Oral Questions

1. to the Minister for Cyclone Recovery: What progress has been made on agreements with councils in severely affected areas following Cyclone Gabrielle?

The Government has reached cost-sharing agreements with Hawke’s Bay’s five councils, Auckland Council, and Gisborne District Council to support their region’s recovery from the impact of flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle. These agreements, in total, will see the Government contributing up to $1.7 billion from the national resilience plan to support a locally led recovery. I am pleased that we’ve reached an agreement, and I’d like to thank the mayors and councillors for their collaborative approach in planning the recovery of these regions.

Anna Lorck: What agreement has been reached with Hawke’s Bay’s five councils?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well, the cost-sharing agreement with Hawke’s Bay’s councils may be worth up to $556 million. The Government will contribute half the net cost to purchase category 3 residential properties. The net cost is the agreed buy-out value, less any insurance proceeds received, plus legal and transactional costs. The Government will also contribute $203.5 million for flood protection projects, including $70 million ring-fenced for a flood protection scheme in Wairoa. Alongside that, $260 million will be invested in roading improvements and the building of new transport infrastructure, including funding the estimated costs of the Redclyffe Bridge replacement, the Puketapu, Matawhero, and Aropaoanui bridges works in Hastings, critical roading projects for Central Hawke’s Bay, and Te Reinga bridge works in Wairoa.

Tāmati Coffey: What agreement has been reached with Gisborne District Council?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The Government and Gisborne District Council have agreed to a cost-sharing package to further support the Tairāwhiti region’s recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle. The package includes supporting the council to purchase category 3 homes, with the Government’s contribution of half the net costs expected to be up to $15 million. We will also contribute $64 million for flood protection work and $125 million to rebuild roads and increase regional resilience. As with all of these agreements, this is subject to community consultation. The Government will also facilitate a zero-interest 10-year $30 million loan for the Gisborne District Council in recognition of the cashflow challenges facing the council.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene: What agreement has been reached with Auckland Council?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: A cost-sharing agreement between the Government and Auckland Council will see the Crown contribute $877 million towards Auckland’s recovery. In addition, the council is applying for further recovery funding through Waka Kotahi, which would bring the total Crown funding Auckland may receive up to $1.1 billion. The Government will contribute half the expected net costs of up to $387 million to support Auckland Council to purchase category 3 residential properties. We will also contribute $380 million for investment in flood protection works to mitigate the flood risks in the category 2 damaged in the events, and $110 million for local transport networks affected by the weather events.

Tāmati Coffey: Has an agreement been reached with iwi in affected regions?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We have a parallel pathway for dealing with whenua Māori in category 3. This pathway recognises that there are unique legal provisions governing Māori land, and duties that sit with the Crown rather than with councils. We are continuing to engage with whānau, hapū, and iwi on these issues. I expect to be able to make announcements on this in the coming weeks. The Government is committed to working together with affected communities to find solutions for the recovery and rebuild. We are making significant investments to provide certainty to those affected by the weather events, and support these regions to become more resilient as we all adapt to changing weather patterns as a result of climate change.

Hon Meka Whaitiri: What reports, if any, has he heard from whenua Māori owners in affected areas following Cyclone Gabrielle?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: There’s been a number of consultation meetings and hui taking place across Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay in particular. There are a range of different concerns in different places. That ranges from the place of marae, also what happens in things like urupā, what happens in terms of communities that live in and around those areas. We’re working through that, and, as I said in answer to my last supplementary question, I hope we will be able to make announcements about that in the coming weeks.

Hon Meka Whaitiri: What promises can he give to whenua Māori owners in Ōmahu, Waiōhiki, Pētane, Tāngoio, Wairoa, Te Karaka, and the East Coast affected by Gabrielle that there will be money left in the kitty because his officials are still trying to work out the special characteristics of whenua Māori six months on?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I can absolutely assure those communities who have been the places where the hui have been held that we remain committed to supporting them and that resources will be available for that.

Question No. 2—Transport

2. to the Minister of Transport: Will the Government commit to building light rail in our three major centres in a cost-effective way that reduces emissions?

The Government supports building a light rail connection from the Auckland city centre to the airport and is progressing mass transit for Wellington and developing a rapid transport network in Christchurch. The Government’s also committed to developing the north-western busway and completing the City Rail Link (CRL) in Auckland. The Government expects all transport projects such as these to be designed and built in a cost-effective way that gives citizens affordable and convenient transport choices which reduce traffic congestion and transport emissions.

Hon James Shaw: What advice, if any, did he provide to the Minister of Finance for the recent rapid savings exercise on potential savings from doing Auckland light rail at street level rather than tunnelled?

Simeon Brown: You haven’t even started it.

Hon DAVID PARKER: Those matters will be addressed by Auckland light rail in their costbenefit analysis.

Hon James Shaw: I beg your pardon, Mr Speaker; I was having trouble hearing that answer over Simeon Brown.

SPEAKER: I’ll ask the Minister to repeat his answer, and can we have this in silence, please.

Hon DAVID PARKER: Those matters will be addressed by Auckland light rail in their costbenefit analysis.

