Oral Questions

1. to the Minister of Housing: Does she agree with the Prime Minister that the Government is “pulling every lever we have available to us” on housing; if so, will she extend the Income Related Rent subsidy to people who live in council housing?

on behalf of the Minister of Housing: On behalf of the Minister, in response to the first part of the question, yes. We are building more public houses than any Government in decades, with today marking our 8,000th public housing place delivered. We have more building consents issued than at any other time in our history. We’ve closed tax loopholes. We’ve banned foreign buyers. We’ve extended the brightline test. We’ve introduced progressive homeownership and many other programmes that are making a difference. In response to the second part of the question, I’ve been clear that more work is required to understand the financial challenges that some councils are facing in maintaining provision of their existing housing stock. Options to address any challenges—for example, diverting income-related rent subsidy funding to councils—would mean reducing our public housing build programme. I’m also keen to understand what more councils could do to support their own housing stock, because, as we all know, the Government cannot solve the housing crisis alone, and we want to continue to see councils play a role, as they have done for generations.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Can she confirm that it would cost only $25 million a year to support Wellington City Council to continue to provide affordable homes for up to 4,000 people, including children and elderly people?

What I can confirm is that Wellington City Council and the Government do have a deed of grant, and we need to ensure that the work continues—the relationship continues with that. I am confident that we can work with Wellington City Council in terms of some of the concerns that they have expressed. I’m also confident that, as a Government, our role is to work with councils, but it is also more imperative we do everything we can to ensure that we build more public housing spaces.

Ricardo Menéndez March: What is the logic of giving people in Kāinga Ora homes and private community housing providers support through the income-related rent subsidy but not people living in council housing?

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has done some research and found that despite variation in rents charged between council, public housing, and the like, the difference is generally moderate. But there is more that we can do, and we are open to having that conversation.

Ricardo Menéndez March: What’s her answer to Wellington city councillor Rebecca Matthews, who asks, “Why should we have to change the ownership structure for our tenants to qualify for income-related rent subsidies? Wellington held on to city housing when Governments were selling off State housing.”?

On behalf of the Minister, I’m really clear that council has a role to provide housing. Generally speaking, the housing that they provide is of the type that is generally low cost. We are really keen to ensure that we work along with the Wellington City Council to address some of the issues that they have, but we are also clear that, as a Government, we have an imperative to build more houses.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she agree with Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins that the income-related rent subsidy would give councils “A greater degree of capacity to be able to build more units and create additional supply for people who desperately need it, and we have waiting lists in the hundreds that do.”?

What I can confirm is that the Government does support many council tenants through the accommodation supplement.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Has the member for Wellington Central raised any concerns with her regarding reports that Wellington City Council may have to sell its 2,000 affordable public homes if the Government doesn’t help?

As I have already said, the Government’s imperative is to build more public housing spaces. The member for Wellington Central has many conversations with me.

Question No. 2—Health

2. to the Minister of Health: How many patients are overdue for their first specialist assessment, and for receiving treatment, within the target time frames of four months?

