Oral Questions

1. to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government’s statements and actions?

Fa‘afetai tele lava. Yes. Today, the draft Advanced Manufacturing Industry Transformation Plan was launched at the EMEX trade show in Auckland. The advanced-manufacturing sector is not only our largest contributor to exports, accounting for 73.5 percent of goods exports; it accounts for more than 10 percent of both our economy and workforce. This plan works in partnership with business to increase investment in new technology and processes to lift productivity, exports, and wages; better support innovation, research, and development; and work to reduce waste and emissions, and attract and develop a diverse, high-skilled, and high-wage workforce.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm this Government has overspent every operating allowance it has set itself for five Budgets in a row?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I can confirm is the Government is invested in making up for the nine long years of neglect from the National Party, and the member might care to remember the arrival of a certain thing called COVID in the middle of all of that.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Is it correct that this Government has overspent its operating allowances by an average of $2.7 billion per Budget and, if so, does he plan to overspend next year’s operating allowance as well?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I can confirm is that this Government has made sure that New Zealand has kept one of the lowest levels of public debt in the OECD, has been able to both run surpluses and, then, once we reached COVID, manage down deficits to a low level compared with the rest of the world. We’ve also seen strong average annual growth. Each year, the Government has to assess the expenditure that it needs to undertake, such as making sure that we invest in health, making sure that we invest in education. The outcomes matter, and New Zealand has one of the strongest economies in the world.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm reports that Government spending, excluding COVID support, has increased by nearly 10 percent per year between 2020 and the latest Budget?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I can confirm is that Government spending coming off the back of a one-in-100-year economic shock has been at around 35 percent of GDP. That is a very similar percentage to what the previous National Government did in the face of the global financial crisis, and in the Budget we have the projections we will return to around the long-run average of 30 percent of GDP.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Why should New Zealanders believe his finance Minister when he promises to limit non-COVID spending increases next year to less than half of recent increases?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: My finance Minister is a modest person who wouldn’t want to blow his trumpet in the way that the member is inviting him to do. What we do know is that the IMF, the OECD, Standard & Poor’s, and Moody’s have all come, assessed the New Zealand economy, and said that we have come through COVID stronger than almost any other country in the world.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Does he agree with economist Cameron Bagrie that this Government’s Budget documents “now face credibility challenges because spending projections are becoming ridiculously disconnected from recent spending reality” and, if not, why not?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Again, the Government’s Budget is based on Treasury’s projections and forecasts, as every Government’s Budget has been in New Zealand’s history. We rely on those forecasts, and again, I repeat, our record coming off the back of these Budgets is that our net debt level is lower than almost any other country in the world, that we have had average annual growth over 5 percent, and that we’ve got unemployment down to 3.2 percent. If the member wants outcomes, those are good outcomes.

💬 Christopher Luxon: How can New Zealanders have any confidence his finance Minister will be able to help himself from overspending next year, an election year, when he’s spent more than he said he would every year he’s been in Government?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I’m really interested to note that the Leader of the Opposition’s definition on overspending is actually investing in a health system that delivers for New Zealand—is actually investing in an education system—and what we have from the Opposition is the continuation of the Bermuda Triangle, where they somehow think they can cut taxes, reduce debt, and increase spending. Just today, Mr Luxon said he wanted to increase defence spending. Where’s that money coming from, Mr Luxon?

💬 Kieran McAnulty: Does he stand by this Government’s record investment in schools, which has recently funded a covered courtyard in Pahiatua School, who are with us here today?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Yes, I do stand by that, and in fact, the excellent advocacy of the MP for Wairarapa was a significant factor in that occurring.

Question No. 2—Research, Science and Innovation

2. to the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation: What action is the Government taking to accelerate innovation in New Zealand businesses?

Last week, I announced two new competitive grants to support more innovation-led growth. Over the next four years, the Government will invest $250 million into supporting around 500 additional businesses. The New to R & D Grant will help to jump-start more businesses into R & D, and provide an on-ramp to the research and development tax incentive (RDTI). The Ārohia Innovation Trailblazer Grant will provide extra help with the cost of activities that don’t fall within the definition of R & D, such as precision manufacturing for robotics applications, or digital product development. When we introduced the research and development tax incentive, we said we would work alongside businesses to build additional support. We are delivering on that promise.

