Oral Questions

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

Yes. In particular, I stand by our Government’s announcement that, from 15 December, people will be able to travel out of Auckland if they have either been fully vaccinated or have had a negative test 72 hours prior to departure. We know Auckland has done it tough over the past three months, but due to their hard work, getting vaccinated, and their sacrifice which has helped slow the spread of the virus, we know we will be in a position to allow them to reconnect with friends and whānau around the country over the summer break. There will be enforcement, and those who break the rules will face penalties, but our announcement today helps all New Zealanders plan for a safe transition.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: When she announced the target of 90 percent full vaccination for every district health board, was it her intention, at the time, to abandon this target just a few weeks later?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: At the time we made that announcement we said two things as well—and I do note, to give this context, that by mid-December we are expecting the country to be at roughly 90 percent, but at the time we made that announcement we also, (a) said that we would be pragmatic about the decisions; (b) we set at that time an expectation that the rest of the country would likely move into orange. Today, we have said if we have areas that have lower vaccination rates, to ensure greater protections those areas would likely move into red. But, ultimately, what we’ve said today is that to provide greater protection for New Zealand, our view is that the COVID protection framework does a better job for this phase of our COVID pandemic management than the alert levels, which is why we’ve indicated that we will be moving shortly into that framework.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Why did she wait until day 92 of the lockdown to announce her new travel restriction plan; which part of the plan in particular was so complicated it had to wait until today to be announced?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the member is suggesting that after day two of putting Auckland into restrictions we would then make announcements that in December the border that had been established would be removed, I don’t think anyone would suggest that that would have been feasible or sensible. We have maintained the boundary for this period of time because it has slowed the spread of COVID. It has enabled us to keep the rest of the country as safe as possible whilst vaccination rates have continued to increase. The fact that at the time when Delta arrived in New Zealand, full vaccination rates were sitting in the mid-20s and are now over 80 percent demonstrates the speed at which we have all moved. But now is the time to transition. Aucklanders do need to be able to move safely. This plan allows them to.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: How many Auckland hospitality businesses will fail if they are forced to operate through the Christmas period under red traffic light restrictions?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I reject the idea that that will be the case, because, of course, the member will be familiar with the new framework which, if you were giving a likeness in terms of the ability to operate, in terms of the number of people and the requirements—very similar to level 2 which the rest of the country has been using. The added layer of protection is the use of vaccine certificates. So that is the thing that gives an added layer of protection but of course allows hospitality to operate, obviously, more than they are able to now.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Under the new travel restrictions she’s just announced, how many cars will police be expected to stop and search on a daily basis?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I wouldn’t describe enforcement in that way. It’s simply those who are—

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Oh, yes it is.

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would not call it a search power. The—

💬 Hon Judith Collins: It’s a stop and search.

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, I reject the member’s characterisation. We, of course, for months now have been running a system that does require people to demonstrate that they meet the requirements to travel. Now, all we’re asking Aucklanders to demonstrate is that they have either been vaccinated using, of course, their vaccine pass, or that they have had a negative test. We are allowing the enforcement decisions, obviously, to be made by police. It is operational, after all. We expect, though, in the North that they will work with the communities and iwi in the North. We do expect that we will have potentially lower vaccination rates in those areas, so we do want to make sure we act cautiously there.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: So if it’s operational, then are police free not to bother with this stop and—what—check procedure?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I’m sure the member is familiar with the idea of stopping someone for speeding or stopping someone for drink-driving. This is no different. There is no sense with any of those that you have no enforcement. There will be enforcement. The decision on how that is operationalised and how that is safely operationalised is not a decision for members of Parliament, and it never has been. It will be operationalised by the police.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: So will people be required to show photo ID whenever they show their vaccine certificate, and will that requirement extend to people who are, say, 12 years and six months old?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member can ridicule all that she likes. A 12-year-old who is able to be vaccinated also is able to have a vaccine pass, and, of course, it is not unreasonable that a parent may hold that. For the under-12s, we do not require them to have vaccine passes, because they cannot be vaccinated, nor will we require them to be tested. But the system has not just been devised for the boundary; it exists for hospitality and events. It is not unlike what has been operating in other countries. In fact, I’d say ours is an enhancement on what you see, for instance, in the federal system in Australia. They have no verifier QR code; ours does. It enables that extra step of verification. Also, it contains full name and date of birth so that you are able to check against other photo ID, should you choose to.

💬 Hon Michael Woodhouse: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition’s question was clear that it related to people over the age of 12, and the Prime Minister addressed the question of people under the age of 12.

💬 SPEAKER: She added extra information afterwards.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: So can we take it from the Prime Minister’s answer, then, that anyone over the age of 12 years is going to have to have a photo ID as well as their vaccine certificate?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Well, then, what does she mean? Who is going to need a photo ID?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If you carry a vaccine pass, you can use a verifier app to verify that it is an actual vaccine pass that has been issued by the Government and has not been tampered with. It’ll be up to those who are policing or enforcing to determine how they verify whether or not the individual is who they say they are. But this is no different than any of the enforcement activity that occurs at a bar or that occurs by police when they are stopping people on the side of the road, and, actually, this is a further enhancement on what some countries have been operating for quite some time. So I’m not quite sure what the member is taking issue with.