Hon James Shaw: Did he, as part of the Government’s recent rapid savings exercise, recommend replacing the $45 billion six-lane road tunnel across the Waitematā with a cheaper, more effective rapid transit option?

Hon DAVID PARKER: No.

Hon James Shaw: Why not?

Hon DAVID PARKER: All of the proposed options for the second Waitematā crossing include, from the very first stage, increases in public transport connectivity.

Hon James Shaw: Has he, following advice from officials that his draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport would result in an emissions increase, received any advice on other transport options to reduce emissions?

Hon DAVID PARKER: I think it’s notable that the Government Policy Statement for Auckland, our largest metro area, includes funding for the north-western busway, triple and quadruple railway line improvements coming into Auckland, and also a priority on securing the points of connection between the CRL and busway so as to maximise the value of those investments that have already been made by central government.

Question No. 3—Prime Minister

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

Yes, particularly our careful economic management and the actions that we have taken to support businesses and to protect jobs during global instability, resulting in an economy that is 2.9 percent larger than it was a year ago and more than 6 percent larger than it was before COVID-19; unemployment below 4 percent for 24 consecutive months—that’s only happened once before in the last 30 years, and that was between 2004 and 2008; coincidentally, also under a Labour Government—wages have increased by 7.1 percent in the year to June and by 29 percent since we took office; more New Zealanders in work than ever before, with labour force participation increasing to 72.4 percent and the employment rate increasing to 69.8 percent, with both being the highest on record; increased numbers of people in apprenticeships; a 44 percent increase in the minimum wage; record levels of R & D investment, up 67 percent since we became Government; the delivery of new free-trade agreements that mean almost three-quarters of our exports are now covered by a free-trade agreement; we have cleared Mycoplasma bovis infections from 280 farms with no active M. bovis infections in New Zealand; and we’ve seen record high food and fibre revenue, up 50 percent from 2017. But I also particularly stand by my comments that the member was proposing unaffordable tax cuts, and I welcome his admission that they are unaffordable, judged by the fact that they’re proposing now to introduce four new taxes in order to pay for them.

Christopher Luxon: Why, if everything is going so swimmingly well, is he now ready to admit that there’s billions of dollars of waste, and why didn’t he start reining it in over the last six years, instead of leaving it just for the last six weeks before the election?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: It may come as a surprise to the member that every Budget cycle, Governments look for savings, and we indicated on Budget day that we would continue to look for savings, and that is what we set out yesterday. What I can say is that every commitment that we are putting before the electorate in this election is fully costed and it’s fully paid for. The member can’t say that, and that’s why his finance spokesperson and co-leader is proposing new taxes in order to pay for them.

Christopher Luxon: Isn’t it pathetic that, after scaremongering over National’s plans for responsible fiscal management for months, he’s now making spending cuts at the eleventh hour in a very desperate attempt to make New Zealanders think that his Government hasn’t been engaged in reckless economic vandalism on a scale we’ve never seen before?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I’ll tell the member what’s desperate: spending two years saying that tax cuts are affordable, and now desperately trying to scrabble together four new taxes in order to pay for them. But we should not be surprised because the National Party have past form. They said that tax cuts were affordable last time they came into Government, and then they increased GST in order to pay for them, meaning New Zealanders paid more every time they went to the supermarket, more every time they paid the power bill, more every time they filled up the car—all because National promised unaffordable tax cuts, which is history repeating itself here.

Christopher Luxon: Oh, my goodness! Why should New Zealanders believe this last-minute promise to rein in wasteful spending when this Government has spent more than it promised at every single Budget it has delivered over the last six years?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We’ve been very clear through the course of the year that we would look for savings and make sure that New Zealanders are getting value for money from their public services. That is ongoing work that we have been doing across the entire six years we have been in Government. But I am very proud of the fact that our teachers have had record pay increases and our nurses have had record pay increases. Unlike the last National Government, we’ve invested in our health system and our education system. We are spending record levels on road maintenance because we don’t think that running down the roads in the way the last National Government did was an acceptable way to manage the economy. The National Party are trying to tell New Zealanders that they can have all of the promises National is making and no one needs to pay for them. Well, now the mask starts to slip and we see that there are at least four new taxes on the drawing board in order to pay for his unaffordable promises.

Christopher Luxon: Isn’t the real reason he has announced last-minute spending cuts that he’s just trying to paper over the fact that his Government’s reckless spending has left our country’s economy and finances in ruin?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The only person that’s trying to paper over anything at the moment is Nicola Willis, who is desperately trying to paper over the fact that the National Party’s promises simply don’t add up.

Christopher Luxon: Can he confirm, then, that under his Government, spending is up almost 80 percent, inflation has increased by more than 22 percent, tax has increased by 65 percent, the national debt has tripled, and we’re the only country in our region in a recession?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: What I can confirm is the IMF has reported this morning that since the global pandemic—since the second quarter of 2020—the New Zealand economy has experienced cumulative growth of 10.2 percent, and when I compare that with the IMF’s stated growth for Australia of 8.8 percent, for the US of 7.6 percent, for the euro area of 7.1 percent, or 6.1 percent for the UK, that shows that we’ve actually been managing the economy pretty well.