💬 Naisi Chen: How has the introduction of the research and development tax incentive stimulated innovation in New Zealand?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Since we took office, the Government has partnered with innovative New Zealand businesses to help them thrive, including through the introduction of the research and development tax incentive in 2019. More than 1,500 businesses are enrolled in the RDTI, and it has generated over $788 million in private investment in R & D. There are now more than three times as many businesses being supported through the tax incentive as on the old Callaghan growth grant, and the uptake continues. Overall spending on business expenditure on R & D increased to $2.8 billion in 2021. This continues the trend of business spending—

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Minister has definitely answered the question.

💬 Naisi Chen: How else is the Government supporting New Zealand’s innovators?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Last week, Minister Nash and myself announced a Startup Advisors Council to help identify and address the opportunities and challenge our high-growth start-up businesses. We will work closely with the council, chaired by Phil McCaw, to support often high-tech and rapidly growing businesses to generate significant levels of research and development, and to drive economic growth.

Question No. 3—Finance

3. to the Minister of Finance: Is he comfortable with New Zealand’s economic performance in comparison with Australia’s since this Government took office?

Fa‘afetai tele lava. In general, yes. For example, since the September 2017 quarter New Zealand’s unemployment rate has fallen from 4.7 percent to 3.2 percent, compared to Australia’s unemployment rate of 3.9 percent. New Zealand’s economy in the December 2021 quarter was 11.8 percent larger in real terms than in the September 2017 quarter, compared to 8.7 percent in Australia. There is always more to do, but I’m satisfied with New Zealand’s economic performance in the wake of a one-in-100-year economic shock.

💬 David Seymour: Can he really find comfort in those short-term measures, when the median wage in Australia has grown $6,600 a year more in Australia than for workers here since he became Minister of Finance in 2017; and if he can’t take comfort from those figures, was it a mistake—in hindsight—that this incoming Government in 2017 made a Speech from the Throne 4,465 words long, but mentioned productivity only once?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I would say to the member is that there are many different ways of measuring and comparing us. If we compare, for example, two indices that are similar—the Labour Cost Index in New Zealand and the Wage Price Index in Australia—over the period of time we’ve been in Government that’s increased 2.2 percent in New Zealand versus 2.1 percent in Australia. The Government is extremely focused on improving New Zealand’s productivity; it’s why we’ve invested in skills and training, it’s why we’ve supported research and development, and it’s why we’ve got alongside our partners across the world in terms of free-trade agreements, and we continue to build on all of those things.

💬 David Seymour: Is he comfortable that inflation for the last quarter was 6.9 percent here compared with 5.1 percent in Australia, and that floating mortgage rates there are 2.59 percentage points lower than here, meaning an Australian with a half-million-dollar mortgage pays $249 less every week than a New Zealander with a half-million-dollar mortgage?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well I would note, actually, in the March 2022 quarter, for that quarter, inflation in New Zealand was 1.8 percent and in Australia it was 2.1 percent. I also note that the member’s advocacy of policies with respect to housing in Australia I presume must also include a capital gains tax, since they’ve got one.

💬 David Seymour: Is he comfortable with New Zealanders paying 33 percent of their income in tax while Australians pay 29 percent in the year to June 2021, according to Statistics New Zealand and the Australian Bureau of Statistics using IMF methodology, meaning New Zealanders not only earn less but pay a significantly higher portion of their income in taxes?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: In fact, when we look at the OECD tax wedge which looks, obviously, at the impact of tax on labour income overall, New Zealand’s tax wedge in 2021 was 19.4 percent; Australia’s tax wedge was 27.1 percent. Again, I obviously note the member’s enthusiasm for policies from Australia, so presumably ACT will now advocate for a 45 percent top tax rate.

💬 David Seymour: Is he comfortable that foreigners choose to invest 80 percent more per person in Australia than in New Zealand; and if he’s not comfortable with that will his Government get around to reforming the Overseas Investment Office so we’re not the fourth most hostile country in the OECD to foreigners who want to send capital and ideas for our economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The Government has indeed reformed the Overseas Investment Act and we continue to have strong levels of foreign direct investment into New Zealand.