Question No. 2—Prime Minister

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

Yes. In particular, I stand by the Government’s announcement that the 3.4 million fully vaccinated New Zealanders can now get their My Vaccine Pass. My Vaccine Pass is an official record of a person’s COVID-19 vaccination status, and will provide access to places within New Zealand that require proof of vaccination under the COVID-19 Protection Framework. We don’t want anyone to miss out, so we’re strongly encouraging those who have been putting off getting a vaccine to take that step now as we prepare to transition into the new protection framework. Can I add that, while we have excellent and growing rates of vaccine nationally, we know not everyone who is eligible has been vaccinated. This new framework provides greater protection for those who aren’t vaccinated by minimising potential spread of COVID-19.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Does she agree with the repeated decision of the Ministry of Health to refuse to share relevant Māori vaccination data with Māori vaccination teams on the front line?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I’m not sure that I’d consider that a fair characterisation, because Māori providers, of course, have been able to access data. Of course, we have seen a higher profile discussion and the court’s involvement in the request by Whānau Ora for access to individual data for the entirety of the North Island. There’s been different views, including from Māori providers, around whether or not that should be released. I know that progress has been made, and Whānau Ora—the provider in question—has, for instance, reached an agreement where they’re now accessing data in parts of the country, and they continue to work with the ministry on that wider access. Can I come back to a principle though: we all want to accelerate vaccination rates and access to data will help with that. But, obviously, the Ministry of Health is playing a role here, making sure that where there is some difference of opinion in accessing peoples’ personal information they are working through that as quickly as they can.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Why is it that private enterprise Homecare Medical gets automatic access to data while Māori providers have to go through a laborious process including going to the courts?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, the member is characterising the sharing of that information as if Māori providers have not been able to; that is not the case. What we have here, though, is one agency trying to seek information for all Māori across the entire North Island, and some providers—including Māori providers—haven’t always been happy with that request, so we’re working through, in different regions, to seek agreement on that.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Has Dr Bloomfield been misleading the country by claiming in the media over the last few weeks that iwi individual data had already been shared with Whānau Ora, when the lawyers of the Whānau Ora commissioning agency have confirmed it hadn’t been?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Look, no, I don’t believe it’s fair to characterise Dr Bloomfield in that way. And again, as I come back to the principle, we all want to accelerate vaccination rates; that is a goal we all have. And yes, access to data is a critical piece to ensure that we’re reaching individuals. But there are some who have taken different views. We’re all trying to work through and resolve them as quickly as possible. And, as I say, my recollection is that, for instance, there’s already been an agreement reached for access in the Waikato, and we’re working through agreements in different parts of the country as well.

💬 Hon Kelvin Davis: Is she aware that Te Kahu o Taonui, the Māori collective up North, has said that the only people that should see iwi data are those iwi themselves?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That, yes, characterises some of the issues that the ministry has been working through. This has been complex. But I do believe that, ultimately, everyone has the same goal here. It’s all a matter of how and making sure that we take into consideration those differing views. I know we need to move quickly. If I could finish, though, on just acknowledging that it’s all about acceleration. You know, at the moment, we’re sitting on first doses for Māori at 78 percent. While that’s been growth, we want to see that number much, much higher. But I take great heart from the fact that for our over-65s, we’ve got 92 percent fully vaccinated. That demonstrates what is possible. We now just need to make sure we move as quickly as we can.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table solicitors’ letters that are not public that confirm that the Whānau Ora commissioning agency has not received individual iwi data.

💬 SPEAKER: I want the member to confirm that either the addressee or the sender of the letter—it’s a matter for decision for the House whether they’re tabled or not, but we normally have an indication as to whether it has the approval either of the sender of the letter or the person who received the letter.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: I can confirm.

💬 SPEAKER: Which?

💬 Rawiri Waititi: What you have asked for.

💬 SPEAKER: The sender or the receiver?

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Both.

💬 SPEAKER: Thank you. Is there any objection to those letters being tabled? We just take care of privilege; that’s all. Right. Legal privilege. Further supplementaries?

💬 Rawiri Waititi: What is being done to develop a Māori home isolation strategy, given that 2,600 whānau, a considerable number of which are Māori, are isolating at home without adequate Government planning, resources, and support?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Well, I would really push back on the latter half of the member’s question. Yes, it is obviously fair to say that we have a system in place, as has the rest of the world, where we are caring for people in their home. Where we are unique is that we are still also using managed isolation facilities to support people’s care if they have COVID-19 as well. For detail on some of the work that’s being undertaken with different community providers—including Māori and Pacific community providers, because that is constant and ongoing work—the member may like to either ask questions directly of Minister Little or seek a briefing of him. But what I can say is that we do see this as critical. Both clinical assessment and providing for the welfare needs of those who have COVID in our community need to be provided appropriately with those who best understand their community and the needs of whānau.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Why did she implement unilateral Government vaccine mandates without seeking the active consent of tangata whenua, despite her obligation to do so under Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: So there was consultation with sectors for the implementation of the mandates across our healthcare workforce and for worker representatives across the healthcare workforce. My understanding is that the member’s party, I believe, supports mandates for the healthcare workforce. Where we perhaps part ways is we have a strong view that mandates in our education sector, which we don’t take lightly, protect our tamariki. We’re very firm on this. This is a group of individuals who currently do not have the choice of a vaccination. We see them, therefore, as vulnerable and the largest group that cannot be vaccinated in New Zealand. So yes, that’s an area where we also consulted with workforce, but our view is that we had a duty of care to tamariki.

