Walker HamishHAMISH WALKER (National—Clutha-Southland): This Government will go down in the history books. It will go down in the history books as the Spray and Walk Away" Government of all time. During the election campaign we saw many well-intentioned promises—spray statements. "We're going to fix New Zealand"—it was spray mode. Then they found themselves in Government in the reality of the Treasury benches and then they said "How do we meet our campaign promises without walking away?" Well now it's time to walk away and I just want to talk—I've only got four minutes to go—about just a few of the walk-away moments in the electorate of Clutha-Southland and around Southland and Otago. Let's talk about those walk-away moments. Spray: "We will ensure we have effective and efficient emergency services across New Zealand". Walk away: Te Ānau rescue chopper is now on call. If Queenstown's is not about it's put on call which has resulted in longer waiting times for some residents across Southland. Spray: "We will look after the most vulnerable children in New Zealand." Walk away: in mid-2018 they closed down Roxburgh children's camp which looks after the most vulnerable kids across Otago and Southland. Spray: "We will provide better policing across New Zealand." Walk away: reversed the previous National Government's decision to staff the Balclutha and the rural Southland police station 24/7. Spray: "We will be the most open and transparent Government of all time." Walk away: a question to the Minister of Police Stuart Nash through a written question on how many call outs there have been since 1 January 2018 for after-hours call outs in Clutha. Walk-away moment: "We don't keep that data." The following week through an Official Information Act request the police responded to the same question. There have been 312 after-hours call outs in Clutha so the person is put on hold until the following morning. This is the "Spray and Walk Away" Government of all time and the biggest spray and walk-away moment of all has to be the Lumsden Maternity Centre: "We will take care of mothers and babies across New Zealand." Walk-away moment: "At the start of 2018 we've decided to downgrade the Lumsden Maternity Centre." which puts the safety of rural mothers and babies at risk. Mothers in Te Ānau will be forced to travel for up to two hours to Invercargill to give birth. Meanwhile the Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter can ride her pushbike to Auckland Hospital and mothers in Southland will be forced to give birth on the side of the road. I just want to acknowledge four brave Southlanders that came up this morning. The Minister of Health hasn't listened and I just wish he'd listen to the community over the downgrade of the Lumsden Maternity Centre. We heard from these four brave mothers this morning. They told us that babies will be born on the side of the road. Nearly half of all births at Lumsden are delivered within 30 minutes of arriving at Lumsden. In the local catchment area the service coverage schedule was supposed to be around pregnancies but this Government's refused to listen to that and they've taken just births. This is disgraceful. This is about equality for rural people across New Zealand. In summary blood will be on this Government's hands when babies are born on the side of the road as warned time and time again from the communities across Southland and my one suggestion to the Minister is to please reconsider—blood will be on your hands. As we've heard time and time again this closure will result in babies being born on the side of the road. National backs rural New Zealand. That's why if we're re-elected next year we're going to reinstate full services at the Lumsden Maternity Centre. The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."