Oral Questions

1. to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government’s statements and actions?

Yes, particularly the Government’s decision to deliver record investment in infrastructure. Today’s package includes $6.8 billion of new transport projects, with a significant portion for roads and rail; $400 million of upgrades and maintenance for schools; $300 million of regional investment opportunities; $300 million of investment in our hospitals and health infrastructure; and $200 million of projects to reduce emissions. With New Zealand’s low debt and borrowing costs, this is the right time to invest to futureproof New Zealand, after nine years of neglected infrastructure under the National Government.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: How has she let the economy move into deficit in just two years?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would point out that the last Government was more often in deficit than it was not. I’d also like to point out, of course, that a substantial amount of the short-term temporary deficit that we will experience and then move swiftly out of does relate to forecasts around ACC. Of course, as the member will know, they are feeling the effects of the global downturn, as most economies are experiencing at present. I’d also point out that we’ve already had $13 billion worth of forecast surplus, and we are forecast to run another $12 billion worth of surpluses, which is noteworthy indeed.

💬 SPEAKER: I just want to say to the House that I received some very favourable comments yesterday about the tone of the House and the fact that people were—

💬 Hon Member: Oh yeah.

💬 SPEAKER: Who interjected then? Who made that comment? Who made the comment? Someone on my left made a loud comment then. Who was it? That will have a universal punishment as a result. I’m going to ask the Prime Minister to continue. I’m going to reiterate the comment that I was making. I got positive feedback yesterday from the fact that people could hear answers and people were not shouted down. Can I encourage people to continue that—and right from the first question, there’s been an attempt to shout down the Minister giving a reply.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Perhaps the public reaction that you’ve been made aware of to yesterday’s question time session was largely due to the sombre nature of the day, but also the fact that, in recognising the sombre nature, there were very clear and specific answers from Ministers and there was a notable absence of the sort of political flick that we just saw from the Prime Minister. When those occur, as you’ve observed yourself, then naturally there will be some kind of reaction, and that is not unreasonable.

💬 SPEAKER: I totally agree with the member, but the reaction should not be unreasonable.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Does the Prime Minister accept that, on becoming Prime Minister, Treasury forecast surpluses as far as they make projections, to 2032?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course, the member will be well aware that, in the intervening period, we have entered into a process where the International Monetary Fund, OECD—we are seeing a downgrading of forecasts across the board, almost. Global growth is declining, and that is a result, obviously, of trade wars and other significant events that have led us to have the same experience as many other economies that we would compare ourselves to.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Isn’t the reality that prices in terms of meat, horticulture, and dairy have simply never been better, and the only thing that’s changed is her Government?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Why do Treasury forecasts today show 14 of the next 15 years to be in cash deficit?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: First, I’d point out the different measures that the member is using there. The second point that I would make is that, actually, on every measure that is commonly used—GDP growth: we’re sitting, on average, at rates of 2.5; under the last Government, it was more like 2.1. Employment: 4.2 percent; under the last Government, we inherited it at 4.7. Wage growth: on average, 3.5 percent; in the last Government’s first term, 2.1. Debt: at our highest point in the forecast, we’re looking at 21.5 percent relative to GDP; we inherited it at 22.9. So the point I would make to the member is that if, on the forecasts he’s seen, and on the reality that we have presented as a Government, he considers that inadequate, I would ask him to reflect on his own Government’s last record, because relative to them we are doing very, very well.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Will she confirm that her Government is breaching its pledge on Budget responsibility rules by borrowing more?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Two points. No. Of course, we met the debt to GDP ratio that we set ourselves in our first two Budgets. The member well knows we then took the advice of Treasury, and the advice and belief of many others, that we should move to a range. That is what we’ve adopted. Not only are we within that range with the forecasts the member’s seen today; we’re well within it. Again, I would point out that, at its highest point, we’re looking at a debt to GDP ratio of 21.5. When we inherited the economy from the last Government, it was at 22.9.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Was the Budget responsibility pledge only for the first two Budgets of this Government?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, the member well knows it was across a forecast period. Not only, as I’ve said, did we meet that for those first two Budgets; we moved to a range which, of course, has been well publicised, well documented, and well endorsed by commentators.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Isn’t it the case that no significant transport infrastructural projects will be started by this Government before the next election?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: What projects will be started in transport before the next election?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I’ve previously discussed in this House, in July 2018, funding was approved for the Awakino Tunnel bypass. Construction starts July—[Interruption] Mr Speaker?

