of GDP to between 10 and 15 percent by 2025—that is more aggressive than the Opposition would have in its policies. Those members have no interest in repaying debt; they would rather spend people's money than make this economy more resilient.Carmel Sepuloni: Be honest—less debt under a Labour Government than under a National Government.ALASTAIR SCOTT: Well the Opposition policy of course is not to decrease tax. Those members voted against the Family Incomes Package.Carmel Sepuloni: We voted against tax cuts.ALASTAIR SCOTT: They voted against tax cuts; that is exactly right. The implication of course is that they would love to see tax hikes and there is no denying that from the Opposition—beware. The Prime Minister just in the weekend talked about being able to do more of the same given a National Government—returning more taxpayer money to their pockets by investing more in infrastructure in schools in roads and in—Carmel Sepuloni: Meanwhile 41000 people homeless.ALASTAIR SCOTT: Well the Opposition policy is to build 100000 like that without any consideration of costs or where they are going to be built. This Government has a very organised plan. There are going to be 8000 Housing New Zealand Corporation properties turned into 34000 houses—social houses and market houses. That is what this Government is doing—considered and pragmatic policy and initiative.This Budget is—Fletcher Tabuteau: Do you have to wait for the bell or something? What's going on?ALASTAIR SCOTT: No no I do not have to wait for the bell Mr Tabuteau. There is a lot to talk about—there is a lot to talk about. I am going to start talking about something that the Labour Party does not like talking about and that is that this Government helps people who can least help themselves. This Family Incomes Package talked about accommodation supplements being raised and whole areas of Auckland being reclassified from No. 2 to the top priority meaning that rather than 16 percent of those receiving accommodation in the top priority now over 30 percent of those receiving the accommodation allowance will receive the top amount eligible. That is a good thing. Family tax credits—again targeted at those who are least well off targeted at those who have low incomes. [Interruption] I know Mr Tabuteau you struggle with it. You did vote for it. Of course the tax thresholds were changed—again to support families working and taxpayer families.This is all able to be achieved because of the National Government's policies—sensible policies that encourage economic growth; policies that support free-trade agreements which the Opposition does not support; policies that accept encourage and demand increasing the number of immigrants into skilled labour—again something that the Opposition wants to oppose because it would rather have this place slow down. This place is going too fast too well too successfully—things are going too nicely for the Opposition to accept and it wants to slow the place down. It wants to put up barriers to trade it wants to put up barriers to immigration and the importing of skilled labour and it wants to stop this economy from growing. That is going to make it very simple for the voter coming up to make a very clear decision because it is very obvious that this Budget supports New Zealanders. It supports all New Zealanders across the entire country. Thank you."