Oral Questions

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

The strength of the jobs market is continuing to support the New Zealand economy. Last week, Stats New Zealand reported that the unemployment rate remained at a near record low of 3.3 percent in the September quarter. The average hourly wage rose 7.4 percent to $37.86, outpacing the current rate of inflation. We know that many Kiwi families are doing it tough in the face of cost of living pressures, but they do so while in paid work and with wages growing faster than inflation. That helps ease some of the pressure they are under.

💬 Barbara Edmonds: What did the report say about employment growth?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, an extra 35,000 people were employed in the quarter, with more young people and women in jobs. There is now a record high 2.85 million people in work. The participation rate rose to 71.7 percent and the employment rate to 69.3 percent—record highs for both since the series began in 1986.

💬 Barbara Edmonds: What did the Crown accounts released today indicate about the economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, for the three months to the end of September, the operating balance before gains and losses, OBEGAL, recorded a deficit of $2.6 billion. This was a little higher than forecast at Budget 2022 in May. Tax revenue was slightly below expectations, with expenses slightly above forecast. Net debt stood at 19.8 percent of GDP, which was above forecasts due to the impact of market conditions affecting the financial portfolio held by the New Zealand Super Fund in ACC derivatives. If we use the old net core Crown debt measure, it was below forecast. Overall, the Crown accounts show that we are standing up well to what is a highly volatile and uncertain global situation.

💬 Barbara Edmonds: What reports has he seen on the international context and its impact on the economy?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, New Zealand’s labour market compares very favourably with the countries we usually compare ourselves with. We have the sixth-equal lowest rate of unemployment in the OECD, compared with Australia and the UK in ninth-equal, the US in 13th place, and Canada in 21st-equal place. In terms of employment rates, we rank third in the OECD. New Zealand is in a strong position to deal with the difficult time that the global economy is experiencing. Our economy is nearly 5 percent larger than before COVID, our exports continue to grow, we are seeing an increasing number of tourists returning, and the immigration reset is making a difference to attracting the workers that we need. This is a tough time for many households, but the Government is stepping up to support them.

💬 Hon Julie Anne Genter: Does he think that the highly profitable Australian-owned banks, some of which are making $2 billion a year in profit, should be contributing more to the public good, especially given the challenging times with cost of living?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I share the member’s concern about the fact that at a time when many New Zealand households are finding conditions particularly tough, we see very high levels of bank profits. As I have said consistently over recent times, I think that they should look to their social licence to support New Zealanders through this tough time, particularly given those profits.

💬 Hon Julie Anne Genter: Has he received any advice on the potential use of an excess profits tax to help the Government support New Zealanders who are struggling to make ends meet?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Yes, indeed. I have seen the member’s press release in that regard. We know that one of the reasons that the tax take in New Zealand has, until recently, been up is that corporate tax has been up. We do have a slightly higher rate of corporate tax in New Zealand than many other countries do, and banks pay a considerable part of that.

💬 Hon Julie Anne Genter: Does he acknowledge that it is the Government’s responsibility to make sure the tax system is fair and ensure that excess profit can be put to supporting the public good, not simply for private gain?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: With respect to the first part of the member’s question, yes, I do accept that. Our job is to make sure that we have a fair and progressive tax system.

Question No. 2—Prime Minister

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

💬 Christopher Luxon: Can she explain to the New Zealand public why, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, her Government is merging TVNZ and Radio New Zealand (RNZ)?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course, our cost of living focus is on easing the pressure for New Zealand families, and I reference just one example in the childcare assistance; that is where our focus is. If the member wishes to talk about public service broadcasting, more than happy to do so, but I see that as quite separate from the issue of the cost of living for most families.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Does she agree with Willie Jackson that this merger is “not just about the dollars, dollars, dollars”; it’s about “a change of culture”?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would hope that, across this House, we could agree that New Zealand benefits from having a strong public service broadcasting presence. I’d hope that we could all agree the likes of the ABC and the BBC have demonstrated their value in their respective countries. We’ve had our own model. The unfortunate situation we’re in, and those media sitting in this gallery will know—traditional forms of revenue for TVNZ are in decline. We have recognised that there is an issue, we need to provide greater flexibility for those entities, and that is the solution we’re seeking. It is not in any way deterring us from what is top of mind for New Zealanders at the moment, which is not public service broadcasting; it is the cost of living. I’m fascinated that the member has chosen not to focus on that presently.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Does she think spending $370 million to merge TVNZ and Radio New Zealand, when that is greater than the combined value of both of those entities, is a responsible use of taxpayers’ money?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Two points: one, we already also additionally fund content through New Zealand on Air, and the funding the member has just mentioned consolidates some of that funding. Two, as the revenue declines for TVNZ, unless we find ways to better support them, they will come to the Crown for support. We are trying to get ahead of these issues, ensure strong public broadcasting in New Zealand, and allow them to be as nimble as possible in the changing environment. But, again, over the weekend when we had the opportunity to talk about the thing that was top of mind for us as a party, it was the cost of living. Going into the next election, it will be the cost of living; it will be the economy. The member doesn’t seem to want to talk about his policies in that regard; I am more than happy to talk about ours.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Why, during a cost of living crisis, is she pushing through a media merger that will destroy TVNZ’s commercial model and cost taxpayers $200 million a year, each and every year, for the next 30 years?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Over the last 10 years, TVNZ’s commercial returns have declined by millions of dollars. The member seems to not have noticed that people’s access to what was traditional forms of media such as television has substantially declined.

