Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I thank the member for her enthusiasm for reports on the economy. The labour market report from Stats New Zealand out yesterday highlights that New Zealand is relatively well positioned against the countries we normally measure ourselves against. On comparable measures, New Zealand's 4 percent unemployment rate stands against 5.2 percent in Australia, 5.9 percent in the United States, and 8 percent in Canada. The OECD average is 6.6 percent. Looking at employment rates, New Zealand has performed even more favourably among OECD nations. New Zealand has the third-highest employment rate, alongside Japan. Australia is seventh, the United Kingdom is eighth, Canada is 14th, and the United States is 23rd. The Government's economic plan is working, resulting in more Kiwis in jobs and higher wages.