I acknowledge that our stronger economic position will mean that there are people who argue we should be taking on more debt and running larger deficits than we present here today. There will also be people who argue we should be reducing debt faster, cutting Government services, and removing our support for the economy, even as the global pandemic continues to rage. I believe Budget 2021 gets the balance right. It protects New Zealand's strong position by keeping a lid on debt and tracking a responsible return towards surplus while also giving us the ability to make targeted investments where they are needed most to secure our recovery. 