Oral Questions

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

Yes, particularly the decision to invest $1.4 billion in New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccination programme to ensure every New Zealander can receive a free vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccination programme is key to securing our economic recovery. We’ll continue to face uncertainties over the coming year, as COVID-19 spreads and evolves globally, and it’s critical we keep investing in our health response to keep New Zealanders safe. We’ve sufficient doses to vaccinate every New Zealander for free and support our Pacific neighbours. Additional vaccines deemed safe and effective can be deferred for later use and further donated to support regional recovery.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Will all New Zealanders be able to get a COVID vaccine by the end of this year?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Certainly, based on the arrangements that we have with Pfizer, we will have vaccines available in order for all New Zealanders to be able to access a vaccine this year. What we all have a duty to do is encourage New Zealanders to do so. We have seen—and this is really heartening—a decrease in the hesitancy. We continually keep an eye on what’s happening with New Zealanders’ perspective of the vaccine, and over time, as people are being vaccinated, we’re seeing a decline in that hesitancy. But you see globally, even in countries who have been very early adopters with their roll-out, a little bit of plateauing in that vaccination uptake, and we hope that’s not something we experience here in New Zealand.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Does she agree with the Local Government Funding Agency chief executive, Mark Butcher, warning new centralised water entities will face higher borrowing costs than councils as they seek to invest up to $185 billion in new water infrastructure?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: This was actually the analysis that I spoke to yesterday, and it’s one of the reasons that we have been undertaking the three waters reforms. It was instigated by the fact that we had a community who was devastated by such a significant failure in the provision of safe drinking water, and when we then took a look across the water infrastructure across the country, we saw consistent lack of investment—for a number of reasons, but consistent lack of investment. The current local government investment rate is about $1.5 billion annually, or $45 billion over the next 30 years, and as the member has just highlighted, analysis suggests that over the next 30 to 40 years, it could need to be between $120 billion and $185 billion.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: What is her response to Mayor Phil Goff’s 13 May letter to her and other Ministers that states, “Thank you for your letter received 5 May 2021 about the proposed three waters service delivery reform. I am not convinced that the proposed governance arrangements will improve efficiency for Auckland. Auckland has worked cooperatively with DIA; however, the current structure proposed is unlikely to find favour with Auckland and its council.”?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We continue to work alongside Auckland Council because we take a different view. Obviously, we have to look at water provision and infrastructure through a national lens; Mayor Phil Goff, of course, looks at it through an Auckland lens. Our perspective is that, regardless, actually, there are benefits to Aucklanders by being a part of the three waters programme, but some of the issues that, for instance, Mayor Goff has raised are whether or not he wishes to sit alongside the provision and infrastructure investment of the likes of Northland, whereas, of course, if you take a “New Zealand Inc.” approach, we all need to see healthy drinking water across the country, no matter where you are a ratepayer.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Does she agree with Mayor Phil Goff that the Government’s proposal that “The governors’ representative group will comprise representatives ranging from four to six local authorities, and up to 50 iwi. Gaining consensus among all the parties is likely to be a time-consuming and expensive undertaking.”?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The alternative is that we continue with the current arrangements, where, as I have just identified, we have significant under-investment in the infrastructure we all rely on. I would point to the fact that, actually, by and large, we have significant support across local government. There are a few cases where we have some mayors who take an alternative view. We are working closely alongside them, but, by and large, Local Government New Zealand and many mayors and councils recognise that we have a problem and that we need to work together to find a solution.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Can she rule out a water governance structure for the upper North Island where elected representatives are not a majority?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We’ve made no final decisions on the shape of arrangements for a more consolidated approach to governance, but what I can say is that, to date, the member’s claims around some of these discussions have been patently incorrect. The member, for instance, put out a press statement on Sunday claiming, of course, that there would be ownership of assets by, for instance, Ngāi Tahu. That is wrong. Ngāi Tahu refuted it themselves. So I would say to the member again, if you want to join the debate, I would encourage you to. Firstly, a conversation with representatives from Local Government New Zealand would be a helpful start.