Christopher Luxon: Oh, no, no, it doesn’t. It doesn’t show that. Isn’t it extraordinary that after months of accusing everyone else of cutting public services, it turns out that he was the one planning millions of dollars in cuts to health and education to fill his fiscal hole?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Oh, the member can’t have it both ways, because, presumably, they’re going to announce more cuts themselves tomorrow, in addition to the fact that they are now saying that they’re going to add four new taxes in order to pay for the tax cuts that they’re proposing that will disproportionately benefit those on the highest incomes—millionaires, amongst others—and property owners. I think we’ve got our priorities about right. We are focused on supporting working New Zealanders through the current cost of living challenge with targeted cost of living measures that will make a meaningful difference for them. We’re not focused on delivering tax cuts to those who need the money the least.

Christopher Luxon: Why is it that every time a Labour Government is put in charge of the public finances, they leave a complete and utter mess for a National Government to come in and clean it up?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The member should have quit while he was behind a couple of questions ago, because I’m very proud of our economic track record, and when we compare that with the last National Government, despite the fact that—

Simeon Brown: You’ve cooked the books.

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: —we have faced a global pandemic, our economy—

SPEAKER: Order! Sorry. Simeon Brown, that interjection is completely out of order. [Interruption] No, I haven’t decided if you’re staying. Can you stand, withdraw, and apologise.

Simeon Brown: I withdraw and apologise.

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I am very proud of the fact that under our Government, despite the fact that we faced a global pandemic, our economy, year on year, has had stronger growth, on average, than it did under the entire nine years that National was in Government.

Question No. 4—Housing

4. to the Minister of Housing: How is the Government’s record public housing build programme increasing the supply of homes in regional New Zealand?

The Government is undertaking the largest State house building programme since the Walter Nash Government of the 1950s, adding over more than 13,000 net new public homes since 2017—including over 11,000 brand new builds. One in six new homes have been added in the last six years. This is a significant achievement when you consider that the first homes started to be built in 1937. For the first time in many years, we are building back public housing in the regions, such as Wairarapa, Rotorua, Gisborne, and Invercargill.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: How is Wairarapa and the Tararua District benefiting from the Government’s record social housing build?

Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Last month, I opened 21 new public homes in Masterton, with two new homes in Dannevirke. These mark the first State houses built in over two decades in this area. A further 100 new homes are also currently in the pipeline and due to be completed in the next few years across the Wairarapa and Tararua regions. This is in no small part due to the result of wonderful advocacy on the part of a tenacious and determined local MP.

Tāmati Coffey: How many of the Government’s new public homes are in Gisborne?

Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The Government has added 82 additional public homes in Gisborne since 2017. This is in stark contrast with the 2008 to 2017 period, where the number of Housing New Zealand homes fell by 33 houses—but I am happy to report that approximately 300 new homes are currently in the pipeline and due to be completed in the next few years.

Jamie Strange: How is the Waikato region benefiting from the Government’s new public homes?

Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I’m pleased to report that our Government is making great progress rebuilding public housing in the mighty Waikato. We’ve delivered 850 additional public homes in the region over the past five years, with over a thousand in the pipeline. When you compare this to a net loss of 172 homes under the previous Government between 2008 and 2017, it’s clear that we are not only rebuilding but adding hundreds more homes.

Chris Bishop: How many of the promised 100,000 KiwiBuild houses have been built in regional New Zealand, and is the number larger or smaller than the number of extra Kāinga Ora staff added to the public housing supply in the last six years?

Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The primary question was, of course, about public housing, something I’m sure that member—coming from a party with his party’s record on public housing—wouldn’t want to ask a question about. But I’m happy to confirm to that member: the number of KiwiBuild or affordable first homes, in New Zealand, is far larger by many magnitudes than his Government achieved—100 affordable homes over nine years in Government; we have over 3,000 homes delivered.

Dr Liz Craig: How many of the Government’s new public homes are in Invercargill?

Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The Government has added 30 additional public homes in Invercargill since 2017, with an additional 57 new homes in the pipeline. Though this is great progress, it’s unfortunate that we’re just making up for the 2008 to 2017 period, where the number of Housing New Zealand homes fell by 77 houses. Our public housing homes in Southland are some of the oldest in the country, so it is important that we continue to deliver new housing. An example of this is the recent completion of 13 two-bedroom homes in Appleby, Invercargill.

Question No. 5—Prime Minister

5. to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government’s actions and policies?

