Oral Questions

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

Yes, particularly the Government’s targeted measures to support households and businesses during global economic volatility such as boosting the incomes of low-income families, seniors and students; removing fuel excise duty and instituting half-price public transport fares until January 2023; and instituting payments like the winter energy payment, the Best Start payment, and, of course, the cost of living payment. This builds on work to address underlying causes of high prices such as action taken on food prices, regulating the fuel market, and building materials. This sits in stark contrast to some other policies I’ve seen promoted in this House which would make inflation worse.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Does she now accept that, at 7.2 percent, inflation has a firm grip on our economy, and that her Government’s failure to take the cost of living crisis seriously is crushing everyday Kiwis?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: In answer to the first part of the question, no. In answer to the second part of the question, the impact on families is exactly why we have brought in the measures that I outlined in my primary question. We have had our mind to making sure that we are particularly focused on those who are bearing the brunt of the cost of living impacts, of overseas supply chain pressures, and the war in Ukraine—unlike the proposals posed by that party, which we know because we’ve seen a live experiment of what would happen when such proposals are implemented, and the impact on the economy is very, very clear.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Oh my goodness. How can Kiwis possibly get ahead under her Government when the cost of living is continuing to rise more than twice as fast as wages?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, I contest what the member has claimed, because the Stats New Zealand quarterly employment survey shows that total gross earnings were up 7.9 percent over the past year. I also contest that on the basis that, since we have been a Government—with the exception of 2022—wages have outpaced inflation. The reason I also reject the premise of the question is because, as a Government, for five years, we have focused on reducing the cost of living for New Zealanders; it has not just been during the war in Ukraine and through the supply chain constraints we’ve seen caused by COVID. We’ve increased the minimum wage. We’ve seen more than 100,000 families, on average, $175 a week better off. This Government finally reversed the impacts of the 1990 benefit cuts. We increased the family tax credit and accommodation supplement. We introduced the winter energy payment and Best Start payment—1,000 more families will receive childcare assistance. We introduced free healthy lunches in schools and deliver more than a million of them a week. We’ve reduced the education costs for parents by removing the school donation policy. We’ve supported parents with house costs by making it free for under-14s to go to the doctor. Ours has been a consistent effort across five years and, in contrast, is not down to one policy—the National policy: tax cuts for the wealthy.

💬 Christopher Luxon: With inflation above target for 18 straight months, and the Government spending $1 billion a week more than when she took office, how can Kiwis have any confidence in this Government’s ability to manage the economy?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because, when you look at the last economic crisis that we faced—the global financial crisis (GFC)—we have not only demonstrated an ability to protect New Zealanders from the worst impacts of a crisis, we have done it whilst keeping debt lower than many other countries have, comparable to during the phase of the GFC. We have kept spending on track to come back to 30 percent, relative to GDP, all at the same time while having fewer children in poverty—145,000 fewer in hardship than during the GFC. That is why New Zealanders can have confidence.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Does she accept that as long as her Government fails to rein in inflation, interest rates on every Kiwi mortgage will continue to rise, crushing families with hundreds of dollars a week in extra interest payments?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, the member across the aisle clearly just takes no account of what is going on globally. New Zealand is one of the few countries in the OECD where we have seen inflation peak and—yes—start to come away. The OECD total is at 10.3 percent, the United Kingdom is at 9.9 percent, the United States is at 8.2 percent, and the euro is at 9.1 percent. But I should probably have already known he doesn’t take into account the international news, given he has taken no reflection on what’s happened in the UK when they implemented a very similar programme of debt-funded tax cuts.

💬 David Seymour: If New Zealanders’ inflation and cost of living crisis is caused by overseas factors, then why is it that over the last three months, tradable inflation from overseas has fallen and non-tradable inflation here at home has just risen?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yet when you factor in, for instance, non-tradable construction, 90 percent of that is made up by imported goods. So that does not take that, for instance, into account.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Why is the Government proposing an agricultural emissions plan that could reduce sheep and beef farming by 20 percent while increasing emissions overseas as production shifts to less efficient countries?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Three parts to that question; I’ll answer all of them. The first reason that we are putting in place a programme to ensure that agricultural emissions are addressed as part of our emissions profile is because it’s the only sector currently excluded and it makes up almost half of our emissions, and we need to make sure that we do our bit to ensure that all sectors in New Zealand are addressing the contribution to climate change. The second point, on the impacts on beef and lamb: the impacts on beef and lamb, by the consultation that we have put out, are the same as what they were by the sector’s proposals, He Waka Eke Noa. We recognise that we need to do some work with the sector, and that’s what we’ve asked that the consultation process is used to do, but it is disingenuous to propose that what the Government has put out in consultation is different to what the sector proposed. Thirdly, on emission leakage—I do want to answer every part because I’m genuine in wanting to see an outcome that everyone in this House can support. The third part, on emissions leakage: the commission itself has said that it’s “highly uncertain but appears [that emission leakage] to be low for agriculture … in the near term”.

💬 Christopher Luxon: What advice has she received on the number of people who’ll be forced to abandon New Zealand’s rural communities as a result of the Government’s plan to send production overseas?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, this is where we have to make sure that we are focused equally, once we cover all sectors that contribute to emissions, that we also look for the opportunity to lift the value of those products as a result. The member cannot go out there and argue that we need to open more export opportunities without acknowledging that consumers are demanding sustainable products. Beef + Lamb themselves undertook a survey which found that large parts of our export market would be willing to pay a 20 percent premium if they knew the products were sustainable. This is the industry’s own research. We have to make sure that we’re walking the talk.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Why should New Zealand farmers trust this Government when for the last five years it’s piled on regulation after regulation while portraying them as villains, instead of backing them as the most carbon-efficient and most productive farmers in the world?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Unlike the member, I’m not going to ignore the fact that our food producers are at the brunt of climate change and severe weather events. The food inflation that we’re just seeing—we know severe weather events have affected crops in New Zealand. It’s affecting our farmers too. We cannot ignore climate change. We cannot sit by and watch our consumers go elsewhere. We can do both, and I am absolutely confident that in working with our primary producers, we will find a solution. I ask the member to consider being part of the solution.

