Oral Questions

1. to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What action is the Government taking to support the Southland economy?

In July 2020, Rio Tinto announced its intention to close the aluminium smelter at Tīwai Point by August 2021. In February 2021, Rio Tinto announced it would delay the smelter’s closure until December 2024. This uncertainty has been difficult for the people of Southland. Regardless of Rio Tinto’s commercial decisions, Southlanders deserve certainty about the future of their region. Major economic shifts are not easy for communities, and that’s why our Government has provided support to the Southland community to go through a just transition process.

This transition is an opportunity to create a more resilient local economy, develop new industries, and improve the community’s ability to manage change themselves, setting Southland up for a good future. We’re committed to work hand in hand with the Southland community to plan for and manage the uncertainty brought about by ongoing speculation on the future of the smelter.

💬 Dr Liz Craig: How is the Government working with Southlanders to shape their future?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Our recently released just transition work plan for Southland outlines our commitment to support the community’s ambition of building a productive and sustainable economy, where workers have good jobs, and the region has long-term resilience. Southland businesses and workers are ready to enter new markets but could use some help along the way. The plan has identified that Southland’s transition will focus on the areas of clean energy, aquaculture, and innovative land uses. Recently, we’ve seen these plans start to come to fruition with the announcement of Datagrid, a carbon-neutral cloud computer data centre, to be established in Southland. In developing the work plan, we’ve worked closely with iwi, local government, unions, businesses, and the education, aquaculture, and community sectors to develop a shared vision for Southland’s future.

💬 Dr Liz Craig: What has the Government done to include iwi aspirations in the just transition?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: This Government knows that delivering on Māori and iwi aspirations is key to a just transition. What is good for iwi is good for Southland. Iwi have been at the centre of this just transition process from the start. Officials are working closely with Murihiku Papatipu Rūnanga and the Murihiku Regeneration collective to ensure we manage the social, economic, and environmental impacts of economic change for the wider Southland community. We will continue to work with everybody to support Southland’s transition, regardless of Rio Tinto’s commercial decisions.

Question No. 2—Local Government

2. to the Minister of Local Government: Will she commit to making changes if the Three Waters Working Group on Representation, Governance and Accountability recommends that the governance structure should include more local representation; if not, why not?

on behalf of the Minister of Local Government: The working group are due to report to me on 28 February 2022. I can commit to listening carefully to what they say, but, obviously, I have not received their report and therefore cannot go any further in those commitments.

💬 Simon Court: Will she commit to making any changes to the three waters delivery model proposed by the Communities 4 Local Democracy campaign, which represents over 1.3 million New Zealanders who have rejected her three waters proposal?

On behalf of the Minister, when I met with the Communities 4 Local Democracy mayors in December last year, I invited them to present their views to the working group for consideration and they’ve done so, and I understand that the working group is considering their proposals alongside a range of other options.

💬 Simon Court: When will she start listening and give local communities a say on the future of their water assets?

On behalf of the Minister, the Minister has been listening and talking with local government bodies, communities for the last four years on these matters, and what she has heard from communities is that they want safe drinking water, they want to make sure their drinking water does not kill people, they want to make sure that there aren’t sewage pipes breaking out, or boiled water notices all around New Zealand. In short: they want a water supply that they deserve, and that’s what this Government will deliver.

Question No. 3—Prime Minister

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

on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes.

💬 Nicola Willis: What does she say to New Zealand renters, for whom, on average, the cost of renting has increased a massive $140 a week during her time as Prime Minister, a 50 percent bigger increase than occurred in the full nine years of the last National Government?

On behalf of the Prime Minister, what I say to the renters of New Zealand is that we have now a Government that acknowledges that there is a housing crisis, unlike that previous Government. We have a Government that is overseeing a record amount of house building. We have a Government that is making sure that there are incentives to build homes that can be rented. In short, we have a Government that does care about renters.

💬 Nicola Willis: Can she now see that her Government’s divisive attempt to “crack down on speculators” has backfired spectacularly, utterly failing to arrest soaring house prices and resulting in massive rent hikes for New Zealand tenants?