💬 Hon Kelvin Davis: Can she confirm that the Government has provided close to a quarter of a billion dollars to Māori health providers to address COVID in the Māori population?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes, I can. In fact, the most recent instalment of that was, of course, the $120 million that was provided through the Māori Communities COVID-19 Fund. That’s split into two parts. Of course, preventative—we want to make sure that we are preventing illness by ensuring communities are vaccinated. So $60 million was put aside for that, and you can already see that very quick distribution across Māori providers who are able to both drive demand—they may not be the providers who are vaccinating, but they know their community and are able to drive demand and also provide vaccine, if appropriate, as well. The other $60 million is to support Māori providers for our care and community work, because, as the member has rightly suggested, it needs to be appropriate care. We need to be supporting whānau within the community if they happen to become infected with COVID-19, but all of our work is to try and prevent that.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Will her Government instruct Work and Income New Zealand to guarantee that there won’t be a stand-down period for those who have lost their jobs due to the vaccine mandate; if not, why not?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course, if an individual loses their job because of a vaccine mandate, then they are treated as anyone else who loses their job in the welfare system. So that means, of course, from my recollection, that stand-down periods don’t apply in those cases.

💬 SPEAKER: Just before I do that, I will remind members in the gallery that the rules—yes, no I wasn’t referring to the mask, Mr McKelvie, but you should keep it up. The rules as far as phones are concerned are the same for members on the floor. Please keep them on silent.

Question No. 3—Finance

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

The Reserve Bank released its November Financial Stability Report earlier this month. It found the resilience of the financial system remains high, although the current Delta outbreak is creating challenges, particularly for businesses in Auckland. It noted that households and businesses came into the Delta outbreak with generally strengthened financial positions compared to mid-2020 due to the recovering economy, robust labour market, and fiscal support. The report did warn that COVID-19 continues to present economic risks, and it noted the importance of fiscal support schemes such as the wage subsidy scheme and Resurgence Support Payment to sustain businesses through higher alert levels.

💬 Helen White: What other reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: BDO’s third annual Māori Business Sector Report found that businesses in the Māori economy are confident about their future. It reported that 96 percent of Māori business owners are confident of success in the next 12 months despite the pandemic. The report confirmed the ongoing and uneven impact of COVID, but it showed that Māori businesses have also come through the year finding new ways to adapt and rise to the challenges they face in delivering gains for whānau and community. The reports show that they remain confident in assessing a changing environment and setting their sights on growth. Nevertheless, the environment in this business area remains challenging and the Government continues its Budget goal of lifting the incomes, skills, and opportunities for Māori and, indeed, all New Zealanders now and into the future.

💬 Helen White: What recent reports has he seen on exports supporting the New Zealand economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: New Zealand dairy farmers are continuing to support the recovery. The global dairy trade price index increased 1.9 percent, with a key indicator of whole milk powder also rising by 1.9 percent to an average of $3,987 per kilo of milksolids. [Interjection from an Opposition member] I know the Opposition enjoy my updates on this matter! There were gains for other products, with a 2.2 percent increase for cheddar, 1.4 percent for skim-milk powder, and a 3.5 percent gain for butter. Economists have noted that higher prices reflect weak global production and, in the case of the forecast payment to Fonterra’s farmers, will be at the upper end of the $7.90 to $8.90 per kilo of milksolids range for the current season. I’d once again like to thank our primary sector for their confidence and their contribution to the economy.

Question No. 4—COVID-19 Response

4. to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Does he agree it is essential to prioritise equity in the next stage of responding to COVID-19; if so, how does he plan to achieve an equitable response?

Kia ora, Mr Speaker. Absolutely. The Government’s always placed equity at the forefront of our COVID-19 response, and the next stage is no different. Equity is a key consideration in our shift to the protection framework. It’s intended to give as much certainty and stability as possible for people and for businesses, including by removing the need for widespread alert level 3 and 4 lockdowns, which we acknowledge create additional equity issues. We recognise that vulnerable communities are some of the hardest hit by COVID-19 and that we all have a part to play in responding—the Government, including health and social services; local communities; iwi; hapū; whānau; businesses; and individuals. The framework provides us with tools to better protect vulnerable regions and communities and to put in place proportionate measures to do that.

