"\u003C!DOCTYPE html\u003E\u003Chtml xmlns:xlink=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\u0022 xmlns:xsi=\u0022http://www.w3.org/2007/XMLSchema-instance\u0022 xmlns:mml=\u0022http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Chead\u003E\n    \u003CMETA http-equiv=\u0022Content-Type\u0022 content=\u0022text/html; charset=utf-16\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cmeta name=\u0022viewport\u0022 content=\u0022width=device-width, initial-scale=1\u0022\u003E\n  \u003C/head\u003E\n  \u003Cbody style=\u0022font-family:sans-serif; font-size:100%;\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00229bf1840cae5a48aebde4905be1ac9f7f\u0022\u003ETUESDAY, 22 MAY 2018\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f6e2d91799dd4810b138462b1b3e4b53\u0022\u003ETUESDAY, 22 MAY 2018\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022616edba63944480e97fe91310aaa45cf\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022cf74d4d05ed64b36845f76659d00a010\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022576d8e77297d45afa8085dc2f7365c13\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Priorities\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u00220ddf36d9f0c14a98998067a3f3aeb376\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220ddf36d9f0c14a98998067a3f3aeb376\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government\u2019s policies and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u00223bd6ad6b7aa54688a01d09a263493450\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223bd6ad6b7aa54688a01d09a263493450\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. That was a firm yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219230db5c4e849c0abf424ded6e1caf0\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: What extra funding did the Budget provide to fulfil her promise to pay early childhood education (ECE) centres more for employing 100 percent qualified staff?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203c33ab90d474d1a8cbe75b8cdc3a4fc\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As the member will know, Budget 2018 included a 45 percent increase in education funding. The fact that we could put 45 percent more into education\u2014new funding\u2014and still have additional needs that we need to meet demonstrates just how bad things were for the education sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b3979dd022a4bef83e4b64b177299aa\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was very specific about ECE funding, and the answer related to Vote Education overall. I don\u2019t see how that could have been addressed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022882ca2cf1eb340d7885c62d2bf967c0e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it was very clearly addressing the question. The member well knows that when a general primary is set down, there is considerable latitude and less expectation of specific responses on supplementaries. If members want Ministers to come prepared with specific details, then they\u2019ll ask specific questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eb738ffc6ac841c18d0b5835a87e8de7\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Speaking to that point\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a0b89c2a8f34789a26b676472d036d8\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I hope the member\u2019s not going to relitigate that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223be201c9cc154aad9f52b7d048520f4a\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Not at all, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022476a4709fff64271b00172684d332692\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll be seriously concerned if he does.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223776787546cb4372b475b85a7d84438c\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Accepting that point, we are reaching something of a conundrum because a very specific question today, where the Minister would have been expected to answer it, at question No. 7, has been transferred to another Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002240431e77a9ee4f4faa10c52a22508c1f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The member will resume his seat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d28fc7b0cee04128babd4b09c0977332\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is the answer that there is no funding for ECE centres to employ 100 percent qualified staff?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216c9faab39a54dc4a38ad02a8c314bf8\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I take this to mean that that side of the House now agrees with our policy on funding 100 percent qualified staff. Budget 2018 delivers the first universal cost adjustment for early learning centres since Labour was last in Government. We have made sure there\u2019s also an additional 62.5 million early learning hours over the next four years. Early learning services had a huge number of priorities. We gave them the boost they waited 10 years for, and we have three Budgets, of course, to deliver on things like qualified staff, which, I take this to mean, the National Party now supports, because you didn\u2019t fund it before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002235734969bfdd485f8bad3037add8dfc6\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: How many schools will be ending school donation requests to parents next year, as a result of last week\u2019s Budget?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221329a1e3b53840adb75821125e372926\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, I do come back to the point that if you spend an additional\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a0b38cd175ea40a69730ff1165410da3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a411b8c4c5fd400184762d910e541e70\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: An additional 45 percent increase in education\u2019s funding demonstrates how much catch-up we had to do after the under-investment of that last Government, including an increase in operational funding for the compulsory sector, 1,500 new teachers, and new capital investment. It shows how much we have to do over the next three years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f7e236800464f248e13538be51a3335\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is the answer \u201CNone. There\u2019s no new funding to end school donations.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022757da29f756f4457b3b3d5beabb87f18\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s 45 percent more new funding in education, and we will, over the term of our time in office, also ease the costs of education on parents.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f05be036ea9f486d8bc83ff0fe56376a\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is there funding in the Budget to double the refugee quota?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ec45fe255454fa2a944aa97d893bd46\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019ll see in the Budget that we\u2019ve increased the funding to support additional support for refugees through the migrant centres, and it is explicitly in the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ca2be1779604ff9ac61c7adbea02fcb\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Why did she reject the recent comparison to President Trump, responding, \u201CWe are a party who at the same time were campaigning to double our refugee quota.\u201D, and how is that campaign going, given that last week\u2019s Budget had nothing on the refugee quota?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022763f09c2cb4f4cab82fcb8564e53af0e\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: That is actually incorrect. First of all, you don\u2019t put refugee quotas into a Budget; you do make sure that you\u2019ve got money in a Budget to make sure you can house them and reintegrate them, and that was in the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022686e73cec3274edc8f708fa76bc1e824\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: When she told me, the day before the Budget, that there would be 1,800 sworn police officers over three years delivered, has the Budget borne that out?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206e8f628958d4ec7950fa4fc24844a81\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes; we\u2019ve said that, over three years, we would be delivering on that. We\u2019ve put $300 million into Police and over 900 new police officers as a result, and we\u2019ve got another two years to finish it off.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a44e7fd411434764b1cbe294c713fce6\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Budget, in fact, show far fewer than 1,800 sworn police officers delivered over a much longer time frame than three years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db4305aab08245b688ad432835335d29\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As I just said, we have set ourselves a goal, over three years, to reach 1,800 police officers. We get roughly half out of our first Budget, and we\u2019ve got two more to go. In fact, at this rate, I\u2019d wager that we\u2019ve got about nine more to go.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002248ec3f3539bc411088f0f285802fc90e\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does she still maintain that DHBs are in a \u201Ccrisis\u201D and that \u201Cit\u2019s worse than I thought, because coming in there was no suggestion that they were quite so underfunded\u201D; if so, why is her Government putting only $2.9 billion of new operating money into health, compared to Budget 2017\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a720b806d5b4f2881b4ecf62b37f2a5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! The question\u2019s finished.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022824655e90fdb4df4bf2c1bae5e91e41a\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, we\u2019re putting $3.2 billion into health. We\u2019re putting $2.2 billion into DHBs; it\u2019s one of the largest investments they\u2019ve seen in a decade. The only thing I would add to the comments that the member has quoted me on is that at first I said we didn\u2019t quite see the extent of the issues the DHBs were facing; well, actually, the moment the mould and poo arrived, we all saw what the DHBs were facing\u2014every single New Zealander.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002266ad7cb87b1647da8bd60a39625efb90\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is her Government putting less in operating funding into health this year than we did last year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb3e941139ad4e07b7d0a49b19d14101\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: No. What the member continues to include is the $1.5 billion, from memory, for home care workers. Home care workers, yes, were something we all supported, but it is absolutely misleading to say that was general funding for health, which is why the investment we\u2019ve put in outstrips anything that\u2019s happened in the last 10 years on capital funding: $750 million; that last Government: $150 million.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc205b7da10f4419b5266ff7e92af16c\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Is it a fact that, in the last Budget, health, education, police, defence, infrastructure, and the environment, to name just a few, got massive injections of much-needed money?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220851d4b079484081821e8df977ec9d74\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: That is absolutely correct, and it gives me the opportunity to also clarify\u2014the members on the other side of the House seem to have a grievance with the fact\u2014that we\u2019re counting the investment for midwives in that as well. I am happy to acknowledge that, yes, we put an 8.9 percent increase for fees for midwives because that was neglected by that last Government, and we\u2019re proud of it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218dfa840173842ca976b77f4c3c81a7a\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Why did her Budget take $100 million out of mental health and put only $10 million back in?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de8bdb53e4654ef199827a6b33238f5c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m happy to clarify that the $100 million that the member is speaking about was actually not allocated to any specific project. It was a list of pilots, some of which didn\u2019t happen. What we have funded is a project to enable under-25s to access free mental health care. We\u2019ve extended nurses in schools for young people to decile 4. We\u2019ve already funded mental health support in Canterbury and Kaik\u014Dura, and amongst the $750 million in capital for health it includes upgrades for mental health facilities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245ba76c892f74eb0bf91278436191d78\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Why is $900 million for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade more important than $100 million for mental health?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b18510cde824e05bad02592d17f132b\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m surprised that that member no longer supports New Zealand upholding its international obligations, and I take this as now being on record that, under National, there would be a cut in overseas aid and development. I look forward to that member joining the Minister of Foreign Affairs and me on our next Pacific mission, because they might have something to say to you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002261a66433b91340feacd94ca0c42bd6af\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Response\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u0022a6b955166867497e90dc80270397dc85\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a6b955166867497e90dc80270397dc85\u0022\u003EKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What responses has he seen to Budget 2018?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022efafcc1b3434425a926a21dfffee5f19\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022efafcc1b3434425a926a21dfffee5f19\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Budget 2018 has been received positively by institutions ranging from the large banks to the UK The Guardian newspaper. Economists at the ANZ said Budget 2018 was \u201CA pragmatic balance between aspirational goals and fiscal prudence.\u201D Those at the ASB said, \u201Cthe new Labour-NZ First Government has effectively passed its first fiscal credibility test. The Budget and healthy forecast show that the Government is on target to achieve its fiscal targets.\u201D, and BNZ economists stated, \u201CThe fiscal numbers look good, with a string of reasonable surpluses causing the net debt to GDP ratio to slowly decline below \u2026 20% \u2026 This leaves headroom for extra spending in future budgets as long as the economy stays strong \u2026 There is nothing jumping out suggesting that announcements in the Budget will provide any impediment to the good growth outlook which we have.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002202bfdf549e524a239efb0c1c5f55fca1\u0022\u003EKiritapu Allan\u003C/span\u003E: What responses has he seen in major financial markets?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224fc6efe194884b04bd4ed2418ce1e391\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: The ASB reports that the overall market reaction was very muted, indicating financial markets are quite comfortable with the fiscal numbers. Matthew Circosta, sovereign analyst from Moody\u2019s Investors Service said that \u201Cthe budget projections of continued fiscal surpluses and a gradual reduction in debt highlights the government\u2019s ongoing commitment to preserving strong public finances.\u201D He also said, \u201Csustained commitment to fiscal prudence provides the government room to buffer the economy from any potential future shocks, which could stem from another natural disaster or a sharp fall in global trade.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aea683d38b954e479bb9480c000f4926\u0022\u003EKiritapu Allan\u003C/span\u003E: What responses on Budget 2018 has he seen on increases to public sector funding?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224439d9bb1162478f93c625ffb4bde493\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I said on Budget day that this was a foundational Budget, and the first of three for this term. Social service providers and advocates, understandably, want to make up for years of underfunding, but have seen this Budget as a good start. For example, Trevor McGlinchey, executive officer of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services says more needs to be done, but noted\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d034b40b3e9041d986ab38105e784e23\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, for goodness sake\u2014the completely independent commentators.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d2e384af2894c5a96f20a7a3a083f17\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll tell him you said that, Judith. I\u2019ll pass it on. In the social services sector, we see a much-needed boost in funding for community-based family violence services, which is fantastic news for this sector. The increasing funding going to community-based transitional housing and Housing First initiatives is what is needed to support those who are homeless to be homed. Lyndon Keene, director of policy and research at the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said, \u201Cthe Government\u2019s health budget revealed today offers some relief to the cash-strapped public health system but clearly more will be required to fix years of under-resourcing.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f1a0d9547fd4675a62132370c5bd2d7\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Goldsmith will stand, withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022557c93dec2eb435182c89a08698d005d\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224e4af03766794727a4f547b66b7751ba\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Priorities\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022 data-id=\u0022a99f8979d6bb4f51a057fc4cdcd439e1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a99f8979d6bb4f51a057fc4cdcd439e1\u0022\u003EHon AMY ADAMS (National\u2014Selwyn)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement, \u201CIt\u2019s a perfect Budget I knew it was\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022c7fac003d328448a98fa63da6ac1e013\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c7fac003d328448a98fa63da6ac1e013\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E In keeping with my well-deserved reputation for modesty, I made that comment in jest at the end of my post-Budget speech on Friday when there were no questions from the audience, indicating that all 600 of them were happy with the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c5925496d6b84d22ba57d4c4e66fe777\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Well, if that comment was made in jest, were the tax deductions only available to \u201Cgood-looking horses\u201D also meant to be a joke?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022243106098aa54cc9a2b7e7a30b057425\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely not. The bloodstock tax initiative actually puts in place a policy that was first put forward between 2005 and 2008, that that Government failed to deliver on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d75aba7118724baeb263566dc0ed7ecb\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Could I\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022756bfbb08b17435580d2e7f8334b871a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! Could the member resume his seat? The only reason that there are not a substantial number of deductions from the National Party for those interjections was the fact that there were a significant number from my right as well. I know the House is excited, but I think it can just settle down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ada186f7eb724398bab1c40ee0038c16\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Now that the subject has been raised by the Opposition, is the Government\u2019s intention in its bloodstock policy, with respect to races, to pay the money out to horses that can look good or run fast?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226db2233c0882486c868552fb0e8dd405\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: The intention here is that horses that can breed other horses that can both look good and run fast will be supported.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b3b04474194a4f4fb5534687980b9849\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister think it\u2019s perfect to be increasing Crown debt by billions of dollars in nominal terms during a period of rising surpluses and solid economic growth, and under what economic conditions would he actually pay off debt?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ac7c090e3c642f398fe0d738fd9c41a\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: We are beginning to pay off debt at the end of this forecast period, which will indeed be the economic conditions we talked about. But as I\u2019ve been going around talking about the Budget, it\u2019s actually members of the business community who\u2019ve been saying, \u201CWe think you should borrow more because we\u2019ve got a desperate need for infrastructure that wasn\u2019t funded by the previous Government.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cbc1e7daccb425f8402001641137f0b\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Is it perfect that he\u2019s planning to have 14 out of the next 15 years with residual cash deficits, as shown in Treasury\u2019s Fiscal Strategy Model, despite the solid economic conditions that he inherited?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275bee92c647741c3b2d2f1e5a465a697\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the previous Government also had some residual cash deficits in their forecast as well. But I just repeat: there is a desperate need in New Zealand to invest in quality infrastructure, all the way from housing to education to health to our transport system, and we\u2019re getting on with the job.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220583b02de2d641fd9cd63c0c778f9cd5\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Does he consider it perfect that the Government offers nothing for the squeezed middle in the Budget, with increased taxes, no action on ending school donations, no action on their early childhood education promises, no universal cheaper GP visits, and the Government already having taken $1,000 a year off the average worker in cancelling tax cuts?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022050d6ed2799e4154b779d2e4e1cae364\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m interested in the member\u2019s recent conversion to universalism in the provision of social services and look forward to seeing some more policies in that regard. What I can say is that the Families Package reaches middle-income New Zealanders because we are actually restoring the funding for Working for Families that was undermined for years by the previous Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a260e6412507467c87d4b3941ce65c9f\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Is he confident of the accuracy of Treasury\u2019s economic forecasts given that his future operating allowances and debt to GDP track rely heavily on those numbers, or does he consider that Treasury are, in the words of his colleague Phil Twyford, \u201Ccompletely disconnected from reality\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218b4c8b10f944181b73a4db439b54819\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I think, in general, Treasury do good forecasting about the big GDP numbers. We\u2019ll always have differences of opinion with them from time to time, but I\u2019d also say to the member that every Budget that\u2019s been produced since the Public Finance Act was created is based on future Budget forecasts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e55f797309a4241b2008415e261e3c7\u0022\u003EKiritapu Allan\u003C/span\u003E: Noting the various feedback that the Minister has had, what negative responses has he seen to Budget 2019 announcements?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264a29da9c10a4a5fb6f0ddeac8764a46\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sure the member means Budget 2018, as we haven\u2019t had the opportunity to do that. Naturally, not all commentators are positive or well informed. I\u2019ve received some commentary that Pharmac will be losing $200 million from its budget. Pharmac themselves announced that the combined pharmaceutical budget will be increased to a record level of $985 million, an increase of just under $114 million. I\u2019ve also heard reports that this Government will be reducing the level of services available to stop child exploitation material. The Department of Internal Affairs instead states that it\u2019s boosting the workforce from 15 to 27.5. I\u2019ve further heard reports that instead of targeting spending on middle and low income families, we should instead be offering to \u201Creturn $1,000 a week to the average worker\u201D, and early\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be9b882bd8144229b4b9ebd56fad0d27\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! That\u2019s enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022aafc852a50934fea9bfcbd86c8482682\u0022\u003EHousing and Urban Development, Minister\u2014Statements about Treasury\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u00220716989299c34007acf5cb4820bceb62\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220716989299c34007acf5cb4820bceb62\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (National\u2014Papakura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: Does he stand by all his reported statements regarding Budget 2018?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022b9d21c94e4444a6e9ec199f66c6031a7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b9d21c94e4444a6e9ec199f66c6031a7\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E Yes\u2014except my description of Treasury officials; I accept the Prime Minister\u2019s advice that this went a little too far. But I agree with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance that Treasury\u2019s forecast is wrong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6d0488c7ccf44269f80134624c91fce\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: If he no longer believes he should have called Treasury \u201Ckids\u201D who were \u201Cfresh out of university and \u2026 completely disconnected from reality\u201D, then why did he do it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ed6a36356b7474e9c1f4f45f36c82d9\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I accept the Prime Minister\u2019s advice that that choice of words went a little too far.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002292081d1d54224077a3544238ea43747e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, the Minister will answer the question\u2014at least, address it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e83e7d20c92140509fedaa6ed3c79e7b\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Repeat the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d7e5d3697c64c0facabae8d7c6b3c59\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Essentially, why did he call them that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b34678fe5964c559bb13c19e47b0319\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Because I was frustrated at forecasts that had been made by Treasury that were blatantly wrong.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220070b5e51e4a4688aa83421c6202e5c5\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Has he received ministerial advice that some of the Treasury analysts are completely disconnected from reality when they have said that there is a \u201Chigh degree of uncertainty\u201D regarding impact of KiwiBuild policies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022979ca5c1a63544eaba931e91afec27f5\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Look, I think everyone should take a turn at being wrong. I got the price points wrong last week; that member is wrong almost every week. It shouldn\u2019t surprise anybody that with a policy that\u2019s as big and complex as KiwiBuild, different Government agencies will end up with different views.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022680bf00b9e7d4fe9af410aadc35d0b39\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: When he told the media last Friday that in relation to KiwiBuild and Budget 2018 \u201CTreasury have made a number of highly questionable assumptions\u201D, what are those highly questionable assumptions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d38e59de1f904a5a932e05846d158331\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, Treasury previously assumed that the $2 billion appropriation would be spent in two halves over the next two years and recycled thereafter. They changed that assumption, and they now think that it will happen over three years. That assumption is wrong. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), on the other hand, estimate that KiwiBuild will generate between $4.8 billion and $11.6 billion in additional residential construction investment over that period. MBIE, who are implementing this policy, have pointed out that Treasury\u2019s assumption excludes the fact that the KiwiBuild capital investment will be recycled repeatedly. They\u2019ve included those homes that will be paid for on completion or built because of the KiwiBuild underwrite, and they\u2019ve ignored the actual expenditure plan of KiwiBuild.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002283325fadc2fb40698bb14ceb340f3730\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: What does he know as a Minister that means he is better qualified than Treasury analysts to make assumptions as to the economic impact of KiwiBuild in Budget 2018 and on the economy of New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3ab10ffeda5419691fe389ea6aa9e26\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: When Government officials give advice, it is just that; it\u2019s advice, and in this case, I believe that MBIE\u2019s advice is better grounded in the reality of the policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002294be897045ec4221ab92ecbcb3087664\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Housing Initiatives\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022 data-id=\u0022460d5035f3194af7b33f562e5a0f340d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022460d5035f3194af7b33f562e5a0f340d\u0022\u003EMARJA LUBECK (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: How will the initiatives in Budget 2018 and the Government\u2019s 100-day plan build more homes for Kiwi families?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u002256df56cd93254c71ab6b1d2ae218af40\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002256df56cd93254c71ab6b1d2ae218af40\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E Through Budget 2018, the Government will build 6,400 more public homes for families in need and expand the Housing First programme. As a result of this measure, 6,400 more families will have stable and secure homes and 1,472 more Kiwis will be participating in Housing First. That comes on top of our commitment to provide shelter to 1,500 more families by the end of winter through our winter 2018 package, and build 100,000 affordable homes through KiwiBuild.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022087ce8328d54491a93e8f9591eb65e6d\u0022\u003EMarja Lubeck\u003C/span\u003E: How many new houses will be built under these plans?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc37c3ef0cc04a77aab8fb7e0348c189\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) estimate that at least 5,800 of the 6,400 new public homes will be new builds, depending on the plans of individual community housing providers. This is on top of KiwiBuild, which may deliver up to $11 billion in additional residential construction over the next four years, as we build 100,000 homes for first-home buyers by 2028.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf41bea0bf844bfbb7c21d96d97a1acf\u0022\u003EMarja Lubeck\u003C/span\u003E: How will the initiatives in Budget 2018 help reduce the public housing register?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f7fcff58462a4a04836aef07c295217a\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, we\u2019ve known for some time that the national housing crisis and hidden homelessness was worse than we thought, and it will get worse before it gets better. But Budget 2018 is the first step in tackling the national housing crisis right across the housing continuum. We\u2019re investing in Housing First, providing short-term transitional housing for 34,000 households, building more public houses, building affordable homes for 100,000 first-home buyers, and increasing the supply of market housing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222e67bd9e8ceb4036b6483ffed473a28b\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Education Commitments\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2571e6068d14af7b76056747dee6faa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2571e6068d14af7b76056747dee6faa\u0022\u003EHon NIKKI KAYE (National\u2014Auckland Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all his promises in education; and if so, does he agree with Labour\u2019s Education spokesperson, Chris Hipkins, who said on the morning of 26 October 2017, that the end of school donations will be in his first Budget?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00229979fa8feb7b441eb73601ebbab327da\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229979fa8feb7b441eb73601ebbab327da\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E In answer to the first part of the question, yes. In answer to the second part of the question, as Minister of Education I\u2019ve been clear that the commitments in the Speech from the Throne, the coalition agreement, and the confidence and supply agreement would all be considered as part of the first and subsequent Budget processes. Budget 2018 marks the biggest increase in education spending in over a decade. However, it will take some time to deal with the nine years of neglect we inherited.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247d6f1519d2c4fb9a38f949a457a7dd1\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Is he telling this House that on the morning that he was sworn in as a Minister, where he committed to end school donations, it\u2019s not valid because he hadn\u2019t signed his ministerial warrant; if so, are all promises that he made prior to signing this warrant invalid?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227ded09c045714a90b8ee13d33a96db00\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Budget 2018 had to accommodate the largest cost pressures due to population growth in several decades. We are not happy to leave kids in corridors, libraries, and gymnasiums because their schools don\u2019t have classrooms to put them in and because we cannot recruit teachers to put in their classrooms because of the neglect that we inherited from the previous Government. That does not mean that we are not going to deliver on those commitments. To quote Rachel Hunter, \u201CIt won\u2019t happen overnight, but it will happen.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ece0dbfadc84950a19cebdccd751d02\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Not for me, it won\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264b85860482442b2ab75982a7aa7d7ff\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by his statement on 12 February 2018 as a Minister, when he refused to talk about the cost of his Government\u2019s donation policy because it was \u201CBudget sensitive\u201D; and does he think that he misled parents who had an expectation that school donation funding would be in this Budget?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8a2bfa7ab994eda88436b31fbbd3c5c\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Budget matters are considered over several Budget cycles, as the former Minister should be well aware. It was considered as part of this year\u2019s Budget. It didn\u2019t make it up in this year\u2019s Budget. It will be considered as part of subsequent Budgets.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b826d3d65934eafa8e65202155dee3b\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Does he stand by promises he made to increase teacher pay after Budget 2018 slashed $47 million in potential salary payments for teachers and principals, making him one of the only education Ministers\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ab2b1c340077413abf9edfff4d0a4826\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! That\u2019s an unnecessary part of a question. I\u2019m not going to rule it out, but I\u2019m going to ask the Minister to answer the first part.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee062fe19e324baa8fbcefcfc3a59484\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m unclear where the member gets her fiction that we\u2019ve cut funding for teacher salaries from. It certainly wasn\u2019t in this year\u2019s Budget. I don\u2019t know where she possibly could have made that up from.