On behalf of the Prime Minister, no. What I can see is actually that the proportion of first-home buyers has been rising since those changes have been made, and we are seeing speculators leaving the market.

💬 Nicola Willis: Is it seriously her position that it is a mere coincidence that average rents have increased a record-breaking $50 a week in the same year when the Government introduced new property taxes for landlords?

On behalf of the Prime Minister, this matter of what is the best measure of rental increases was covered in the House yesterday between the member and her question to Minister Woods. What I can say to the renters of New Zealand is that they have a Government that has moved to protect them, to make sure that they only have one rental increase a year, and to make sure that there is more support for them through all of the various income support measures. The member on the other side of the House needs to remember it is her Government that’s caused this housing crisis; we’re fixing it.

💬 Nicola Willis: Well, does she recall the warning that the Government received from its own housing officials in this Cabinet paper [holds up document], in which they explicitly advised the Government not to remove tax deductions for landlords, saying, “It is likely to result in increases in rent.”?

On behalf of the Prime Minister, we received a range of advice from officials about what to do for housing. We could have sat and done nothing, like the previous Government did, or we could have done what we’ve done and made sure that we even up the playing field whilst continuing to support renters.

💬 Hon Dr Megan Woods: Does she recall that Cabinet, on reading that advice, sought to put in place mitigations to alleviate the rental increase impacts, like allowing interest deductibility on new-build rental properties for 20 years to continue?

Yes. And in fact, the Government has made sure that not only are we dealing with short-term issues, but the long-term supply of housing is now being addressed through a record number of consents and incentives to build properties that can be rented.

💬 Nicola Willis: Well, does the Prime Minister recall the warning in the same Cabinet paper that by going ahead with tax changes, even with those measures in place mentioned by the Minister of Housing, “There is still a risk to tenants, as some landlords, particularly those that are highly leveraged, may still increase rents or divest properties, displacing tenants.”; and what does she say to the New Zealanders who are now bearing those consequences in the form of higher rents, and a loss of secure housing?

What I say to them is what I’ve said to the member in my earlier answers to this question: this Government has a plan for housing that is seeing a record number of houses being built; we are looking after renters and low-income New Zealanders in a way that the previous Government did not. On this side of the House, we recognise that there has been a housing crisis. We have solutions for it.

Question No. 4—Education

4. 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?

More good news. Today, I announced a $20 million funding injection to ensure the quick delivery of vital school projects in Auckland. At Auckland Normal Intermediate school and Onehunga High School we’re relocating classrooms and improving ground conditions. At Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate we’re addressing all of its weather tightness issues, and at Mt Roskill Grammar the school’s significant weather tightness remediation project will now also include the rebuild of the school’s music block. These projects are part of a $150 million commitment made in Budget 2021 to support shovel-ready school property projects at schools all over the country.

💬 Marja Lubeck: Which other schools will benefit from this investment?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In addition to the four schools I’ve mentioned, six other Auckland schools are benefiting from this investment, including Caldwell School, Somerville Intermediate School, Chelsea School, James Cook High School, Kauri Flats School, and Parakai School.

💬 Marja Lubeck: Why is the Government making this investment at this time?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: These are projects that are ready to enter the construction market, but they needed an extra push so that we can get delivery under way in a challenging market. This extra funding won’t just ensure that these projects can happen faster, but in some cases it will also mean that we can do more. For example, at Caldwell School, in addition to the work that was already proposed, we’re also going to be replacing the caretakers’ and storage block. We’re committed to creating jobs and building better infrastructure, which will help to set the country up for the longer term. Our investment in schools is yet another way the Government’s making progress to make sure that New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a child.