💬 Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: Kia ora. Is he concerned that Māori and Pasifika make up a combined 70 percent of current hospitalised COVID-19 cases, and, if so, how does he plan to ensure these communities are protected from further spread of COVID-19?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Yes, I am concerned by that and I am concerned that COVID19 has found its way into a hard-to-reach part of our community, and it is a part of the community that has been marginalised from many of the arms of Government that we rely on in our contact tracing processes in order to try and ring-fence and remove the risk. And I know that those contact tracing teams have been working incredibly hard to try and reach in to those communities and provide their support in different ways in order to build trust within those communities so that they can do exactly that. So that has to continue to be the focus. I am concerned, as well, that the lower rate of vaccination amongst Māori has the potential to manifest itself in a higher rate of hospitalisation as we see more cases of COVID-19 in the community. And I think that one of the strongest things we can all do as members of Parliament is to get out there and encourage people to take up the opportunity to be vaccinated. One of the things I am very concerned about—and I’ve spoken openly about this today—is that our Māori communities have been the target of a very active and organised misinformation campaign, some of which is being fuelled by white supremacists.

💬 Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: Kia ora. What additional resourcing will be provided to healthcare, iwi, and community services in regional and rural areas in light of travel to these areas from Auckland?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As the Prime Minister has just outlined, we’ve put a significant additional amount of funding into getting our vaccination rates up amongst Māori and working with our hauora health providers to do that, and similarly to prepare for care in the community as we see more cases of COVID-19 in the community, and making sure we’re working with our Māori health providers, our Pasifika health providers, to make sure that they’re geared up and ready to do that. We’ll continue to focus on that. I’d note that one of the things that the protection framework does is it gives us that ability to protect people at a more individual level than the alert level framework does.

💬 Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: Kia ora. What plans does he have to protect the health and wellbeing of confirmed COVID-19 cases isolating at home in regional and rural areas, particularly those in large households?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think it’s important to note—and the Minister of Health has been doing a lot of work with health officials on the care in the community model—it’s not going to be an absolutely one-size-fits-all model, because different communities, different whānau, will have different needs. Some people will present with very mild symptoms and will be quite happy to go home, isolate at home, won’t need a lot of support with that, will get better, and then will be out and about in the community again. Other people will have a higher level of support because they’re showing more symptoms. Others will find isolating—particularly those in very large households—safely in a very large household can be more challenging. So there are going to need to be a variety of different models there. And working with our local health providers, all of them, to make sure that we’re providing appropriate support depending on the nature of the case and the nature of support required, that’s going to be really important.

💬 Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: Will he commit to ensuring iwi and hapū are able to establish roading checkpoints to protect people living in popular holiday destinations with low vaccination rates and a high proportion of people under 12, such as in the Tai Rāwhiti?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I’d simply reiterate the message that the police are responsible for any roading checkpoints that exist around COVID-19. And I know that the police have worked in partnership with local iwi around how they have done that, and I’d encourage them to continue to do that. That, of course, is an operational matter for them. But I know that they’re very proud of the work that they’ve done with local iwi around that.

💬 Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: And, finally, how will vaccine passes be provided to people without internet access or photo ID, including migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, the elderly, people with learning difficulties, and other disabilities?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The most immediate option that’s available right now is an 0800 number that they can call, and they will talk through the process for them to access a vaccination certificate. We’re also looking at some additional walk-up options, including through primary care, where people will be able to go and get hard-copy printouts from primary care and from pharmacies and so on. We’re not quite there yet with getting that up and running, but we’re very close to that, and I hope to have more information about that. But we know that, again, it’s not going to be one-size-fits-all; we’re going to need a variety of different options for people.

Question No. 5—Infrastructure

5. to the Minister for Infrastructure: Does he stand by his statement from 24 June 2020 that an objective of the shovel-ready projects was for construction activity to be “underway within the next 12 months”; if so, how many shovel-ready projects, if any, have not yet begun construction?

I stand by the full Cabinet paper from June last year, which this statement comes from, in its full context. That context includes, of course, the fact that the economic situation and construction market are very different now from what they were when that criteria was set in April 2020. As the member knows, in July 2020 Cabinet confirmed that it is a condition of Infrastructure Reference Group (IRG) funding that projects must start within 12 months of a funding contract being signed. This means that each IRG project has its own must-start date as a result of contracting at different times. In answer to the second part of the question, I’m advised that as at 30 September, the most recent numbers available, of the 234 IRG projects, 49 had not had construction start, but only nine of those are at risk of not meeting the 12-month deadline.

💬 Andrew Bayly: What is his definition of a shovel-ready project if 40 percent of projects had not yet started construction after the 12-month period?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That’s not actually what I said in my answer. I said that there were 49 of 234, of which nine won’t meet the contract date of 12 months from there. As I said in my primary answer, the construction environment is very different, and I think most of the communities around New Zealand where these projects are happening are very, very pleased that there is a Government that supports them.

💬 Andrew Bayly: If the point of the shovel-ready projects was to stimulate the economy as a result of COVID, what is the purpose of these projects now that we have labour shortages and an over-heated construction industry?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, the member needs to make his mind up. Either we’re going too fast, as his earlier question said, or now we’re going too slow. What I do know, is these are projects that are incredibly important to the communities that they’re in. There is a very tight labour market and very tight construction market, as he points out. That has slowed some projects down. They remain valuable and important projects that, I might say, many of his colleagues are strong advocates for.

💬 Hon Chris Hipkins: Is he proud of the fact that he’s now being criticised for doing too good a job of managing the economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I will accept any form of criticism from the Opposition and any form of praise from the member.