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ca4dfa870314f79b8ee5c42b6790b3b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The Minister will now stand, withdraw, and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214fc31a0f0cc48aaad1e7f69d2545b89\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f4d908d15b954b1bb211e962833a11f1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I hope the Minister\u2019s not going to litigate my ruling. He should know very well that members cannot indicate that other members have made something up, because if they\u2019ve made it up they would know it\u2019s not true and they would be breaching the Standing Orders in a number of ways.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f7a06fb3e8c497b96ba10500a9109fa\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: Why should parents and teachers be able to rely on promises that he makes when he\u2019s broken more than 18 education promises, including providing funding to end school donations, to provide devices for all students, increasing postgraduate allowances\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f118c75f8cd48b7baaaa7395de86343\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member\u2019s not going to go through the list.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2d10c1-43b7-41d9-9f5c-0c313f70e625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223d4090fd8ed04211acb0d4765794b026\u0022\u003EHon Nikki Kaye\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014providing vocational excellence awards, $20,000 grants for young entrepreneurs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe8d465bc0c94fe8a5dd726b92043f09\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s a clear difference between a broken promise and one that is yet to be delivered upon. For example, if we\u2019d promised to lower teacher-child ratios in early childhood services and nine years later failed to deliver on that, that would be a broken promise. If we\u2019d promised to lift the daily cap on the number of hours for children in early childhood services and nine years later failed to deliver it, that would be a broken promise. Those are just two examples of the countless broken promises of the previous Government. Unlike them, this Government will deliver on the promises we made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022051489a3fb824fc09f3ae7ee304a4e96\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Mental Health Funding\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022 data-id=\u002263e9ca5422424cfdbab851e58bdaba3a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002263e9ca5422424cfdbab851e58bdaba3a\u0022\u003EMATT DOOCEY (National\u2014Waimakariri)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: How much new funding is there for mental health in Budget 2018, and what unsuccessful bids did the Minister of Health make, if any?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u002230b2b8ddc5124ee1abfbaf2f169260ee\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002230b2b8ddc5124ee1abfbaf2f169260ee\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance)\u003C/span\u003E: I have been advised that increased funding to district health boards (DHBs) in Budget 2018 will see a minimum expected extra $50 million per year for four years going to mental health services. On top of that, Budget 2018 also provided for $17 million for more nurses in secondary schools, $10.5 million for an integrated therapies pilot for 18- to 25-year-olds. In addition, this Government has already allocated $22 million for mental health services in Christchurch and Kaik\u014Dura schools. In answer to the second part of the question, all Budget bids were carefully considered, and in keeping with the practice of previous Ministers of Finance, I will not be revealing the details of them in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d53f7e73373c408babb4023b7b5acc6a\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: So is the Minister saying that the Minister of Health did not bid for free mental health GP visits or mental health coordinators in primary care, as promised in November?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226a9774230e304ffeb42a1ec625f69e08\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b1a4cd867714fa9b0206c078e3b0853\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: Does his new funding for mental health in Budget 2018 match the $100 million contingency fund his Government inherited from Budget 2017; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f44a86f0117431499561e435e834d82\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: The $25 million per year that was promised but not detailed by the previous Government is, in fact, eclipsed by the additional $50 million per year that will be coming via DHBs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f65ac37a12664917b0c35f5fc6a1a78f\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: What does he say to the New Zealand Drug Foundation, who said in reference to Budget 2018 funding, \u201CSo it looks like we all have to wait until the mental health and addictions inquiry for any new money for treatment. That\u2019s really disappointing.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002294f123ec4ff7494ca1fd28894082df6b\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: As I said in my primary answer, we expect to have an additional $50 million per year going to mental health services. I\u2019d also note that the feedback that we\u2019ve had is that people who are affected by mental health issues and their families are very pleased that we are taking the time to do an inquiry and come up with the right responses rather than band-aid election year ideas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002218c3f31252f44629ad522c60afb12c89\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: So is the Minister satisfied a mental health inquiry that costs $6.5 million allows only 15 days for the public to make oral submissions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223af3db2274ab4895a1879e77912dc6a4\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I believe that the inquiry will provide significantly more\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221314f1e2ea094027b87f267d0061f34f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! No, I\u2019ve just reflected on the question\u2014no responsibility whatsoever.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216c2c8ed0b034581a1479b6a5b07a492\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. In response to supplementary question three, the Minister brought up the mental health inquiry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224f48684bc13c4ad0b614bbb1da7e028a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and just because it\u2019s referred to doesn\u2019t mean that the Minister has responsibility for it. The Minister said funding would occur after the inquiry. The details of the inquiry are not this Minister\u2019s responsibility.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f2f6f809f0e44fefa62c04175c17833e\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This question was originally for the Minister of Health, as you know. If he wasn\u2019t in hiding, it would be helpful to ask him that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276b8a2a4637343949f94049723beb8a5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The National Party just lost five supplementary questions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fbe53c3a77494887a36fcbc247d18555\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Public Broadcasting Funding\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u0022fd82eca0572f4f7da379e6527b06d335\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fd82eca0572f4f7da379e6527b06d335\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media: Does she stand by all her policy commitments?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dc9308ecb4a14f5784353d65b844576a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, before the Minister answers, I\u2019m also going to require Matt Doocey to withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d30ca3a92d364b8489ea0c51ed106d95\u0022\u003EMatt Doocey\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022 data-id=\u0022d720eee807fd482f81b1d93fe0fe87e2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d720eee807fd482f81b1d93fe0fe87e2\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN (Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context they were given.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002213a60b9b32c341fca831dd184a8ab7d8\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Does she consider it a broken promise that she only managed to obtain funding of $15 million in Budget 2018, given that in a Cabinet paper released on 25 February 2018 she sought $152 million over four years to deliver on the Labour Party election promise?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dccca4eb699c40068f83420f1c6901e0\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: First of all, I reject the premise of that question. Secondly, $15 million is the largest increase in public broadcasting in more than a decade. The Minister of Finance has described this as a down payment. It is part of a foundation Budget. It\u2019s going to take more than one Budget to fix the starvation of public media by the previous Government. We have three years to implement this policy, and a Budget bid in the next year will address the long-term needs of the public media sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224ddc40b731df40d989b023ac16af3bc7\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I didn\u2019t want to disturb the Minister when she was speaking, but if it is actually in the Cabinet paper, can she actually dispute it? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224209628787c64ea7b3b492fb1e7fe019\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member has addressed the question. Members mightn\u2019t like the answer or might question the accuracy of it. I think the best way of sorting it out is by the member asking a more detailed supplementary on that question. The trouble was she had two legs, and therefore it was easier to address. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0e870b931d544e5b61d9a0b5c142c79\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Plenty of time. Does she agree with the chair of Better Public Media, Dr Peter Thompson, that \u201CIt is doubtful that $15m will be sufficient to develop RNZ\u002B into a non-commercial television service\u201D and that RNZ\u002B needs somewhere between $25 million and $30 million to have a chance of success?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c83bf9b90cc245ba9e3ba0b10e2a5f8d\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: At the risk of repeating the whole of the previous answer, I would say that $15 million is significantly more than the measly $2.84 million that the previous Government allocated last year, after nearly a decade of funding freezes. I have said it\u2019s going to take more than one Budget to fix the starvation of the public media sector under her Government, and that\u2019s why we\u2019ve got three years to implement this policy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b70ece0260fa41af9d03a768b33ad0fe\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m going to ask the member to repeat the question. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cef6bdd52f0c4c08815cc1cb4f69cf12\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Does she agree with the chair of Better Public Media, Dr Peter Thompson, that \u201CIt is doubtful that $15m will be sufficient to develop RNZ\u002B into a non-commercial television service\u201D and that RNZ\u002B needs somewhere between $25 million and $30 million to have a chance of success? Simple question. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e82f62ef26dc43848251d37a0a52bea7\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: I understand the frustration of Better Public Media because this sector has been so\u2014[Interruption] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac4cb1e2deb2443f8853ce8616a074ad\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222aa0b524-c38d-45aa-bd5b-99c5927085f4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002297948427eede49419c0a18987b0b9489\u0022\u003EHon CLARE CURRAN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014chronically underfunded, so I agree with his frustration. We cannot deliver\u2014every single Minister has had to make compromises in this Budget. We will deliver. We have three years to do that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d4b08b11903b40d59f889402583e30b3\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Early Childhood Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u002259515181413746a38f50c67e83dc8ddf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002259515181413746a38f50c67e83dc8ddf\u0022\u003EJAN TINETTI (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: How does Budget 2018 support quality and affordable education and care for children aged six and below?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022b2517649304d43288e3c41809c5a7c02\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b2517649304d43288e3c41809c5a7c02\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E This year\u2019s Budget commits $105 million over four years to increase funding rates for early childhood education (ECE) centres and k\u014Dhanga reo. This is the first universal, full inflation adjustment to subsidies for ECE centres and k\u014Dhanga reo in 10 years. It will assist them to manage increasing costs of provision and maintain the quality and affordability for parents and families. For a two-year-old enrolled in full-time education and care, this could add up to an additional support of around $100 per year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221bdbc31c2d7e480fb5927c2791408c5c\u0022\u003EJan Tinetti\u003C/span\u003E: How is the coalition Government working with the early childhood sector to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, learning needs, or disability, receive early learning that enables them to learn and thrive in all aspects of their life? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002228192a2c12dd456f96f395dbeeb8f166\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re working with parents, teachers, stakeholders, and communities to develop a new 10-year strategic plan for early childhood education, building on the previous strategic plan for early childhood education discontinued by the last Government. We want to ensure that increasing participation in early childhood education is accompanied by an increase in the quality of early childhood education being received. We understand the importance of early learning and getting children off to a great start with their learning, and we do know that the sector has been under significant pressure over the last decade. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227151fa05e63346b68916644e2853a686\u0022\u003EJan Tinetti\u003C/span\u003E: What is the coalition Government doing to address the long waiting lists for early intervention services for children before they start school? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0a3884c20fc4c89a5343391f847dbe3\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Budget 2018 has provided funding to halve the current waiting list for early intervention services for children before they start school. The $21.5 million being spent over the next four years will help over 7,600 more children get the support that they need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223b32323a0ebe4d4abbb59eef393903ee\u0022\u003EPrisons\u2014Future of Waikeria Prison\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022586ecca9c08b40bbad46daf0aa0ee5eb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022586ecca9c08b40bbad46daf0aa0ee5eb\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Corrections: Does he stand by all his recent decisions and statements relating to the corrections portfolio?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022e2e5ca684faf4f0f94d7ada4ec103889\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e2e5ca684faf4f0f94d7ada4ec103889\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister of Corrections):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, in the context they were made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220aebcbb1c76347cca3afc3d330f940d5\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: When did the Minister first take a paper to Cabinet regarding plans over Waikeria, and how many has he taken since then?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d652dbf95c7147c9a7cbfd1aa2accc0d\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS\u003C/span\u003E: I can\u2019t remember the exact date, but I have taken a couple of papers to Cabinet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dfb464d525924d95a9ae3ec292d5b42b\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Minister certainly would be able to remember a date\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227928424e860c4d10acbcaae79e025497\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The question around the quality of the answer is one for me to judge, and the Minister very clearly addressed the question and indicated that he could not remember the exact date. That\u2019s addressing the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2439dfb48e846e1957a1828bdc55920\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Minister guarantee the safety of corrections staff without the Waikeria Prison build, when Public Services Association spokesperson Willie Cochrane has asked, \u201CIf [the] expansion isn\u2019t going ahead, we want to hear what \u2026 he\u2019ll do to expand the capacity of our prisons in the short term and keep our members safe in the workplace.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222135adef82b44c3da9ff6b2905fb4972\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re aware of the concerns of corrections officers and the unions, and take their feedback into account when making decisions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221950028ec59e4d869b8c374813b5fbb3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Question No. 12\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa5772315a144818aa3b7eb1f0985fb8\u0022\u003EHon David Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b05345d64144b3c843fc859792b867b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, you\u2019ve had all the supplementaries.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b473ee79ba254346bc48a7608c73189e\u0022\u003EBudget 2018\u2014Benefits for M\u0101ori\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u0022ed28ee78c3ba4bc297498eb8c4b2044d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ed28ee78c3ba4bc297498eb8c4b2044d\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for M\u0101ori Development: What initiatives in Budget 2018 and the Government\u2019s 100-day plan will benefit M\u0101ori?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022 data-id=\u002211f36dd3327f4b4180fc5cbe0da1ae92\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002211f36dd3327f4b4180fc5cbe0da1ae92\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for M\u0101ori Development):\u003C/span\u003E There are so many\u2014so, so many\u2014which will give M\u0101ori an assurance that as we turn this waka around, we\u2019re looking to improve the well-being in a number of ways, such as the Families Package, which will see a transfer of approximately $1.2 billion to M\u0101ori wh\u0101nau. But let\u2019s go to the 100-day plan, because that\u2019s where we see the real gains. We\u2019ve raised the minimum wage to $16.50 since April. We\u2019ve set child poverty targets, and we know this is an area that crucially hurts a number of M\u0101ori children. We\u2019ve stopped State house sell-offs, which had a huge impact on a number of our wh\u0101nau in our communities\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022002b4237581b47a8b9e4772ee80e0bf5\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! When I stand up, the Minister sits down. She\u2019s had a fair crack.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002260022189efd049cf94a8ecb4958f8dcd\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: How will the Families Package benefit M\u0101ori wh\u0101nau?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b40e9817b1fd4bde98099e1fb76f241c\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: This Budget is focused on wh\u0101nau, and the Families Package will transfer approximately $1.2 billion directly into the pockets of M\u0101ori families in a number of ways. But let\u2019s speak to the real impact that it could have\u2014the winter energy payment, for example. That will make a huge impact for a number of families, including M\u0101ori, and people can turn on their heater when they need it most. The other thing is that in terms of the Best Start tax credit, approximately 17,000 M\u0101ori babies will receive that, and how much of a difference it will make to families who need it most. There\u2019s so much\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002216355133da5b4eec838e59d7f8daae34\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dcf355dfb3214cd68d1dcabb739f6678\u0022\u003ERino Tirikatene\u003C/span\u003E: How will the other initiatives help improve the lives of M\u0101ori?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220e7e8da2-a6a1-41bb-aeb0-a49be255a293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f146033cbcb445788c2c7285f105724\u0022\u003EHon NANAIA MAHUTA\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there are a number of specific initiatives that really align with the priorities that the Government has set. For example, we want to make sure that the young people who are disengaged from education, employment, and training will actually benefit. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve set aside $15 million, of which Minister Willie Jackson will be stewarding through $7 million, around the Whenua M\u0101ori Fund, because we know that M\u0101ori land owners need support to develop their land and, potentially, plug into other opportunities around regional development. But, more importantly, what we do in the space of papak\u0101inga will not be just about building houses. It will be creating communities, encouraging social enterprise, and doing a lot of good for a lot of people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea7cd01034b94152a62f2550028a4ee8\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Could I ask the Minister as to whether or not she\u2019s had representations on the improvement of M\u0101ori housing and health from the Leader of the Opposition, who\u2019s discovered his M\u0101oridom somewhat the way Columbus discovered America\u2014purely by accident?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241eb4be1bc0c4c0c891d570216ebd5c8\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! That question is ruled out, and because we\u2019re at a point in question time where rebalancing is somewhat ineffectual, I think there\u2019ll be a number of extra questions tomorrow which I\u2019ll communicate to the Opposition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00223b703c50147e457391b37db7fcd034dc\u0022\u003EBudget Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002289b7da0e4b4641c39957946670cb11bd\u0022\u003EBudget Debate\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000181\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 17 May.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u00225b0e4a04dff345cf853f683fd5fd1149\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225b0e4a04dff345cf853f683fd5fd1149\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Associate Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E We won, they lost, let\u2019s do this! Some of those with a historical perspective, like the Hon Nick Smith, will recognise a historical reference in that saying, updated to reflect the kinder and more inclusive approach of this Government. We won, they lost, let\u2019s do this\u2014and we are doing this. We\u2019re rebuilding the foundations for the future across the board for a stronger economy, for a fairer, more egalitarian society, and for a clean environment. And\u2014and this is galling for the other side, but it\u2019s true\u2014we\u2019re in surplus. Growth forecasts are strong. Unemployment is dropping. Wages are going up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe improvements that this Budget is making reinforce each other. We\u2019ve chosen solutions that make society stronger at the same time as making the economy stronger. We\u2019re promoting measures that improve the efficiency of the rural economy while we clean up our rivers. This interconnection of things is something that I think is notable in this Budget. Other people have spoken about the significant improvements in funding for education, and we heard some of it during question time. A tripling of new funding for learning support for children in need\u2014this is enormous. The parents who struggle, the schools that struggle with kids who need extra support, the disruption that\u2019s been caused in the classroom by those kids not properly supported\u2014there is an enormous step towards improvement in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThere is the large increase in operating funding for schools, the additional support for preschool education, and, of course, the post-school training and education to help those New Zealanders whose employment might be disrupted through technological change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EIn health, $700 million of new capital funding\u2014seven times the amount in the last Budget of the National Government. In housing, we\u2019ve not only stopped the selling off of State houses; we\u2019re building over 6,000 new State houses in the next four years. That\u2019s more than our election promise, in the Labour Party part of our promises, of 1,000 a year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EIn the economy\u2014the Opposition\u2019s now headed by the Hon Simon Bridges. He still believes in trickle-down theory. You know, it\u2019s true: exports have trickled down under the last Government from 30 to 27 percent of GDP, against an ambition to lift them to 40 percent of GDP. But we on this side, we don\u2019t believe in trickle-down theory. We do not think it works. We think we have to lift the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EMy goodness, there is some significant economic policy in this Budget. First off, we\u2019re introducing a research and development tax credit. It\u2019s worth a billion dollars over four years. That\u2019s, effectively, a tax cut for businesses that are investing in research and development of a billion dollars\u2014a billion-dollar tax cut in support of innovation, as we try and lift New Zealand\u2019s export performance by growing the complexity of our economy as we move from volume to value.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EBut that\u2019s not all: a billion dollars per annum in the Provincial Growth Fund\u2014investments up and down the country in productivity-enhancing measures in our regions, where so much of our exports come from. This will be transformative. You add to that the green growth capital fund of $100 million, and you can see how we are supporting this transition to a cleaner environment, whilst we\u2019re also growing the productivity of our economy, growing new jobs. You know, at one level, economics don\u2019t change. In order for us to reverse that trend of declining exports under the last Government, we\u2019ve got to grow new points of comparative advantage in the world. That means we\u2019ve got to invest more of our precious financial capital and more of our human resources in those efforts, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing through the R \u0026amp; D tax credit, the Provincial Growth Fund, and the green growth fund.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EIn addition to that, we\u2019ve got more funding for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Now, the other side deride that. They seem to miss the fact that we\u2019re on the brink of a trade war. Maybe we\u2019ve just averted it in the weekend, as between China and the US. I hope that\u2019s the case. But none the less, we\u2019ve got rising protectionism all around the world. All around the world, our exporters are facing non-tariff barriers, and we\u2019re finding it harder and harder to dismantle the tariff barriers they face.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWell, we\u2019ve got an enormous programme of action. It was, of course, the last Labour Government, in concert with other partners at the time, that brought home the China free-trade agreement. We\u2019ve landed the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. We hope in the next day that we\u2019re going to start what the National Party could not achieve in nine long years, which is a negotiation with the European Union. If we do\u2014well, I heard the other side slagging off the Prime Minister when she went to Europe, saying it was a photo opportunity, that there was no substance to it. Well, what was the focus of that? It was trade, trade, trade, with President Macron, with Chancellor Merkel. If this comes off, we can say well done to the Prime Minister, because you never know exactly what it is that tips the balance but it has been hanging in the balance. We\u2019re doing this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u00228a9217873b4d4023b02f96553fa947a8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228a9217873b4d4023b02f96553fa947a8\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E This House is full of contrasts. On this side of the House, we are coalition Government, united in our purpose of laying the foundations for a confident and prosperous New Zealand, committed to rebuilding public services that all Kiwis need and deserve. Our Government believes that every Kiwi family deserves a warm, dry home. We want to end homelessness, to build more State housing, and to ensure that everyday Kiwis can afford to buy their own home. This Budget tackles the national housing crisis head-on. New Zealanders have told us they want the housing crisis fixed, and that is exactly what we are going to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EBut on the other side of the House, what do they stand for? Well, who would know? National want us to spend more, but also spend less. They want us to borrow more, but also pay down debt faster. They say that the priority is tax cuts, and then, on the other hand, the priority is health and education. Are they unhappy that we\u2019re investing too much, or too little? Perhaps it\u2019s the record investments in health and education and housing, after a decade of neglect. Perhaps those are the things that they don\u2019t like, on that side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EBut inconsistency isn\u2019t the only problem here. Simon Bridges, in his bizarre Budget reply, said that National were investing more in health\u2014a laughable assertion. Amy Adams says that we\u2019ve cut Pharmac\u2019s funding, despite the combined pharmaceutical budget being increased by $114 million, to $985 million in this Budget year. Then, Amy Adams said that we were cutting the internal affairs child sex abuse team\u2014an incredible accusation to make and one that is utterly false because we are increasing, we are doubling, the size of the team.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s not forget National\u2019s claim that we inherited a residential building boom. If there was a boom going on, it was the quietest boom in history. A silent boom is what we inherited from that Government\u2014a boom so quiet that only 8,600 new homes were built in Auckland last year, when the city needs 14,000 just to stand still. Is it any wonder that we inherited a shortage of 71,000 houses in this country from that Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EI\u2019m going to call it: the biggest winner of Budget 2018 was Judith Collins\u2019 leadership ambitions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud of Budget 2018 and the work of Grant Robertson in putting it together. Budget 2018 lays the foundations for New Zealanders to have better lives in the decades ahead. It starts with the critical rebuilding of public services, taking action on child poverty, housing and homelessness, and investing in our economic future. This Budget is also the first step in tackling the national housing crisis. Our Government is making a multibillion-dollar investment to build public housing and thousands of affordable homes to help house our most vulnerable people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003ENow, for me, this conversation begins and ends with this: that no one in this country thinks that it\u2019s OK for children to be growing up in the back of a car. New Zealanders have said unequivocally\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226df02f33682148379707323f0f50c773\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: But it\u2019s going to get worse, right?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232141a061e5546a7a474550ff5dffac8\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014that homelessness is unacceptable. Amy Adams said it\u2019s going to get worse before it gets better, and she\u2019s right because the legacy of nine years of utter negligence in relation to the housing crisis means that you can\u2019t fix this problem in six months\u2014it\u2019s going to take longer than that. But this Budget lays the foundation for fixing those problems. Through this Budget, we\u2019re building 6,400 extra State houses and\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fc3a70d04c3043eda60e684f658c65a2\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Slower\u2014slower. Slower than it was going to happen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e33d196b4bbe42e58ed8c5963f311075\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014community-provided houses. And the member again tries to claim that it\u2019s more\u2014or she\u2019s saying it\u2019s less than her Government did. Her Government presided over a reduction in the total supply of public housing of 1,500 houses over nine years, in the middle of a housing crisis. We\u2019re not selling them off. That\u2019s not our policy; our policy is to build more houses, and that\u2019s what Budget 2018 does.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThe coalition Government is investing $169 million to address the shortfall, to achieve the target of 2,155 emergency and transitional housing places. That\u2019s a commitment that that former Government promised, but they never funded it properly. Budget 2018 not only funds it properly but it extends the supply of emergency housing and Housing First, that that Government started but didn\u2019t fund properly. This Government is investing $63 million to support 1,472 Housing First places. This includes funding for 550 new places as well as fully funding the places that the former Government promised but never followed through on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EHousing First is a world-recognised approach for helping people who find themselves literally without shelter. It\u2019s an acclaimed method for dealing with chronic homelessness, and we are now not only continuing the work in Auckland, in Hamilton, and in the extension of Housing First to Wellington and Tauranga, but we are now rolling it out to places around the regions, like Rotorua, like Blenheim in Marlborough, like the Far North\u2014places who are experiencing acute levels of unmet need and homelessness. Homelessness is not just a big-city problem; it is severely affecting a number of our regional centres.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s much to do, and this Government, with Budget 2018, is getting on with laying the foundations for fixing the housing crisis. Homeownership rates have fallen to the lowest in 60 years, with M\u0101ori homeownership declining to only 28 percent\u201428 percent. That is why we are investing $2.1 billion to build 100,000 affordable homes for first-home buyers\u2014100,000 affordable homes for first-home buyers Now, if there\u2019s ever any doubt about this Government\u2019s commitment to the housing crisis, look at what we are currently investing in this work: $862 million in a range of initiatives announced in Budget 2018, nearly $4 billion invested in the building of extra State housing\u2014$4 billion\u2014$235 million in income-related rent subsidies, and $3.8 billion invested by Housing New Zealand in the building of extra State houses. Now, that Government, when they were in office, took more than a billion dollars out of Housing New Zealand in dividends and taxes and interest payments, and put that money straight back into the consolidated account. Our Government\u2019s policy is to invest those surpluses in the building of new State houses, and that is exactly what we\u2019re going to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EFurthermore, KiwiBuild will, through our buying off the plans programme, enable developments to be completed that otherwise would not have been undertaken. It will speed up developments that are not happening, and it will ensure the construction of new affordable homes, not McMansions that ordinary young Kiwi families can\u2019t possibly afford to buy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003EThis Budget delivers on our commitments. In the Speech from the Throne, we committed to be a Government of inclusion. Everyone who lives in this country is entitled to live a life of dignity and respect. Everyone is entitled to live meaningful lives to the best of their ability. Everyone is entitled to care and compassion. Everyone should have a roof over their head this winter, and everybody should have food and a table to put it on. We committed to being a Government of transformation, one that will lift up those who have been forgotten or neglected; a Government that will take action on poverty and homelessness. We will restore funding to the education and health systems after nine years of neglect in health and education. We will build a truly fair and prosperous nation, together. We are committed to being a Government of aspiration, one that aspires to make this a nation where all cultures and human rights are valued and where everyone can have decent housing and meaningful work. This Budget lays the foundations for that vision.