Little AndrewHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): That last contribution from that member highlights the very serious malaise in which the National Party today finds itself because it's all very well complaining about this that and the other thing but where is the vision? This was a once great party led by once great people—not one person but multiple leaders in that party—great visionaries for New Zealand who saw a New Zealand where everybody had a house everybody who could work and wanted to work did work where people got decent wages and incomes where they didn't mind if people belonged to a union. Some of those brokers of union deals used to be in that party—people like Jim Bolger who's now very ably assisting our Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety in doing his wonderful work of restoring faith and confidence in work and the rewards of work once again. That is a party that is visionless that has lost its way and about more which I might have some more to say later. But I actually want to get on with the good news because there is a lot of good news and it's all wrapped up in the Prime Minister's statement which charts out a long-term vision and a long-term view for this great little country of ours that we all have a responsibility for doing the best by. You see the Prime Minister represents the aspirations of a new generation. She represents governing for a quality of life and well-being for everyone regardless of where you live regardless of who you are—that everybody gets to share in the greatness and the beauty of this country of ours. Hers is a Government about realising dreams and hopes that for so long—at least for the last nine years—have been dashed and frustrated and obstructed. Hers is a leadership that is about governing to rise to the hardest challenges that we face—not the kind of three-year cyclical short-term stuff but actually getting to grips with the really difficult stuff to make a difference. That's why we have a robust long-term sound environmental policy. I know members of the National Party opposite bridle and bristle and struggle to come to terms with the decision on the long-term future of oil exploration but the way this Government has approached that is to accept what that party won't which is the science is telling us that we cannot carry on doing what we've done decade after decade after decade—that we actually have to change what we do. We have to change our energy mix. So this is a Government under the Prime Minister's leadership and with the erstwhile Dr Megan Woods that's actually rising to that challenge. It isn't as the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research and the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand and their unholy alliance in the last couple of days said putting the future of Taranaki at risk. Actually it was carrying on doing nothing that was putting the future of Taranaki at risk. Jobs were being lost in that industry because the reality is that the future of that industry was in the hands of others in Washington and in The Hague and in London and in places other than New Zealand. But we've taken control of that issue for ourselves and we've taken control of it in the interests of New Zealand and the people of Taranaki. We've made a decision that preserves and keeps those jobs that are there at the moment but actually starts the hard work of thinking about what the next generation of investment and of work opportunity actually looks like. I'm very proud to be part of that—very proud to be making my contribution. We needed a different approach. It wasn't enough just to do what the previous Government did and manage for the economic figures. The economic figures are very important. Having a robust resilient economy is absolutely essential. But what are we managing it for when we have hundreds of thousands of people living in poverty—children living in poverty; when we have thousands and thousands of people homeless and with no hope of getting a roof over their heads? What sort of economic management is that? So we needed something that was well rounded that was actually rooted in the existence of people and what they needed so that they were thriving and safe and secure and doing well for themselves and their families. It's not just about the numbers being good; it is about the life that people get to lead. That's what this Government is about and that's what sets this Government apart from the one we've just had nine years of.Whether people are living in poverty and the grossness of the poverty they are living in matters and we have to step up and do something about it. Whether we have a health system that is responding effectively to the demands put on it—and those demands are getting greater and people's expectations are quite reasonably saying Look we just want a system that is there when we need it and will fix us when we need it." That's what we were losing in this country. We now have a health Minister who's on the job putting more investment into it turning the Titanic the oil tanker around in a health system that desperately needs attention. The education system—I have the great privilege of standing right next to the education Minister right now who is transforming who is revolutionising our education system so that it is fit for a future that is going to deliver citizens capable of working capable of participating in all aspects of being part of the community and being part of our great democracy. That's what we want in an education system; not one where teachers are struggling and stressed out each day trying to do their job wondering what's the next box they have to tick or the next piece of paperwork they have to complete but an education system focused on the magic that happens between excellent teachers and kids who are enthused and curious about learning—that's what we want. That's what we need: an education system that at the vocational level is actually responding to what business and industry says they need and churning out young people who are capable of participating and contributing and doing well and making a way for themselves. That's what you want in an education system. We were losing that—we were losing that. So thank goodness Chris Hipkins has arrived in time to turn that ship around and do great things. The well-being approach also means that we have to look to community safety and I'm very pleased to be charged with the responsibility—along with my justice sector colleagues the Hon Kelvin Davis the Hon Stuart Nash the Hon Aupito William Sio and the Under-Secretary Jan Logie—to actually focus on those things that are going to give our communities a chance to be safer than they ever were before. This is about taking seriously issues like the appalling incidence of family violence. I give credit to members opposite and particularly to the Hon Amy Adams. She started some great work on this whole Parliament coming to grips with that scourge of family violence. It was a great thing that we were able to continue that put our imprimatur on it and actually take seriously some of those issues that we know are really very serious about family violence like strangulation like coercion and control. We were able to pass that law with the unanimity of this Parliament to make a difference in that regard. But we have other challenges as well. It wasn't right that when we came into Government we had a record number of people in prison—way off the scale for a country like ours. It wasn't right that we had a reoffending rate for those who had been to prison that is one of the highest in the developed world and unchanged over the last 20 or 30 years because we just did not take seriously what was needed to change lives and turn people around but most importantly if we're dealing with those who have offended to stop them reoffending again. That is the serious challenge that we've got and that's the serious challenge that we are rising to. Also making sure that victims are properly supported—now who would have thought 30 years on from when the issue of victims kind of came to the political surface and everybody was trying to respond effectively to what was needed that we still do not have an effective regime for supporting victims right from the time that they are offended against. I'm looking forward to addressing the victims workshop in a few weeks' time to start talking about what it is that we can do better. There is a lot that this Government has to do a lot of challenges that we must rise to in the criminal justice area and the family court area—major problems major challenges that we have to improve and get on top of there. The other major act of justice that I'm very proud to be part of that this coalition Government has given me responsibility for is the Pike River re-entry project—to give justice to those families who were from November 2010 let down at every step of the way by the old Department of Labour by the police investigation at the time and by so many other organisations and institutions. It is great to see the progress that is being made to give justice to those families. This is a Government that is about well-being and about justice and I'm proud to be part of it."