Davidson MaramaMARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green): We've just had question time before this general debate session and I asked a question about what will happen to those families who are due to lose the winter energy payment on 1 October. It was a winter energy payment that had been doubled which was a necessary move which also understood that before COVID there were already far too many people struggling in this country that did not necessarily need to be and in light of the extra hardships created through COVID and through lockdown the Government needed to step up to its responsibility of making sure we are taking care of everyone. My question in question time just now was about asking whether or not we as a Government would consider extending that winter energy payment. Unfortunately that is not going to be the case. I wanted to talk about why the Greens have been very clear in successive terms of Parliament and certainly in this Government term as to why it's necessary and actually indefensible to not increase the income of the lowest-income households in this country. We already knew before COVID that an unacceptable amount of people of families with children were struggling to live a life with any sort of decency or with any sort of dignity and that we were entrenching generations of poverty by keeping people in these hardship situations. We know that this impact has seen successive Governments having to face worsening housing inequality and worsening housing challenges worsening child poverty and worsening hardship for families. We all know that the impacts of just financial and housing challenges have got extra and cumulative hardships that go into the health education and justice areas and many more areas of people's lives. So I wanted to take the opportunity today to again join with the community voices who have been very clear. For example right here in Porirua I think it was just last week I welcomed Porirua mayor Anita Baker urging party leaders to use the election campaign to outline plans to address the persistent and growing scourge of poverty in New Zealand especially as it affects children. I welcomed the voice of my local Manurewa High School principal Pete Jones bringing to light the situation of students having to leave school especially following lockdown and COVID-19 to help parents to make sure that there is enough income to support their families. It's not just about parents losing their jobs but it is about parents on low-wage incomes as well and losing income and jobs. I want to join voices like Aorere College head girl Aigagalefili Fepulea'i Tapua'i who also has been part of the many community voices bringing to light this unnecessary struggle. I wanted to again put on record that the Greens have announced a fully detailed and costed poverty action plan that would actually lift families out of poverty in this country. But it involves political bravery from all political parties represented in this House and from those who are hoping to come into this House to actually believe that everybody deserves an income of decency and of a dignified life. That's why while I welcome the fantastic positive changes that have been made in this Government—for example extending family support and child benefit payments—the bravery is needed to extend that support to people out of work and that is what the Greens' guaranteed minimum income is proposing to do. That has been a politically courageous step that has needed to be seen for a very long time and we are here as the Green Party highlighting and championing that step that everybody not in full-time paid work should have an income that they can rely on and that it should be livable because people are doing their best. In this country we have enough for everyone to be living dignified lives and I am proud to be a co-leader of a party that is putting up that plan. Thank you Mr Speaker.