Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): The underlying strength of the New Zealand economy continues to exceed expectations. Statistics New Zealand figures show that manufacturing sales volumes rose in the December 2020 quarter after falling earlier in the year due to COVID-19. Total manufacturing sales volumes rose to $26.8 billion, up 0.5 percent from the previous quarter. Volumes are also slightly above levels seen before COVID-19 hit in early 2020. The growth in sales was led by gains in electrical and machinery manufacturing, mainly in the electronic and electrical equipment subindustry. While particular sectors in regions in New Zealand will continue to suffer the effects from COVID-19, this is good news for our manufacturing sector, which has benefited in response to COVID-19 by a buoyant construction industry and other demands.