💬 David Seymour: Is this Minister ever going to take responsibility for the fact that wages are lower, inflation’s higher, mortgage rates are higher, and yet the best he can do is blame the past, other parties, and cherry-pick figures to evade the real issue facing New Zealanders?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I will take responsibility for is a Government that has helped New Zealanders through a one-in-100-year economic shock, and seen us come out the other end with 3.2 percent unemployment, growth averaging over 5 percent, debt at one of the lowest rates in the rest of the world. There are all sorts of comparisons we can make between Australia and New Zealand, but for me, for one, I’m very proud of New Zealand.

Question No. 4—Social Development and Employment

4. to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Talofa, Mr Speaker. How is the Government supporting beneficiary sole parents through Budget 2022?

Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. Budget 2022 removes the discriminatory policy which saw families on a sole parent rate of benefit not receive the child support paid by the other parent. Instead, the child support was claimed by Inland Revenue. From mid-2023 child support payments for sole parent beneficiaries will be passed on directly to them by Inland Revenue and treated as income for benefit purposes. This will align with what already occurs for other partnered beneficiaries raising tamariki. It is estimated that 41,550 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $24 per week. Removing this policy will lift an estimated 6,000 to 14,000 children out of poverty, using the BHC 50 measure. It is also anticipated it will encourage more parents to pay child support as they know it will go directly to their children.

💬 Sarah Pallett: Why is removing this policy so important?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Removing this policy will provide more money to parents so they can provide more support to their children. There is also evidence from overseas suggesting that passing on child support can result in an improved relationship between the child and the non-custodial parent who makes the payment. This is essential in helping our tamariki have the best possible start in life. There will be 20,300 Māori who will be impacted by this change. The vast majority of them are Māori women—given that 88 percent of all sole parent beneficiaries are women. Overall this is a positive change which removes a policy which has unfairly discriminated against sole parents for decades.

💬 Sarah Pallett: What feedback has she seen on the change?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The move to make this change has received a lot of very positive feedback. This includes Dr Ang Jury, the CEO of Women’s Refuge, who said, “This is a positive move which has the potential to significantly benefit these women and their children.” Also, Children’s Commissioner Judge Frances Eivers said she welcomes it hugely and that passing on child support would help to reduce poverty and improve the lives of some of society’s most vulnerable. Overall, this is a long-overdue move, and I now look forward to introducing the legislation into the House to make this a reality.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Would the Minister agree with 63 percent of New Zealanders who believe that beneficiaries including sole parents receiving a main benefit should receive the $350 cost of living payment?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: What I agree with are the social services who I’ve had the opportunity to speak with over the course of the last two years, and particularly the last year, with respect to the number of families that they have been seeing who are on low to middle incomes and who they believe have received no assistance during this period, particularly as we’ve entered into this phase where because of international impacts or influences we’re seeing inflationary increases that are affecting the cost of living. We needed to move quickly to ensure that they were able to receive some support as well, and that is why we made the decision to introduce the cost of living payment in the way that we did.

Question No. 5—Finance

5. to the Minister of Finance: Is he concerned to see ANZ’s Business Outlook survey showing business confidence at its lowest since April 2020, and does he agree with the BNZ that “the economy’s wheels are beginning to fall off”?

Talofa lava. I have seen the latest ANZ Business Outlook survey which does indeed show that firms are concerned about the economic outlook, but it also notes that employment and investment intentions are holding up relatively well. The business confidence indicator is an assessment of mood but has tended to be an unreliable forward indicator of economic performance; better measures include employment figures and job ads, both of which have remained positive. As to the second part of the question, as I have acknowledged many times in this House, 2022 is a tough year and is a volatile and uncertain environment for businesses and households. Global growth has been revised downwards due to the Ukraine war, supply chain disruptions, and key trading hubs like China in the ongoing pandemic. BNZ’s economists note that these global factors are contributing to much of the negativity among business. However, New Zealand finds itself in a strong position as we deal with these challenges, including having record low unemployment, a growing economy, high export returns, substantially lower debt than the countries that we compare ourselves against, and triple A credit ratings from Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s.

💬 Nicola Willis: Is he concerned that plummeting business confidence, reduced economic growth forecasts, and record-high inflation mean New Zealanders’ living standards will go backwards this year?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I’ve said on a number of occasions, we are concerned about the impact of rising global inflation, coming off the back of the COVID pandemic, on households and on businesses. It’s the reason why we’ve stepped up to support households in a targeted way and it’s the reason why we will continue to support businesses through this difficult period.