To the first part of the question, the latest data from June 2021 shows 14,718 patients are waiting longer than four months for their first specialist assessment. This represents 12.1 percent of all patients currently waiting for their first specialist assessment. I note that this does not include patients waiting for their first specialist assessment at Waikato District Health Board, as these statistics are not currently available because of the recent cyber-attack. To the second part of the question, 13,670 patients are waiting longer than four months for treatment. This represents 23 percent of all patients waiting for treatment.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: What responsibility, if any, does he take for the fact that since Labour came to power in 2017, the number of overdue patients waiting more than four months for their first specialist assessment has grown by an average of 10 people every single day they have been in office?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I wouldn’t quite characterise it the way that the member has characterised it himself just now. But one thing that, of course, the Government cannot take responsibility for is the arrival of the virus the COVID-19 bug, and that has created extraordinary circumstances for this country and every other country in the world. So following a four-week lockdown, this Government put additional funding into our health system—$282.5 million—to catch up on planned care that had not been able to be given, plus also to clear other waiting backlogs. Of course, even after that funding was approved, there were further lockdowns at level 3 and level 2 that caused further delays in treatment available through our hospital system. This Government, in addition to the $282.5 million last year, put in an additional $90 million this year, and in response to the extraordinary circumstances is doing extraordinary things to assist people to get the care that they need.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: What impact does waiting longer than four months to see a cancer specialist have on the outlook of that patient or on their mental health?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I think any patient waiting for care is going to be very concerned and that’s why they are encouraged to maintain contact with their GP and, once they’ve seen a specialist, with that specialist. But this is a health system that for a whole variety of reasons is under very great pressure and we are doing everything we can, including additional resourcing and additional clinical leadership, to make sure that our hospitals are managing the demands placed upon them as best as possible.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: How does he explain why, in just four years since Labour took office, the number of overdue patients at the Taranaki DHB waiting for a first specialist assessment has grown from 11 to more than 3,000?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I’m not quite sure what planet that member has been on for the last 18 months, but we are a country, like every other country in the world, that is responding to a pandemic that resulted in this country, effectively, being locked down for four weeks in March and April last year. That caused a significant backlog of cases in our health system. But we put in additional resources for hospitals, our DHBs as they currently are, to get those procedures done over a period of three years to clear their backlogs. The waiting lists that were in existence in June last year have reduced and are continuing to reduce, and we are continuing to do everything we can to alleviate that pressure from our hospitals.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Can he confirm that the 3,160 people overdue a first specialist assessment in Taranaki is now greater than the number overdue in the entire South Island, and will another 10 people be added to the overdue waiting list in Taranaki tomorrow?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I say what I have said already today, and that is that ours is a health system that is under extraordinary pressure. One of the reasons why we took the judgment we did and the approach we took on COVID-19 is precisely because of the years of failure to invest by the previous Government in our health system. We had to protect it from the kind of demand that they could have been under had we not managed to control the outbreak of the pandemic. We did manage to do that but it still continues to put pressure on our system. We still continue to provide additional resourcing and additional support and additional clinical leadership to assist all DHBs to clear the backlogs that they have.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Were the numbers for overdue patients waiting for first specialist assessment more than four months at Waikato DHB several thousand, and do these need to be added to the numbers he’s quoted today?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I can’t confirm what the figures are from the Waikato District Health Board precisely because their systems don’t allow them to provide that data to the Ministry of Health. But what I can say is they will be—without the cyber-attack and the consequences of that—no different to any other DHB managing a backlog of planned care because of the pandemic. They are now managing an additional backlog because of the cyber-attack that they have suffered and they’ve continued to get additional help and additional resources from the Ministry of Health to manage through that particular event that they’ve suffered this year

💬 Dr Shane Reti: What does he say to the elderly lady living alone who contacted me this week saying that she was told in April she would get her cataracts treated, but now, more than four months later, is so blind that she is suffering from falls around her home?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: That is a very distressing thing to hear and I hope that that woman is able to get the care and help that she can through her GP and through assisted care available in the community, and her DHB should be assisting her to provide that.

Question No. 3—Finance

3. to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?

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.

💬 Arena Williams: What else has he seen from the labour market report?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The number of people unemployed fell by 17,000 in the June quarter, or 12.4 percent. This is the largest quarterly percentage fall in unemployment in 35 years, since the household labour force survey began. Māori unemployment fell by 1 percent to 7.8 percent in the June quarter, while Pacific people’s unemployment fell by 2.6 percent, also to 7.8 percent. We’ve also seen a significant drop in the numbers of young people not in employment, education, or training, falling to 10.8 percent from 14.3 percent. This is a very positive result, but, as always, there is more work to do.

💬 Arena Williams: What other reports has he seen on the economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Last week’s ANZ business confidence survey reported that economic conditions remain firm across most sectors, with headline confidence easing a modest three points in July. Firms’ own activity declined six points but remain above pre-COVID levels. Employment and investment intentions remain robust, with businesses reporting strong demand. In commenting on the survey, Westpac’s economist said, “The combination of solid monthly imports and continued momentum in investment intentions suggests a strong print for business investment in the June quarter.”

Question No. 4—Health

4. to the Minister of Health: What were the grounds for Google billionaire Larry Page being allowed entry to New Zealand while the borders were closed?

