Adjournment — Sittings of the HouseText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeAdjournment — Sittings of the House[Sitting date: 09 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8717. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]AdjournmentSittings of the HouseHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House): I move That the House do now adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday 9 February 2016 and that the sitting days in 2016 be as follows:February 9 10 11 16 17 and 18;March 1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 29 30 and 31;April 5 6 7 12 13 and 14;May 3 4 5 10 11 12 24 25 26 and 31;June 1 2 7 8 9 14 15 16 28 29 and 30;July 5 6 and 7;August 9 10 11 16 17 18 23 24 and 25;September 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 and 22;October 11 12 13 18 19 and 20;November 1 2 3 8 9 10 15 16 17 29 and 30;December 1 6 7 8 13 14 and 15.This is the debate that will conclude the activities of the House for 2015 and set down the times at which the House will sit during 2016. It is worth noting that Parliament this year has sat for some 88 days—a larger number than was the case in 2014 although that was interrupted by the election. Some 120 bills have passed through their third reading and the number of occasions on which the House has had extended sittings has been five. The number of weeks that the House has sat has been 30 weeks. The number of question times was 87 the number of oral questions to members was 1044 and the number of hours that the House has sat has been some 655 hours and 10 minutes as at Tuesday 8 December.One thing that I would say at this point is I would like to express some congratulations to all members of the Business Committee for the way that that committee has developed and has continued to develop over the past year. It is a place where I think the most poignant points of politics are understood and where the opportunities for people to have their views expressed in the strongest possible terms are organised. The extended sittings that came this year were largely devoted to Treaty of Waitangi settlement bills. These are bills that the whole House agrees with and it makes sense that the House itself agrees on the process for those bills’ passing and it does enable those recipients of those settlements to be here for the historic third readings of those bills. All of that work is I think a tribute to the Business Committee and its ongoing operation.Now I need to thank some people—the Speaker of course yourself Mr Assistant Speaker the presiding officers and all those who assist in the Clerk’s Office including the new clerk David Stevenson for all the effort that they make to keep the wheels of Parliament moving. [Interruption] No I am keeping it a very straight debate Grant otherwise I would start spending endless amounts of time—David Stevenson?Grant Robertson: You got his name wrong—that’s the problem. It’s David Wilson.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Oh David Wilson. Sorry.Grant Robertson: I was just trying to help.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Well thank goodness you are here! I apologise to David Wilson. He knows whom I meant. The two gentlemen are roughly the same height although their profiles are slightly different—much like you and me Grant. The thanks I was wanting to extend is to all those who make Parliament a better place for us to work. In the case of Ministers there is the transport system; the VIP drivers are very obliging. To all the security staff here at Parliament who do their best—although today of course we get a demonstration of why they need to be here. To all the House attendants etc. and to anybody who makes this place work—when you start naming people it gets a little difficult. My own staffhave of course a great deal to put up with and they do it very very well. I thank them very much for their work both here in Parliament and in the electorate.It would not be appropriate to end this debate for the year without saying something that is a little bit controversial so in my final minute and a half can I perhaps just ask the members who are going to speak from the other side of the House whether they might tell us how many barbecue invitations they have for this summer.Grant Robertson: Urgh!Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: “Urgh!” Grant moans. You see he is not on any of the lists now—he used to be he used to be; he was the top favourite for a long time—and frankly the way he performed today I can see why.This is obviously a time when people go back to their electorates where they spend time with friends and family. This is not a debate in my view that should be prolonged. There will be people who want to say something. The Business Committee has organised for 18 people to make a contribution this afternoon at the conclusion of which you yourself Mr Speaker will be able to express some views. To you Mr Speaker and to all the House attendants a very merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year.ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition): It is a great pleasure to take this final call for the year. I want to begin as the Leader of the House did by thanking all of those who make the operating of this House—and very important it is to the life of New Zealand—who work and keep it going.The first person I would like to acknowledge is of course the Clerk of the House—the chap known to us as David Wilson—and indeed all of the staff of the Clerk’s Office who do a tremendous job not only in processing all the activity that goes on around here but for the advice that they give as well. I acknowledge those looking after the Table Office the Bills Office and Hansard of course who do invaluable work and pick up the odd difficult word as well and manage to get it absolutely correct.The interpretation and translation services; the Select Committee Services groupwhich keeps that tremendous amount of paperwork flowing and going; the Parliamentary Relations and Policy Group including the education group who are always a pleasure to bump into particularly when they have got tour groups with them at the time; and those looking after the organisational performance and information services—all those in parliamentary services without whom this place would not function and the security staff too of course who make this place safe and easy to get around.I want to thank Jim Robb and his team—the buildings team—and all the contractors about whom I will say a little more later who support buildings. I want to thank the Serjeant-at-Arms Brent Smith for lending Lindsay Tisch his jacket just a short while ago and all the security staff too who are in and out of the building. I also want to thank Heather Daly and the tireless messengers and the work that they do.Can I thank the research experts the Parliamentary Library and the Datacom team without whom this place would not function—actually sometimes it does not function—but anyway they are always there they keep us connected and sometimes our computers working. The New Zealand Post staff at the post shop—and this may well be the last Christmas for those staff but they are tremendous. And for those who are transacting the three transactions a day you will just have to go somewhere else.To the Epicure staff whose quality of food rises by the day and has been fantastic the Spotless cleaning team who are here at those very difficult hours and of course who deserve to be paid a living wage. Can we thank the general manager of Parliamentary Service David Stevenson and his team especially Jane McKenzie and the relationship team.I want to thank and acknowledge my chief of staff Matt McCarten the whips’ office manager Emma Williams and the dedicated and talented team of leader’s office staff executive assistants out-of-office parliamentary staff and the issues assistants whom they take care of.Can I just tell you this story which is illustrative I think of the note on which I end this year which is with a note of optimism. As I said before about buildings there is another very important group that has been around Parliament buildings this year which is the construction team from LT McGuinness which is making perhaps the worst leakiest building in the country waterproof yet again giving us dry and healthy accommodation.We know them all they are gathered around—well I see them outside my third-floor office. There they are in their high-vis vests and what have you. What is most important is that they will leave a lasting legacy in this House for the work that they do. But it is thanks to the actions of one of those men from LT McGuinness that as I say gives that air of optimism to me.I was at a meeting a couple of months ago getting one of the briefings from the head of one of our security agencies—an initiative actually that they undertook this year in fulfilment of their statutory obligations. There we were looking at matters of great national sensitivity and security and all of a sudden the head of the SIS who was briefing me threw her hands over the papers on the table and said: “Wait! Is this place secure?”.We looked out on the balcony and there was one of the LT McGuinness men with his high-vis jacket on—and as you all know they have all got numbers on them—and there was the number 007. We established very quickly that it was not Daniel Craig much to her disappointment I am sure and we established that MI6 probably does not have a great deal of interest in the Leader of the Opposition’s office in New Zealand.But here is the point and here is the note of optimism: after all the debate about the Health and Safety Reform Bill this year and all of our challenging the Government that this was not going to create the culture of health and safety here at least at the highest levels of the Public Service here in Wellington we have a senior public servant who genuinely believes that were James Bond to ever make it to New Zealand to do his nefarious things he at least will be wearing his high-vis vest.On that note I want to thank all my parliamentary colleagues and wish them all a safe and relaxing summer break. And to you Mr Speaker—and you frequently say to me I have the worst job in Parliament—there are days when I have looked at you this year and thought: “I am so glad to be the Leader of the Opposition.” And so Mr Speaker to you I wish you all the very best and a relaxing summer break and a well-deserved one and I look forward to seeing all my friends in this House next year.