As a Government, we had to take difficult decisions, none of which were costless, and because we have managed to run New Zealand's finances in such a way that we could do this—make the payments that are covered in the Supplementary Estimates bill in front of us today and still have one of the lowest levels of net debt in the world—it is a tribute not only to hard-working New Zealanders but to the careful management of the books as well. 