Jackson WillieHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): Yes we do have a very sensible and serious Government. That was a sad speech from the member there who is clearly out of touch. A good man might I add—a good man—but sadly out of touch with his members up there in Taranaki who want something new who want something innovative who don't want to keep going down the same track. Jonathan Young: out of touch with his people up there. I always thought the young whānau were lefties; they were lefties and then they went the wrong way—the right way—and now we have that sort of terrible speech today. A shocking performance there from the member—a shocking exhibition there.Can I congratulate first and foremost this coalition Government. What a fantastic Government this is you know? The Greens over there who drove being part of that whole turn-around in the Taranaki; we're backing them up absolutely—wonderful courageous and creative work from them in that area. We don't want to go down the old track that the Tories have gone down. Can I also congratulate New Zealand First—I think doing a terrific job today—and the leader again upending Gerry Brownlee in question time today; clearly too good for the Opposition. This is a strong coalition.This is the coalition this is the Government in terms of infrastructure. We've made it very very clear: this is a Government for infrastructure. A Government in—[Interruption]Oh he can laugh away—he can laugh away—but the polls are telling us something different. The polls are telling us that National are the National No-mates Party"—they are the "National No-mates Party"!We are the Government—Hon Mark Mitchell: Tell us about the polls. Hon WILLIE JACKSON: —in terms of infrastructure—well our polls have been telling you. I can't share those with you Mr Mitchell. But our polls tell us that we are comfortably in front at the moment and the Greens and New Zealand First are cruising along. Despite the desperate desperate attempts from Mr Bridges to get rid of New Zealand First they're only getting stronger—they're only getting stronger. It's a shame that Mr Jones isn't here today too.But can I say that we are the party in terms of infrastructure. We are the party in terms of education—there's no doubt about that; Nikki Kaye I'm sure would agree with that; she gets on so well with our Minister of Education. We are the party in terms of education; sorry the Government in terms of education—I forget coalition Government. We are the Government in terms of health—in terms of health—because we picked up after a Government that put minimal investment into the health area. You only have to go to my local hospital Middlemore Hospital to see the damage that the previous Government had done. We are the Government absolutely for Māori; there is no doubt about that—for Māori. I want to ask the question today because I totally support—totally support—and endorse the Prime Minister's kōrero when she opened this debate that we are a Government that is looking after everyone but we are most definitely—yes Mr Mitchell's going because he's a bit embarrassed about this—the Government for Māori. I'm glad he sat down because I want to ask Mr Mitchell the question today: what did the last Government do for Māori? Absolutely nothing. Minimal investment. They gave us the dirty rotten Te Ture Whenua Maori Bill—that's what they gave us. Mr Finlayson upset so many Māori that they got rid of their own mates: the Māori Party—they got rid of their own mates. How did they do that? By not investing in the people and forgetting all about Māori. They said "Māori Party you look after that." Oh well they really looked after things so much so that they're gone—they're gone.Hon Mark Mitchell: The Māori Party are resurgent.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Oh they're going to come back? What's the strategy for the National Party? The Māori Party will come back—in their dreams. What we know with the Māori Party is sadly—good people; some of them my relations some of them my friends but we'll have to draw the battle-lines soon. But what we know about them is they supported the ture whenua and then they ended up giving us Ihumātao—we know how much New Zealand First supports us there. They ended up giving us Ihumātao.Well we know what's going on there. The National Party along with the Māori Party set aside their special housing area and stuffed all the Māori up in Ihumātao. That's what they did. Now what we're trying to do—good Government that we are strong Māori caucus—is we're trying to unravel the damage. But I want to say to Māori supporters out there: just remember who stuffed Ihumātao up. It was the National Party and it was the Māori Party and Simon Bridges' strategy going forward is "Let's hope the Māori Party gets in". Well they don't have a great chance. They've got Debbie Ngarewa-Packer down there in Taranaki—terrific woman that she is; I work with her very closely—no chance against the Speaker today—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe): Order! Don't bring me into this.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: My apologies Mr Speaker. You just happened to be there. Rawiri Waititi up against Tamati Coffey. Rawiri Waititi—one of our bros. You know we love him; great on the guitar. No chance against Tamati Coffey—no chance. The problem with Rawiri is he thinks it's a whaikōrero contest but Waiariki was won on the streets of Murupara in Rotorua in Whakatāne. It wasn't won on the marae otherwise Te Ururoa Flavell would have won and as we know he lost badly. So—Hon Members: Ha ha!Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Don't laugh. We respect him very much but the reality is we're on track because we've got a strong Māori caucus and Māori strategy that has delivered. Where have we delivered? In terms of Māori health record investment in terms of mental health; in terms of the Families Package $75 extra a week now for Māori families—for all families. In terms of district health boards 45 new members on district health boards—45 members on district health boards. In terms of the 5G spectrum Treaty rights now being recognised in terms of Māori rights on the 5G spectrum—well done Kris Faafoi. In terms of the law courts Joe Williams couldn't get anywhere with the National Party and the Māori Party—nowhere gone. We've promoted our mate Joe; he's now running the Supreme Court. Māori are doing so much better in terms of this Government and with a little hope and a bit more work we might just get there on Ihumātao—who knows? But we're on track now. We're on track in terms of turning things around.I haven't even mentioned my own portfolio employment. In employment we've done terrifically well.Hon Mark Mitchell: You've got two minutes left.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Well you know I could go for another 10 minutes as you know Mr Mitchell but the reality is that in employment again we had stuff-all investment from the National Party. What have we done there? Well through the Regional Development (Provincial Growth) Fund through He Poutama Rangatahi we've had record investment in the regions. Well done us. We've had Shane Jones working with me in terms of getting the nephs off the couch. We enjoyed seeing some of the National MPs at our launches. So Poutama Rangatahi is going well.Mana in Mahi—that's giving dignity to some of our young people. Our Prime Minister mentioned it in her speech. It's not about working for the dole; it's about working in terms of retaining your mana. We're so proud of Mana in Mahi. The Opposition—Mark Mitchell in particular is one of the most negative people in this House. I've watched him sometimes; a sad example of an MP along with well just about all of them. But the reality is Mana in Mahi is giving dignity back to our people and we have a 70 percent—a 70 percent—success rate but all they can stand up and do is talk about the dole. That disappeared years ago and well done to Carmel Sepuloni who refuses to acknowledge their stupid questions that come through every day with regards to the dole. So we're on track in terms of employment.The minimum wage is going to go up. That's really good because the minimum wage is important. We will not work people on slave wages like you will Mr Mitchell. We won't do that. We will have the minimum wage going up. We've got more Māori in employment now than ever before less Māori in terms of unemployment. We're on a roll. This is a happy and wonderful Government and this Māori caucus is just doing so well.Record investment: over half a billion dollars—over half a billion dollars in the last Budget round. Iwi they love us. They didn't like us at the start but they love us now. We had a wonderful meeting with them—Hon Member: Living the dream.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Yeah we're living the dream. They tell me universally that they can't stand National and I support that. Kia ora tātou."