Question No. 5—Finance

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

Yes, in the context in which they were made.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: How could he tell me yesterday that wages are rising faster than inflation when, on top of New Zealand statistics of inflation of 5.9 percent and wage growth of only 2.6 percent in 2021, economist Tony Alexander’s Spending Plans Survey just out shows “a collapse in people’s willingness to spend” across a range of areas, such as eating out, domestic travel, and clothing and footwear, which he says is due to a combination of Omicron, the high increase in our cost of living, and rising interest rates having sent us “deep into our shells.”?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I haven’t seen Mr Alexander’s report. However, I do note the first of the things he mentions there is Omicron; we are in a global environment in which inflationary pressures are common around the world.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: What, then, does he say to the ANZ Truckometer just released yesterday, which shows heavy traffic down this year, so that ANZ, just like Tony Alexander, expects “a slower pace of growth as consumers battle higher interest rates and a sharply higher cost of living”—why doesn’t he just acknowledge these factors?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I have been acknowledging those factors. Everyone in this House knows that it is challenging for New Zealanders when there is an increase in cost of living. What the member was wanting to do is make the Government responsible for things that are happening in other parts of the world, where there are delays in shipping or where there are issues caused by supply chains. All of those things are things that the Government is well aware of, and we work to support New Zealanders through that. The member, however, cannot make the Government responsible for those things.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Not all of it but a lot of it. How could he tell me, yesterday, “that broad-based fiscal stimulus will not now take place” when, in his Budget Policy Statement out at the end of last year, he makes it clear there will be $6 billion in new spend-up in Budget 2022, the highest new permanent spending in our country’s history?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: This is where the member goes wrong, because a big chunk of that is making sure that we reform the health system so it delivers to New Zealanders the kind of health outcomes that they want. Clearly the National Party don’t think New Zealanders deserve better health outcomes, and again, Mr Bridges has a problem, which is he seems to believe that if we cut that health spending, it will somehow or other lower the cost of petrol. He just doesn’t get it.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: How is $6 billion in new spend in Budget 2022 even remotely consistent with the OECD and most commercial bank economists’ call to rein in spending now to avoid fuelling higher inflation and interest rates?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I repeat for the member: making sure that we invest in the long-term future of New Zealand’s healthcare system, making sure that we provide the public services that New Zealanders need is exactly what we should be doing in the Budget. And Mr Bridges and his colleagues have to explain what gets cut—because something gets cut, doesn’t it? And maybe it’s health spending, or maybe it’s spending on housing, but Mr Bridges can’t have it both ways.

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Why won’t he just take responsibility for the fact that his spending has and will cause New Zealanders to face one of the highest rates of inflation in the OECD as well as rapidly rising interest rates?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Because the causes of inflation are largely driven by global issues, and Mr Bridges needs to explain to New Zealanders what things he would cut from the health budget, from the education budget, from the housing budget in order to do what he needs to do. On this side of the House, we will continue to take the balanced and careful approach to budgeting that is seeing New Zealanders get through COVID-19.

Question No. 6—Social Development and Employment

6. to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent reports has she seen on main benefits?

The benefit statistics for the December quarter were recently released. The quarterly release shows a year-on-year fall of around 21,300 people receiving a main benefit in the December 2021 quarter. The number of working-age people receiving a main benefit, as at the end of December 2021, was 5.5 percent lower when compared to the December 2020 quarter. Benefit numbers as a proportion of the working-age population decreased to 11.7 percent, from 12.4 percent as at the end of December 2020. And the number of working-age people on jobseeker support decreased by 11.5 percent when compared to the December 2020 quarter. The 2021 December quarter was the highest number of exits into work for a December quarter since electronic records began in 1996.

💬 Shanan Halbert: What investments has the Government made to support people into work?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Over numerous Budgets, we’ve invested heavily in work-focused front-line case management. The specific actions we’ve taken include 263 new front-line staff in Budget 2019 to help people into work; we invested $150 million in Budget 2020 to help people into work; we invested a further $99 million into work-focused case management in services in Budget 2021; and invested $86 million to sustain the additional front-line work-focused staff we employed through COVID-19. The quarterly benefit figures show that our Government’s investment is beginning to deliver results and meaningful outcomes.