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green): To everyone in this House and around this place the Green Party wishes you a very warm and very meri Kirihimete. Our special thanks and warm wishes today go out particularly to all of those who keep this place ticking so that we can do our jobs. Politicians are not the easiest people in the world to work with—Grant Robertson: No!METIRIA TUREI: —apparently—so to those of you who manage the Chamber who cook for us who make our coffee clean our offices deliver our papers keep us safe answer our research questions keep the lights going fix the heating and keep our computers humming—all of you thank you so much for everything that you do for us. We really really appreciate it. Thanks and a special Christmas wish also to our friends in the Opposition. To Andrew Little and his team in particular it has been great working with you all over this last year and I am looking forwardto more of it next year—Clayton Mitchell: And us.METIRIA TUREI: And you too New Zealand First. We love you too. Ha ha! It is true it is true—do not listen to what the media says. But thinking about the media big thanks to the press gallery for a year of sharing your love sometimes—sometimes—but in increasingly constrained circumstances; we know how hard it is to do your jobs.And a very merry Christmas too to the Government. It has been a tough year for youse fullas what with—Hon Member: Oh no it’s been a great year.METIRIA TUREI: —increasing unemployment—oh it is true—45000 more children in poverty the housing crisis skyrocketing and greenhouse gas emissions. But credit where credit is due you have played to your strengths National and it is time now to recognise those strengths. So I am very pleased to announce the Green Party’s inaugural “End of Year Awards”. I know it is exciting. I have the nominations. So here we go.Hon Member: What’s the prize?METIRIA TUREI: We may well give you presents—yeah let us give them presents. My lovely assistant is Gareth Hughes over here.For the “Exxon Mobil Contribution to Oil Drilling Award” the runner-up is Labour for refusing to rule it out—ahem—but the winner goes to Simon Bridges for keeping the oil industry going through his support of its hair products. Great dedication Simon—slick as bro. He can get some chocolates—give them to Gerry. The “He Wears His Underpants on the Outside Public Defender Award” sponsored by Marvel Comics goes to Michael Woodhouse for revealing to New Zealand the grave dangers of worm farms. Michael has got our backs—we are safe under his watch.The “Land Transport Association Award for the Most Creative U-turn It Turns Out”—so the runner-up is Labour for simultaneous U-turns on capital gains tax and superannuation. But the winner is the Green Party—that is right the Green Party—for ruling out then ruling in then ruling out the booze bill. I want my gift. Thank you I am so proud. I want to thank my producers: mum and dad you are awesome.The award for the “Most Dedicated Backbencher Politician”—this was hard fought for this one I can tell you. The runner-up is Paul Foster-Bell for his passionate visual adoration during the Prime Minister’s speeches—puppy-dog—but the winner goes to Mike Hosking for his selfless support for his dear leader and the creative use of public broadcasting.Ron Mark: Oh we’re liking you.METIRIA TUREI: Ha ha! The “Lump of Coal Special Christmas Award” sponsored by Charles Dickens is jointly awarded to John Key and Peter Dunne for voting against feeding the kids in schools. Clearly the answer to the question “Please sir can I have some more?” is: “No you cannot have any more.” The “New Zealand Men’s Rights Association Award for the Protection of Traditional Values”—the runner-up is John Key for having the guts to say out loud that Cabinet is dominated by middle-aged white men because he appoints on the basis of merit. Ladies smarten up!But the winner goes to Louise Upston the first women’s affairs Minister brave enough to define feminism as bad and beauty contests as good. Well done Louise! But the “Chocolate Prize” is going to go to Poto Williams for her amazing support for the walkout over the rapists comments. Awesome—chocolate well-deserved. The “Hairstylists Association of New Zealand International Hair Ambassador of 2015 Award”—who do you think might win this? Runners-up are Peter Dunne and Simon Bridges for effort—good effort guys—but the winner by a landslide is John Key for putting New Zealand and ponytails on the world stage for all the wrong reasons. Well done you guys.Not quite finally the “Foot in Mouth Award” sponsored by the Ministry for Primary Industries for most regrettable statement—the winner is Judith Collins: “I’m confident that Serco will bring the high standards of professionalism safety rehabilitation and security expected by the Government to Mt Eden prison.” Well was she not right? The Government did expect that. That is exactly what it got. But the gift of chocolate goes to Kelvin Davis given today’s breaking news. That was a scalp worth fighting for.The final award for tonight is the “Plunket Karitane Award” for healthy development and meeting all growth milestones and that goes to my very own co-leader James Shaw for well just being a good all-round boy.Thank you very much to all of you who nominated and who made suggestions for our awards. I am sure we are all very pleased with the winners. Thank you very much for all your work Mr Speaker for the work of all the staff who are here and to all the Green Party staff and volunteers for all of your energy over this last year. We give thanks for all of the efforts that everyone makes to make this a great democracy and I hope that you have a very safe and very happy Christmas break. Kia ora koutou katoa.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First): Before passing on our season’s greetings we should say that this has been a most momentous year for the Government and it should be given credit. But on examination of the lists of success stories we ran into a roadblock: “ponytail-gate”; the nail failed twice; the surplus after 7 years’ creative accounting and back to deficit the next quarter; the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement sold the public a lemon and not much about trade; the Iroquois sold to the Yanks and not our own people; the flag with all the levitation of a lead balloon; the housing bubble in Auckland—but only consents no new houses of course; the Nick Smith public relations tour which ran into a deed of ownership that was not the Government’s in the first place; Skycity outsmarting the PM—another shonky deal; Mr Key wearing various hats sometimes when he puts the cat out; and Phillip John Smith taking a holiday in Brazil.Then you have got the Malaysian diplomat but no apology; detainees on Christmas Island being sold out because the PM wants to be an Aussie PM groupie; the Prime Minister telling everybody what he does in the shower; the Serco fight clubs; the “Crusher” Collins comeback—after Oravida that is unbelievable; the biosecurity cutbacks and then the levies on all travellers to try to make up for the cut; logs and milk two products in a declining market; the worm farms’ health and safety risks; Silver Fern Farms’ corrupt deal; the Saudi farm corrupt bribe; the capping of the SuperGold card travel programme; the Solid Energy collapse—it used to be a State-owned enterprise star; and then the so-called $25 increase in benefits while it took the axe to welfare and all the other budgets as well. Then of course you have Redcliffs School where you ignored the parents in Christchurch.But the real thing is that the Government hit its big star performance in Northland in March with a team of strategists ministerial cars spin doctors Crosby/Textor Cabinet Ministers and the Prime Minister going there three or four times. He is on every hoarding 500 of them and then there is the master planner-strategist “Mr Fix-It” Steven Joyce. That poor candidate up there Mark Osborne did not have a hope in Hades. Do you remember that the Government said we had a dog’s chance? Well up went Mr Joyce. He gave it his best shot and the Government came up way short. You see what happened up there was the people up north had been lacking an MP standing up for them for years and they decided to get one.Hon Member: And they are still lacking one.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Oh yes really? Well why do you not front up? I saw that member up at the show in Waimate North and no one knew who he was. He had a badge on and no one was shaking his hand. I felt so sorry—I really did.I just want to say this: on the international stage Tim Groser has been an embarrassment. He has been an embarrassment. It is clear from informed sources that he gets his information from watching the weather girls on TV on the 6 o’clock news every night. The Prime Minister has found it very hard going. You see Prime Minister you cannot run a country through photos on Facebook. Drinking beer out of a bottle does not make you a Kiwi bloke. Haunting the All Blacks in the changing room is an embarrassment to them as well—especially if you do not know one end of the paddock from the other; especially if you have never played the game of rugby.Hon Gerry Brownlee: He has.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: No tournament whatsoever and Gerry has never played rugby either.Hon Member: Of course he has.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: No. You ask “Jimbo” who can play rugby around here. “Jimbo” can and we can but the National Party cannot—very short on talent.Here are the Prime Minister’s many hats: National Party leader All Black baggage handler international freedom fighter golf cart caddy for the United States President—the list is endless. Prime Minister our relationship with the United States is not going to be enhanced by you giving President Obama the No. 5 iron.Hon Member: Or a three-way handshake.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Or a putter or a three-way handshake when there are only two of you there.The Prime Minister had the audacity to tell the Labour Party to get some guts and courage over Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Look—political leadership is about policies. It is not about sabre-rattling especially when you are thousands of miles away from the danger. While our troops are overseas in situations of danger under a flag why sell that flag down the drain? It is inappropriate it is insulting and the reception being given to this arrogant rebranding exercise is that it is all over Rover. Stop wasting any more millions. Quit while you are behind because the turnout is so low despite all the millions of dollars the Government has put into it and if he goes on it will show that he is all about personal arrogance and self-interest.You see it has been—what did the Queen call it—an annus horribilis for the blue brigade. Whilst I am at it—[Bell rung]—1 minute to go? Well I cannot leave this out. If you are taken to the Queen’s private residence and you take a photograph you do not put it on Facebook. You see what that tells me is that there is no class and you can have all the money in the world but you cannot get class. That is tragic—tragic. The Government will go on next year trying to repopulate the country in a binge of consumerism but the die is cast. In contrast New Zealand First finishes in the best shape we have ever been in—make no bones about it. We have got offices in Invercargill and all the way now to Kaitāia Dargaville Kerikeri—oh yes we are coming on strong steaming really fast now—Whangarei Warkworth and Nelson. [Interruption] Look the answer is Gerry: your time is up. Your time is up.The last thing Mr Speaker before I wish you generally a very happy Christmas—I really think you deserve one actually—and all the parliamentary staff is that believe me if you look at the last six elections and the polls on election day compared with the period before those elections then you are looking at the top of an iceberg. Help is on its way. New Zealand First is going to be back real strong in 2016 ready for an election whenever they fly the white flag.Hon TE URUROA FLAVELL (Co-Leader—Māori Party):Tēnā koe Mr Speaker kia ora tātau katoa e Te Whare. Pēnei ngā mahi i runga i te marae ko te wāhi ki a au ko te tuku i tētahi poroporoaki ki ngā mate kua pā mai ki a tātau katoa i tēnei tau.[Thank you Mr Speaker and greetings to us all of the House. Like the protocols on the marae my part is to accord a farewell tribute to the deaths that affected us all this year.]As I do on our marae throughout the country and try to do in this House I try to maintain our tikanga and firstly pay tribute to the many whom we have lost this year. I cannot cover all of them but Peeni ko te āhuatanga ki tō pāpā ā ka tangi ake [the situation relating to your father and which I lament over]. I mention Ērima Hēnare I mention Tama Huata—Rt Hon Winston Peters: Bert Mackie.Hon TE URUROA FLAVELL: Bert Mackie from Te Puni Kōkiri Mauriora Kīngi and many others—Sir Apirana Mahuika. All those sorts of leaders of Te Ao Māori who have been lost to us this year I pay tribute to them. I say: koutou i te pō e moe e moe e moe haere whakangaro atu rā! Tātau te hunga ora e pae nei tēnā koutou kia ora tātau.