💬 Dr Gaurav Sharma: Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Tēnā koe e te Whare. Will the Prime Minister apologise, just like she did for the Dawn Raids, to the Sikh community in Hamilton and across the country for the recent immigration raid at the Sikh gurudwara in Hamilton, where Immigration New Zealand staff harassed senior citizens as well as young children for over an hour and entered the gurudwara with shoes and without a head covering, and unveiled the sacred book Guru Granth Sahib, despite being specifically told what the tikanga at the gurudwara was?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I’d say that I am unable to give a direct answer on that without knowing in more detail what has occurred under these circumstances. I’m happy to go away and look at what has occurred.

💬 Dr Gaurav Sharma: What does the Prime Minister say to the people of New Zealand, and specifically to the people of Hamilton West electorate, where the failed Te Pūkenga tertiary institute is located, regarding which the Tertiary Education Commission’s latest report says that its governance, its operating model, and business case are high risk and low confidence?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I reject the premise of the question.

💬 Hon Michael Wood: Can the Prime Minister confirm that Immigration New Zealand has operational independence to investigate any complaints of serious migrant exploitation and labour abuses?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Absolutely, and we will defend that right vigorously.

Question No. 2—Finance

2. to the Minister of Finance: Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mr Speaker. What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?

Stats New Zealand today reported that the Consumers Price Index was 2.2 percent in the September quarter, taking the annual inflation rate to 7.2 percent, down from 7.3 percent in the previous quarter for an annual rate. This drop is not as much as economists had been predicting. High construction and housing costs and rates drove the annual figure, while quarterly numbers were affected by spikes in food and the cost of international travel. As I’ve said previously in this House, we recognise that this is a tough period for many households and businesses, and that is why we have provided significant targeted support and will continue to provide that to help New Zealanders weather these conditions. Inflation continues to be a global challenge, with the UK’s inflation rate near 10 percent and projected to rise considerably higher, the US at 8.2 percent, and Australia projected to be at 7.75 percent by the end of the year. New Zealand is in fact the 10th lowest in the 38-nation OECD statistics. Supply constraints are easing, including the approval of more than 60,000 positions for overseas recruitment to help address workforce pressures.

💬 Barbara Edmonds: What reports has he seen on the state of the Government’s books?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: For the year to the end of June, the operating balance before gains and losses, the OBEGAL deficit, was $9.7 billion—around half of the $19 billion forecast in the Budget in 2022 in May. Net debt ended the year at 17.2 percent of GDP, in line with Budget forecasts, and this is one of the lowest levels in the OECD and well below the Government’s debt ceiling of 30 percent, ensuring we are well positioned to weather future economic shocks. New Zealand is in a strong fiscal position as we face a number of global challenges.

💬 Barbara Edmonds: What else did the report say on the impact of the economy on the Government’s books?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The economy performed well in the year to June 2022 due to the Government’s strong health response to the Delta and Omicron outbreaks. Core Crown revenue was 4.1 percent ahead of forecast at $117.5 billion as the strong economic recovery boosted business results, led to more people in work, which contributed to that higher tax revenue. Core Crown expenses were 2.2 percent below forecast as our successful COVID response meant allocated pandemic-related spending was not required in full. Some of those expenses, like ongoing investment in protections such as therapeutics and vaccines, will shift into the current fiscal year.

Question No. 3—Finance

3. to the Minister of Finance: Has he seen a report by ASB that “soaring living costs are expected to add roughly $110 per week to household budgets over the next 12 months”; if so, does he expect wages will keep up with that increase in the cost of living?

In answer to the first part of the question, yes, I have seen that report. In answer to the second part of the question, I note that it is the view of the authors of that report that “households in general should have sufficient funds to pay the bills and potentially increase consumer spending.” While that may turn out to be the case, I’m keenly aware of the situation of many households for whom that has not been the case. That’s why the Government has targeted support to those on lower and middle income earnings, while making sure that spending remains balanced and carefully targeted.

💬 Nicola Willis: How are New Zealanders supposed to get ahead under Labour, when, for 18 months now, inflation has crushed wage growth?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member will be well aware that we have seen the Quarterly Employment Survey—annual median wages show that it’s close to growth at 8 percent. It is a difficult time for many New Zealanders; that’s why this Government has stood beside them by making sure that we lower fuel excise duty, by halving the cost of public transport, by lifting the family tax credit, by making sure we increased childcare assistance, by lifting benefits, and by lifting the minimum wage. Many of those things, the Opposition has opposed.

💬 Nicola Willis: Who is right, the Minister of Finance, who continues to claim Kiwis’ wages are keeping up with prices, or the Parliamentary Library that confirms real wages fell 3.7 percent in the past year, as calculated in the real wage index?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It was not me that I was using as an example there; it was, in fact, the Quarterly Employment Survey.