💬 Christopher Luxon: What’s that got to do with it?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: You question what that’s got to do with it. When people stop watching, it declines their advertising revenue. That means that their commercial viability declines, which means our ability to have public broadcasting declines. Again, the member may not see the problem; that’s because we are the ones facing it. We’ve formulated a solution, but, if you’re asking me what my number one priority in this House is today, it isn’t on this; it is on the cost of living. The member may wish to join me in that regard.

💬 Christopher Luxon: How many extra hospitals beds, extra hip operations, or extra cancer drugs could the Government purchase for $200 million each and every year for the next 30 years?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Half a million mental health sessions for New Zealanders; a 43 percent increase in Pharmac spending—we have moved on health reforms so that there is not a postcode lottery. We fixed the botched roll-out of bowel cancer screening that we were left by that Government. We have improved young people’s access to mental health support. I stand firm on our record. That is the kind of investment we have made, including $7 billion in capital spending for health. That member has no credibility on health spending.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Does she think Kiwis struggling with massive increases in the basics, like food and rent, might question her priorities when she’s willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of their money each and every year on a pointless media merger during a cost of living crisis?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: What those families may wish to know is that that member is promoting an $11 billion tax cut, which predominantly supports those on the top, top incomes. If anyone wants to know National’s record in this regard, we have recently reinstated childcare assistance because the number of children that were supported by it halved after that party got rid of it. If you want to know whether or not you can trust whether the National Party will put in place tax cuts for the wealthiest whilst maintaining health and education, just listen to this statement in 2008. In 2008, National’s goal was to deliver cheaper childcare to parents: “We will keep all existing subsidies.” Two years later, they cut them so they could give a tax break to the wealthiest New Zealanders. You cannot trust National.

💬 Christopher Luxon: Is the TVNZ-RNZ merger, which will cost taxpayers over $6 billion, another good example of the wasteful spending that New Zealanders have come to expect from this Government, which simply doesn’t deliver for them?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member’s numbers are simply incorrect.

💬 David Seymour: What is the purpose of merging RNZ and TVNZ, and what objective measures will New Zealanders be able to look at to know that that purpose has been achieved enough to justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars of their taxpayer money on the merger?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Taxpayer money already goes to our public service broadcasting—number one. Secondly, we need to futureproof these models in a dramatically changed environment. Every New Zealander knows because they are already doing it; they’re accessing their information in different ways. We need to allow our entities to provide that content in those different places.

💬 David Seymour: Point of order. My question was very clear: how will people know that the objectives have been achieved—what measures? And she didn’t come close to addressing that.

💬 SPEAKER: I’m pretty sure there was something else in your question as well.

💬 David Seymour: In fairness, I’m not sure she addressed that either, but, anyway, did the Prime Minister talk to anyone on a long waiting list for early childhood education (ECE) before she decided to increase subsidies for just 3 percent of under-fives?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Over 50 percent of New Zealanders will be eligible to access childcare subsidies. At the same time, we know one of the issues for education generally is that we need to improve ongoing access to those with the skills for the sector. We have done a number of things in that area, including being able to access ECE teachers offshore. And we’ve put over half a billion dollars, over the past few Budgets, on the issue of pay parity to help resolve some of those issues, also.

💬 David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister stand by her finance Minister’s action of reappointing Adrian Orr as Reserve Bank Governor, and, if so, can she tell us to the nearest year when she expects Adrian Orr to return inflation to the 1 to 3 percent target band?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: In answer to the first part of the question: yes, because the Minister has listened to the advice recommended by the Reserve Bank board to reappoint the Reserve Bank Governor.