💬 SPEAKER: Order!

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Construction starts in July 2019. We’ve funded Loop Road; construction starts in February 2019. Ōpōnoni—again, I point out funding and beginning: funding approved May 2018, construction starts March 2019. State Highway 1, Waipapa, State Highway 10, Ladies Mile Corridor, Edendale—I could go on, but the point stands that we’ve not only approved funding but started construction on a number of projects. As the member also knows, under the last Government, their transport spending was $3.7 billion. Under us, it’s $4.5 billion, and we’ve just added another $6.8 billion. Again, our investment has been significant.

💬 Clayton Mitchell: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was wondering if the Prime Minister could table this document. It might help out the Leader of the Opposition for further questions moving forward.

💬 SPEAKER: Well, I’m going to ask, first of all, is it an official document that the Prime Minister is quoting from?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My understanding is that this is information that’s available freely from the New Zealand Transport Agency, and I have shared in the House before. The member just continues to ask the question. I’m happy to keep providing it.

💬 SPEAKER: It’s a matter for the Minister to table it if she wants to. It’s not an official document. If the Minister wants to table it, she can. There is no requirement to table it.

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I’d just confirm that it’s publicly available, so I’ll stick with convention. [Interruption]

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Members, especially experienced members and those who have been in these buildings for a period of time, know that it is often the habit of Ministers to do notes on top of briefing notes that they have, and those are never tabled.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Is the reason why no specific infrastructure projects have been announced today is because the Government has no plan and doesn’t know how to deliver?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Are we wasting a term as the economy runs down and no significant infrastructure starts?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Could I point out the ambiguity of that last question. It would more appropriately apply to the person asking the question than against the Government, when the Prime Minister has already laid out, and so has the Minister of Finance today, categorically the level of expenditure that’s going in.

💬 SPEAKER: Yes. While I, and I’m sure most members of the House, would always like questions to logically flow from answers that have been there beforehand, we’ve never managed to achieve that standard in the House, and I’m certainly not going to try and enforce it.

💬 SPEAKER: Question number two, Dr Deborah Russell.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.

💬 SPEAKER: Oh, sorry. Supplementary question, the Hon Gerry Brownlee.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: No, it’s not a supplementary question. I said a point of order.

💬 SPEAKER: A point of order, the Hon Gerry Brownlee.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: Your response to the Rt Hon Winston Peters was appropriate, but it didn’t deal with the fact that he was suggesting that the Opposition should actually swallow hook, line, and sinker everything the Prime Minister says.

💬 SPEAKER: Now, the Rt Hon Winston Peters’ point of order was marginal. The Hon Gerry Brownlee’s wasn’t even close.

Question No. 2—Finance

2. to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has he made about Government investment to boost the New Zealand economy?

Today, I announced that the Government is lifting capital investment by $12 billion to the highest level in more than 20 years in order to futureproof the New Zealand economy. Of this increase, we have allocated $8 billion for specific capital projects and we have increased the multi-year capital allowance for future Budgets by $4 billion. This Government inherited a huge infrastructure challenge when we took office including rundown hospitals, roads that were announced but not paid for, overcrowded classrooms, and a State housing shortage. This package shows New Zealanders that this Government is serious about investing in our economy and our prosperity.

💬 Dr Deborah Russell: What sectors will the additional capital be invested in?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The Government’s $8 billion immediate capital investment package includes $6.8 billion for new transport projects, with a significant portion going to roads and rail; $300 million for district health board asset renewal; $200 million for public estate decarbonisation such as removing coal boilers from schools, hospitals, and other public assets; up to $300 million for regional investment opportunities that do not fit within the criteria of the Provincial Growth Fund; and the previously announced $400 million one-off increase to schools’ capital funding. We believe that the time is right for this further capital investment in New Zealand. The cost of borrowing is low, the projects are there to be done, and the books are in good shape, and this will boost the economy.

💬 Dr Deborah Russell: How will this package help boost the New Zealand economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The New Zealand economy is still forecast to grow solidly and grow at a rate faster than many of our trading partners, but this increased investment will provide a further boost for the New Zealand economy in the face of slower than forecast growth and stronger global headwinds. These new investments will increase the size of the economy and will have further positive impacts on GDP beyond the forecast period. The capital investment will provide a combination of shorter-term spending to support economic activity as well as the certainty of medium- and long-term investments that will provide business with a pipeline of Government demand going into the future.