💬 Shanan Halbert: How many people moved off main benefits and into work in 2021 on Auckland’s North Shore?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The member for Northcote will be pleased to know that main benefit receipt fell by 10.2 percent in two North Shore local board areas, Kaipātiki and Devonport-Takupuna, in the year to 2021. This 10.2 percent fall for North Shore was stronger than the Auckland region as a whole, for which main benefit receipt fell by 5.9 percent. This is thanks to a strong local labour market, Government interventions and investments—and is a good sign of the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and the economy doing what it needed to do following the pandemic.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Has the Minister seen any reports on the harm that the over-200 warrant to arrest sanctions applied to families with children in 2021 may be having on these children; if not, how is she confident that this policy isn’t causing harm to children?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: That’s a little far removed from the primary question. However, what I will say is that we have seen a reduction in sanctions applied through the welfare system. I think, in fact, since 2017, 10,000 less sanctions applied, and that is due to more constructive conversations between Ministry of Social Development staff and clients, a less punitive approach, and an approach that is about working with MSD clients to ensure that they are able to reach their potential, get the access to skills and training that they need, and get into employment.

💬 Shanan Halbert: What interventions have contributed to these results?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We know that COVID-19 has been tough on a number of people, which is why we continue to be focused on paving pathways and creating opportunities for people to move into work. He Poutama Rangatahi has supported 7,047 at-risk rangatahi to overcome barriers to employment, education, or training; Mana in Mahi have supported 4,446 people into placements since 2018; there’s been a total of 11,193 flexi-wage placements; and our Apprenticeship Boost scheme to help employers retain apprentices and encourage more people to take up apprenticeships has already benefited over 40,000 apprentices. There’s still a lot more work to be done, and we have yet to see the impact of Omicron on the employment market, but there is a lot to be reassured about in these latest figures.

Question No. 7—COVID-19 Response

7. to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: How many forward orders of rapid antigen tests have been consolidated into the Government’s stock, and how many tests that have landed in New Zealand have been consolidated into the Government’s stock of rapid antigen tests?

No forward orders of rapid antigen tests have been consolidated into the Government’s stock, nor have any rapid antigen tests already in New Zealand and intended for other parties been consolidated into the Government’s stock. That’s been confirmed by our three primary suppliers of rapid antigen tests themselves, including Siemens, who confirmed to the ministry on 26 January 2022 that they were not reallocating any stock from other orders in order to fulfil the ministry’s order. Roche advised the ministry on or around 27 January that its orders had not been fulfilled at the expense of other industry orders. Finally, Abbott confirmed on Friday, 28 January that no yet-to-be-fulfilled orders by private sector entities were placed prior to those placed by the Ministry of Health.

💬 Chris Bishop: Why did Dr Ashley Bloomfield tell a press conference that forward orders of rapid antigen tests had been, in his words, consolidated into the Government’s stock, which is the primary question authentication?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: My understanding from the conversation that I have had with Dr Bloomfield was that he was referring to the consolidation of the Government’s orders.

💬 Chris Bishop: Is he aware of multiple instances of private companies who do not have rapid antigen tests that they ordered, after being told by their suppliers that the reason they can’t have those orders fulfilled is because the Government has requisitioned stock meant for them?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I’m aware of one example just this afternoon where there was an email from one of those companies that was sent to another company making that claim. That email was provided to a journalist who contacted that company directly and was told that that email had been sent in error and it was incorrect.

💬 Chris Bishop: Have all companies that ordered rapid antigen tests that were due for delivery by now received those rapid tests?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I have no ministerial responsibility for that whatsoever. What I would say is that there is a lot of demand for rapid antigen tests. The companies concerned have all stated that they are fulfilling the orders in the order in which they received them, and the Government’s orders—in the case of the three companies that I just mentioned—arrived first. The member can continue to attack the integrity of those businesses, but I accept them at their word.

💬 Chris Bishop: When will rapid antigen tests be available for sale in pharmacies and supermarkets for people who are keen to get tested?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Our priority at the moment is to make sure that those who most need access to the tests can get them. The member himself has just indicated that many of the businesses who are seeking to order those tests haven’t been able to get hold of them. It’s therefore the Government’s role in that situation to make sure that the tests that we have been able to secure are supplied to those who are most in need.