💬 David Seymour: Is the Prime Minister aware that taxes went up 10.7 percent year on year last year, compared with household costs on average that went up only 7.7 percent, and, if so, when is the Prime Minister going to let Kiwis keep more of their hard-earned money, which is the biggest cost they’re paying right now: her taxes?

💬 Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Obviously, I refute the last assertion in the member’s question. You can see, from the multitude of policies that we have produced over the past 12 months, our eye is directly on issues around the cost of living—childcare assistance, family tax credit increases, half-price public transport, fuel excise reductions. It is all about making sure that we support New Zealanders through this highly inflationary period that we can see many of those that we compare ourselves to experiencing as well. What we will not do is promote policies that, firstly, do very little in the way of support for those who can least afford this period of time—our low and middle income earners—and that will make inflation worse. And that is all I’ve heard as a policy solution from that side of the House.

Question No. 3—Social Development and Employment

3. to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What announcements has she made about making childcare more affordable?

On Sunday, I joined the Prime Minister in announcing increases to the income thresholds for the childcare assistance subsidy and Out of School Care and Recreation subsidy as well as increases to the Working for Families tax credits. These changes will see childcare made more affordable for over 50 percent of New Zealand families with children, nearly every sole parent in New Zealand becoming eligible for childcare assistance, and 10,000 additional children being afforded the opportunity to learn and thrive in early childhood education and out-of-school care.

💬 Hon Michael Wood: That’s awesome.

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: This is a smart policy—thank you—that underlines our Government’s commitment to helping families manage the cost of living.

💬 Steph Lewis: What do these changes respond to?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The last National Government cut and froze income thresholds—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! The member shouldn’t use supplementaries to attack the Opposition, OK? So just answer the question.

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The changes made by the previous Government saw the number of children supported by these subsidies plummet by half from over 52,000 in 2010 to fewer than 24,000 this year. This created a barrier to work for many parents—usually women—exacerbating workforce shortages and, in some instances, keeping more New Zealanders reliant on a benefit. These changes reverse the previous Government’s freeze, provide more financial support for childcare, and make it easier for parents to take up work. Supporting childcare is good for parents, good for our tamariki, and good for the workforce and economy.

💬 Steph Lewis: What will these changes mean for families?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: There are numerous scenarios, but I’d like to reiterate the one that the Prime Minister used. The policy means a family with two parents, both working 40 hours per week on $26 per hour, with two children under five, who will not have been eligible for childcare assistance now will be eligible for $252 per week from 1 April 2023. We make no apologies for putting families first in ensuring our kids get the opportunity to have the best possible start in education and in life.

💬 Steph Lewis: What are the long-term trends in Government support for childcare?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Last year, we also indexed childcare assistance income thresholds to increases in average wage. Additionally, we’ve also delivered on our manifesto commitments to lift core benefits to historic levels, reinstate the training incentive allowance, allow child support to be passed on to sole parents on top of investments made through the Families Package. This compares to the previous National Government’s $57 million cut from childcare subsidies. I back our track record over National’s any day.

💬 Steph Lewis: What feedback has she seen on the announcement?

💬 Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I was pleased to read that Whānau Manaaki Kindergarten Association chief executive, Amanda Coulston, has welcomed our announcement. She said—quote—“Back in 2010 there was a freeze on the income threshold, and since then it’s been incredibly hard to actually access the subsidy. … The announcement would alleviate the stress many families faced in terms of prohibitive costs for childcare.”—end quote.

Question No. 4—Finance

4. to the Minister of Finance: Has the Reserve Bank failed its mandate to keep inflation between 1 percent and 3 percent on average over the medium term, and by what date does he expect inflation to come back within that range?

As I said when the member asked a very similar question on 18 October, it has been the case since 1989 that it is the Reserve Bank’s independent responsibility to manage price stability. The monetary policy committee of the Reserve Bank has stated that in most instances, it would aim to return inflation to the target mid-point within a one-to-three - year horizon, so therefore it is too early to make a judgment. The monetary policy committee notes that the exact return horizon will vary with each policy position, based on a range of economic considerations. In answer to the second part of the member’s question, making such predictions is extremely difficult in the face of continuing global uncertainty. Bearing this out, there is a range of predictions among retail banks here in New Zealand for when annual Consumers Price Index inflation will return below 3 percent. Those range from late 2023 to the 2024-25 fiscal year. The IMF is forecasting inflation to fall to 3 percent in New Zealand within 2023, and this compares to 2024 for Australia, the UK, the euro area, and across advanced economies.

💬 Nicola Willis: Why won’t he initiate an independent inquiry to establish whether Reserve Bank decisions have worsened the cost of living crisis and inflated bank profits?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, I don’t believe there is sufficient evidence to justify such an inquiry, and one of the reasons I would say that is New Zealand currently has the 10th-lowest rate of inflation among 38 OECD countries.