I’m advised a number of things. On 11 January 2021, the Ministry of Health received a request from a DHB to medevac a child from Fiji. The application included an adult family member, as is usual in cases involving children. I would note that January is well prior to the current significant COVID-19 outbreak in Fiji. Secondly, before an application for medevac is approved, a clinical assessment is carried out in New Zealand, and this includes a check to see whether the required treatment is available locally. Ultimately, approval must be obtained from a medical officer of health with regards to precautions to protect the community against COVID-19. I’m advised that all of the normal steps occurred in this case. Next, anyone accepted for treatment from a medevac flight is considered to require immediate treatment. The day after the application was received, a New Zealand air ambulance staffed by a New Zealand ICU nurse escort medevaced the child and the adult family member from Fiji to New Zealand. On arrival, the child and adult were taken immediately to an isolation environment in the hospital. In the event of discharge within 14 days, the child and the adult would have been required to be transferred to managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ), and I am advised that all COVID-19 orders in this respect were complied with.

Just to put some context around this, in the financial year ending 30 June 2021, only 99 patients have been accepted under the medevac scheme for treatment. The majority of medevac patients that come to New Zealand come from Pacific Islands. Costs of the medevac must be covered by either a Government to Government agreement or private insurance, or by direct payment. Costs of any medical treatment in New Zealand must also be covered for individuals not eligible for publicly funded services. Everyone has the right to health privacy under the Health Information Privacy Code, issued by the Privacy Commissioner, and I hope that we can respect those rights in this particular case, especially if, as is reported in the news media, it is an unwell child that is at the centre of this matter.

Brooke van Velden: What does he say to the New Zealanders who are still facing uncertainty in how they can get home, who will see a billionaire allowed access ahead of them as unfair?

💬 Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister of Health is not responsible for the answer to that question.

💬 SPEAKER: Can the member ask the question again so I can hear it.

Brooke van Velden: What does he say to New Zealanders who are still facing uncertainty in how they can get home, who will see billionaires allowed access ahead of them as unfair?

💬 SPEAKER: Yeah, no, I rule in favour of the Leader of the House. That question is ruled out.

Brooke van Velden: What does he say to New Zealanders who are still facing uncertainty in how they can get home, including the 190 people who have applied for emergency MIQ spots who have had them declined despite having no option but to return to New Zealand, who consider them humanitarian, who see a billionaire being allowed access as unfair?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I said in the answer to the primary question, this was a medical emergency. It met all the standard conditions of a medical emergency requiring a medical evacuation from the Islands, and every requirement and regulation that was in place in relation to medevacs and in relation to COVID-19 was complied with.

Brooke van Velden: Can he confirm that Larry Page needed to meet the exact same criteria that a New Zealander would need to meet to come through the border for the same humanitarian grounds?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I said in my primary answer, in this particular case, all the requirements for a medevaced patient coming to New Zealand from the Islands were satisfied.

Brooke van Velden: Can he confirm that Larry Page paid for the medevac?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I said in my primary answer, people who come here for medical reasons and have the benefit of our medical services are entitled to medical privacy, and I intend to observe that.

Question No. 5—Education (Pacific Peoples)

5. to the Associate Minister of Education (Pacific Peoples): What recent announcement has the Government made supporting Pacific people in education following the Dawn Raids Government apology?

The formal Government apology for the Dawn Raids was held on Sunday. We announced that $2.1 million over four years would be provided in education scholarships to Pacific communities in New Zealand as part of the goodwill gestures of reconciliation for those communities impacted by the Dawn Raids. These scholarships will be known as Tulī Takes Flight scholarships. These scholarships acknowledge the importance of education for Pacific families and highlight the need to strengthen and grow Pacific education success.

💬 Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki: What are the details around the Tulī Takes Flight scholarships?

💬 Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: Up to 12 scholarships, valued between $10,000 and $30,000, will be available to Pacific people aged 18 and over. However, to mark the inaugural year, I am pleased to announce there will be a total of 30 scholarships for study or training commencing in 2022. The first round of applications opens in September 2021. The scholarships will be awarded for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years. The scholarships are funded by the Ministry of Education and will be administered by the Pacific Education Foundation. Study or training can include vocational and academic courses at levels 4 to 10 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, certificates of diploma, degree-level study, and post-graduate study.

