Estimates Debate — In Committee

Members, the House is in committee for consideration of the Appropriation (2024/25 Estimates) Bill. The Standing Orders provide for 11 hours of debate on the Estimates. 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 Finance and the Minister for Children will be available today.

The Business Committee has also determined that any member may commence the debate on a portfolio despite Standing Order 348(3). 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 (2024/25 Estimates) Bill.

The time for the debate has been allocated to parties on a proportional basis and may be taken as parties see fit during the debate. New Zealand National has four hours, 23 minutes; New Zealand Labour has three hours, three minutes; the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has one hour, 15 minutes; ACT New Zealand has 59 minutes; New Zealand First has 43 minutes; Te Pāti Māori has 32 minutes; Darleen Tana has five minutes. 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 that the Votes contained in the Estimates of Appropriation for 2024/25 stand part of the Schedules. Members, we start with the Minister of Finance. The Minister is available to speak to that portfolio from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Finance