💬 Nicola Willis: Did he see a BBC report with comments from a New Zealander named Harmony who has moved her family to Australia saying, “You can’t make a living in New Zealand. There is no living. You just go backwards.” and how many more New Zealanders does he expect will depart New Zealand this year in search of a way out of the cost of living crisis?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: In answer to the question: no, but what I can say is that New Zealand is among all countries in the world dealing with spikes in global inflation. In New Zealand, we have one of the strongest economies in the world, that has come through COVID well with low unemployment, and there are good prospects in New Zealand.

💬 Nicola Willis: Isn’t Harmony correct to say New Zealanders are going backwards when, under Labour, prices are rising faster than wages and incomes aren’t keeping up with basic household costs?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What we do know is that wages have run in front of inflation in the period leading up to this year, and in 2023 they will again run ahead. In 2022, it is a very difficult and challenging year and it is the reason why we have supported New Zealanders through the cost of living, both with the package on 1 April and the cost of living payment, and measures such as increasing the minimum wage—which the National Party oppose.

💬 Nicola Willis: Well does he continue to believe his big-spending, high-regulation approach to the economy is working when ASB reports that, “The general explosion in costs, supply problems, difficulties sourcing staff, and squeezed profitability are all combining to push business sentiment to extremely depressed levels.”?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As we’ve traversed many, many times, this is a global phenomenon of inflation coming off the back of a global pandemic. What New Zealanders know is that we came through COVID better than most, and, in fact, the ASB themselves said in the report that was released yesterday, “The economy has weathered the Omicron outbreak with far less disruption than COVID outbreaks caused in 2020 and 2021.” It is tough going for many businesses and households at the moment; that is why the Government is backing them.

💬 Nicola Willis: Well, what responsibility, if any, does he take for failing to create confidence in this country’s economic prospects, and does he understand that Kiwis don’t want his excuses, they just want to see a credible path out of the cost of living crisis, not one that leads to Australia?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What the New Zealanders are seeing from this Government is support through the cost of living pressures that they’re facing, with a cost of living payment, with the fuel excise duty being cut by 25c, with the half-price public transport, with the 1 April package that’s lifted incomes, with the winter energy payment. These are all practical things that we can do here in New Zealand, along with the announced reform to supermarkets to make sure that people are paying fairer prices. They’re practical things that this Government is doing to support New Zealanders through these cost of living pressures.

Question No. 6—Justice

6. to the Minister of Justice: Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. How has Budget 2022 strengthened New Zealand’s legal aid scheme?

Talofa, Mr Speaker. New Zealand’s legal aid scheme will be significantly strengthened with the investment of $119 million from Budget 2022. This means we’re helping 93,000 more Kiwis become eligible for legal aid, fulfilling our election promise to make improvements to our court system so everyone has appropriate access to justice. Legal aid is essential to ensuring equity in New Zealand’s justice system, and by making this investment we are ensuring people on low incomes are able to access justice.

💬 Ginny Andersen: What further measures are supported by Budget 2022 to bolster New Zealand’s legal aid scheme?

💬 Hon KRIS FAAFOI: Talofa lava, Mr Speaker, again. Budget 2022 will also provide funding to increase hourly rates for over 2,400 legal aid lawyers by 12 percent. This is essential for maintaining the legal aid workforce. We’re also increasing debt repayment thresholds by 16.5 percent from 1 January next year, relieving financial pressures for around 16,000 low-income and vulnerable New Zealanders per year. And we’ve locked in annual increases to both the eligibility and repayment thresholds for the next three years.

💬 Ginny Andersen: How do these changes ensure the ongoing viability of the legal aid scheme?

💬 Hon KRIS FAAFOI: The Budget 2022 investment change is needed so the legal aid scheme can keep doing what it was designed to do. Eligibility for this scheme had become outdated, while hourly rates for legal aid lawyers have remained static since 2008. The effect of this was New Zealand was running out of legal aid lawyers willing to do legal aid work. As the number and cost of legal aid cases are projected to grow, we must be able to fund them. Budget 2022 provides that funding to cover the costs of existing demand for legal aid services based on projections through to 2024-25.