💬 SPEAKER: I will go to the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, but I would remind the Prime Minister that when she addresses “you”, she means me.

💬 Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Is the Prime Minister aware of reports in Auckland where stormwater overflow going into beaches in Auckland makes them unswimmable, and that, in effect, is another reason why there needs to be change?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Absolutely, and I would also recognise in recent times, of course, significant draw on Waikato River. This is where we need to recognise that, actually, we are frequently crossing over simple territorial boundaries, so it makes sense for us to be having these conversations at a much wider level.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Does she agree with Mayor Phil Goff that “Without elected representatives able to ensure real accountability, the organisation runs the risk of becoming self-centred, with very highly paid executives not hearing public concerns.”?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I disagree with that.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Will all of the new water entities have iwi co-governance; in which case, how will that look?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, we have not made final decisions on the governance arrangements for the water entities. However, again, the member may wish to start her conversation with Local Government New Zealand. They themselves, and in many regions and districts, have instigated conversations directly with iwi representatives as they work through these issues. It only seems to be the member herself who views that as a negative thing, when Local Government New Zealand has been a part of it.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Point of order. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table a copy of a letter on the Office of the Mayor of Auckland’s letterhead dated 13 May 2021, to which I have referred in my questions.

💬 SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that letter being tabled? There appears to be none.

Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.

💬 Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Point of order. I seek leave to table a response to Mayor Goff on 23 May, in relation to the letter being tabled.

💬 SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that letter being tabled? There appears to be none.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Speaking to that point of order, Mr Speaker. How can the member seek leave to table a letter dated a day that hasn’t actually occurred yet?

💬 Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Sorry, my apologies; I misquoted the date. But can I seek leave to table the response to that letter that is being tabled in the House?

💬 SPEAKER: Has it already been tabled?

💬 Hon Nanaia Mahuta: No. No it hasn’t.

💬 SPEAKER: No, OK. Is there any objection—I think we can sum it up pretty easily. Is there any objection in tabling the Minister’s response to the letter referred to by the Leader of the Opposition? There appears to be none.

Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.

Question No. 2—Finance

2. to the Minister of Finance: What are the Government’s priorities for Budget 2021?

The Government has three priorities for this term that are reflected in Budget 2021: keeping New Zealanders safe from COVID-19; accelerating our recovery and rebuild; and tackling our foundational challenges, including housing affordability, climate change, and child wellbeing. Of course, not all manifesto commitments can be delivered in one Budget, but Budget 2021 should be seen as step one in a package of Budgets this term to be delivered to meet the Government’s goals.

💬 Arena Williams: How are the Government’s wellbeing objectives being reflected in Budget 2021?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Every initiative that comes through the Budget process is assessed against the wellbeing objectives, project readiness, and value for money. The wellbeing objectives for Budget 2021 are enduring from the previous two Budgets. They are a just transition to a low-emissions economy; enabling all New Zealanders to benefit from the future of work; lifting Māori and Pacific incomes, skills, and opportunities; child wellbeing; and physical and mental wellbeing.

💬 Arena Williams: What’s the economic context for Budget 2021?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Our economic recovery is on a sound footing. Many economic indicators are showing better than expected results, and this reflects the resilience of New Zealand’s economy and the confidence in the Government’s recovery plan. The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt all over the world, reminding us that we are still in a volatile global economic environment. While our economy is doing well, we are also mindful of the borrowing that we’ve undertaken to support New Zealanders through COVID-19. Budget 2021 will reflect a balanced approach, emphasising spending to areas and people where it is needed most, alongside careful fiscal management.

💬 Andrew Bayly: Has the Minister considered rethinking his priorities, given the report today from Baker Tilly Staples Rodway, which showed that 71 percent of New Zealand companies are unhappy with Labour’s post-COVID strategy and 68 percent believed it was poorly managing the economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: In answer to the first part of the question, no. The Government is committed to the plan and strategy that we have. It is one that has seen businesses in New Zealand thrive and our unemployment rate come in at one of the lowest in the OECD.