💬 Nicola Willis: Does he agree with Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr that “for us to have maintained inflation between the 1 to 3 percent target range, we would have had to predict the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine back in early 2020”, and is it acceptable for the governor to wash his hands of any responsibility for domestic inflation?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: With respect to the second part of the member’s question, I think the Reserve Bank as a whole know that their job is—one of their two jobs is price stability. As I noted in my answer to the member’s primary question, the Reserve Bank’s monetary policy committee normally look to a one-to-three - year horizon for the return to the midpoint.

💬 Nicola Willis: Has he seen survey data from the Reserve Bank showing fewer than half of respondents had confidence in the Reserve Bank’s ability to return inflation to the target range by 2024, and does he share their pessimism?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: In answer to the second part of that question, no. What I share is the view, I think, that most members would have, which is that this has been an extraordinary time for central banks all around the world, and—as I noted, again, in my primary answer—the IMF is forecasting inflation to return to 3 percent in 2023, but it would be 2024 for many other countries.

💬 Nicola Willis: Does he think the Reserve Bank’s funding for lending programme has contributed to record bank profitability, and, if not, why not?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: There are many causes of bank profitability. The funding for lending programme, if, indeed, it did have any influence, would be a very, very small part of that equation.

💬 Nicola Willis: When will he respond to the call of every party in Parliament except his own to hold an independent inquiry into the economic response to COVID-19?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As has been stated on a number of occasions by the Prime Minister and the Minister for COVID-19 Response, there will be a full review of the overall Government’s response to COVID, and I am confident and I would expect that that would include the monetary policy response.

💬 Nicola Willis: When?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: A single word question. That will be announced when those terms of reference have been completed, but I do want to say to the member that since 1989, this House has upheld the independence of the Reserve Bank, and I strongly, strongly caution the member about some of the statements that she has been making.

💬 David Seymour: Is it credible for the Reserve Bank Governor to blame the Ukraine war for inflation being over 3 percent when inflation rose over 3 percent in June 2021—eight months before the war broke out?

💬 Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I don’t believe that the member is characterising the view of the Reserve Bank accurately. If the member chooses to look at the recent Monetary Policy Statements and Financial Stability Reports of the Reserve Bank, he will see a wide range of issues raised for the reason why inflation is where it is.

Question No. 5—Economic and Regional Development

5. to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: What announcements has he made about supporting regional economies?

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Last week, the Prime Minister and I opened the Port of Tauranga Rescue Centre. This will futureproof surf lifesaving facilities for what is one of New Zealand’s most popular stretches of coastline. This is one of many community-led projects we’ve invested in up and down the country to ensure our regions have the infrastructure they need to thrive and grow and to boost local economies.

Tāmati Coffey: What benefits will this project have for the people of Tauranga?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: Well, around 150 local people were employed over the course of building this valuable infrastructure, and the benefits will be ongoing not just to the people of Tauranga but to everyone that enjoys the eastern region. This is actually a really innovative community partnership between the local bridge club and the surf club; so they have everyone covered, from grommets to great-grandmothers.

💬 Jamie Strange: What announcements has he made on the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund supporting the aquaculture industry in regional communities?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: Last month I also announced $700,000 loan-funding through the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund towards the Deep Dive Division project to expand its marine servicing operations in Hamilton. Deep Dive uniquely marries commercial diving with scientific solutions that enhance environmental outcomes and investment. This announcement demonstrates the Government’s commitment to New Zealand’s aquaculture industry.

💬 Jamie Strange: What benefits will this investment have?

💬 Hon STUART NASH: Many benefits. This is a strategic partnership with a specialist high-value sector that will create six new full-time jobs across a range of roles. It will allow Deep Dive—the only Māori and Pasifika-owned commercial and scientific dive company—to continue to drive innovation and create opportunities in our regions. That’s this Government’s vision for the regions: to create opportunities, drive innovation, and set up our communities for the future, and that’s what we’re delivering on.

Question No. 6—Corrections

6. to the Minister of Corrections: How many of the 7,964 prisoners managed by Corrections in September 2022 were assessed as not meeting English literacy competency standards according to the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool, and how many prisoners were assessed as not meeting numeracy competency standards using the same tool?

I am advised that on 30 September 2022, there were 2,175 prisoners who were assessed as being at levels 1 to 3 for English literacy competency standards; 2,415 prisoners were assessed as being at levels 1 to 4 for numeracy competency standards.

