O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): I'm quite pleased actually to bring this discussion back to the appropriations and discuss what's actually happened but I can't resist perhaps giving that member—granted a list member—some advice on electoral approach and particularly to do with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). I would have suggested to that mother having worked in MSD actually to not start queuing at seven in the morning seeing as the doors probably don't open until nine—Marama Davidson: Yeah that's how long they had to queue for. My goodness. Come and visit. You're welcome to come to my community and visit. Come.SIMON O'CONNOR: —and also to get on the phone actually and book an appointment so that she could actually go in. So we're hearing yelling of course from that member because she's never worked a day in her life in MSD or knows how the processes work but just likes to take someone's story.And I completely agree with Tim Macindoe about the culture of dependency which is created and that's why the Government in its appropriations delivered and discussed in this House absolutely showed a commitment that hasn't been discussed here today—actually the millions and millions of dollars that the Government had set aside to increase the incomes of New Zealanders particularly those reliant on social development funding. That sits of course in the background of this being a National Government; the first Government in 42 years to raise benefits. And it's funny because we always get from the left and those now in Government how much they care but it's funny that when they are out of power they talk a big game but when they're in power nothing really happens. It was a National Government I remind this House that was the first in 42 years to raise benefits well beyond the Consumers Price Index.But in terms of these appropriations again we're hearing from the other side that nothing happened. The family tax package was something that was appropriated—an increase in Working for Families an increase in the accommodation supplement an increase in Working for Families—and really importantly too an appropriation in the last cycle around emergency housing.There was lots of well sort of waxing lyrical up to the election about homelessness and the terrible crisis. Why I mention that is for two reasons. First and foremost it was funny how the day after the election and after many in the media's leftist mates got in that all of a sudden the crisis seemed to disappear. Secondly of course they've all forgotten actually the millions and millions of dollars that was appropriated to put in to emergency housing. It was actually the National Government and in the social development context that was supporting emergency housing.I think also important in this area and I say this as now the associate spokesperson for housing particularly in social housing the National Government was a Government that was looking in its appropriations to work with the sector to fully support people. See housing is not simply about a roof to put over one's head; it's actually about trying to put in those wraparound supports—one can look at what Barnados what the Salvation Army and certainly what the likes of VisionWest Community Trust are doing. So it's not only supporting them to provide a house to become a home but also the support that is necessary. And we've heard from the other side that's it's once again the simple leftist progressive approach: just throw some money; give people whatever they want without question or consequence. Actually our appropriations as we worked them through were there to support people: to help them around budgeting if they needed further social support and services to teach them financial literacy and to help guide there.We heard from the Hon Nick Smith again about the work that was done around insulation and smoke alarms. Those were elements appropriated as well in 2017-18. I repeat these in the House to refute the allegations that keep being yelled across at us that nothing was done; that the National Government in the 2017-18 appropriations did not consider anything. One only needs to look at the insulation increases to all State houses and to smoke alarms to see that.There's also been all the talk about the selling of State houses. Personally I've got absolutely no problem with that and I say that as the member of Parliament for the proud seat of Tāmaki. I look to the areas of Glen Innes and Panmure. In fact it was a Labour Party decision many years ago and picked up more recently by National of transforming that community. For us as a community there in Tāmaki to build these warm new dry houses which the community are loving we actually have to sell some State houses. You can't build new houses if you haven't sold off some of the old ones. So it's an easy rhetorical flourish from the other side to say it's terrible to have sold them but actually in selling some State houses it has provided us including through these appropriations the opportunity to build those amazing new warm dry homes. I encourage—I'll say most of"—the members on the other side to come to Tāmaki to check out these amazing new homes. I say only "most of" because I suspect some who may be speaking after this will already be well experienced in the amazing work of the Tāmaki Redevelopment Company."