💬 Nicola Willis: Can he confirm domestic non-tradable inflation is now the highest since records began?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I can confirm that for non-tradable inflation. What the member consistently does, though, is insert the word “domestic” at the front of that, and I do note that in today’s release by Statistics New Zealand, they included the comment at the end of their description of non-tradables saying, “However, the input materials of these goods and services can be influenced by foreign competition”. As the Prime Minister’s already indicated, if we take construction costs as one example of that, we can see up to 90 percent of that being caused by offshore things.

💬 Nicola Willis: What is his explanation for New Zealand vegetable prices rocketing up 24 percent in the past three months alone, the largest quarterly rise since the series began?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: A number of reasons for that, but if I can quote Sharon Zollner, the ANZ chief economist, “Weather has been a big part of [that], particularly in fruit and vegetables. We had an extremely wet July and August”. This was similarly reinforced by Steve Mills, the Countdown commercial director. That is an exceptionally large quarterly increase; New Zealanders will be feeling that. The member might like to think about her party’s policies with respect to climate change. Actually, on this side of the House, we want to do something about the causes of those price rises.

💬 Nicola Willis: What does he say to Deb, who writes, “I couldn’t afford to buy washing powder today; clothes will be just washed in water.”, and how can the New Zealand public continue to have confidence in his economic management when he has failed to rein in the highest period of inflation in a decade?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I would say to that person is what I say to all New Zealanders, that this Government has supported New Zealanders through the toughest times of COVID, and we continue to support low and middle income New Zealanders through lifting main benefits, though lifting the family tax credit, through lifting the minimum wage, through supporting New Zealanders in everyday life, and that member’s policy is to cut taxes for the highest income earners. Liz Truss has dropped it; it’s time for that member to drop it.

Question No. 4—Housing

4. to the Minister of Housing: What actions has the Government taken recently to address the housing infrastructure shortage?

We have announced the second tranche of our Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF) for housing infrastructure projects: $192 million will fund critical infrastructure projects in our regional towns and cities, unlocking up to 11,500 new homes. These investments provide the critical infrastructure for new housing developments over the next 10 to 15 years, including public, affordable, market, and papa kāinga housing, while also improving our climate resilience.

💬 Ginny Andersen: What infrastructure does this funding enable in the mighty Hutt Valley?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The RiverLink and Valley Floor intensification project will receive $98.9 million for major stormwater upgrades, including approximately 2 kilometres of new stormwater pipeline, pumping stations, and outfalls. As part of a wider network response, Hutt City Council believes the infrastructure will unlock development and provide capacity for around 3,500 new homes.

💬 Angie Warren-Clark: What other areas are set to benefit from the second announcement of the IAF—Infrastructure Acceleration Fund?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Eight projects were approved for funding for infrastructure in the second round of funding, spread across the country: $36 million to support the intensification of Nelson’s central city, $24 million for three waters infrastructure in Lake Hāwea, $18.5 million investment in Hastings will improve road access and resolve capacity constraints in the district’s waste-water network, $5.7 million for transport and three waters projects in Rangiora, $1.2 million in Motueka for stormwater upgrades and a new roundabout that will enable housing, and $1.9 million for an extension of Carson Street in the Whanganui suburb of Castlecliff.

💬 Angie Warren-Clark: What is the average cost per dwelling for this tranche of IAF projects?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The amount of funding per dwelling ranges from $4,385 per dwelling in the Waimakariri district to $35,512 in Nelson city. The average funding per dwelling is $16,744. The lesson here is that a Government-determined cost per dwelling is not the right approach; instead, a more nuanced approach that takes into account the specifics of the location and the project is required.

💬 Angie Warren-Clark: When will this IAF funding have an impact?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The IAF is a medium-term intervention that is funding core infrastructure works across the country that will enable housing. With funding agreements now signed, we will see physical works commence in the very near future. For example, New Plymouth will commence over the coming weeks, and Ōmokoroa by the end of this year.

💬 Angie Warren-Clark: What feedback has she seen on tranche two of the IAF?

💬 Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Nelson’s outgoing mayor, Rachel Reese, said that this was a game-changer for Nelson: “This grant funding is a massive financial saving to Nelson and will have a positive impact on our City Centre for generations to come.” In Hastings, Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the funding will help address the region’s housing shortage: “This investment unlocks further capability to address what is a long-term issue, and we are grateful for the Government’s ongoing commitment and partnership to enable our community to have a place to call home”. In the Hutt Valley, mayor Campbell Barry has said the funding for the RiverLink “is a significant gain for [the] Lower Hutt as it will enable us to undertake desperately needed infrastructure investment to support the building of new homes as part of RiverLink and on our valley floor”.

Question No. 5—Prime Minister

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

Yes.

💬 David Seymour: Has she seen reports that KidsCan has had to expand the number of lunches provided to school children by 10,000 every day this year, and, if so, how can she believe her Government has been successful at reducing child poverty?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I don’t have details on where KidsCan have expanded in to, but what I can say is we have recognised the difference that healthy, free lunches can provide our lowest-income families, which is why we are now delivering a million of those lunches per week into low-decile schools across the country.

💬 David Seymour: Does she accept her Government’s policies in the past two years have led to the highest inflation in 30 years, meaning parents are choosing between paying the rent and filling kids’ lunch boxes, with charities like KidsCan filling the gap?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, I challenge the member’s assumption that it is the policies of the Government that are creating what we are seeing as a global phenomenon. I’ve already noted in answers previously in this House that we see inflation, for instance, in the OECD at 10.3 percent, the United Kingdom at 9.9 percent, the US at 8.2 percent, the Euro at 9.1 percent, and, interestingly, we’ve seen rates rise across Asia as well. I doubt the member would claim that it’s the New Zealand Government’s policies that are causing that.