💬 Toni Severin: Is the Minster concerned that as of 10 October 2022, just 87 male and 12 female prisoners could be confirmed as enrolled in an intensive literacy programmes?

💬 Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Corrections, like many others, has faced challenges with COVID-19 and, more recently, staffing shortages. These have limited Corrections’ ability to deliver formal learning programmes in a face-to-face setting.

💬 Simeon Brown: Not the Kelvin we used to know.

💬 Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Corrections has taken clear action—

💬 SPEAKER: Order! Order! Sorry to interrupt. Simeon Brown—a number of out of order interjections; that was one of them, for which you will stand, withdraw, and apologise.

💬 Simeon Brown: I withdraw and apologise.

💬 SPEAKER: Sorry for interrupting your answer.

💬 Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Corrections has taken clear action to mitigate the reduction in formal face-to-face learning by offering other ways people in prison can learn. People in prison can access learning materials and numeracy and literacy materials provided by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, secure online learning tools, other forms of independent and informal learning, as well as employment- and skills-based opportunities. So while the formal face-to-face stuff was difficult to arrange, there were other ways that Corrections mitigated this.

💬 Toni Severin: Is the Minister concerned that as of 10 October 2022, just 53 male and eight female prisoners could be confirmed as being enrolled in the intensive numeracy programme?

💬 Hon KELVIN DAVIS: If the member thinks back to the answer I just gave—that was difficult during COVID, and Corrections mitigated it by providing other ways to learn. For example, people in prison can access learning materials provided by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, secure online learning tools, other forms of independent informal learning, and employment- and skills-based training. I am advised that Corrections is in the process of increasing delivery of its contracted programmes, including the intensive learning. These programmes are now offered face to face at 11 sites.

💬 Toni Severin: Is it acceptable that on 10 October 2022, Corrections was unaware of the literacy competency of 2,111 prisoners and the numeracy competency of 2,129 prisoners?

💬 Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Can I just clarify that: is she saying, “was Corrections aware” or “not aware”? Just—

💬 Toni Severin: Unaware.

💬 Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Was Corrections unaware? Look, the member wrote a written parliamentary question and Corrections answered it.

💬 David Seymour: Point of order. The question was very clear. It was, “Is it acceptable Corrections is unaware?” It is certainly true that the Minister has given that answer in a written parliamentary question—not Corrections, as he just claimed. The question to the Minister today is, “Does he think it’s acceptable?” And I think we have a right to know if the Minister thinks that information is acceptable.

💬 SPEAKER: Yeah, the actual question hasn’t been addressed. Simply saying that Corrections has answered a written question—I think the written question is probably what the supplementary has been based on, so it’s—

💬 Hon KELVIN DAVIS: Well, if the member is saying that Corrections was unaware and yet an answer was provided, I’m not sure how she can assert that Corrections was unaware.

💬 SPEAKER: It’s been addressed now.

Question No. 7—Justice

7. to the Minister of Justice: Is she confident the justice system is delivering justice and offering appropriate support to the victims of crime?

To the first part of the question, while we are always looking to ensure that we get the overall settings right for the justice system, the member will be aware that the responsibility for convictions and sentencing—that sits with the court. Secondly, to the second part of the question, and as I’ve said time and time again, improving outcomes for victims is one of our main priorities. Again, while there’s always more work to do in this area, I note that the annual funding for the Victims Assistance Scheme has doubled under our Government since 2017.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Why has the $20 million initiative announced by the Government in 2020 to support strangulation victims helped more alleged perpetrators than it has helped victims?

💬 Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: First, context here: it was this Government that legislated to make non-fatal strangulation a criminal offence to recognise the seriousness of this behaviour in December 2018. We did that; that Government, when they received a Law Commission report in 2016, did not do it. Secondly, when we realised that victims felt comfortable to come forward and they started to file more and more of these types of complaints, we realised that we needed to uplift the system, as well, which resulted in the Budget 2020 Budget bid of $20 million. I think it’s fair to say that while COVID has impacted part of the roll-out, what we continued to do during that period of time is that we invested over $1 million in front-line staff so that they could support victims coming through the system that have suffered from this offence. We expect to see more and more improvements over the course of next year.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Point of order, Mr Speaker. I’m just not sure she addressed the actual question that I asked, which was why has the fund supported more perpetrators—or alleged perpetrators—than victims. She said a whole lot of other stuff, but I don’t think she actually addressed that.

💬 SPEAKER: Members can’t expect the exact answer that they’re looking for. In my mind, the Minister has provided enough information to address it, but I will give the member an extra question so he can examine that further.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Thank you very much. What is her response to a Women’s Refuge spokesperson who said, regarding the Government’s strangulation initiative, that “We know that strangulation victims have a seven times greater likelihood of being killed by the same partner, so it’s deeply disturbing to hear that defendants are accessing the fund more commonly than prosecutors are.”?