Question No. 3—Health

3. to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions?

on behalf of the Minister of Health: Yes.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Can he confirm that the $197.9 million annual free health check for seniors will be cancelled tomorrow, as he suggested in his Budget letter to the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson?

I’m presuming that the letter the member refers to is the letter that he had in his press statement yesterday, which was a draft letter prepared by the Ministry of Health. It is not a letter that the Minister of Health sent to the Minister of Finance. And as for what’s in the Budget tomorrow, the member just has one more sleep to wait.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: When he wrote in his Budget letter to the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! I’m just going to remind the member that he’s been given a direct rebuttal of whether the letter which the member’s been quoting from is in fact a letter that’s been sent to the Minister of Finance. I think if the member referred to the ministry draft, he might well be allowed to ask the question.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: When he wrote in a ministry draft—

💬 SPEAKER: No, no—no, no.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: —or in a ministry draft to the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, that he was seeking 20 mobile dental clinics and a $200 million Pharmac boost in Budget 2021, how much more could he have done if there were not costs associated with restructuring the health system?

I just refer the member to the previous answer that it was a draft prepared by the Ministry of Health. The Minister of Health did not agree with much of what was in the draft and it was never sent.

💬 Dr SHANE RETI: When he cited a draft letter to Grant Robertson saying he could seek less funding in Budget 2021 by reducing specialist services at provincial hospitals, how does he explain that to rural communities who rely on their local hospital?

Those rural communities can have confidence that the Minister of Health did not agree with the contents of the draft letter, rejected it—never sent it!

💬 Dr Shane Reti: In the draft letter he refers to, to Grant Robertson, saying he could seek less funding in Budget 2021 by changing the eligibility for aged residential care and disability related services, does he stand by those statements?

I think the biggest challenge we have here is a comprehension one. The letter was not the Minister of Health’s letter. He did not write it, he did not agree with what was in it, and he did not send it.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: He signed it. How could he not send it if he signed it?

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Very clear statements from the Minister.

Question No. 4—Prime Minister

4. to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that “Inequality has progressed almost as rapidly as development”?

Yes, I stand by my full statement, which was made at a United Nations - related event in September 2019 where I was talking about the global context. The full statement was: “The world has changed immeasurably since then. … Inequality has progressed almost as rapidly as development. But thankfully some values endure. In Aotearoa New Zealand, we have always tried to look out for each other, and do [the] right [thing] by one another. Our track record of striving for equality, and our values of compassion and fairness are sources of national pride. But that hasn’t always translated into the progress and gains we need.”

💬 David Seymour: Does she agree with the statement of Jacinda Ardern that 40 percent of New Zealanders having 3 percent of the country’s wealth is a “marker of political failure”?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would refer to the fact that even as an international community within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, there is specifically a reference to trying to see a greater speed of growth in the incomes for those who are on the lowest 40 percent, and whilst we want to see growth in people’s incomes generally, we need to see more rapid growth at that end if we are able to do something about inequality. In New Zealand, we haven’t seen the same pace of growth in that lower quartile, and that’s been a consistent issue for a number of years. It’s something traversed and picked up on by Bryan Perry in our household income surveys. It’s something that we continue as a Government to try and address.

💬 David Seymour: What, then, does it say about her Government that, under its time, wealth inequality has increased and now 50 percent of New Zealanders hold just 2 percent of assets, according to the latest household economic survey?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Whether or not you look at, for instance, what we’re trying to do in the housing market, or whether or not you look at, even, things like the reason that we were so focused in our recently released pay guidance to lift those who are on the lowest incomes at a faster rate—that is all about the work we’re trying to do to deal with inequality in New Zealand. No one on this side of the House is sitting on our laurels saying that we have made all of the progress needed. Our view is we haven’t. As I’ve said, that has been a consistent problem right through from the 1980s through to more recently. So it is something that we are working hard to address.