Question No. 7—Health

7. to the Minister of Health: Talofa, Mr Speaker. Does he stand by all of his statements and actions?

Talofa, Mr Speaker. Yes. In particular I stand by the actions this Labour Government has taken to ensure that our health system is properly funded to provide quality care services to all New Zealanders when and where they need them.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: When he said of the health system in February, “We are well prepared.”, can he explain, then, why a woman with typhoid is reported as being asked to sleep in her car outside Middlemore Hospital because of a lack of hospital beds?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: One of the things, as the Minister of Health, I cannot do is inquire into the individual circumstances of individual patients, because that would be a breach of patient confidentiality. I have been assured by the Counties Manukau District Health Board that they treat all patients with respect and provide them with options, and I’m satisfied that the Counties Manukau District Health Board did all they could to ensure the right treatment was available to that particular patient.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Did Counties Manukau provide a vehicle as an option to a woman with typhoid?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As I said in my previous answer, I’m satisfied that the Counties Manukau health board, in providing treatment to this particular patient over a lengthy period of time, did all that was clinically and ethically required of them.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Does he think our international health reputation is damaged by reports of people with typhoid being asked to sleep in cars outside hospitals?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: What I do think most people will do when they look at media reports citing anonymous sources is treat them with great scepticism.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Is his restructuring during a pandemic contributing in any way at all to Christchurch and Auckland hospitals reporting today that they are cancelling surgeries?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: It is true that in this House you hear absurd things being said, including in question time, and that would be one of the more absurd ones. I’m happy to assist the member and point out that during winter time, the health system receives a spike in people with flu conditions, with respiratory conditions, and, more recently, with COVID, and part of the preparation that the health system undergoes is to foresee that and prepare accordingly. But the health system is typically put under pressure during winter time. It is under pressure now and it is coping.

💬 Hon Grant Robertson: What support has the Minister seen for the health reforms from the health workforce?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Everywhere I go, members of the health workforce, right from senior clinicians to those in the front line and other roles, say this change is long overdue. They want to be part of a unified, well-coordinated, and, I might add, well-funded health system and that’s what they are getting under this Government.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Can you guarantee, then, that his restructure, which will begin next month, won’t make the current crisis in our health system even worse?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: We have a health system that responds very well to the needs of New Zealanders but can do a lot better, and the changes that we are putting in place, subject to the passage of legislation that is yet to complete its journey through this Parliament, will make things a lot better in terms of the ability for health service providers to meet those needs consistently across the country and to improve the equitable supply of health services right across the country as well.

Question No. 8—Environment

8. to the Minister for the Environment: Talofa, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Is dilution the solution to agricultural nitrate pollution, or is there a need to reduce nitrate leaching into groundwater in regions such as Canterbury to reduce risks to drinking water and freshwater from farmed areas?

The Government is committed to promoting freshwater ecosystem health throughout the country, including in Canterbury. Our essential freshwater work programme was set up in response to poor environmental outcomes, including the effects of excessive nitrogen on aquatic environments. Under the 2020 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, councils are required to improve water quality to meet a range of water-quality indicators, including for nitrates. I suppose increasing the amount of water entering an aquifer could, theoretically, reduce nutrient concentrations in groundwater downstream of that point if the new water wasn’t, itself, contaminated by nitrates—but I’m not suggesting this is either a practical or desirable solution. Nitrate leaching into groundwater can be reduced through changing farm practices; we’re supporting farmers to do this through the development of a nutrient risk index tool, improvements to OVERSEER, and freshwater farm plans.

💬 Hon Eugenie Sage: Is he concerned that intensive dairy farming in Canterbury is causing a significant legacy effect of nitrate contamination of groundwater and drinking-water sources, and, if not, why not?

💬 Hon DAVID PARKER: Well, in respect of the effect on drinking-water sources, that’s an issue that falls to the Associate Minister for the Environment, Minister Allan. In respect of whether that breaches standards for consumption of drinking water, that’s a matter for the Associate Minister of Health. In respect of the broader issues as to whether there are environmental consequences from intensive dairying in parts of the country that still need to improve, then, yes, I agree with that.

💬 Hon Eugenie Sage: What is the Minister’s response to research by Dr Mike Joy and others—

💬 Nicola Grigg: Oh, “Mike Misery”—“Dr Mike Misery”!