💬 Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: To that advocate on behalf of all victims of this type of violence, I would say we absolutely acknowledge that and agree, which is why we, first of all, ensured that the offence was made an offence. Secondly, we uplifted the funding to make sure that those victims of that crime that had not had access to any form of justice prior to them have got the support that is required. Third, I would say that of those three pots of funding, yes, there has been some spent out of the Ministry of Justice, but the primary part of the funding has been fed through Vote Health and Vote Police, which has ensured that there has been an uplift in capacity for those that need the support to bring forward and have the right type of evidence explored and examined in the health sector.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why have fewer than 50 victims accessed support from the Government’s strangulation initiative when it was supposed to be helping 869 a year since 2020?

💬 Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: A big part of the portion of the funding was to, first of all, ensure that the front-line people dealing with those complaints, who have not had to deal with them before—medical practitioners, people in the court—understood what the offences were. We have worked on that training—uplifted that skill base. But I will make the point that in 2018, of those that were prosecuted, there was only a 33 percent conviction rate. This year, there has been almost a 50 percent conviction rate as a consequence of the quality of the evidence that is coming before the courts.

💬 Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why is she prioritising changing hate speech laws when just in the last nine months, 391 ram raids have created new victims aplenty and victims of serious crime are waiting longer than two years for their cases to be heard under this Government, and shouldn’t those be her priorities?

💬 Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: Well, with all due respect to the member, on this side of the House, we can have multiple foci. One of the most important ones is ensuring that we acknowledge and accept and learn from those recommendations in the royal commission of inquiry’s recommendations that highlighted that there were real opportunities of harm here in Aotearoa.

Question No. 8—Education (School Operations)

8. to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What supports has the Government put in place to assist secondary school students in the lead up to NCEA exams?

Yesterday marked the beginning of the NCEA exam season, and I’m sure this House will join me in wishing our students the best as they head into their final academic pursuits of the year. The year 2022 has been a tough year faced in education, due to the high numbers of COVID-19 and other winter illnesses placing significant strain on teachers and students. The Government has taken significant steps to help offset this disruption, with provisional Learning Recognition Credits; catch-up learning, tutoring sessions; and tweaks to university entrance and certificate endorsements to reflect the year students have had.

💬 Marja Lubeck: How has the lost learning package supported students whose learning had been disrupted by COVID-19?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: Over the last two months, many students in years 7 to 13 across the country have had access to the additional teaching and tutoring to help prepare for these exams. This has included exam preparation, workshops, tutorials, and homework and one-on-one mentoring. So far, over 1,000 schools and kura are delivering tutoring programmes on the ground now, with many more on track to start shortly or early in the new year.

💬 Marja Lubeck: How will students who need additional learning be supported over the summer?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: Registrations for the expanded Te Kura—previously known as the Correspondence School—dual tuition summer school opened yesterday, which will enable students to continue to learn and earn credits over summer. We have lifted the cap on Te Kura dual tuition summer school enrolments by 500 places for this summer period. This will allow students in years 11 and 12 who need to achieve NCEA credits to do so.

💬 Marja Lubeck: What support has the Government put in place to support the teaching workforce?

💬 Hon JAN TINETTI: Teaching supply projections have indicated future workforce pressures. The Government is getting ahead of this with targeted recruitment packages for 1,000 additional teachers to ease workload pressures and deliver the lost learning package. We’ve also invested heavily in upskilling the current workforce in maths and literacy teaching where additional support was needed. On behalf of the Government, I’d like to extend our gratitude to our teaching profession for their tireless work to prepare students for their exams in one of the hardest years of the pandemic.

Question No. 9—Immigration

9. to the Minister of Immigration: Why is the green list not scheduled to be reviewed until mid-2023 when there is significant pressure across the health system due to staff shortages, and does he agree with the chair of Health NZ that an immigration fast-track for overseas nurses would be helpful?

In response to the first part of the question, green list applications opened in September of this year only, and, as I’ve previously stated, the Government will continue to monitor progress on implementing the rebalance and the green list settings and we will be prepared to make changes if there is a good case to do so. In response to the second part of the question, I note the full context of the chair of Health New Zealand’s comments, and he said, “The arrangements that we currently have are proving to generate hundreds of new nurse opportunities for us.”, and “We’re making good progress in attracting international nurses.”, and, finally, “We’re making good progress on it.” You know, these workforce problems that we have, and they’re huge, not just nurses but across the board, were caused by years of neglect. So we are getting on with the job, across domestic workforce training and across our immigration settings, to deal with that challenge through practical policies. No level of grand statements about global workforce shortages, which every country around the world is experiencing, will change the situation, but our policies such as the resident visa 2021 (RV21), which have given residence to over 3,600 healthcare workers, will make a difference. The accredited employer work visa scheme, through which we’ve approved 1,067 healthcare workers for visas, including 468 nurses, will make a difference. So we recognise these challenges but we’re working with the sector to deal with them in a meaningful way.

