Bridges SimonHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition): National has just had its toughest week in a very long time but today it's the Government that's on the ropes. They come down here. They make policy on the hoof. They don't know their numbers. They're not sure what they're doing. They can't help themselves. They're hopeless. It started this morning. I went on television. I made it quite clear: a regional fuel tax I've been told it's coming in Wellington. And then surprise surprise. A spokesman came on for Wellington: That's right. That's exactly what's happening." And then who do we hear from? Phil Twyford and the mayor: "No no no no no." Well I know who I believe Grant Robertson and it isn't Phil Twyford.Then we heard in Parliament from the Prime Minister. Now granted she didn't know how much petrol prices are at the moment. It's an inconvenient detail. She didn't know that petrol prices in this country under her watch have gone up every time someone fills up $25. But on the hoof—under pressure from myself she's made policy on the hoof. She's made it quite clear there'll be no regional fuel tax coming.I've got a couple of questions for the Prime Minister. Maybe Grant Robertson can answer me this: why then did they legislate for regional fuel taxes from 2021? Maybe they don't know what they're doing. Maybe they're not remotely competent and up to a Government that New Zealand deserves and expects in this country. And why doesn't she follow the logic of what she said today and axe the regional fuel tax in Auckland Grant Robertson? Why doesn't she do that in the three excise taxes that we know are coming?I just say to this House that over the last few days what have we seen from this Government? We've seen petrol prices rise at an unprecedented rate in the history of New Zealand. People filling up for the long weekend who can't afford it are doing it tough. We've seen bus strikes—the 15th transport strike this year. That's more than we had in a decade. And why is that? It's because Iain Lees-Galloway knows that the unions in this country are emboldened.Hon Paul Goldsmith: He's revving them up.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: He's revving them up. They've got militant because they know that Grant Robertson is going to pay the piper and that's what we've got right there.If this is what they can do in just a week—petrol prices unprecedented strikes—don't you imagine what they can do over three years? The damage that those parties—and there was a poll last night and it made quite clear in the eye of the storm that actually we're remarkably strong on this side of the House. We are remarkably strong. It showed something else Grant Robertson. It showed something else: that New Zealanders are the most pessimistic about the economy and the outlook of this country while Grant Robertson is finance Minister than they've been look at least since the global financial crisis. I say shame Grant Robertson.Here's what we know he does. He goes "Oh it's the international conditions what's going on internationally." Well why Grant Robertson has it happened here first? I'll tell you why it's unprecedented industrial unrest. It's more taxes and Cameron Bagrie is exactly right: small and medium sized businesses Shane Jones are doing it tough in our regions despite you throwing the money around. It's wasteful spending on an unprecedented scale—$20000 to set up some tables Andrew Little. Well I've got news for the Government. Mark Mitchell Kanwaljit Bakshi and Chris Bishop—they'll do it for free. Just ask them.We've got a Government that loves tax that loves spending. New Zealanders need National right now. They need a party that will hold this hopeless incompetent Government to account and we've shown our worth today and we'll keep on showing it. We're for the people of this country. We're united we're strong we are holding this Government to account."