Question No. 3—Prime Minister

3. to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government’s statements and actions?

Yes.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Why have median rents gone up $55 since she’s been Prime Minister?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As was discussed in the House yesterday, there is some dispute over the figures that the member tends to continue to use. He doesn’t, for instance, take into account the outliers in some of those numbers and use what is commonly used as a geometric mean. On those figures, my understanding is that some of those increases are more like $16.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: What effect does she think the significant increases in rent are having on poverty in New Zealand?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course, this is a Government absolutely committed to making sure that rather than things like tax cuts, which do not have a measurable impact on benefiting those in the same way that we can with targeted tax credits, the same impact on low and middle income earners—that’s, of course, why as a Government we prioritise the Families Package over tax cuts. On the housing market, and on rents in particular, the biggest difference we can make is to supply. We have invested heavily in increasing the amount of State housing stock; several thousand houses are currently under construction, over 3,000 places created under this Government—we’re building more than any other Government since the 1970s. Those are things that do have a measurable impact. We acknowledge we, of course, do want to see those rents much more stable than they have been.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: When will we see the 18c to 32c decreases in petrol prices that Kris Faafoi spoke of last week?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, this is something I traversed yesterday. The Minister, responding to the Commerce Commission, has acknowledged—as I would hope the Opposition would—that the Commerce Commission has done a piece of work that shows that consumers are paying more than they should be, and that there are things that we as a Government can do to rectify what’s going on in the market. So whilst I’m not going to predict the final impact of that for consumers, it’s far better than doing nothing, and I don’t suppose that the member would support us leaving it as the status quo.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Will we see any meaningful changes and decreases in petrol prices given changes her Government may make before the election?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As the member well knows, we have already heard from the Commerce Commission that they believe a difference will be made by a more transparent wholesale pricing regime through greater contractual freedoms—and there are terms to facilitate wholesale competition—they believe even that transparency around pricing of premium products will make a difference, and in introducing an enforceable industry code of conduct. So those are all things that we as a Government are pursuing, and we intend to expedite that. I look forward to the member’s support.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: How can we trust her Government when petrol prices have gone from $1.91 to $2.13 a litre on her watch?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because we have brought in the Commerce Commission to analyse what’s gone on in the market; they have pointed to the fact that we have seen changes over the last decade that are inexplicable to the pricing. So that’s why not only can they focus on the fact that we’ve done something about that via the Commerce Commission, we then intend to implement the recommendations they’ve made. I do note that the last Government chose not to do that, and we didn’t, therefore, see the impacts that I hope these changes will make.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: So will we see price decreases before the election?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: What we’ll see is a response and an implementation of the Commerce Commission’s recommendation, which, again, is more—is more—than what we saw under the last Government.

Question No. 4—Education

4. to the Minister of Education: What reports has he seen on the Government’s investment for 2,050 State schools so that they can upgrade their property over the next 24 months?

Over the next two years, the Government will be injecting an additional $400 million capital investment into school properties. Makikihi School has said that the extra $50,000 that they are getting will mean that they can revamp their two multi-level classrooms quicker and fix their roofs that weren’t covered by their original budget. Waimataitai School have said that the $339,000 of funding that they got meant that they were relieved they’d be able to complete a job properly, rather than patching things up. The New Zealand School Trustees Association have said that the Government announcement is a good way for school boards of trustees to end the school year.

💬 Mark Patterson: What does the school property funding recently announced by the Prime Minister mean for schools in Clutha-Southland?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There are 58 schools in Clutha-Southland who’ll be receiving a total of over $6 million to upgrade their classrooms and other property, including Gore High School, who’ll be getting $334,000; Rosebank School in Balclutha, they’ll be getting $178,000; West Gore School, who’ll be getting $159,000; and Milton School, who’ll be receiving $108,000.

💬 Angie Warren-Clark: What does the school property funding announced on Sunday by the Prime Minister mean for schools in the Bay of Plenty?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There are 21 schools in the Bay of Plenty. They’ll receive a total of around $5 million to upgrade their school property and bring forward their upgrade works. That includes schools like Te Puna School, who’ll be getting $158,000; Tahatai Coast School will be receiving $400,000; Arataki School will be getting $341,000.

