GEORGINA BEYER (NZ Labour--Wairarapa): Is it not something to pity when one watches an Opposition declining into deep depression because of all the good news its members are hearing regarding this Budget delivered by Dr Michael Cullen? He has one of the safest pairs of hands we could have on the tiller right now, and that gives the country confidence that this is a Government that knows how to administer and manage its Treasury properly. It would be so easy to do the lolly-scramble that the Opposition would like to do, with the surplus we have, but we have a prudent Minister of Finance, who cares about the building blocks for the future of this country, which this Government has spent its term to date trying to bed in after 9 years of destruction by the right-wing economic dogma of the previous Government.

Those members of the previous Government are in denial about the positive moves forward. It sickens me that that Opposition, from its jaundiced perspective, is unable to find even one piece of silver lining in how this country has moved forward, how the confidence of the country is growing, and how optimism is right out there as part of the regions. I am very glad that my area of Wairarapa is reaping some of the benefit from the work that this Government has done.

Opposition members do not like to hear about positive initiatives. They do not like to hear that health spending will increase by $3.2 billion over the next 3 years, and that that amount includes the cost of the meningococcal campaign of $149 million over 3 years, and up to $200 million over 5 years. That initiative alone will be most helpful to young New Zealanders, and to all New Zealanders in general. No, Opposition members do not like hearing the good news that the Budget puts. There will be $235 million over 2 years across research, science and technology, and across economic, industry, and regional development.

I can tell members that even some of the tertiary education initiatives---and certainly the proposed doubling of the apprenticeship scheme---will go down well in an electorate like the Wairarapa. Only a few days ago I was meeting 25 farmers in Dannevirke who had been part of the young farm cadet scheme, and who had given their time, expertise, and knowledge to young people---and not so young people wanting to re-skill---in the farming sector.

Not only that, those young people, for the most part, are finding placement after their training and are staying locally. That is about building the capacity for skills in our regions, and about keeping the movement happening there. I am very pleased to see that those matters are being addressed by this Government, not with a short band-aid in a short-term vision, but with a long-term vision about where we see the fairness and reasonableness that citizens of this nation expect and that this Government is delivering.

Members should see in tonight's Evening Post the "check-off", if one likes---the report card---that is in there, saying what we have delivered so far. If members remember, Labour's pledge card said that Labour would create jobs through promoting New Zealand industries and by giving better support for export and small businesses. We get an "A" for jobs in the Evening Post report card tonight for that pledge.

In health the pledge was to focus on patients, and cut waiting times for surgery, and the report card comes up with a "B". That is not bad, when one considers what Labour inherited from a Government that absolutely destroyed health in the regions and around this country.

The pledge for education was to cut the costs of students in tertiary education, starting with a fairer loan scheme. We get a "B". No one would deny that what we inherited as a Government regarding the student loan scheme was nothing short of criminal. This Government has had to take it upon itself to try to remedy that. We have not come up with a complete solution yet, but, by God, we have moved forward on it very, very fast.

Superannuation is a subject very dear to us all. We will all, we hope---health willing---be able to draw on our superannuation. We said that we would reverse the 1999 cuts to the superannuation rates, and guarantee superannuation in the future by putting a proportion of all income tax into a separate fund that cannot be used for any other purpose, Well, the little Evening Post report card has given us an "A" for that. This Government has delivered.

No one can deny that we have put a huge effort into housing after the destructive nature of the fire-sale prices of State housing under the last Government. We wanted to restore income-related rents for State housing so that low-income tenants pay no more than 25 percent of their income in rent. We get another "A" for housing on this report card in the Evening Post tonight. Listeners should rush out and buy their copies of the Evening Post, which definitely has information they want to know about.

In the area of crime there was a crackdown on burglary and on youth crime. Well, we get a "B", but next year it will be an "A", because, I understand, this Budget delivers an extra $41 million - odd into that area for youth justice and youth offending. I know that we will find a use for that money in the Wairarapa because I am working with some very concerned people in the local community over there as we go on with our anti-violence campaign.

Finally on this report card, which seems to go on and on forever, I speak of taxation. There is no rise in income tax for 95 percent of taxpayers earning under $60,000 a year, and no increase in GST or company tax. Well, the Evening Post has been slightly unkind, but it is still not a bad result---"C-". We will improve that, and I can only say in conclusion that this country should be very, very happy with the administration of the Treasurer and Minister of Finance of this country, Dr Michael Cullen, who has delivered a Budget that apparently is boring, some say, but that shows safe hands on the tiller. If anyone heading into an election wants to have an assurance of that, they certainly have it from this Minister of Finance, this Budget, and this Government.