Hudson BrettBRETT HUDSON (National): Well look I would just like to start with saying there is one thing that I can agree on with the previous speaker David Parker and that is that it is not actually the size of the tax relief that counts; it is what you do with it that really counts. And of course he would know all about something of an incredibly tiny size because of course that member served in a Labour Government where all it could offer was a packet of P.K. chewing gum and it was proud to offer that. Well under this initiative under this bill 1.34 million Kiwi families will get on average 26 bucks a week. That is a whole heap of P.K. gum to sit back and chew while you savour Labour getting obliterated on 23 September because it is out of touch with what New Zealand families want and what New Zealand families need whereas this Government not only cares but listens and acts according to what New Zealanders want and need.It is an absolute pleasure to rise in support of the Taxation (Budget Measures: Family Incomes Package) Bill in this its first reading—the centrepiece of an absolutely fantastic Budget. It is a Budget that is taking an economic dividend of an incredibly strong economy which is forecast to remain strong for some years and applying it where it is needed most which is lower and middle income Kiwi families—Kiwis who work hard and deserve our support to get even further ahead than they have been when we have seen average wages rising faster than inflation over recent years. But they deserve more support and we are proud to offer it to them.This package will deliver that support through changes to tax thresholds though adjustments to Working for Families and for those families who have household rental stresses through accommodation supplements. It is an extremely targeted set of measures. And look people might expect of course that a National backbencher would say that so do not take it from me; take it from Max Rashbrooke—the guy who basically authored what he would like to call Inequality New Zealand: We're all going to hell in a handbasket." but had to call it something else. Max Rashbrooke is no friend of the National Government. Max Rashbrooke tweeted today going through the Budget detail and he said "They've changed this they're offering this and they're changing that. This is clearly targeted at low-income earners." Max knows that the Budget measures today are targeted at New Zealanders who need it most.A further measure that will come from this—from the 1.3 million families who will receive on average $26 a week extra—is 50000 more children living in families that are earning half or more of the median income. Some people use or want to use that as a measure—or the only measure—of poverty for children. There are other measures. But by any measure 50000 more children living in families earning half or more of the median income is a good outcome. This is a Government that is absolutely committed to delivering that compassionate conservatism.What do we get from the Opposition? I refer particularly to the leader of the Labour Party and the leader of the Green Party who took an opportunity after the first debate speeches to go and talk to the media. What we got was an abject disgrace. What they tried to say was that these measures—these tax thresholds in particular—are all about helping the wealthy because if someone earns more than $52000 a year they will get $20 a week. They said that is all about the wealthy. I remind the House that under the last Labour Government the then Minister of Finance the Hon Sir Michael Cullen defined anyone earning $60000 a year as a "rich prick" and he taxed them accordingly. Well I tell you what: what Andrew Little and James Shaw have done today is they have redefined the threshold of what they consider to be a "rich prick" in New Zealand. It is anyone earning $52000. That is $8000 less than back in the early 2000s.They are an absolute disgrace. They are out of touch with New Zealand. They have no understanding of what it is for a New Zealander to struggle or to work hard to get by. Those backbenchers over there earn $160000 a year. They get almost $17000 as an expense allowance and they get $28000 a year to live in Wellington. They get all of that and they say to a Kiwi earning $52000 a year that they are a "rich prick". Well that is absolutely disgraceful. It is a bunch of people who are certainly not fit to sit in this House and they are not fit to govern New Zealand. I hope that New Zealanders see that hear that and act on that on the 23rd of September. I commend this bill to the House."