Robertson GrantGENERAL DEBATEHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I move That the House take note of miscellaneous business.Today in the House we heard another example of the depth of the programmes that the Government has put forward to support businesses. The Hon Chris Hipkins this morning along with the Prime Minister and others announced that 18000 employers around New Zealand will now have the confidence to keep their apprentices on and to take on new apprentices. On this side of the House many of us remember what happened after the global financial crisis when another Government decided that they would let the market rule—they wouldn't support companies to keep apprentices on. What happened? Those apprentices lost their roles. When the recovery came there was not the skilled workforce that was needed to build the houses and to support the industry of New Zealand. Well this Government will not let that happen and that is why in that announcement today is some nearly $400 million worth of investment going into businesses to support them to keep young people and for Mr Reti's benefit older people on who take up apprenticeships as well. This is part of the $1.6 billion commitment in Budget 2020 to trades training and to apprenticeships. We have free apprenticeships in New Zealand today as a result of what has been done in that Budget.That commitment not only to people taking on workers through apprentices but also to investment in the construction sector through our housing programme through infrastructure—all of it is about jobs. It is about keeping New Zealanders in jobs and it is about supporting employers to take on new workers and grow jobs in New Zealand. All of this is part of a Government whose resolute focus is on what we can do to support New Zealanders through this one in 100 year shock. It requires a Government who knows how to invest. It requires—if I can speak briefly on behalf of my own party along with our two support parties—the spirit of a Labour Government to do it. It was interesting to note Mr Muller in his speech on Sunday found his inspiration about what to do in the face of a crisis from Michael Joseph Savage—from the Labour Party. So Mr Muller not content—not content—with wanting to join the Labour Party as he did in the middle of his speech also acknowledged the very point that we on this side of the House know: it is Labour Governments that build New Zealand it is Labour Governments that will rebuild New Zealand and that is what we have learnt.That wasn't Mr Muller's only problem because obviously the upside-down flag—which we've learnt was perhaps not his direct responsibility—is known as the international signal of distress and that was placed behind him. It was a sign. It was a message to him. But he didn't really seem to pick it up all that well. We've actually discovered that if you turn the National Party logo upside down it looks exactly the same as well so they're in a constant state of distress.But Mr Muller has struggled for his period of time as a leader to bring his caucus together. He said the Government deserved credit for the way that we'd handled the response phase; today Melissa Lee said it was luck. So he's struggling to bring that together. Pulitzer Prize - winning author Christopher Penk has been out there putting his words out. He's been advised to quote Shut up." So it's going well drawing together everybody who's involved.But in the political equivalent of your mother being too embarrassed to show up to your rugby game Mike Hosking has turned—he's turned on Todd Muller. What he has told us today is reasonably extraordinary. I'll just pick out one of many good quotes in the article—respected political commentator Mike Hosking I might say. And he says—talking about Mr Muller—it's OK if he's got his act together by August "But the key is does he have an act to get together?" They're the friends of the National Party getting right there in behind their leader.What's needed right now in New Zealand is the kind of strong leadership being offered by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. What we don't want are risky people without experience coming along. This is not the party of John Key or Bill English over there; it's the party of inexperience. It's the party of risk. When we come in three months' time to the election New Zealanders know that they can back a Government that's had their back through COVID-19 and will continue to do so."