💬 David Seymour: How does it help parents choosing between paying rent and feeding their kids to hear from their Prime Minister that other countries’ Governments have made the same mistakes as hers, and so they have a cost of living crisis, too?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is not my answer to families. My answer to families is the cost of living payment. My answer to families is a reduction in the cost of fuel at the pump. My answer to families is a halving of the public transport costs, an increase in the family tax credit, increases in the minimum wage, the Best Start payment, increases in benefit payments, making it free for under-14s to go to the doctor, and 1 million free lunches across low-decile schools across the country. That is my answer to families, because when we were elected as a Government, we recognised child poverty was a problem, we wanted to address it, and we continue to do so. I note that member would scrap every initiative I just mentioned.

💬 David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister stand by her statement earlier today that people’s rents are going up due to the cost of building materials, or is a better explanation that her Government increased expenditure from $87 billion to $151 billion in just three years, and the Reserve Bank printed $53 billion, leaving the economy awash with cash and inflation?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member asked me a question about non-tradeables and I gave her an answer around the contribution to the increases in costs in construction, and it’s an answer I stand by. Another point I would make is that, actually, earlier this week we saw that, in some parts of the country, we are actually starting to see the increase in housing supply making a difference. We have seen parts of the country where rents have started to come away. We’ve got to keep building houses. Just this week, we made further investments into the critical infrastructure needed to ensure that that will happen. That includes making sure we have the water infrastructure that will enable another 11,500 houses to be built.

💬 David Seymour: So can the Prime Minister explain which of her statements she stands by: do we have record homebuilding pushing down rents, or are oversees factors such as building supplies pushing up rents, and that’s why we have high non-tradeable inflation—which one is it?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My answer was that building houses is non-tradeable, but 90 percent of construction products used in New Zealand are imported.

💬 David Seymour: In that case, is the Reserve Bank wrong when it says in its official policy on tradeables and non-tradeables that the non-tradeables component “shows how domestic demand and supply conditions are affecting consumer prices”, and, if so, does her Government have any policy to tell Statistics New Zealand to stop mixing up tradeables and non-tradeables?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, two points that I would make here—again, in the residential housing market, we see that for building, when we’re relying, of course, on predominantly imported products, we are going to see those global factors having an impact. At the same time, we have been concerned about the cost of building supplies in New Zealand. It’s a reason why we saw an intervention from the Minister, and it’s also why the Commerce Commission is looking into this issue. Ultimately, though, we need to keep residential building and construction going, and that’s why we continue to invest in apprentices, to make sure we have the ability to keep that construction going; in infrastructure, to make sure that we’ve got the pipes in place so that they can be built, and you’re seeing that coming to fruition with consents at record numbers.

Question No. 6—Small Business

6. to the Minister for Small Business: Fakaalofa lahi atu. What announcements has he made to support mental health and wellbeing for small businesses?

Gum sa hum ni da, eui jang nim. Last Friday, I announced that the Government is extending its health and wellness business support package, First Steps, across the country after being launched in Auckland last year. First Steps offers preventative support for business owners, managers, and employees to reduce the number of those in crisis by providing a variety of tools, resources, and perspectives.

Tāmati Coffey: Why is mental health and wellbeing support important to small businesses?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: We’ve heard from small-business owners and employees that operating throughout a pandemic has resulted in increased feelings of stress and isolation, which has had significant negative health impacts on mental wellbeing. Our recovery not only relies on economic performance; equally important is the mental health and wellbeing of all Kiwis.

Tāmati Coffey: How many people will be supported by expanding First Steps?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: There are around 546,000 small businesses here in New Zealand, and up to 1.2 million individuals who are owners or employees. Rolling out our First Steps package across the country will mean that they all get access to Government-funded mental health and wellbeing tools to support them as they recover from the pandemic.

Tāmati Coffey: How many people have used the programme so far?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: Data indicates that over 70,000 users have interacted with the First Steps platform, with Auckland users downloading more than 75,000 resources. Experience shows that people did not necessarily want to have one-on-one consultation, but they did want to access resources that might help them.

Tāmati Coffey: What feedback has he seen from the programme so far?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: One business owner in Auckland who used the programme said, “It has given me more insight into myself, which is supportive of my ability to build my business in these challenging times.” Another said First Steps “gave me the opportunity to destress and learn new skills”. Finally, I leave you with the final words of one of our First Steps users: “It’s good to know that there are Government bodies supporting us through such a tough time.”

💬 Hon Grant Robertson: Can the Minister confirm that the First Steps programme was jointly designed by the Employers and Manufacturers Association, the Auckland chamber of commerce, and the Government; and can he further confirm the role of Michael Barnett in that work?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: I can confirm that, and I would like to thank Michael Barnett, who will continue to have responsibility for rolling out this programme. I think that First Steps should not only be confined to a post-pandemic world to only deal with the pandemic; I think this should be one of the business support programmes that goes on in perpetuity, because the mental health and wellbeing of our small owners and operators is very important to the health and wellbeing of our general community and our economy.

Question No. 7—Workplace Relations and Safety

7. to the Associate Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Has she seen the Human Rights Commission’s Pacific Pay Gap Inquiry findings that in 2021 the pay gap for median hourly earnings of Pacific men compared to Pākehā men was 18.8 percent and for Pacific women compared to Pākehā men was 25.1 percent; if so, what, if anything, is she doing to reduce the Pacific pay gap?

Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mr Speaker. Yes, I have seen the inquiry findings. I have also met with Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, about those findings. Can I also just thank the Human Rights Commission and those who were involved in the Pacific pay gap inquiry for their work. This is important work. All pay gaps are unacceptable and our Government is committed to closing our gender and ethnic pay gaps, and that’s why, for example, by the end of this year, Government agencies will public gender and ethnic pay gaps for the first time ever. This week also, we are progressing legislation to establish fair pay agreements that are set to improve wages and conditions in sectors where Pacific people are overrepresented. We remain committed to using a range of tools to address gender and ethnic pay gaps because we know that there is no silver bullet.

💬 Jan Logie: Does the Minister acknowledge that when the underpayment is so egregious and the majority of it can only be explained by discrimination and unconscious bias, there needs to be further urgent Government intervention?

💬 Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: Actually, the report and the findings of the inquiry shows that there are a range of issues that feed into gender and ethnic pay gaps. Occupational segregation is one of them; discrimination and the likes of the various issues that the member has raised are also part of them. As I’ve mentioned, there is work under way by the Government to address these pay gaps. I will also include that various employment action plans deal with issues around diversity, inclusion, and discrimination as well, with the view to end those pay gaps.

💬 Jan Logie: Is she aware that pay transparency legislation is the first recommendation of the report and that a petition with over 8,500 signatures was received calling for pay transparency last week, and, if so, why has the Government not yet delivered on the commitment from last term to introduce pay transparency legislation?

💬 Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: I am aware of those, and we have begun work to investigate whether a full pay transparency regime in New Zealand would be beneficial and, if so, what that would look like so as to be effective in Aotearoa New Zealand. That is part of a range of other initiatives, as I’ve mentioned, that we are undertaking to reduce the pay gaps.

💬 Teanau Tuiono: When will the 50-year-old Equal Pay Act be updated to include racial inequities, considering that the Polynesian Panthers have been advocating for equal pay for Pacific workers since the 1970s?

💬 Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: What I will say is that we have acknowledged the need for intersectionality in this piece of work, we have acknowledged that in our response to the select committee recommendations as well, and, as I mentioned, there are a range of pieces of work under way to that end.

💬 Teanau Tuiono: What does she say to businesswoman Lisa Tai, who has been on the Pacific Pay Gap Inquiry advisory board because she wants better for Pacific people than her intelligent, hard-working, reliable mother got working 20 years on a minimum wage, suffering enduring physical injuries as a result of the work?

💬 Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: Firstly, as I mentioned, I thank everyone who was part of that inquiry for their work. I will also say that the aspirations of this Government in terms of ensuring that Pacific people have better working conditions and better pay is absolutely one that we share with the person that he mentioned, and that’s why we are undertaking a range of work on this side of the House, including raising the minimum wage, to ensure that we meet those aspirations.

💬 Jan Logie: Will the Minister then commit to implementing the six recommendations for Government in the gender pay gap inquiry to ensure Pacific people are paid fairly for their work and are safe and respected in the workplace?

💬 Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: As I said, the Government is committed to closing the gender and ethnic pay gaps, and we will investigate what the best way to do that is.

Question No. 8—Education (School Operations)

8. to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What reports has she seen on the delivery of the free healthy school lunches programme?

Nine hundred and ninety five of New Zealand’s schools, with 220,000 students, receive a free healthy lunch each school day, thanks to the Government’s investment in the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme. Evidence shows that as a result of this programme, kids are experiencing a better quality of life and learning outcomes, as well as physical, social, and emotional functioning.

💬 Marja Lubeck: What other benefits has the programme offered?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: Research on the students who have accessed the programme since its inception in 2020 is showing excellent progress in improving the nutrient intake of these kids by providing high-quality, nutritional meals. We know that when kids are fed and healthy, they learn better.

💬 Marja Lubeck: What feedback has she heard from whānau and families?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: Globally, times are tough for many families, and New Zealand families are not immune. Knowing that their kids are getting a healthy lunch at school eases financial pressure for many families, especially those with multiple tamariki and many mouths to feed. It means that their kids can go to school regularly and thrive in a learning environment without barriers to education.

💬 Marja Lubeck: What other benefits has this programme brought for New Zealanders?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: At the beginning of 2022, 2,361 jobs had been created and retained as a result of the programme. In addition to 153 lunch providers, we’ve engaged 13 iwi and hapū through a social procurement process. These iwi and hapū have partnered with 16 schools and kura from Te Tai Tokerau to Bluff to deliver lunches.

Question No. 9—Health

9. to the Minister of Health: What is his response to the independent report into the death of a woman who left the Middlemore emergency department, which stated that Middlemore had “the worst-ever compliance with the Shorter Stays in ED health target for CMH during the month of June”, and which other emergency departments, if any, also had their worst ever shorter stays in emergency department in June 2022?