[Those of you in the Void rest sleep slumber there depart and fade away! We the living seated about here my greetings and appreciation to you collectively and to us all.]The Māori Party does not want to be negative. We will not be negative and so I want to don another cap and say to us—Hon Members: Ha ha!Hon TE URUROA FLAVELL: You get that one? All right. I want to don another cap and say that it has been a good year for the Māori Party and for us in this House.Marama Fox: Amen.Hon TE URUROA FLAVELL: That is right my sister. It has been a good year. If we look at Budget 2015 there was the expansion of Whānau Ora progress on Te Ture Whenua Māori Act is coming around the corner the launch of the Māori housing network—it has been a very good year.The National Party members can say thank you. They can say thank you because we have brought that intellectual grunt that Māori bring to the table to sit alongside them. We brought that brown grunt—we brought that brown grunt that they need to contribute to the best interests of this country. The good thing is that we have actually enjoyed being together to bring about positive change for Māori people in this country. How did we do it? The base increased by $25 per week for all beneficiaries’ tamariki of this country. We held the line on the Resource Management Act. It is over the line for starters—Mr Nick Smith should be thankful for that. We have been working with Māori communities and iwi on a range of issues throughout this country finding solutions to try to deal with issues of poverty family violence and generally supporting whānau ora. That is where we want to be.We are also pleased to say that the fruits of our work have come out. Things have actually blossomed in terms of free doctor visits for children—that is all Māori Party policy. Like other parties people generally seem to pinch our ideas. They tend to pinch our ideas so shame on you. Shame on you New Zealand First in particular for pinching our ideas! But it is OK because they all go to a common good place. They go to the best interests of children and the families of this country. So we will let them have a little bit of credit but the credit is really due to the mighty Māori Party. Yay-ya!Rt Hon Winston Peters: What about the kūmara never saying how sweet it is?Hon TE URUROA FLAVELL: That is only in your area. In our area we speak it up we talk it up just like Ngati Porou does. We speak up about what we are good at and the Māori Party is good at most things. We come here today and actually we have come to apologise. Like a number of people today we have come to apologise. I honestly say that the Māori Party today wants to offer an apology—an apology that we are so good. I am sorry. I am sorry about it. I will apologise also that other people want to be like the Māori Party. In fact some of them want to be in the Māori Party. That is how good we are. I want to apologise that there have been no Cabinet reshuffles in our party. There have been no people moving up or moving down—no we are just level-pegging there at that high-pitched level that brings integrity to this House. I want to apologise to everybody for being so good.But I do want to say this in closing like other speakers: a year in Parliament is a long time and we could not do all the work without the many people who I am sure have been mentioned already—the messengers; the VIP drivers; the Clerk of the House; those associated with the office; the caterers; and the translators even if they get it wrong now and again—it is OK. I want to mention to all those people who have given hours beyond the call of duty for the best interests of our country: thank you so much for what you do. Ka nui taku mihi o Te Pāti Māori ki a koutou katoa e hāpai nei i tēnei o ngā Whare Pāremata me te kī atu ki a tātau katoa ahakoa nō tēhea taha o Te Whare kai tēnei kai tērā rānei meri Kirihimete.[My appreciation and that of the Māori Party is immense to all of you who support this House of the Houses of Parliament and I say to us all that whether you be on this or that side of the House merry Christmas.]Happy Māori Party New Year. When we come back next year may we look forward to a positive engagement across the House to bring about the best interests of children—tamariki—and whānau in this land. Meri Kirihimete kia ora tātau katoa.DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): What a year. I would like to thank the people of the Epsom electorate. The people of the communities of Epsom Mount Eden Parnell and Remuera—it is an honour and a pleasure to represent you and I never forget who put me here so thank you very much.I would like to thank the ACT Party. I would like to thank the board the members and the volunteers. The ACT Party is in the ascendancy. We are rebuilding our party and I am very proud to be your representative in Parliament too. I would like to thank my staff in the Epsom electorate. We serve many many people who come to us at their wit’s end. Often we can solve their problems and sometimes we cannot but I am very grateful for the support that I get from my staff for the people there.I would like to thank my staff here in Wellington who have been absolutely fantastic. I have some of the best staff whom anybody could hope for and that has allowed us to achieve some very good things in our policy portfolios and more generally in Parliament and in the House this year. Thank you very much to them. To the officials from Treasury from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and from the Ministry of Education I am very grateful for the support that you have given the advice that I have taken and I guess for your other advice too.I would like to thank the Prime Minister. I would like to thank the Deputy Prime Minister. Minister Parata my friend and colleague whom I had a tremendous year working with—thank you very much. I would like to thank Minister Joyce and the staff in his office for the work that we have done together and there is a lot more of that to come next week. But actually I would like to thank all of my parliamentary colleagues. The Labour Party members I feel in a way are sort of like my brethren in that all of us really need a lot more votes.I would like to thank the Green Party members. They have taught me the importance of economic education—sort of back to front but they have helped me to understand that very well. I would like to thank New Zealand First. I used to hate Winston Peters before I came to Parliament because I thought he meant what he said but since I have got to know him and we have talked about the olden days I actually reckon he is not a bad stick. Those people sitting behind him they are not too bad either. But I would especially like to thank Marama and Te Ururoa—what a fantastic couple a dynamic duo. I have enjoyed our exchanges about tikanga with you Marama and I am looking forward to more of that next year.I would like to thank my friends in the National Party. Sometimes I think you should maybe just get a little bit drier—get some guts as they say. But generally I am very very grateful for all of the support and accompaniment you have given especially to the “class of ‘14”—until you uninvited me from your drinks but that is OK.I would like to thank the press gallery. I have come to the view that we are actually very well served by our fourth estate here in New Zealand with the exception of one journo who will know who she is. All I would say is that if you are going to run an agenda do not tweet about it and do not have your friends showing up in the comments section of blogs—showing just how close you are while pretending to be an objective journalist—because that lets all of us down.I would like to thank the parliamentary staff. I would like to thank the Speaker’s office for helping me learn the ropes at various times and indeed I would like to thank the Office of the Clerk and particularly Margaret who did fantastic work helping me to draft quite a complex member’s bill this year.I would like to thank the security staff for keeping almost everybody except for Greenpeace at bay Ministerial Services Parliamentary Service the travel office IT support and all of those people who help us to keep this place functioning.Rt Hon Winston Peters: What about Goldsmith?DAVID SEYMOUR: I beg your pardon? Well I actually think Paul Goldsmith is a very fine hard-working member. The thing that the member for Northland could learn most from Paul Goldsmith is that he actually has a view that public policy should be the output and ultimate product of politics rather than background noise to be ignored whenever the next opportunity to fulfil one’s lifelong attempts to be taken seriously comes along which is what that member is really about—and do we not all know it?I would like to conclude by wishing everybody a very merry Christmas. I am very proud to represent the ACT Party in this House. I am very grateful to all the people who have said kind things to me. I actually had thought a Cabinet reshuffle was something that you did to make room for the gin which may be why I did not quite take that one at the right time but that will come again and maybe we will take it then.I would like to thank all of the people of New Zealand. It is quite amazing. Unless you look on Twitter we really do live in the most magnificent and fantastic country where you can be from any point in the spectrum the very wide spectrum that is represented in this House and by and large what you will find is that people are very forgiving very polite and very supportive. We have a tremendous future as a country being able to work through our various challenges in a constructive way. With that Mr Speaker I wish you and everybody a merry Christmas. Thank you.Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour): Well we all know it is nearly Christmas so Mr Speaker I want to bring you glad tidings of great joy and say how happy I have been to be able to assist you with your rulings throughout the year.Mr SPEAKER: I am extremely grateful.Hon ANNETTE KING: And I do wish you a very merry and restful Christmas. It does not matter how old you are you cannot help but get a little bit excited when Christmas comes round. I mean you are excited to see the family—even that grumpy old relative who never brings even a bottle of wine or a bar of chocolate. You get excited—Hon Chester Borrows: You were looking at me! That’s not fair.Hon ANNETTE KING: No not you Chester—Chester you are very generous. You get excited about the break you know being around the barbie with a cold beer or whatever your tipple is and having the cricket droning in the background. You get excited to leave this place. As much as we all love each other—and that includes Gerry—oh he is gone—I was going to make a special mention of Gerry.Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon ANNETTE KING: Of course I would like to make a special mention of my cousins here today. We at some times all love each other although the public do not know that. We are excited to receive and to give gifts at Christmas are we not—even the ones that you get back from your relatives that you gave them last year? The giving and receiving of gifts is one of the greatest pleasures you can have in life and I have been wondering what New Zealanders think about the gifts that they have received from this Government over the last 7 years.The National Party has generously given quite a number of gifts. In fact Carmel Sepuloni worked out 12 gifts at Christmas that the National Party has given to us and as I was reading them out she could probably even put them to music. Of course the first gift from this Government is the Prime Minister ignoring detainees. Well he was far too busy with all those selfies that he has been taking and putting up on Twitter. The second gift from the National Party has been two toy sheep—two toy sheep and a $500 bill to fix them. High priority it was to have them at the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment Christmas party and I have to wonder—and maybe Mr Speaker could help us with this—what on earth were they doing to the sheep? The third gift from the National Party is three $6000 sofas. Well we all thought that Jenny Shipley’s $3000 sofa—and there was only one of them—was over the top. I have to once again ask: why on earth do they need such upholstered sofas over there in the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment?The fourth gift of Christmas from the National Party is the $45 million to fix Novopay. And the question we ask is: is it fixed? Well are there any outstanding debts that still need to be paid? Of course the fifth gift from the National Party is five flag options—five flag options it gave us for Christmas. The Prime Minister—I think his vanity project is just about to flutter away as the number of those in the referendum is nowhere near the number they had hoped for. The sixth gift of Christmas has to be unemployment at 6 percent and climbing. You see the National Party is ambitious for New Zealand but not if you want a job.The seventh gift of Christmas is 7 long years of this National Government as its Ministers become more and more weary and worn-out and out of touch and I have to say on a daily basis they look more like dried arrangements. Then we have the eighth gift of Christmas: $80 billion gross debt and 80 different excuses as to why we have got $80 billion of gross debt. Then the ninth gift of Christmas is nine bills through urgency. Oh was that not fun? Was that not fun especially for those who stayed and debated? I notice it was not a high priority for most of the Ministers to be here to debate the nine bills of Christmas.Then here is my personal favourite—my personal favourite. The 10th gift of Christmas of course is 10 pretend bridges for Northland—10 pretend bridges for Northland—promised by the pretend Minister of Transport but backed up by the pretender for the top job Steven Joyce. Then we have got the 11th gift—I am nearly there Mr Speaker—the $11 million apartment in New York. Let us be honest: nothing is too good for the workers. Then the 12th gift of Christmas has to be the $12 million Saudi farm fiasco. Those are the 12 gifts.I just want to wish everyone a merry Christmas thank our staff—particularly our electorate staff out there in our electorate offices—and say I hope everybody has a restful Christmas and comes back ready to fight again in the new year.Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister of Local Government): Merry Christmas Mr Speaker and thank you for your patience and your humour in the House. Thank you to the staff of this building and the ones around it who just help us all so much and do so much. I think a big thank you is due to the New Zealand public and certainly their patience with MPs at times I am sure. To my own electorate of Upper Harbour I want to say hi. I know two people who are actually watching this so I have to give them a big mum and dad merry Christmas because that is a little bit exciting. From me to my own staff and certainly officials—to my own staff can I suggest they put down their wineglasses right now and give themselves a round of applause for all they have done this year.It has been a big year for the Government—a busy Government driving positive change and of course focused on what matters to New Zealand. You cannot help but kind of compare that with Her Majesty’s loyal Opposition—I mean you just would. Opposition members think they have had a successful year—we just heard that—and have certainly been standing up and congratulating themselves and we have even had a couple of media members who have been saying the same thing. I think they are going to tick this box as a goody for themselves. They had a conference where they did not annihilate each other one where they did not publicly go out there and sort of bite each other’s heads off and for them that of course is a success. They also did not say or do anything at that conference or actually lay out an agenda or what they stand for but that does not matter because actually the fact they did not publicly attack their leader is a measure of success.When you are sort of working from such a low base not sinking lower I suppose in some measures would be a success. It is a bit like when they found the Titanic at the bottom of the ocean. You would say there was amazement and they saw it as a success but the reality is it was still sunk and it is actually still down there—a lot like Labour I reckon. So the beltway brigade—of course we have Andrew Little Annette King and Grant Robertson and even Chris Hipkins can join that one—is more focused on itself in Wellington than New Zealanders themselves. But then you have got to ask yourself: when it does look outside of Wellington what does it see? Well that did not go so well either. What you got was Phil Twyford the Donald Trump of New Zealand politics who did try to focus on Auckland. Like Donald he has got bad ties and thinning hair and he too has decided to mock people based on their surname.The year 2015 has had a few changes. The Greens found James Shaw. But I have got to say publicly we have lost him—publicly we have lost him in the last few months. I think he has gone to sort of merge with the grain or something and we just have not seen him for ages—for ages. I never thought I would hear David Seymour talking about the coq but we did. I am not sure whether that was quite a highlight for 2015 or a change but it was something that does stand out I have got to say. Winston Peters—although we did not have any real change there we have still got the jokes from 1978. That famous line from “Hotel California” where they say “We haven’t had that spirit here since 1969”—although we have not had that same joke here since 1968 he still seems to like to roll them out quite often.Andy got angry Jacinda pouted and meanwhile quite frankly National has been concentrating on New Zealanders and what matters most to them. A highlight this year has to be rolling out free doctors visits for under-13-year-olds.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: Absolutely—that was awesome.Hon PAULA BENNETT: Oh and here he is now the man who just did it so there you go. A major highlight I have got to say has been reaching that target of surplus. I really want to congratulate Bill English on it because it has really been something for this country to show that when we can we live within our means and when New Zealanders need us we step up and spend more like we did in Christchurch. Another highlight from my perspective has been that commitment to beneficiaries to see more money going in their pockets which they need and we certainly acknowledge that and recognise it.A highlight for me has certainly been in recent days getting the portfolio of climate change issues. I do not mean to brag but I must say that in the last 3 days the sun has been shining in Wellington and that is a change to the climate. I do not want to take responsibility for it or sort of brag too much but quite frankly we have seen that.I think most of all what has been a highlight for me in 2015 is seeing a leader like John Key who is still so committed to this country so committed to leading a Government that actually focuses and does govern for all New Zealanders. He is a man who quite frankly shows an energy and a persistence and can be quite uncompromising in his expectations of what this great country can do for its people. It has been a great year. I look forward to 2016 and I thank everyone in the House.CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka): Can I begin my contribution by wishing the previous speaker Paula Bennett a very merry Christmas. When she rose to speak I was not expecting a heart-warming Christmas fable; I was not quite expecting the innkeeper routine either that we just got from the Minister but let us move on from that.Of course 2015 has been the year of Star Wars. The building is leaking and I have received a leaked memo from the National Party that it has in fact offered its services for the next Star Wars movie.But of course there has been a lot of fighting on the National Party benches about who is going to be taking which particular starring role.Of course Judith Collins fancies herself as a bit of a Princess Leia but we know that in fact the producers are more likely to offer her the role of Darth Vader. We have Peter Dunne and David Seymour there over on the cross benches—the R2-D2 and C-3PO of the Government. They are the little robots running around always messing up and never quite sure where they are. That definitely describes Peter Dunne and David Seymour. It is difficult when you look over there to the backbenches and you see Maurice Williamson not to think of Chewbacca sitting over there on the National Party backbenches.Then of course we come to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi—that of course has to be Tim Groser. That role has to go to Tim Groser. I have to say how disappointed we should be here on this side of the House and in fact around the House that the National Government is going to rob of us of his wisdom his intellect his insight and his experience and so soon after we lost John Hayes from the House. How on earth are we going to cope with that? I look over at my good friend Lindsay Tisch there. I could not quite work out whether he would be auditioning for Yoda or an Ewok but I am sure that he will be in the mix there as well.Of course the National Party members think that 2016 is going to be the year that “the empire strikes back”. In fact I can tell them that that is not going to be the case because there is a new Jedi in town and his name is Andrew Little. So next year 2016 it is more going to be a mix of the Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That is what 2016 is going to be characterised by if we continue in the Star Wars vein.But in the spirit of Christmas and borrowing a few lines from my colleague Grant Robertson I do want to hand out a few Christmas awards of my own. The “Santa Claus Award for the Most Frequent References to Christmas Outside of December” surely has to go to Kelvin Davis for the tireless work that he has been doing regarding Christmas Island. The “Sarah Dowie Award for the Loss of Perspective” surely has to go to Sarah Dowie herself who while choking back the tears told the House that the worst day of her life was when she applied for her passport. I think that that definitely deserves a notable mention. I can assure her that there are worse days coming. Election day 2017 will certainly be one of them for her.Then of course we come to the “Christian Bale Batman Award for Tireless Work to Protect the Town’s Water Supply” and that of course has to go to Jacqui Dean that National Party backbencher who has tirelessly campaigned to save the water supply from that deadly chemical dihydrogen monoxide. She will never ever live that one down and she definitely deserves that award.The “Wile E Coyote Award for Persistence in the Face of Repeated Failure” surely must go to Judith Collins who has now been given the task of cleaning up her own mess. Then of course I come to the “Little Miss Sunshine Award for Constant Cheerfulness and Positive Attitude in the House”. Chester Borrows the Deputy Speaker absolutely takes out the “Little Miss Sunshine Award” for 2015.To conclude can I end by thanking all of the staff who everybody else has mentioned so I will not run through them again. But I would also like to take the opportunity to thank a group who never really get thanked in this House and they are the families of all of the members of Parliament. Across the House the families of MPs really do carry an enormous load. They never really get thanked for it. They generally tend to get abused for it by the public.So I want on behalf of the entire House to say thank you to all of the families—the children the partners—for the enormous amount of support they provide to us as MPs and simply wish them a very very merry Christmas and then to extend that of course to all members of the House and to the country. A very merry Christmas to everybody.