Parmar Parmjeet: Budget DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParmar Parmjeet: Budget Debate[Sitting date: 27 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:4044. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr PARMJEET PARMAR (National): All businesses farmers and households are so pleased with this Budget. Again this National Government under the leadership of the Rt Hon John Key has proved that we are working hard for all. We are working hard for all New Zealand families and children. We are working hard for all—from the young ones to the old ones. National Government members are doing what we promised to do. We promised to work hard for our families and children. We promised to work hard to get families ahead. We promised to work hard for mums and dads and children to get a better start in life and for young ones to get better opportunities to succeed.This National Government is continuously implementing plans to support a stronger economy to support more jobs and to support higher incomes to help New Zealand families and children. Since 2011 194000 jobs have been created under this National Government—194000 new jobs. This equates to 120 new jobs a day. Budget 2015 shows our commitment to address the drivers of hardship. Under this National Government there are 42000 fewer children in benefit-dependent families than 3 years ago. This shows that our spending is working. This shows that our spending is helping those who need it. At the same time we respect the taxpayers who pay for it.Budget 2015 provides $790 million to help children in hardship to help children in New Zealand’s poorest families. This National Government is continuously working hard to deliver better public services. We are always seeking new and better ideas to deliver better public services because we are focused on getting results for our New Zealand families and children. At the same time we are working hard to reduce cost. Yes we are working hard to reduce cost. We are not like the previous Labour Government whose spending increased by 50 percent even when it became clear that the global financial crisis was coming our way. That is why when we came in in 2008 Treasury projections were of doom and gloom and endless debt for New Zealand.Yes our focus is on children in hardship and along with that we have a big boost for health and education. Health spending is going to be a record $15.9 billion next year. This includes $98 million to help New Zealand families get timely elective surgeries and for prevention and treatment of orthopaedic conditions. In education early childhood primary and secondary education spending will be a record $10.8 billion next year. In tertiary education it will be $3.1 billion. We are investing in more things—things that matter to our families and children. We are able to do this because we know how to carefully manage the Government’s books. That is why we are able to invest in things that matter to New Zealand families and children.A strong economy is important if families are to flourish. Economic growth is forecast to average 2.8 percent over the next 4 years. Average wages are forecast to increase by $7000 to $63000 per annum by mid-2019. The unemployment rate is forecast to drop below 5 percent by 2016 and there will be ACC levy cuts of $500 million in 2016 and 2017. This is on top of the $1.5 billion that we have already put in New Zealanders’ pockets and at the same time our focus is to get our net debt below 20 percent by 2020.We are also working hard to make houses affordable. This Budget provides $52 million for facilitating housing development on Crown-owned land in Auckland. We are also helping more young New Zealanders into their first homes through our KiwiSaver HomeStart programme. This programme is aimed at helping 90000 families to buy their first home. This proves how responsible this National Government is. This National Government has just delivered a great Budget a Budget that will keep New Zealand on the right track. Thank you.