💬 Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki: Why is it important to support Pacific communities with these scholarships?

💬 Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: These scholarships accompany the Dawn Raids Government apology and are intended to provide opportunities and support for Pacific people to pursue tertiary or vocational education to meet their goals and aspirations as confident and proud Pacific people of Aotearoa. This gesture is part of the Government’s way of expressing our deepest sorrow, noting that while we cannot change the past, we hope that this support will help in a small way to grow and create stronger relations with Pacific peoples of Aotearoa.

💬 Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki: What is the cultural significance of the tulī in relation to the Dawn Raids Government apology?

💬 Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: From a Pacific perspective, it is not enough to say sorry; we must mean it and demonstrate it and manifest it to be genuine and meaningful in our search to be worthy of forgiveness. The tulī is a bird known as the kuaka or the godwit. It flies 22,000 kilometres non-stop from Alaska to Aotearoa and back again. The determination of the tulī is symbolic of the Pacific Aotearoa narratives of resilient people with the aspiration and determination to succeed. This is fitting in relation to how the goodwill gestures were delivered at the Dawn Raids apology with a sua talisua, which are the gifts of food parcels that support the traveling party on their long journey ahead. Education is the food that will support the long journey ahead for Pacific peoples into the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Question No. 6—Finance

6. to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his recent statement that the highest inflation increase in a decade was just a “problem of growth”?

I stand by my full statement, which was, “New Zealand is in a strong position economically. We have lower employment. We have good levels of growth. There are now some things coming through that are the problems of growth, but there are parts of our system designed to manage that.” I further went on to note, “We’ve managed to come through the biggest shock to the economy in many, many decades strongly, with high levels of unemployment, with resource consents increasing well beyond where we’ve been in the past.” We are seeing some inflation as a result of the level of economic activity hitting up against some of the constraints on the current environment, including the COVID-19 - related restrictions around migration and some disruptions to global supply chains. We would much rather see an economy with low unemployment and strong wage growth that is pushing against those constraints than see a weak recovery where economic activity was far below capacity.

💬 Andrew Bayly: How did growth contribute to the cost of fresh veggies going up nearly 12 percent in the last year, meaning Kiwi households can only afford to buy fewer items?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The beginning of that question was: how did growth contribute to that? By that, I presume the member must mean inflation growth rather that economic growth, or vegetable growth, for that matter.

💬 SPEAKER: No, no. The member asked a question. The Minister will just answer it as asked.

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: One form of growth we can point to is wage growth, which, as we heard yesterday, is running at 4 percent ahead of inflation.

💬 Andrew Bayly: How did growth contribute to the 5 percent increase in the cost of food at their local cafe?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Again, there are many forms of growth that the member could be referring to in that question. What I can say to the member again is that while the cost of living as the inflation rate has increased in recent times, we’ve also seen wages increasing, including the contributions made by the Government to the lifting of the minimum wage, for example. We do not underestimate the pressures that households are under but the Government continues to support households.

💬 Andrew Bayly: What does he say to superannuitants who Stats NZ say are among the hardest hit due to cost of living increases?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I would say to superannuitants is that this Government is committed to supporting them, including through the winter energy payment, which I note would be taken away under an ACT-National Government, given that that is the ACT Party’s policy and that Judith Collins said that ACT and National now need to be seen together.

💬 Andrew Bayly: Does he think Kiwi households believe it is a question of growth when their rents have increased by $40 over the past year and more than $100 per week over the past four years?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I think what most New Zealanders would say is that this is an economy that has recovered remarkably well through the one-in-100-year shock that is COVID-19. We are seeing wages rise. We are seeing strong levels of economic growth, and we are seeing low unemployment. All households in New Zealand have been through a difficult time. They have a Government that understands that and is supporting them.