💬 David Seymour: Can the Prime Minister tell the House and the people of New Zealand when her policies will start working to reverse the growing wealth inequality under her Government?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Well, I would point to the child poverty indicators, which are an indication of both relative poverty and also inequality, because they are measures, by and large, of the number of people living on 50 percent or less of the median income in New Zealand. And we have seen, against our baselines, a decline in poverty across those nine measures. It hasn’t been at the pace that we would like, but we are starting to see the difference our policies are making. Our view is we just need to keep going.

💬 David Seymour: Does she accept that many middle-income New Zealanders are feeling squeezed; and will Budget 2021 provide any tax relief to those who rely on earning money to provide for themselves and their families?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: To that I would say the Budget is tomorrow and people will make their own assessments.

Question No. 5—COVID-19 Response

5. to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What investment has the Government made in New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccination programme?

The Government is investing $1.4 billion in New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccination programme to ensure that every New Zealander can receive a free vaccination. Our health response has been strong and successful so far, but we are taking nothing for granted. Setting aside $1.4 billion for vaccines and for the infrastructure associated with that means that New Zealand is well placed to meet our COVID-19 challenges head on. It is a massive investment as we continue to support what is the biggest single undertaking the health system has faced.

💬 Dr Gaurav Sharma: How does the investment specifically contribute to New Zealand’s vaccination programme?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Of that $1.4 billion, $964.3 million of that is for the advance purchase and the COVAX facility purchases that will support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines; $66.3 million covers the cost of specialist vaccine equipment, including syringes and related vaccine storage facilities and transport; the remaining $356.9 million has been allocated for technology to support the roll-out, funding for DHBs, ongoing support for Medsafe, and to stand up community immunisation centres.

💬 Dr Gaurav Sharma: How is the investment already supporting the vaccination roll-out?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: This investment means that we can continue to scale-up our vaccination programme across the country as extra vaccines arrive in the country. As of midnight last night, we have so far delivered 474,435 doses of the vaccine across New Zealand. Within that, more than 152,000 New Zealanders have received their second doses, meaning that they are receiving the maximum protection from the vaccine. Just yesterday, we delivered 14,000 doses nationally, and we expect to hit the half-million doses mark within the next 48 hours. We know that the COVID-19 vaccination programme is key to securing our economic recovery, and that the effect of an ongoing vaccination of the community will unlock additional economic opportunities and allow us, over time, to safely reopen our borders.

Question No. 6—Finance

6. to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by all of the statements he has made in his past Budget day speeches?

Yes, in the context in which they were made, which includes the fact that there has been a global pandemic in the middle of them. In particular, I stand by my statement in the 2020 Budget speech that “Our recovery and rebuild will be based on getting New Zealanders back to work.”, given the latest unemployment numbers from Statistics New Zealand show that the unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in the March quarter.

💬 Andrew Bayly: Does he stand by his 2017 mini-Budget statement that the first-year tertiary fees-free programme would be “one of the most transformative policies for productivity of the New Zealand economy.”, given that enrolment numbers have decreased in every year since 2017?

💬 SPEAKER: Order! I’m going to give the member another crack at doing it. The primary question is about Budget day statements.

💬 Andrew Bayly: These are direct quotes from Budget day speeches.

💬 SPEAKER: No, the member said it was from a 2017 mini-Budget. The Budget in 2017 was done by Steven Joyce.

💬 Andrew Bayly: This is the mini-Budget 2017 that the Minister gave.

💬 SPEAKER: Well, the member resumes his seat when I stand up. That’s one of the basic things. I’m going to let—you know, in the interests of being a bit flexible—[Interruption] Who said that? That member will leave.

Nicola Willis withdrew from the Chamber.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Hey, that’s my job!

💬 SPEAKER: And it’s not even Thursday, Mr Bridges.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Point of order. I can’t do it on Thursday; it’s Budget day.