💬 Hon Aupito William Sio: What does the school property funding announced on Sunday by the Prime Minister mean for schools in Māngere?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There are 21 schools in Māngere who’ll be receiving over $6 million to upgrade their classrooms and their property, including Papatoetoe North School, who will be getting $400,000; Nga Iwi School, who’ll be getting $261,000; and Māngere East School, who will receive $400,000. Schools up and down the country will benefit over the next two years from the significant investment in additional funding in their facilities, as will businesses up and down the country who will be engaged to do that work?

Question No. 5—Finance

5. to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by all of his policies and actions?

Yes, in the context in which they were undertaken. In particular, I stand by my action today to announce $12 billion of additional capital spending to tackle the infrastructure challenge we were left with and boost the New Zealand economy in the face of global economic headwinds.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: How is it possible that he could take an economy growing strongly and surpluses as far as the eye can see and turn that into a slowly growing economy and deficit in just two years?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As already traversed in the questions to the Prime Minister, we have seen a significant downgrading of global growth right across the board. That has a flow-on effect to the New Zealand economy. What we do know is that the New Zealand economy continues to outperform many of our trading partners, including Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK, and the euro area. We are not unaffected by global slowdown, but we are managing the books carefully and well and making the investments New Zealanders need us to make.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: How can New Zealanders have any faith that this won’t be the first of many deficits?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The reason they can have faith in that is because of what was released today by the Treasury, which shows that we go back into surplus and we have $12 billion worth of surpluses in the forecast period.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he now regret his Government cancelling or postponing several major transport infrastructure projects that were consented and ready to go in the first two years of his Government?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No, because the premise of that question is incorrect. In the first two years, what we had to do was fix up mouldy and leaky hospitals, rebuild school classrooms and approve new school classrooms, and begin a new transport programme. What we have announced today is a big and significant boost to a number of areas of capital spending, including over $6.8 billion for transport-related projects. The difference between what we’ve announced today and what the member is referring to is that we’ve actually funded it.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Did his Government feel the need to make its promise over debt levels because New Zealanders don’t trust Labour Governments to live within their means?

💬 SPEAKER: Order! I’m going to ask the member to rephrase it.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well, did his Government, in the Speech from the Throne, feel the need to make its promise over debt levels because it worried that New Zealanders do not trust Labour Governments to live within their means?

💬 SPEAKER: Closer.

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. What we did was we inherited a net debt level of 22.9 percent. We took that down to under 20 percent. And, in the forecast released today, it will peak at 21.5 percent.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Minister of Finance that if dedicating expenditure to projects amounts to what Mr Goldsmith said in the House today—that announcing is not delivering—does it nevertheless sure beat announcing without any dedication of funds whatsoever?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Yes, it most certainly does, because the problem for the Government was that we inherited a series of promises around transport. Many of those were not funded. The announcement we have made today, on top of the $17.7 billion already being spent in the National Land Transport Fund, represents, as I have said, the biggest capital spending we’ve seen in 20 years.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Will he promise that the projects funded by his new borrowing will be more successful than KiwiBuild?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The projects that we have committed ourselves to today will play a very important role in lifting the productivity of New Zealand, of giving certainty, and they will deliver. And—I will repeat my earlier answer—this is actual funding for actual projects rather than the ghost roads.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Will the Minister give effect to his statement that our planet cannot continue to sustain growth that is built on burning more and more fossil fuels through directing ACC to divest nearly one billion dollars in fossil fuel investment?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As we traversed earlier in the House last week, I understand that this is an important issue for many New Zealanders. We have seen the Super Fund take the lead in this regard, and I have written to all of the Crown financial institutions asking them to ensure that they continue to support the overall goals of the Government as we move towards, for example, a low carbon economy.

Question No. 6—Economic Development

6. to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he stand by all of his Government’s policies and actions on economic development?

Yes, especially our Government’s commitment to invest in the infrastructure our economy needs, including the Minister of Finance’s announcement today that the Government will invest $12 billion more in essential infrastructure, the highest in more than 20 years.

💬 Chris Bishop: What does it say about the Government’s record on economic development that today’s figures show economic growth has been slashed, tax revenues are down, and debt is on the rise?