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022 data-id=\u00229fe940a8e3ab4e0199c9289987d7e1b2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229fe940a8e3ab4e0199c9289987d7e1b2\u0022\u003EHon AMY ADAMS (National\u2014Selwyn):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Deputy Speaker, thank you very much. The tragedy, for me, of this Budget is that it is a Budget of wasted opportunities. This is a Government that has inherited some of the strongest economic conditions that any incoming Government in more than a generation has had at their disposal, and yet they have wasted those strong economic conditions that, yes, this Government was a part of, but, actually, it was the hard work of New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EThe Government spent weeks and weeks talking down the Budget, didn\u2019t they\u2014talking down expectations and lowering expectations. The incredible thing is they didn\u2019t go low enough. We were all expecting that they were going to lower expectations and then over-deliver. In fact, they lowered them and then failed to deliver on those lowered expectations. For all the promises they made, for all the expectations they built, and for all the money that they had available, this is a \u201Cbiggest loser Budget\u201D, really, isn\u2019t it? I mean, it is a trail of broken promises, one after the other. Today in the House, we had Chris Hipkins telling us that there\u2019s a difference between a broken promise and a promise we just haven\u2019t delivered. Well, that is now how this Government is explaining their broken promises: \u201CThey\u2019re not broken promises; they\u2019re just promises we haven\u2019t delivered.\u201D Well, Mr Hipkins, I wish you well taking that line out to New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EBut let\u2019s look at some of the actual numbers. Teachers, who are pretty grumpy; we\u2019re hearing a lot from that sector\u2014the average operations grant increase to schools in this Budget is 1.6 percent. But do you know what the average increase to the ops grant was per year under the National Government? It was 1.9 percent. So Labour have done less for operations grants for schools than we did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EThe midwives, we know, are desperately unhappy that the expectations weren\u2019t met. Health: $390 million of new money into health under National\u2019s last Budget; just $320 million under this Budget. District health boards (DHBs)\u2014let\u2019s look at the part where it actually goes to the DHBs who deliver the services. Under our Government, the average increase in the last Budget across DHBs was an average of 4.2 percent. Under this Budget, where there was a crisis\u2014remember the crisis in underfunding?\u2014it was 4.1 percent; less, again, than we did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003ETertiary education\u2014tertiary institutes\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223618e5c35434b2f9cf8ace77d8d6af0\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, not good.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002253e0600ff2cd4af295ca011fa8e0dda7\u0022\u003EHon AMY ADAMS\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014no new funding. And they are not happy, are they, Ms Bennett. They are not happy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EPolice\u2014what a mess of a police policy: 1,800 additional police were promised in the Speech from the Throne. Now it\u2019s going to be \u201CWell, we\u2019re going to actually count the new ones National was already doing, and, by the way, a lot of them won\u2019t be on the front lines. Oh, and, by the way, it\u2019s probably going to be five years now, not three.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EBiosecurity\u2014a critical issue for this country. We\u2019re dealing with M. bovis right now; we\u2019ve got the brown marmorated stink bugs coming to us. Mr Damien O\u2019Connor told us that this was the most important priority he had\u2014half the increase that National gave to biosecurity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EAnd, of course, we\u2019ve got the good-looking horses, who do quite well, but no money, Jacqui Dean, for the Roxburgh health camps. No money for children in Roxburgh who are traumatised, but there\u2019s money for good-looking horses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EWe can debate\u2014of course we can\u2014the merits of each of these promises. You know, we will have an argument with Labour about whether it was a good promise and whether it was the right promise. The point is that Labour made these promises to New Zealand. They went out and said, \u201CIf we get elected, this is what we will do.\u201D, and they\u2019ve failed to do it. It\u2019s a matter of trust, and they have let this country down, already, in their first Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EI have to say, though, it really is what we\u2019re coming to expect. We get a lot of rhetoric, we get a lot of sound bites, we get the bumper stickers, and we get all of the slogans, but, actually, very little delivery and very little substance. In fact, the unabashed spin, the unadulterated obfuscation, is quite astounding, and it just doesn\u2019t stand up to any scrutiny. The last speech we just heard was a classic example of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003ESo let\u2019s just have a quick look at the numbers. In this Budget\u2014I\u2019ve talked about the strong economic conditions\u2014Labour have already put up their operating allowances over the next four years by $5 billion more than they said they were going to do back in December\u2014right? So just bear that in your mind: $5 billion more they\u2019ve given themselves in spending. Then, in addition to that, they\u2019ve put up borrowing in Crown entities\u2014which doesn\u2019t feed the allowances\u2014by another $6 billion. So what that means is that they have had to find $11 billion more money than they thought they were going to need to meet their promises. Does that number ring a bell at all? Anybody remember where that number might come to\u2014$11 billion they\u2019ve quietly slipped into the numbers to try and even begin to meet their promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003ENow, let\u2019s be really clear about this. This is not because of some sort of underfunding of core services, and do you know how New Zealand can be really confident of that? Because if it was about underfunding, with all of the money available to this Government\u2014$20 billion extra in tax revenue, all this extra debt, the growing surpluses and the like\u2014we would have seen Labour put considerably more into health, education, and housing than the National Government did when we were in office, and they didn\u2019t. They put in often the same and, in many cases, less than National did. How can that be a crisis of underfunding? It is patently not correct.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll tell you what it\u2019s actually about. There are two very good reasons why the numbers are not adding up for Labour. The first is Winston Peters. This is the cost of the marriage of convenience. This is the \u201Cdowry Budget\u201D. This shows us what the bride price was for Winston Peters, and it was big and it was hairy and it was untargeted. That is where the funding has gone. But even more than that, it is because, very simply, Labour got their numbers wrong. The much-touted fiscal plan that was bill-certified and that Grant Robertson staked his reputation on\u2014the numbers never added up, they were never going to be defendable, they were never going to be adequate to run the costs of the business-as-usual Budget processes. We knew that; we warned them of that. They insisted they were right, and yet, already, six months in, they\u2019ve had to squeak in $11 billion of extra funding to even get anywhere close to meeting their promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EI want to talk a little bit more about that fiscal plan, because I had a look at it over the weekend. Seventeen line items that were going to be delivered in this first Budget\u2014and you can see, year by year. I know they\u2019re all trying to rewrite history now, and it\u2019s all a trilogy and \u201CIt will come to you.\u201D They were very clear, in the first Budget, of 17 line items that were going to be delivered; 16 of them are not there or are scaled back. Of 17 commitments in the first Budget, 16 of them were scaled back or not delivered at all. This is a Government who is now realising that their fiscal plan was a shemozzle. It was never going to get them through, and they have had to rewrite all of their funding plans, all of their debt plans, and they are trying to do a smoke-and-mirrors \u201Csomehow it\u2019s all the previous Government\u2019s fault\u201D, because they don\u2019t want to take responsibility for what they did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s have a look at the police numbers. Quite apart from the 1,800, which we know is now a pipedream, and quite apart from the fact that they\u2019re not delivering it over three years as they promised, in the fiscal plan Labour said to us, \u201CWe\u2019re going to do 1,800 brand new extra police, and do you know what it will cost over three years\u2014$160 million.\u201D, they said. Forty million dollars a year\u2014$160 million. Do you know what it\u2019s costing now? Well, in this Budget, they\u2019ve already put aside $300 million, so they\u2019re only out by 100 percent or so, and today, in question time, the Prime Minister told us that\u2019s only the first instalment of the costs. So even their $160 million fully costed fiscal plan was out by orders of magnitude. That\u2019s how fiscally competent and responsible this Government is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003EEconomic growth is the most critical thing to the prosperity of New Zealand. The ability for our economy to earn, for the economy to keep those tax revenues up, is what will deliver better lives for New Zealanders. That is the reality. That\u2019s what pays for everything in a Budget, and those GDP numbers in this Budget have absolutely already been, effectively, spent by Grant Robertson in his spending allocations, his forward projections, and his debt track.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003ENow, unlike Mr Twyford, on this side of the House we don\u2019t think that Treasury forecasters are a bunch of kids disconnected from reality. Of course people will disagree and there\u2019ll be a range of forecasts, but, actually, these are a bunch of very qualified people, who take their job seriously and shouldn\u2019t actually get shouted down when they give advice that the Government doesn\u2019t like. But even on Treasury\u2019s numbers, in the last six months we\u2019re already seeing GDP per capita slowing. Now it\u2019s no surprise, because business confidence has been falling off a ledge over the last six months. That\u2019s what tells you where the future prosperity of this country is going, and that can be landed squarely at the feet of this fiscally incompetent, broken-promises, poor-priorities Government. This will be the first of three, and then I hope we see the back of them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022 data-id=\u00228f922db9a0984215ba24d34423bbfac8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228f922db9a0984215ba24d34423bbfac8\u0022\u003EHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO (Minister for Pacific Peoples):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. That was a typical Opposition speech during these particular debates. We will continue to hear in the House that line of speech over and over again as they try to clutch at anything to criticise this Government\u2019s Budget. That speech was typical, but one would need to understand the issues that the Opposition is facing. Ms Amy Adams is probably putting in a pitch to become the leader of the National Party, not too far away.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EBut this is Budget 2018. It\u2019s a new Budget. It\u2019s a new Budget for a new Government that has been in Government only six months. This Government is made up of three distinct parties: Labour, New Zealand First, and the Green Party. All three parties agree that the direction where this country has been heading is the wrong direction\u2014the wrong direction. This is the first Budget of three in our first term, and, hopefully, many more terms. This is the first Budget as this Government pivots this country to head into a different direction, where we place people at the centre of our policy. That is a stark difference from where this country was heading under the previous Government, where they were so fixated on tax cuts that only favoured the top 10 percent of high-income earners.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EWe now have inherited problems that we anticipated would be there, but we\u2019ve uncovered that many, many problems are much worse than we anticipated. Therefore, we\u2019ve decided that this Government cannot just sweep things under the carpet, cannot just neglect these problems and believe they are not there. This Government\u2014all three parties\u2014is now committed to directing this country into a different direction, where all peoples benefit from a strong and sustainable economy. Therefore, our priority is immediately fixing some of the problems that we have inherited and putting in a firm foundation\u2014with strong investment in the foundation\u2014that will build strong families, strong communities, and a strong New Zealand. That\u2019s why we make no apology that our priorities are housing, health, education, lifting incomes for families with children, tackling poverty, and prioritising the elderly and our young people in terms of our health system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EThis Budget resembles $11.4 billion of new net operational money. That sounds like a lot. It\u2019s going to be divvied out over four years\u2019 time. It sounds like a lot until you understand the magnitude of the problems that we have to tackle. Therefore, in dividing it over four years, we know that we\u2019re not going to solve all the problems that our communities, the length and breadth of New Zealand, are experiencing at the moment, but we\u2019ve got to start, and we\u2019ve got to tackle it head-on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EFor health there is $3.2 billion in operational funding plus $750 million in capital funding. Why is that $750 million in capital funding? Because we have got to fund new hospitals. We\u2019ve got to fund existing hospitals. We did not know the extent of the problems\u2014that the previous Government did not maintain our existing hospitals, did not consider the growing population, and did not consider the rising costs. It was cheaper to fix a hospital in 2009 than it is in 2018. Therefore, we\u2019re not going to be able to fix all the problems in this first Budget, but we are going to make a start, and we make no apology about that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EIn my own neck of the woods, in Middlemore, South Auckland, Middlemore Hospital has got issues that, actually, I\u2019m angry about. I\u2019m angry because somebody fiddled with the numbers. I\u2019m angry about it, because they knew the problems in 2002 but did not do anything about it. And so $11.5 billion will go in to try to fix the hospital there in Middlemore, the reason being it is one of the busiest hospitals in all of New Zealand. The rest of the money will be distributed to hospital care throughout this country of ours\u2014$3.2 billion is operational money. That money, significantly, is invested in ensuring that the elderly are able to receive healthcare when they need it and that our young people, 13 years and under, receive healthcare when they need it. These are the priority areas. We believe that if you\u2019re sick you should be able to see a doctor and get the healthcare that you need. You shouldn\u2019t have to avoid the doctor because it is costly, and so, fundamentally, that\u2019s why that investment is for health.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EWith education, we know that the future relies on ensuring that the next generation gets the best educational qualifications, and $2 billion is invested in ensuring that our young people are able to get a tertiary education and get a qualification. Education should not be for only those with money. Our belief as a Government is that everybody should receive the best education in a public system so that you\u2019re able to provide your contribution to this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EHousing is such a big issue. For nine long years, the previous Government refused to acknowledge that there was a problem, and even today they continue to talk as if there is no problem. We need to fix that problem. We need to fix it, and so we are embarked on ensuring that every Kiwi deserves a warm, dry home. We want to end homelessness, and we will end homelessness by building more State houses, by making emergency houses available.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EWe also believe that there is a myriad of problems that some of our communities face. It\u2019s complex and, therefore, you can\u2019t fix some of the education problems that some families are facing or the health problems that they face unless they are properly housed first. That\u2019s why there\u2019s the investment in Housing First. It is our belief as a new Government that when somebody is housed, when a family is properly housed, then you can wrap support around them and help them with other problems that they might be experiencing. Homeownership is one of the keys, and I am so pleased that with this Government, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development and his associates, that is our focus. When we\u2019re focused on homeownership, it actually lifts the ability of the next generation to be able to work with confidence and to contribute with confidence to this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EFor Pacific, we have the lowest homeownership rate than ever before, and we\u2019ve seen it fall in the last nine years. It just pains me to think that if a person does not own their house today, when they come to retire they will be spending a significant portion of the pension to rent somebody else\u2019s home. So homeownership is one of the keys, and I and all of our colleagues here are going to be working really, really hard to ensure that every Kiwi, every first-time homeowner, has the opportunity to be able to buy an affordable home. By September of this year, we will begin to roll out the homes that we\u2019ve built under the KiwiBuild scheme\u2014$2 billion is how much that we\u2019ve allocated for this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003ELook, to give you some examples of just how bad things are for some communities, particularly communities like mine in South Auckland, we\u2019re worried that even though we\u2019ve started the work, even though we\u2019ve begun the building process, we\u2019re not going to be able to house people come this winter, and that\u2019s why significant investment is also invested into transitional homes or temporary homes for some of those families. If we don\u2019t move people out of cars, out of garages, out of tents to properly home them in warm, dry homes, we\u2019re never going to be able to fix the problems that we\u2019ve inherited from the previous Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003ESo it is the first of many Budgets. We know we\u2019re not going to be able to fix it straight away, but we are determined to fix some of the immediate problems. We are determined to direct New Zealand towards a future where everybody gets the benefit, where everybody makes a contribution to New Zealand. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u00228adbd18860784a5f85b7f39d02f17151\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228adbd18860784a5f85b7f39d02f17151\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I think this is clearly a Budget that any political party in the history of New Zealand would have loved the opportunity to deliver. It\u2019s a strong economy that we have here in New Zealand. We\u2019ve averaged 3.5 percent GDP growth for an extended period of time, and the forecasts, even though they\u2019ve been downgraded a little bit in the last little while, still show 3 percent average growth out into the future. So it\u2019s a strong economy that\u2019s generating a lot of jobs and creating opportunities for New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EIf we look at the longer-term forecast, again, it drops a bit but it\u2019s still over 2.5 percent. Under National, we saw GDP growth around 4 percent. These estimates are based on a steady flow of immigration, so that\u2019s one of the issues that we\u2019re going to have to be dealing with going forward, and I\u2019ll come back to that later in my speech. So you\u2019ve got strong growth in the economy. Then you\u2019ve got a set of Government accounts which are the envy of many countries in the world, where we have surpluses out as far out as the eye can see, and this Government has spent a lot more money but still there is capacity and still surpluses out into the future. We have debt that was on track to be down to 20 percent of GDP. Now, this Government has increased that debt, but it is still overall, in international terms, an area of relatively low debt.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo as well as plenty of growth and good Government accounts that have been inherited, we also see a more confident nation and prosperous nation. That is a reflection, I think, of the hard work of many New Zealanders over the past decade but also a reflection of the results that you see from strong, stable, predictable competent government such as we saw from the previous National Government. I\u2019m certainly very proud of our contribution in this previous Government to leaving what is such a wonderful inheritance for this Government to build on over the next few years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo when we look at that and we see this is what we\u2019ve got, what was the opportunity for this Government? From my point of view, I would say that one of the most precious gifts you can give any New Zealander is the opportunity to have a job, to look after themselves and their family, and to make a contribution to the community in which they live. Over the last couple of years, there have been more than 200,000 new jobs created. So this is a golden moment in the history of this country where we have the opportunity to solve and address some of the longstanding social issues that we\u2019ve had, where children have grown up in households where nobody has worked for generations, in some parts of the country, and we\u2019ve poured resources over many years to try to deal with that group who have struggled for decades.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EYou can have all the programmes and Government officials helping groups and community groups trying to help people, but if the jobs aren\u2019t there it\u2019s very difficult to make progress. But right now, the jobs are there and so we have this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make real social progress in this country. In my view, the Budget that we should have had in the last week or two would have focused very much on building on that opportunity, focusing on keeping that economy strong in the years to come, and building on and using the resources that we have available from a strong economy to continue to invest in infrastructure and delivering better public services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019ve seen some of that in this Budget, and I\u2019m not one of the ones who says it\u2019s all terrible. No, there are many good things in this Budget, many good investments being made in public services, and that is exactly what we would have done if we had had the opportunity to form a Government. We would have invested more in education and health, and that is precisely what you do when you have the opportunities and the resources available such as we have in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EBut we certainly would have kept our promises. That is the starting point of how you go about building trust and confidence with the population that you seek to serve in Parliament. So when political parties go out on the election campaign and promise to reduce the costs of GP visits for everybody, it\u2019s not difficult\u2014you have to do it. And they didn\u2019t. When they promised to do away with school fees, you have to do it; they didn\u2019t in this Budget. I was involved in tertiary education and went to many meetings where the promise was made from Labour that they would deal with the medical students\u2019 situation, give them more money\u2014they didn\u2019t. When they made promises around increasing the police numbers\u2014I could spend five minutes trying to disentangle all the numbers that have been put forward by the police Minister, Stuart Nash, but they haven\u2019t kept that promise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo what you have seen is a lot of extra spending\u2014some of it will be useful; some of it\u2019s not well targeted\u2014and some extra taxation, more borrowing, but they haven\u2019t kept a number of the promises that they made to the people of New Zealand. Then, what we\u2019ve seen is a very large pool of new spending, some of it poor quality, such as the massive investment in fees-free tertiary education, which has not yielded any more students whatsoever, and, as the universities are realising now, the cost of that has been a zero increase in the basic budget for the universities in New Zealand. So they\u2019ve gone backwards in real terms. They\u2019ve actually lost money this year. There\u2019s only one conclusion from that, which is that they will have to make academics redundant. So you may have free access to a third-class university, if you\u2019re not careful, if you continue this process for an extended period of time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EAnd we see an absolute absence of any focus on particular outcomes from the extra money invested. They\u2019ve done away with all the rigour and robustness of the process that we had in social investment of actually holding the bureaucracy to account for every dollar that we\u2019re spending and looking for particular outcomes and having clear milestones in place. That seems to have been replaced with just giving more money here and giving more money there, with no clear outcome in mind. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EThe classic example of that is the Provincial Growth Fund, which is $3 billion over three years\u2014a lot of money\u2014and there\u2019s no doubt whatsoever that there will be some useful things bought with that $3 billion. You can\u2019t spend $3 billion and get no outcome, but the worry that I have is that the immense haste with which the Minister responsible is shovelling that money out the door in order to have outcomes before the next election\u2014we will have a lot of waste in that period. It was interesting to find, of course, that rather than being $1 billion of new funding, it was actually only three-quarters new funding and one-quarter old funding, but that\u2019s by the by.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019ve got this wonderful opportunity. We\u2019ve had a lot of new spending; much of it will be not very well targeted or focused. There\u2019s extra taxes, there\u2019s more borrowing, but the most important thing, I think, that we need to reflect on as a country is that there was very little in this Budget about how we\u2019re going to grow the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EThe thing that worries me about this Government is they take our prosperity for granted. We\u2019re seeing a dropping of business confidence, and that is a reflection of the attitude of many of this Government\u2019s Ministers. I don\u2019t like to pick on Shane Jones, but we saw the latest example over the weekend, where that Minister blustered away, saying that businesses struggling for workers should just invest in automation, and he\u2019s not going to lose any sleep over that if they have to go out and buy some new machines. Well, I\u2019ll tell you, the people who are struggling to find anybody to help them pick the kiwifruit at the moment, for example, are losing sleep over that, and they can\u2019t just wander down to Mitre 10 and buy a machine that plucks the kiwifruit, because there isn\u2019t one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EActually, we invested several million dollars in a regional research institute based in Te Puke, with one of the focuses being to build such a machine, but it\u2019s hard. It\u2019ll take years. It\u2019s actually very tricky. So just to blas\u00E9 say \u201COh, well, you should just invest in automation.\u201D is just a reflection of the lack of any understanding of the business realities of how to compete internationally in this world. And it comes after Mr Lees-Galloway saying that any employees who are worried about having to deal with higher labour costs are just clearly not resilient and maybe they should be doing something else, then we had Mr David Parker pouring scorn on farmers, and the list is going on and on and on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EThe thing that worries me about this Government is that they\u2019ve inherited a strong economy, but everything they\u2019re doing is threatening the sustainability of that strong economy in the years to come. So we will certainly be very focused over the next few years, reminding them of the foundations of that strong economy that they\u2019ve inherited, so that we can nurture it and continue to have a successful, prosperous, outward-looking, and dynamic country such as we\u2019ve seen over the past few years, and I hope that is what we\u2019ll see. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022 data-id=\u00229bd74e22486b4fe398fb0a7ef15e4ef3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229bd74e22486b4fe398fb0a7ef15e4ef3\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES (Associate Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E As the first-born son of the provinces, it falls to me to inject some vitality, some energy, into what has been a host of lacklustre contributions from the other side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ENow, the speaker that has just finished his speech, Paul Goldsmith\u2014\u201Cgold\u201D may be in his name, but his feet are made of clay. The delivery, the predictable criticisms, they show a flaw, and that flaw is widespread on the other side of the House. That is because they are caught by the green-eyed monster. Now, what is the green-eyed monster? The green-eyed monster is someone who is possessed or in thraldom to jealousy. Underlying the views of the other side of the House is a deep sadness, because jealousy leads to resentment, and it\u2019s only a short period of time before the back-biting, the nastiness, and the spirit of resentment will turn upon themselves. That is the story of the green-eyed monster, unlike on this side, where it is sunrise politics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ENow, let me just go through where the sun rises. The sun rises first upon the provinces of the Tai R\u0101whiti, the East. What are we doing in that particular province after nine long years of continual degradation of water, erosion of soil, neglect of roads, and forgotten people? The modest Matua Shane Jones and his able assistants have arrived with the p\u016Btea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ENow, the p\u016Btea is going to be married to the ideas, the desires, and the energy that has been neglected and stuck in \u201CStrugglers\u2019 Gully\u201D throughout provincial New Zealand. That p\u016Btea has grown from $11 million to $1 billion\u2014$11 million to $1 billion. Now, the reality is that no one, unless they came with the level of creativity, vision, and spontaneity\u2014a spirit of purpose\u2014as reflected by the coalition Government, would be willing to face up to that challenge and put on the table over a three-year period that extraordinary amount of p\u016Btea. Now, why are we doing it? We are doing it because this is a transformational Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s just go through a couple of simple points as to where the powers of our transformer-like approach to politics will actually be visited. Number one, we\u2019re going to tidy up biosecurity. Now, I have to talk about biosecurity, because over the last nine years not only did the kiwifruit industry suffer through Psa; we had the stink bug\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c818fc878fa04c04af7ec3e44ca2086b\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Which arrived during the last Labour administration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219a4f299d90a4b08adaa6e98f1b3a007\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: Ah! Green eyes he may not have, but a monster he is\u2014that be the member from Nelson. The stink bug, Psa, M. bovis, myrtle rust, velvetleaf, kauri dieback\u2014now, you\u2019ve got to ask yourself, what was the Government doing if it could not consistently fund or lead remedies to biosecurity?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EWhat more profound purpose is there for a Government that\u2019s meant to be a friend of the provinces? It\u2019s meant to be a friend of the countryside. Hundreds of millions of dollars lost in terms of wealth, in terms of cost, and it comes to this side of the House now to pick up the pieces, undoubtedly, as the treasurer has stated, at significant cost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re going to do that, not only to advance the interests of the stakeholders in the provinces, but I would say one thing: that whoever the person is who thought it was a good idea to bring M. bovis into the country, I hope the cops get him. I hope the police undertake a robust investigation, bring a prosecution, and send that person to jail. If any farmer is out there and you know the name of that person, please let us know, because there\u2019s one place we can name and shame, and that\u2019s in this House. Those individuals have brought an enormous amount of pain and anguish, not only to an industry but in cost to society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s partly why I\u2019m a doubting Thomas, often, about the quality of agricultural leadership in New Zealand. They claim they have a God-given social licence to continue with agriculture and related businesses. I was born and bred on a farm, but if these problems are traceable back to delinquent behaviour from within their own sector, then I\u2019m all for ramming responsibility home in that regard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EBut let me continue. When my colleague has been talking about housing, we\u2019re going to actually tackle the problems that Bill English gave up on. There\u2019s one thing that Bill English said\u2014and I kind of agreed with\u2014which was the town and country planners had assumed a greater level of power than certain Cabinet Ministers. I presume he was talking about earlier housing Ministers\u2014that be the former member for Whangarei, the current member for Nelson\u2014where they themselves gave in, surrendered, and put up the white flag.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206f0e7c7fc4244ca89b8f6e5cb7c59ed\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Never\u2014never.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b9a69ceb9b064457a50931ebbba71dad\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: OK, they never gave in. They were promising to build 7,600 houses in the T\u0101maki regeneration\u20147,600 in T\u0101maki regeneration in Panmure and Glenn Innes\u2014and they built 280 houses. Divide 280 houses by 7,600\u2014that gives you a reflection of how hopeless their stewardship was. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EBut there were some very good points that we learnt for those of us who are opposed to that development. Did they actually change the law? Did they simplify the process? Did they de-constipate the statutory process to enable land to be opened up and used? No, they didn\u2019t. They already owned the land. They transferred the land from Housing New Zealand into the T\u0101maki regeneration authority and created less than 3 percent of their houses\u2014an absolute failure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ENow, not only did they not make progress in that regard\u2014and our colleague will\u2014did they make progress on the question of amassing capital for expanding housing? No. They came up with a type of alchemy, believing you could create special purpose vehicles and amass capital and hoodwink the Audit Office and circumvent the international rules of accountancy. No, they never made any progress. Did they put serious dough on the table, as the treasurer has for housing? Absolutely not\u2014absolutely not. What they did was they went through a type\u2014as I\u2019ve already said\u2014of very constipated calculus which did not lead to any major development of houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EThe third thing is enterprise. Did they do anything to smash the monopoly behaviour of those who sell building products? I\u2019ll say one thing for Nick Smith: he promised to do it, but he never ever delivered. He\u2019s had an entire career and he\u2019s an epitome of someone on that side of the House. They have squandered nine years to take on the big end of town. We now know that the big end of town is still very robust.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ESo, on the land question in the regulations: failure. On the question of capital for developing better outcomes for housing: failure. On the question of changing the character and the composition of the enterprise part of the building industry: failure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ESo did they do anything on the question of the people\u2014labour? Did they actually increase, substantially, the number of young men and women who have valuable skills? No, they surrendered to the tide of cheap immigration. They surrendered to the tide of cheap immigration, so we\u2019re left on this side of the House, yes, relying on vital and rare skills to be brought into the country, but our labour, our human capital ambitions\u2014as articulated by the treasurer in the Budget, it\u2019s going to invest in garden-variety young Kiwis, and they\u2019ll get two years via the first instalment of post - secondary tertiary education for free.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003EWas there anything, New Zealand, on that part of the House that emulates what we\u2019ve done now? I tell you what they were going to do. What they were going to do was take $8.5 billion and hand it out as a tax cut, because they don\u2019t believe in putting back into the ability of the State to deliver on public-good functions. That is one thing they don\u2019t believe in. They believe\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3f44539f8894e9981e3be7cb557cc82\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: People should keep their hard-worked money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229ab53cc4b32a41998b566d7dc20e8cca\u0022\u003EHon SHANE JONES\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s exactly right. They believe that people should\u2014especially the big end of town\u2014enjoy inordinately expensive tax cuts, on the belief that, somehow, it will trickle down into the very weary, bleak end of town.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003ENew Zealanders had an opportunity to make them the Government. They refused to make them the Government. They made this side of the House the Government. Why? Because they don\u2019t believe the mantra of that side of the House, which is very hostile to the provision of essential services, social goods, and public goods. That is what this Government stands for, which is why we\u2019re in power.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u0022797fe4022eee48f6aaa7b1636d8b1ddb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022797fe4022eee48f6aaa7b1636d8b1ddb\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D):\u003C/span\u003E This is a Budget that was delivered just under a week ago and already the bulk of New Zealand has forgotten about it, and here\u2019s why: because there were massive expectations as we led into the election last year, massive promises, and then, in the last month, all of a sudden, a big kind of U-turn\u2014a big rewinding so that everybody\u2019s expectations dropped through the floor. So what was Budget 2018 about? Well, there was a yes to diplomats but a no to cheaper doctors visits. There was a yes to more bureaucrats in the Beehive, but a no to vulnerable children\u2019s camps in Roxburgh. There was a yes to a manufactured health crisis, but no to assistance with long-term contraception for those on the very lowest incomes. There was a yes to more taxes and no to spending on mental health, and a yes to the America\u2019s Cup but no to those on benefits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s really hard to see who was pleased by this Budget, and Shane Jones, the member who just resumed his seat, seemed to get a little bit excited about what they\u2019ve been up to. But what he won\u2019t have told you, and what he won\u2019t have told the House, is the significant cut that they have made to programmes for young people who are not in long-term education, employment, or training. That\u2019s a massive cut for a group of people who are represented in regional New Zealand. So no, Mr Jones, you are not the champion of the regions, because you are leaving behind the most vulnerable young people in every corner of those regions. Shame on you\u2014shame on you for leaving them behind. It\u2019s a disgrace. It\u2019s an absolute disgrace that Budget 2018 would cut funding for young people who are not in education or employment or training.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo I want to come to the list of those who aren\u2019t happy, because the teachers aren\u2019t happy. They were promised big wage increases by those members opposite, and I think they\u2019ll be disappointed. I met with a number of midwives across my electorate over the last month, and they had big hopes. I don\u2019t think they were unrealistic, but they\u2019re not happy now, either. The day after the Budget was announced, another midwife was leaving the sector. Nurses won\u2019t be happy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard prison staff who are also unhappy. Nobody wants to build new prison beds, but the reality is if you\u2019ve got prisoners that need housing, guess what? Make it safe, make it humane, and build them somewhere where they can get opportunities to be rehabilitated. But no, they haven\u2019t delivered that, either. The 1,800 new police officers\u2014well, I think we\u2019ve had about six different versions of how many police officers we\u2019re having now, and can I tell you, the public of New Zealand don\u2019t like being strung a line of all sorts of empty, vacuous promises that aren\u2019t\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022703dfa5ddf6f448eabb343fdbd3064c5\u0022\u003EHon Shane Jones\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, you mean the National Party?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa5a9a703e094a5494a1fa8b5c0cd07b\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014being delivered on by that side of the House\u20141,800 new front-line police officers is 1,800. They can count, Mr Jones. They can count, and they are expecting that side of the House to deliver 1,800.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EBut it\u2019s also medical students, and another group that are very, very unhappy are those involved with Wh\u0101nau Ora. So, again, they are those that are dealing with some of the most challenged families in New Zealand\u2014and yes, in the regions\u2014and are they getting any additional funding? Is there any commitment? Is there any appreciation for the work they\u2019re doing? No\u2014none at all. So they are also incredibly frustrated with this Budget. Even the Salvation Army didn\u2019t think it was a good Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo for all of the spending that was supposedly delivered in Budget 2018\u2014health: there was less than we\u2019d invested last year, but, supposedly, there\u2019s a health crisis. So no, the health sector\u2019s not happy. I\u2019d be really hard-pressed to find anyone who thought that Budget 2018 was a great one for anyone in New Zealand, because the reality is, spending money is quite easy, but where is the ability of this country to earn its way?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EYou know, we do have a challenge in this country, in rural New Zealand, with M. bovis. Having spoken to a farmer in my electorate whose farm was the first case in the Waikato, they were looking for the commitment from the Government in the Budget and they couldn\u2019t find it. Biosecurity spending has gone backwards. So, Mr Jones, if you\u2019re going to talk about biosecurity in this House in this Budget debate, at least get your facts straight. Biosecurity spending has gone down. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s that helpful to run down the rural sector of New Zealand, and I think it diminishes the contribution that they make to the New Zealand economy. So shame on you for doing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo in terms of the ability to grow the economy, that\u2019s where a significant effort needs to be. So what did Budget 2018 deliver? A slush fund\u2014not targeted, not measurable, and hard to see what progress it\u2019s going to make. Then, from a Minister who thinks it\u2019s great that we should have more technology replacing workers, and then a contradiction from another Minister, who thinks that we should\u2014oh actually, no, there\u2019s several contradictions. So for those doing seasonal work, no, we want to bring people into the country to do that work, but then there are young unemployed people in that area, so should they be offered the opportunity to work? Oh no, they can\u2019t, because it\u2019s too hard, and that\u2019s where we have a conflict between a number of the coalition parties. So what did they do? They just cut the funding. They just cut the funding for the programmes in regional New Zealand for those that are not in education, employment, or training. Well, shame on the Government for removing another opportunity for young New Zealanders who should be given an opportunity to get ahead, and haven\u2019t been.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo I was looking in the Budget for big spending in social development, and I looked and I looked and I looked again. What was there? An undertaking that the previous Government had made around a clothing allowance for unsupported children. So that was good\u2014we were happy with that. What else was there? Well, the Families Package, but that was all December\u2019s news, and really just offset what people got to keep in their own back pocket anyway. So the winter energy payment was the big kind of hurrah. But, again, for those over 65 who get the winter energy payment, by the way, they\u2019re getting nearly half what they expected to get. So if that\u2019s not a broken promise to the public of New Zealand, I don\u2019t know what is\u2014$700 was the promise, and what are they getting? Nearly half. So, again, a lesson to the other side: make sure you keep your promises, or the public will punish you for that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EBudget 2018 has been kind of interesting. I think the fact that most people over the weekend, if you\u2019d asked them what was in the Budget\u2014and I did\u2014no one really knew. No one really knew what was there, and they knew there was nothing in it for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228cd74903bf8a45b38422274a76f9ca73\u0022\u003EHon Shane Jones\u003C/span\u003E: Billion trees.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022efa9340688ec41ba939b0abf044d5979\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON\u003C/span\u003E: They don\u2019t believe the billion trees, and they don\u2019t believe the 100,000 houses, and they don\u2019t believe that immigration will be reduced by 20,000 to 30,000. They don\u2019t believe what the Government has said because already, less than nine months in, they\u2019ve broken more promises than they\u2019ve kept. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThey have shown a few things. You know, we did know that they would be introducing new taxes; they\u2019ve done that. We did know that they would increase spending without it having any focus or target; they\u2019ve done that. We\u2019re waiting for what other new taxes are going to arrive. We knew they would borrow more money; they\u2019ve done that. But what is surprising, and what will be disappointing for hard-working New Zealanders, is low-income and middle-income New Zealanders have been ripped off by this Budget. They\u2019ve got nothing out of the Government. Shame on you for not delivering for hard-working New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022 data-id=\u002271a8fbb470bf451b8a492b8a640dafb1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002271a8fbb470bf451b8a492b8a640dafb1\u0022\u003EGARETH HUGHES (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Deputy Speaker. Ng\u0101 mihi nui ki a koutou, kia ora. Now, Budgets are always a big deal in this place. I mean, there\u2019s so much pomp and ceremony and grandeur. The finance Minister\u2019s got a special speech tied up in a ribbon. There\u2019s the lock-up, the debate\u2014you know, what type of tie is the finance Minister going to wear? What\u2019s the meal he\u2019s going to have to celebrate? Is it sausage rolls or pies? But I think for many people out in the public it doesn\u2019t resonate as much. What they want to know is \u201CWhat\u2019s the Budget going to do for me?\u201D, and that\u2019s what I want to touch on in this speech, because that\u2019s what I think Kiwis really want to know.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ESitting there, hearing the finance Minister and the various speeches, I thought about the people whose homes I\u2019ve visited, where families have literally opened up their doors to invite me in to tell their story. Now, I was thinking of those families\u2014one in particular in south Wellington, where a family didn\u2019t use most of their house. They all slept\u2014the whole family, with, I think, three or four kids\u2014in the lounge, because that was the only room they could afford to heat. This was a room covered with black mould on their roof. I think of other people I\u2019ve visited, such as students down in the South, where, literally, you could tear chunks of wood off the timber framing around the windows because it was so cold, so damp, and I think of talking to people who, literally, were salting the toilet at night because their house was so unaffordable to heat they were scared their pipes were going to freeze over in the middle of winter. What I was thinking about those people is this is a Budget that delivers for them. I\u2019m proud to stand here today as part of a Government which has brought back the home insulation scheme, one of the most successful Government policies we\u2019ve seen in the modern time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ENow, this was the Greenest Budget in New Zealand\u2019s history, with wins for conservation for our threatened animals and our beautiful, treasured threatened places, and wins for the green investment and cleantech sector. A Budget that invested in research and development, where family and domestic violence was actually addressed, and special education saw a big boost\u2014the Greenest Budget in New Zealand\u2019s history. Insulation was one of those areas where I think it really epitomises good Green solutions, because it\u2019s great for the environment, it\u2019s great for the economy, and it\u2019s great for society. It\u2019s got huge health benefits for those families who benefit, huge educational benefits for those kids when they go to school. This isn\u2019t just a win-win; this is a win-win-win-win-win. This is why it\u2019s so great to see in the Budget $142 million extra for insulation, because, look, this House should be able to say that every New Zealander deserves to live in a warm, dry, well-ventilated house.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ENow, I\u2019ll do an acknowledgment to the National Party. We worked with them back in 2009, with Jeanette Fitzsimons, on insulating 180,000 Kiwi homes. It made a huge benefit to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders. The tragic thing was, though, the job wasn\u2019t finished. The funding was cut before all the houses that needed it could be done. We know we had about a million substandard houses in New Zealand. In probably one of the greatest myopic acts in New Zealand\u2019s history, we didn\u2019t even have insulation in our building code until 1978. The job was started, but the job wasn\u2019t finished. Under this Government, the job will be finished, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to say that the $142 million for home insulation is going to make a huge difference to those Kiwis who suffer from black mould and whose kids are getting sick and missing school, and the workers who can\u2019t go to work because they\u2019re suffering from the health impacts. It\u2019s going to be one of those win-win-win-win-win schemes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019d like to acknowledge our coalition and confidence and supply partners in the Government that have rolled out this home insulation scheme. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the Hon Megan Woods, the Minister of Energy and Resources, who\u2019s rolled it out. What this new scheme, the Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme, will deliver is two-thirds of the cost for underfloor and ceiling insulation and for a clean heating device. When you work with community partners, you can see up to 100 percent of the costs of insulation covered. When you couple this with the new winter energy payment that the Government\u2019s instigated, we are going to solve energy poverty in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EWhat we\u2019ve seen is some of the fastest growth rates of energy poverty in the developed world. In fact, our electricity prices rose the fifth-highest in the entire developed world. The only four countries above us were ex-Soviet countries coming out of communism. This is a major problem facing our country. It\u2019s been estimated that a fifth, or 20 percent, of New Zealand families are suffering in energy poverty, so this Government is making a clear statement: every New Zealander deserves to grow up in a warm, dry, ventilated home, but also no New Zealand family should be suffering in energy poverty. Home insulation and a winter energy grant are going to make a huge difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EAnother area that I\u2019m incredibly passionate about is the state of our environment, and every New Zealander can see it with the \u201CClosed\u201D signs on rivers and the scientific reports that point out that two-thirds of our lowland streams and rivers are considered unsafe for swimming in. Even the National Party now acknowledges the rise of pollution and the impact on our environment. The problem is that for nine years, they didn\u2019t do anything about it, despite seeing the clear evidence. In fact, what they did was throw taxpayer moneys at subsidising intensive agriculture to promote more pollution entering our environment. We saw plenty of talk the talk under National, but none of the actual walk the walk, and our waterways are suffering as a result. So that\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to stand here as part of the confidence and supply partner of the Government, rolling out additional funding for the Sustainable Farming Fund.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ENow, the Green Party\u2019s always acknowledged those good farmers, and there are heaps of them out there doing fantastic work. In fact, just a couple of weekends ago, I was in the Hawke\u2019s Bay talking to great farmers there about the work they\u2019re doing to protect the environment, because what these farmers want to do is pass on a farm to their kids, to future generations. They have a special relationship with the land, and they want to protect it for future generations. It\u2019s great that this Government\u2019s announced an additional $15 million for the Sustainable Farming Fund. These projects, some of the leading edge of sustainable farming practice and research and development, will then flow through the entire farming sector, cleaning up our primary industries.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EUltimately, for me, the Budget in this place is all about the ceremony, which we get wrapped up in, but we should focus on what it means for everyday New Zealanders. What this Budget means is warmer, drier homes and insulation under the roof. It means our waterways are going to be cleaner and our farms more sustainable. So look, it\u2019s a great Budget, and it\u2019s going to make a huge difference for this country. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u0022e4fc01115d474ac090e278c5647a2c9e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e4fc01115d474ac090e278c5647a2c9e\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN (National\u2014Waitaki):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Hon Chris Hipkins said it all, I believe, when he said today, \u201CThere\u2019s a [big] difference between a broken promise and one that\u2019s yet to be delivered\u201D. Well, thank you, Chris Hipkins, because I think you have entirely encapsulated what this Budget has delivered, and what it has delivered is broken promises. I think Chris Hipkins unwittingly said much, much, much more than he ever intended, and, like the Hon Amy Adams and no doubt every other politician on this side of the House, we will be taking those words to the country. Words like that from a senior Government Minister matter to New Zealand because they have the Treasury benches, the Labour - New Zealand First - Greens Government are spending our taxpayer money, and they are spending our taxpayer money on some pretty dodgy things, like good-looking horses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EI think what Chris Hipkins\u2019 words did\u2014no such thing; \u201Cthere is a big difference between a broken promise and one that\u2019s yet to be delivered\u201D\u2014speaks volumes, and it speaks to the realisation that Labour, New Zealand First, and the Greens have come to that they do not have the money to meet their excessive campaign promises. So now what they\u2019re doing\u2014and Phil Twyford is doing it too\u2014is trying to give themselves a little bit of wriggle room. Every day, he stands up in this House, and every day he goes out into the community, all around New Zealand, as other Ministers do, and they are just trying to give themselves just a little bit of wriggle room, because they know in their dark little hearts that they have overpromised, and now they are under-delivering. \u201CBut it\u2019s not a broken promise! It\u2019s not a broken promise; it\u2019s just a promise that has yet to be delivered.\u201D\u2014yeah, right. I\u2019ve heard that one before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo let\u2019s traverse some of the measures that this Government has brought in its Budget. Of particular interest to me is local government. Local government, of course, is a major part of the New Zealand economy. It traverses communities from Stewart Island to the Chatham Islands to Northland to Auckland, and everywhere in between. It\u2019s a huge part of the New Zealand economy. It generates wealth; it generates jobs; it has huge responsibilities around things like environmental protection, provision of infrastructure, and provision of tourism infrastructure; and it is a sector which, I am sure, is looking very hard at the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo what did the Budget deliver for local government? Well, as it turns out, not very much at all. If we have a look at the allocation that has gone to the Local Government Commission, that has, effectively, been reduced by 50 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b93bed957d234349acffd36cb350e494\u0022\u003EHon Tim Macindoe\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d1c9d693c45749d3addb0290a250b25d\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN\u003C/span\u003E: The allocation in the Budget this year to the Local Government Commission has, effectively, been reduced by 50 percent. They have lost $1.178 million in their appropriation. Now, the Local Government Commission\u2014members will know, people of the public might know\u2014is the body to whom local authorities go when there is an application for amalgamation\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d92f74bc0b464bcbbfdcfb2c1702cc41\u0022\u003EHon Aupito William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re far better than that, Jacqui. Don\u2019t listen to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229eb39d41473240359e2edacc2231acc9\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014of local authorities. It\u2019s important work that the Local Government Commission do, and they dealt with a number of amalgamation applications in the last term of Parliament. It\u2019s very important. The Hon Su\u2019a William Sio is saying something over the House\u2014it\u2019s indistinguishable\u2014but I think he should take this a little more seriously. I think he should really take this a little more seriously because, I tell you what, local authorities are taking it seriously, and losing half your funding, for the Local Government Commission, is not showing good faith in local government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EThe Three Waters project got $3 million over two years. Well, that is a modest allocation, building on the work of the previous Government, so no shouting and flag-waving over that policy should be done, because it is merely continuing on the work of the previous National Government. Tourism New Zealand\u2014now, I go slightly sideways here, but it is important\u2014lost $6 million in their Budget allocation. Why does that matter? Because tourism and local government are inextricably linked, and it is so important that tourism, which is our largest export income earner and provides huge benefits into regional New Zealand as well as places like Queenstown and Auckland and Christchurch, is supported as a destination by Tourism New Zealand, who just lost $6 million out of this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EAlso lost out of this Budget was a key funding out of the Tourism Infrastructure Fund. Members will recall that that was a $100 million fund put in place by the previous National Government\u2014gutted. Absolutely gutted\u2014$75 million gutted out of that fund and placed into Shane Jones\u2019 fund. How about that? So what that means is that those local authorities who are making applications for infrastructure funding for tourism growth now, instead of having a dedicated fund for themselves they have to go up against foresters, tree-planters, every other regional economic development grant application. They don\u2019t have a dedicated pool for themselves; they\u2019re now just in the mix. Well, they lost big time over that measure in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EFinally, there are one or two other little rats and mice. Frankly, there\u2019s not much in the Budget for local government. There is the rates rebate scheme\u2014good, so there should be\u2014continuing on the good work of the previous Government. There is support continuing for Kaik\u014Dura District Council\u2014good, there should be. The National Government poured many, many billions of dollars into earthquake recovery in Canterbury and Kaik\u014Dura, and that work should continue. Business as usual under this Government\u2014nothing new to see here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EContinued support for the Chatham Islands wharves and for governance\u2014good, business as usual. Just as a sidebar, here\u2019s a question: how many Labour Ministers and Green Ministers does it take to open a wharf? I\u2019m taking answers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a64259aba5249bda4db0f1d004b9c34\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: Six.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fe7df3a3508641f18f219b2adc19f113\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN\u003C/span\u003E: Two? One to cut the ribbon and one to pour the tea? No, not two, not three\u2014six. Thank you. Six Ministers travelled all the way to the Chatham Islands to open the wharf. Talk about having your eye on what matters to New Zealanders. What else could they be doing? Well, they could have been getting out into the regions and supporting regional New Zealand, and paying mind to local government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EI just want to spend a few minutes now on this Government\u2019s Budget allocation for small business. Let me just go down through the list\u2014oh right, that\u2019s right. There\u2019s nothing. Just as there was no mention in the Speech from the Throne around small business and economic growth in this New Zealand, there was no direct allocation for small business in the Budget. How about that? So I scratched around, because I\u2019m a glass half-full type of person, and I did see that there is progress for the e-invoicing project in the Budget. Well, good on them, the Labour - Greens - New Zealand First Government, for supporting business in that way. Well, they should do, because it was a project which was started by the previous National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019m not seeing anything new here for two very important parts of the New Zealand economy\u2014for local government, for tourism, and for small business. In fact, there is no plan. There is no plan to grow the economy. This Budget is silent on any measures\u2014apart from e-invoicing, which was started under the previous Government\u2014to advance our economy. So how\u2019s that going to pan out in the future? This Government is very good on spending, but without a focus on growing the pie, without a focus on growing the economy, we ain\u2019t going nowhere, and we are going nowhere in a hurry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESo, finally, I just want to go over a couple of the reports that this Government is progressing. One of them is the local government rates inquiry. Well, that\u2019s interesting, because they did a rates inquiry back in 2008\u2014it was called the Shand report. It was done at huge expense and had something like 86 recommendations, none of which they progressed. So they shelved that report and they\u2019re doing another one.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EAnd then, finally, a working group to develop solutions to freedom camping. Good work, except this kind of work has been undertaken for years and years and years. And where was the Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, throughout all this work? Well, she wasn\u2019t invited to the meeting of mayors in Wellington to discuss freedom camping. How much does she care? She received one briefing towards the Budget on freedom camping. She took no papers to Cabinet pre-Budget on freedom camping. This is a Government which is full of self-congratulation, full of giving themselves wriggle room. It has no plan for the future of New Zealand, no plan for several very important parts of our economy. Shame, shame, business as usual\u2014\u201Cnothing to see here Budget\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u0022c0c3dcb64e3c461eaf372fed372d2ed4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c0c3dcb64e3c461eaf372fed372d2ed4\u0022\u003EHon JENNY SALESA (Minister for Building and Construction):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker, for this opportunity to speak about the Budget of 2018. Budget 2018 lays out the foundations for the future, and my comments this afternoon will be focused mainly on housing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EWe are investing a total of $2.8 billion in housing. But I will focus my speech on Vote Social Housing funding\u2014the $513.4 million that this Budget is investing in housing. But before I do, can I just speak about one of the many reasons why we are focusing on housing this year. We came into this Government and we know\u2014because we asked several experts to let us know exactly\u2014the challenge that we\u2019re facing in housing. What we were told is that throughout Aotearoa New Zealand we are short by 71,000 houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228a651bc5bc4d4bd4ba710cda0f88a1c9\u0022\u003EHon Peeni Henare\u003C/span\u003E: How many?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed7476f333ec47a5a5b18b15037aaa04\u0022\u003EHon JENNY SALESA\u003C/span\u003E: Seventy-one thousand houses in Aotearoa. In our largest city, in Auckland, we are short by 45,000 houses. I will cover a little bit later on in my speech the effect that this has especially on one particular vulnerable group, Pacific people, because the majority of Pacific people live in Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EBut let me cover the good news first. The additional funding for public housing, for State houses\u2014this coalition Government has invested $234.4 million to meet the cost pressures in public housing, as well as to provide additional new State houses. This will build 6,400 new additional State houses. That\u2019s 1,600 new State houses per year over the next four years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EFor those of us\u2014and many of us here on this side of this House are local members of Parliament. We see so many of our families coming to ask us for assistance. The number one issue that they ask us for assistance with is housing. Many of these families are families who work full-time, families who have never actually accessed a public or a State house before, but because rent is so expensive nowadays, not just in Auckland but right throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, because homelessness is an issue that we\u2019re facing as a country, not just in Auckland but everywhere else in Aotearoa\u2014in many of our cities, homelessness is an issue. We are\u2014well, we have been, since a year or so ago\u2014facing homelessness in terms of we are number one in the OECD for the rate of homelessness, something that we have never dealt with before. So one of the reasons why we are investing so much in housing, why we are tackling housing head-on, is because there is so much to do in the area of housing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EAnother area that we\u2019re investing funding in to expand is Housing First. So we\u2019re investing $42.9 million to purchase an additional 550 Housing First places, not only in Auckland but in the regions. As I said earlier on, unfortunately homelessness is something that has gone out to the regions. Another investment that this coalition Government is doing is for transitional housing. In order to address cost pressures in transitional housing, we\u2019re investing $169.9 million to address the shortfall in transitional housing, as well as for us to meet the current target, which is 2,155 transitional housing places.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EIf we\u2019re just to walk down in history, did we need emergency housing before? Did we need transitional housing to this level before? No, we did not. In fact, if we look back in history, a short history, in 2008 we had just over 69,000 State houses. That was in 2008. The wisdom, or lack thereof, of the folks on the opposite side of the House\u2014they sold off a whole lot of our State houses. They sold them off. And so now, we only have just over 60,000 State houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EIn a period of time that we are experiencing the rate of homelessness\u2014and we\u2019re number one for homelessness in the OECD\u2014the other side of the House sold off our State houses. Of course, one of the first things we did, as a coalition Government, is we put a stop to that. We do not sell off the State houses. We are building State houses. In terms of ensuring that we serve our families well, one of the things that we are also investing in is making sure that we have the front-line staff members to deal with so many of our families who are seeking help. So we\u2019re investing $30 million to continue funding for the current level of staff\u2014that\u2019s 102 full-time equivalent staff members to deliver housing services. We know that when our families are in strife, when they are living in cars, when they are living in garages, when they\u2019re living in caravans, they go and seek assistance\u2014either at Work and Income or with Housing New Zealand\u2014and they do want to be served. They want to be served by actual people. And so we\u2019re also investing in that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EThis coalition Government is committed to building State houses. This current Government is committed to housing our most vulnerable families and our children. Too many of our families, way too many of our kids, are living in unhealthy houses where it is cold and damp. One of the things that we are doing as a Government is we\u2019re making sure that our houses are indeed healthy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003ECan I just touch a little bit more on Housing First. Housing First, as an initiative\u2014one of the reasons why we\u2019re investing money to ensure that we actually have Housing First in other places, like in Tauranga, Christchurch, Wellington, and other high-need regions, is because Housing First as an approach is a simple one. It provides housing quickly, and then it offers tailored support for as long as those folks need that support. Housing First, as an initiative, aims to end homelessness. It aims to end homelessness; not just to manage homelessness. The goal for Housing First is to end homelessness, so that homelessness is brief, rare, and so that it does not occur again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EThere is so much that this coalition Government is doing in terms of housing. It is focusing on the fact that we need to build more houses. The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Hon Phil Twyford, of course has covered KiwiBuild. We need not only to house our vulnerable families; we also need to build houses so that our first-home buyers can afford to get into their first home. The Budget announcement that we have made on housing cannot come sooner for all of us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003ECan I just, as I wrap up, talk about Pacific families. The majority of Pacific families live in Auckland. We know that 24 percent of State housing or public housing tenants in Aotearoa New Zealand are Pacific families. But we also know, because the majority of them live in Auckland, that they make up a higher percentage of State house tenants in Auckland. So many of these families\u2014some of them who have never lived in cars before, some of them who have never lived in garages before, but who are working full time\u2014I have met in person when they\u2019ve come to seek assistance. It is heart-breaking when you see these families with their children coming in the cars that they live in. But we are a Government that is focused on ensuring that all of our kids have a roof over their heads, that they do not continue to live in garages, and that they do not continue to live in cars.