Macindoe Tim: Debate on Prime Minister’s StatementText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMacindoe Tim: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement[Sitting date: 01 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9271. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): I thought John Palino sounded angry yesterday when he was announcing his candidacy but compared with that effort I am beginning to think he is probably a tutor in seances and transcendental meditation. What a great time it is to be a New Zealander what a great time it is to be in Government and I have to say what a fantastic time it is to live in Hamilton. We have just enjoyed our annual Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival and it has been a fabulous experience as always. There are wonderful things happening in the electorates that David Bennett and I are lucky enough to represent. We have just had the opening of the new Rototuna Junior High School—634 foundation pupils began on 4 February. What an exciting time it is for that community. I congratulate them all. I want to acknowledge the great advocacy that David Bennett did over many years and say thank you.After the boundary changes at the last election that school is now neighbouring my electorate; in fact it is in my electorate and we are looking forward to the new senior high school beginning next year as well. While I am mentioning schools can I congratulate Pūkete School on the unveiling of its magnificent new pou by the Māori development Minister the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell last week. It is a great historical monument to our city and to that school community and I know that the children were absolutely delighted with it. I want to acknowledge Horsham Downs School which has also come into my electorate—I think Mr Assistant Speaker from your electorate recently—on their centennial. Last weekend I had the honour of opening their new multi-purpose room as they marked that wonderful event. It was great to see so many former staff and pupils there enjoying the occasion.All the schools in Hamilton West are in great heart and I am delighted with the work that they are doing. I want to acknowledge the principals the teachers the boards of trustees the parent teacher associations and in particular those wonderfully hard-working support staff in all our schools not just in my electorate but all around the country. What a great job they do and what important work they are undertaking with our young people.This year has begun well for New Zealand. The Prime Minister’s statement has highlighted what a busy focused purposeful and effective Government he is leading. The signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is excellent news for an export-dependent country like New Zealand. I have not met a single exporter producer manufacturer or business owner who is not excited by it because they all know that the world does not owe us a living; we have to make our own way. We have to grow our economy we have to create opportunities to invest and for new jobs to be created. Every free-trade agreement that New Zealand has ever entered into from CER right through to the Chinese and the Korean agreements in more recent times has shown just how important free trade is for New Zealand.I am very proud of the National Government’s announcement last year of the magnificent marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands. I am very proud that yesterday we announced yet another lift to the minimum wage because every year since we came into office we have lifted the minimum wage sustainably knowing that you have got to have a balance between what can work for businesses—you do not want to push them too far where they end up having to lay off staff—but also knowing that those at the bottom end need that extra assistance. I am delighted that we have been able to boost their earnings. Those who work 40 hours on the minimum wage will have another $20 in their pocket from 1 April. I am hugely proud that we are the first Government in more than a generation to give a significant lift in benefits and that is just around the corner as well for people who are on welfare. I am so proud that we are the Government that has introduced free doctors visits for children under 13.I am really proud of our rising standards of achievement in all levels of education. I acknowledge the great work that the Hon Anne Tolley started in that regard in her time as Minister of Education. Did she not take a lot of flak at the time but boy are not the fruits of her labours being seen now? Well done Anne Tolley Hekia Parata and all who work in the education system because it is a partnership and they are all doing it together. I am incredibly proud that unemployment is now much lower that mortgage interest rates are low and wages are rising well above the rate of inflation.I am not proud of the negativity of the Opposition. I am not proud that they cannot acknowledge any of these achievements. Soon we will vote down the leader of the Labour Party’s ridiculous amendment suggesting that the Government has given up hope on the future has no plans to prepare New Zealand for the future and is more concerned with scoring political points. Pot—kettle—black. What a ridiculous assertion that is. What abject nonsense from the Leader of the Opposition. In particular we have seen it with his decision to place the Labour Party as the “Two-position Party” on the TPP agreement turning their backs on their previously proud commitment to free trade. What a nonsense that is.And most recently his complete lack of statesmanship and integrity in failing to honour the Labour Party’s policy at the last election to support the process over the flag referendum. We should be now having a discussion leading to a vote that is above petty politics; that is what we all went into the last election with. Nobody will care who the Government is when the change happens. Do you think the Canadians talk about that? Of course they do not but they are mighty glad that they made the change and they now have a flag that they are very very proud of. We should be able to do the same. We should be honouring our war dead who have the silver fern on their graves by saying that now is the time to make the change. We should be embracing the emblem and I am wearing my grandfather’s Boer War badge tonight which is a silver fern before we even had the current flag.A lot of people say: “Oh we have got to keep the original flag.” Well the original flag was two flags back. The silver fern is the thing that our sportspeople compete under that we are recognised for when we travel around the world and it is something we can all embrace and be proud of. I hope New Zealanders will vote for it. I do not care who the Government is: let us just get on and make a change that is positive for our country because that is what this great country provides us an opportunity to do. If we do not take it now we will not get it again in our lifetime.