💬 Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well, we know that there are heightened global headwinds that are feeding through to uncertainty, like the US-China trade war, like Brexit and geopolitical tensions. There’s no question that these have had an effect on us and all of our trading partners, but the forecasts show that the economy is predicted to grow, on average, at 2.5 percent over the forecast period. That’s faster than Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, Japan, and the eurozone. Unemployment is forecast to stay low, business investment is forecast to increase as a result of the Government’s announcement today on infrastructure investment, and GDP growth is forecast at 2.8 percent next year. In the pre-election economic and fiscal update before we took office, it was only forecast to be 2.2 percent in that year.

💬 Chris Bishop: What responsibility does he take for the domestic uncertainty weighing on those responsible for driving economic growth?

💬 Hon PHIL TWYFORD: None at all. We have a bigger pipeline of capital investment and infrastructure than that Government did. We are currently spending in transport. We are spending $4.5 billion this year. The former Government only spent $3.8 billion on transport. We are the Government of infrastructure, not the Government of rhetoric that that party was.

💬 Chris Bishop: Well, just in relation to that last comment, can he name a single major project that has started in the last two years that will drive economic development through infrastructure spending?

💬 Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Yes, the replacement of the Manawatū Gorge State highway. It’s a major State highway project. The former Government didn’t do it and we are.

💬 Hon Grant Robertson: Is the Minister familiar with this graph on net capital spending, which shows that, in the years from 2009 through to 2017, capital spending stayed extremely low, and shows the forecast for an extremely large increase in capital spending in the future?

💬 Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I have seen that graph and the data it’s based on, and I think it shows that some people talk about infrastructure; other people do it.

💬 Chris Bishop: Just in relation to that last comment, does he stand by that comment in light of repeated commitments to start a light rail project for which nothing has happened in the last two years?

💬 Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I reject the premise of the member’s question, and I remind the member that some of the former National Government’s so-called roads of national significance took seven years from announcement until they were built. That Government postponed the City Rail Link in Auckland by five years. They said they wouldn’t build light rail in Auckland for another 30 years. We’re getting on and doing it.

💬 Hon Chris Hipkins: Can the Minister confirm that a significant amount of things like planning and consenting for some of those roads of national significance—like Transmission Gully, for example—happened under the last Labour Government?

💬 Hon PHIL TWYFORD: That’s correct, and the former Government, on the question of delivery of roads, distinguished themselves on a record of promising ghost roads and bridges that they never ever built.

Question No. 7—Civil Defence

7. to the Minister of Civil Defence: What actions have the National Emergency Management Agency taken in response to the eruption on Whakaari / White Island?

As per the response delivered on my behalf yesterday by the Hon Grant Robertson, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is still coordinating the all-of-Government response to the eruption and ensuring that the focus is on keeping people at the centre of the response. To ensure public safety and wellbeing, the National Emergency Management Agency has created a national action plan to coordinate support at the national level for the delivery of essential services to affected families. The plan coordinates the specific actions required by each agency going forward, which will also continue throughout recovery.

💬 Tamati Coffey: Where can people affected by the emergency seek financial support?

💬 Hon PEENI HENARE: Extra support is available to people affected by the White Island eruption. Work and Income can help with financial support to those impacted, including for loss of income and housing assistance. ACC can provide support to those who were injured or have lost a family member as well as payment for medical care. For further details, I encourage the public to go to the Government’s factsheet, which can be found on NEMA’s website: civildefence.govt.nz

💬 Tamati Coffey: Where can people seek support—mental health support—if they are feeling distressed?

💬 Hon PEENI HENARE: The events from the other day have had a significant impact on the community. It is normal to feel upset following an event like this. If people need support or advice, they can text or phone 1737 to speak to a trained counsellor. Several organisations are also providing emotional and mental wellbeing services to those impacted by this event, including Red Cross, Victim Support, and the cruise-line company for Ovation of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International.

Question No. 8—Health

8. to the Minister of Health: What was the number of elective patients funded by DHBs and discharged from surgical specialties in 2018/19, and how does that compare to 2017/18?

Our public health service is delivering more care to more people than ever before. We’re seeing more acute surgeries and more non-admitted procedures delivered by DHBs, and, for the first time ever, the number of discharges from our hospitals has topped one million. Elective surgery discharges are part of a wider measure—planned care. There were 268,747 planned care procedures completed in 2018-19, including 199,080 elective surgeries. The total number of planned care procedures is 5,000 more than the year before. In 2017/18, there were 203,458 elective surgeries.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: Is the target of an increase in the volume of elective surgeries by an average of 4,000 discharges per year, as described on the Ministry of Health website, still in place?