💬 Hon Eugenie Sage: —showing that dairy farming in Canterbury is expected to result in steady state nitrate concentration—

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Sorry for interrupting the member, but interjections while a question is being asked is out of order. So please stop doing it. I didn’t catch all of the question, so if the Hon Eugenie Sage would ask the question again.

💬 Hon Eugenie Sage: Thank you, Mr Speaker. What is the Minister’s response to research by Dr Mike Joy and others, showing that dairy farming in Canterbury is expected to result in steady state nitrate concentrations averaging 21.3 milligrams per litre in groundwater coming from farmed areas that renders much of that water undrinkable and impacts the ecosystem health of spring-fed streams?

💬 Hon DAVID PARKER: I respect the role of science. Whilst I don’t always agree with Dr Joy’s statements, I agree with many of them and I thank him for his advocacy in these areas. I haven’t read that research, but if that was the effect, I would share his concerns.

💬 Hon Eugenie Sage: Is he concerned that nitrate contamination was increasing in 47 percent of the 322 groundwater wells that Environment Canterbury monitored from 2010 to 2020, and, if so, is he confident that the current national direction is strong enough for Environment Canterbury to take all the necessary steps to control the land-use activities that cause this contamination?

💬 Hon DAVID PARKER: The first point I would make is that there has never been a need for national direction in order for regional councils to do their job to stop improper levels of pollution adversely affecting the environment. So they don’t rely upon national direction to do their job; national direction does help them do their job and prescribes minima that would not otherwise apply.

💬 Hon Eugenie Sage: What will he do to change business as usual and stop the increasing nitrate pollution of groundwater caused by the 629 percent increase in fertiliser use in New Zealand between 1991 and 2019, and the 82 percent increase in dairy cow numbers to 6.3 million cows over the same period?

💬 Hon DAVID PARKER: In respect of the issues that the member refers to as to the very high increases in the use of synthetic nitrogen, we’ve already moved to take the top off that by introducing a per hectare annual cap of synthetic nitrogen application that is legal. That limit is set for review in about two years’ time, but, for the first time in the history of New Zealand, we’ve already got one.

💬 Hon Eugenie Sage: Will he consider reducing that regulated 190 kilogram per hectare cap on synthetic fertiliser use to help reduce dairy cow numbers and the amount of urine causing nitrate pollution of groundwater and spring-fed streams, and, if not, why not?

💬 Hon DAVID PARKER: The review of that level implies that those issues would be considered at the time of the review.

Question No. 9—Transport

9. to the Minister of Transport: Fa‘afetai, Mr Speaker. Manuia le aoauli. What action is the Government taking to regenerate New Zealand’s coastal shipping sector?

Last week, I announced the selection of four preferred suppliers which Waka Kotahi will work with to invest in new and enhanced coastal shipping services around the country. Each of the four suppliers will bring at least one additional coastal shipping vessel into service, meaning that the Government and industry will be investing over $90 million together to unlock marine transport opportunities and grow our use of the blue highway. By investing in coastal shipping, we’re reducing emissions from the freight sector, providing greater resilience for our supply chain, and also improving employment opportunities for mariners and supporting regional development. This investment is a win for resilience, a win for the climate, and a win for regional New Zealand.

Tāmati Coffey: How does this futureproof New Zealand’s national supply chain?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have shown New Zealand’s vulnerability to supply chain shocks, which are felt more acutely at our end of the supply chain. Investing in alternative modes of transport in the freight sector provides more options for goods to get to where they need to, and, in doing so, helps to keep downward pressure on costs that are ultimately paid by the consumer. Regional New Zealand also stands to benefit, with Nelson, New Plymouth, the East Cape, and the West Coast, amongst others, gaining new and enhanced coastal shipping services.

Tāmati Coffey: How does this initiative contribute towards New Zealand’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Once fully operational, this initiative is expected to remove around 35 million kilometres of truck travel from New Zealand’s roading network every year. In the emissions reduction plan, we have introduced a target to reduce emissions from our freight sector by 35 percent by 2035. Growing our coastal shipping sector will be critical to helping us achieve this target and this investment marks an important step on that journey.