Question No. 8—Digital Economy and Communications

8. to the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications: What recent announcements has he made regarding Māori participation in the telecommunications sector?

At the end of last week, I had the immense privilege of leading a Crown contingent that signed an historic enduring agreement, recognising the critical role Māori can bring to the telecommunications sector. The agreement, designed in partnership with Māori Spectrum Working Group, includes the establishment of a Māori Spectrum entity to ensure Māori have a seat at the table for ongoing spectrum policy and allocation.

💬 Arena Williams: How will this agreement support Māori aspirations in the telecommunications sector?

💬 Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: This agreement provides the ongoing allocation of 20 percent of future national commercial spectrum to the Māori Spectrum entity, as well as substantial funding to ensure the longevity and success of their mahi. In the words of Māori Spectrum Working Group convenor, Piripi Walker, this agreement gives Māori access to training, skills, and jobs, and it will drive much-needed innovation in the digital sector. These are exciting times for Aotearoa.

💬 Arena Williams: How long has it taken to reach an enduring agreement with Māori on Radio Spectrum?

💬 Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: We’ve worked with Māori to break through decades of stalemate, ushering in a new era for not only the telecommunications sector but for Māori-Crown relations. This kaupapa generates the building blocks for the future and it would be remiss of me not to mention the Hon Willie Jackson, the Hon Kelvin Davis, and the Hon Grant Robertson, who have been staunch Government advocates for getting this agreement across the line.

Question No. 9—Social Development and Employment

9. to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many more people were in receipt of a main benefit in the December 2021 quarter compared to the September 2017 quarter, as measured by the Ministry of Social Development’s quarterly benefit data releases?

The difference between December quarter 2021 and the September 2017 quarter was 90,952. However, the member will know that it’s better to compare the same quarters and that in the December quarter there is often a seasonal spike, largely due to students leaving study. When you compare December quarters for the same period, the difference is 78,384. The member will also know that at the beginning of the pandemic, Treasury forecast benefit numbers would peak at 487,500 in January 2021. Due to the Government’s quick actions to support businesses, through the wage subsidy and our investment in employment supports, the highest number of people receiving a main benefit was actually 391,227 in January 2021, 96,273 less people than forecast.

💬 Hon Louise Upston: Why are almost 90,000 more people dependent on welfare today than when Labour took office four years ago?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I think it is fair to say that the pandemic has had a major impact on the numbers of people that have come on to benefit. It’s not the sole reason, though. As I’ve said in the House before, we do need to look at other figures rather than just the raw benefit numbers. If we look at the percentage of working-age population on benefit in December 2021, that was 11.7 percent. If we think about after the global financial crisis in December 2010, that was 13.1 percent.

💬 Hon Louise Upston: Why are there 66,000 more Kiwis on the jobseeker benefit than four years ago, while at the same time Labour is bragging about low unemployment?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We’re not bragging. The reality is that the household labour force survey was recently released and it showed that our unemployment rate in New Zealand is 3.2 percent. That is one of the best unemployment rates currently in the OECD. We have also said in this House that there isn’t always a direct alignment between the unemployment figure and actual benefit numbers. However, what is really clear is that Treasury had forecast a much darker predicament with respect to benefit numbers. We continue to invest in employment and upskilling and training, because this Government is committed to keeping New Zealanders in work.

💬 Hon Louise Upston: Why are businesses crying out for staff when there are now 116,000 people who have been on the dole for more than a year?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: One of the areas that was under-invested in when we first took office was actually upskilling and training for New Zealanders. So quite often where there is a gap with regards to the workers being able to step into roles, it’s because they don’t necessarily have the skills to be able to take up the jobs that are available. This Government, since we came into office, has been absolutely focused on investing in that space; that’s why we see that over 40,000 people have now taken up Apprenticeship Boost places. The numbers of people that have gone into Mana in Mahi, the numbers of people who have gone into He Poutama Rangatahi—it’s an investment that we wish had been done by the previous Government for the nine years that they were in, but we are focused on making sure that we do our bit.