Fakalofa lahi ahu. On behalf of the Government, first of all, can I just offer my condolences again to the family who are at the centre of the events that were reported on in the report released yesterday. At the time of the event that was the subject of the report, Middlemore Hospital was coping with larger than usual numbers of people in their emergency department because of COVID-19, because of the worst flu season in living memory, and because a lot of staff were away because of illness. As the report notes, staff were doing the best they could under the circumstances. I expect Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand to take on board the lessons from the report, such as making sure people waiting in emergency departments have good information about what’s happening and assessing anybody leaving without treatment. To the second part of the member’s question, it’s only been possible, in the time available, for Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand to pull month-by-month data back to July 2017. From that data set, Auckland Hospital achieved 69.3 percent performance and Whakatāne Hospital achieved 84.6 percent. I would caution that June was the start of winter and, while it takes time for data to be processed, I would expect we will see that pressure on emergency departments was sustained throughout the winter months this year.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: What is his response to Dr John Bonning from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, who said that the emergency department (ED) wait-time crisis was the worst he’d seen in his career and that “The graphs and the pictures of the amount of time people wait in emergency departments is quite stark. [In] 2015 we were performing really, really well, and it’s just gone obviously to pot” and it’s not some COVID blip?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I note the comments by Dr John Bonning and I also note the comments in a 2019 International Journal of Health Policy and Management report, a research report published about the targets as they were applied from 2009 under the previous Government. It was an excoriating report about how those targets had been implemented and it made this finding. It said that “National’s policy resulted in gaming behaviour in the form of clock-stopping and decanting patients to short-stay units or observation beds to avoid target breaches.” The way the targets have been applied under this Government and the measures that have been applied have been consistent with what you would expect patient management to be, not being dodgy and manipulative like they were under the previous Government.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Why, then, did the Labour Government retire National’s public health targets, including the target for shorter wait times in hospital emergency departments, when the New Zealand Medical Journal reported in 2017 that ED targets help reduce ED deaths by 57 percent for an estimated saving of 700 lives in one year alone?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Sadly, the member’s got it wrong yet again. The targets have not been retired.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: What is his response to the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine chair, Dr Kate Allan, who said that in her 15 years of working as an emergency specialist doctor she had never seen it this bad, saying, “Every emergency department doctor is worried that there will be more cases like the one in June because it is a reality of most emergency departments every day.”?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I go back to my first answer. The reality is that this winter has been one of the most challenging and one of the hardest for the health profession that we have ever seen. We’ve not only had the ongoing prevalence of COVID-19; we’ve had the worst flu season that every clinician I speak to says they have ever known and we’ve had elevated levels of staff absenteeism for perfectly explicable and justifiable reasons. And the important thing, however, is that we know that we inherited a health system that was underfunded, that was poorly resourced. That’s why we’ve increased resourcing by nearly 45 percent, we’ve funded an additional 5,000 nurse roles in our public health system, and we’re now going through the very challenging process of recruiting into those roles in an international climate where the worldwide health workforce is about 2 million short.

💬 Dr Shane Reti: Why did he just say that the Government did not retire health targets when in written parliamentary question 14016 he wrote, “The previous health targets were retired in June 2021.”?

💬 Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The targets the member refers to are still measures that are applied, and ED departments around the country are measured against that measure.

Question No. 10—Prime Minister

10. to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statements on women’s rights?

Yes. On this side of the House, we are committed to ensuring that there is every opportunity for women and girls to succeed. We have delivered, and continue to deliver, on this commitment by making sure women and girls get the care they need by, for instance, extending ACC coverage to maternal birth injuries, rolling out free period products in all schools, and decriminalising abortion. We’ve boosted support for parents through extensions to paid parental leave, the launch of the Best Start payment, and the reinstatement of the Training Incentive Allowance, and we’ve taken action to address the gender pay gap by rolling out, of course, equal pay initiatives for female-dominated industries. I would add that internationally, our overseas aid and development programmes have a specific emphasis on women’s and girls’ economic empowerment, reproductive health, and gender-based violence, as well as being strong advocates for the rights of women everywhere, especially in environments that we see right now as pertinent in Afghanistan and Iran.

Brooke van Velden: Why did it take her almost three weeks to make the statement, “I’ve been deeply concerned to see the loss of life and, of course, just generally what we would consider to be human rights issues as they relate to women and girls.”, in response to Kiwi women’s recent concerns about women’s rights in Iran?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The first time I was asked about what was happening on the ground in Iran was on 27 September, and, of course, I gave my very clear view at that time, as did the Deputy Prime Minister and, of course, subsequently, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I believe that possibly one of the reasons I was asked at that time rather than earlier may well have been that in that period, of course, we had the UN General Assembly.

Brooke van Velden: Why did she need to be asked to make a statement before making one when it took her only one day to make a statement, “Watching the removal of a woman’s fundamental right to make decisions over their own body is incredibly upsetting.” in response to Kiwi women’s concerns about women’s rights in the United States of America?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I utterly reject the assertion that I feel any less deeply about what is happening to women in Iran or, indeed, Afghanistan than I do, for instance, around the removal of any woman’s rights, for instance, as has been debated in the United States. We have been raising the issue around women’s rights in Iran, for instance, in the Human Rights Council in 2021. It has not just been in more recent times that we have raised those concerns. We called in specifically—

💬 Chris Bishop: That’ll put pressure on them! I think Russia’s on the Human Rights Council. That’ll help!

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Bishop, if I may. We specifically called in the Iranian ambassador to share directly our deep concerns over what we were seeing happen in regards to the right to protest but also in regards to the rights of women and girls in Iran—directly. Of course, we stand alongside international counterparts in sharing our condemnation and will continue to do so. Unfortunately, the call-in of the ambassador was not widely reported, but I repeat it again in this House.

Brooke van Velden: Does she believe that the statements she’s made to date on the systematic violation of women’s rights in Iran adequately reflect the outrage held by many women in New Zealand regarding the violation of women’s rights in Iran?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: It’s my job to reflect that outrage, and, yes, I believe it has, not just by myself but, of course, also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and, for instance, we’ve also had comments from the likes of the Deputy Prime Minister. We will continue to raise those concerns, be it through international fora or directly with those representatives who are here. And not just the rights of women in Iran: I, again, raise the rights of women in Afghanistan as well, who equally experience, for instance, the view that the inability to express your religious attitudes freely—freely—being a means by which to curtail women’s rights to, for instance, enter into education. No woman in this country, I believe, would want to see a situation where, for instance, the girls are unable to attend education or access basic rights that we would consider fundamental in New Zealand. We will continue to share that view.