💬 Andrew Bayly: How many of the shovel-ready projects have been completed?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I believe, on the latest advice, around 30 have been completed. The remaining projects are under construction and, again, the member needs to decide which it is that he has a problem with. Are we going too fast or are we going too slow? Which is it, Mr Bayly?

💬 SPEAKER: Order! I just make it clear to the Minister for Infrastructure that he answers not asks the questions.

💬 Andrew Bayly: Has he asked the Deputy Prime Minister responsible for the implementation unit to help him deliver on these so-called shovel-ready projects?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I know that the member asked me that exact same question on 12 May and the answer is the same, that when the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure meet, it is a true meeting of minds.

Question No. 6—COVID-19 Response

6. to the Minister for COVID19 Response: What recent announcements has he made regarding COVID-19 vaccination passes?

This morning I announced that from today, New Zealanders can get their official proof of vaccination, the My Vaccine Pass. A separate, international COVID-19 vaccination certificate, which provides a proof of vaccination certificate in order to enter overseas countries, can now also be requested. To obtain one, people will need to be fully vaccinated or be one of the very small number of Kiwis who has received a medical exemption. People can log into My COVID Record to make a request for the free pass or call 0800 222 478. As at midday today, I’m advised that 65,454 people had already requested their pass. I understand that’s now already over 100,000. We don’t want anyone to miss out, so we’re strongly encouraging those who have been putting off getting the vaccine to take that step now as we prepare to transition into the COVID-19 Protection Framework.

💬 Tangi Utikere: How will vaccine certificates work and where will they be used?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: My Vaccine Pass has a QR code that can be scanned upon arrival at a venue. It can be downloaded into your personal phone and stored in your Apple or Google wallet, or it can be printed out and used in hardcopy. Under the COVID19 Protection Framework, the pass will mean people will be able to do the things that they love, including going to concerts and music festivals, a night out at bars and restaurants, going to the gym, and going to sporting events. There are certain things under the framework where denying entry on the basis of vaccination will be prohibited, however; and that includes life-preserving services such as supermarkets, pharmacies, and health and disability services. Proof of vaccination will also not be required in education settings—of the users of the education settings, at least, on public transport, other than on air travel, or in accessing housing and housing support services under State sector agencies. As we move towards the COVID-19 Protection Framework, it’s important that Kiwis understand now where these passes will apply and how important they’ll be for enjoying their freedoms once the new framework comes into force.

💬 Tangi Utikere: When will the My Vaccine Pass come into use?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The My Vaccine Pass will come into widespread use once we shift to the COVID-19 Protection Framework. That pass is the ticket to enjoy the freedoms that will come with that framework. On 29 November, Cabinet will confirm the decision to move Auckland and the rest of New Zealand alongside it into the traffic light system. We expect this move to occur soon after Cabinet meets. In addition, from 15 December, people travelling out of Auckland who have either been fully vaccinated or who have had a negative test within the 72 hours prior to departure will be able to leave Auckland and visit other parts of the country. My Vaccine Pass will serve as proof of vaccination for that purpose. So my message to New Zealanders today is that the vaccine pass is your ticket to summer. It’s essential under the traffic light system, so get ready by downloading it today, and if you haven’t been vaccinated, go and do it.

Question No. 7—Education

7. to the Minister of Education: How many schools in Auckland and the Waikato, if any, have decided not to return to onsite learning?

All schools are required to be open for instruction for a minimum number of half-days each year. Being open for instruction does include both learning from home and learning on site. In opening up to all students, schools were given the flexibility to make decisions that best meet the needs of their learners and of their community. Schools must, however, be open on site where children need to attend in person because they don’t have an appropriate carer at home. I’m advised that there are five schools that have made the decision to remain closed for on-site learning at this stage, as the children did not need to attend in person, following consultation with their community. They’ll continue to support learning for all students while they remain at home. In addition, the Ministry of Education’s aware of a small number of schools that have asked for and that have needed an extra couple of days to prepare for on-site learning. That is consistent with the guidance that schools have been given.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Having said, “It is clear that the risk of reopening schools is outweighed by the benefits of kids re-engaging with their learning face-to-face in this context.”, why does he think it’s acceptable for five schools not to have reopened for on-site learning?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I did not make that judgment. What I said was that these schools are acting consistent with the guidance that has been issued, which is that they consult with their local communities about those decisions.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: With only three or four weeks left before the end of the year, why has he allowed a situation where so many Auckland schools have decided to wait till next week to restart on-site learning?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: It’s important that schools do this in a manner that is robust, that they consult with their local communities about that, and that they generate the confidence of their local communities. We do want to see children and young people back at school so that they can continue their learning face to face; we acknowledge how important that is, but I do want to acknowledge that schools have done a remarkably good job of supporting young people to learn from home over the last couple of months when they haven’t been able to be on the school sites.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why didn’t he set the minimum expectation that schools should accept all children every day for at least half the day in order to give students a realistic chance to re-engage with education before the summer?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We’ve set out a framework that allows for the return of young people to school safely. We do have to acknowledge that for our primary school - age students, vaccination is not currently an option, and so we want to make sure that we are providing an opportunity for them to get back to face-to-face learning, but also providing additional layers of protection around them. It’s one of the reasons why we have a vaccine mandate in schools, because we want to avoid COVID-19 getting into schools. Where it does, we want to make sure that we’re minimising the potential for it to spread amongst a large number of young people. So we are taking a cautious approach here. We’re balancing the needs of the physical safety, the health safety, here, but we also want to make sure that we are balancing up, on the other side, the need to get young people back to face-to-face learning.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: What does he say to parents who are worried about their children’s education, they’re wanting to get back to work, but find that their local school next week will allow their kids to go back maybe one or two days a week?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: To be very clear, as has been the case for some time now, where parents are unable to stay home and where there is not an alternative arrangement available to them, then those students can go to school. That has been the case not just this week but for some time now.