💬 Andrew Bayly: How can the biggest annual increase in inflation in nearly 10 years be a problem of growth when Stats NZ say it was driven by higher housing and petrol costs—two areas where this Government has imposed taxes?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I reject the premise of the member’s question. What we have seen is a Government that has backed New Zealanders to see them have higher wages, to lift the incomes of the lowest-paid New Zealanders. I think it’s time for the member to just for a brief moment look at the upside of life. I know how hard it is over there to do that, but, actually, New Zealand’s doing well.

💬 Hon Chris Hipkins: Were there plans to increase fuel taxes before the current Government took office?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Yes, there were, and in fact over successive years under the previous National Government we saw fuel taxes go up.

💬 SPEAKER: Order! I’d hoped that the member might be able to bring the question into order, but he wasn’t.

Question No. 7—Education

7. to the Minister of Education: What new action is the Government taking to support schools to provide learning environments for their students that are “warm, dry and fit for purpose”?

The Wellbeing Budget of 2021 invested $100 million for short-term roll growth classrooms right the way across New Zealand. This will enable students and teachers to focus on education rather than overcrowding as school rolls grow across the country. The Budget also invested $150 million in top-up funding for shovel-ready school property projects to top up those budgets for projects that were already under way or ready to get under way but needed an extra funding boost so they could begin construction in the current challenging market. All children deserve a suitable classroom to learn in, and it’s our responsibility to ensure that they have that so that they can get the best possible educational opportunities. School property investment also represents an injection into our local economy as we recover from COVID-19.

💬 Ginny Andersen: How will schools in the central and Lower Hutt—sorry, not Lower Hutt—lower North Island benefit from this investment?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Six schools across Wellington, the Manawatū, Whanganui, and Taranaki are getting a funding boost of $10 million between them so that projects can enter construction—[Interruption]

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Order! Especially if it was as it was originally asked, I’m quite interested.

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: —and deliver these much-needed works sooner. This includes $1.5 million in further funding for Cannons Creek School, which I visited this morning, which will enable a new block to be built, replacing five classrooms that were at the end of their viable life, plus 10 schools in the central and lower North Island which will benefit from short-term roll growth classrooms to cater for their rapidly growing rolls, and that’ll cost an additional $14 million.

💬 Willow-Jean Prime: How will schools in Northland benefit from this investment?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: A very good question. Kamo High School will receive $7 million in top-up funding for a major redevelopment of their main teaching block. This project replaces two end-of-life teaching blocks with a single-storey new teaching space that will provide for 22 classrooms. We’ve also announced four Northland schools, including Ruakākā School, that will get seven roll growth classrooms between them at a cost of $4 million.

💬 Angela Roberts: How will schools on the East Coast benefit from this investment?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Schools in the Hawke’s Bay and Tai Rāwhiti region are receiving $16.5 million to accelerate five projects across Napier, Hastings, Havelock North, and Rere near Gisborne. This includes Napier Boys’ High School, where $6 million will bring forward major weathertightness remediation work on 11 different teaching blocks; Napier Girls’ High School, who will receive over $5 million to advance their progress on the redevelopment of a major teaching block; and also we are funding short-term roll growth classrooms in Porangahau School in central Hawke’s Bay.

💬 Sarah Pallett: How will schools in the upper South Island benefit from this investment?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: More good news. Ten schools in the West Coast, Tasman, and Canterbury regions will see 17 classrooms and the fast-track of four new shovel-ready projects. This includes five short-term roll growth classrooms at Hillmorton High School in Christchurch to meet growing demand for schooling in the area. The Government understands that schools want to be able to focus on what’s important, which is teaching and learning.

Question No. 8—Finance

8. to the Minister of Finance: Is the Government concerned about the gap in average weekly income between New Zealanders and Australians; if so, what actions, if any, is the Government taking to reduce the gap?

The Government is actually continuing to close the wage gap with Australia, which had got worse under the previous National-ACT Government. Since the 2017 election, average weekly earnings in New Zealand have been rising, on average, by 3.3 percent per year compared to 2.9 percent per year in Australia, according to the latest data from our respective statistics agencies. In answer, further, to the second part of the question, the Government is continuing to roll out our plan to secure the recovery from COVID-19, which has seen our quarterly unemployment rate fall to 4 percent compared to an equivalent rate of 5.2 percent for Australia in the June quarter. Our employment rate for 15- to 64-year-olds, at 77.6 percent, is also higher than Australia’s, at 75.3 percent.