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EThis week, as well as the Budget announcements earlier on last week, is a great time for the coalition Government. It is absolutely something that Pacific families, that vulnerable families, that families who live in South Auckland, where I am an electorate MP\u2014they are rejoicing that there has been a change of Government. They\u2019re rejoicing and they\u2019re happy that there is a Government on this side of the House that is focused on addressing the housing crisis, that actually acknowledges that there is a housing crisis, and a Government that is building houses to house our families. Madam Assistant Speaker, thank you for this opportunity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u002237df4396506840359b1ea280608f5c2e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002237df4396506840359b1ea280608f5c2e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I\u2019d just like to congratulate you on being such a great Speaker in this House, and to just ask that last member, Jenny Salesa: why didn\u2019t the Labour Government house our prisoners? Why didn\u2019t they build Waikeria Prison? Why are the Labour Party so averse to actually building a prison in New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003ELet us answer that question, because the Labour Party have made a promise\u2014they\u2019ve made a promise to the public of New Zealand that they will reduce the prison population by 30 percent over the next 15 years. That is what they have said, and they will not build Waikeria on the basis of that promise, even though Waikeria was a deal that had been set by the last Government. Actually, go to Waikeria; I challenge any member of that side to go to Waikeria. What do they see as they drive towards Waikeria Prison? They see a road upgrade that has been undertaken by the local district council. When you come into Waikeria, you see the land works there for the new prison build\u2014$7 million has been spent on that so far, and if you look at the Budget, that $7 million is clearly identified in the Budget from last year as what is being spent on earthworks and roading to get into Waikeria. And then we look at this year coming forward. How much will be spent at Waikeria in the Budget? Zero. Nothing. Nothing\u2014$7 million is already wasted, $7 million is already spent, and they will not do anything to house our prison population.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EIn fact, this is a Labour left-wing Government that prides itself on looking after the most vulnerable, and what is it going to do to some of the most vulnerable people in our community that are prisoners? They\u2019re going to put them in gyms, in triple bunking. If any of those members had ever been to Waikeria and seen the conditions that prisoners have to be in, they would understand that it\u2019s not going to work. There would be no rehabilitation there. There is no prospect that those people will change their lives around under the conditions that Labour will make them stay in. We will see prisoners being put into tent-like accommodation on our prison sites. We will see prisoners that will be forced into large areas together, and we will see prison guards that will be forced to deal with the consequences of that. That is going to be dangerous for prison guards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThe corrections union has come out publicly and asked for this Government to commit to Waikeria. This Government will not commit to Waikeria; they will not look after those people that are looking after the most difficult of all the prisoners.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277fa05a0ffac4cc8b425d88cd0fde6e0\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: He\u2019s looking out for the unions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd7fafc6babb4a85ba4c0e5117893f51\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: We are looking out for the union, and it would be great to see the other side do that. We\u2019ve even got some union members over there that haven\u2019t actually dealt with their union since they\u2019ve come into Parliament. That\u2019s what happens when you\u2019re a socialist: you come into Parliament and you\u2019re on top of the world\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022776de7f1cc6c4e958f5eb2ef9d62cc99\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Don\u2019t bring me into the argument. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227967fa78220d4f7fb308ee97f5368aa0\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and you forget the people that actually need the help. So why will the Government not build Waikeria? Why will it not house the very people that need rehabilitation and education to change their lives? Why not? Why don\u2019t the Government invest in the most vulnerable in that society?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f99e0fd6ffd442781858f3ec7de2894\u0022\u003EHon Shane Jones\u003C/span\u003E: Lock \u2018em up and throw away the key! National policy\u2014National policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246226b83a32b451f88ecab10dfcfb642\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: They will not do it. They will not do it. Now we\u2019ve got Shane Jones, the whale from the north, coming in here and telling us to throw away the key. That\u2019s New Zealand First rhetoric before an election; New Zealand First policy after an election is to just roll over and do whatever they\u2019re told as long as they get the baubles of office. That is what we see from New Zealand First.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EI cannot understand why that Government has taken away so much rehabilitation from our prisoners. When we look at the list of rehabilitation programmes that were funded last year in our Budget\u2014they were Budget line items last year, and this year, guess how much is funded for them?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f3b24b0d4434bb790df1eafcfe8617a\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aa3b0fe582c84443bc8413e89d19e287\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Zero\u2014no money for these rehabilitation programmes. Enhanced Mental Health Support Services; This Way for Work; Addressing Barriers to the Graduated Driver Licence System; Methamphetamine Targeted Screening and Rehabilitation for Prisoners; and the Expansion of the Brainwave Trust Programmes in Prison have not received any funding. The rehabilitation programmes that were funded last year are not funded this year. Why won\u2019t they invest in the rehabilitation of our prisoners?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f44431ef-b505-4e94-9f57-a60b0a569bf7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e20c37a72d784727a40f46a7d5eac66d\u0022\u003EHon Shane Jones\u003C/span\u003E: M\u0101ori Party policy\u2014M\u0101ori Party policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002233151a0c72854c92858d1f9cae2d99f7\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CM\u0101ori Party policy.\u201D That is what New Zealand First says\u2014that M\u0101ori Party policy is to invest in rehabilitation. Is there something wrong with that, Mr Jones? Is there something wrong with investing in rehabilitation for people? I think not, and it is a disgrace for that party to take away that rehabilitation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBut it actually gets better. It gets better because not only are they not going to build Waikeria Prison, and they are actually taking away rehabilitation, but the third thing is they\u2019re taking away any investigation as to what is happening in our prisons. So when we have a look at the criteria to evaluate our prison system, guess what\u2019s happened in the Budget?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225343be57dbea4d0c856e5f1ebfbecee3\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Tell us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cc4f5d9c0f9a4bf9b87df9534f9a5514\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Well, a number of those key indicators are removed. So let\u2019s have a look at some of these indicators: the number of escapes will not be measured any more; the number of breakout escapes as a proportion of all escapes will not be measured\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002201ef60da48b14f2ab8feb8c9dc54ff3f\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: This can\u2019t be true.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cae95eeb1b1846f09470a7d360318029\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: No, it says, \u201CNot a measure for 2018/19\u201D. OK, look at this: the number of prisoner on prisoner assaults that are serious\u2014not to be measured. The number of prisoner on staff assaults that are serious is not to be measured\u2014that is, prisoner assaults on staff are not to be measured. The number of justified complaints by prisoners to the corrections inspectorate upheld for not meeting process requirements\u2014not to be measured. The number of justified complaints by prisoners to the corrections inspectorate upheld for reasons of materiality\u2014not to be measured.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThey are taking away all the measures that would indicate the success of a corrections system. Whether someone escapes or not will be taken away, and they will take away the number of assaults that are recorded by prisoner on prisoner, and take away the number of assaults by prisoner on prison staff. Why do you take those away? What\u2019s the matter with having an open, democratic system where people can see what\u2019s actually happening in our corrections system? Why did the Government take away the rights of prisoners to actually have their cases heard, as well, and the other requirements that have been taken away?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003ESo not only do we have no Waikeria Prison\u2014because this Government see it as a symbol and they have put their pride ahead of what is actually best for our corrections staff, and our prisoners themselves, and our wider community. If we have an effective corrections system, that keeps New Zealanders safe, and the Labour Government has taken that away\u2014taken away that. Secondly, they\u2019ve taken away the rehabilitation to actually make sure that any of those prisoners could actually get a fairer chance in life. And, thirdly, they\u2019ve taken away any review or indication of what\u2019s actually happening in our corrections system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227940e9f2-9cea-43d5-8f16-3b470e34f47f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b82a34522e324acdb9190f94b755f637\u0022\u003EMatt King\u003C/span\u003E: No transparency.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002247ec91b705c147bc9663e7a81394a5fe\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: There is no transparency, and that is a terrible blight on a new Government, within nine months of coming into Government. Why do they not do the things that are needed for one of our biggest parts of Government? Why do they take away the ability of some New Zealanders to make a change in their life? Isn\u2019t that a Labour Party value? Isn\u2019t that something that the Labour Party always says it\u2019s there for? And yet, when it comes to the money, they take that away. Another Labour Party value we always hear about is the rights of the individual\u2014the rights of the person that\u2019s vulnerable\u2014and they take that away. They take away prisoners\u2019 rights again in what they\u2019re doing in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003ESo let\u2019s have a look at corrections. Would New Zealanders want to support a system that puts themselves at risk\u2014their personal security is at risk\u2014because there are not the facilities there for our criminals? Would they want to put the people that work in that system\u2014the good New Zealand civil servants that work in our corrections system\u2014at risk because this Government is too proud to agree to something that a previous Government did? In doing that, their pride has meant that New Zealanders are at risk, our prison staff are at risk, and, actually, the prisoners are at risk at well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ac1d72820e942299bc63e145281a516\u0022\u003EHon Aupito William Sio\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019re breaking my heart!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0954486ef944a359b8d4c23306968a4\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Because there is nothing\u2014breaking your heart; well, that\u2019s exactly what the Labour Party needs to do. They need to get real, they need to do things, and they do not need to look at ideological things, but actually look at what\u2019s right for New Zealanders, what\u2019s right for our prison system, and what\u2019s right for the prisoners. Instead of that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022371d105e1a864797b19a06669cfa407d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022371d105e1a864797b19a06669cfa407d\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The member\u2019s time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022 data-id=\u0022ca77b566105b4ae0b6153cb60f946c3a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ca77b566105b4ae0b6153cb60f946c3a\u0022\u003EHon PEENI HENARE (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector):\u003C/span\u003E I recommend getting that member, David Bennett, a ghost mop for his ghost tears. Here is a member claiming that on this side of the House we don\u2019t care about New Zealanders. Well, I\u2019m really proud to say, on this side of the House, that the Budget delivered in the past few days has definitely delivered for New Zealanders far and wide. Before I continue on in my applause for the great Minister of Finance, the Hon Grant Robertson, I just want to pause and reflect and say, in Te Reo M\u0101ori, ki a koe e te p\u0101p\u0101, e Te Murum\u0101r\u0101, te toa o te reo M\u0101ori kua ngaro atu ki roto i ng\u0101 rangi kua taha ake nei, e tangi m\u014Dteatea ana t\u014D taonga, t\u014D t\u0101tou taonga, a Te Reo M\u0101ori m\u014Du kua ngaro atu ki te p\u014D. N\u014D reira, mai i a m\u0101tou o te Whare nei ki a koe, haere, haere, haere.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003E[To our esteemed elder, John Moorfield, the champion of M\u0101ori language who has passed away in the last few days, your treasure, nay our treasure, the M\u0101ori language, laments your passing. From the House we say, farewell sir, farewell, farewell.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI just wanted to acknowledge Professor John Moorfield, otherwise known as Te Murum\u0101ra, who was passionate about Te Reo M\u0101ori. I think his passing actually reminds me of Matariki. Why is because of this: in our Budget recently we have made provision to ensure that Te Reo M\u0101ori\u2014the resources, the teachers needed to teach Te Reo M\u0101ori\u2014will be strengthened. We have also made allocation in the Budget to ensure that, in the words of the Associate Minister of Education, \u201Cwe grow tohunga and speakers to fill taumata marae across Aotearoa New Zealand.\u201D Now, those are bold steps, steps that will address long-held issues and needs within my community and small M\u0101ori communities far and wide.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud. I\u2019m proud that we\u2019ve started this journey to make sure that\u2014it\u2019s easy, all fair and well, to say, \u201CLet\u2019s have compulsory Te Reo M\u0101ori in schools.\u201D, and I agree that\u2019s an ambition, but we must make the first steps. In order to do that, we must provide a Budget that will allow the growth of Te Reo M\u0101ori teachers, the growth of Te Reo M\u0101ori resources, so that kids of all ethnicities, throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, will benefit from having a richness of language, that I was able to benefit from as a young person.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud. I\u2019m proud that those steps have been taken in education. I\u2019m also proud around housing. Many members on this side of the House have already mentioned it: emergency housing. We have a plan, on this side of the House, to address the housing crisis. Primarily, that\u2019s around supply. But what we know is right now, in particular in my electorate of T\u0101maki Makaurau, there is an urgent need for emergency housing. We need more beds. We need more places. We need more good community providers who are willing to step forward and help our most needy in our community: those who sleep rough; those who sleep on the street. I\u2019m proud that in our Budget, not only did we deliver the building foundations for fixing the housing crisis, we are also solving the problem at the sharp end of the stick. What is that? That\u2019s emergency housing\u2014significant funds to grow bed placements and significant funds to support those who are already working in this space are just one part of a fantastic Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EI want to talk too about the member who gave his contribution before me, because he constantly talked about rehabilitation and reintegration. Can I acknowledge the good work of my colleague here the Hon Willie Jackson and the good people of Manukau Urban M\u0101ori Authority (MUMA), and their work that they have done to reintegrate wh\u0101nau who have come out of prisons back into our community. How dare that member accuse this side of the House of not caring about the rehabilitation of prisoners. On that side of the House, over nine years, they locked up more people than they rehabilitated. They put more money and effort into locking them up than rehabilitating them and reintegrating them back into our communities. I\u2019m proud of the work that the likes of MUMA do. I\u2019m proud of the work that many organisations across Aotearoa do. But what they\u2019ve always said to us is that there must be a better plan. There must be a better way forward. Do not build a bigger mega-prison\u2014do not do it. What we need to look at are the contributing factors that actually push our people into prisons. What we also need to look at are those rehabilitation services that are needed to reintegrate those people back into our community so that they can give meaningful contribution to our communities and to our society. That is a plan that I\u2019m proud that on this side of the House we\u2019ve been developing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAnd, of course, in our Budget we deliver on some of those things. We know that it\u2019s not going to be solved with one single shot. It\u2019s not going to be a silver bullet that is going to actually\u2014how shall we say\u2014solve everything in our country. What we know is it\u2019s going to take planning. And in the Budget that was delivered by the Hon Grant Robertson there\u2019s certainly the foundation for greater things, which gives me excitement. It makes me believe that there\u2019s aspiration for our country into the future. In order for that to happen, we must, of course, rebuild those foundation stones that have been stripped away over many, many years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EAnother area\u2014and I want to touch on this also\u2014is, of course, youth. I\u2019m proud to be the Minister for Youth, and I know that in the Budget there\u2019s an allocation to reintroduce something that was taken away under the last Government. That side of the House have always said \u201Cyou must make decisions on sound data research.\u201D Well, guess what? On this side of the House, we\u2019re bringing that back, in particular for young people. We\u2019re bringing back the research programme that was taken away under the last Government, to make sure that young people are heard and to make sure that decision makers on this side of the House know what our young people need and what they deserve. I\u2019m excited that that funding has been reintroduced to make sure that that particular piece of work and research will be undertaken again and that the decisions made for the benefit of young, far and wide, will be ones made on sound research, and, of course, sound data.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EIn the few minutes I have left, I want to talk about Wh\u0101nau Ora. Now, it\u2019s been mentioned in this House that Wh\u0101nau Ora has missed out in the Budget. Well, that\u2019s the classic siloed approach of looking at things. I say to that side of the House that wh\u0101nau ora isn\u2019t funding; wh\u0101nau ora is a concept of well-being for our people. It isn\u2019t simply a vote that\u2019s given in the Budget. Wh\u0101nau Ora is about housing, Wh\u0101nau Ora is about health, Wh\u0101nau Ora is about education\u2014that is Wh\u0101nau Ora. I\u2019m really proud, as the Minister for Wh\u0101nau Ora, that we are undertaking a review to make sure that the role that Wh\u0101nau Ora providers play across the country can only enhance the good work that was announced in this Budget. I\u2019m proud of that. I\u2019m proud of all of the people out there that work hard to make sure that Wh\u0101nau Ora, in its entirety, actually delivers for our people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EPeople get caught up on numbers, and I\u2019m proud that over the past few years Wh\u0101nau Ora have had an outreach to approximately 12,000 families\u201412,000 families. Here\u2019s what I want to say to that side of the House: if we do things right to rebuild housing, health, and education, guess what? Wh\u0101nau Ora will reach far more families right across the spectrum\u2014right across the spectrum. Wh\u0101nau Ora providers are already saying they\u2019re proud of this Budget, because what are the key issues they see when they go into families? Poor health services and healthcare. What else do they see? Lack of education opportunities. What else do they see? Housing issues, many of which have already been raised in this House: mould on ceilings and poor, dilapidated houses that make families sick. Wh\u0101nau Ora providers far and wide are saying that this Budget is taking us in the right direction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e77494a0-1be1-432f-b492-fd160f4c119d\u0022\u003EIn the final minute, can I just say\u2014and reiterate the point\u2014that rebuilding a house that\u2019s broken and torn down actually takes time. We have now put in the foundations, and the Prime Minister was right today when she said we can look forward to at least another eight Budgets into the future to make sure that this country is headed in the right direction. I\u2019m excited. I\u2019m excited for the championing of the regions. I\u2019m excited for our Minister of Education doing the hard yards. I\u2019m excited for this side of the House, who are aspirational for our people, and I can\u2019t wait to see what the next Budget will bring.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022 data-id=\u0022dee6cab8ddf64cbfb338954069dd6578\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dee6cab8ddf64cbfb338954069dd6578\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG (National\u2014New Plymouth):\u003C/span\u003E Well, we certainly hope that the next Budget that that party brings has got far more aspiration and hope for this country than this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EThis Budget is a disappointing Budget, because it does not use the resources of taxpayers for the best gain. I am disappointed that Wh\u0101nau Ora has not been funded to the capacity that it ought to, because it\u2019s a good policy and it was brokered by a very progressive party called the M\u0101ori Party. I believe that it had and continues to have a very good aspiration and organisation to it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EWhen I think about the speech of my colleague David Bennett from Hamilton East and his concerns around the corrections system and the absolute derision that members of the Government have about this institution called the Department of Corrections\u2014we have a very good police system in New Zealand. It has been upheld and recognised around the world. They have a policy and a mode of operation called Prevention First. We all understand that when people end up in the corrections system it\u2019s the long end of a tale of failure not only of that person but often of the society and community around them. But it\u2019s not always their fault either, because there are choices that people make and there are choices that are also imposed on them simply by their background.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EBut what we see, through the New Zealand Police, is a tremendous attitude of working with people in Prevention First so that it will prevent crime before it happens. Then, through their activity, through their behaviour, through their law-breaking, if they do end up in the corrections department, then what we have seen, as I have visited many prisons in this nation\u2014I have seen rehabilitation and reintegration, and those two terms can get lost in people\u2019s thinking. I have seen people learn how to read and write and become educated and learn trade skills, and they have earned in their own stead great self-pride in their achievements, and self-respect. That\u2019s what we want New Zealanders to have, and it has happened through the corrections system, because it was funded.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s not a matter of ever throwing away the key, because that\u2019s never the case unless there are very specific circumstances for the safety of New Zealanders. There is always the intention that somebody who enters the correction system will exit it, and there is a very good probation service that supports them in the community. Yes, it\u2019s a tough job, because there are communities and there are families that not only need to have the reintegration of family members but also need protection. So, for all of those points that my colleague raised in terms of areas where there\u2019s no longer a measure, they are areas of concern, because you can\u2019t change something which you can\u2019t measure in terms of inclusion, acceptance, support\u2014all of that aroha. But at the same time, we want people to progress in life, and so we need to apply the resources we have and the intent we have and I\u2019m disappointed that this Budget isn\u2019t doing that to the extent that it could.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EI would have to say that as I look across what\u2019s happening in our society I do have concerns and I do have disappointment in the decisions of this Government. I see nothing in that space of energy and resources when we have seen such a devastating decision by this Government that has the effect of knee-capping not only an industry but the hopes and aspirations of those who contribute to it. I believe that\u2014and I look to my colleague across the way who administers the Provincial Growth Fund and I know that he has an intent to bring some lift and transition to the people of Taranaki. But I ask him: 4,500 people that will see in the horizon, in the distance, the end of their employment and their hopes and their aspirations\u2014what\u2019s going to keep them in Taranaki? What\u2019s going to keep them in New Zealand when they have skills and they have qualifications that find them attractive to most other countries in the world? What\u2019s going to happen not only to the region I come from and the industry that I support; but what\u2019s going to happen to New Zealand when we start to have those shortages, when we start to have the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002227ffeb8f1a574b239ed06729a8a13bb8\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: Scaremongering\u2014that\u2019s all this is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e9351f1d6b14d749ae55f2d9deee6c2\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014huge demand upon electrification that we don\u2019t have the capacity or the infrastructure to support? And, you might say \u201Cscaremongering\u201D; why don\u2019t you learn and dig a little bit deeper about the information that you think you know\u2014Madam Assistant Speaker, I understand what you\u2019re going to say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f607356df1ac4d61b75399686a7bd1f6\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dfcfa934b4784d8a93da411fb537c061\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG\u003C/span\u003E: The member opposite needs to think a little bit more deeply and also investigate a little bit more thoroughly around the issues and the decisions that the Government have made. I believe that it\u2019s been a very poor decision. I don\u2019t see much in this Budget that will support that industry, and I think they have been cast adrift and left on their own, and we\u2019ll just see what will come of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EI certainly believe that there is a very important part to play for that industry in our society, and right around the world that is also the case. When we think about the energy needs of New Zealand, it\u2019s very important that we have security of supply, that not only do we expect when we go home every day that we\u2019ll be able to turn on our lights and all those sorts of things, but that industry can do the same, because they\u2019re the people who employ New Zealanders, and they\u2019re the ones who need to have an efficient and cost-effective energy supply to their industries.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EI remember back in 2011 when there was an earth shift in northern parts of Taranaki and the M\u0101ui pipeline cracked in one of its seams. It was interesting, because I went to visit and look at this massive pipe that was being repaired. I went there with Hekia Parata, the Minister of Energy and Resources at the time, and saw that there was a very skilled welder\u2014the sort of welder that is above the average, because they were welding steel that had gas in it, and it\u2019s an incredibly skilful job with a very careful operation and procedure that they must follow. He was one of the people who, 30 years earlier, had actually put it in place. That proves the longevity of that sort of employee, because they are highly skilled, highly sought after, and highly paid. This is what we do not want to lose. But as they repaired that pipeline and as they had to close it down for that repair, it took 138 hours. Over that period of time, the north of Taranaki economy\u2014the upper North Island economy\u2014lost $200 million.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo, what happened is that the Government, under the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, needed to ascertain the issue around energy security, so they did a study. If there was such an outage that lasted longer than just one week; if it lasted a month\u2014very similar to the refinery to Auckland pipeline\u2014what would be the economic effects on New Zealand? So they looked at just the upper North Island, where only 60 percent of the gas connections are, and they ascertained that over a four-week period there would be a half a billion dollar loss to the economy\u2014to industries, to companies, to businesses, who needed that gas.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EI would ask members opposite and also Mr Shane Jones, who has the opportunity through his Provincial Growth Fund to make a difference in this country, what are you going to do to replace that when he and many others have been part of a decision to bring that energy supply to an accelerated end? Because this is where it starts to affect not just a region, not just an industry, not just thousands of jobs; but it starts to affect businesses all over our country who employ New Zealanders. I believe that we must be very prudent and thoughtful about these sorts of decisions. We should not make them because of ideological positions, because we know, in this decision around ending offshore oil and gas, it makes no difference to New Zealand\u2019s emissions. There\u2019s nothing in this Budget that actually does or says anything about the future of New Zealand\u2019s industries around the security of energy. I think that this Government needs to think more deeply and differently than the way they presently are. I\u2019m very disappointed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022192bf65bca084a1489f4ebf79d15408c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022192bf65bca084a1489f4ebf79d15408c\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Sorry\u2014your time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022 data-id=\u0022d29f8f2dc6854ba3a8cf2305ff31ed5a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d29f8f2dc6854ba3a8cf2305ff31ed5a\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment):\u003C/span\u003E Tuatahi, e tika ana ki te tautoko ng\u0101 mihi ki t\u014D t\u0101tou rangatira k\u0101tahi an\u014D kua hinga n\u014D reira e te p\u0101p\u0101, John, moe mai, moe mai, moe mai r\u0101. \u0100, ka nui t\u0113n\u0101. Ki a koutou o te Whare, t\u0113nei te mihi ki a koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E[Firstly, it is appropriate that I echo the acknowledgments to our chief who has recently passed away, therefore esteemed sir, John, rest in peace. I now conclude paying my respects. To those of you in the House, greetings one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s with great pleasure that I rise to speak about this Budget. I want to congratulate our Minister of Finance for delivering a measured but successful Budget that has set up a foundation for this Government going forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EI want to congratulate him too for delivering for M\u0101ori, because M\u0101ori have got more funding from this Budget, more than any other Budget in the history of Budgets in this Parliament. Fantastic\u2014despite the nonsense and rubbish that\u2019s come from the Opposition and their mates, who we successfully got rid of in the last election.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EAs the Minister of Employment, I\u2019m particularly pleased that I\u2019ve got a bit more p\u016Btea for our people. I\u2019ve been administering this Poutama Rangatahi scheme for our \u201Cneets\u201D people, our young ones who are a bit lost in the Shane Jones area of the North, his nephews, and on the East Coast, Ng\u0101ti Porou, our nephews, who are wandering around\u2014some of them, too many of them, sitting on the couches, as Minister Jones would say. But we\u2019ve got a bit of a p\u016Btea in place where we can get in with the community and organise them and get them on a road back to life. I\u2019ve got that funding now successfully built into the cities. It\u2019s an urban fund of $14 million, and I thank the Minister of Finance for that and, of course, the Minister for M\u0101ori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, because the funding came in under that portfolio.