Brooke van Velden: When the Iranian ambassador was called in, who did they meet: her, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials, or the Minister of Foreign Affairs?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As is completely in keeping with our practice, it is of course right that the counterpart to the ambassador is within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. That is not unusual. It’s always kept at that level, and that is in keeping with international practice.

Brooke van Velden: Will she answer the Iranian Women in NZ’s call to strengthen her statement on women’s rights in Iran by condemning the Iranian Government and recalling the Iranian ambassador.

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: One point, I think, it’s worth—I’ve shared that condemnation in this House; I’ve shared it in the media. I would have thought this House would actually be unified in the stance that’s been taken by New Zealand. One important point to make on the recalling of, for instance, the ambassador in Tehran: they are accredited, for instance, to cover Pakistan and Afghanistan. Had we not had that assistance, our ability to bring refugees and women who have needed the support and safe haven of New Zealand out of Afghanistan would have been curtailed. I think it just demonstrates the complexity of these situations; and I would note, for instance, New Zealand has played a role in ensuring that we have had high-level women athletes, we’ve had doctors, we’ve had judges, human rights advocates, and members of the LGBTI community resettled in New Zealand from Afghanistan. We take very seriously our role.

Question No. 11—Agriculture

11. to the Minister of Agriculture: Does he support the Government’s proposed agriculture emissions plan, which reportedly could reduce production from sheep and beef farms by 20 percent, and does he agree with Federated Farmers that the policy will “rip the guts out of small town New Zealand”?

Gum sa hum ni da, eui jang nim. Last week, the Government released our proposal for pricing agricultural emissions. This was, effectively, the recommendations made by He Waka Eke Noa partnership, with some undecided issues to be consulted on. This includes how the levy will be set, governance arrangements, how farmers and growers will report and pay for emissions, and what on-farm actions, including sequestration, will be recognised. The member appears to be operating under the misconception that the Government’s proposed agricultural emissions proposal is drastically different from the partnership’s proposal. In fact, the Government has accepted nearly all of the recommendations made by the partnership, which includes Federated Farmers, and this is reflected in our proposal.

💬 Todd Muller: Does he stand by his statement, when asked if there would be a loss in revenue for sheep and beef farming of 24 percent, which would mean $2.9 billion in lost export earnings—and I quote—“Ah well, that’s a proposition put forward. I’m not OK with that loss, and I don’t think it will happen.”? And, if so, what loss in export revenue is the Minister OK with?

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: I’m not comfortable with any loss of revenue. But I have to say that modelling is made on a large number of assumptions. In fact, there was a model put up that presumed, and predicted, that we would have 10 percent unemployment. That never eventuated. I’m confident that New Zealand farmers can adapt to the challenges in front of them. Can I put, too, land-use change that we’ve seen over the years: “Between 1990 and 2021, dairy land use increased 67 percent, to 1.7 million hectares, assisted by irrigation and traditional sheep farming in areas of north Otago and Canterbury. Over the same period, other pastoral grassland, predominantly sheep, beef, and deer, declined 36 percent, with large areas converted to forestry, such as in the Gisborne region, as well as urbanisation and reversion to conservation estate. Forestry and horticulture increased 40 percent and 49 percent respectively while arable land reduced 25 percent.” We have seen, through the decades, much land-use change in this country, and it’s a hallmark of, and a credit to, all the farmers in our country that they adapt to the challenges ahead of them. And if I can just quote someone, Mr Speaker—

💬 SPEAKER: No, I don’t think so.

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: It’s a very valuable quote.

💬 SPEAKER: It might be, but you’ve addressed the question.

💬 Todd Muller: Does he stand behind his own Government’s report, which says net revenue is going to be down 24 percent, or does he not? It’s his report. Do you support it or not?

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: There were two lots of modelling done in the report. In fact, the modelling put before it was done by He Waka Eke Noa—the partnership group. The partnership group did the modelling that the member is referring to. I’m not going to challenge the system that they used to develop that outcome, but I will say that I believe and I have confidence in the innovation of the farmers of this country. Can I say, though, regarding climate change, because agriculture does form 48 percent of our total emissions, “It is the preeminent issue of our generation without doubt, and it’s the No. 1 issue around the world we have to deal with.” That was said by Christopher Luxon on 5 December 2021.

💬 Todd Muller: Can he confirm that officials advised the Government that the fall in sheep and beef production under his Government’s agricultural emissions plan will increase global emissions, and how does shipping production and jobs to less carbon efficient farms overseas solve the climate change problem?

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: Can I say, regarding displacement of emissions and transfer to other countries, there is no clear evidence that that will occur. New Zealand produces enough food for about 40 million people. The reality is that many countries don’t want our product. The only place that we will be able to sell our product into will be the high-value, discerning markets of the world where climate change is considered the number one issue that we’re facing. I stand by our Government’s commitment. The National Government, in 1997, committed agriculture to our emissions reduction plan. For 25 years, we’ve been grappling with this issue. Many National Party Ministers and members have come and gone in that 25 years. I stand by our commitment to honour what we committed to in 1997 and to deliver a more sustainable future for the farmers of this country.

💬 Mark Cameron: Is it fair that even at the low price modelled, the tax will raise $220 million but only $70 million is returned to farmers as incentive payments for lower emissions?