💬 Damien Smith: Does he disagree that the gap in average wages between New Zealand and Australia has not improved since 2017, and that the last available data shows that the average Australian worker makes $1,807 per week, compared to the New Zealander, who makes $1,328 per week?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. As I said in my primary answer, in the period from 2017 until now, average annual growth in average weekly earnings in New Zealand is 3.3 percent; in Australia, 2.9 percent. If we do compare that to the period between 2009 and 2017, in New Zealand the average annual weekly earnings rose 2.9 percent, and, in Australia, 3.6 percent. So, yes, there is still a gap, but we’re closing it.

💬 Damien Smith: Is he concerned that the gap may increase as Australia offers tax relief to their workforce, whilst his Government offers tax increases at home?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No.

💬 Damien Smith: Is he concerned that the higher wages in Australia will lead to New Zealanders looking for opportunities there instead of at home, unless we act urgently to boost incomes here?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I said in my earlier two answers, we’re closing the gap.

💬 Hon Michael Wood: Can the Minister confirm that a part of the Australian wage setting system is sector-based bargaining?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I can confirm that, and, in fact, there are a number of similarities between that and the fair pay agreements that are being introduced by this Government—I look forward to the ACT Party’s support for them.

Question No. 9—Transport

9. to the Minister of Transport: Does a separate structure for walking and cycling alongside the Auckland Harbour Bridge remain the Government’s preferred option for the Northern Pathway; if not, why not?

Yes, and alongside our work to advance an alternative Waitematā Harbour crossing, we continue to look at the network and the programme for how to best give Aucklanders multimodal options to travel across the Waitematā.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: Has he asked the Minister of Finance whether his comments yesterday that he wanted the Government to bring forward work on a second Waitematā crossing means a separate structure for walking and cycling is no longer the preferred option?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I can confirm that on this side of the House, as colleagues, we talk to each other a lot about significant issues like this, and that we’ve canvassed many issues in respect of how we ensure that Aucklanders have walking and cycling access across the harbour.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: Is he still intent on proceeding with a $785 million cycle bridge, as it is currently proposed, as well as a brought-forward Waitematā crossing referred to by the Minister of Finance?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I can confirm, as the Minister of Finance did yesterday, that work is already under way in terms of developing options for an alternative Waitematā Harbour crossing that is public transport - focused: $60 million was allocated in the Auckland Transport Alignment Plan this year for that very purpose. We continue to move forward with that project, and we continue to move forward with options for enabling Aucklanders to walk and cycle across the harbour.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: Has he discussed with any ministerial colleagues the possibility of scrapping the $785 million separate walking and cycling bridge?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: No. Ministers continue to discuss the options for ensuring that Aucklanders have good, multimodal access across the harbour. At the moment, Aucklanders are able to drive across the harbour. This Government believes that they should be able to walk and cycle and take public transport across the harbour. I would encourage the member to recognise that we only solve Auckland and New Zealand’s transport problems if we get out of the old approach of thinking that every transport solution has to be about cars, and giving New Zealanders options to move around in different ways.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: Might the 62 days between the $785 million cycle bridge being announced and it being walked back make it one of the shortest-lived transport projects in recent history?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: No.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: What does he say to the 81 percent of Kiwis, including 75 percent of Labour supporters, who think that he shouldn’t go ahead with a $785 million cycling and walking bridge?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Of course, we all do look with interest at all public polls that are taken, and my reflection on that particular poll would be that if the support for any Government project was as low as levels of support for the Leader of the Opposition, then it would be in trouble.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: That went well.

💬 SPEAKER: What?

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: Eh?

💬 SPEAKER: I don’t think the member meant that, did he?

Question No. 10—Health

10. to the Minister of Health: What recent milestones have been passed in regards to the mental health workforce?