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Mr Speaker I want to begin by wishing you a very merry Christmas. I thank you for your presiding guidance this year. It has been a great pleasure to be ejected from the House twice by you—it made me feel like I had been transferred back to my schooldays. I know you have got a difficult job and you will be looking forward to Christmas. I want to acknowledge the service that you give to this House so thank you very much.The member over there Chris Hipkins was talking about the remake of Star Wars. I am sure he would prefer to be remaking Happy Days with himself cast in the role of Richie Cunningham. But happy days are a long way away for the Labour Party. I could see Grant Robertson there as Potsie. It would be a bit harder casting the Fonz. Those members would like to put Andrew Little there but I just cannot see that happening.Grant Robertson: Who’s the Fonz?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Well you would like the Fonz to be Andrew Little. Oh Grant Robertson wants to be the Fonz. Well keep up the workouts that is what I would say. Anyway it is great that the year is finishing in such good humour.I want to acknowledge my colleagues in the National Party who have had a stellar year. Seven years in Government and the team has never been stronger. People have never been more enthusiastic about their work. It is a great team right from the Prime Minister—who actually I think is the best Prime Minister this country has ever had. I think there is a grudging admiration for our Prime Minister over there on the Opposition benches. He is doing a great job. He is a great leader and a man with endless enthusiasm. I can tell you that he is a great person to work for and is the galvanising force behind the National Government.I also want to thank the Labour Opposition and specifically Andrew Little not only for sending me a probably quite unwarranted Christmas card but also for making Annette King the health spokesperson. It has been great to get the opportunity four times a week to hold Annette King to account for her record during her time as Minister of Health. It has made it very difficult to get a patsy question in the House because Gerry tells me I am getting three or four from her each week already. I also want to thank the Labour research unit. We have had hours of mirth responding to its written questions and its flood of Official Information Act requests.But look it is a great place this Parliament. It has been a great year. There has been a lot that has happened. Annette King talked about the gifts of Christmas. But I want to say there are a few that she forgot to add like the 5000 extra surgeries we have provided for New Zealanders this year the 5500 extra doctors and nurses who are working in the system the $400 million that the health sector got in the Budget and most of all the free GP visits and prescriptions for New Zealand children under 13. That was a great Christmas present to deliver albeit a little bit early back in July. The health sector is always a demanding sector and I especially want to thank all those who are working out there: the doctors the nurses all the ancillary staff the cleaners in our hospitals and all those who go to make this a health system that consistently delivers for New Zealanders.I also want to acknowledge the people of Northcote the electorate I have the privilege to represent. You know none of us take our position in this House for granted and it is a real privilege to be here to serve the people of New Zealand.Finally I want to say a big thankyou to all those in our parliamentary offices both in the electorates and here in Parliament to those who make this place work to the ministerial staff to the security staff to the Parliamentary Service to the people who clean our offices to the drivers—everyone who works towards making this a place where we can truly represent the diverse opinions and views right across the New Zealand Parliament.As has been echoed already I want to say that really we are privileged to be here but actually it is our families who allow us to come here and I pay tribute to all the families who support every parliamentarian. My 5-year-old son is very keen to go to Christmas Island now he has heard so much about it but that is one place we are not going for the holidays. Certainly it has been an interesting year and 2016 I am sure will be even more so. So thank you very much see you all in 2016. Enjoy a very very merry and safe Christmas. Kia ora.MARAMA DAVIDSON (Green): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Tēnā tātou e Te Whare. I rise to wish everyone in this House a restful loving and merry Christmas. This job is a privilege and I am honoured to be doing it but of course I am definitely looking forward to seeing my whānau and spending time in a house that does not start with a capital “H”.True to the Christmas spirit though today I do want to acknowledge those who will be doing it real hard over the coming few months and will not have the relaxing holiday that we in this House expect. Of course the original meaning of Christmas tells the story of a young woman and her husband trying to find safe lodgings so she could give birth. As we know there was no room at the inn. I find it interesting that in this country we are now celebrating that biblical night amidst a severe housing crisis. In fact in the 24 hours or so that Jesus’ whānau were house-hunting and giving birth to him an Auckland home in April this year would have risen in value by over $1000 in that same 24-hour period.In October John Campbell broadcast a piece for Radio New Zealand National that echoes what I know about those doing it tough. It was entitled “Pay day is broke day” and Campbell interviewed people from the Manukau region where I live. In his piece we heard from a range of people some working two or more jobs who have high aspirations for themselves and their families and are doing all they can to stay afloat. But our economy is far from rock star and for many pay day is broke day. So the hardships have huge impacts on our children and on us all. John Campbell caught people at the Manurewa train station on their work commute to capture some of those stories. That was my train station that John Campbell was standing at.I also want to acknowledge those organisations urging us towards a fairer more vibrant Aotearoa. The report of the Child Poverty Monitor—soon to be released—shows that in 1984 15 percent of children were in poverty whereas today it is 29 percent. So it has doubled in a generation. Anybody who would like to join this campaign—grab one of these posters take a selfie. All of you National Party members I completely urge you to put up a selfie of this on all of those fabulous Facebook pages that you all have.Also Unicef has called on New Zealanders to stand with our children in the Make My Future Fair campaign. It reiterates that it is Government policy that has the single biggest impact on child poverty rates not economic growth alone. Still people will do the best they can with what little they have got this Christmas and my heart goes out to Sarah Dowie. I hope you are going to be OK with your struggles over your passport application.You know people will provide for their families love them and keep them safe. Our communities prove their resilience in the face of such hardship and I am proud of the Green Party for continuing to be a voice for our struggling communities. We have got years of research and expertise; we do not need more research. We need action and we need it now. That would be a lovely Christmas present. We need this House to choose the positive solutions and I will be stubborn about giving every child a chance.Just before I got into Parliament I was agonising with someone over my own rental housing challenges and he blurted back at me: “Well soon you won’t have to worry about any of that because you’ll be an MP.” That response just speaks for itself. But in contrast I just recently spoke at the Safe Sleep Day hui held on Manurewa Marae. I acknowledge the incredible difference that wahakura or woven safety sleep pods have been making in a short time in keeping more babies alive. Weavers all around the country are putting love into our communities and families and making a powerful statement from the start that every newborn is a taonga. I mihi to them all.OK so my father is in the gallery. He is deeply immersed—he deeply immersed us in Shakespeare all of our lives and right now he is the middle of a 2-year tour with the Globe Theatre. So right now he is cursing all of us and the use of us fellas’ grammar in this House I can assure you. He actually wanted to put my entire speech through an edit. But I acknowledge my father who was not here for my maiden statement. As you Mr Speaker might recall—yes I am winding it up—we had an eventful start to my parliamentary career but Parliament TV has now become a staple in the lounge room of my family’s house a top drama reality show and I am thankful to be here to give them that opportunity to watch this sort of TV.I close by saying that Metiria has called me the puppy-dog enthusiast new MP. Long may that last. Kia ora koutou katoa. Have a merry Christmas.SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): It is a pleasure to speak in what will be my last contribution in this Parliament this year. As I came into Parliament this morning I noted with due consideration that Parliament is actually wrapped for Christmas as we speak. The building is encased in a blue and white wrapping that is very festive I thought and very appropriate given the time of year and also what a good year it has been for this Government.Mr Speaker I would like to commence by joining with others in thanking you and your other presiding officers for the work that you do on behalf of our Parliament and for keeping us all in line and in order most of the time. I also want to join with others in thanking all the people around this precinct who help make our job so doable and make us look like we know we are doing most of the time. There are the people we see and then there are the people we do not see but we know that they all do a diligent thorough and professional job on our behalf and they all make a contribution to this wonderful amalgam this wonderful little intimate precious fragile democracy that we have which is so precious to all New Zealanders. I think it is important that everybody makes a contribution because it is a participatory democracy and it is one that we can all I think be proud of.This has been a great year for the Government. It has been a great year for the Prime Minister. It has been a great year for the National Party and it has been a great year for New Zealand. We are a party that is not afraid of big bold visionary ideas for New Zealand and we have a lot yet to come. We are ambitious and remain ambitious for New Zealand. One of the Prime Minister’s most endearing features in my humble opinion is his relentless optimism for New Zealand and New Zealanders. It shines through on every possible occasion. He is positive he is good-humoured and he