💬 Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: This Government is focused on planned care, which is about making sure more New Zealanders have access to more services. There are a wide range of measures—dozens—across the system which continue to be measured, because we want to ensure that there’s a system-wide response and that our healthcare services are delivering more care over time to more people.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was straightforward but wasn’t addressed.

💬 SPEAKER: I think the member does know, though—I think the question was addressed, but the member does know he cannot insist on a yes or no answer.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: No. Quite right.

💬 SPEAKER: I think it was addressed but you didn’t get a yes/no answer—Speaker’s Ruling 171/4 or 171/5, somewhere around there from memory.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: If the 4,000 increase target is no longer in place, why did the Government invest $31.5 million in Vote Health 2018-19 to “support the delivery of the Electives … Target. The output is the agreed Health Target discharges,”?

💬 Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Elective surgeries are not the only measure of success in our public health service. What New Zealanders want, and what I want, is that people get the appropriate care they need when they need it. Overall, we’ve seen an increase in planned care, which covers electives as well as minor operations, including many eye procedures, some gynaecological procedures, and skin lesion removals. In 2018-19 there were around 5,000 more planned care interventions than the previous year. We’re treating more people in the right clinical setting, which is more appropriate and efficient.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: Isn’t he just fudging the numbers in that the actual number is not only 5,775 fewer than the previous year but 9,775 fewer than the Government actually planned for?

💬 Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: No.

Question No. 9—Housing (Public Housing)

9. to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): How many reports, if any, of instances of anti-social behaviour by state or emergency housing tenants have there been since this Government took office?

Kāinga Ora provide over 65,000 properties to over 185,000 women and children. They have advised me that, for the period from 31 October 2017 to 31 November 2019, there have been an average of 970 reports of antisocial behaviour per month. Reports of antisocial behaviour by tenants include such things as car noise, frequency of visitors, lawns not being mowed, and dogs. Over the period the member has asked, there have been a total of 24,386 reports of antisocial behaviour to Kāinga Ora, and this is consistent with the reported instances under the previous Government. While many reports are found to have no merit, Kāinga Ora works closely with people who make complaints about tenants, as we acknowledge living next to a disruptive neighbour can be stressful. Reports of antisocial behaviour by emergency housing tenants cannot be quantified. This would require a file-by-file analysis across multiple providers, and that data is not available.

💬 Simon O’Connor: What does he say to neighbours of some State house tenants, who have to put up with rubbish being continually dumped on their property, loud music, residents parked—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will ask no more than two supplementary questions. He’s up to three already.

💬 Hon KRIS FAAFOI: As I acknowledged, sometimes living next to a disruptive neighbour can cause stress. I would ask that if those neighbours of tenants have not already asked for help from Kāinga Ora, they do so, because the complaints process is making sure that they are looked after.

💬 Simon O’Connor: How many people, if any, have been evicted for antisocial behaviour from State houses since the Labour Government took office?

💬 Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Termination—or eviction—of a tenancy is only considered an option if circumstances place staff, contractors, or the public at serious risk. Sometimes, to sustain a tenancy, Kāinga Ora may need to find a tenant a more appropriate home to live in, which may be with another housing provider. Kāinga Ora and emergency housing providers will refer cases to police when the behaviour is illegal. I will add that we aren’t following the previous Government’s policy of having no compassion, because if we make an eviction and don’t find an alternative means of accommodation for those tenants, they will end up coming back to us in the end.

💬 Simon O’Connor: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was not answered. It was quite specific about how many. We got a fantastic, broad explanation, or justification, but I did ask how many, and it was a pretty straight question.

💬 SPEAKER: I think the question was addressed.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That member has put his finger on it, but mistakenly so. This Minister of housing is not responsible for any Labour Government. There is a lexicon in this business since the election in 2017—[Interruption]—and there has been for 27 years—and here we are, a Minister being asked for responsibility—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. [Interruption] The member will resume his seat. The two members who interjected then will stand—

💬 Chris Bishop: I withdraw and apologise.

💬 SPEAKER: Well, I’m trying to—I’m waiting for the second person even to look in my direction at the moment. That member will withdraw and apologise.

💬 Chris Bishop: I withdraw and apologise.

