Bates CarlCARL BATES (National—Whanganui): Thank you Madam Speaker. It is my absolute privilege to stand here and talk about the response that I'm getting from rural and provincial New Zealand as they witness this Government deliver on its 100-day plan. It is my privilege as well to acknowledge the Multicultural Council of Whanganui-Rangitīkei who are here in the gallery. I had a kōrero with them prior to question time about the feedback they've got on having a great local working MP who's seen out in the community and a Government that is delivering as I say on its 100-day plan.Madam Speaker over the weekend I was at the Egmont A & P Show a show that you and I both know well. The feedback from rural and provincial New Zealand was overwhelmingly in favour of the progress that this Government is making. They are pleased with the repeal of the ute tax so that they can buy the vehicles required to deliver the economic productivity this country requires to pay for the sort of services that we are going to ensure are not just delivered but delivered well.I must say over my short time in this House and in this place I'm starting to get a bit sick of the Opposition and their view that you can just spend more money to achieve an outcome and that every dollar that they seem to have spent committed to and over-committed to magically delivers an outcome. So as we've engaged and—as I say—as I've been out and about talking to real New Zealanders who are doing the mahi that enables us to operate here it's been great to see that they understand the intention of this Government to get New Zealand back on track. I'm looking forward to my attendance this weekend at the Taranaki regional dairy industry awards because it is important that we that we demonstrate our support for the agricultural industry.In a couple of weeks' time I'm looking forward to witnessing the focus this Government has on mental health in the Whanganui electorate when I host Minister Doocey. We have arranged a kōrero with mental health leaders across the Whanganui electorate because the Minister has said to me that he is wanting to engage. He literally said to me that he doesn't want to come along and stand in front and lecture the providers about what he's doing like maybe they would have had under a previous administration—of course they couldn't have had that because there wasn't a Minister for Mental Health under any previous Labour Government. It's great to be hosting him for the first time in Whanganui.We're going to be doing the same for the tourism industry because the wonderful Whanganui electorate has showcased a range of events that have supported the increase in our domestic tourism over the course of the last 12 months including the Whanganui Vintage Weekend in January an outstanding weekend that demonstrates how creative regional New Zealand can produce domestic and international tourism activities.Currently we have New Zealand's best women's festival La Fiesta going on in our rohe until 10 March. It's the biggest yet; another example of great work to bring domestic tourism in and around the country. And of course in a few weeks' time—and I invite all members join us between 15 and 24 March—we will have the Artists Open Studios another example of great domestic activity for tourism. I'm looking forward to the work that the Minister will be doing in this space to continue to support and grow our tourism sector.Last week I also had the opportunity to showcase the work of our great telecommunication providers and the launch—or the turning on rather—of a new cellphone tower on State Highway 4 that Minister Lee has advised me of. Today I'm sharing that I'm launching a petition focused on connectivity in Pātea and on State Highway 3 to ensure that rural and provincial New Zealand have the sort of access to wireless connectivity to do the work we do to keep this country going.As the Prime Minister indicated in the state of the nation address last week we face an immense challenge left by the previous Government and it's great to see the progress that's already been achieved in the last hundred days as we count down to 8 March next week and getting those 49 actions done. Thank you Madam Speaker.