is light of manner but he is on top of the detail and he does I think a terrific job for all New Zealanders. His hope energy and effort for and on behalf of New Zealanders has shone out this year.I have the great privilege to represent one of the most beautiful electorates in the country. It is the Coromandel electorate and I am pleased to report to the House that this year has seen incredibly strong economic growth in my part of the world. We have faster growth than many other parts of the country. We have got tourism numbers that are going up. Three million tourists have visited New Zealand in the last 12 months. Many have made their way to my part of the world and our region is benefiting from it. Unemployment is down residential construction is up and local contribution to GDP has increased and more and more people are moving to the region mostly from Auckland. It has actually been my part of the world that has been the net beneficiary of the so-called Auckland property crisis. People are selling their homes in Auckland and coming to the Coromandel buying beautiful homes in Thames Te Aroha Ngātea Paeroa and around the peninsula and they can invest in a beautiful region. They get great communities great schools great councils and a great quality of parliamentary representation. What more could they want? We welcome them with open arms.This is a Government that I am very proud to be a member of because we have got a strategy that is all about creating an environment in which businesses and people can flourish and an environment that allows the private sector to invest to grow jobs and to create business opportunities for all New Zealanders. This debate has seen many previous contributors nominate their person of the year or people of the year and given awards. I want to acknowledge as my politician of the year—notwithstanding the very good work done by the Prime Minister the National Cabinet and my colleagues on this side of the House—Tim Groser. I think that Tim Groser has absolutely done a wonderful job on behalf of all New Zealanders. It will be our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren yet born who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the Hon Tim Groser’s work on our behalf this year. The contribution that he has made cannot be overstated. I am only sorry that this House is going to miss the opportunity of hearing a valedictory speech from Tim Groser because I think that the House will be the poorer for that missed opportunity. But I know that he will do great work on our behalf and I want to congratulate him and wish him well as he embarks upon a career in Washington.I just want to finish my contribution by making one last comment and it is a quote from former President Ronald Reagan. He said back in 1981: “… Christmas is a state of mind. It is found throughout the year whenever faith overcomes doubt hope conquers despair and love triumphs over hate.” Merry Christmas to you all. Come and visit the Coromandel.Hon JO GOODHEW (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector): As I rise in this House to take the call afforded me by the absence of one of our members from United Future who I know always greets this House at the end of the year so eloquently I do so thankful for the opportunity.Mr Speaker I am going to begin with you. As you preside over this Chamber you have the unenviable task of trying to teach members of Parliament how to remember where to find their Speakers’ Rulings or their Standing Orders books and in fact you do so with such patience with such perseverance. I want to acknowledge that on this occasion and say that we are all trying to learn them a bit more. Some of us need to do a bit more homework—we certainly acknowledge that—but I do acknowledge your good humour in trying to convey to us the way we should be operating in this House.I also want to acknowledge the Office of the Clerk and the work it does to guide you and assist you particularly when the House is in Committee when there is a lot of work that goes on from the Office of the Clerk.I want to acknowledge the whips of each of the parties and in particular our three whips in the National Party who try to make sure that we are where we should be when we should be—most times with success but not all times.We have been here for 88 days. There have been 120 bills passed in this Parliament and I do not think that generally the public of New Zealand know how often the vast majority of the members of this House vote for bills. There are some contentious bills where there is quite a lot of media around them and a lot of dissension but a lot of the bills that travel through this House go largely without much opposition and we get on with the job.We come to the season when thankfully in a country like New Zealand generosity shines through. It is a season when those who have more than they need are so often seen to be giving to those who need more. New Zealand is a very generous country. Just recently on the World Giving Index we were third behind the United States and then Ireland and proudly so. I certainly see a lot of that in my community and voluntary sector portfolio.As I move on to some more thanks I want to thank the people who are keeping us up to the mark and helping in our ministerial offices our electorate offices and our offices here in Parliament. They are ably supported by our research and communications teams and the IT teams that answer our calls in the weekends and during the week when things go wrong and we would dearly love to chuck some technology out the window but that is apparently not the right answer. They answer our calls and walk us through the ways. I must confess I have finally remembered that before I dial their number I must turn it off at the wall and see whether that works. So finally that has got through to me.I want to thank the people who so courteously greet us with a smile every time we see them around Parliament be they the security the buildings people the messengers or the people in Bellamy’s and Copperfields—those who cater to our needs be they food or beverage and those who look after us so securely. And as we saw today there are threats to our security. I must say the cleaners of the Parliament are often lauded for the work they do but regretfully I have got to say that members on the other side of the House seemed to think that the antics today were funny. It is the cleaners who will have to clean up after them for those antics and for this despicable mess at my feet.Ron Mark: Well you clean it up.Hon JO GOODHEW: And I have actually cleaned it up. However I am not responsible for this mess. The members opposite clearly lauded this mess.However to move on in the spirit of Christmas giving I give you some more pearls of wisdom and this time they will be about the things that this Government has had in the way of a really good year. I have got to be quick—the Speaker tells me to wind it up. It has been a good year for the Government. The books are back in surplus at the date we said they would be free doctors’ visits for under-13s as well as prescriptions HomeStart helping so many people into their first home record income from tourists and tourism and we have signed the New Zealand - Korea free-trade agreement and concluded negotiations on Trans-Pacific Partnership. Even with the red bits at my feet it has been a great year for the Government.May it be a safe restful enjoyable happy fun Christmas for everyone in this House and everyone who supports you in the work you do and also your family who no doubt are so important to you all. Thank you and merry Christmas everyone.RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First): Firstly I would like to pass on New Zealand First’s thanks and gratitude to all parliamentary staff and I will not attempt to list all of the departments—although the ones that we tend to bump into most frequently tend to be the messengers tend to be the security tend to be those people in the Parliamentary Library and such—but it is a full team in behind the scenes we know that make it possible for us to do the work that we do here in Parliament hopefully for the betterment of the nation. I want to pass on my thanks in particular to all the select committee staff and my Christmas greetings to the Local Government and Environment Committee. Scott Simpson you have done a very good job over this last year or so. I have thoroughly enjoyed working in there with you.I want to acknowledge you Mr Speaker to say that if you notice that maybe I have been a little less inflammatory over the last few days or so it is probably because I have found less to be inflamed about. And I just trust that in the new year things may progress in that way because I actually find that more enjoyable.When I came back to Parliament after a 6-year sabbatical—I like to look upon it as that—I have to say there is that movie you know Back to the Future but I get this horrible sense that we have come forward to the past. Why do I say that? I say it because some things do not seem to have changed.Hon Jo Goodhew: The beard.RON MARK: That is right. I look at the topics that are being debated today and excuse me if this resonates a little. In IT the Labour Government had INCIS and Land Information New Zealand. Oh the National Government had Novopay and the police budget on their IT project blowout. Do you get something in the picture? If not let us talk about this. Labour on defence: light armoured vehicles Steyr Mannlicher rifles and NH90s—disaster. National: trying to convince the country that we need to buy two C17s at a cost of $1 billion for a strategic airlift that we do not need. It sort of harks back to the Charles Upham and you tend to get the sense that National just like Labour when it comes to defence is all at sea and it is totally giving us all seasickness quite frankly just watching its actions. Corrections—day after day we see this play out on corrections.I look back at the time that I was in Parliament previously. What did we have? Labour—“goon squad”. Well the difference under National is it is not the corrections officers beating up the inmates; it is the inmates beating up each other in fight clubs. Home detention under Labour—what an absolute debacle that was. We sadly had a field day taking it to task on that. Incompetence in corrections under Labour and what do we see today? Incompetence under National with Serco.The flag—Labour runs up its policy on its pole to change the New Zealand flag. National grabs it with both hands kisses it with glee and runs it straight up its pole and here we have a referendum that is going to be an absolute—Darroch Ball: Disaster.RON MARK: —disaster. A public relations disaster. And if I could give the National Government a Christmas present right now it would be this suggestion on the back of what our leader Winston Peters has said: pull the pin. Pull the pin and get out while you can Government because you are on a hiding to nothing on that one.The lead balloon comment of the year—not made in the House and not made publicly. It was given to me by a soldier in a special force unit that the Prime Minister and his officials visited in Australia. This is what not to say when you are looking at a group of special force soldiers who are wearing balaclavas and gloves. This is what not to say: “Do these boys think they are special? They could at least remove their masks.” That goes down like a cup of cold sick let me assure you of that.There is a lot more I could say but I want to say this. My team New Zealand First—congratulations to them. To the parliamentary staff in the New Zealand First team and the New Zealand First caucus who held the fort back here and allowed the leader to campaign full time—and what a moment that was in Northland. Northland is National’s Stalingrad. That is where it came to a grinding halt and from here on it is all backward-pedalling for the National Government going forward. 