The Budget 2019 mental wellbeing package provided funding to develop the mental health and addiction workforce. This investment has supported a range of new training programmes and placements, both to grow and to upskill existing workforces and to develop new workforces. For example, I’m happy to report that 46 additional bursaries for Māori students were offered in 2021, and 96 percent of these places have been filled. This is on top of the 80 bursaries that were already filled in 2021. The bursaries are provided through the Te Rau Puawai programme to encourage Māori into mental health - related degree programmes at Massey University, which would increase kaimahi Māori in the mental health workforce. I’m also happy to report that we’re on track to provide 30 scholarships for Pacific students—77 percent of these scholarships have already been awarded. These scholarships contribute to tuition fees for students who are undertaking a course in full-time or part-time medical and mental health or disability - related studies.

💬 Dr Tracey McLellan: What other milestones have been passed to upskill our current health workforce?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Growing our mental health workforce is one of the top priorities of the mental health wellbeing package. I can also report that 71 additional places were made available in 2021 for mental health practitioners to upskill, with post-graduate training and cognitive behavioural therapy; infant, child, and youth treatment; and co-existing mental health and substance use. Of these additional places, 97 percent have been filled. This is a good first step towards addressing our mental health workforce shortages.

💬 Dr Tracey McLellan: What is being done to increase mental health and addiction literacy training among the wider health workforce?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The Ministry of Health funded 80 additional mental health, what they call, 101 workshops in 2020 and 2021, all of which were filled with close to 2,750 people attending. These workshops—this 101 programme—includes topics of stress and wellbeing, mental health challenges, suicide, trauma, supportive language and perspective, building a connection, sharing your concerns, when to get help, and local support. This allows more health professionals across New Zealand to see the signs of mental distress early and to respond accordingly.

💬 Matt Doocey: Why has there been close to a 40 percent increase in the number of mental health workers who have quit the workforce, from 634 in the last year of the National Government to 875 last year, under his Labour Government?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I can’t explain that except we know that because of the successive under-investment by the previous Government specifically in the mental health sector, this is a workforce that is under huge pressure. And this was a Government that actually took the courage to step up and admit there is a crisis in mental health and put $1.9 billion into fixing it.

Question No. 11—Health

11. to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that 19 months since the Government announced $16.3 million to help 100 people transition from mental health in-patient units to community housing, only three people have been helped at a cost of $1.8 million, and that monthly bed occupancy for mental health in-patient facilities across New Zealand has increased from 80.21 percent in May 2020 to 91.42 percent in May 2021?

In response to the first part of the member’s question, he is incorrect. The Ministry of Health is responsible for $10.9 million of the total $16.3 million allocated to support people with complex mental health and addiction needs to transition into the community. The allocated funding varies over each financial year, but for the year ending 30 June 2021, $1.8 million was planned to be spent. I can confirm that any unspent funding allocated for this initiative will be rolled over to the current financial year. The reality is that due to COVID-19 and multiple lockdowns across Aotearoa New Zealand in 2020, this programme was significantly delayed, and it’s anticipated that the majority of funding allocated for the first year will be rolled over. In response to the second part of the member’s question, yes.

💬 Matt Doocey: What recent actions has the Minister taken in response to May’s mental health in-patient facility occupancy rates, where only three DHBs out of 20 reported operating below the 85 percent occupancy required for patient safety?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The Ministry of Health has a task force of senior clinicians set up to support DHBs who are experiencing extraordinary pressure of demand from patients, not just through things like emergency departments but in mental health facilities as well, and they are assisting those DHBs with the management of the workload pressures that they’ve got to make sure that patients can get access to help and are treated in a safe way.

💬 Matt Doocey: Does the Minister think that, after 19 months, supporting just three mental health patients, as answered in written parliamentary questions (WPQs), out of a target of 100 is acceptable, and, if not, what actions has he taken to address this lack of delivery?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: What I think is a good starting point is to accept that there has been a global pandemic that has affected New Zealand. That resulted, following the announcement in February 2020, in a four-week lockdown nationwide, multiple lockdowns, particularly in Auckland, on a number of occasions following that. That has, as I said in the answer to the primary question, significantly delayed the roll out of this project. Now, I know that on “Planet National” you can sort of magic up things and things sort of work as if pandemics don’t have an effect, but they do have an effect. This Government has made the investment in mental health that was long overdue, because we are serious about rising to the mental health challenge of this country. Our clinical leaders and officials in the Ministry of Health have a programme to assist DHBs to manage mental health patients in a more effective way, to encourage more community treatment where that is possible, to free up more spaces in the acute facilities, and, as part of the programme as well, to upgrade those acute facilities so there is more room to meet demand.

