Genter Julie Anne: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGenter Julie Anne: General Debate[Sitting date: 14 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7216. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JULIE ANNE GENTER (Green): The National Government has indeed achieved its priority of a surplus and I suppose it should be congratulated because it is important to live within our means. But I think the Government is selling New Zealand a little bit short and frankly the target of a surplus is a bit of a distraction from the issues that are really important to New Zealanders. And that is where National is falling behind. It is failing to take action on the issues that are most important to New Zealanders—the two biggest challenges which are climate change and inequality. We have to respond to these eventually and it would be better if we responded sooner rather than later. The Green Party has made these two big issues our priorities for this year.Implementing the solutions to climate change and inequality is not only a challenge; it is actually an opportunity to create a better New Zealand. Imagine a New Zealand where every child has a warm dry secure place to call home; where every child can walk or cycle safely to school; and where not only are they challenged and educated but they are nourished because they have a nutritious and tasty lunch—every child not just those whose parents have the means to provide it. It is entirely possible and affordable and good for our long-term economic health to invest directly in our kids and that is a priority for the Green Party not just achieving a couple of hundred million dollars in surplus. We can do that—we can balance the books—but also ensure that our kids have everything they need to be successful in life. Likewise we have the ability to invest in the long-term future of our kids by responding to climate change and reducing our carbon pollution. This is not rocket science and it is not optional; it is something we have to do if we want to live good lives in the future if we want New Zealand to be there for our kids to enjoy in the future.There are practical policies that will not only reduce our carbon pollution and fossil fuel use but actually have wider benefits. I will take just one example: investing in electrified rail across the North Island. That is an infrastructure project that is entirely affordable within the means of the transport budget. Not only would it reduce carbon pollution from moving freight around the country it would actually reduce costs for a great number of exporters. There is a growing amount of freight that is moved by rail in this country. The more efficient we make the service and the more reliable we make the service the more people can use it. And it takes trucks off the road which saves us money makes the roads easier to maintain and makes them safer for people who are trying to drive around. It makes the air cleaner. It makes the trains quieter. It creates jobs in our regions. This is something the National Party could be investing in but is failing to because of its blind ideological opposition to rail.Other examples where we could get these win-win benefits include investing in public transport in our towns and cities like rail in Auckland. We got the electrification finally thanks to the campaigning of the Green Party despite the wishes of the National Party. They actually have seen the enormous benefits that has brought to Auckland. The next step is the City Rail Link and the sooner we do it the less it will cost us and the sooner we achieve the benefits not only for those people who take the train but for the people who live in Auckland who are getting around on the roads that will be less congested because there are fewer cars on the roads at peak time. So it makes sense. It makes economic sense and it is good for our people it is good for our climate and it is good for our economy.We could have cheaper and cleaner power by facilitating the uptake of solar panels. Unfortunately this Government is not going to support my colleague’s member’s bill which is giving a fair go for solar. It is not about subsidies but it is about ensuring that there are the opportunities more opportunities for households businesses and schools to get solar panels which reduces the amount of money they have to pay for electricity and reduces our greenhouse gas pollution. This is the vision of a smart economy that works for everyone in the long term that the Green Party is championing.The National Government although it has managed to finally after 7 years achieve its target of surplus is selling us short because it does not believe that we can afford to ensure that kids have enough to eat at school or that we can reduce inequality. It does not believe that we can afford to respond to climate change. The truth is not only can we not afford not to do it we cannot afford not to respond to climate change and inequality.