Muller ToddTODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty): Every now and again an event occurs that is so unexpected that it sears into your memory and for me Monday lunchtime and the announcement by the Prime Minister that he was stepping down is one of those moments. For me I was initially very shocked and saddened actually that I would not have the opportunity to continue being part of his caucus and learn from his extraordinary experience and demonstration of leadership.Ten years at the top is a long time and reflecting on the judgment that he has given or the reasons that he has given for his judgment I can understand and see from his perspective why he has indeed made that call. At the core of it is integrity which has been his touchstone for the time that he has been in Parliament and certainly for the time that he has been the leader. He knew that he could not stand in front of the New Zealand public and say that he could commit to a fourth term when he knew that he could not. So because of that he has stepped aside and of course we are going through that process of replacing him. But the ability to step aside at the height of his power to me only reinforces his uniqueness.Certainly in history be it in corporate or in other areas it is very easy for people to stay too long. They can see themselves and their judgments as indispensable. They have rehearsed the arguments and the strategic intent for so long that they find it almost frustrating and have a sense of impatience at having to continue to repeat it. The Prime Minister has never ever been like that. He is a person who has always held the view that he was in a job that he loved for a country that he loved working for people whom he loved.Another observation on his incredible value to this country was the ability to check and adjust as needed. So often in the past politicians and leaders boxed themselves into a corner over a particular policy or direction and saw that any movement or any direction or any change in direction was somehow weakness but he knew that the real strength of character and leadership is the ability to check and adjust as necessary. He did that in my view at a level that has had no peer in this place and it has been extraordinary to watch.I first met the Prime Minister when he came to an event in Tauranga in 2007. He filled the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre and he was just the Leader of the Opposition—the first time that had ever happened. I have listened to a number of leaders both political and corporate and I could tell from the moment he spoke that we were in the presence of someone who was materially different. He had a different tone. He was incredibly relaxed. He was very comfortable about who he was and what he stood for and the vision he had for this country. He took the job seriously but not himself. That capacity is something that too few people can apply to themselves in whatever career but he has set the benchmark for it. But above all his stand-out ability has been the ability to frame up arguments in a way that spoke to New Zealanders in the language of their lives and he has done that in a way that in my opinion has had no peer.Look how far we have come over the last 8 years. He has talked often about being ambitious for New Zealand. It is very easy to stand behind that statement as we do as a party every day and talk to the various Better Public Services targets that we have driven in this country and the performance that we have achieved against them. But when the Prime Minister stands and talks about ambition for New Zealand it is not just the statistics of success that stand echoing his performance; it is what he has done for the attitude and approach of this country. When I have been out in my electorate in the Bay of Plenty and the city of Tauranga I believe his greatest legacy and one that will go through the years is his focus on embracing New Zealand with the world—a sense of optimism of connecting ourselves with the future and an unrelenting belief in the potential of New Zealanders.Little by little over the last 8 years New Zealanders have caught that wave of self-belief. It has been an absolute privilege to watch that happen in this country and to be part of it in Tauranga and it has been a huge privilege to be with him in the last couple of years and see his leadership in action. He has been a tremendous leader for this country. He will leave of course a great hole but we have an incredible contest under way and I have great confidence that whomever we choose on Monday will take this country forward in a way that amplifies his legacy and will return this Government to the Treasury benches in 2017. Thank you very much.