Yes, and I am particularly proud of our work to improve outcomes for Māori. I am proud of our work to establish Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority; the 145 percent increase in funding for Whānau Ora since 2017; the 71 percent increase in the number of Māori apprentices under our Government; the doubling of the number of ākonga studying Māori language immersion at levels 3 and 4, and the more than 32 percent increase in schools offering it; the number of Māori preschool tamariki enrolled with an oral health service, which has increased from 64 percent in September 2015 to 80 percent in September 2022; Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga, which has helped us to approve or contract 1,018 new homes, 483 home repairs, and infrastructure for 1,618 sites; the nearly doubling of the number of scholarships and bursaries provided each year for Māori students pursuing a career to work in mental health and addiction services since 2019, among other things.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: What will the Prime Minister do to protect these important Māori kaupapa, such as Māori wards, and the Māori Health Authority, given other parties have committed to remove them?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Win the election.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: What message is your Government sending to rangatahi, when on the one hand, you are putting forward legislation to allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections, while on the other hand, you are passing legislation to lower the age in which children can be charged for ram raids to 12 years old?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: It’s important to note that the law change that we’re proposing before Parliament will allow the Youth Court to intervene in more cases of serious repeat offending, such as ram raiding for young people. We believe that that will ensure that we can get the wraparound support around those young people that they need, so that we can break the cycle of offending. Nobody wants to see those young children, some as young as 12 years old, going on to a lifetime of criminal offending, which is the pathway that they will find themselves on unless we intervene to support them more. The member has mischaracterised the legislation that is before the House; this is about making sure that we are intervening earlier and more effectively to stop these kids repeat offending.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: What will your Government do to protect rangatahi Māori from profiling given that last year, an investigation by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the Office of Privacy Commissioner found the police to have racially profiled rangatahi Māori, and illegally photographed them without consent?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think that is exactly why those two organisations exist, to make sure that there is an evidence base to identify where those sorts of practices happen. I know that the police have taken the findings of both of those organisations very seriously, and there is work going on within the police force to ensure that they are more aware of these issues, and that they aren’t policing in a way that is discriminatory.

Question No. 6—Finance

6. to the Minister of Finance: What concerns, if any, does he have about the performance of the New Zealand economy, and what impact is the performance of the New Zealand economy having on New Zealanders?

The New Zealand economy has strong fundamentals, with the IMF, this week, noting that New Zealand had experienced cumulative growth of 10.2 percent since the second quarter of 2020, compared to 8.8 percent for Australia, 7.6 percent for the United States, 7.1 percent for the euro area, and 6.1 percent for the United Kingdom. The impact of the strong underlying performance of the economy means that more Kiwis are in work than ever before, with Stats New Zealand data showing that another 6,000 people entered the workforce in July. I do have concerns, though, which is why the Government is acting to mitigate them. As a small, open economy, New Zealand is at risk from changes in the global economy. We’ve seen over the past few weeks the impact of a deteriorating outlook in China—for example, on our domestic milk prices here. This makes it all the more important that we signed the free-trade agreements with the European Union and the United Kingdom as part of diversifying our export markets. We do see impacts in New Zealand from global interest rates feeding through into higher mortgage rates for New Zealanders, even though the official cash rate has remained steady. As a Government, we are doing our bit to help protect our economy from this global fallout—this includes supporting jobs through new investment in infrastructure, and rebuilding communities devastated by recent weather events. But it does also include cutting our cloth to take pressure off inflation and ensure that the Government’s books remain in a sustainable position, all the while balanced by investments in critical public services, like health, education, and housing.

Nicola Willis: Is he concerned that during his time as Minister of Finance, New Zealand’s inflation rate has been out of control for 27 months so far, leaving New Zealanders to struggle through a cost of living crisis seemingly without end?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As has been noted many times in this House, this is a global inflation crisis. Here in New Zealand, what I can say is that I’m proud of an economy that’s 6.7 percent larger than before COVID. I’m proud that employment has risen in 15 of the past 16 months. I’m proud about the fact that ASB’s economist said, today, that New Zealand’s fiscal metrics remain world class. Throughout this period, we have looked after New Zealanders by supporting them through increases in the family tax credit, childcare assistance, main benefits. All of the things we did to support people through that period of time—opposed by the National Party.

Nicola Willis: Is he concerned that during his time as Minister of Finance, the official cash rate has risen quicker than at any other time during its history, leaving New Zealand mortgage holders scrambling to meet super-sized mortgage payments, as commercial rates, effectively, double?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: And, indeed, this, again, is a global trend. I do note for the member that when the Reserve Bank, who are responsible for decisions about the official cash rate, began increasing the official cash rate in, I think it was, October 2021, just days later, the leader of the National Party proposed more spending to increase what would happen with inflation.

Nicola Willis: If high inflation and interest rates are simply a global phenomenon, then why does America have so much lower inflation than New Zealand, and why is it that our domestic inflation rate is higher than our imported inflation rate?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As the member knows, by referring to something that doesn’t exist, called the “domestic inflation rate”, she’s not actually representing the facts on that accurately. The New Zealand economy has recovered earlier than many other countries. That affects the different rates of growth and the different rates of inflation that we see. But what I know 100 percent is that if we had followed the advice of the member and her co-leader, we would have had inflationary tax cuts in the last Budget that would be making things far, far worse for New Zealanders when it comes to inflation.

Nicola Willis: Is he concerned that after six years of him managing the economy, our country is now the slowest-growing in the Asia-Pacific region, in recession, and predicted to be one of the slowest-growing countries in the world next year?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: If the member cared to look at the particular table that that number comes from, she would discover that, actually, if you look at the period of time through 2020, through 2021, and through 2022, New Zealand grew above average compared to the countries within that survey. As I said before, our economy began to recover earlier. But now we have the prospect of a member who has told us, time and time again, that she can afford the tax cut that she wants to deliver, now delivering those via four new taxes. The thing that will really cause problems for the New Zealand economy is unfunded tax cuts, a fiscal plan that doesn’t add up, and more inflationary pressure on New Zealanders.

