English BillRt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker it's a pleasure to take part in this adjournment debate—Hon Chris Hipkins: The collar's away already.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Oh yeah sorry. I've got to look the part. But isn't it good that we can go into Christmas without consultation or a Christmas commission". It's just one of those things that happen and it's hard to believe after listening to this Government that it's allowed to happen without the new Labour Government somehow taking credit for it.Can I thank all of those though who have carried us through this year starting with yourself Mr Speaker. It's a welcome change that you've decided not to participate in every ruck and stick to reffing. Can I also thank the staff of the Chamber and the messengers who these days are a great deal younger than they used to be I've noticed but just as interesting to talk to. All the parliamentary staff who helped with the big shift—the end of a Government and the beginning of a new one is a ruthless process; it all has to happen very quickly and people who are probably going to lose their jobs are often making the shift. I want to offer them our sincere appreciation for carrying that out with professionalism and so effectively.Can I from my former capacity thank the Diplomatic Protection Squad (DPS). I found myself actually on the way to the Chamber here outside the door without my fob to swipe and I saw one of the DPS staff over there and I was waiting for him to come and do it for me but he didn't do it. But I can let out a secret: I invented the walk-run so that DPS could keep up with me when I went out on exercise.Can I also thank the cleaners and the security staff one of whom today was so happy; I said "How's it going?" and he said to me "I'm living the dream." How much more positive and enthusiastic can you be than that?Can I thank all the Parliamentary Service staff and National Party staff who worked so hard and still do because much as we've moved to Opposition our MPs continue with their role of representing the community.Can I also acknowledge our public servants. We've come to the end of nine years of competent and successful Government—they're about to get a taste of the other version—but through that time and particularly through this election year there was total professionalism and focus while we as a Government continued energetically and competently up to the day that we lost office.Can I thank my colleagues and our volunteers for their focus. There hasn't been a political party who after nine years of office has campaigned so vigorously with so many new ideas and such a strong sense of direction about where the country could go and that is what we carry over into Opposition. And in Opposition of course we believe that New Zealand is going in a good direction. It's confident in the world it's got a strong economy and it's got strong Government surpluses and we intend to use our influence to ensure that the Government builds on that strength rather than squandering the opportunity.I must say it has been a bit rich sitting here listening to the moral awesomeness and self-congratulation of the Labour Government over the Family Incomes Package when they opposed every single measure that it took to generate the surpluses that they are handing out. That is why they won't get the credit they expect from the New Zealand public because the New Zealand public know it's a bunch of people who found the lolly bag and ran the lolly scramble without having any idea where it came from.That is the significance of cancelling the tax cuts. It's not so much the thousand dollars although that would have made a difference to people on the average wage; and I suppose if we've come to Christmas thankyous thank you to the Labour Government for taking away the thousand dollars I think that I was meant to get and handing our household $6000 which we didn't expect we don't deserve and which should be going to other much more important investment in New Zealand than to the free tertiary year of education which is soaking up staff out of McDonald's which has got 18-year-olds planning their holiday—I've heard these conversations myself—and the sheer dumbness of paying for 80000 people to get it free and to attract another 2000 into the tertiary system. But I will say thank you. I will say thank you to the Government for that unexpected gift.We are in some kind of an alternative universe now where a billion is half a billion when it comes to trees. When the Minister of Forestry said he thought his relatives should get off the couch I thought: why is he talking about Kelvin Davis like that? Actually it is apparent he is spending more time on the couch than his nephews and when he goes to count the trees he has to subtract all the Christmas trees that I've seen around the country. He can't count those even if he's going to count every other tree that everyone else was going to plant anyway.But Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. You know the test of a Government is a small thing. I asked the Prime Minister today whether she would have the kindness and generosity to go and talk to the students of the partnership schools. If you really think young people are at the heart of what you do—you know what I found with young people? You talk to them. Don't talk to the unions of the adults who look after them. In fact when talking to their parents you'll only get half the story. Talk to them. That's what kindness would be—showing them respect.And then we hear "But it's only 1000."—it's only 1000 out of the 700000. Well I want to say to those young people I want to wish them the best for Christmas. They were looking forward to the new year with hope and aspiration about the wonderful changes going on in their lives. But what they are now feeling is the lack of kindness the lack of generosity the lack of respect from a Government who won't even address them in the direct way that Kiwis always do when they've got something important to say.I have to say for me that has been such a disappointment—to be lectured by Labour about not caring and then having a Labour Government say "We won't talk to the kids." Well there's still an opportunity in the new year. There's still an opportunity for the Labour Government to identify and the Prime Minister to identify with some of the most disadvantaged young people in our country to turn up and ask them what they think. Let's not have the media there. Well they won't turn up if there's no media there—photo opportunity. It is just a bit unfortunate that as we head into Christmas this Government was unable to find within itself the kindness of reaching out to people who are now confused and disappointed about the policy.As we head into Christmas we look forward to 2018. It sure is a big change from being in Government. There's no doubt about that. We had so much going on that was so positive. In fact quite a bit of it—the new Government despite criticising it is going to pick it up such as big chunks of the housing policy.Hon Simon Bridges: You're just renaming it.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Renaming the housing policy. It's going to have to use the water quality system and it's going to have to use social investment just because these are things that work including in the areas where the Labour Party thinks they own everything. But of course actually they don't because 2018 will be more of exploring what has now become a chasm between intention and reality. We're finding out day by day just how big that gap is. In fact the gap between intention and reality is almost as big as the gap between New Zealand First and the Greens.So can I wish everyone in the Chamber a merry Christmas including the members of the Government. It was one of the most intense campaigns we've had with the greatest public interest I can recall in the nine campaigns that I have been in. It's actually good for New Zealand that the politicians for once showed the public we could debate these things intensely and have a democratic transition and the country can get on with the job."