2016—you know do your homework guys. Start building some friends around the place.I want to finish on this note. To all of the people who will be out there working in emergency services—police hospitals the fire service and emergency service NGOs like Victim Support and the Salvation Army—merry Christmas and we wish you luck to you and your families. To Defence Force people deployed all over the world we wish you a very merry Christmas. We know you are separated from your loved ones; we are thinking of you at this moment. We may not agree with all the deployments but we certainly support unequivocally all of our men and women in the New Zealand Defence Force wherever they may be. Merry Christmas Mr Speaker and merry Christmas to all parties.MATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): Can I first say a thankyou to you Mr Speaker and your office for all your support this year. I must say being part of the new intake for the class of 2014 I think it has been a fantastic year. We have survived the year well despite what Trans Tasman has said.I think when I look back at question time today there were a few examples of where individual members brought the views and the questions of New Zealanders into the House. I wanted to continue this theme. I want to bring in the views of “Auntie Helen” from Mt Albert who has given us a gift for Christmas that keeps on giving. Not being in the Trans-Pacific Partnership she said was: “unthinkable for New Zealand as an export-oriented small trading nation.” Of course New Zealand has to be in on the action with the Trans-Pacific Partnership and go for the best deal it can. I would just like to thank “Auntie Helen” from Mt Albert for those comments and for that gift at Christmas time.Christmas is a time of giving. It is also a time of reflection and a time to pause and think about what has gone well what has gone less well and how we can improve. I would like to take this opportunity to thank members from all sides of the House who extended their well wishes when I had the arrival of my son James Thomas in the last few weeks. So on behalf of myself and my wife Viktoria I would like to thank members from all sides of the House for those well wishes. And yes James already has more hair than I do and it would be fair to say that over the adjournment period it will be less dirty politics and probably more dirty nappies.Can I also say a big thankyou for the honour and the privilege of representing the people of Waimakariri—the very hard-working people of Waimakariri—who have been through a tough time since the earthquakes. But we have had a fantastic year in 2015—a year of milestones of new beginnings of openings. We have opened the Rangiora Town Hall the Oxford Town Hall the Ruataniwha Kaiapoi Civic Centre the Ashley Bridge and the Rangiora Hospital. There have been $300 million worth of roading projects in that region. What is really good is you can look at the retail developments on the high streets of Rangiora Kaiapoi and Oxford and see the vibrancy of those high streets coming back to life and that is great for the people of Waimakariri.I would also like to acknowledge and take this point of reflection at the end of 2015 to reflect and say thank you to all parties in this House for their continued support of Canterbury. It has been a tough few years for Canterbury. But if you take one thing like the Rangiora Hospital which is part of a $900 million hospital rebuild—the largest rebuild we have ever seen in the history of New Zealand—that has been done because of the support of members from all the sides of this House. If we look at the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Bill that is going through at the moment it is moving us from the response stage to recovery and into regeneration.I would also like to pause and reflect. Recently we commemorated the 5-year anniversary of the first earthquakes. We call them the Christchurch earthquakes but they were the Canterbury earthquakes and a town in my electorate Kaiapoi was hardest hit in the 4 September earthquake. The town was decimated and residents lost over 1000 houses. It is great to see that town getting back up on its feet. But as we start 2016 our thoughts will be focused on the 5-year anniversary of the devastating and fatal earthquakes of 22 February and our thoughts will go with the family and friends of those who lost ones they loved at that time.On saying that there is a lot to be proud about in Canterbury as it gets back up on its feet and it rebuilds. It is great to see all the activity down in Canterbury because what we are doing is building the best new small city in the world. A big shout out goes to the Canterbury rugby team which won the ITM Cup rugby championship this year cementing Canterbury as the best rugby region in the world. Of course we should acknowledge the All Blacks for winning the Rugby World Cup. I do not know how we are going to be able to replace Dan Carter and Richie McCaw.But my last thanks go to New Zealanders—hard-working New Zealanders. They are the ones who in 2015 have returned this country to surplus and given us the best GDP growth—which is the envy of all other OECD countries—and of course the highest workforce participation rate. On behalf of all the 2014 new intake I thank everyone for all their support: our executive assistants electoral agents and all parliamentary staff. We are renewed energised and enthusiastic and we are looking forward to getting back for another great year in 2016. Thank you.CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour—Kelston): Can I just acknowledge the previous speaker Matt Doocey and congratulate him again on the birth of his child. We had a discussion about this in the select committee. The birth of his child came hot on the heels of the Rugby World Cup and he was weighing up whether to call that child Richie or Dan. My suggestion he did not take up but I think it was a good one: “Ma’a Doocey”. It would have been great.Speaking of family I do want to acknowledge all of the members of Parliament here and all of our families because we do spend a lot of time away from our families and regardless of which side of the House we are on we know that that is the reality of being an MP.I really want to acknowledge our MPs in the House who over the past year have lost a loved one. I do not know the details of that for everyone in the House but I do want to acknowledge on our side Peeni Henare for the loss of his father Meka Whaitiri for the loss of her father and also David Shearer for the loss of his mother. I acknowledge that because it has been a very difficult year for many members of Parliament in this House.This Christmas is one we are all going to be looking forward to and we get to step out of here and we actually get to spend some time with our families for at least a few weeks or a month perhaps. Many of us will be standing around that barbecue with our family members with our friends and what we will need to do in advance of that is pull together a playlist. I thought it was only too appropriate to think up a playlist that best reflects the year that we have had.So I am going to hopefully get from A to Z in this short 5-minute speech; if not then I will leave the rest of the letters that I do not get to up to your imagination. But let us start with A No. 1 on the playlist—A. Let us start with at our family barbecues “Advance Australia Fair” because actually this year we have seen the National Government and the Prime Minister roll over for Australia so I think we are going to be starting all of our barbecues in New Zealand with the song “Advance Australia Fair”.The second song: “Bridge over Troubled Water” and that song is dedicated to our transport Minister Simon Bridges for his pretend bridges in Northland. The third song is “Couldn’t Get it Right” by the Climax Blues Band which is again dedicated to the National Government and then the fourth song “Didn’t We Almost Have it All”—that is what New Zealanders are thinking when they reflect on when they had a Labour Government for 9 years with what they have got now.The fifth song is “Everything’s Not Lost” by Coldplay and I am going to dedicate that to our good friend Sam Lotu-Iiga. The sixth song is “Freedom” and that could also go to Sam Lotu-Iiga because at least he is free from the corrections portfolio and having to clean up after Serco. The next song is “Guess Who’s Back”. Who is that dedicated to? Judith Collins. Eminem’s “Guess Who’s Back” is dedicated to Judith Collins.The next song may not make sense to a lot of people but it is “Hello” by Lionel Richie because every time I see David Seymour I still get that image in my head of him jumping out from behind the hedge saying: “Hello I’m David Seymour. Hello hello hello.”The next song is “It’s Raining Men” because let us face it the reality is we still have a shortage of women in this place. And the next one is “Jailhouse Rock” which is in memory of Elvis Presley and also of Serco. The next one is “Killing Me Softly” because quite frankly some of the speeches in this House have killed us all softly this year.Tim Macindoe: Particularly yours.CARMEL SEPULONI: Ha ha! And the next one is “Let It Go”—let it go Tim Macindoe let it go. We get to M and the song is “My Little Pony” and of course we are dedicating that to our Prime Minister. Next we have “New York New York” so while we are all standing around our humble baches—or someone else’s humble baches because many of us do not own them—over the break we will be thinking of that $11 million apartment in New York.Then we have O—“Old MacDonald Had a Farm”. There are so many animals we could throw in on that farm: sheep bobby calves—we could put a panda on that farm. It is a very diverse farm. The next one is P and I hope this is not offensive to the Speaker but the song is “Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna dedicated to the Speaker.The next song starting with Q is “Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)”. R is “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” because every time we come to Wellington that is the kind of weather that we get. I come here with beautifully straightened hair; I leave on a Thursday with hair pulled back like that ruined by the rain.The next song is “Seven Years” by Norah Jones—it should have been “Seven Long Years”. The next song is “[Take a] Walk on the Wild Side”. I could not think of anything for T; Kris Faafoi gave that to me. He said: “Give that song to Nathan Guy because he needs to liven up a little bit.”The next songs are “Under Pressure” by Queen for all of us and “Virtual Insanity” because we have to be insane if we are going to be here. W is “Watching You” by Ardijah. “Watching You” is Judith Collins to John Key because she knows he is watching her too. “X Marks the Spot” by Coldplay—we will be back here on 9 February. Y—we have to dedicate this song to the flag referendum and that song is “You’re So Vain” dedicated to the vanity project. Finally I will end with “Zombie” by the Cranberries because that is how we are all feeling at this point in time.So I just want to say merry Christmas to everyone. We will see you all back here in the new year. Stay out of trouble because the media has a shortage of stories over the break and you will inevitably end up in the media if you get in trouble. Thank you.JOANNE HAYES (National): It is my privilege actually to speak in this adjournment debate. I want to add my thanks to all the staff of Parliament House and Bowen House everybody out in our electorates who works tirelessly for us in our electorate offices and our volunteers. I just wish that they have a very happy safe and healthy Christmas and New