Nicola Willis: Speaking of fiscal plans that don’t add up, can he confirm that under his stewardship of the New Zealand economy, net Crown debt has risen from $5.4 billion in 2019 to $73.3 billion today, and can he guarantee to the New Zealanders that every dollar he has borrowed has been put to good use?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I congratulate the member on her graduation to professor of hindsight economics! Throughout the period of COVID, I stood in this House, sometimes with the support of members opposite, to say “We need to look after New Zealand households, businesses, and the health system”. Sometimes, members opposite asked us to spend even more on that. I’m proud of the fact that New Zealanders emerged from COVID with one of the lowest excess mortality rates in the world, and I’m proud of the money that we spent on things like the wage subsidy, which members opposite went around the country supporting, asking me, writing to me, saying “Why aren’t you spending more?”. The member cannot now look back and change that position. We stood by New Zealanders through the difficulties of the pandemic, and we continue to stand by New Zealanders.

Nicola Willis: Well, is he proud that under his economic management, New Zealand has the largest current account deficit in the developed world, and does he have another excuse for that one too?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member will be well aware that New Zealand, as an economy that relies, for example, on the foreign exchange earnings from tourism, has suffered during a period of time when tourists couldn’t come here. Our net international investment position is improving. The current account deficit is coming down. But, again, all of the credibility that’s been built up in the New Zealand economy that means that Moody’s have endorsed what we’re doing, that means that the IMF have supported what we’re doing—all of that credibility would be frittered away by unfunded tax cuts for millionaires; that’s what the member’s promising.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does the Minister of Finance believe that more tourists might come here if we didn’t have prominent politicians travelling around the world, describing New Zealand as wet, whiney, and miserable?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Absolutely that would help—and, in fact, generally speaking, I think it would help if politicians such as that didn’t travel overseas at all.

Nicola Willis: Isn’t it the case that despite his many attempts to blame others, in fact his legacy to the New Zealand economy is a cost of living crisis, recession, deficit, and debt, and is it the case that he is simply carrying on Labour’s proud tradition of leaving the New Zealand economy in tatters?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member might want to reflect on the level of unemployment when we came into office, which, if I recall, was around 4.8 percent, and the fact that, as the Prime Minister’s already said, we’ve had record low unemployment over a long period of time. We prioritise having people in work. We prioritise making sure that we look after the most vulnerable in our society, that we lift kids out of poverty, that we get people into skills and into training. All of that is at risk from a potential Government obsessed with making sure that they deliver tax cuts for millionaires.

Question No. 7—Education

7. to the Minister of Education: Mālō 'aupito, Mr Speaker. What feedback has she received on the Government’s free healthy school lunches programme?

Last week, the Government reached the milestone of 100 million free and healthy school lunches delivered. Every school I visit that has the Healthy School Lunches programme tells me what a huge difference it makes to their kids’ wellbeing, learning, and engagement. Much of this sentiment is reflected in public reports. For example, a principal from Nelson has said, “We’re having 325 lunches provided every day, and everyone has exactly the same lunch, we know it’s nutritious, we know it meets the health standards, it has benefits in terms of concentration levels and to learning outcomes for our tamariki.” This is a sentiment shared across 996 schools who are eligible for the programme.

Dr Anae Neru Leavasa: Why is this a worthwhile investment?

Hon JAN TINETTI: This Government believes in barrier-free access to education. When we came to office, many students were turning up hungry or not turning up at all. The attendance challenges we currently face started in 2015, were worsened during COVID-19, and are now starting to turn around. Schools tell me that having free, healthy lunches at school is a critical part of the plan to turn around attendance and meet our national targets. Teachers, school trustees, and whānau acknowledge the difference the programme makes in the classroom and to the behaviour of students. They know how hard it is for hungry kids to learn.

Dr Anae Neru Leavasa: What would it mean for families if this programme was no longer available?

Hon JAN TINETTI: With the current cost of living pressures that families are experiencing, knowing their kids will get a free, healthy school lunch provides peace of mind, and it’s one less thing to put pressure on the family budget. The programme is estimated to save a family with two kids around $66 per week and $2,500 per year, on average. While the programme is targeted to 25 percent of schools with the highest need, many have spoken about the importance of universality for eligible schools. By providing lunch to every student in the school, it reduces any stigma that can be associated with singling out kids who don’t have lunch that day. Approximately 230,000 students receive a healthy school lunch every day, and we know that if the programme wasn’t in place, there would be many children who would go without.

Dr Anae Neru Leavasa: What other benefits does the Government’s Healthy School Lunches deliver for communities?

Hon JAN TINETTI: The programme also supports over 2,300 jobs in communities across New Zealand. As the Minister of Education, I have travelled across the country and spoken to the wonderful Kiwis delivering these meals for our tamariki and the joy it brings them to know they are preparing a meal for a child to support their wellbeing and learning. Just last week, while I was helping prepare the lunches at Alfriston College in the Takanini electorate, one of the kitchen workers was telling me how much the programme had changed her life. We currently have 254 schools using an internal delivery model where the lunches are prepared on site, often by students, to provide educational benefit in food preparation, nutrition, and time management.