💬 SPEAKER: The member knows every day is a day he could be kicked out if he wanted to be. Now, I’m just going back to Mr Bayly. He’s been quite inexact in his approach to this question. A mini-Budget is not a Budget day. Members know that the Budget process is one which is well set out in Standing Orders and in the traditions of the New Zealand Parliament, and it’s important to get things right. While I’m on my feet, I will indicate to him that last Thursday, when he repeatedly told me that the Australian Budget was on Wednesday, he was wrong; it was on the Tuesday. I’ll just say that I have been listening to the Australian Budget for about 35 years, so I do know which day it’s on. Now I’m going to let the Minister answer the question.

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We’re very proud of the fact that the fees-free policy has seen many people enter post - secondary school education who wouldn’t have before, and we are very ambitious for all New Zealanders to get that opportunity.

💬 Andrew Bayly: Does he stand by his Budget 2018 statement that his “ambitious Kiwibuild programme” will “deliver 100,000 long-overdue affordable houses”?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I stand by this Government’s commitment to making sure that we provide affordable housing for all New Zealanders. I stand by the fact that this Government has tried our level best to support the building of affordable houses across New Zealand. The member knows that the KiwiBuild programme has been reorganised since that time.

💬 Andrew Bayly: Does he stand by his Budget 2018 statement that the Green Investment Fund will “kickstart investment in [the] assets and technology to reduce carbon emissions”, in light of New Zealand currently importing a record amount of coal?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I certainly stand by that statement.

💬 Andrew Bayly: Does he stand by his Budget 2020 statement that by “providing $670 million of support and services [for] tenants” he would “improve affordability [and increase] the supply of houses,” given rents have risen by $40 per week since he made that statement?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It was hard to deduce the question among the quotes, but I stand by what we’re doing to support all New Zealanders to live in warm, safe, dry, and affordable housing.

Question No 7—Arts, Culture and Heritage

7. to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What recent reports has she seen on the arts and culture sector?

Last week, I released the latest forecast by Infometrics, which shows that the arts and culture sector is performing better than predicted. The updated forecast shows a decrease in the number of available jobs in the sector of just over 1 percent and an increase in cultural sector jobs from 2022 through to 2026. The sector has benefited from our Government’s strong focus on securing our recovery. It reflects the impact of our $374 million COVID recovery programme for the sector and our continued focus to keep people in work.

💬 Helen White: How did these forecasts differ from previous forecasts?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: In April 2020, Infometrics provided a forecast of the economic impact of COVID-19 on the arts and creative sector. This included a job losses forecast and a sector GDP forecast. This forecast predicted an 11.7 percent reduction in employment and a loss of around 11,000 jobs to March 2021. In February 2021, Infometrics provided a new sector forecast to March 2021 which showed a decline in employment of 1.2 percent, a loss of 1,157 jobs. This forecast decline is significantly lower than the April 2020 forecast and is a positive sign that our Government’s interventions are helping to secure our recovery.

💬 Helen White: What other reports has she seen on the arts and culture sector?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: A separate report by Colmar Brunton aimed at understanding audience participation in the cultural sector shows that people are keen to return to shows, museums, art galleries, and other cultural events. The report found that only 12 percent of people attended a New Zealand music event as of late 2020, 41 percent say they would attend an event in the next 12 months. This is both pleasing but also important, because the arts and culture sector contributes nearly $11 billion a year to GDP and is a workforce that employs over 90,000 people.

💬 Simon O'Connor: Is the Minister comfortable with taxpayers shelling out thousands of dollars for multiple Te Papa personnel to attend the funeral of a turtle, or has she asked them, somewhat ironically, to get a move on and personally pay it back?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I think that question is an indication or a reflection of how seriously that side of the House takes our art, culture, and heritage sector.

Question No. 8—COVID-19 Response

8. to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What advice, if any, has he sought on the Controller and Auditor-General’s report Preparations for the nationwide roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, and what is his response to the comment in the report, “I am not yet confident that all of the pieces will fall into place quickly enough for the immunisation programme to reach the level of vaccinations required for the Government to meet its goals”?