Year.I want to acknowledge our coalition partners—the Māori Party. Who can forget Marama Fox and her way of dancing on Q+A when they went around all the offices asking MPs what their favourite songs were? I was taken by the way that she can quite easily move around and perhaps that is exactly the way that she does her politics. I want to say thanks to Peter Dunne from United Future and to Mr Seymour from ACT who at times reminds me very much of my younger son—but anyway we will just leave that one there.I want to thank my fabulous National Party colleagues. You have been fabulous all year every year. I want to thank our Prime Minister. He is the best Prime Minister this country has seen in aeons—in aeons I say; not just years but aeons. It is going to be very very hard for any future Government to replace our John Key. He is fabulous and he is going to be there for a long time believe you me. I want to also thank our team for the 120 or so bills that we got through in 2015. That is amazing amazing work. Eight of those were Māori bills the Treaty bills. That is one less than the Labour Government put through in its 9 years of tenure—one less I tell you. So kia ora to my colleagues in the National Party.I want to take this time to reflect on the people of Christchurch East the people for whom I am the National list MP. I want to thank you for accepting me into the electorate. I want to thank the people from New Brighton especially the landowners and business groups. We have had an interesting time. It has been one of a lot of introductions and I have been proud to be able to give you a voice in this Parliament over the year.I want to also now start working on our Opposition parties. I want to look at the Greens. There are only two of them up there now but I just want to ask them to take back to their leaders that National actually pipped them every time at the post when it came to our environmental policies. Our marine reserves—who would have known that we would come in from behind and go ping ping ping—that is all of ours. I do want to wish you a merry Christmas because it is going to be many many Christmases that you are going to be sitting over there on the Opposition benches never to come into Government with any Opposition party. So anyway that is OK. That is all right.To New Zealand First to Tracey and her team—because you are sitting there—it was the wrong thing to dump you out so I am going to address you Tracey. I want to say thank you to Tracey. I know that you know there are a lot of people in New Zealand First who support policies more akin to our policies over here in National. You know that; we know that. This is what I am saying to you. Anyway merry Christmas to you too Tracey.Over here to our Labour Party Opposition—again I was absolutely shocked when the reshuffle came about and the senior Māori MP was demoted. Come on Labour. The Māori electorates do things for you but all I have to say to you Labour is watch out because the National Party is coming. We are coming into those Māori electorates. Be very careful—be very very careful. When you look at the National Party we actually have more Māori MPs on our side than you have on your side. We have done so much more for the Māori constituents of this country.In closing because this is a short kōrero from me again I want to wish everybody in the House a very merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year and I look forward to seeing you all back next year in 2016. Kia ora.TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): As the final speaker in this debate apart from your good self Mr Speaker I want to endorse the warm thanks that so many others have expressed to the many fine folk who work in this complex to keep the House functioning throughout the year. They include of course the cleaners the security team the Hansard staff messengers the Epicure team our communications teams advisers the Office of the Clerk the Chamber gallery team our wonderful executive assistants—and could I particularly single out the remarkable Margaret Hyland who has now coped with me for 7 long years—and anyone else I failed to mention. May I also acknowledge the Government whips office team managed by Sue Reid and thank my excellent colleagues Jami-Lee Ross and Joanne Hayes who support me in our work so well. Could I wish Jami-Lee a very happy 30th birthday for tomorrow. I know is it not sickening? Only 30.I thank all the whips and musterers from throughout the House because in fact we do work very well together and I think collectively the whips across the House manage to keep this place flowing in our business. I want to thank those who also work in our out-of-Parliament offices including my superb team in the Hamilton West electorate office the dynamic Brigit Brant Valarie Langley and Ann-Marie Case-Miller. All of our electorate agents around the country do a remarkable job and provide excellent service to the people of New Zealand.May I also thank our spouses partners and children who sacrifice so much for us to be here. How very fortunate we are and how lovely it is to think that we will finally get to spend a bit of time with them over the next few weeks. They all deserve prizes and as it is school prize-giving season—and as MPs we get to do our fair share of them—I want to hand out a few of my own particularly as we have had some awards handed out to the Government from the other side and it would be churlish of us not to reciprocate.So—in no particular order—the “Sir Basil Arthur Memorial Prize for Parliament’s Loud Hailer” is awarded to Dunedin North MP Dr David Clark for the worst and most frequent assaults on the eardrums in 50 years. Dr Clark also shares the “Tony Ryall Sartorial Shocker Trophy” for his regular appearances in the House in that fluorescent crimson jacket. The co-recipient in his absence is former ACT leader Rodney Hide for the unforgettable canary yellow jacket. He receives this award as a warning to his parliamentary successor that should the garment ever be seen in this House again it will result in the wearer being referred to the Privileges Committee by someone who has developed quite a bit of form in that in recent times.The “It Was My Party and I’ll Cry and Sue if I Want to Award” goes of course to Colin Craig. The “Yippee! Award for Resurrection Studies” goes to the Hon Judith Collins. The “Taylor Swift Award” for reportedly spending weeks touring New Zealand without anyone actually noticing goes to Andrew Little. The “Johnnie Walker Trophy” for incoherence at question time goes again this year to the right incomprehensible Winston Peters. The “Le-Aufa’amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor Memorial Award” for the most unexpected utterance on national television goes to ACT leader David Seymour for: “The French love the [appendage].” The “Paul Goldsmith Prize for Best Recovery After Falling Off the Stage Award” goes to Steffan Browning for achieving the remarkable feat of remaining standing despite apparently falling asleep within 15 seconds of the commencement of most of his speeches. The “David Parker - Gerry Brownlee Brokeback Mountain Moment” goes to former Labour leaders Phil Goff and David Cunliffe for sharing a bench on the back row of the Opposition cross benches so eagerly since Mr Little’s recent reshuffle.Finally Mr Speaker the “Masochism Award for Choosing to Spend Hours in Here Listening to Us All” goes to you and your merry men Chester Borrows Lindsay Tisch and Trevor Mallard and to the Clerks the Serjeant-at-Arms Roland Todd Maureen Breen and the Chamber gallery team. God bless you all and may you eventually be cured of this horrendous affliction.What a great year it has been for New Zealand with the surplus achieved; the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement over the line; the first substantial increase in benefits to thousands of New Zealanders in more than 40 years; those stunning knocks by Ross Taylor recently saving the test at the Western Australia cricket ground that looked gone for all money and Martin Guptill’s superb 237 not out which catapulted the Black Caps into our first ever Cricket World Cup final; and the All Blacks’ emphatic retention of the Rugby World Cup making us all so proud to be New Zealanders. When we go to the polls in 2017 we need to remember that we never won the Rugby World Cup under Helen Clark’s leadership whereas under the stunning leadership of the Rt Hon John Key we have never lost it.It is a great privilege to serve in this House and in the spirit of the season I wish all MPs and your families and everyone who works here a very merry Christmas a wonderful summer and all the best for the year ahead.Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members this Chamber has sat for approximately 550 hours through 2015 and I know many of you have spent a considerable part of those 550 hours here. As I bring this debate to a conclusion I certainly have no intention of taking it through to 551 hours. Can I just note as some of you have noted that it has been a robust House this year. It is a political debating chamber; I expect nothing less. There have been political tensions through the year but I do want to acknowledge the comments—and I appreciated the comments—from the Leader of the Opposition that were given in a point of order at the start of question time.Can I just make a couple of comments about things that have occurred outside the House. In that regard I want to acknowledge the work of David Stevenson as the general manager of the Parliamentary Service. He is showing leadership and I think that under his guidance there has been a change within the Parliamentary Service whereby we are seeing it concentrate on servicing members of Parliament. There is still some work to be done but there has been tremendous progress in that area.I also want to acknowledge the seamless change of guard with the Clerk of the House. David Wilson you have been a pleasure to work with over the last 6 months. I congratulate you.I say to my fellow presiding officers the Deputy Speaker the Hon Chester Borrows; Lindsay Tisch; and the Hon Trevor Mallard that I think we are a creditable team. We work hard in this place to preside over some fairly difficult debates in a way that is truly unbiased. Thank you to that team for your help.One of the other things I wanted to note was the work of the Officers of Parliament Committee. Through this year we have made progress now with the appointment of Judge Peter Boshier. He starts tomorrow as the Chief Ombudsman. We were also involved in the appointment of the Deputy Auditor-General Greg Schollum who took up his position in September. I take this opportunity of thanking members who sat on that select committee for their work. I think we can be confident in the success of those two appointments.To my own office staff Lisa Kinloch Oliver Whitehead and of course Roland Todd I think we have a good office. There are times of tension in any office. The team helps me in a professional way with distinction and I extend my thanks to them.Also as many have mentioned in the debate I want to acknowledge all of the people who make our jobs possible as parliamentarians: the Serjeant-at-Arms Brent Smith messengers security staff telephonists cleaners receptionists travel office staff catering staff library staff VIP drivers and I have probably missed some. All of those people work in a very courteous way providing the best possible service to us as members of Parliament and I know we all extend to them our best wishes for a merry Christmas.Finally to honourable members can I take this opportunity of wishing you all a very merry and safe Christmas. I am looking forward to seeing you back early in the new year for the battle of 2016. But now it is whānau time. Let us go and enjoy it.Motion agreed to.