💬 SPEAKER: Thank you. I think the member had made his point by way of point of order.

💬 Simon O’Connor: So does he consider it fair that almost 14,000 of our most vulnerable families are being forced to wait on the social housing wait-list while people are abusing the generosity of the State?

💬 Hon KRIS FAAFOI: What I find is unfair is that the previous Government didn’t do anything about the demand in housing, and if they had built to the level at which we are, there would be no housing register.

💬 Marama Davidson: How does this Government plan to support the wellbeing of State house tenants with complex needs, ensuring they can remain in their homes?

💬 Hon KRIS FAAFOI: In the context of the primary question, if there are complaints from neighbours of Kāinga Ora tenants, Kāinga Ora works very closely with those tenants to have a management plan. As you can imagine, some of those tenants may have complex issues such as mental health issues or drug and alcohol issues to manage, and simply not dealing with those, and perhaps taking the attitude of the previous Government, only pushes the problem out further.

💬 Hon Dr Megan Woods: Does he think it’s fair that there are over 14,000 people on the State house wait-list, largely as a consequence of the fact that the previous Government failed to build State houses and, in fact, sold them off? If they had built at the same rate—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Order! The member had her two, and she was attempting to make a speech. Therefore, I will rule that question out. If the member had been listening to her colleague, she would have heard the question answered anyway.

Question No. 10—Police

10. to the Minister of Police: What actions have the Police taken in response to the eruption on Whakaari / White Island?

Police are working hard to ascertain whether it is safe to land on the island to recover the victims. Please let me assure the House and the people of New Zealand that this is a police priority. Results from a flight that collected gas samples on Tuesday afternoon are currently being analysed, and this is important for understanding the processes driving volcanic activity and assessing deployment risk. The New Zealand Defence Force and Fire and Emergency New Zealand staff also launched a drone at 8.30 this morning, and information from this surveillance will help inform decisions by police. Police will work closely with WorkSafe and the coroner in their investigations, and police continue to support families of victims on the ground, with the assistance of local iwi, Red Cross, and Victim Support. As I said yesterday in the House, the bottom line is that police are doing all they possibly can in what is a tragic and significant event. For now, our duty and priority is a return of people’s loved ones to them. I am confident that police are doing all they can to achieve this.

💬 Ginny Andersen: What advice has he seen from scientists about the likely conditions that police recovery teams would face following the eruption at Whakaari / White Island?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: GNS Science (GNS) has advised that at around 4 this morning the level of volcanic tremor significantly increased on Whakaari. Ongoing monitoring by GNS suggests continuing high gas pressures within the volcano. Poisonous and corrosive gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and sulphur dioxide are, I understand, present. High levels of these gases can make it difficult to breathe, can cause loss of consciousness and damage airways and internal organs, and, in extreme cases, can kill people. The conditions are compounded by volatile jets of super-hot steam and mud in several sites. GNS reports that the situation remains highly uncertain as to future activity, and eruptions in the next 24 hours are still likely to occur. I’m advised that those who will be deployed to the island, which will include members of the police disaster victim identification team, will encounter serious physical and chemical hazards. It is a contaminated site that requires the utmost precautions, and police need to prepare for the conditions to ensure their people understand the risks and can do their job safely.

💬 Ginny Andersen: What advice has he received from police about the victim identification process?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: Since yesterday, it has been confirmed that six people are now confirmed deceased, eight people are unaccounted for, and up to 25 people of the 31 patients in specialist burn units have critical injuries. Police and Health and others are moving as fast and as carefully as they can. Post-mortem examinations are being carried out in Auckland today by specialist forensic pathologists. Disaster victim identification is extremely difficult in cases like this, where there are serious burns. Sadly, visual identification is not possible. It is poor practice to rely on visual identification alone. There have been cases of mistaken identity in the past when visual identity has been solely relied on. It is always a challenge when there is a mass fatality event. We want to reunite families with the bodies of their loved ones as soon as we can.

Question No. 11—Agriculture

11. to the Minister of Agriculture: What were the key conclusions of the high-level advice his Ministry for Primary Industries officials said they provided him with to support the Essential Freshwater work programme proposals?

on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture: On behalf of the Minister, I will mention two: firstly, that New Zealand needs to do better to protect our waterways and the brand values that underpin our export returns; and, secondly, that for many farmers who are already doing great work, the cost will be minimal. They accept we must protect our natural environment.