Question No. 8—Disability Issues

8. to the Minister for Disability Issues: What announcements has the Government made on transformation of the disability system?

The Minister of Heath, Andrew Little, and I recently announced a suite of changes as part of the disability system transformation, along with the steps we’re taking to make Aotearoa New Zealand more accessible. The changes include the establishment of a ministry for disabled people, national implementation of the Enabling Good Lives approach to disability support services, the introduction of new stand-alone accessibility legislation, and the establishment of a new accessibility governance board. I really want to acknowledge the disabled community, who have been at the heart of these changes. The changes are a reflection of decades of hard work and advocacy. However, this is not the destination; it is the journey.

💬 Glen Bennett: What feedback has she seen?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I’ve been really heartened by the feedback that I’ve both seen and received, from Disability Rights Commissioner, Paula Tesoriero, who said, “This announcement marks a new era for us.”, to Rachel Peterson, a disabled business owner and parent, who said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more filled with joy or hope about an announcement to do with the disability sector in New Zealand as I am about this one.”

💬 Glen Bennett: What are the next steps?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: An establishment unit for disability systems transformation has been set up. A work programme is under way in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Work has been completed mapping out what will transfer from the Ministry of Health and what shared services the Ministry of Social Development will provide. The unit is continuing to work through the elements of what the new ministry will look like and the ongoing transformation of disability support services. Important next steps also include deciding on the name of the new ministry. Engagement is under way with the disabled community sector, whānau, Māori, iwi leaders, and our diverse communities. I aim to report back to Cabinet on progress early next year.

Question No. 9—Energy and Resources

9. to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Why is the Government spending $100 million on a feasibility study for Lake Onslow pumped hydro and other energy storage options, and has she seen the report commissioned by Meridian Energy and Contact Energy that identifies a large South Island pumped storage facility as the highest-cost option to achieve a 100 percent renewable 2030 generation goal?

Thank you, Mr Speaker. In answer to the first part of the question, the Government has allocated $30 million to the first stage of the NZ Battery Project, and $70 million is set aside in contingency for stage two. Lake Onslow, as recommended by the Interim Climate Change Committee for further investigation, is the base case for the NZ Battery Project, but against this, other pumped hydro options and comparator technologies are being investigated. It is critical that we consider solutions to the dry year problem as part of New Zealand’s transition to a zero carbon future. The alternative is that we continue to rely on expensive fossil fuels for dry year storage, as we did this year when hydro lakes had some of the lowest inflows on record. As the member knows, this reliance on fossil fuels resulted in very high wholesale electricity prices. The New Zealand Battery Project is focused on finding a solution that will allow us to unleash New Zealand’s abundant and affordable renewable energy sources. In answer to the second part of the question, yes.

💬 Barbara Kuriger: Will she halt the Government’s $100 million Infrastructure Reference Group shovel-ready investment in the pumped hydro feasibility study now that a freely available report identifies pumped hydro as the most time-consuming and least efficient way to address dry year risk?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Let’s be very clear: the report that we are referring to is a report commissioned by Contact Energy and Meridian. I don’t think anyone would be surprised that existing market players are promoting and investigating views to support their commercial and strategic objectives, given that the outcome of the project could be a major disruptor to the status quo. But our job as a responsible Government is to ensure that the broad interests of New Zealand are fully investigated. And furthermore to the reason we won’t be abandoning a very important piece of work required for New Zealand’s future is that even the CEO of Meridian, as recently as this morning in a meeting with the Minister of Finance and myself, told us that he did not think it was Onslow or hydrogen; it could be both.

💬 Barbara Kuriger: Will she halt the $100 million investment in the pumped hydro feasibility study in light of reports that both WEL Networks and Meridian Energy will invest in battery capacity on their own accord, without the Government having to spend a cent?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I think the questions that the member is asking cut to the reason why when we came into Government there was absolutely no planning for how we would have renewable plans for dry year storage. The simple “Leave it to the market and it will serve New Zealand well” has not panned out. It has resulted in high wholesale prices when we do encounter a dry year. I would point that member to the comprehensive piece of work that the NZ Battery Project is, that it is not only looking at pumped hydro at Onslow, it is also looking at pumped hydro schemes around the country and other locations—but it is also looking at comparative technologies such as hydrogen, such as batteries. So we welcome this work that individual commercial entities are feeding into the project. It is high time that New Zealand did investigate this real issue. It’s just lucky our Government got on with it.