💬 Hon Louise Upston: Why are there now more people on benefit for longer when unemployment is only 3.2 percent?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: If we look at some of the figures—for instance, the numbers around those that have been on benefit between three to six months or six months to a year—we’ve actually been doing a relatively good job at turning around things so that people are supported into employment immediately. There are some people that have been on benefit for a longer period of time and National experienced the same thing. Our way of addressing it isn’t punitive; it is to try and invest in those areas where we can support them to get the skills and training that they need to be able to take up employment.

Question No. 10—Housing (Public Housing)

10. to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Does she stand by her statement that “We will continue to keep a close eye on rent prices and will take further action if necessary”; if so, what specific further actions are being considered?

Yes. The Government has taken a number of actions to date. We have limited rent increases to once a year, banned rental bidding, and banned letting fees. This is in addition to our work to increase overall supply, including looking at how we can specifically increase the number of purpose-built rentals. While there’s no silver bullet to addressing the issue, there is more that we can do and that’s why we’re looking at what additional measures we can use to support our renters. While I cannot pre-empt any upcoming policy decisions, this Government is committed to providing more support for renters.

Chlöe Swarbrick: What does her officials’ advice say about how long those Government interventions just noted will take to start to have an effect on rental costs?

💬 Hon POTO WILLIAMS: While we haven’t analysed that impact as yet, what I can say is that we are looking at a range of measures. The officials will come back with a suite of measures for us to consider, to do what we can. We know it’s tough for renters, and we’re committed to doing the work to support them.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Does she consider that a median nationwide rent of $525 per week is affordable for households on low or middle incomes?

💬 Hon POTO WILLIAMS: We know it’s tough. We know rents have risen. We know that people are doing it tough out there. That’s why as a Government we’re committed to looking at a range of measures to put in place to support our renters, but it’s not just about what measures we can do in terms of rent; it’s also about supply and I commend the work that Minister Woods has been doing to increase the supply, which has demonstrated the impact that that can have on rental prices.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Did the Government consider detailed advice on potential models to stabilise and reduce rental costs between her statements on 3 February and the Prime Minister’s statement on 8 February ruling out rent controls?

💬 Hon POTO WILLIAMS: There is evidence to suggest that rent controls aren’t an effective way to deal with renters’ issues long term. So the Prime Minister and I agree. This Government is committed to dealing with this issue. It’s tough on our renters and we are going to do something about it.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Will the Government at least consider freezing rents again, as they did in 2020, as the only immediate, urgent tool to provide relief to renters as part of an equitable response to COVID-19?

💬 Hon POTO WILLIAMS: While it was necessary to do that at a time of pandemic, to ensure that we didn’t throw people out of their homes when we were asking them to lock down, the Government’s made multiple changes to improve the security and rights of renters, including limiting rent increases to once a year. These measures were not in place during the last lockdown, but came into effect on 12 August 2020. The Tenancy Tribunal continued to operate during this time, in which time the tenants could seek rental reductions if they believed their rents were too high.

Question No. 11—Health

11. to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has she made about contact tracing?

Contact tracing continues to be one of the key parts of our COVID response. It has served New Zealand well through the pandemic. The good work of our contact tracers is undoubtedly one of the reasons that the current Omicron outbreak has yet to see the rapid growth seen overseas. That’s given hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders the opportunities to get boosted. But we do expect case numbers to continue to grow to levels that we have not experienced in New Zealand previously. That’s why today, alongside the COVID-19 response Minister, I announced details of the close contact exemption scheme. The scheme is designed to keep critical supply chains operating by allowing some vaccinated close contacts to keep working if they return a negative rapid antigen test.

💬 Dr Tracey McLellan: What kind of businesses will be eligible to participate in this scheme?