Question No. 8—Prime Minister

8. to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government’s statements and policies?

Yes, particularly our actions to pass the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act, reform the emissions trading scheme, and the actions we’ve undertaken to ensure we are on track to achieve New Zealand’s first emissions budget. We’ve achieved record levels of renewable electricity generation and the lowest level of coal imports since 2013. We’re investing in 81 significant industrial decarbonisation projects that are set for completion by December 2027, with two significant partnerships that reduce 1.6 million tonnes of emissions. We’ve increased the number of electric vehicles entering the New Zealand fleet from just 2 percent in June 2017 to 37 percent in June 2023. We’ve co-funded more than 1,300 electric-vehicle chargers across New Zealand. We’ve supported 110,000 Kiwi households to be healthier and to have cheaper power bills, through Warmer Kiwi Homes. We’ve banned new coal boilers and removed 50 coal boilers from 46 schools. We’ve provided discounted public transport that has benefited thousands of New Zealanders. Climate pollution fell in 2020, 2021, and 2022, with the December 2022 quarter delivering the lowest figure in at least nine years. There is more to do and some big decisions to be made in the next term, but, on our side of the House, we’re committed to making progress to tackling climate change rather than taking the giant leap backwards the member is proposing.

David Seymour: What does the Prime Minister say to the people of Auckland, Coromandel, Tairāwhiti, and Hawke’s Bay when they realise this Government has failed to pass the climate adaptation Act, and, of the $4.5 billion in the Climate Emergency Response Fund, all of it went on trying to reduce emissions but not one cent went on adapting people and preparing them for the impacts of climate change?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I say we’ve just given those communities $1.7 billion of support.

David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister miss the point that that occurred after the event, because he spent not one cent from the $4.5 billion Climate Emergency Response Fund on adaptation and preparing people for the impacts of climate change, and the finance Minister, who’s whispering in his ear, admitted that in select committee at the time?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The member seems to be arguing we should simply give up on mitigating climate change and just focus on adaptation. In fact, we need to do both of those things. I am not willing to give up and say that these extreme weather events can continue to get worse and we should just try and adapt to that. Actually, we need to support communities to adapt, and we are, but we also need to continue our focus on mitigation.

David Seymour: Is he aware that the International Monetary Fund regional economic outlooks say New Zealand is projected to be the second slowest growing economy in the entire world in 2024, beating only Equatorial Guinea, and who, except his own Government, is responsible for New Zealand’s economic performance, compared with the rest of the world, after six years in power?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Well, I’m happy to quote directly from the IMF report, who said that New Zealand had experienced cumulative growth of 10.2 percent since the second quarter of 2020, compared to 8.8 percent for Australia, 7.6 percent for the US, 7.1 percent for the euro area, and 6.1 percent for the UK. I think our economic track record’s pretty good.

David Seymour: If the Government’s done such a good job, why is he now reduced to avoiding the fact that we will be the second worst in the world, ahead of only Equatorial Guinea next year, after six years of his Government in power?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I mentioned before—I’ll run through the numbers again for the member in case he missed them. Since the global pandemic began in the second quarter of 2022—sorry—2020, New Zealand’s had cumulative economic growth of 10.2 percent, compared to Australia at 8.8 percent, 7.6 percent for the US, 7.1 percent for the euro area, and 6.1 percent for the UK. The member can look at any given point in time, and each of those economies will be at a different point in the economic cycle. But, cumulatively, across time, New Zealand’s economy is performing very well. It’s a testament to the hard work of New Zealanders and the hard work of our businesses, who we are backing to get through tough economic times.

David Seymour: Is he aware that the Ministry of Justice reports that victimisations per 100 adults have risen 29 percent, from 60 victimisations per 100 adults to 76 victimisations per 100 adults, since 2018, and will he accept his Government has failed to keep the public safe over the past six years?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In answer to the last part of the question, no, I will not accept that. Our Government has been working very hard to ensure that our police have the resources that they need to fight crime; 1,800 more police on the beat compared to a reduction, in real terms, of the number of police on the beat when National and ACT were last in Government, imposing austerity on New Zealand in the way that they were. We have been focused on making sure that we’re making it easier to report crime—for example, by putting new systems in place so that our retailers can better report retail crime. We’ve been focused on tackling gang offending. We have also been unrelentingly focused on making sure that firearms aren’t getting into the hands of potential offenders. And I note the member’s policy announced over the weekend—it shouldn’t be about putting it on their website and not talking about it—that they want to reintroduce semi-automatic weapons that were banned in New Zealand after the March 15 terror attacks.

David Seymour: Is the Prime Minister aware that term 1 regular school attendance has fallen from 73 percent four years ago to 60 percent this year, while chronic absence from school has doubled from 4 percent to 8 percent over the same period—what responsibility will he accept as a Prime Minister, and, for five years, Minister of Education, for the fact fewer kids are going to school and learning less under his Government?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I absolutely accept the fact that in term 1 of this year we still had a mandatory seven-day isolation period for COVID-19, and that will be reflected in the school attendance figures.