💬 Barbara Kuriger: Will she seek guidance from the Minister of Finance to see whether pumped hydro is a higher fiscal priority than the $14 billion for Auckland light rail or $6 billion for Wellington rapid transit, so that she can be sure New Zealand can afford to fund her pumped hydro scheme before she spends $100 million investigating it?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I, almost on a daily basis, seek the guidance of the incredibly wise Minister of Finance. We all in our caucus do. I’d like to reassure the member—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Order! I think that might be going a bit far.

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: It’s irony. Do you want me to withdraw and apologise?

💬 SPEAKER: Well, I don’t think it’s absolutely irony, but it might, you know—one might say there’s a danger of misleading the House.

Question No. 10—Education (School Operations)

10. to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What progress, if any, has she seen on the allocation of the Government’s Auckland re-engagement package?

From today, all Auckland school students are able to head back to in-person classroom learning. A couple of weeks ago, the Government announced a $15 million package that will help schools to re-engage Auckland students in their education, following long periods of distance learning. I am pleased to report that funding is on the ground across Auckland now, and schools are equipped to encourage all their students safely back into the classroom. One part of this fund included $3 million for the Rapid Resurgence Fund. So far, almost all of that funding has been allocated to 405 Auckland schools that have been identified with the greatest needs. This funding will enable those schools and kura to respond to the immediate and urgent needs of learners to remain engaged in their learning.

💬 Camilla Belich: What targeted funding has been allocated to students that are most at risk of disengaging?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: Online learning has been effective at keeping our kids safe from COVID-19 while continuing their education, but it does have its limitations. We do know that inequities existed in education prior to COVID-19, and we know that they are likely to have been exacerbated. That is why we have allocated targeted funding to ensure support is reaching those who need it most. Part of the $15 million package included a $3 million fund to support Māori ākonga; a $3 million fund to support Pacific learners; and a $1 million fund to support students with high to moderate learning needs. This is in addition to almost $3.5 million of extra funding for proven and effective existing programmes to improve attendance and re-engagement in schools.

💬 Camilla Belich: What mental health and wellbeing support has been allocated for students?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: Part of the $15 million included $1.5 million for counselling through schools in Auckland. So far, the first round of allocation has resulted in 202 applications being approved, with a further round opened for applications today. The Government has invested $75.8 million in nationwide counselling in school services that has resulted in a further 24,000 young people now having access to counselling support at school. We know that learners who are happy and healthy learn better. That is why over the last few years this Government has undertaken a range of work to support the wellbeing of learners, in order to ensure that our kids get the best start possible.

Question No. 11—Prime Minister

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

Yes. I especially stand by the Government’s recent changes to managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) with a phased easing of border restrictions that sees the time spent in an MIQ facility halved for most overseas arrivals. Over 190,000 New Zealanders have returned home through MIQ since border restrictions were put in place last year, stopping cases at the border and allowing us to live life free of restrictions for the better part of 18 months. With most people returning now fully vaccinated, the risk profile of international arrivals has changed, so it is time to start changing our MIQ settings. The easing of MIQ requirements is part of the broader plan to reopen New Zealand safely and reconnect with the world.

💬 David Seymour: Why does it make sense to make fully vaccinated, negative-tested arrivals go through any amount of MIQ, when Nick Wilson and Michael Baker say such a person poses less danger to a fellow Aucklander than someone currently in Auckland at Countdown; or are those two wrong?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I’m not sure that Michael Baker would feel that the member has accurately reflected his position—

💬 David Seymour: Which part—which part?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —because, of course, that was—

💬 David Seymour: Which part?

💬 SPEAKER: Order!

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —because his position was based on there being a permanent hard border around Auckland, which obviously is not something that we support, and I would assume that it wouldn’t be something that the member would support either. And so that was the basis on which that comment was made.

💬 David Seymour: If Michael Baker and Nick Wilson are correct that such a person poses less of a threat than people already shopping at Countdown in Auckland, then how can it possibly be safe to allow people to leave Auckland as soon as 15 December but not to allow people to come to New Zealand without going through MIQ; is the Prime Minister seeing the logic problem here?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: What the member is not taking into account is the position that experts such as Tony Blakely have continually reinforced, as have other modellers. The issue with, of course, the wider management of any outbreak is the management of the ongoing seeding of additional cases. And when you look overseas, you’ll see that there are other countries who continue to use border controls and requirements at their border to reduce the seeding of additional cases into the community. What we have already said is that, yes, we will continue to change our settings at the border in line with our new strategy. So we are currently trialling self-isolation, because the next stage for us will be to remove what has been one of the constraints on the system, which is our ability to manage a person’s isolation period through MIQ, because it has a natural cap on the number of people that can do that. By moving to self-isolation, you open up wider opportunities to bring more New Zealanders home. But if the member is arguing to remove those requirements entirely, then the member is actually arguing that all of New Zealand should have to live with a higher level of domestic restrictions as a result, because if the member chooses to look at Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland—even the UK are discussing additional restrictions—if you continue to seed cases, then you will continue to have to have additional restrictions domestically.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: Will police powers to stop and request vaccine passports be restricted to people travelling in vehicles or will people be able to be stopped in the street once they reach their holiday destination?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course it makes sense to do it at the departure points, because that is the point at which you will be sure that it’s an Aucklander travelling. This is not about general checks in the community where someone could have come from anywhere. It makes sense to police it at the point of departure. What I would throw back to the member is that if she is suggesting that we should have nothing and that we should simply remove everything and have no requirement, then that is up to the National Party. But I seriously believe that most members from outside of Auckland will come from constituencies where there will be concerns that there should be checks in place in the areas where we, till now, have had a hard boundary.