Question No. 10—Police

10. to the Minister of Police: Why are firearms prohibition orders still not in place despite Police recommending them in October 2017?

on behalf of the Minister of Police: Talofa, Mr Speaker. On behalf of the Minister of Police, since taking office, this Government has established the strongest firearms control regime in our country’s history. We have banned military-style semi-automatics, we have bought back over 60,000 prohibited firearms and magazines, we strengthened the fit and proper person test, toughened licensing rules, and introduced new penalties under the Act. This Government has also legislated for a new fit for purpose firearms registry, which has been fully funded and is now under development. On top of that, we will pass the Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Bill, which will be reported back to this House in August of this year. In the wake of the March 15 attacks, we prioritised these measures appropriately, and we stand resolute on our record on arms control.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: What does she mean when she says, “The effect of the FPO will be tougher”, given it does not have or include warrantless search powers?

I think the member might want to have paid attention to previous answers around warrantless search powers. The Minister has made it quite clear that the Search and Surveillance Act has allowed the police to undertake over 700 warrantless searches as part of Operation Tauwhiro. It’s already happening.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: So what is the legal test currently required for a search to take place in the Government’s Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Bill?

I think under the search and surveillance regime there, there has to be a suspicion that firearms might be present, or the suspicion of that. I notice the member was asking where the firearms protection orders are. As I’ve mentioned to the member, that bill will be presented back to the House in August of this year. I’d also point out to that member that the previous National Government promised firearms protection orders twice, in 2014 and 2016. It had nine years in order to do that, and they got nothing. I can guarantee New Zealanders that in August of this year—

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Minister has definitely answered that question.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: Did the Government ever vote down any National Party members’ bills around firearms prohibition orders (FPOs)?

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: I’m not sure the Minister has responsibility for that.

In some of those instances, the member who was responsible for those bills didn’t do their homework. Despite being helped by the select committee, that bill continued to fail to meet the mark, but again, I’ll remind the House of the National Party’s record on this. Back in 2014, when Michael Woodhouse said that officials were providing advice by the end of the year on options around firearms prohibition orders, what happened? Nothing. And back in 2016—

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

—when Judith Collins said firearm protection—

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

💬 David Seymour: The Government—

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: No—I’m still standing. The Hon Kris Faafoi will stand, withdraw, and apologise first. Then I’ll take the point of order.

I withdraw and I apologise.

💬 David Seymour: The Government has no responsibility for voting on a member’s bill, and certainly not for any of the attacks on another party that we just heard from the Minister. He sounds like he’s out of his depth.

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well, notwithstanding the last part of the point of order, I did at the beginning say “in so far as the Minister had responsibility”, however I probably should have ruled it out of order in the first instance, so that was my fault.

💬 Nicole McKee: This question is in relation to the answer to the first question that the Minister gave. If Labour has introduced the toughest gun laws in New Zealand, why is it that gun crime is up 47 percent under Labour’s watch?

I will reiterate some of the measures that I mentioned in my initial answer. The fact that we will be having a registry available to know where guns are, as of June 2023, will allow us to track who has guns and, if they get into the wrong hands, what is the responsibility of the people to get there. We have taken measures since 2019 to make sure that we make our streets safer from gun crime. We’ll put our records up against the previous Government’s record any day of the week.

The question was about the effectiveness of the policies and the outcomes they’ve had. It wasn’t an invitation to repeat the same policies that the Minister listed in the answer to the question that the supplementary question was about.

💬 DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yeah. None the less, it was addressed.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: Will she, in light of the 12 gang-related shootings in the last week, put the Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Bill through the House under urgency; and if not, why not?

💬 Hon KRIS FAAFOI: We acknowledge that there are difficulties that those incidents may have caused the people involved. I reiterate to the member that the bill will be back before the House once it comes out of the select committee in August. This Government will make sure that FPOs come into place. Despite the promises of the previous Government—twice—it never delivered.

Question No. 11—Health

11. to the Associate Minister of Health: Talofa, Mr Speaker. How will Budget 2022 help strengthen eating disorder services?

Eating disorders are one of the most serious mental health challenges a person can face. We have incredibly skilled specialists working to support people with eating disorders but there’s an increasing demand for their services, particularly from young people. Budget 2022 includes new funding of $3.9 million to expand and improve eating disorder services so that people can get the help they need. Eating disorders are an area of cooperation with the Green Party as part of our wider work with youth mental health, and I want to acknowledge the Greens’ mental health spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick, for her work on this issue.