💬 Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: From today, businesses and organisations can register online as a critical service if they think they will meet the criteria when we enter phase 2 of our Omicron response. Critical services include food production and its supply chain, key public services like health and emergency services, lifeline utilities such as power and water supplies, transport, critical financial services, news media, and social welfare. It also includes human and animal health and welfare. Businesses will self-assess to take part in the scheme and will need to declare that they meet the relevant criteria. In doing so, there needs to be an awareness that bringing close contacts into the workplace will come with risks, as rapid antigen testing sensitivity can range from 80 to 95 percent accurate, meaning it can miss some cases.

💬 Dr Tracey McLellan: What will workers covered by the scheme need to do to allow them to continue to work?

💬 Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Businesses that decide to register will be issued with a letter that confirms they have workers eligible for the close contact exemption scheme. When an eligible worker is confirmed as a contact of a COVID-19 case, this will allow them to either use rapid antigen tests supplied by their employer or pick up free tests from a collection site. Workers will get enough testing kits to cover the period that they would have been isolating for and will be expected to remain in isolation outside of work hours. If one of their daily rapid tests returns a positive result, they would be required to isolate and take a PCR test. This scheme strikes a balance between continuing to keep people safe but also keeping businesses and services operating as smoothly as possible.

Question No. 12—Police

12. to the Minister of Police: Does she agree with the Police Commissioner’s statement, “No retail worker or customer should experience fear or trauma when going about their day-to-day activities”; if so, is she satisfied with the level of crime at retail premises?

Firstly, can I ask all members of this House to congratulate our fantastic police on the magnificent efforts they have done over the last three days to keep us safe. In response to Mr Mitchell’s question, yes, I also agree with Commissioner Coster’s statement that we have heard Retail NZ’s concerns and see this as a real opportunity to work in partnership to address them. That is why New Zealand Police has announced the establishment of a National Retail Investigation Support Unit. The establishment of this new unit is in direct response to the concerns raised by retailers regarding the level of crime that they have been seeing. I’m satisfied that this initiative is a clear solution that will complement other front-line responses and prevention initiatives Police already provide. This initiative will complement the additional number of police we have on the beat, which has grown by 15 percent under this Government.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: What is her response to figures released today under the Official Information Act to the Dairy and Business Owners Group that show that retail crime and theft has increased by 25.7 percent and 32.3 respectively since Labour came into office?

💬 Hon POTO WILLIAMS: That is precisely why the commissioner has put in place the National Retail Investigation Support Unit. It’s true that we have seen a rise in retail crime, and that’s exactly why we’ve launched the unit—to address the issue. We’ve also rolled out nearly 1,000 fog cannons in small businesses and put more police on the beat to prevent crime before it happens.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: What is her response to comments from retailers who are saying that the situation is getting worse because police are so stretched that they’re unable to attend incidents?

💬 Hon POTO WILLIAMS: I refute part of that question, because we have done a fantastic job on this side of the House to support and resource police. Let’s not forget that we’ve increased police by 15 percent under this Government. Let’s compare that to National’s record. Now, under National, police numbers fell. We are committed to putting more people on the beat, to work directly with our retailers to ensure that they deal with crime.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: How does she explain a significant increase in retail crime, but a reduction of over 60 percent in arrests made since Labour came into office?

💬 Hon POTO WILLIAMS: What I can say is that the commissioner has launched a retail investigation unit to make sure that we deal with this issue. I find it absolutely astonishing that that National Party can be lecturing us on the work that we are doing to support the police. Let’s not forget the stat—the fun fact—that under National, they had an attrition rate of police of 5.3 percent—police numbers fell. The way to deal with crime is to have cops on the beat—15 percent more under us.

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: That concludes oral questions.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: Point of order, Mr Speaker. That came nowhere close to giving a straight answer to what was a very clear and succinct question: how does she explain a significant increase in retail crime, but a reduction of over 60 percent in arrests made?

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: I believe she addressed the question. That concludes oral—

💬 Hon Simon Bridges: Point of order, Mr Speaker. I mean, I thought it was unbecoming. She gave us a “fun fact” rather than answer the question. Well, did you hear—it was a fun fact. She didn’t even try and answer the question.

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, well, members can have their own opinions about the responses, but—[Interruption] We’ll move on to the next order of business.