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: The Government is committed that any revenue raised through this system—and we’ve got to listen to consultation and feedback, and the Government will report back at the end of this year. What we have committed to do is recycle any revenue generated back into the agricultural sector. In fact, this Government committed $380 million of taxpayers’ money for research and development to assist agriculture to discover the techniques that will move us forward in this area. That’s a commitment from the taxpayer. On top of that, any revenue generated will all go back into agriculture.

💬 Hon Stuart Nash: Does the Minister believe in the primary sector’s strategy of a move from volume to values, and does addressing the impacts of climate change represent our values and therefore increase the per unit price of our exports?

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: I think that anyone who does a market survey of high-value products around the world will realise that the consumers who are purchasing are purchasing for values. They want to know that the product, be it shoes or clothing or food, is good for them and good for the planet. We will move from volume to values because that’s the only place we can be as a nation with a sustainable future in food and fibre production.

💬 Todd Muller: Does he believe the proposed Government response to He Waka Eke Noa complies with the Paris Agreement requirement that emissions reductions occur—and I quote—“in a manner that does not threaten food production” when his own officials estimate it will reduce sheep and beef production by over 20 percent?

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: I can read out again the land-use change that we’ve seen across this nation for many, many years. I know that we will continue to provide the world with fine quality food and that that land will always be used for productive purposes, in a way that maximises the value for the landowner and, hopefully, for future generations into the future.

💬 Hon Kelvin Davis: Does he believe that floods and drought also threaten food production and reduce the net income of farmers?

💬 Hon DAMIEN O’CONNOR: Can I say that the member who asked the initial question was at a conference last week where one of the presenters there stated the fact that we have already seen a 20 percent drop in food production from climate change across the globe. If we do not address this issue and do everything we can to reduce global warming, the farmers will be the ones who suffer the most.

Question No. 12—Immigration

12. to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcements has he made about the next steps in the Government’s plan to reconnect New Zealanders to the world?

The Government is focused on an immigration setting that works for New Zealand, which is why we have rebalanced our immigration settings; created streamlined pathways to residency that didn’t previously exist for highly skilled migrants; and reopened our borders, welcoming thousands of skilled migrants to our shores in recent months, in spite of global labour shortages. Last week, I announced the next steps in our plans to reconnect New Zealand to the world and fill workplace shortages. Firstly, we are resuming the skilled migrant category (SMC) with streamlined settings and an interim reopening under the previous settings. We’re also delivering on a 2020 manifesto commitment made by Labour to restart the parent category visa, increasing the number of visas granted each year and reducing income thresholds, which is very important in terms of ensuring that skilled migrants can settle well into New Zealand.

💬 Jo Luxton: Why have these changes been made?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: The Government is committed to listening to the voices of businesses, migrants, and workers, and ensuring that their views are reflected in our approach to immigration. We know there is a very challenging global labour shortage at the moment and that businesses are often finding it difficult to recruit internationally in a constrained global labour market. These announcements show that the Government and the immigration system are responsive to domestic and international trends, while continuing to make sure that we deliver on our rebalance and ensure that our immigration system supports a high-wage, high-productivity economy, and treats migrants with dignity and respect.

💬 Jo Luxton: Why is restarting the parent category visa so important?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Well, a key part of attracting migrants to New Zealand and ensuring the wellbeing of those who are here is making sure that they can have access to family and the support that they can offer. The parent visa category was closed in 2016 under the previous National Government; our Government is not only reopening it but modernising the settings by providing 2,500 places per year, and additional options in order to be able to meet income thresholds. Resuming selections from this existing queue is a priority—and I’ve certainly heard that from migrant communities—and I’m pleased to say that those selections will resume from 14 November this year.

💬 Erica Stanford: Can the Minister explain why, under his new streamlined SMC policy, a new graduate with a PhD in, say, existential philosophy will be able to apply for a residence immediately, when a nurse still has to wait two years to even apply for residency?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Our immigration settings operate across a range of different visa categories. The skilled migrant category is about, for the most part, attracting and supporting migrants to settle into New Zealand, who might take between five to six years to obtain the level of qualifications that are required in New Zealand. What is absolutely accurate to say is that under our settings across the skilled migrant category, across the green list category that the member refers to, and across resident visa 2021, this Government is providing more and more streamlined ways for skilled migrants to settle in New Zealand than has ever been the case before.

💬 Erica Stanford: Supplementary question.

💬 SPEAKER: Sorry; National have no more supplementaries.

💬 Jo Luxton: What feedback has he had on the changes?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I’ve had very positive feedback on the changes that we have announced, including from the Restaurant Association of New Zealand. One of their members said, “Because of this change, our business will be able to hire chefs who have been trained in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world.” Business New Zealand CEO Kirk Hope said, “The resumption of the [SMC] is good news for [business] hoping to fill staff shortages in highly skilled areas.” And Pranav Birla, who was quoted on Newshub, said, of the parent category announcement, when he spoke about his parents hearing the news, “They were like, that’s really good news to wake up to, they were stoked”.

💬 Jo Luxton: How else has the Government delivered on filling skills shortages?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: Data on the accredited employer, job checks, and work visa so far shows that Immigration New Zealand is making decisions more quickly than were being made for the previous essential skills visa in 2018 and 2019. Since it was rolled out in July of this year, the mean time frame for job checks and the accredited employer work visa is 17 week days; whereas the median decision time frame for essential skills visas in 2018 and 2019 was 20 workdays in 2018 and 21 workdays in 2019. More than 31,000 working holiday scheme applications have been approved since March, and thousands more working holidaymakers are expected to arrive in the coming months. On this side of the House, making loud statements and waving hands loudly in the air doesn’t cut it; we’re actually getting on with practical measures to deal with these challenging global labour shortages.