💬 Hon Judith Collins: So is the Prime Minister seriously saying, after this announcement, that she’s still going to have people being stopped at a border between Auckland and Waikato and having their papers checked—is that what she’s really saying—for Christmas?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.

💬 David Seymour: Point of order, Mr Speaker. On the previous supplementary, I waited for the second one from the Leader of the Opposition, but I was very interested in the question of will the police powers allow police to stop people walking around in their destination. Now, the Prime Minister said that she thought it would be more prudent or efficient to use them at the point of departure, but that is a very important question—what will these police powers allow—and I don’t believe that was addressed.

💬 SPEAKER: Yes, and if the member had taken a point of order at the right point, which was immediately, I would have allowed it. He, of course, has supplementaries himself which he can choose to use.

💬 David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister stand by her statement that details of the whole country moving to the traffic light system will be announced on 29 November, and if she does stand by it, what details other than the date of the shift and the traffic light colour for each region remain to be announced?

💬 Hon Chris Hipkins: That’s pretty much it.

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Some of the additional information that regions will be interested in are, for instance, the kind of criteria that we’ll be considering in the future for movement up or down that system. Now, it will be different than what we’ve done for the alert level system in the past, because you will be able to project into the future, based on what you’re seeing with cases, potential pressure on our hospital systems—and so making sure that we have that extra detail provided to those local communities. But ultimately, of course, the most important information people will be seeking is “At what point will we be coming in?” That’s, by and large, going to be determined by vaccination level. We need to use the most up-to-date data, and we’ll be doing that on 29 November.

💬 David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister agree with the statement heckled by her Minister for COVID-19 Response about a minute ago, in response to my question of is there anything to announce other than the date of the shift and the colour of the traffic light in each region, “That’s about it.”, and if she does agree with his statement, what exactly are we waiting for and why can’t she just say right now that on 1 December the country will move to the traffic light system and that the colour of the traffic light system in each region will depend on vaccination rates in that place?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I said in the press conference, actually, for most parts of the country, where they’ll be moving into the system is material, and that decision will be based on the most up-to-date vaccination information. If the member can see that in the space of three months, we can move from 20 percent to levels as high as over 80 percent in vaccination levels, then we should give the opportunity for regions—now that they know how material their level of vaccination is to their next steps in their settings, we should allow them to continue to vaccinate and make decisions based on that information in a couple of weeks’ time.

💬 David Seymour: Will the police have the power to stop people walking around the streets and check their vaccination status, and perhaps send them home if they’re in the wrong place?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is not the intention. Of course, the order is around the departure from Auckland to other parts of the country. If the member is suggesting that the police would choose to enforce that by randomly walking the streets of other parts of the country, then that is simply quite bizarre.

Question No. 12—Transport

12. to the Minister of Transport: What announcement has he made about rail upgrades in Wellington?

Earlier this week, I was very pleased to announce that the first stage of our Wellington rail upgrade package has been completed. Double tracking of the 2.7 kilometre rail line between Trentham and Upper Hutt is finished, after two years’ work. Other upgrades completed include a freight loop at Upper Hutt, new platforms and shelters at both Trentham and Wallaceville stations, improved parking facilities, and level crossing safety upgrades.

💬 Greg O’Connor: How will this benefit commuters from the Hutt?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: By having two tracks between Trentham and Upper Hutt, we’ve cleared a bottleneck where commuter services and freight trains sometimes got in each other’s way, making services more reliable. The new underpass at Trentham station also provides a safe way for commuters and locals to get across the rail corridor—[Interruption]

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Can I say, there’s at least one member in the House who’s quite interested in this.

💬 Hon Member: Chris Bishop?

💬 SPEAKER: No, someone who regularly catches the train, all right?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was saying, the new underpass at Trentham station also provides a safe way for commuters and locals to get across the rail corridor. Double tracking this section of line has been talked about since the 1950s. This Government has got on with the job and delivered it for the people of Upper Hutt.

💬 Greg O’Connor: What other upgrades to Wellington’s regional rail network are under way?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Our Government is investing around $600 million in Wellington’s regional rail network, which is supporting the region’s economic recovery. It will make rail an even better option for Wellingtonians. Upgrades to the Wairarapa line, Plimmerton station, and the Capital Connection are all coming down the track. I want to specifically highlight the work on the Wairarapa line, which might have had to close without these investments. That was unacceptable to our Government. We’re contributing to revitalising rail after years of managed decline, and it’s very important because rail contributes over $2.1 billion of value to our economy every year.