💬 Erica Stanford: In light of that answer, does he consider it a good case to make changes to the green list when last week 97 elderly and vulnerable residents of the Mercy Parklands aged-care home were told they would have to leave the facility as it was closing due to a lack of nurses, bringing the number of closed aged-care residential hospital beds this year to 1,140 because of the lack of nurses?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: I acknowledge those particular challenges in the aged-care sector, and that’s why we’re working on both domestic workforce issues, including ensuring that those people have decent pay and conditions to remain in the sector, and through our immigration settings. But, as we have canvassed in this House previously, the simplistic solutions that the member puts up will potentially be counter-productive in this area. One of the key bits of information that we are told by the aged-care sector is in fact that residency pathways can be particularly challenging for that sector while there remains a wage differential between the aged-care sector and other forms of nursing and care.

💬 Erica Stanford: Can he explain why a civil engineering technician with a level 6 diploma, no work experience, and no salary requirements above minimum wage can apply for residence immediately when a fully qualified nurse, who saves lives, has to wait two years?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: What I can comment on is the fact that the green list process that we have set up provides all 13 occupational categories of nurses with a simplified two-year pathway to gaining residency, which is a simpler and faster pathway than was ever the case under the previous Government. In September alone, 407 nurses based offshore were approved for registration in New Zealand. We acknowledge that there are challenges to work on in this sector, but our policies are resulting in hundreds of nurses every month being added to this workforce.

💬 Erica Stanford: Can the Minister name just one health organisation who agrees with the Government’s position of not placing nurses on the immediate pathway to residence?

💬 Hon MICHAEL WOOD: That will be for those organisations themselves to express their view on it, but I do know that health organisations right across the country support our Government’s focus on investing in the health sector. I know they support our Government’s focus on giving huge numbers of health workers residency through RV21 and they support our Government’s ongoing focus on lifting the pay and conditions of workers in that sector, something that that Government didn’t do over nine years, which is part of the reason why we have a mess to clean up now.

Question No. 10—Justice

10. to the Minister of Justice: What changes will the Government progress to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012?

On 30 October, I announced that local communities will be given greater powers to reduce alcohol harm. When the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act was introduced by the National Government, it aimed to ensure the safe and reasonable sale and consumption of alcohol. But the Act hadn’t worked as intended, creating a system that leaves communities struggling in silence in their fight against the powerful alcohol industry. We want to tilt the balance back to communities, and I intend on introducing a bill proposing procedural changes to the alcohol licensing process this year, with the aim of passing it into law by mid - next year.

Anahila Kanongata‘a-Suisuiki: What amendments are being made to the local alcohol policy process?

💬 Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: We will amend the Act to remove the appeal process for local alcohol policies whilst retaining the avenues for judicial review. The current system is costing councils and ratepayers millions of dollars in legal fees, as alcohol companies and supermarkets have thwarted efforts by local councils to limit the sale of alcohol in their communities. As at May 2022, 86 percent of provisional local alcohol policies have been appealed by supermarkets, and 73 percent by bottle stores. Five councils, including the four largest authorities—accounting for half of the total population—have halted or completely abandoned their efforts to implement local alcohol policies due to this imbalance.

Anahila Kanongata‘a-Suisuiki: What other changes to alcohol licensing procedures are being considered?

💬 Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: The Government is also looking to amend rules around the public’s ability to object to a new or renewed alcohol licence application and how objectors can make their case at a licensing hearing. I’ve heard loud and clear that this part of the Act isn’t working. The current process is too formal, with some community groups saying they’ve felt intimidated and harassed while under cross examination by highly experienced lawyers representing the interests of those in the alcohol industry. It was always envisaged that people would have the opportunity to be heard when it comes to how alcohol is sold locally, and we intend to make changes to ensure that that is indeed the case.

Anahila Kanongata‘a-Suisuiki: What reactions has she seen to the announcement?

