Bridges SimonHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition): Thank you Mr Speaker. In the absence of Parliament it's been good to chair the COVID-19 committee the Epidemic Response Committee. I just want to acknowledge all members of all parties who have played an incredibly I think constructive role on that committee asking the good questions and improving our nation's response to COVID-19. Of course it's been no substitute for this place Parliament this last—what is it?—five or so weeks and it's important that we get back to normal in Parliament as soon as we safely can. We have in New Zealand an incredibly proud democratic heritage and it's one we shouldn't take for granted.A lot in relation to COVID and the response has gone incredibly well. New Zealanders have done a great job self-isolating and social distancing. We've flattened the curve. National has always supported lockdown and indeed we called for it. We've in fact been consistent on the things that matter here since the start of the year: quarantining the border; testing in terms of quantity—in doing more and then more again—and the quality of that testing; tracing—those same basic issues again of quality and quantity—and personal protective equipment (PPE) and making sure that all New Zealanders who want and need it get it.The questions now are about the future and our view is clear. This has been going on too long. We want to get New Zealand working again—safely and sooner than later. The reason for that is that we believe the medicine is worse than the disease. In our health system we've all heard—on this side of the House and possibly across the House—from people like Margaret who contacted me in the fifth week of lockdown and can't have her colonoscopy for possible bowel cancer; through the health associations that have come along to the COVID-19 committee and made quite clear the tens of thousands of surgeries that aren't happening at the moment; and through Louise Blair a chiropractor who came to the committee today and is unable to provide pain relief to long-term clients at this time—before we even talk economically whether the baker in my electorate or many others who understand the importance of our effort in relation to COVID-19 together but don't want to be—as the baker put it—a sacrificial lamb in this paying the cost disproportionately for our shared national effort and who won't make it to Budget 2020.We've seen Australia the situation where for when all is said and done incredibly similar health outcomes they are freer economically. They went in with higher unemployment and I think without doubt will come out with lower unemployment. In the last 24 hours we've seen a situation in Australia where they continue to relax more than they said they would and certainly more than in our country in terms of social distancing—as I say just in the last 24 hours from open homes to boot camps.We can be vigilant on the things that matter—our border our testing our tracing our PPE and our distancing—and get New Zealand working again. We've done well so far and that allows us to do more. The concepts aren't mutually exclusive. We can keep safe and get New Zealand working again. Our Prime Minister has said we have to stop a wave of devastation. We now face another wave a bigger wave: the risk of economic devastation. We need to get New Zealand working again.Lockdown and what we are in now—near lockdown—are not so hard when you still have a job. I have a job. Our Prime Minister has a job. The members in this House have a job. Our bureaucrats have a job. But tens of thousands of New Zealanders don't and they are suffering—7000 a week go on to jobseeker support and that number is growing. We need to get New Zealanders working again.The challenge is in three phases. The short term: getting out of lockdown as soon as we safely can. The wage subsidy as we heard so poignantly from submitters today at the committee masks the carnage but only in the short term. Even with it many won't survive the seven or eight weeks until Budget day. Then the medium term: as we come out of lockdown stimulating our economy and how we operate in a 2-metre world these are crucial issues. It could be handled badly and it could be a massive drag on our productivity and livelihoods as a nation or work well with clear pragmatic rules and access to swift testing and PPE so we can regain momentum. And then thirdly and finally how we best in the long term position our country to succeed in a post - COVID-19 world.Our view is the answer isn't a Wellington committee with politicians a union rep iwi and Business New Zealand. We understand and accept that Government was is and will be critical to our response but we also need to unleash the potential of private business people like we heard on the committee today. From Rocket Lab to the Rockit apples my children eat we need to make sure that these businesses rise up and provide the recovery and the solutions in New Zealand rather than Government committees.We've flattened the curve; we don't need to flatten our country. Indeed we now need another curve an upward growth curve—growth jobs and a track back to normality. Let's get New Zealand working again.