💬 Todd Muller: What is his response to DairyNZ’s multiple - peer reviewed economic modelling that shows the Essential Freshwater policy package is one of the largest economic challenges posed to the dairy sector in a generation, potentially costing up to $6 billion a year by 2050?

💬 SPEAKER: Order! I am going to ask the member to rephrase the question to include either something from the question or the answer. The member asked about a completely different set of recommendations.

💬 Todd Muller: What specific economic cost did the Ministry for Primary Industries suggest the Essential Freshwater reforms would have on rural New Zealand?

That clearly depends on the catchment in question, the farm practice in question, and will vary. I would note that, overall, costs will be much lower than the recent increases in returns to farmers from the prices that are being received under this Government—in no small part because the exchange rate has settled to a more realistic level for New Zealand under this Government’s policies.

💬 Todd Muller: Is he saying that the recent adjustment in offshore market returns is going to compensate the industry’s assessment of the cost being $60 billion, or $6 billion a year, by 2050?

No, I didn’t say that, and it wasn’t even in the member’s question. Now that it’s in this question, I would refute that. I would note that one of the cost assumptions in the DairyNZ modelling is that it assumes that no change was required under the 2017 national policy statement of the prior Government and asserts that it’s a cost of this package. We don’t think that’s correct.

💬 Todd Muller: What does he say to the chief executive of Rabobank, who, in the recent survey released two days ago, suggested that those future costs in Government policy were driving the level of sentiment in the sector that has not been seen in a generation?

I would disagree. I would say that there’s a lot of good news out there. There are record prices, there’s a realistic exchange rate, there’s record low interest rates, and the only negativity seems to be both the tightening of credit from the banks themselves and the sentiment of the National Party.

Question No. 12—Education

12. to the Associate Minister of Education: What steps are the Government taking to better support pre-school children with learning support needs?

In July this year, I launched the Learning Support Action Plan. Priority three of this plan is to strengthen early intervention by improving the type, mix, and volume of services available. As part of the learning support delivery model regions are implementing a range of local approaches to better meet demand for learning support in their communities. Children’s needs vary, and not everyone requires individualised specialist support. Many will benefit from advice or training for their whānau, their teachers, or the people they spend most time with. Local approaches reflect this and include providing initial advice and support more quickly through locally run clinics or hubs, or through establishing regular liaison visits where early learning teachers and parents can meet with professionals and discuss their concerns as they arise; building the skills and knowledge of whānau and early learning services through training, coaching, or team planning sessions so they can support their children more effectively; and working with partner organisations to ensure the most appropriate supports for a child is requested. We’re also working with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust to co-design and deliver an awareness campaign to ensure parents and kaiako can identify needs and access the supports they require.

💬 Mark Patterson: Where are these local approaches in place?

💬 Hon TRACEY MARTIN: In the Wellington region, one of the new approaches being trialled with the 16 He Whānau Manaaki kindergartens in Porirua is to allocate ministry specialist staff as key workers for specific early learning centres. Learning support specialists visit regularly and respond on the spot to concerns. Over 100 families have met with our staff since the end of January 2019. They’ve all received support, ranging from advice and guidance to immediate allocation for a more tailored early intervention service. In Tai Rāwhiti, ministry specialists run awhi appointments, where whānau receive immediate advice and guidance about how to support their children’s communication. In Papakura, Franklin, and Manurewa, ministry staff have been working with Plunket on an initiative to better respond to need in the areas. Each month, a ministry speech language therapist and early intervention teacher spend the day at the Plunket rooms in Papakura and Franklin. Parents and whānau are able to meet with ministry specialists to discuss needs that have been identified through the regular Plunket check. In Otago-Southland, staff provide a liaison approach to supporting high-referring early learning services. Specialists visit the early learning service regularly and work with their management to identify children of concern who might need support, the nature of their needs, and how they might be addressed.

💬 Mark Patterson: What has been the impact of these approaches, and is the answer to these needs all about money?

💬 Hon TRACEY MARTIN: Despite supporting 636, or 5.8 percent, more children than the same time last year, waiting lists for early intervention supports are beginning to trend down and average waiting times are decreasing. While this Government has invested an extra $5.9 million into early intervention, the demand for services keeps increasing, so we need to find new and better ways to provide support for our preschool children.