Doocey Matt: Debate on Prime Minister’s StatementText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDoocey Matt: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement[Sitting date: 16 February 2016. Volume:711;Page:8996. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): Can I say I am very proud to be part of a unified caucus of 59 National MPs who are committed to working hard in 2016 for all New Zealanders. What I will not do is sit here and take a lecture from that party which has got a litany of failed social policies.The 2008 state of the nation report reported back that the last time those members were in Government with all their increased expenditure they made no social progress—all their increased expenditure and not one bit of social progress. The way you improve the well-being of the people in your country is that your country becomes competitive. By increasing competitivity you increase the well-being of your people so get off the fence and support the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. We know that will give us trade in 11 other countries and an increase of 800 million potential customers—40 percent of the world’s trade.It has been a great start to 2016. We have got GDP growth that is the envy of other OECD countries. We know that unemployment is tracking down—one of the best figures in a long time—the workforce participation rate is increasing wages are rising faster than inflation and the country has returned to surplus. What a great start to the year—what a great start to 2016. But we in this National Government know that we can do better and we are committed to doing better and working harder for all New Zealanders.Can I take this opportunity to also welcome our new MP Maureen Pugh. She is a list MP and a very hard-working local MP who is going to give the region of West Coast - Tasman great representation. Maureen and I are part of the 15 new National MPs from the intake of 2014. We are new and we are fresh energetic and committed to working hard for all New Zealanders in 2016. We are looking forward to a great year coming ahead.Can I just pause for a moment and reflect on a meeting I had yesterday in my electorate of Waimakariri. I had organised a senior citizens meeting. I turned up there and we had some great discussions and it is great to hear feedback from people on the ground and hear their concerns and about what we are doing well and what we need to improve on. It was great for them to see and recognise that we are a small cog in a global system and we need to get out there and engage in international markets. They like me and like this Government know that there is a lot of instability out there—a lot of economic instability political instability and security concerns—and we know that by having strong leadership and strong economic management as outlined in the Prime Minister’s speech we will engage those markets and we will have a strong energetic viable economy.You see we on this side of the House know that New Zealand will not get rich by selling to itself. We need to get out there with free-trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership: 11 other countries 800 million potential customers and 40 percent of the world’s trade. We need to get out there and be competitive. Being competitive in a globalised world is a choice. Some countries choose to be competitive and they improve the well-being of their people. Some countries are not competitive. It is a choice and it is as stark as that. On this side of the House we back New Zealand being competitive and we back hard-working New Zealanders to do better and we want to support them doing better in 2016.The Prime Minister also spoke about this Government’s unwavering commitment to the Christchurch rebuild one of our top four priorities. Like many I experienced the earthquake on Sunday—quite a big shake; I was at my house in Rangiora—and it is at the forefront of Cantabrians’ minds as we commemorate the fifth anniversary this Monday of the fatal February 2011 earthquakes. This Government is committed to rebuilding Christchurch—committed to rebuilding the best new small city in the world. We have had some great openings over the Christmas break. We opened the Margaret Mahy Family Playground. I know my daughter loved being there. There were over 100000 visitors to that anchor project in the first few weeks of its opening. This Government is committed to a competitive economy and committed to supporting Cantabrians rebuild. Thank you.