💬 Matt Doocey: Can the Minister explain what the $1.8 million spent, as answered to my WPQ by him, to get just three people into community housing in 19 months has actually been spent on?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The member is just plainly incorrect. I refer to the answer to the primary question. The money not spent in the previous financial year—the $1.8 million due to be spent—is being reallocated to the current financial year. So the work that would have been done, were it not for multiple lockdowns as a result of COVID-19, is now taking place—in Auckland. There were two areas that were expected to set up these facilities—Auckland and Waikato. In Auckland, the work is close to fruition, to reach agreements with community providers to achieve what was expected. In the Waikato, an agreement is due to take effect from the middle of this month.

💬 Matt Doocey: What is his response to reports that there are patients stuck in mental health in-patient facilities operating at clinically unsafe occupancy rates due to his Government’s failure to transition them into community housing?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: This Government takes seriously the mental health crisis that was apparent many years ago and to which there was absolutely no response by the previous Government. This Government has stepped up to provide a meaningful response. That included more investment in community care for those who have spent a long time in acute facilities but who can be provided good care and safe care in the community where that is possible. It is a priority for us to get more folks who have spent a long time in acute care into the community. We made that announcement in February 2020, and within a month or so the nation was in lockdown because of COVID-19, and then following that four-week nationwide level 4 lockdown, there were multiple, more, lockdowns, and that necessarily has an effect on the ability to pull forward—

Order! I think we have become repetitious.

Question No. 12—Commerce and Consumer Affairs

12. to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What recent reports has he seen about the supermarket industry and the cost of groceries?

Last week, the Commerce Commission released its draft report into the retail grocery sector. The draft findings indicate there are problems with the current state of affairs and that New Zealanders would get better prices, range, and quality if there was increased competition in the sector. The findings of this report are currently out for public consultation until 26 August, and I’d encourage people to read the draft and make a submission. The next few weeks of feedback will inform the Commerce Commission’s final recommendations, set to be released on 23 November.

💬 Naisi Chen: Why did the Government direct the Commerce Commission to look into the grocery sector?

💬 Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The average Kiwi household spends a large amount of its weekly expenses on food, and this has been increasing year on year. In fact, in the year to June 2019, food was the second-largest expenditure item for Kiwis, with the average household spending an average $234 per week on it. Put simply, consumers deserve to know if they’re getting a fair deal at the supermarket checkout, and the Commerce Commission’s findings currently suggest that they may not be. Delivering on our 2020 manifesto commitment to examine competition in the grocery sector is something we are doing.

💬 Naisi Chen: What reactions has he seen on the draft Commerce Commission report?

💬 Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Katherine Rich, of the Food and Grocery Council, said that the market study will be positive for Kiwi shoppers and grocery manufacturers. She also says that making sure consumers are getting a fair deal is a fair question for the Government to ask in a small market where there are two dominant market participants. Jon Duffy of Consumer New Zealand has welcomed the recommendations in the draft report, saying, “With the supermarket trade carved up between them, the two big chains are in a cosy position and there are significant barriers to potential rivals establishing a presence. That won’t change without regulatory intervention.”

Questions to Members

Question No. 1—Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee

1. MELISSA LEE (National) to the Chairperson of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee: What public statements has the chair made, if any, on behalf of the committee regarding the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee’s Inquiry into the Review of the Radio New Zealand Charter?

Kia orana, Mr Speaker. As chair, I released a media statement on behalf of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee on 25 June this year, outlining the contents of the Radio New Zealand charter, what the inquiry would be addressing, and encouraging the public to be part of this important review by submitting on the inquiry. In an interview with Mediawatch published two days later, I echoed the message contained in the media release.

💬 Melissa Lee: How many submissions have been received to date for the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee’s inquiry into the review of the Radio New Zealand charter?

💬 SPEAKER: No, that’s not a matter the chair’s responsible for.