💬 Camilla Belich: How will this new funding be used?

💬 Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Improving eating disorder services is a priority for me, as Associate Minister of Health. This funding will mean we can hire more clinicians and treat more people. It will also be used to help address the current variability of services across the country. Once funding is fully rolled out, it is projected to support about 200 more people per year to get treatment from specialist eating disorder services.

💬 Camilla Belich: Are there plans to expand peer support for people with eating disorders?

💬 Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Thank you—whenever I meet with people working in this area, I hear about the importance of peer support. Having people with lived experience available to work with people living with eating disorders can make a real difference. So we will also use the additional funding in Budget 2022 to look at the potential to further develop peer support networks.

💬 Matt Doocey: What is her response to Eating Disorders Association New Zealand’s reaction to her funding announcement, “until the system is reviewed and changes are made, we risk throwing good money after bad and perpetuating the current sub-optimal outcomes for individuals and their whānau.”, and does she support the sector’s call for an independent review into eating disorders?

💬 Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: It was on the basis of those concerns raised by eating disorder advocates, and awareness of the waiting times for specialist appointments, that we put this funding in place. As a part of the movement of the transition of this service to Health New Zealand, we will be having a look, overall, at the quality of services across the country.

Question No. 12—Health

12. to the Minister of Health: Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. Fa‘afetai i le Atua ua atoa nei le 60 tausaga talu ona tutoatasi Samoa. Malo lava, o le vaiaso o le gagana Samoa. Does he stand by his statement that “If we’re going to have a Māori Health Authority, I’m determined that it genuinely has the authority to really make a difference for Māori”; if not, why not?

Yes.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: How can he stand by his statement when the Government consistently blocked attempts at select committee to include greater recognition of Māori authority in the Pae Ora bill, such as acknowledging tino rangatiratanga and establishing a Māori Director-General of Health?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: It’s a matter for the select committee to determine how it deals with the bill and the changes that it recommends back to Parliament. The bill has had its second reading and, today, Parliament will be able to examine closely the bill as it has been reported back from the select committee.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Will he support Te Paati Māori amendments during the committee stage of the Pae Ora bill to strengthen the Māori Health Authority’s powers, acknowledging tino rangatiratanga, and establish a Māori Director-General of Health; if not, why not?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No, I won’t be supporting the proposed amendments from Te Paati Māori. We do not want or need two directors-general of health. We have the Ministry of Health, which is headed by the Director-General of Health, and we will have Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority, who already have established a track record of working closely together. The Māori Health Authority will be supported by iwi Māori partnership boards whose membership will be determined by iwi and urban Māori. The Māori Health Authority Board will be the subject of advice from the Hauora Māori Advisory Council to the Minister. And so the input of Māori, I am satisfied, will be consistent with the Crown’s obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: Can you explain how the Māori Health Authority will have the authority to really make a difference for Māori, when in Budget 2022 it only receives 0.6 percent of the Vote Health budget, despite Māori making up more than 17 to 19 percent of Aotearoa’s population?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: A number of points on that. Firstly, the funding in Budget 2022 for the Māori Health Authority was additional funding on top of what had been appropriated for the health reforms in Budget 2021. In addition to that, the current funding that DHBs and the ministry manage for funding kaupapa Māori health services will transfer to the Māori Health Authority. That’s roughly $1.2 billion over four years. And the third point I would make is that funding for health services in the Budget is funding for health services, not for any particular health entity, and it’s my expectation that, as Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority get to work on the health plan and work out the various activities that they will each undertake, there will be agreement over funding that the Māori Health Authority will have sole responsibility for to continue its commissioning work and also to grow and develop kaupapa Māori health services.

💬 Rawiri Waititi: What is his response to the many Māori health experts who have come out since Budget 2022 to challenge Government on the Māori Health Authority being short-changed and that it will mean the health system will continue to fail at eliminating entrenched inequities in Māori health?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: To the extent I’ve seen some of that commentary, my observation is that much of it is ill informed. And to the extent that I’ve seen well-informed commentary that takes into account the points I made in answer to the previous question, what I’ve seen is expressions of support for the Māori Health Authority and the new regime that the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill, if enacted by this Parliament, will herald.