I’ve asked the Ministry of Health to provide me with a further update on progress on the recommendations made by the Controller and Auditor-General. I’ve already received several verbal updates from the Ministry of Health on their response to the report, and they released a response yesterday to all six recommendations on their website. In response to the second part of the question, this is the largest vaccination programme in New Zealand’s history. There are undoubtedly going to be challenges as we scale up the pace to deliver a two-dose vaccine with unique cold chain storage requirements. I am confident in the progress that we’ve seen to date and that the planning for the scale up is going well. The delivery by district health boards is ahead of targets and, coupled with good planning, design, and consultation, the preparations for the second half of the year are going well.

💬 Chris Bishop: Is he aware of why the ministry was not able to provide the Auditor-General with a copy of an immunisation strategy despite Cabinet inviting the ministry in August 2020 to produce one?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Auditor-General’s primary focus with regard to this report was to look at the readiness for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination. In terms of wider questions around immunisation, I don’t have ministerial responsibility for those.

💬 Chris Bishop: Why did he say this morning, responding to the Auditor-General’s report, that the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out would, in his words, “roll on into next year if Kiwis fail to show up when they should”, when Kiwis have been showing up on time only to be turned away at vaccine stations through no fault of their own?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: What we’re seeing around the world in those countries that are well ahead in their vaccination campaign efforts is that demand is starting to plateau at around 60 percent of the eligible population. If that does happen in New Zealand, then that is the sort of thing that would push our vaccination campaign into the new year. We’re working very hard to avoid that, but, ultimately, those administering the vaccine have a limited degree of control over that. All New Zealanders need to come forward and get the vaccine when they are offered it.

💬 Chris Bishop: Does he believe the COVID-19 vaccine programme has the full public trust and confidence in light of New Zealand being ranked second bottom in the OECD in terms of speed of vaccine roll-out?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The biggest constraint on the speed of our roll-out, as I’ve said many times, has been getting vaccines into the country. It has been supply rather than the roll-out that has been constraining that. We made the decision in January to adopt a Pfizer-based campaign. Pfizer were very clear at the time that that meant the bulk of our deliveries would be from July onwards—generally, in the July through to September period.

💬 Chris Bishop: Did the Ministry of Health supply to the Auditor-General a copy of the illustration of volumes and timing of the vaccine roll-out graph, which can no longer be found on the Ministry of Health website and which he says is only illustrative and approximate?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: My understanding is the Ministry of Health provided to the Auditor-General whatever information the Auditor-General asked for.

Question No. 9—Foreign Affairs

9. to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What support is New Zealand providing to the Pacific to help them recover from the impacts of COVID-19?

Earlier this month, alongside Associate Minister Aupito William Sio, we announced that we would be providing COVID-19 vaccines to cover at least 1.2 million people in the Pacific over the coming year, and that we’re supporting the Pacific region with an additional $120 million in official development assistance to support the Pacific economies to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. We know COVID has had a significant impact on the Pacific, which is why we are supporting the health and wellbeing of Pacific whānau, and helping them to recover and rebuild from the impacts of COVID-19.

💬 Dr Anae Neru Leavasa: Where is New Zealand focusing its attention for the vaccine roll-out in the Pacific?

💬 Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: We are working with Australia and other partners on the roll-out, and together our goal is access to safe and effective vaccines for all eligible people in Pacific Island countries, at the earliest possible time. New Zealand is focusing on our Realm countries and Polynesia, with the roll-out to the Cook Islands beginning this week. Next month, we expect to start the roll-out to Niue, and planning is under way for Tokelau. We are also working with the Governments of Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu on New Zealand’s vaccine delivery support. Outside Polynesia, we’re working with UNICEF and the COVAX Facility to access and deliver vaccines. In addition, Fiji has taken up the offer of AstraZeneca doses for 250,000 people, donated by New Zealand, subject to Medsafe approval.

💬 Dr Anae Neru Leavasa: How will Pacific Island countries be using the additional $120 million in official development assistance?

