Estimates Debate — In Committee

Members, we come first to the Appropriation (2023/24 Estimates) Bill. The Business Committee has determined to organise the debate by portfolio, so there will be no sector specific debates. All Votes are available for debate, but only specific Ministers will be available each day to speak to the indicated portfolios only. The Government has indicated that the Minister of Police and the Minister of Finance will be available today. Each debate will be led by a call from the chairperson or member of the committee that considered the Estimates most closely related to the Minister’s portfolios.

This debate expires after 11 hours, at which point questions will be put that the Votes stand part of the Schedules and on the provisions of the Appropriation (2023/24 Estimates) Bill. There are six hours, 58 minutes remaining in this debate. New Zealand Labour has three hours, 18 minutes remaining. New Zealand National has two hours, 11 minutes remaining. ACT New Zealand has 42 minutes remaining. The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has 32 minutes remaining. Te Paati Māori has 11 minutes remaining. Dr Elizabeth Kerekere has six minutes remaining, and the Hon Meka Whaitiri has six minutes remaining.

The Estimates debate should be relevant to the Government’s current spending plans as contained in the Estimates of Appropriations. A compendium of the reports of select committees on the Votes is available on the Table.

The question is, once again, that the Votes contained in the Estimates of Appropriation for 202324 stand part of the Schedules. Members, we start with the Minister of Police. The Minister is available from 3.55 p.m. to 4.55 p.m.

Police