we regard in superannuation. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I call
Michael Wood.
Michael Wood. Thank you. It's a pleasure
pleasure to speak on the Budget Policy Statement.
Policy Statement. And there are two things
things that I want to focus on in my statement.
statement. The first is quite a unique
speeches I've heard from the Government
Government benches, and that's to actually
Policy Statement, which is this document
document here. And the second one, the
the second one that I want to bring to
to the House's attention is one that we haven't heard
much of from from the
the Government benches either. That's
That's a trip I want to take out into
into the real world later in my comments,
comments, to talk about what people out there actually
in New Zealand might have wanted to have
have seen in this Budget Policy Statement. Mr Speaker,
have seen in this Budget Policy
the first couple of speeches from the Government benches,
heard from Mr Bishop
Mr Bishop and the Hon Amy Adams. Before
Before premature rigor meteorities set
their comments. The first came from Mr
Mr Bishop. I was trying to grasp at a pillar of
smoke in the corner there. As I looked towards him, I
wanted to grab on to something to respond
respond to in respect of this debate.
debate. But there was precious little
little in terms of the Budget Policy Statement. And,
Statement. And, in fact, Itimed it. I timed it, sir. And we got to
nine minutes
minutes and 33 seconds until Mr Bishop
subconstantively about the Budget Policy
Policy Statement. The first nine minutes
minutes and 33 seconds were all about the Labour Party and,
of all people, Russell Norman.
Russell Norman has grown a spectacular
spectacular and luscious beard that Mr
Mr Bishop may well be very interested in.
interested in. But it wasn't really that relevant in respect to the
Budget Policy Statement debate. What he
he did get on to talking to was another
another matter that is of substance, but,
relate to the Budget Policy Statement,
Statement, and that was the Government's
Government's lack of contributions to
to the Cullen Super Fund here. And even
matter doesn't relate directly to the Budget Policy Statement,
because the Government isn't
contributing, the sheer intellectual
dexterity and gymnastics
gymnastics that Mr Bishop put into constructing
constructing his argument do warrant some form
some form of response. Because what Mr Bishop put up
was this contention, sir.
contention, sir. He put up this contention.
contention. In justifying the Government's
Government's lack of contributions over
over the last eight years, he argued that
that if the markets hadn't have gone up, if we hadn't have received
consistent returns, then that lack of
of investment was justified. So, what
what he was actually doing was constructing
constructing a parallel universe argument,
argument, because the fact is that we
every year, compounding over the last
last eight years. It's not a matter of
of hindsight. It's a fact that that was the
was the case. And if the Government had have had the foresight to put
that investment in, instead of blowing
blowing it away in a smoke of tax cuts
be significantly better off in terms of meeting our
future obligations to future
future superannuants, sir. We know somehow
somehow in a parallel universe, there
there is Planet Key, and now there is
is a small satellite circling it called Bishop 33, in which, sir, the
Sullen Super Fund
did not earn compounding returns
over the last eight years, like it actually
actually did here in the real world. Sir,
actually did here in the real world. Sir, to give her her due, the Hon
Amy Adams gid engage in the substance
substance of the Budget Policy Statement.
Statement. And I think like the Government
Government in many respects, what she
she put fonNard were some words that sounded good.
many of the Ministers and members opposite.
opposite. But what you get when you actually
actually delve into them is a significant
significant gap between the rhetoric,
rhetoric, which sounds good, and the actual
actual delivery for real people on the
statement that is she made. The first
first one she said, and we can all agree
keep New Zealanders safe and to help them
them get ahead. And, of course, we would
would want to see that. But what do we actually see on the streets of my
electorate and many electorates around
with it. Police foot patrols that have reduced over
city, our growing city, about ten new
new net cops over the last eight years. And it
was only after wrestling
wrestling between Judith Collins and the PM over
the last year that we finally
finally got some action on that. So, fine
fine rhetoric there, but no action. What
Well, again we would all agree with that.
that. We all agree with the notion of
Zealanders can reach their full potential
potential in life and contribute to society. That's what everyone wants.