💬 Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: The grant financing will be provided as direct budget support, allowing Pacific Governments to respond flexibly and rapidly to the challenges they are facing, in line with their own objectives and interests. This funding approach recognises that each country will have different priorities for their return towards resilience. The funding will be used by Pacific Governments to support their economic stimulus and recovery plans. The budget support will also be used to continue the social protection programmes that countries have in place to support those negatively impacted by the pandemic, including support for small and medium sized enterprises, and vulnerable workers and households.

Question No. 10—Education

10. to the Minister of Education: Does he agree with the Prime Minister, who said in relation to New Zealand history being taught in schools, “This Government is committed to a better New Zealand that we can all be proud of and which recognises the value of every New Zealander”?

Yes, that’s why the draft curriculum content embraces the histories of all people who live in Aotearoa New Zealand, and encourages schools and kura to develop a local curriculum that reflects the histories of their communities.

💬 Chris Baillie: How will one of the three big ideas in the draft history curriculum—that Māori history is the continuous history of New Zealand—recognise the value of every New Zealander?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I say, as a Pākehā New Zealander, I do not feel the slightest bit threatened by Māori history being taught in our schools, and it is something that I hope my kids will have the advantage of learning about.

💬 Chris Baillie: What does he say to teachers who believe that another of the three big ideas—that colonisation continues to influence all aspects of our society—is incorrect and divisive?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I want to ensure that young people in New Zealand understand all of our history—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and a recognition of the fact that we have passed down, through generations, discrimination that has led to some New Zealanders being disadvantaged in their educational journey, some New Zealanders not receiving the same opportunities as others. If our young people leave school with an understanding of that, that will be a damn good thing. [Interruption]

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member—he’s catching the Simon Bridges disease.

💬 Chris Baillie: Does he agree with the Royal Society that major topics are missing from the draft curriculum, including economic change, constitutional issues, and New Zealand’s role in international relations?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I would point out that the New Zealand histories curriculum is not the only thing that we will be teaching in schools. We will continue to teach economics, we will continue to teach social studies, we will continue to teach geography—all of those other subjects that we want our young people to learn. But I would say to the Royal Society of New Zealand, who have made a submission, that that is the appropriate thing to do. We are in a consultation phase at the moment. This is where we want to hear from New Zealanders about what they want to see reflected in our histories curriculum.

💬 SPEAKER: Question No. 11—

💬 Chris Baillie: Supplementary.

💬 SPEAKER: No, I think the member—

💬 Hon Member: Yeah, he’s got another one.

💬 Chris Baillie: Thank you. How will he ensure that the New Zealand history curriculum gives an honest—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Order! Sorry, the member’s party has run out of supplementary questions; I apologise.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Oh bugger, I wanted to hear the rest of that.

💬 SPEAKER: Was that Mr Waititi?

💬 Rawiri Waititi: It might have been Simon Bridges.

💬 SPEAKER: I can—

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Look, if you want to kick me out.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: He’s your Thursday man; I’m your Wednesday man.

💬 SPEAKER: I’ll only let Mr Bridges go if he does a haka on the way.

💬 David Seymour: Point of order. If I recall, ACT have 13 questions available, used five yesterday, four on question No. 4 today, three so far; one more remaining.

💬 SPEAKER: You used six yesterday?

💬 David Seymour: It didn’t feel like it.

💬 SPEAKER: It’s hard to say what I think—whether I thought the member had more, or less.

💬 Hon Marama Davidson: What value does the Minister feel that New Zealand history in schools will bring to harmonious relations in Aotearoa?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think understanding the wide variety of cultures and views, the diversity of New Zealand, the different journeys that have brought people here to this land, I think, will be hugely valuable. But, again, I want to reiterate what I said in my last question: I think an understanding of the fact that not everybody starts life with the same opportunities as everybody else is something that young people should understand.

Question No. 11—Social Development and Employment

11. to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she believe the welfare system should aim to alleviate hardship or eliminate hardship?