Question No. 9—Immigration

9. to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcement has he made regarding a residence pathway for Special Ukraine Visa holders who are settled in New Zealand?

On Saturday, I announced a new residence pathway for Special Ukraine Visa holders. The Special Ukraine Visa originally allowed Ukrainians with close relatives who are New Zealand citizens or residents to come to New Zealand to shelter for two years. Latterly, conditions were amended to allow non-family to sponsor Special Ukraine Visa holders. Most of the Ukrainians who took up the visa hoped they could return home quickly, but that hasn’t been possible with the ongoing war. Special Ukraine Visa holders in New Zealand up to 14 March 2024 will now be able to apply for residency. The Ukrainians who are coming here to New Zealand are contributing to our country. Their kids are becoming more Kiwi by the day and it’s important that they have the security of certainty that they can stay and make New Zealand home.

Ingrid Leary: What has been the uptake of the Special Ukraine Visa?

Hon ANDREW LITTLE: As at 20 August 2023, around 1,510 Special Ukraine Visas have been granted. Around 720 people have travelled to New Zealand on this visa, including those who’ve left New Zealand and re-entered on one or more occasions. Right now, around 340 special category visa holders are in New Zealand. The residence pathway announced on Saturday will be available to Special Ukraine Visa holders where the principal applicant was granted a visa and travelled to New Zealand before 15 March next year.

Ingrid Leary: What will be the requirements for residents on the new pathway?

Hon ANDREW LITTLE: We are striking a balance between making the pathway easy to access on one hand, and prudent protection of our borders on the other. Normal character checks and identity requirements will apply, however, only a limited medical certificate will have to be provided. Applicants will not need a sponsor and do not have to sit English language tests. While a $1,200 residence visa application fee will apply, we have decided to waive the immigration levy.

Ingrid Leary: What response has he seen to the announcement?

Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I’ve seen feedback from the community advocacy group Mahi for Ukraine, which, along with Ukrainian associations and World Vision, has done so much to raise the plight of Ukrainians seeking shelter in New Zealand. Mahi for Ukraine has said the new residence pathway provides much-needed certainty and is, as they say, “a beacon of hope” and that “New Zealand’s actions speak volumes about its commitment to humanitarian values, and we are thankful to be a part of a nation that stands by those in need.”

Ingrid Leary: What else has the Government done to support Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s invasion?

Hon ANDREW LITTLE: This Government has stood resolutely with Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and immoral war. We provided more than $4 million of diplomatic support to the International Criminal Court, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and for nuclear safety and security. We’ve provided almost $20 million of economic and humanitarian assistance. And we’ve contributed more than $58 million of military assistance, including deploying New Zealand Defence Force personnel to the UK to train Ukrainian troops. I can tell you that my colleague the Minister of Defence saw when he attended the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Ramstein in Germany, that the democratic world is enormously grateful for the contributions New Zealand has made to the defence of a faraway democracy. Слава Україні!

Question No. 10—Health

10. to the Minister of Health: Why are there 16 fewer psychiatrist FTEs employed in 2023 than when this Government came into office in 2017, and does she think that this is an acceptable outcome from the $1.9 billion announced for mental health in Budget 2019?

I am advised that there are 465.3 fulltimeequivalent psychiatrists working for Te Whatu Ora across New Zealand. There are a number of vacancies. New Zealand is experiencing pressure across all areas of the mental health and addiction workforce, particularly the clinical workforce. These pressures are longstanding and felt across the world. Growing our specialist workforce is tough because highly specialised people take a long time to train. The effectiveness of that $1.9 billion should be judged according to what we said we’d spend it on. The flagship health initiative was Access and Choice, a programme for mild to moderate mental health conditions. This programme has been scaled to over 600 sites and has had over 1 million visits. For that programme, we have created over 1,000 new mental health workers—

Hon Member: Psychiatrists?

Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: —none of whom are psychiatrists. This Government has built a primary mental health system from the ground up. None of that existed when we came into Government. I am sure that member did not mean to imply that the Budget ’19 funding was for psychiatrists.

Matt Doocey: Does she think it is acceptable that after the Government promised to transform the mental health system in 2017, there are now 16 fewer psychiatrists in 2023?

Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: This Government has done what it intended to do, based on the review at the beginning of this work. We have created Access and Choice, which is providing mild to moderate mental health care in the community. We have launched the Wellbeing Support website to connect people with those services. We are funding methamphetamine harm-reduction services. We have adapted services for rangatahi, kaupapa Māori, and Pasifika. We are making sure mental health workers are competent in dealing with rainbow communities. We have taken innovative approaches to funding the 1737 health line, Youthline, and digital service apps like Groov and Headstrong. This is hard work, but our transformation is well under way.

Matt Doocey: How can she defend that after announcing $1.9 billion for mental health and promising to transform the mental health system, there are 16 fewer psychiatrists today than six years ago?

Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: As I said, the Government should be assessed on what it said it would do. We have created a thousand additional workers in Access and Choice. We have increased places for New Entry to Specialist Practice for nurses to 282 annually. We have grown the role of peer support workers in mental health. We have increased the number of occupational therapists and social workers going through the New Entry to Specialist Practice programme. And we have increased the number of psychologists by 713 and tripled the number of psychology internships.