But what does that actually mean,
when we've got 90,000 young people not in education, not in work,
and not
not in education, not in work, and
people full of potential, full of ideas,
ideas, with the ability to do good things,
things, if only they had the support of
of a Government that would actually back them and put the resources
in to
back them and put the resources in to make a difference in their
lives, sir. We also heard from Hon Amy
Adams that
Adams that we want a system that creates
creates opportunities and looks after
after our most vulnerable. Tell that to
to the budgeting centre. Their people
people actually out there in the community,
community, doing the mahi, looking after
after our most vulnerable, helping
Government tells them they're supposed
supposed to do, getting their financial
financial affairs in order, what does
does the Budgeting Centre have to do under
under this Government to keep itself
sizzles at the weekend because this Government fails to provide the
support to those essential community services
services and there are many groups like this in
who are struggling under the fiscal constraints
constraints of this Government. We heard
heard that this Government supports wages
wages rising. Well, what about the
in amongst that fog of the average statistic
statistic did not get any wage
incomes. We heard from Minister Bridges as well,
Bill English, as new, fresh, dynamic leadership.
leadership. And then Mr Bridges, in ten
ten minutes, this is the Finance Minister
at Auckland faces a transport crisis and is grinding
to a halt, did not say
say one thing about investing in public
public transport in our biggest city.
city. Not one thing. And so it's on that
that note, sir, that I want to take members
members in this Chamber on a little bit of a journey through
the real world
world of my constituency, where many ordinary,
ordinary, decent people live, who want all those things we talked
about. My
about. My day in Mount Roskill might start with a morning trip
down Dominion Road where
start with a morning trip down Dominion Road where thousands of
people are stuck in
congestion, annoyed, frustrated, having
their time and economic energies wasted.
Just like on major
time and economic energies wasted. Just like on major arterial roads.
They know it's not good enough.
What do we get
we get a transformative vision or plan
plan to actually invest in modern public
public transport, like every other smart
get more roads and we've just heard, of
of course, about the big investment in the road
heading up to Northland. What's
from this Government, which boasts about its
it, we get 25 cents back. But no investment in public transport, sir.
After my
After myjourney down Dominion Road, I
I will get to my office. And I guarantee
guarantee you this, because every day
guarantee you this, because every
there are cases waiting, people in desperate
desperate housing need. Usually young
young families with children, often living
living in overcrowded conditions with
with relatives, kids getting sick, can they
are 4,000 families in Auckland, sir, 4,000
get the social housing places that they need,
get the social housing places that
that note, sir, when we heard the Budget
Budget Policy Statement submissions in
in Finance and Expenditure, we heard
Caritas. They noted this about the social housing places offered by
this Government,
there were 69,000 of them. Today in 2016, while
there were 69,000 of them. Today in 2016, while we know the housing
crisis mounts
crisis mounts every day, there are now 61,000 places. A
reduction of 8,000. Now, the Minister will stand
here, the Minister of Social Housing,
Government's great plans to invest in
in 6,000 more IRS places. Well, let's take her at her word. If this
Government puts their
money into 6,000 more
6,000 more IRS places by 2020, we'll still have 2,000 less social
housing places in 2020
places in 2020 than we had in
this Government's commitment in that area. Sir, a
man that I admire very much, an
much, an American, Jim Wallace, says that
that budgets are moral documents. And
And that's because they have a very real role in shaping the
lives and the aspirations of the people of our
country. And what New Zealanders deserve
deserve to see and needed to see in country.
this budget was some vision, some idea of transformation,
a plan for tackling the housing crisis so that
young New Zealanders who work hard can
can actually have some hope, can have
have some belief that they can get a house
house and make a start in their lives. Aucklanders
lives. Aucklanders need to see a transformative
transformative vision around transport so that we truly can
become the first city of the Pacific,
business owners deserve to see investment
investment so that they can get into housing
housing and so that they feel safe in
in their small businesses, instead of being plagued
by crime. We didn't get that, sir.
We deserve better. But
But I hope to come back to this House next year and hear
Little presenting a Budget Policy Statement
Thank you. I call Andrew Bayly.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Speaker. And that will be our forlorn hope. Now, Mr
a pleasure to be talking on the Budget
Budget Policy Statement, but before I do so,
I do so, Ijust want to turn my attention to the events that
are unfolding