Hipkins ChrisRt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition): If ever we needed more proof—if these last few weeks haven't given us plenty of proof—that this Government simply can't live up to their own expectations that was it. This was the Government that said that we're going to be sitting right through to Christmas and we're going to be back on 15 January and yet most of the Government seem to have gone home for Christmas already. And of course we're not coming back on 15 January; it appears we're coming back on 30 January—about what we do every year.So in keeping with the summer barbecue tradition I would say that they are all sizzle and no sausage but I believe that that particular currency has been somewhat devalued in the last 24 hours so I'll stick with an adage that the Deputy Prime Minister will be much more familiar with: they're all hat and no horse.But actually speaking of the Deputy Prime Minister there seemed to be a transfer in the Cheshire grin that Christopher Luxon had after election day on the day the special votes came out from Christopher Luxon to Winston Peters where it has remained ever since although well except perhaps when he's dealing with the New Zealand media. Never has a Deputy Prime Minister been so bitter in victory as Winston Peters appears to be following this year's general election.But what we have heard from this Government over the last few weeks is a plan unambiguously to take New Zealand backwards—not a plan to lead New Zealand forward to the promised land but a promise to repeal this cancel that stop this not do that and cut this. No plan to actually take New Zealand forward.That is something that I hope they will spend a little bit of time as they are lying on their beach towels over the summer holidays thinking about—how they are actually going to lead New Zealand forward rather than simply dial back to 2017 as if the world was a perfect place in 2017 before the last Government took office.But we've also seen from this Government that their priorities are confused and they are wrong. This is a Government that's decided to prioritise mega-landlords over renters and first-home buyers. It's a Government that's decided to prioritise the tobacco lobby over the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders a Government that has decided to prioritise oil and gas companies over our environment to prioritise millionaires instead of salary and wage earners and a Government that has chosen to accept conspiracy theories instead of policy based on facts evidence and science. And we've just seen—and we've just seen—more evidence of that now where they repealed legislation that would have done nothing more than produce an evidence base for better policy making in the future.But what we've also seen from this Government is that they are adhering to that great children's game called Simon Says—do as I say not as I do. They are quite happy to use taxpayer funding for their own te reo Māori lessons but when it comes to other New Zealanders that's got to stop. They're happy to claim the Clean Car Discount for themselves but when it comes to other New Zealanders that has to stop. They're quite happy to criticise others who use air force planes to travel internationally but when it comes to themselves oh actually that has to keep going. The list of that could go on. It is a Simon Says Government. Be careful to listen to what they say because what they do is entirely different. With all of the twists and turns this Government has done in the last few weeks it has felt like a pilot episode for the New Zealand version of The Office. There is no question who is assuming the role of David Brent on that side of the House although I have it from the TV company that a second season is highly unlikely. New Zealanders did vote for change at the last election and we on this side of the House do respect that but I don't think that this was the change that they had in mind. I don't think they voted for more Kiwi kids taking up smoking for dialling back the work that we had been doing as a Government to cut down on vaping—something that they criticised us for not doing enough of and now they want to stop the work that we were actually doing. I don't think that Kiwis voted for the change that they are getting.I want to acknowledge that for many New Zealanders 2023 has been a difficult year and I want to take a moment politics aside for a moment and acknowledge that the first thing that I did as Prime Minister was to travel to Auckland after the flooding on 27 January this year followed shortly after by travel across the Tairāwhiti Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa regions to inspect the cyclone damage in those areas. I can say with sincerity that the pictures on the TV news of the damage done by those natural weather events actually understated the damage; it was actually worse on the ground than the pretty dreadful images that we saw on the TV news. We saw the some of the worst of what mother nature can throw at us but we also saw some of the best of the resilience of the Kiwi human spirit. I met people who were going out of their way to support others in their time of need. I've spoken of some examples of that. I'm thinking of the nurse who I met who was seeing patients in a pub because that was the nearest available building to see people who had health issues caused by the cyclone. When I asked her how she was doing she burst into tears because she'd been working for about 36 hours and it was the first moment that she had had to reflect on the fact that she had lost everything—her home all of her possessions—and had gone straight to work. I think that just highlights how amazing New Zealanders are when they are confronted with some of the most difficult circumstances we can imagine. So on behalf of the previous Government I do want to acknowledge all those whose lives were turned upside down by those weather events. I also want to say that we dealt with some of the most difficult decisions that we have dealt with during the brief period that I had as Prime Minister as a result of those natural weather events. I want to thank my colleagues particularly the Hon Grant Robertson for the leadership that they showed in all of that.Over the summer I hope that all New Zealanders get a good long and uninterrupted summer. It feels like it's been a wee while since we've had one of those with a global pandemic with severe weather events with other things. I think New Zealanders are well and truly due a decent summer. I hope they get to spend plenty of time with their loved ones plenty of time at the beach plenty of time over the barbecue and enjoying the best of what Aotearoa New Zealand has to offer.As is tradition I want to take a moment to thank all of the people who make this place possible to operate: the team at the Parliamentary Service and our past ministerial staff who have had a pretty difficult couple of months. One of the things about democracy is it's actually hardest on many of the people who don't get a voice in that process. So to our past ministerial staff a very warm thankyou and a very merry Christmas to all of you.To the Chamber and gallery staff to the interpreters the cleaners the buildings team the Bellamy's and Copperfields staff who I want to thank for keeping a healthy stock of sausage rolls in their cabinets to all of our security guards who keep us safe to all of our electorate staff across the House and the many many volunteers and supporters who also help to make the democratic process function a very warm thankyou to all of you. Thank you to the parliamentary press gallery for keeping us all honest.Rt Hon Winston Peters: What?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I want to—well maybe not all of us Mr Peters but I do want to thank them. Come rain or shine they were there during the election campaign asking us the difficult questions and making sure that New Zealanders had the information that they needed to make informed decisions.I want to take a moment to thank the whānau the families the loved ones of all MPs and Ministers past and present. Without their love and support we would not be able to do the jobs that we do and they make a lot of sacrifices that go unnoticed and those sacrifices can go on for a long period of time. So I want to really take a moment to thank them. I know that they will be looking forward to having us back over the summer break. By the end of the summer break I'm sure they'll be happy for us all to come back to work again but I do want to take a moment to thank them for all of the love and support they give to everybody.And of course to you Mr Speaker thank you for the essential role that you play or are starting to play in this Parliament. Can I wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and to all the staff who work for you the Office of the Clerk and the Parliamentary Service thank you for everything that you do to keep this place operating. And to all members a very merry Christmas.