All of us in this House would like to see the elimination of poverty and hardship in Aotearoa, but every Government understands that there are no overnight solutions to achieving that. As a Government, we’ve been clear about our commitment to addressing income adequacy for those in work and those on the welfare system. But more than that, we have made significant progress in this area. We are the first Government to measure child poverty and hold ourselves accountable to addressing it. In our first 100 days last term, we invested $5.5 billion into our Families Package to boost the income of low- and middle-income families. We have since lifted main benefits and indexed them to wages, raised abatement thresholds, and invested significantly into supporting people into work. We know we have much more to do, but we are very much committed to doing the work. We have a programme of work which we are conducting on the back of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s report. New steps will come out of this work, as outlined in the Cabinet paper, and any announcements will be made in due course.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Is she aware a single person over 25 years old will only receive an extra $8 per week as a result of their recent increases to benefit levels, which is not even enough to meet the average cost of a block of cheese?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: A single person over the age of 25 would have benefited from not only the $25 increase to benefits but also the indexation of benefits to wages. I do need to speak to the indexation of benefits to wages. That’s an enduring change that will mean that benefits go up year on year, more than what they would have previously. I will also say that we’ve been very clear there’s more to do in this space and we’re very much committed to doing more.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Is $315 a week enough for someone on a job seeker benefit to live with dignity, given the increased cost of living and sky-rocketing rents?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I’m not going to pretend that living off $315 a week is easy. We do need to reflect on this country’s history, and it goes back to the cuts that were made under National in the 1990s. We’ve never been able to catch those figures up. We’ve made significant progress, to date, with regards to making our welfare system fairer, but there certainly is more to do.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she agree with Helen Robinson, the head of the Auckland City Mission, who said this week that benefits needed to go up by $200 each week to allow people to live with dignity?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: There are many great people working across social services, working in our city missions, and many of them have come forward saying what they think needs to happen with regards to benefit increases. We also have the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s report, which was really clear on what they thought needed to happen with regards to benefit increases. We said in our manifesto that we would address income adequacy in our welfare system this term, and we’re very much committed to doing that.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she agree that because of rising living costs, the benefit increases recommended by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group two years ago would not be enough for people to live with dignity today?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As I have already said, we have committed to addressing income adequacy in the welfare system, work is already under way, we have made some significant changes, and we plan to make some more significant changes this term.

Question No. 12—Education

12. to the Associate Minister of Education: What is the Government doing to promote bullying-free environments in schools?

This week is Bullying-Free NZ Week in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Government supports this nationwide initiative that encourages student-led action on bullying. Evidence shows that successful bullying prevention and response requires a whole-school approach and a cultural shift. The initiative has been running for five years and, in conjunction with the Bullying-Free NZ online resource hub, aims to raise awareness of what school communities can do to address bullying and provide safe, inclusive learning environments for all learners.

💬 Angela Roberts: What other support is available to schools and students to encourage positive behaviour?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: In addition to the free resources and activities that have been tested by students, we also offer a free student survey called Wellbeing@School, that helps schools and boards of trustees understand students’ experiences so their voices can be heard and addressed. Other Government programmes include the Positive Behaviour for Learning suite, which, as a former educational practitioner, I can vouch for its effectiveness. Learning support specialists and resource teachers for learning and behaviour, or RTLBs, also provide on-the-ground support to schools to address behaviour and bullying challenges. This Government has also passed the Education and Training Act 2020, which ensures schools are developing safe and inclusive learning environments free from racism, discrimination, and bullying.

💬 Angela Roberts: What other plans does the Government have to address bullying in schools?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: We know bullying is a significant and ongoing issue for young people and can be a barrier to learning. Last week, the first annual report for the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy was released, and showed that 5.9 percent of secondary school students reported very regular bullying. We know that if students don’t feel they are in a safe, positive, inclusive learning environment, they will struggle to learn. That is why bullying prevention and response is part of this strategy, and includes working towards the outcome of children living free of bullying. We’ve made good progress under this Government, but there is more work to do. I look forward to providing further updates to the House on this work as we continue to deliver for New Zealand schools.