Luxon ChristopherADJOURNMENTDebate resumed.CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition): Well that final speech from Chris Hipkins in his final speech as Prime Minister of New Zealand. I've got to tell you it shouldn't have been an adjournment speech; it should have been an apology speech right? He should have been saying an apology to the parents and the kids who actually have been let down by an education system that's gone backwards over the last six years. It should've been an apology to all the people who have waited for endless times and hours in hospital emergency departments. It should've been an apology to all the victims of ram raids in dairies and superettes up and down this country. It should've been an apology to all the people that are lying awake at night worried about how they're going to make their payments and keep their house and their mortgages. So I've got to tell you that's Labour's legacy after six years and New Zealanders would rather hear an apology from Chris Hipkins than that speech.Now Mr Speaker I just want to say as this Parliament comes to a close: on behalf of the National Party I want to thank you. I want to thank all the many people and the teams here that are in this complex place running things for our democracy. As you know this is my first term in this place. I used to watch some of the great old debates that took place in this very important Chamber. But when I arrived here I have to be honest and say that the life had been sucked out of the place and I have to say that your fairness your tolerance your good humour your good sense has resuscitated it. So personally and on behalf of all of us we want to say thank you for the role that you have played. I hope you get a peaceful break where no one shouts out. You certainly don't need to speak to Simeon Brown if you don't want to and you certainly should only get to your feet when you actually choose to do so. But to you and to all the Assistant Speakers who are so well served—as we all are—by the Clerk of the House and the Office of the Clerk's team with all the important functions they fulfil I just want to say that we appreciate the jobs that you and your teams do. Also a big thankyou to all the grounds staff building teams the catering staff the security the messengers the Parliamentary Library folk IT the VIP team and their drivers the travel office the cleaners and the pay office. I just want to say to all those people that each and every role that you play is important in the running of this Parliament and this democracy. Can I also just say a big thankyou to the press gallery. While we may disagree with what you say from time to time we thank the gallery for the work that you do and the role you play as well.I just want to spread my gratitude a little wider. I do want to thank in particular the Prime Minister Chris Hipkins for his services to the National Party because he rode in very triumphantly in February and he announced that he was sweeping away everything that Jacinda Ardern stood for—especially kindness. But I have to say it turned out it was all words and no action because as we expected he just carried on doing more of the same: excessive addicted Government spending. He kept making sure he's punishing Kiwis with higher taxes. He ended up borrowing more putting future generations into debt and he kept on being a Government that frankly doesn't deliver anything. But otherwise no one inside or outside this place I think now understands what Chris Hipkins stands for except his desperation to be re-elected. We fully understand why they've gone personal and negative. But I have to say that at one of my press conferences earlier this week I was interrupted by someone who didn't agree with our policies and I'll just say the last time that happened to Chris Hipkins it was in fact the Minister of Revenue David Parker.But the good news is that Chris Hipkins still has some support because the Mongrel Mob are out there. Actually they're holding more public meetings in public places than the Labour Party which is quite interesting. Now Labour I have to say has been a lot like a bus at the Dakar Rally. It all started very shiny and full of promises with Jacinda Ardern at the wheel. But along the way—whoops!—out falls Gaurav Sharma. Then the relief driver took over and then—oops!—out went Stuart Nash. And then—bang!—there was Michael Wood. Then there was a ding and a clunk and Meka Whaitiri leapt out the back door. We had Kiri Allan leave and we've had now Labour slam into so many pot-holes across the road and the bumps that it's taken and the missed turns that it's all taken and bits of the vehicle are frankly falling off and now we're just left with an absolute unrecognisable wreck. What we've got is we've got Chris Hipkins clinging on and gripping on to the steering wheel rolling over cherished Labour policies. Now we have Grant Robertson in the back and he's looking green and it's hard to know whether it's from all the U-turns or frankly all the dead rats he's been having to eat. But he's got one door out and he's ready to jump and he's ready to wobble towards the finishing line. Now meanwhile we've got the Greens who really should be called the Reds" because they're in this rally too. They're on their e-bikes and they're peddling along the Wellington cycle lanes where the car parks used to be. But I have to tell you the Greens are the "Free Money Party". They even believe that it's actually OK if there's a warrant out for your arrest and you're on the run that you should be entitled to your benefit. It's no wonder no one takes them seriously and certainly Labour who forgot to tell them that the Climate Emergency Response Fund had been raided again. Te Paati Māori: they're there in their waka but sadly they're not the party of collaboration that they once were with Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples—and National—when they delivered Whānau Ora. I have to say that I genuinely hope that in the future the National Party will work with the Māori Party again because I think Māori need results and they are not getting them under this Labour Government. But to be fair no one's getting results under this Labour Government. We're actually all going backwards—that's the reality of the last six years. Actually that's the only form of unity that we've got in this country under this Labour Government—that we're all going backwards together. Then there are the ACT folk. They're off in their pink van and it's been wonderful. They're travelling the countryside and David's reading Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom which is a good read as you well know Mr Speaker. I want to turn to my National team now and I just want to thank them. I want to thank our incredible chief of staff Cam Burrows. I want to thank every member of our National leader's office our whips and our House team and all the MPs and all your support people that are here in Parliament and out in the electorates. I want to thank in particular our incredibly hard-working deputy Nicola Willis—can I just say thank you very much for all the great work that you do for us and for our party and for our team. I also want to acknowledge Chris Bishop our fantastic campaign chair. To the entire National caucus I want to say thank you to all of you and all the very best out there for your individual campaigns too.Now while this Government has actually forgotten why it's here and it has taken the country backwards and it has failed spectacularly I have to tell you that National is ready because we have the team we have the ideas and we have the energy. We have the leadership to actually get our country back on track and start to realise all the great potential we have in this country because it is teeming with potential but it is not being realised under this Government. I think you saw it yesterday—you saw it yesterday with an incredibly intelligent wellthoughtthrough costed tax policy and plan. It was quite simply saying to the people the hard workers of New Zealand that actually if you want to work hard in the best country on earth you can get ahead and we're going to help you do exactly that. That means that if you're an average-income household with young kids you're going to get up to $250 a fortnight and that will make a big difference. That package will make a big difference. It is going to make a big difference to the families out there that are actually having to cut their kids' extracurricular activities because they can't afford the mortgage rates at the moment. It's going to make a big difference to the parents out there that are skipping meals because they can't afford food. It's going to make a big difference to the 30 percent of Kiwis about to re-fix their mortgages between now and Christmas. It's going to make a big difference I'd say to the tenants that have faced the $175 per week increase under this Government. It's going to make a big increase to minimum wage workers who actually choose to work a couple of extra hours to raise some extra cash and actually not fall into a high tax bracket. It's going to make a big difference I'd say to superannuitants who actually are on fixed incomes doing it incredibly tough. So I want to say to you that the National Party is ready to govern. We are sorted we are united we have the talent we have the energy—Hon Peeni Henare: Not very diverse. CHRISTOPHER LUXON: —we have the ideas we have the diversity to take this country forward. We're going to get it back on track. We are going to rebuild the economy and reduce the cost of living. We are going to restore law and order and personal responsibility. We are going to deliver better healthcare and education because that's what New Zealanders deserve. I want to tell you that Kiwis want a change and they know they want a National Government and they're going to get one that's going to get this country back on track. They just have to choose it on 14 October and that's what they'll do. Thank you very much."