Matt Doocey: Was it her Government’s intention, after announcing $1.9 billion for mental health and promising to transform the mental health system, that there would be 16 fewer psychiatrists today than six years ago?

Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: That money has been spent on what it was intended to be spent on, and we are delivering the results. I don’t know why that member is interested in a sleight of hand of pretending it was intended for some other purpose, unless he’s buttering the public up for the cuts we know are coming under a National Government.

Matt Doocey: Is the failure of delivering 16 fewer psychiatrists an example of what the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission stated: “There are persistent workforce shortages. We are yet to see a clear strategy and a roadmap to grow and develop the workforce we so desperately need.”; and why have you failed to deliver to vulnerable New Zealanders after you promised them six years ago?

Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: It’s great to see that member quoting the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. I am so pleased that our Government brought back the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission after they cut it. I have already spoken to the huge amount of work to increase our workforce, which is evidence of a plan, and I will repeat it: 1,000 additional workers in the Access and Choice programme; new programme for nurses, with 282 going through per year; increased role for peer support workers; increased specialist training for occupational therapists and social workers; and a tripling of the number of internships for psychologists.

Question No. 11—Justice

11. to the Minister of Justice: What progress has the Government made in cracking down on youth offending?

The current level of youth offending is unacceptable. While the actions we’ve taken to date are working for the majority of young people, we know there is more work to do with a small group of repeat offenders. The bill I introduced last week, which will be read for the first time today, will introduce a new offence for ram raids. It also introduces new aggravating factors for adults who use young people to commit crimes and those posting their crimes on social media. It’s completely unacceptable that a victim of a crime may be retraumatised by seeing it posted online. This also sends a strong message to those who post their crimes online in a bid to gain notoriety that they can now face tougher consequences.

Vanushi Walters: What impact is the Government’s policies having on ram raid offending?

Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: One ram raid is one ram raid too many, but I am encouraged that ram raids are down by two-thirds since their peak in August last year and have more than halved since the first full month after I became Minister of Police in March. Interventions like Kotahi te Whakaaro have been working. Nearly 80 percent of children going through the Government’s fast-track programme for children who have committed serious offences have not reoffended. That’s a stark contrast to other parties’ proposals, such as boot camps, which have an 80 percent reoffending rate and which the former Chief Science Advisor simply said don’t work.

Vanushi Walters: How does the bill provide tools to the justice system to deal with young offenders?

Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: The new ram raid offence enables 12- and 13-year-olds alleged to have committed a ram raid to be charged now in the Youth Court, like other serious offences such as aggravated burglary. Other measures that have been effective in breaking the cycle of offending include the Better Pathways Package to improve education, employment opportunities; and the fast-track programmes, which respond to serious offending by children and young people. This new offence will not be the first port of call for first-time ram-raiders. This is for a small group of repeat offenders where earlier interventions simply have not been working. This bill closes that gap.

Vanushi Walters: What other steps is the Government taking to support communities affected by ram raid offending?

Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: The Government is committed to improving the safety for small retailers through the Retail Crime Prevention Programme, which has seen more than 2,266 security interventions installed around 586 retailers such as bollards, CCTV upgrades, alarms, and roller doors. We’ve also supported businesses through the fog cannon subsidy scheme, which has seen 1,995 installations completed, and even more approved and in progress. We know that ram raid offending causes significant property damage and harm to victims and their livelihoods. I am determined to get on top of this destructive behaviour and ensure young offenders face the consequences of their actions.

Question No. 12—Police

12. to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her statement, “It is my view that New Zealanders feel safer”; if so, why?

I stand by my full statement at the time it was given, or, to quote Radio New Zealand’s summary, “Mark Mitchell has been dredging for that lustre of funny in the repetition mine for four months now. … Finding the gag less humorous is the Minister of Police Ginny Andersen, who has been adding context to the same partial quote for four straight months [now].”

Hon Mark Mitchell: Does the Minister of Police think that public safety is funny?

Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: No.

Hon Mark Mitchell: Does she think that “New Zealanders feel safer”, given that a leaked Police report says that there are over 100 offenders on electronic monitoring for offences like homicide and kidnapping and that public safety has been “compromised”.

Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: It is correct that there has been an increase in the number of people on electronic monitoring, which is something that the previous National Government sought to encourage towards the end of its days in office in 2016. As the Prime Minister has stated, there are already a number of reviews into the tragic events in Auckland that are ongoing, and we will await the findings of those reports before making any decisions about further action to trends in electronic monitoring (EM). Police advise me that the new national bail coordinator role, which will focus on EM bail, will be embedded within Corrections from early September.

Hon Mark Mitchell: Given her single focus on community safety, are communities safer now than when she became police Minister?

Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: There is always more work to do, but let’s not forget that it was the previous National Government that passed legislation in 2016 to expand the use of electronic monitoring. Now they say, “We want to massively limit its use”. If the National Party are now walking back, they need to explain how they’ll pay for American-style mega-prisons needed to accommodate these people.