SpeechFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader—NZ First): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's a pleasure to rise on behalf of New Zealand First this evening in the Government debates on the appropriations just to address a few issues raised by the previous speaker Melissa Lee. They spoke about pork-barrel politics. The irony of that—am I allowed to use that word in the House? You'll check me I'm sure Madam Speaker if I use it inappropriately. The irony of that statement is that the only thing that the Opposition party has come up with thus far in terms of appealing to the electorate is roads and a little bit of rail and how much it's going to cost—that's all they've been able to engage with the electorate—Mark Patterson: No ideas.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: Yeah truly no ideas—no ideas.So let me just put the appropriations that we have been talking about this evening in context. What we are doing here is about smart and targeted investment in particularly our regions but across the country. What we're doing here—Brett Hudson: Vote buying.FLETCHER TABUTEAU: —Mr Hudson is about investing money in response to a pandemic that unfortunately is taking down the rest of the world. We here in New Zealand—I don't think we actually appreciate it ourselves that we are able to move around and engage and hug one another like we have tonight in our valedictory speeches and congratulate one another. It's amazing. In fact I was at the US Embassy's Fourth of July celebrations a couple of weeks ago and the ambassador said to the crowd 1500 strong that nowhere else in the world have the United States been willing to bring people together—nowhere else in the world have they been willing to bring people together—to have that celebration: the Independence Day as it were of the American nation. Only in New Zealand have they been willing and able to do that. That focuses the mind and it gives you an indication of just how amazing New Zealand's response has been to COVID—that 5 million - strong team.But that has been our health response. I implore those people out in our communities right now who are worried about community spread and whose doctors are suggesting that they go and have a test: please do it because it's so important that we know what the situation is. But right now we're in an amazing position.These appropriations give us an indication and an insight into what it is that we as a Government are trying to do in terms of an economic health response. I rebut the assertions from those members opposite on the Provincial Growth Fund. As the under-secretary of regional economic development I have had the privilege of travelling around this country and seeing firsthand not only the people in the regions coming together as stakeholders and as members of a community saying What do we need? What would make the most sense for our community right now in terms of regional economic development growing our towns growing our communities putting more jobs in the regions?" That's what they've been doing. They came to the Provincial Growth Fund and they worked with our amazing team down there. I just want to put this in context for everyone in the House: those projects—that money that this Government has spent—has come from the people and the communities in the regions. They have come to this Government and said "This makes sense in our place. This makes sense for us long term."I can speak about Rotorua for the next half an hour about the difference that the Provincial Growth Fund has made and will make. I put it to this House very briefly because I have such a short amount of time left that we invested $55 million into Rotorua just recently and that was simply about unlocking roading infrastructure and the three waters component so that housing in Rotorua could be developed and built. There are 1200 homes 1200 properties being developed by local iwi right now because of this Government and our investment in our communities because that's what our communities want and that's what they needed and it's been a blessing for all of us. Thank you very much."