💬 Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: I’ve heard a range of positive reactions to the announcement, including from Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Dr Nicki Jackson, who said: “Councils have told us that this is one thing that is really preventing them from putting good policies in place. The appeals process has been totally broken and it needs to be fixed.” Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board member Nick Bakulich said: “It’s hard not to get a bit emotional about this. This particular move will empower people to stand up to the alcohol industry.” And my good mate Chlöe Swarbrick said she was “stoked” by the Government’s decision and that “It’s restoring local democracy by removing the special appeals processes abused by corporations.”

Question No. 11—Education

11. to the Minister of Education: Will the Government lead tripartite conversations between this country’s universities, the Ministry of Education, and the Tertiary Education Union to break the impasse on wages and resultant strike action; if not, why not?

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I’m certainly aware of the level of stress that so many New Zealanders are operating under—including our valued tertiary education workforce—given the ongoing impacts of global inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic. The universities themselves are not supportive of a tripartite meeting. As I have said to the Tertiary Education Union, I don’t consider it would be either effective or constructive for me to try and convene a tripartite meeting where the employer party was an unwilling participant.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Can the Minister identify the most precarious academic workers in our universities, and what their typical pay and conditions are?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I am not the employer of those staff; that is a matter for the institutions themselves.

Chlöe Swarbrick: I seek leave to table the precarious academic work report by New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations, Tertiary Education Action Group Aotearoa, and Tertiary Education Union.

💬 SPEAKER: Is that available publicly?

Chlöe Swarbrick: It’s very hard to find; I just attempted to google it.

💬 SPEAKER: I think the fact that something’s hard to find doesn’t make it not public.

Chlöe Swarbrick: May I seek leave to table it, for the sake of—

💬 SPEAKER: Well, if you know it’s public, then no.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Supplementary, then. Has the Minister sought any advice on changes to the funding model for our tertiary education sector?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The main complaint that I’ve heard from most tertiary education organisations isn’t about the funding mechanism but about the quantity of funding that they would like to have. That, of course, is a matter for Budget processes. We have changed the funding mechanism for vocational education and we are certainly open to having conversations with other parts of the tertiary sector—including the universities—about what a different funding model in the future might look like.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Will the Minister, then, step in to help resolve issues at Auckland University of Technology, or is he comfortable with the proposed 250 job losses and the closure of its early childhood centre?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In answer to the second part of the question: that’s not a matter for me to have a view on. Tertiary education organisations—universities in particular—are guaranteed by law their institutional autonomy.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Does the Minister agree with the statement of 2001 Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association president, Chris Hipkins, who said, “We’ve had enough of broken promises by politicians. It’s time for the Labour Government to put their money where their mouth was before the election. Ministers, the buck stops here, and 400,000 students are standing by.”

💬 SPEAKER: In so far as the Minister is responsible.

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Well, what an insightful contribution that was! Time has moved on.

Question No. 12—Police

12. to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his statement, “the majority of the people undertaking this type of offending are not people who are affiliated with gangs”; if so, has he seen reports that young people involved in ram raids are stealing for gangsters?

In answer to the first part of the question, yes. In answer to the second part of the question, I have seen recent media reports suggesting that, including some from the member himself. While acknowledging that there will undoubtedly be some anecdotal occasions where gangs come into possession of stolen goods that have been obtained through ram raids, police continue to advise me that there is little evidence that this type of offending is being orchestrated by the gangs.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: Is he aware that 60 percent of ram raiders identified by police in the Waikato were under 15, many of whom are now working with gangs, and does this demonstrate the Government’s failure to deal with the grip that gangs have on young New Zealanders?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In answer to the first part of the question, I’m absolutely aware of the age profile of young offenders. Some of the young offenders involved are actually even younger than that—are tragically young, in fact. Some haven’t even made it into double digits, and that is something that we should all be very concerned about. In terms of whether there are formal links with gangs, there will be some debate about what comes first: the offending or the link to gangs. There is some anecdotal evidence, for example, that the young offenders may have been selling the wares that they obtain through ram raids to gangs. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the gangs themselves are the ones orchestrating the offending.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: Is he confident that the clear link between ram raiders and gangsters won’t lead to a further explosion in gang numbers when there has already been a 50 percent increase in gang members under this soft-on-crime Government’s watch?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We have been looking very closely at the evidence around what could lead young offenders to going into gangs. One of them is more custodial sentences. There is a very clear chain of evidence that the tough-on-crime type of rhetoric the member espouses actually leads more young people into gangs rather than back on to the straight and narrow.

💬 Hon Mark Mitchell: What is his response to a young ram raider who said they are stealing to order for more established criminals like outlaw motorcycle gangs, and does he accept now that organised criminal activity is heavily influencing the tsunami of youth offending?

💬 Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated before, I don’t make Government policy decisions based on anecdote.