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EAt the last election, I was the campaign manager for our M\u0101ori caucus, and we ran a campaign based on bread-and-butter issues. We didn\u2019t run a campaign like the Opposition did with their mates, based on the foreshore and seabed and the water and tino rangatiratanga and every other kaupapa. We ran a campaign based on need\u2014based on need. When you have your people sleeping in cars and when you have your people freezing in their homes and when you have your people hungry\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b02be64de88467fa33c91f4bea641c3\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Not me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226adcc85593bb47e49d66410b7095e8c5\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: My apologies, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f01eabb4c8c444590cbd990f9077f39\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211ecb8562c6d4a3c898a8b64751b0d80\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: My Apologies. I need to get that right. I\u2019ve only been here four years. But, thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EWhen a Government sees this happening, and that was a legacy of the last Government and their mates from that other party, you have to invest where the need is. You can\u2019t worry about\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e743f7a486d42e79cbcacaf5820de41\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df1d48b71b514972b597fb9a9dd20ce8\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry. I did that again, Madam Assistant Speaker. We can\u2019t worry about who owns the water, not at this stage. We\u2019ve got to worry about the basics, the bread-and-butter issues. We can\u2019t worry about Te Puni K\u014Dkiri going down a few dollars, as my good colleague Kiri Allan said. You\u2019ve got to worry about the basics. We ran a bread-and-butter campaign, and that\u2019s what our people wanted, that\u2019s what our people got, and that\u2019s what they\u2019re getting in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003ESo we don\u2019t accept any nonsensical criticism from the Leader of the Opposition, who wouldn\u2019t have a clue about M\u0101ori things, who said that we let M\u0101ori down. M\u0101ori are celebrating, Shane Jones says that\u2014more M\u0101ori are benefiting in the regions than anywhere else. They\u2019re benefiting off our rangatahi schemes. We can\u2019t go down this nonsensical track that the Opposition talk about when homelessness reached an all-time high\u2014an all-time high. That\u2019s a fact. M\u0101ori homeownership rates are at the lowest level they\u2019ve ever been\u2014that\u2019s a record. Frankly, the previous Government should be ashamed of the state of affairs that they left things in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EThanks to this Budget now, we have $1.2 billion\u2014$1.2 billion\u2014going directly into M\u0101ori people\u2019s pockets. When did that last happen? There is $250 million going in terms of the accommodation supplement, which will have a huge impact in terms of M\u0101ori, and the winter energy payment is another great benefit to our wh\u0101nau. That\u2019s what matters. That\u2019s what matters. So when we talk about targeted and universal funding and we hear nonsense from the other side, \u201COh, the M\u0101ori Party got $120 million, and you only got $57 million.\u201D, while they were selling off State rentals, while they had the dirty, rotten, filthy Te Ture Whenua M\u0101ori Bill, while our people at k\u014Dhanga reo were not getting equity, while they were going to expand on oil and gas\u2014it doesn\u2019t matter. It doesn\u2019t matter. It\u2019s all peanuts. What matters is the big stuff. The Opposition does not understand things M\u0101ori, and the M\u0101ori Party doesn\u2019t understand things M\u0101ori. Understand where your people are at before you say, \u201CWe got $120 million, and you only got $57 million, so that makes us more successful than you!\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c9e7d3809b7494ca8ae77c6cf69bd1b\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ab00d3573dc49b0b26ae11e0cce4371\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, I\u2019m talking about what they\u2019re saying.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299344176e5b647a39f1e3750aee1198b\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I know that. However, can I just encourage you to not use the word \u201Cyou\u201D because that brings me into the debate. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c87d494315494ddcae3482151356c1ec\u0022\u003EHon WILLIE JACKSON\u003C/span\u003E: Yes. I do understand that, Madam Assistant Speaker. But I\u2019m just trying to\u2014and my apologies, again. But I\u2019m trying to replicate this nonsensical analysis that we\u2019re getting in the media from idiots who would have us believe that they are so successful, because they got their measly $120 million while the whole world was falling down\u2014the M\u0101ori world was falling down. Our kids are killing themselves in record numbers, homelessness is at a record high, our young M\u0101ori are in the regions wandering around doing nothing\u2014but they got a $120 million. It\u2019s just nonsense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EM\u0101ori development is more than just targeted funding, which is important\u2014don\u2019t get me wrong. Don\u2019t get me wrong. We support our M\u0101ori groups, our M\u0101ori organisations. For goodness\u2019 sake, I was a CEO of one for many years, and I chaired many M\u0101ori organisations. But the reality is most M\u0101ori, sadly, are not part of our M\u0101ori organisations. Most M\u0101ori don\u2019t speak M\u0101ori. Most M\u0101ori kids go to mainstream schools. This is the reality for Te Ao M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003ESo for this Budget, the M\u0101ori caucus has invested in the greater good\u2014invested in the greater good. We\u2019ve said, \u201CWe are with our party, we\u2019re with Grant Robertson. We\u2019re with our P\u0101keh\u0101 and Pacific and Indian and Asian\u2014and who else have we got in our party? Pasifika. We\u2019re with all our groups. We\u2019re in it. We\u2019re for the greater good.\u201D We could have got greedy and got $121 million in terms of targeted funding, but no. We said, \u201CWe\u2019re here for the greater good.\u201D So stop the rubbish from the other side. I am getting sick of this simplistic analysis about who did well and who didn\u2019t do well. We did well. We are putting real money into the pockets of wh\u0101nau: $14.5 million into Te Reo M\u0101ori, $250 million into households, accommodation allowances, winter allowances\u2014what part of that does the Opposition not understand? What part of that don\u2019t you understand? This is a Government that cares about M\u0101ori; that doesn\u2019t patronise M\u0101ori the way the previous Government did, with the M\u0101ori party. We believe in M\u0101ori. Most of the Opposition wouldn\u2019t know a M\u0101ori if you fell over one. There were only two in the last Government, for goodness\u2019 sake!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003ESo I say, well done. Well done for the positives that we\u2019re doing: $1.2 billion going into the pockets of M\u0101ori. Again, they wouldn\u2019t know; they don\u2019t know any M\u0101ori. The only M\u0101ori they know are the ones who they\u2019re looking at across here in Government. And I\u2019m saying to Grant Robertson, \u201CThank you, Grant. Thank you for what you\u2019ve done.\u201D We know that our providers will take this, because they\u2019re making a contribution in terms of this country. We\u2019re here for the greater good. The M\u0101ori caucus is here for the greater good, unlike the Opposition over there who wouldn\u2019t know a M\u0101ori if they fell over one\u2014no, they wouldn\u2019t. We know going forward that the foundation has been put in place for a better New Zealand for everyone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003EI say to our people out there, believe in this M\u0101ori caucus\u2014our 13 people who are making a great contribution, with the greater caucus in Labour. It\u2019s a special partnership. It\u2019s not a patronising relationship like the last Government had with the M\u0101ori Party. It\u2019s a real relationship, a partnership that\u2019ll go forward\u2014one that our Prime Minister supports, one that the Minister of Finance supports\u2014and we\u2019re looking good for the next Budget come 2019. N\u014D reira, kia ora koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022643413b38c514cb98c1e975d86314e29\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022643413b38c514cb98c1e975d86314e29\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc63a62867044c3e9fd300aa8d45a73f\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, that\u2019s right, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022089b32b3aad5454ea4ba0c821ca5c844\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Andrew Bayly, you have five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u0022d3a498319d7d4cfd837617bafa02008e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d3a498319d7d4cfd837617bafa02008e\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Hunua):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I think the quote of the day has got to be \u201CThere is a difference between a broken promise and one that is yet to be delivered.\u201D Don\u2019t you think that\u2019s a good one? That\u2019s a fantastic statement from the Leader of the House, the Hon Chris Hipkins, trying to explain why this coalition Government hasn\u2019t delivered in the Budget. Despite all the talk of crises that we heard from the coalition Government over the preceding month or so, there has only been one winner in this Budget and that has been Winston Peters\u2014Mr Winston Peters, who\u2019s got the carpets and the curtains for Stockholm and the tax cuts for horse breeders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EIf you look at the Budget, health and education are brought in line with what National had done last year and in the Budgets before that. There is nothing additional at all. So, what I find funny is that the middle New Zealanders, the hard-working New Zealanders, are the ones that are going to miss out in this Budget. They\u2019re the ones that are going to be hit by a whole raft of new taxes. In fact, if you look at it, $2.3 billion of new taxes are being collected by this Government in this Budget\u2014one is around the regional fuel tax and, of course, we know how that\u2019s going to bite soon; they\u2019re increasing the five-year brightline test; there\u2019s the Amazon tax; and the tax on GST on online goods is being introduced by a Government who campaigned on no new taxes\u2014no new taxes. We didn\u2019t campaign on no new taxes; it was that Government, on the other side, who campaigned on it. That is incorrect and wrong. If you\u2019re not going to increase taxes, you should say that and make sure you stick to it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EAgainst that, they\u2019ve cut off the $1,060 of average tax cuts. Who that hurts most of all is the students; it\u2019s the people out there going to university who want to do a job in the holidays and earn enough money; it\u2019s the young couple trying to save for a house who do not yet have a family; and it\u2019s the older people who\u2019re only going to get a measly couple of hundred bucks for the winter energy payment in this first year, when they were promised they were going to get an $800 payment this year. That is the travesty around this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EBut what I also want to focus on is the question of housing. I\u2019ve got to ask: what is wrong with Mr Twyford, who talks of highly-qualified Treasury officials as being kids at Treasury, or bean counters at Treasury? They are derogatory terms\u2014absolutely derogatory terms. We know they are highly qualified people. They may be young but it does not mean their view should be discounted. I think the issue that Mr Twyford forgot to look at is that at the end of the Budget documents, of course, those projections around housing, which Treasury had dropped from $5 billion over five years to an estimated $2.5 billion benefit from housing coming in over the next five years, were actually signed off by the Secretary of the Treasury\u2014the Secretary of the Treasury. So, it had all been through the cascade, in the entire Treasury process, and yet Mr Twyford took it upon himself to launch a personal attack. I think it\u2019s dreadful. That follows the Reserve Bank, who had also come to their own view and downgraded the KiwiBuild projections in the last update they gave in December late last year, and, of course, what Fran O\u2019Sullivan said only just a couple of days ago\u2014this is a quote from her\u2014was \u201CIt\u2019s obvious that the KiwiBuild affordable housing programme will not produce 100,000 [new] houses over the next decade\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo what I think was missing in this Budget was there was nothing in the Budget about the urban development authority they\u2019ve spoken of, nothing in the Budget about training people involved in the building construction sector, nothing in the Budget about speeding up the consenting process for new homes, and nothing in the Budget about putting in place a process to speed up new products coming into the country. All we hear about and read about today is K3T panels being installed in houses in Northland. This Budget is a travesty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022 data-id=\u0022b92ddccb935c48368babc8fe63b39fe3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b92ddccb935c48368babc8fe63b39fe3\u0022\u003EALASTAIR SCOTT (National\u2014Wairarapa):\u003C/span\u003E Overpromising, under-delivering. We\u2019ve heard a very good list of things that were not done by the Labour Government\u2014not in the Budget. But, of course, they\u2019re all about rhetoric. It\u2019s all about saying stuff that they will do at some point, and even Mr Hipkins said today that the promises he hasn\u2019t kept are not broken promises; they\u2019re just some things to do later, to do at some point. There is no urgency by this Government to do anything that they promised to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003EInstead, well let\u2019s just look at one example. Let\u2019s just look at one sector. Let\u2019s look at education. Apparently, there\u2019s a 45 percent increase in the education budget, we heard today in question time. Where has that money gone? It\u2019s gone to the tertiary students who do not need the money. In fact, it\u2019s been proven that there\u2019s been no new students turn up as a result of having a free year\u2019s education. Ineffective\u2014$2 billion wasted, down the tubes. Why on earth couldn\u2019t the Government use that money more effectively?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003EWhy has there not been more funding put into early childhood education, for example? Why has that money not been used to alleviate or to keep the promise that was made regarding school donations\u2014targeted where the money can be utilised effectively? But instead, it was used in a universal grant that is given to people like myself. I have a first-year university student in Auckland who will get her first year free\u2014her older brothers, they went. They were going to go. She was always going to go. All the kids that have gone to university, they were always going to go, but the Labour Government have chosen to waste more than $2 billion and leave early childhood education for dead and leave school donations without changing them whatsoever.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003EThe other promises that have been broken\u2014we heard them today in question time. Where\u2019s the money for the doubling of refugees? Where\u2019s the petition that was asked to be signed during the campaign by my opposition\u2014Mr McAnulty? He gathered signatures, tried to gather signatures, for doubling the refugee quota because that was a policy that he was going to stand up in Parliament and advocate and demand\u2014that there be money for these refugees that needed to be brought into New Zealand, for their benefit and for the benefit of New Zealand. A culturally fantastic idea, but what a disgrace that that was all hot air, a broken promise, rhetoric that does not mean anything. In fact, the New Zealand public is learning quite quickly not to believe anything that that Government might say on the street corner or in a policy, or perhaps even in Parliament. The credibility of this Government is waning fast and they can only blame themselves. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve got the police officers\u2014another broken promise. We\u2019ve got money\u2014well, where\u2019s all that extra money that\u2019s going into the district health boards? It\u2019s not. There is no extra money. In fact, there\u2019s less extra money than what the National Government had promised. So the Government has cut back on health expenditure only because Winston Peters needed the $900 million to be invested in foreign affairs. You see, the problem here is there\u2019s money to burn. We left it for the Government because we set them up. In fact, Mr Parker sounded today like he\u2019d done all the work. I mean, it was quite obnoxious, actually, hearing Mr Parker claim that this fantastic surplus and the fact that the economy\u2019s in great order is due to the Labour Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002260db75b49fbb4ec18b90f335d91bee22\u0022\u003EHon Willie Jackson\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s true.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a4097ef1c33c47dba3a34aff5afcd63f\u0022\u003EALASTAIR SCOTT\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Jackson says it\u2019s true. He\u2019s been there six months and he\u2019s claiming that the surpluses, the never-ending surpluses, the increasing surpluses, were all down to the good work of Grant Robertson, and that is just laughable. Again, it just undermines the credibility of the Government when they make such claims, because it is clear to the man on the street that it\u2019s nonsense. It is just a nonsense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003ESo, unfortunately, there\u2019s a lot of the taxes that it was promised were not supposed to be coming in. They\u2019re here\u2014the petrol taxes\u2014and they\u2019re only hurting those that need to be supported the most.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u0022dbaa4378d5174dc28a9c2a53c1e377b7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dbaa4378d5174dc28a9c2a53c1e377b7\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. I\u2019m delighted to be able to stand and I\u2019m so proud to speak in support of this year\u2019s Budget. Can I congratulate our Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, on an absolutely splendid job that he\u2019s done, because M\u0101ori are moving forward under this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EI want to endorse the remarks from my colleague the Hon Willie Jackson, someone who has devoted his life to working among our people. We know that this Budget does deliver. We\u2019re not quibbling around little bits of money that some people are saying we\u2019re giving here or there; we\u2019re doing the big things in this Government, and this is what we can do when we\u2019re in Government. We\u2019re looking across the whole range of services. We\u2019re healing the deficits and the underfunding and the damage that has been done after nine years. So that\u2019s why I\u2019m really pleased to be able to stand in support of this Budget, because we are laying the foundations, we are putting things right, we\u2019re driving those investments into the areas that need them most, and M\u0101ori wh\u0101nau are recipients, are beneficiaries of this Budget in a major sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ECan I just give us some examples. We are investing through our Families Package, our Best Start payments for our p\u0113pi\u2014our babies\u2014and our winter energy payments. That\u2019s going to be $1.2 billion going directly into M\u0101ori households, directly into those households over the next four years. That\u2019s going to make a huge difference. On average, that\u2019s around $75 per week extra that will be going into those households, and we know how they\u2019ve been struggling after the last nine years, under that previous Government. We\u2019re making investments right across the board in our health and education sector, and also M\u0101ori are benefiting from housing. We\u2019re supplementing the massive work that we\u2019re doing in KiwiBuild, and we\u2019re supplementing that with our Papak\u0101inga housing as well. Whakamahana\u2014we\u2019re warming up our land through our regional provincial fund, spearheaded by the honourable matua Shane Jones, which is benefiting our M\u0101ori interests in the regions and our M\u0101ori land owners, in addition to the work that the Hon Nanaia Mahuta is doing in that area. We\u2019re doing the Papak\u0101inga housing. We are providing pathways for our rangatahi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThe previous speaker, Alastair Scott, spoke about our first-year free tertiary education. I was in Otago University. There are 2,000 M\u0101ori students at Otago University, and many of them\u2014a bulk of them\u2014are first years who have benefited from our policy. That is a major chunk\u20142,000 M\u0101ori students\u2014so that needs to be celebrated. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ESo we are doing great things in our Government, and I just want to re-emphasise the point that we are about doing the big things. We\u2019re not about a few million here to Te Puni K\u014Dkiri that mostly goes into the pockets of contractors and consultants; we\u2019re about driving resources into communities, into wh\u0101nau, directly helping them out through the likes of our Families Package and the winter payments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ECan I just say there are 17,000 M\u0101ori babies born every year, and we celebrate that. Those families\u2014those babies and their parents\u2014will directly benefit from the tax credits that we are doing through our Best Start payments. Now, that\u2019s a real difference that will be made to all of those families, not to mention the winter energy payments. It\u2019s making a huge difference. So we mustn\u2019t quibble. This is a great Budget. It\u2019s doing some wonderful things right across the board.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ENow, we know we can\u2019t fix all the problems overnight. We can\u2019t fix them overnight, but this Budget is laying the foundations for the start that we are doing to repair the social infrastructure of our country, and we\u2019ve made huge strides in doing that in this Budget. More work will be happening, I can assure you. We\u2019ve got many years of Budgets to come, whereby we will be doing much more targeted and focused efforts and resources and initiatives to further build on the work that we\u2019re doing. There\u2019s a M\u0101ori proverb and, if I can adjust it slightly, it goes like this: m\u0101 whero, m\u0101 pango, m\u0101 k\u0101k\u0101riki ka oti ai te mahi\u2014with red, with black, and with green the work will be done, and we will get the work done. Kia ora t\u0101tau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022 data-id=\u002213a9e227757a47f2b23320be79f279ca\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002213a9e227757a47f2b23320be79f279ca\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E I am absolutely delighted to take a call on this excellent Budget that builds real foundations for the future, and that expresses the values of this coalition Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI just want to address some of the points that the Opposition have raised, and I\u2019m particularly perturbed by what Mr Alastair Scott said about our tertiary fees policy having no new students. That is a mistake, Mr Scott, and the mistake is this: the mistake is not about whether or not there is an immediate increase in the number of students; what matters to us on this side of the House is relieving the debt pressure from students, and what matters to us is education and the value of a free education. Labour Governments have always been Governments of education, and we have expressed that through our values\u2014our value of a free education. We\u2019re making a start on getting back to a fees-free education in the tertiary sector for university students, for polytechnic students, for apprentices, and for anyone who is undertaking post-school education. That\u2019s the value we\u2019re expressing. That\u2019s what we\u2019re going to be counted by.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI want to talk about the values of that Opposition. In the last few days they told us a lot about the Stand Children\u2019s Services facility in Roxburgh, which has closed down. They said, \u201CWhy?\u201D They challenged us: \u201CWhy is this cruel, heartless Government closing it down?\u201D Well, we are going to provide those same services through other facilities. The services to children will not cease. But let me tell you why that particular facility, the Roxburgh Stand Children\u2019s Services, has closed down. Let me quote from an Otago Daily Times article from 6 April: \u201CThe charity had not had a funding increase since 2009 \u2026 It had met operational shortfalls in the past by dipping into its own reserves,\u201D. Let me quote Bryan Cadogan\u2019s writing, again, in the Otago Daily Times, on 18 May: \u201C[The charity] have been put in this impossible situation of having Government funding frozen since 2009.\u201D That\u2019s the values of the Opposition: freeze the funding and then blame the Labour Government. If those charities have closed down it\u2019s because of their values, their shallow values of cut, cut, cut.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI see this expressed no better than in housing. The market will provide in housing\u2014that\u2019s the ethos of the Opposition. And what has happened in the market over there? House prices have skyrocketed, rents have increased, families are living in precarious housing, there is increasing homelessness\u2014that is the market solution. The market solution\u2014and it betrays a terrible failure of government by the previous Government, a Government that has failed to attend to the basic needs of people for secure housing. On this side of the House, we are rebuilding after years of neglect. We are rebuilding the foundations of a secure society, where people have a decent, warm, dry, and secure home to live in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI think about my own electorate of New Lynn, where we have a chronic homelessness problem. We have a group of homeless people who travel around the electorate, living in various places. We\u2019ve been working with them, talking to them, and getting the resources around them. Some of those people, who have been homeless, are now ready in themselves to move into homes. We have put money into helping them: $100 million into homelessness and a huge chunk of that is going into the Housing First programme, where we will simply put people into homes. The Lifewise Trust in New Lynn and VisionWest in Waitakere area will be working on this Housing First programme to do what a decent Government does.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EWe do not accept homelessness; we do not accept that market outcome. We will step in, we will step up, and we will fix the problem of homelessness in this country. Those are the kinds of values we have on this side of the House. We actually care, and when there is a failure we will take action. That is why I am so proud to be part of this coalition Government, which has the heart, which has the values, and which has the capacity to address this terrible problem. I commend this Budget to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022 data-id=\u0022777074040f244031b9edd77f909b6f81\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022777074040f244031b9edd77f909b6f81\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY (National\u2014North Shore):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Assistant Speaker. Well, Budget 2018. Despite the protests, the shouting, and the belligerence of the other side, we don\u2019t believe them. This is a bad Budget. We heard Willie Jackson shouting and bellowing. Shouting about it, Willie Jackson, doesn\u2019t make it so. It might\u2019ve on Radio Live, but it doesn\u2019t cut it here. Patronising platitudes that we don\u2019t know M\u0101ori\u2014well, what a delusional zone that member\u2019s living in. What a lot of blather and nonsense about values from Dr Deborah Russell, the member who just resumed her seat.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s have a good look at this Budget, shall we? After it\u2019s very flat delivery\u2014and I notice they\u2019re getting very shouty over on the other side of the House\u2014how will this coalition Budget, their first one, actually be remembered? Let me count the ways. Some have described it as an epic fail\u2014that\u2019s quite kind, I thought. Our National leader, Simon Bridges, said it was a classic Labour effort of old: big spend, big tax, big borrow and hope. Bernard Hickey, a journalist, called it \u201Cthe biggest missed opportunity in a generation.\u201D My eloquent colleague the Hon Amy Adams earlier described it, somewhat whimsically but I thought very accurately, as the \u201Cdowry Budget\u201D, to prop up the marriage of convenience for the cost of doing business with Winston Peters, which is a not inconsiderable cost\u2014a billion dollars here, a billion trees there, slush funds, and really attractive horses and fillies. Who knows where the lack of substance will lead us? I know I\u2019m not backing that team.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EBut it is very apparent from the coalition divvy up which of the partners is the most powerful\u2014I mean, New Zealand First cut the Greens\u2019 lunch. The very weak Minister of Conservation had said she would double the budget for the Department of Conservation. Well, that didn\u2019t work out. It hasn\u2019t delivered a darned thing, except to put our most vulnerable species closer to the brink of extinction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI\u2019m more concerned, as the spokesperson for seniors at this time, in looking at the Budget to find out what this Budget actually delivered for vulnerable New Zealanders. I looked and I looked; it was nowhere to be found. Ching-ching\u2014the unwise people who backed New Zealand First got plenty of pay-offs. The older people in New Zealand, the ones who are vulnerable and who are being abused in terms of elder abuse\u2014financially, psychologically, and physically\u2014they got nothing. There was absolutely nothing that Labour delivered of its promises. The aged care commissioner\u2014a lot of big talk on the campaign trail about having to have one to represent seniors\u2014didn\u2019t happen. The Minister for Seniors, again, was missing in action.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EDementia, I think, was probably one of the most disappointing\u2014Alzheimer\u2019s New Zealand said it included no enhanced specialist dementia services. Why not? This is a group of people\u2014more than 60,000 of us now in New Zealand are estimated to be living with dementia. That number is set to triple to more than 170,000 by 2050, by which time\u2014actually, the recent economic report that was put together by Alzheimer\u2019s New Zealand said that the annual cost of dementia and its care in New Zealand will be about $5 billion. That\u2019s 170,000 people requiring a great deal of help. As Alzheimer\u2019s New Zealand said, we need to put that investment in now. We need to do it or the vulnerable will suffer, and that\u2019s what this Labour Government, with its coalition members propping it up, has delivered\u2014nothing to the vulnerable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s look at palliative care. That is something that, you know, the Justice Committee is considering at the moment. Why do we need to consider euthanasia when we need to be putting money into decent palliative care that will be delivered wherever and whenever people need it in this country? That\u2019s the kind of warm-hearted response and sensible, finger-on-the-pulse response that I would have expected from a Government who understood what vulnerable New Zealanders were going through.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI think that when we look at what health got in this Budget and see what we would have done if National had been in Government, it would have been a far different outlook. When we look at the vulnerable and the way that we have, as a Government in the past, enshrined their needs and looked after them, I feel that we really are in a position where we can look across the House and call them out for what they are, which are heartless people, not in touch with the vulnerable communities around New Zealand, uncaring, and unfeeling. Whether they\u2019re M\u0101ori elders with dementia\u2014I see Willie Jackson looking up there, looking quizzical, as well you might because your Government did nothing whatsoever to help these people. M\u0101ori also missed out big time in this Budget, and I feel that New Zealanders are really grasping the lack of substance and the flimflam that accompanies most every utterance from this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI feel that this Budget represents the Government: it is disappointing, it is an epic fail, and it could do better\u2014much better. Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022274e797293554fedb1aaab06ed9a8a60\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022274e797293554fedb1aaab06ed9a8a60\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi\u2014five minutes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022 data-id=\u0022ca9251d170d84b0885c45dec6d2c4565\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ca9251d170d84b0885c45dec6d2c4565\u0022\u003EKANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, for the opportunity to participate in this Budget debate. I would like to start with a reference to the speech given by the Hon Jenny Salesa. She spoke for 10 minutes and did not mention once the main issues of South Auckland, and those are the promises which were made by the Labour Party before the election. They were the cheaper GP visits, which she did not mention. She did not mention the delayed winter energy payment, which has come up during this Budget debate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003EThere are increased petrol prices. There was a promise there would be no increase in any kind of tax, but what we are seeing is that there are increases in a number of taxes, as my colleagues have mentioned earlier. Reading through the media, they are predicting that petrol prices will increase up to $3 a litre, which is going to affect a lot of households in South Auckland. We have to consider that in today\u2019s terms, $3 a litre, up from $2 a litre, means a 50 percent increase in the price, which will affect their back pockets. We heard that there will be a $75 increase in the benefits for families, but how are they going to cope with this increase in the price? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003EWhat we are seeing is there is a constant decrease in the dollar price because the businesses are losing confidence in which direction this economy is going. We are seeing that because of that, the petrol prices are also increasing. The Auckland region is proposing a 25c-a-litre increase in the fuel price, and what is the Auckland Council trying to do? They are talking about building another stadium on the waterfront. We support that, but this is not the right time. When there are surplus funds available, we can do that, but not today. This is the wrong time to consider those things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003EWe have been listening to many claims being made by the speakers from the Government benches that there has been a sudden increase in the education budget, but what the teachers or the principals are saying, that is totally different. I was reading through the media that two principals from up north, they both have given this Budget a minus C for their rating, which shows how much confidence the teachers have in the funding which has been provided by this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003EAnother issue, which I have already touched on, is the lower price of a GP visit. The Labour Party promised that $10 will be the maximum that a family will be paying, but what we are seeing is that the National Party\u2019s policy is being implemented, where we promised that all the community card holders will have cheaper visits to the GP. So they are just borrowing our policies\u2014they are just borrowing. On the Order Paper, if you look, we haven\u2019t seen that much new legislation has been introduced. They are just working upon what we did. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003EDespite all the talk of the crises and the building up of expectations that they would fix all the issues in one go, whether it was health, education, or any other issue for the ordinary citizen, they are not doing anything. What we are listening to today from the Labour leadership is that these promises will not be delivered on now, but will be delivered some time later, which means that they are just talking in the air. They say that they will be delivering their promises, but nothing is going to happen in this Budget. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226dc89bbf-c2ef-45c9-89e4-d2b5952d8d16\u0022\u003EThe losing of confidence of the businesses makes a lot of difference, because people are worried about how their businesses will progress in the next few years. I am talking to the small and medium sized businesses all the time, and they are very concerned about the way that the legislation is being changed. More red-tapeism is being introduced, and they are concerned about how they will progress in their businesses. The people who are in employment are concerned. If there are changes to the legislation, then they might lose their jobs. There is a sudden increase in worry among the people about what is going to happen. I think this Budget is a total disappointment for everyone, and I don\u2019t support this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002269c79eb9eafe404eb164c64068c03c02\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002269c79eb9eafe404eb164c64068c03c02\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call\u2014five minutes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022 data-id=\u002273c4b1045d39403180b8b64959e136bf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002273c4b1045d39403180b8b64959e136bf\u0022\u003EPRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s an absolute delight to rise and take a call in this House to talk about the Budget\u2014for the first time as a new MP\u2014that this Government is delivering. What is much less delightful, though, is listening to a whole bunch of misguided speeches from members opposite. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EFor example\u2014and I\u2019ll just pick a few, because there are way too many to go into\u2014I\u2019ll just point out the fact that the member Alastair Scott talked about the fact that we haven\u2019t included doubling the refugee quota in our Budget. Can I just what reiterate what the Prime Minister said today: that\u2019s not where you put a policy like that, Mr Scott. As a new MP, even I know that. Mr Scott also talked about the fact that this Government is investing less in health than they did, but perhaps Mr Scott needs to go back to school, because we\u2019re investing $3.2 billion in health versus the $2.3 billion that they invested, and if they try to say that they did a lot more, it\u2019s only because of the TerraNova Homes and Care case that that previous Government was dragged kicking and screaming to deliver. So it\u2019s a little bit disingenuous to add that in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EMaggie Barry mentioned that there\u2019s nothing in this Budget for the most vulnerable, and the member David Bennett\u2014his ode to Waikeria Prison, lamenting the fact that on this side of the House we don\u2019t really want to build a mega-prison. What about the drivers of crime? That\u2019s what this progressive side of the House is much more interested in, not building mega-prisons that we throw more and more people into, locking them up and throwing away the key, because that\u2019s been done. It\u2019s been done by the Opposition members when they were in Government, and it\u2019s failed miserably. It\u2019s a travesty. And so we\u2019ve got a much better plan, and that\u2019s the plan that we are delivering through this Budget that I am extremely proud of. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s about addressing those drivers of crime. Look at family violence. Family violence, if you look at youth justice, underscores a lot of the experiences of those young people. We\u2019ve put over $76 million into front-line family violence services. I visited some of those soon after those that announcement was made, and was told to my face that that was the first time they\u2019d seen an increase in nine years. What about housing? What about making sure that we invest in education so that our young people have a hope, so that they have opportunities? Health, housing\u2014those are all the foundations that lead to people actually having better lives, so that they don\u2019t go on to commit crime.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003ESo let\u2019s talk about housing a little bit. Let\u2019s focus on that, because, frankly, out on the doorstep before the last election, that was one of the most talked about issues to all of us on this side of the House. What are we doing? That\u2019s why it\u2019s so exciting to stand up and speak, because we get to deliver on what we\u2019ve talked about\u2014building more houses. Residential construction, which was forecast to fall this year\u2014this was alarming, considering we were already 71,000 houses short\u2014is actually increasing. We\u2019re building more affordable homes\u2014not just more houses, but more affordable homes\u2014so my generation, that\u2019s been locked out of homeownership, can actually afford to buy a home, or to rent a home if they so wish. We\u2019re ensuring that we have healthier homes, so that we don\u2019t have 40,000 children a year, or whatever it was, falling ill because of preventable respiratory illnesses. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003ESocial housing, emergency housing\u2014we\u2019re building more of all of those, as well. We\u2019re building 6,400 more State and community houses, unlike those on the other side of the benches of the House, who were selling them off en masse\u2014selling off State houses such that homelessness rose to dramatic levels. We\u2019re building an additional 1,400 emergency housing places, so that no child needs to sleep in a car or a garage and to do their homework in the back of the car. There\u2019s $63.4 million in funding for Housing First. We\u2019re investing so that our homes are healthier. We\u2019re investing in the winter energy payment so that we don\u2019t have to sit in the living rooms of the superannuitants any more who tell us that they put on layer after layer or go to sleep early because it\u2019s too cold and they can\u2019t afford to heat their homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re investing in people. We\u2019re investing in improving the lives of people across the spectrum, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to be on this side of the House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u0022a62dbff5abb04f4ca634b92c413971ed\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a62dbff5abb04f4ca634b92c413971ed\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. The starting place for this Budget, as it should be, is how we can make the biggest difference for the people of New Zealand. I must say, as the Christchurch Central MP, it\u2019s great to see that that was the starting place for the people of Christchurch as well, because this is a Budget which finally recognises what is needed in Christchurch\u2014not how to win the next election, but how to have a vision for the next 30 years. What we want is to build a resilient country and a resilient city\u2014resilient not just in a physical sense; resilient in body, in heart, in mind, and in spirit, and that\u2019s what this Budget is about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EIn terms of Christchurch, we know seven years has been too long. Seven years has been too long when a Government was sitting on its hands, letting things go wrong in Christchurch, and that\u2019s now changed. It\u2019s changed in a whole lot of ways already. Minister Megan Woods has already taken steps to sort out the debacle that was left in the Earthquake Commission. An interim chair has been appointed and an independent commissioner is in there, but do you know what? This Budget sets aside funds and appropriations to address the problems. So we\u2019ve got a tribunal being set up. The former Government was spending money through Government organisations on fighting the people of Christchurch. Well, we\u2019re going to spend money on solving the problems of Christchurch, not in an adversarial way, but in a common-sense way. It is a tribunal that is based on mediation, not one where the money is funnelled through to lawyers and other professionals, but where the money is properly used on solving problems. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EYou know, we\u2019re going to have breakthroughs in Christchurch now, at last. Test cases are going to be funded, but probably one of the most important things that\u2019s going to be funded is $28 million to address the mental health needs of children in Christchurch schools, because the mental health of some of those children has been broken. They need fixing. There are going to be mental health workers available through those schools that are needed, and it\u2019s going to be funded by that $28 million. That was needed from day one. We\u2019re here, we\u2019re doing it now, and this is something which we\u2019ve said is going to be rolled out throughout New Zealand, right up to decile 4 schools. So that\u2019s another move here for the health of New Zealand children. Mental health has been ignored for far too long. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s the cost-share agreement\u2014no more loose ends. We want to give Christchurch back to the people of Christchurch\u2014$300 million for infrastructure. That is $300 million for the people of Christchurch to determine where to use it, whether it be on the huge land drainage problems that exist, which are exacerbated with climate change\u2014another thing that this Government is addressing\u2014or whether it be on the use of the red zone land. A huge opportunity, a legacy opportunity\u2014one which we don\u2019t want to be talking about what we can do today, tomorrow, in one year, or in five years, but something we\u2019ve got to leave for generations and generations of New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EI am very proud that the people of Christchurch are going to be able to choose something, and what is being looked at now is an innovative and a forward-looking proposal which is about a green spine\u2014about having the Avon, the jewel of Christchurch, preserved. That\u2019s what this money can be used for, but I tell you what there won\u2019t be. There won\u2019t be some vague agreement where this Government holds the Christchurch City Council and others to ransom. It\u2019s about a cooperative working relationship, at last\u2014one free of conflict and looking for solutions. So this is a Budget whose entire tenor is about working together to build a city and a country for the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EOf course, something that will be dear to many people\u2019s hearts\u2014perhaps not mine as much\u2014is about the Christchurch stadium. It was another anchor project scheduled for completion in 2015, and what have we got? A vacant lot. Well, now with a $300 million capital fund, we\u2019ve got progress. The Minister has said, and I\u2019ve heard her say, that if the stadium will be built, it\u2019ll have a roof. And you know what? It\u2019s going to have a retractable roof. Do you know why? Because God likes to see his favourite team play. Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002219839c36b7d94f16872993a0ff260e34\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002219839c36b7d94f16872993a0ff260e34\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call\u2014five minutes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022 data-id=\u002261affc7946e647829d9bd8eafd3d09dc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002261affc7946e647829d9bd8eafd3d09dc\u0022\u003EHon TIM MACINDOE (National\u2014Hamilton West):\u003C/span\u003E One of the most basic mistakes that any Government can make is to overpromise and under-deliver, and that is exactly what this Government has done. But when you compound that mistake by absolutely letting down groups and organisations out in the community who worked so hard to get you elected in the first place, it really does amount to the epic failure that Maggie Barry mentioned earlier on. I can only imagine that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance must have been delighted and hugely relieved when all that saturation coverage of the royal wedding took the pressure and the coverage off their lame effort last weekend.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EThis was a terrible Budget for my constituents in Hamilton West. Gone are those vitally needed roading projects that we in the National-led Government had promised to extend the Waikato Expressway down to T\u012Brau, to make driving safer and faster between Hamilton and Tauranga\u2014two of the fastest-growing cities in the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s no commitment in this Budget to tackling the major shortage of doctors in rural and provincial centres. We in the National-led Government committed in last year\u2019s election to doing something serious about that, and it just so happened that the Waikato Medical School proposal would have been a superb and internationally proven model to be able to deliver those services, yet there is nothing about that in the Budget. We know that 40 percent of country doctors are expected to retire in the next five years, yet the current Minister of Health is burying his head in the sand and wouldn\u2019t even look at the Waikato proposal. If this is a Labour Government, that\u2019s not putting people first.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s not even a mention in the Budget of Labour\u2019s much-touted commuter railway link between Hamilton and Auckland, and they were going to go on to Tauranga as well. That was the one thing that they really did promise in my region, and it\u2019s not even mentioned in the Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EIt is no surprise that so many organisations and individuals are hugely disappointed after this year\u2019s Budget dashed all their hopes and expectations, especially those that had been raised over and over again in last year\u2019s election campaign. We said then that their promises were reckless and unaffordable, and this Budget shows that we were right. As the Hon Amy Adams said in the House this afternoon, this is the \u201Cdowry Budget\u201D as far as New Zealand First is concerned, but for the Labour Party it\u2019s a litany of broken promises, and for the Greens it\u2019s abject humiliation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve seen that it\u2019s a Budget that delivers for Winston Peters with his billion dollars for diplomats, and for Shane Jones with his $3 billion slush fund to drum up support for areas that most matter to his particular party. But the Greens have had to take about 10 percent of that\u2014there\u2019s only a one-seat difference between the two; you\u2019d think that the Greens had only 10 percent of New Zealand First\u2019s MP numbers\u2014and they have to pretend that they\u2019re pleased about it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a Budget of massive disappointment to Labour\u2019s friends and campaign supporters. They promised cheaper doctors visits in this year\u2019s Budget. Did they deliver? No. It was slim pickings in the ACC portfolio. Where was the Government\u2019s commitment in this year\u2019s Budget to pay equity funding for those who work in areas funded by our ACC system? Absolutely not there. During the election, they talked that talk. Labour campaigned on their commitment to that goal, but judge them not by their words but by their actions. What did they do? Not only is there no provision in last week\u2019s Budget for that pay equity funding but when they had the opportunity to vote for something similar\u2014a very good pay equity measure that was promoted by my colleague Denise Lee MP just a few weeks ago\u2014they voted it down.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EThey splashed the cash before Christmas on their tertiary education zero-fees policy, at a cost of $2.8 billion over the next four years, but now they can\u2019t find funding for the children\u2019s camps that have made such a difference in people\u2019s lives. They can\u2019t find the promised funding for Wh\u0101nau Ora, and yet it\u2019s one of the most important things they could have done. They can\u2019t meet their promises to our most vulnerable citizens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003EThis Budget is a con and a fraud. It is fraudulent. It\u2019s dishonest. It\u2019s an irresponsible first Budget from the Labour - New Zealand First - Green coalition. It\u2019s a litany of broken promises. Well, I can only hope that in the next two years that they rediscover their principles, that they\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221af21a721b2b45d4a548734a3fead460\u0022\u003EHon Scott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: And their heart.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00228a1cb04e-8a86-44d1-9004-6e158e220339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002217b083a85d9648df9d96413dbdbccb86\u0022\u003EHon TIM MACINDOE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014work out their heart and discover some priorities, and that they remember their promises, because if they can\u2019t find all of those things before they deliver another one, they are destined, quite rightly, to be evicted in 2020.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022 data-id=\u0022a414323cbec54e7c86a5a5eabef0d343\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a414323cbec54e7c86a5a5eabef0d343\u0022\u003EBRETT HUDSON (National):\u003C/span\u003E How would you describe the Government\u2019s Budget? It\u2019s a flop. It\u2019s a real flop, but it\u2019s not a Fosbury flop. No, it doesn\u2019t scale those great heights\u2014it\u2019s an absolute belly flop. It is a Budget of broken promises. It is a Budget that promised so much and delivered so little to so many. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s take, for example, all of the talk that the Government was making about their support and understanding and caring for teachers and nurses, ahead of the Budget. In \u014Ch\u0101riu, almost 20 percent of our workforce are in teaching, education, or health services. So those men and women would have been eagerly anticipating a Budget that would support them the way the Government claimed, and that perhaps they would see something in the Budget that would give them the pay rises, or at least some way towards the rises, they felt that they were due. What did they get instead? Well, basically, nothing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003ESo those men and women remain in \u014Ch\u0101riu tonight. They\u2019ll go to work tomorrow, and they\u2019ll know that in their immediate future they\u2019ll still be struggling for their pay rises, and the Government has let them down. But it\u2019s not just let them down in terms of pay; it\u2019s let them down in terms of the other promises that they\u2019ve failed to deliver on. For instance, they promised funding to get 100 percent registered teachers in early childhood education. Where\u2019s that in the Budget? You don\u2019t need to look, I can tell you: it\u2019s not there. It\u2019s not there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EThe day the Hon Chris Hipkins\u2014the day he became honourable, or at least in title\u2014was sworn in as a Minister, he said, \u201CI will remove school donations in the very first Budget.\u201D So which line removes the requirement for donation requests? Where\u2019s the funding to offset that? It\u2019s not there. It\u2019s not there. It gets worse, though. Another area which is high for the employment in \u014Ch\u0101riu is public administration and safety. The Government came in promising 1,800 sworn police officers in three years, and that\u2019s going to cost them roughly, I think they said, $180 million\u2014it wasn\u2019t a great deal, they claimed. So what do we get instead in the Budget? Well, we get $300 million, which is a lot more, for a lot less: 900 officers. Interestingly, that\u2019s only 20 more than National was going to do, and they crow like they\u2019re somehow doing a great thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a Government that promises much and delivers so little in health. It is spending less than our Government did\u2014less. They say, \u201COh, you\u2019re including the TerraNova settlement.\u201D Do we think for a moment that they wouldn\u2019t, had they done it? The only interpretation we can get from them saying \u201COh, you\u2019re including the TerraNova settlement.\u201D is that if they had had the opportunity, they wouldn\u2019t have done it. So they wouldn\u2019t have supported those care and support workers. They wouldn\u2019t have settled a case. They wouldn\u2019t have given them that money, because they weren\u2019t going to count it. You can\u2019t count it. Obviously, they weren\u2019t going to spend it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EWell, there\u2019s more. Mental health: $100 million set aside in a contingency fund. It\u2019s wiped out; gets $10 million instead. But wait, there\u2019s more. What about the universal cheaper doctors visits? Well, they didn\u2019t make the cut either. But what did they do? What they have done is quite interesting. What they\u2019ve done is take a look at all of those working New Zealanders\u2014and I\u2019ll tell you, \u014Ch\u0101riu has the highest proportion of people in the labour force of any electorate in the country, at around 73 percent. What have they done? They\u2019ve said, \u201CWell, how can we sting you\u2014where\u2019s your back pocket? We want a piece of this.\u201D What have they done? Taxes. Taxes on taxes on taxes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EExcise tax\u2014that\u2019s going to be 3c to 4c a year for three years. We know it\u2019ll be the maximum\u201412c, plus GST. Regional fuel taxes that are being legislated for: Auckland gets theirs on 1 July, but the Greater Wellington Regional Council, in select committee, has already said that they\u2019re going to apply for one. So from 1 January 2021, Wellingtonians will be paying 25c a litre more for their fuel as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e0ad89a396546f6bab60607ec9e38d3\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: But wait, there\u2019s more.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c3bf86b49d7448089a78d068eb11c57a\u0022\u003EBRETT HUDSON\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s more: there\u2019s also the Amazon tax, there\u2019s the brightline test, there is about $2 billion of extra taxes imposed on hard-working Kiwis over the next four years. It\u2019s just going to hurt them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EBut what do they do with the money they get? They waste it. They spray it around\u2014$2.8 billion on free fees, and they\u2019re going to get 900 fewer tertiary students. Well, that\u2019s not a good investment. There is $3 billion for a Provincial Growth Fund, which some call Shane Jones\u2019 slush fund. It\u2019s already delivered one failed project in a roundabout, apparently, outside Shane\u2019s house, plus a few million dollars for good-looking horses. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002203fd985b-4fb8-4111-ba38-5033a254d962\u0022\u003EThis is this Government. You\u2019ve got to question: are they just simply incompetent and they can\u2019t add up and they can\u2019t make things work, or do they spray around so much money in the wrong areas, so that instead of calling them fiscally incompetent you could call them fiscally incontinent? This is an incredibly bad Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022 data-id=\u0022d912924f284549e49c471b0434e43be5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d912924f284549e49c471b0434e43be5\u0022\u003ERAYMOND HUO (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. Good news: I feel obliged to report to the House that the number of Chinese developers, builders, and financial providers expressing strong interests in or queuing up to join the KiwiBuild programme is growing, not monthly, not weekly, but daily. Congratulations are in order, not only for Minister Phil Twyford but also for those developers, builders, and financial providers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThe KiwiBuild initiative will help develop more affordable homes for New Zealanders. The initiative will also offer great opportunities for the building sector. The \u201Cbuy off the plan\u201D initiative, for example, is a unique opportunity for developers to partner with the Government to increase the supply of affordable homes for New Zealanders. Some of the Chinese developers have already included affordable homes in their subdivision projects, but the KiwiBuild programme, through the \u201Cbuy off the plan\u201D initiative, gives developers the certainty and backing that they need to deliver suitable developments that they would otherwise not proceed with.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EThis is not only happening in Auckland; it is happening, and it will be happening, in Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, Napier, Whangarei, Whanganui, Tauranga, and Queenstown, etc. In Auckland, property prices have doubled and in some suburbs have trebled in the last nine years. Speculation in the residential housing market was rife. Foreign speculation was a significant influence. According to the New Zealand Herald, US$1 trillion of capital flowed out of China in 2015\u2014US$1 trillion of capital flowed out of China in 2015. It is reasonable to assume that that movement of money would have some impact on New Zealand\u2019s residential property market. But the problem is nobody knows about the impact of the problem, and nobody knows about the impact of foreign speculation on the New Zealand residential property market. Why? Because the last National Government failed to intervene, failed to collect any reasonably reliable data to help gauge the scope of the problem.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228802d92305b0422fb2488a4a00b065ef\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Shame!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002273bea7f216e44541b23137a5578418c4\u0022\u003ERAYMOND HUO\u003C/span\u003E: It is a shame, because the previous National Government collected no such reasonably reliable data and it failed to intervene in the runaway market.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EWell, the previous National Government did collect something, but even the Minister at that time admitted that the information was incomplete and should not be viewed as a foreign buyers\u2019 register. Those figures were based on the low side of the market and were collected after the introduction of the new IRD disclosure rules in October 2015, and the data did not include trusts or business purchases.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EIt is kind of an open secret that so many foreign purchasers used trusts or incorporated companies to purchase New Zealand residential properties. But what National had done in the Chinese community was nothing but resorting to play the race card, although, to be fair to the National Party, there is a difference. It has gradually emerged that there is a difference between the National Party as it is and the National Party as it was presented by its representatives in the Chinese community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248d9e7fe-3603-456c-bd32-c8d6177395fb\u0022\u003EAs a result, there is a significant level of confusion between speculation and investment. We support investment, but we are strongly opposed to foreign speculation. A Kiwi-Chinese investor can buy any property anywhere in New Zealand, but should his or her cousin or brother live in a foreign country, it\u2019s got nothing to do with New Zealand\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002285fcc3fd41734b00a3384ad82820a672\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002285fcc3fd41734b00a3384ad82820a672\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member\u2019s time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022 data-id=\u00225dc6827781b645d480752b630b3e2535\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225dc6827781b645d480752b630b3e2535\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE (Labour\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. Look, it\u2019s a pleasure to come to the House early to talk about one of my favourite topics, and that\u2019s housing. Nothing gets me more excited than talking about housing. But before I just leap into that, can I acknowledge our finance Minister, the Hon Grant Robertson, for a fantastic Budget, known in my electorate as the \u201C \u2018Thank God for Labour, you\u2019ve arrived just in time\u2019 Budget\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EI say that because in the context of housing, there are just so many issues. Only the other day, I was reminiscing about the Service of Lament held out in Strathmore Park. When many of you fly out from the wonderful electorate of Rongotai and you leave my electorate and the city of Wellington to go to where you live, what you may not notice is that on the left-hand side, on the hill, there is a whole lot of State housing. Isn\u2019t it interesting? Nothing\u2019s changed there for nine long years, to the point where on the flat\u2014as I\u2019ve said in this House before\u2014the previous Government sold off those valuable homes for those most in need to the wealthiest school in Wellington.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ELook, I respect the children, and the parents who send their children there. But what defies me most is that the housing for the most vulnerable, for those most in need, for those who really needed it, went to those who could most afford it. That\u2019s outrageous. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EJust down the road, there\u2019s a rugby field - sized plot of green land that I used to walk past. In fact, I went and put up two hoardings in there. There was so much land there, and I thought, \u201CI don\u2019t know who owns this. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the Housing New Zealand Corporation.\u201D, but I thought it would make a great hoardings site. One of the things I did was put up my signs up there that said, \u201CLook, vote for me\u201D\u2014and they did\u2014\u201Cvote for this party\u201D and they did, because there was nothing else going on there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ELuckily, we\u2019ve got a Labour Party that says we\u2019re going to build houses on this green site. I thought, \u201CThank God\u201D, and no wonder, as I said, the good people of Rongotai are calling this the \u201C\u00A0\u2018Thank God for Labour\u2019 Budget\u201D, because there will be 6,400 more State houses built in this country. I\u2019m hoping\u2014fingers crossed\u2014that there will be some houses there. In fact, I know that there are 12 being built there. That\u2019s good; that\u2019s a start. We need thousands more. I know, as my good colleagues here tour the green of this country\u2014they tell me stories that could replicate, if not reminisce, in the same way that I do about how, after nine long years, there\u2019s simply not the State houses there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s get on to emergency housing. Some of you will go up Taranaki Street there and you\u2019ll see a night shelter, opposite Wellington High School there. You\u2019ll think, \u201CJeepers. Why is there still a night shelter?\u201D I remember talking to the Home of Compassion nuns\u2014that\u2019s a local Catholic order. They said to me\u2014you know, we had a good chat about, again, the people who need housing the most. I said, \u201CWhat does success look like for emergency housing, to you?\u201D The sister said to me, \u201CI wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201D I said, \u201CThat\u2019s exactly right.\u201D, because you wouldn\u2019t need her or her organisation, who have been in place for 130 years, to be there any longer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EThis Government is saying that there\u2019ll be 1,400 emergency houses in place and that no more children will need to sleep in cars. Because that\u2019s what\u2019s happening, even in the capital city here. Some of you have even come up to me, saying, \u201COh, I was frightened when I walked through parts of your electorate and saw them sleeping here.\u201D They\u2019re everywhere. But these 1,400 houses will go a long way to saying, \u201CLook, this is unacceptable.\u201D, whether it\u2019s in the capital city of Aotearoa New Zealand, whether it\u2019s in the Wairarapa, Auckland, the East Coast\u2014wherever. It\u2019s unacceptable in this day and age that we have a New Zealand that reflects that. I didn\u2019t grow up, you didn\u2019t grow up in that\u2014through you, Mr Assistant Speaker; sorry. But what I am saying is that this is the \u201C\u00A0\u2018Thank God for Labour\u2019 Budget\u201D because it fundamentally goes back to the heart where every New Zealander, Kiwi, deserves a roof over their head.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EThis is the plan. I haven\u2019t even talked about the hundreds of other things in here\u2014the great things that this Government is putting in place for housing. But I\u2019ll be back. I\u2019ll be back, at some stage, to talk about that stuff. I haven\u2019t talked about the 100,000 new houses\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226830ad92bd444762835be7ce4f70f8d5\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sorry to interrupt the member, but it has come time for me to leave the Chair for the dinner break.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e3c7f3c0b07a4364acf708758b22b6e2\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE\u003C/span\u003E: As I have been saying, thank God for Labour, thank God for the Labour Budget\u2014there we are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022 data-id=\u00222f99caee7ac2464ab0d47f1f0534145f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222f99caee7ac2464ab0d47f1f0534145f\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. What a fine three seconds that was, so I\u2019d like to acknowledge the previous speaker, Paul Eagle. Given that he put two hoardings up on a spare bit of land in his electorate, I think he\u2019s achieved more in construction than the housing Minister has in his short stay in Parliament, so he has to be congratulated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EThis is my fourth Budget that I\u2019ve witnessed as an MP; the first one as an Opposition MP. It was with some trepidation that I came into the House last Thursday for this Budget, wondering\u2014because the Government had been talking down the Budget all week, and I was expecting them to pull some sort of a rabbit out of the hat. Of course, when we were all, in our spokesperson roles, reading the Budget for the first time as it was being read out, we were quite surprised that, actually, they had underdone the talking down, and, in fact, it didn\u2019t reach any heights at all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EI\u2019d have to give Grant Robertson credit; he read the Budget well. You know, it\u2019s got to be difficult to read for forty minutes, a prepared speech, and he did that well. And then the Leader of the Opposition stood up and gave what was a phenomenal speech\u2014an absolutely phenomenal speech. It was lively. Every interjection that came his way he used, and it really brought the whole House to life. That took the wind out of the sails of the Government, and they spent the rest of the day and today trying to defend the indefensible. So I thought that was a very interesting start, in the Opposition, to a Budget, and I\u2019m sure my colleagues share my view. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EBut coming to the issues around my own particular spokesperson roles, I was a bit disappointed to see some money go out of civil defence. I\u2019m still trying to get to the bottom of what\u2014I know the text alert system has now been paid for, and perhaps that explains part of it, but it seems a bigger chunk has gone out of it, but I haven\u2019t quite got to the bottom of that yet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EIn terms of the wine industry, it\u2019s a great concern to see the funding much reduced on what was put in by National, and I think, particularly now that we\u2019ve got Mycoplasma bovis as a real threat and the potential of brown marmorated stink bug\u2014all of those issues; that\u2019s not the right time to not increase funding in biosecurity. So I really am concerned about that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EBut it\u2019s the Earthquake Commission (EQC) that gives me quite some concern. There was $2.4 million put aside for an inquiry into EQC\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002290af360c73f643c08fdb9b64339b7b64\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: How much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229867b315549547638a6d37195f9fd38a\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: $2.4 million.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f40f842778164615859e7eeb61626d92\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: 2.4?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bbb96697771f48009f27778e4c659142\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, I know\u2014it\u2019s quite a bit of money for an inquiry, but, you know, these things cost money, I guess\u2014and $8 million towards a tribunal. You know, there are some serious\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b910796253dd4aae8e0e77606cd20b1c\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: What price justice, Stuart? What price justice?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ba971840543d45f4a25a8178bf3b5ffb\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: There are quite a lot of issues with EQC, and I fully accept that, as the member has just raised. However, I do think the Minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission is struggling. I have put 592 written questions to her, and I\u2019ve had 23 satisfactory answers. The Minister is clearly struggling. She\u2019s got four portfolios. Steven Joyce was able to handle that with ease, but it\u2019s not everybody\u2019s cup of tea, and I just feel for the Minister. I really know that there are other people that could help. She needs help, and I think Dr Duncan Webb\u2014he\u2019s very experienced in this area, a very experienced member. He is a new member, but quite clearly very capable, and I\u2019m sure he would be able to help the Minister. Or, maybe, if the Minister\u2019s got too much on her plate, she could step aside, he could take over, and she could help him. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EChristchurch deserves better. It deserves that, and if we\u2019ve got someone who\u2019s on the case, then we wouldn\u2019t need an inquiry and a tribunal. I\u2019m prepared to reach across the House, if the Minister was to give me some information\u2014more than delighted to help her with this portfolio, because, quite clearly, she needs that help. We are, after all, supposedly in the era of the most open and transparent Government; 592 questions with 23\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222560b7f0797341d4b0c2039efc470261\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: And how many\u201423.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f02292e6af434132b13c76059d497ef1\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: 23. She\u2019s consistently late answering them. It\u2019s not good enough to do that, but, you know, I do accept that she\u2019s probably overwhelmed and not able to carry out the job. So the offer of help is there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EIt was quite interesting today, as well, to hear the Hon Amy Adams coming up with two numbers: a $5 billion increase in operational allowances and $6 billion borrowed by Crown entities. My maths tells me that\u2019s $11 billion, and I think the familiarity she was talking about was Steven Joyce\u2019s $11 billion. He did warn them; he was good at his spreadsheets. That $11 billion is a big hole in the Budget and they are trying to cover it up with a different\u2014creative accounting. So, with that, I commend the Leader of the Opposition\u2019s amendment to the bill and no confidence in the Government. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u002249ff3e0664a242aa8668a094918b26f0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002249ff3e0664a242aa8668a094918b26f0\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I omitted to say at the beginning: this is a split call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022 data-id=\u00222076fbb839ef46b29d956a2ac563c05d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222076fbb839ef46b29d956a2ac563c05d\u0022\u003ENUK KORAKO (National):\u003C/span\u003E E Te Mana Whakaw\u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. Can I, first of all, acknowledge all here on this side of the House particularly, because they support me, and the fact is that we do not support this Budget 2018. I want to talk around the M\u0101ori development budget. I don\u2019t want to talk yet\u2014that\u2019ll be later\u2014around the Treaty settlements one, which actually, the Budget has dropped by $30-odd million.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EBut talking about the M\u0101ori development allocations, I want to go back to the beginning of this year, when I watched the posturing earlier of the Prime Minister and her M\u0101ori Ministers and M\u0101ori MPs at R\u0101tana and also at Waitangi. The Prime Minister talked about a shared social and economic well-being for M\u0101ori, and she also said to those gatherings, \u201CYou need to hold us to account.\u201D\u2014you need to hold us to account. So here we are, May 2018, and where is this Government at with their promises to M\u0101ori?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003ETheir rhetoric, like their M\u0101ori development budget, is empty\u2014it\u2019s totally empty. There was $37 million more for M\u0101ori quoted by the Hon Nanaia Mahuta and also Kelvin Davis. The reality is that it\u2019s $15 million less in the M\u0101ori development budget. There\u2019s no $37 million more for M\u0101ori; there\u2019s $15 million less.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EWell, here\u2019s the response that the Prime Minister will have to give at Waitangi next year to the iwi chairs and also to those marae that she will visit. It goes like this: she\u2019ll have to say, \u201CLabour cut your M\u0101ori development budget\u2014that\u2019s what we have done. Labour cut your ability to utilise your M\u0101ori lands by $11 million.\u201D Labour took $9 million away from the Parihaka development projects. Labour cut $6 million from Te Puni K\u014Dkiri funding because they don\u2019t want to see Te Puni K\u014Dkiri having the ability to ensure that they\u2019re going to give proper advice to Government departments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003EThe other thing that Labour did is they have cut by $1.5 million the funding to provide practical assistance and resources to wh\u0101nau M\u0101ori housing projects\u2014that is, to improve housing outcomes for M\u0101ori. They cut it\u2014$1.5 million. Oh, and if you\u2019re not feeling bad enough already, M\u0101ori people, Labour has promised you $20 million in funding for Wh\u0101nau Ora\u2014$20 million\u2014but now there\u2019s no intention of making that any good, because there\u2019s nothing in the Budget for it. That\u2019s what the Prime Minister will have to say when she\u2019s held to account at Waitangi next year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003ENow, the previous speakers across the House have fudged the facts\u2014as have both the Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Kelvin Davis and others. They say that they have increased M\u0101ori funding. What they are doing, though, is quoting mainstream Budget allocations. Labour may call that new M\u0101ori money; I call it assimilation. It\u2019s pure assimilation. M\u0101ori are being assimilated by this Labour Government. They\u2019ve slashed the Vote M\u0101ori Development fund, and then claimed ordinary Budget expenditure as M\u0101ori-specific funding. M\u0101ori should be prepared to kiss tino rangatiratanga goodbye under this Government. They\u2019ll need to get used to more Government dependence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002229c236aa-2283-4690-9a84-aa865404bb61\u0022\u003ESo the reality is there\u2019s less money for M\u0101ori development, there\u2019s less money for M\u0101ori health, there\u2019s less money for M\u0101ori education, and, also, with this disaster called KiwiBuild, there\u2019s less money for M\u0101ori homes. This Budget, for M\u0101ori, is a travesty. This Budget, for M\u0101ori, is an own goal for Labour. And this Budget, for M\u0101ori\u2014we\u2019re going to see some real negativity here. This could be the first winter of discontent coming up for M\u0101ori now. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022 data-id=\u0022e703185fd4184d81bee015ddd32e156e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e703185fd4184d81bee015ddd32e156e\u0022\u003EJAN LOGIE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Well, this is my first Budget in support of a Government, and I must say it\u2019s quite different. I might not go quite as far as the forever modest Minister of Finance and call it perfect, because I\u2019m a little more impatient for change, but, crikey, when I look back over things I\u2019ve written in response to previous Budgets over the last six years, it\u2019s quite a different perspective of looking at this. When I was looking at some of the things that I\u2019d written in response, I was looking at a blog post from 2014 where I was looking particularly at the area of family violence\u2014how changes to legal aid under that previous Government had meant that women were paying thousands of dollars to get protection orders, that changes to Housing New Zealand and Work and Income had made it increasingly difficult for women and children to get and stay safe, and that we heard that the funding had been cut for women\u2019s refuge from $9.3 million in 2019 to just $7.3 million in 2012-13 despite an increase in demand. We had been talking about cuts to the It\u2019s Not OK programme and White Ribbon being told they needed to be self-funding, and treatment programmes for people using violence had also been cut by millions of dollars despite increasing demand and increasing intolerance for this kind of violence in our society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EI will admit, there was a moment of reprieve after the parliamentary select committee inquiry into funding for specialist sexual violence services prompted a $46 million injection of funding from the previous Government, but the pattern was just years and years of bleak struggle in our communities. They wanted to wipe out family and sexual violence from their communities but were just not being given the resources from the previous Government to be able to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003ESo it is an absolute pleasure to see that starting to turn around with this Budget. I want to take a look at at least some of the Budget announcements in the area of family and sexual violence and what they might mean for people in my community\u2014and communities all over New Zealand, but my community in Porirua. The increase in funding for front-line services\u2014of women\u2019s refuges, as an example\u2014will mean that people in my community will be able to get the help they need from the local staff at their women\u2019s refuge, because those staff will have more time to help them work through what they\u2019ve experienced and unpack that violence in their head and help them find a pathway to a new life free of violence. To me, that\u2019s worth celebrating.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EIt means if they separate from their abusive partner and are still at risk in their home, they\u2019ll be able to access security advice and security monitoring with locks and alarms. That\u2019s a programme I was initially critical of, because it seemed to me that just providing a security service around your house wasn\u2019t really doing enough, but I\u2019ve heard of instances where that absolutely saved women\u2019s and children\u2019s lives, when women had a safe room and had been taught to have that space in their house to be able to escape to and to be able to be safe from the person\u2014their ex-partner\u2014trying to break in. I believe that it is important that women and kids who are trying to re-establish themselves away from the violence have that peace of mind to sleep at night. I think it\u2019s the least we can expect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EThe additional money for the police will also help make sure that the police can attend call-outs and have the time to properly assess what was going on and be able to look at everyone\u2019s safety needs in terms of a family violence call-out, instead of just arresting the person in front of them and having to move on quickly. It also means that the additional funding for the sexual abuse assessment and treatment service will mean that if someone is sexually assaulted, there will be trained medical people to sensitively collect the evidence for a case to proceed to court and to provide the right medical and specialist help regardless of whether they\u2019re going to court or not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EIt will also, hopefully, ensure that the courts can keep victims safe and reduce the trauma of having to give evidence in court by enabling victims of sexual violence\u2014and domestic violence, hopefully, one day\u2014to have a quiet and restful room to give evidence via audiovisual link rather than having to go into the courtroom and face up against that person who has been torturing them and hurting them previously. It will mean that delays caused because there hasn\u2019t been enough funding or people available to do expert assessments for the court are a thing of the past. This Government is working to ensure that those who go to court are supported rather than revictimised and that the process is as easy and as efficient as is helpful and that people choosing to use violence are held accountable and given the support to change their behaviour.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003ESo they\u2019re some small but very, very significant interventions that have come through in this Budget across this Government that I am pleased and grateful to see. There is another item in this agenda, though, that I really am very excited about, and that is $2 million for a central agent for a new response to family and sexual violence. While I can imagine right now that my mother\u2019s eyes are glazing over at the sound of the words \u201Ccentral agent\u201D, I just want to explain it for a minute.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EWe know that many victims of family violence\u2014and it\u2019s also very similar for sexual violence\u2014may tell people multiple times. There\u2019s an example that came from the Family Violence Death Review Committee that\u2019s been mapped out, where a woman had initially sought counselling for alcohol and drug support. She\u2019d been a victim of family violence. She told that counsellor five times before she got a referral. Nobody checked that that referral was followed up, that it was appropriate for her. She never followed up on it. When the police were called out, they never arrested her partner who was hurting her, and, again, she didn\u2019t get the help she needed and he wasn\u2019t held to account. Then it went to court and he was sent to a programme, but, again, nobody followed up and checked whether she was safer and whether he had stopped using violence. Ultimately, there were many, many chances for us to intervene through our health system, through the education system, through the police, and through the courts, and we failed to do it. This is what we see happening over and over again. Sadly, in that case, that woman was murdered by her partner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EThis happens on a regular basis in this country, and even if it doesn\u2019t end in death, too many women\u2019s and children\u2019s lives are so deeply compromised by the trauma they\u2019ve experienced through their relationship or through the sexual violence, because we didn\u2019t respond when we could have. Her partner had shown signs of violence right from his early stages, having been a victim living in a household with family violence as a child. We didn\u2019t intervene.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003ESo that thing called a central agent is how we pull together our response to make sure that every single chance we have to be able to step in and make sure that somebody gets the help they need, we take that chance and we get it right\u2014to make sure that they can be safe and that the person who is choosing to use violence is held to account and stopped from using violence again. That, for me, is the real hope in this Budget: it is the hope for a society that is free of family and sexual violence, where we are all able to thrive and live and experience healthy relationships. That, to me, is something worth putting all of our resources towards. I look forward to seeing this develop over time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u002200db92ace2f0414ea32f2332a225d35d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002200db92ace2f0414ea32f2332a225d35d\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Well, today I had the privilege of sitting in my office between appointments and I heard some speeches from the opposite side of the House, and I couldn\u2019t believe how pessimistic and gloomy they were and how backward-looking they were. The part of those speeches that impressed me the most was how much they tried to bag the National Party policies. So, clearly, they have no appetite for simply sticking to the job of promoting their own plans and their own Budget. I had to wonder whether that was because there was so little in it that for them to fill up a 10-minute speech, the only way they could do that was to resort to criticising their Opposition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003ESo what that tells me is they have no plan. They are failing to deliver on their pre-election promises. They sat around for nine years with their feet on the desk, never expecting to be in Government and hadn\u2019t done the preparation work necessary to run this country. Now they\u2019re caught, like a possum in the headlights, and they\u2019re scrambling to deliver on the narrative they expressed in the campaign. The only thing they have been successful at doing is breaking promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003ESo I did a bit of navel-gazing myself today and I looked back on the 2017-18 Budget, delivered by the then National-led Government. It focused on improving public services, not just in terms of the funding but also in terms of the performance. We wanted to be sure that the investment that was going into the Public Service actually delivered measurable results. This Government has removed the Better Public Services targets. We focused on lifting incomes with our $2 billion-a-year families\u2019 income package. That was leaving more money in the pockets of hard-working Kiwis to spend how they chose to spend it: that got cancelled. There was $32.5 billion in new infrastructure over the next four years, the biggest investments in decades in new roads, schools, and hospitals.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI\u2019m extremely grateful to the National Government for the investments they have made into regional New Zealand. I\u2019m especially grateful for the ones that we are seeing on the West Coast right now. The new Grey Base Hospital\u2019s certainly taking shape, and it\u2019s nearing completion. The new Taramakau bridge is just about ready for the first car to drive over. One of the biggest improvements that has been made in the future economic development of the coast is the investment that was made in the cycle trails. We are seeing more and more visitors coming to the region, bringing with them the benefits and the challenges that we get with added visitors, and\u2014recognising that\u2014the further investment that went into tourism infrastructure funding.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EThe last Budget in 2017 was focused on reducing debt, not increasing debt. We were investing in other infrastructure that was needed for a growing country and a growing economy, like fibre to the regions, like cellphone black spots being infilled. That provides the same opportunities for Kiwis no matter where they live. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EBut this Government thinks that New Zealanders are not up to the challenge of growing. They believe we should shut down growth, and from what I can see the only thing they\u2019re consistent in is their negativity. No to growth, no to supporting low-income families, no to \u201Cno new taxes\u201D, no to 1,800 front-line police, no to the funding for the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand, no to the funding of the Roxburgh health camp for traumatised children, no to the midwives, no to M\u0101ori, no to Wh\u0101nau Ora, no to Radio New Zealand, and what does Phil Twyford say to his advisers on housing? No.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003ESo what we do know is that the main source of income for Governments is employees via businesses through their wages and taxes. And we also know that that business confidence is falling. What we\u2019ve seen from the New Zealand business confidence report: in April it fell 3.4 points from March, all sectors in the red, services the least pessimistic and agriculture the most. Construction plummeted to its lowest level since 2008. \u201CLet\u2019s do this.\u201D they said; they just didn\u2019t say when.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u00221e51368d39a144b7a49afa336839d538\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221e51368d39a144b7a49afa336839d538\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (National\u2014Whangarei):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It\u2019s really a privilege to stand and address the Budget, which for me is a \u201Cshow-me-the-money Budget\u201D. They may be awash with money, but for me it\u2019s \u201Cshow me the money\u201D. Where exactly is it? Where has it gone?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWell, let\u2019s start with surgical mesh. Where\u2019s the money for surgical mesh? In 2006, the Labour Party stated, \u201CThis is the most widespread crisis involving surgical devices in health and the Ministry of Health has adopted a hands off approach.\u201D Where is the money? Where\u2019s the cost-benefit analysis, Minister, that you\u2019re currently doing to show that a mesh register can be built? Where are some steps towards the universally agreed recommendations from the Health Committee that progress be made on surgical mesh, or any of the recommendations? Where is the money? Show me the money. Show us that you can keep your pre-election promises and actually give this very important issue due diligence and due attention. Show me the money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI then want to talk to personal health services. Four million dollars axed from personal health services. Well, which ones are actually going to be axed? Let\u2019s have a look at what the options are. Is it going to be Healthline? Is it hospices? Maybe cancer control? Mobile surgical? Long-term cardio vascular? Oral health? InterRAI, which is the software that rest homes run to quality assure the work they\u2019re doing? Or diabetes? Where\u2019s the money going to come from? Where are you going to take that $4 million from in personal health services? Oh, and by the way, if you look at their reporting framework not only is $4 million gone from that budget, but there\u2019s extra work. There\u2019s actually a whole category of cardiac services for clinicians and others to do. So less money; more work. That\u2019s not a formula that anyone can certainly apply. Show me the money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThere are other parts of this Budget that don\u2019t make sense. Health information sectors\u2014a very meagre $2.2 million increase. Now, how is that going to roll out? So you\u2019ve got the National Oracle Solution, currently being reviewed by Deloitte\u2014I\u2019ll come back to that\u2014that\u2019s clearly failing. Where\u2019s the top-up going to come from for that? We know there\u2019s going to be a top-up because I got your Official Information Act (OIA) request back, Minister, last night. I can see that the ministry\u2019s looking to top it up. Where\u2019s the money coming from? You\u2019ve only put $2.2 million into the health information services budget. That\u2019s not even going to come close. That\u2019ll probably pay for the $150,000\u2014that\u2019s the number you didn\u2019t want to tell me in the House, Minister\u2014that you\u2019re paying Deloitte for their pretend-to-be-independent budget. That was in the OIA request last night as well. We\u2019ll see how independent that is in the coming few weeks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWhat else have you got coming down the line? Well, let\u2019s talk again about what you\u2019ve taken away. So a measly $2.2 million\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a632d44f4374b48b7d17d0d72099311\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I haven\u2019t. I haven\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e40214045764cf3b1759e6cba45aebc\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker\u2014what this Government has taken away from health information services. The electronic oral health record, $340,000 a year outward each year for the next four years\u2014gone. The population health data warehouse, $136,000 a year, established under our Government\u2014gone, not present. Health information technology\u2019s a problem that\u2019s going to come back and bite this Government and all they\u2019ve done is put $2.2 million, a very small amount, towards it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EDisability, one of the few vote areas that actually has a shrinking-lid policy on their additional support. How can their disability support services reduce each year from $58 million to $54 million to $46 million to $42 million? How does that work? Do you think chronic disabilities suddenly get better? Is that what the thinking is? Well, I\u2019m here to tell you it\u2019s not. That\u2019s not what happens. One of the only vote areas where there\u2019s a shrinking-lid policy and\u2014shame on you\u2014it\u2019s in the disability sector. Furthermore, their core funding has only increased by 0.003 percent; that\u2019s even less than inflation\u2014again, shame on you. We could talk about Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RH\u0100NZ) and rural mental health, but I actually want to send a message to the M\u0101ori caucus of Government: where were you? Are you afraid of Grant Robertson? Is the M\u0101ori caucus afraid of Grant Robertson? Is the Labour M\u0101ori caucus too afraid to challenge the Minister of Finance and say, \u201CGive us the money; we need this funding.\u201D? Where is the money for Wh\u0101nau Ora? Where is the money for M\u0101ori economic development? It\u2019s not there. Where were the warriors? They weren\u2019t brave enough to stand up to the Minister and say, \u201CMinister, we need this funding.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIn fact, I think the funding\u2019s gone to conservation. I think the only brown thing I saw in this Budget was the survival of, I think, a brown, mudded shank bird, somewhere in New Zealand; that was the only brown funding I saw in this Budget, in conservation. That\u2019s where the M\u0101ori funding\u2019s gone. It\u2019s not good enough. I expected the M\u0101ori Labour caucus to stand up and challenge the Minister. Don\u2019t be afraid of him. Stand up for us. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u0022f0f8b700d3f64f44816e782458b7118e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f0f8b700d3f64f44816e782458b7118e\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Just to remind the member\u2014just before I call, I remind the member that there\u2019s a Standing Order, which I just haven\u2019t found, about accusing other members of the House about not having courage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022 data-id=\u00226b9ba1c1d6ad4c58aca82d3b325b90b2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226b9ba1c1d6ad4c58aca82d3b325b90b2\u0022\u003EWILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. N\u0101 te mea e rima noa iho ng\u0101 miniti kua h\u014Dmai ki ahau, kotahi noa iho te kaupapa e hiahia ana ahau te k\u014Drero. Ko t\u0113r\u0101 ko te Whare. Kua h\u014Dh\u0101 noa atu au ki te whakarongo ki t\u0113r\u0101 taha o te Whare, e k\u014Drero mai ana, e p\u0101tai mai ana, kei hea ng\u0101 moni m\u014D ng\u0101 M\u0101ori. He aha te take i iti ake te moni m\u014D ng\u0101 M\u0101ori. E m\u014Dhio ana ahau kei hea te moni m\u014D te M\u0101ori. Kei roto i te p\u016Btea m\u014D te hanga whare, m\u014D te whakatikatika i ng\u0101 whare o t\u0113nei motu. Kei reira te moni m\u014D Ng\u0101i T\u0101tou te iwi M\u0101ori. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EN\u0101 te mea i roto i a au e haere ana i roto i taku takiw\u0101 o Te Tai Tokerau, ki roto i ng\u0101 whiringa p\u014Dti, i rongo ahau i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero he wh\u0101nau noho kore whare i roto i Moerewa, Kawakawa, Kaikohe, Kaeo, Kaitaia, puta noa ki Te Kaipara an\u014D hoki. Horekau he whare. E noho ana i roto i ng\u0101 motok\u0101, i ng\u0101 w\u0113ne, i ng\u0101 t\u0113neti, ng\u0101 t\u0113neti. Kei hea te moni m\u014D te iwi M\u0101ori? Kei roto i t\u0113nei o ng\u0101 tahua p\u016Btea e hoatu ana ki te mahi, ki te whakatikatika whare, me te hauora, me te m\u0101tauranga, ko \u0113r\u0101 mea katoa. Tino p\u014Duri ahau te t\u016Btaki i ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau e noho ana i roto i te p\u014Dharatanga, e noho ana kore, e noho kore whare ana. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EE huri ana ahau ki te m\u0101uiuitanga kua p\u0101ngia e r\u0101tou e noho ana ki roto i ng\u0101 whare m\u0101k\u016B nei, ng\u0101 whare makariri nei. Neke atu i te wh\u0101 tekau mano ng\u0101 t\u0101ngata i uru atu ki te h\u014Dhipere e mate ana i te maremare, te rewharewha, me te r\u016Bm\u0101tiki an\u014D hoki. I t\u0113nei wiki tonu i t\u016Btaki ahau i t\u0113tahi m\u0101m\u0101 i te h\u014Dhipere i Whang\u0101rei. Te take te r\u016Bm\u0101tiki. M\u014Dhio ana t\u0101tou t\u0113r\u0101 mate puta mai i roto i te noho whare makariri, me te whare m\u0101k\u016B an\u014D hoki. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EN\u0101 e aha ana t\u0101tou te r\u014Dp\u016B Reipa, e aha ana t\u0101tou m\u014D ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau M\u0101ori? N\u0101, e hoatu ana neke atu i te kotahi mano wh\u0101 tekau m\u0101 toru mano wh\u0101nau, t\u0113nei mea te Winter Energy Payment. He p\u016Btea t\u0113nei m\u014D te h\u014Dtoke, m\u014D ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau p\u014Dhara nei, kia awhi i a r\u0101tou i t\u0113nei w\u0101 taimaha. Wh\u0101 tekau m\u0101 ono mano o w\u0113r\u0101 t\u0101ngata, he kaum\u0101tua, he kuia, e noho ana i roto i te makariri i t\u0113nei w\u0101 o te h\u014Dtoke. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI t\u0113r\u0101 tau i pahure hoki he ture m\u014D te whare, kia pai te mahana, kia pai te maroke an\u014D hoki. N\u0101 Anaru Iti t\u0113r\u0101 pire i kawe ki roto i te whare nei. Neke atu i te kotahi miriona t\u0101ra, wh\u0101 tekau m\u0101 toru miriona t\u0101ra, hei whakamahana i ng\u0101 whare. M\u014Dhio ana t\u0101tou i piki ake te nama o ng\u0101 M\u0101ori e noho ana i ng\u0101 whare me k\u012B ko ng\u0101 rentals. He aha te take? I neke atu, a, piki ake i te wh\u0101 tekau m\u0101 tahi paiheneti ki te whitu tekau m\u0101 whitu paiheneti. He aha te take? N\u0101 te mea n\u0101 koutou i hoko atu ng\u0101 whare o te Karauna. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EN\u0101 ko t\u0113nei ture, ko te tikanga, kia whakamahana ake, kia whakapai ake ng\u0101 whare. Ka hoatu neke atu i te kotahi rau wh\u0101 tekau m\u0101 toru miriona t\u0101ra hei whakamahana ake i w\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 whare. Te nuinga o ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau e noho ana ki roto i ng\u0101 whare he M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EN\u0101, e m\u014Dhio ana ahau, \u0101, e hanga ana t\u0113nei K\u0101wanatanga neke atu i te ono rau ng\u0101 whare a te K\u0101wanatanga. I hoko atu koutou i ng\u0101 whare, engari e hanga ana m\u0101tou ng\u0101 whare. Te nui o te tangata e noho i runga i te r\u0101rangi tatari m\u014D w\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 whare. An\u014D hoki, ko te tekau m\u0101 rima miriona t\u0101ra m\u014D te hanga papak\u0101inga e mahi ng\u0101tahi ana me ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau, hap\u016B, iwi, kia hanga i ng\u0101 papak\u0101inga i runga i ng\u0101 whenua M\u0101ori. He p\u016Btea an\u014D hoki m\u014D t\u0113r\u0101 kaupapa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EN\u0101 kua tata pau te w\u0101 ki ahau. I mea mai a Jacinda, she would rather be known as a PM who tried rather than a PM who never tried at all. T\u0101ku ki a ia, wh\u0101ia te iti kahurangi. Ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei. Jacinda, me he maunga teitei. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E[To the Speaker, I greet you. Because I have been allocated only five minutes, there is only one matter that I wish to speak about, and that is the House. I am very tired of hearing the talk and questions from across the House, asking where the funding is for M\u0101ori. Where is this? Why is there a decrease in funding for M\u0101ori? I know where the funding for M\u0101ori is. It is in the funding for housing construction and renovations throughout the country. That is where the money is for our M\u0101ori people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EAs I travel around my region of Te Tai Tokerau, within the electorate, I heard about homeless families in Moerewa, Kawakawa, Kaikohe, Kaeo, Kaitaia, and right up to Te Kaipara as well. They have no home. They are living in cars, vans, and tents, in fact. Where is the money for M\u0101ori? It is in the Budget going towards building and maintenance of homes, as well as health and education, all those areas. It is heartbreaking to meet families living in poverty and homelessness.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E I will now talk about the health issues that are caused by living in damp and cold houses. Over 40,000 people were admitted to hospital because of coughing, influenza, and rheumatic fever, and this week I met a mother at the hospital in Wh\u0101ng\u0101rei. The reason she is there is because of rheumatic fever. We know that that illness is caused by living in cold and damp houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E So what are we, the Labour Party, doing for the M\u0101ori people? Over 143,000 families will receive the Winter Energy Payment. This funding is for winter, for poor families to assist them during that difficult time. Of those who live in cold conditions during winter, 46,000 are elderly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E Last year, legislation was passed aimed at housing, focusing on dry and warm houses. Andrew Little brought a bill into the House. Over $143 million is for warm homes. It is known that the number of M\u0101ori living in rentals has increased. Why is that\u2014an increase from 41 to 77 percent? Why is that? It is because you sold off the Crown-owned houses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EThis legislation, its purposes, are warm houses and better housing conditions. Over $143 million will be given to insulate homes. Most of the people living in these homes are M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E Therefore, I know the Government will be building over 600 Government houses. You all sold off the houses, but we are building houses. There are so many people on the waiting list for those houses. Also, there is $15 million for building papak\u0101inga housing, working with wh\u0101nau, hap\u016B, and iwi to establish papak\u0101inga on M\u0101ori land. That is more funding for that initiative.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E I have almost used up my time. Jacinda said to me that she would rather be known as a PM who tried rather than a PM who never tried at all. My advice to her is, seek something of great significance, if you bow, let it be to a lofty mountain. Jacinda, let it be a lofty mountain. Thank you.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022 data-id=\u00227113fc671f2044638cf9cbf65676efc1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227113fc671f2044638cf9cbf65676efc1\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON (Labour\u2014Port Hills):\u003C/span\u003E Can I begin by just acknowledging my friend and colleague Willow-Jean Prime, who\u2019s just resumed her seat, and put on the record how proud I am of her and all our 2017 intake, particularly as I\u2019ve watched them in response to the Budget. They just wouldn\u2019t take prepared lines from the research unit in the way the National Party do. They read the documents, they asked questions, they challenged us, and they have come down to this House well prepared to be able to contribute. I am really proud of the work that they\u2019ve done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EI want to also acknowledge and thank the Hon Grant Robertson, the Minister of Finance. This is his first Budget, and I know it will be his first of many. He\u2019s had such a huge and positive response around the country as he has travelled around, talking to people about the Budget and answering questions. It\u2019s just been fantastic. We had a meeting in Christchurch yesterday morning\u2014packed, not a single spare seat. People were trying to get in but couldn\u2019t, because it was fully sold out. Dr Megan Woods outlined the Canterbury component of the Budget\u2014that was great, as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EI also want to acknowledge New Zealand First and the Green Party and commend, particularly, the Ministers from all three parties for the work they have put in to prepare this Budget. It\u2019s not easy. There\u2019s only a certain amount of money, and every Minister wants to make the most of the opportunity to improve the outcomes. But instead of just saying \u201CWe want more money.\u201D, I\u2019ve watched every Minister saying, \u201CWe\u2019re moving to focus on outcomes. What difference will this contribution make?\u201D That\u2019s where you can make a really smart impact on the well-being of people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EThis has been a Budget that\u2019s based on values, with people at the centre of it. I just want to mention one contribution in the Budget that I\u2019m particularly pleased about, because it will benefit people on benefits and superannuitants, many of whom are the most vulnerable people in our community. Many superannuitants, for the last decade, have been unable to afford to buy a home\u2014not enough money to put a deposit on a home\u2014and end up living just on superannuation and renting. In this Budget is the winter energy payment, and I am delighted that people will get an extra $30 a week for a couple or someone with children\u2014an extra $30 a week\u2014which I know will give them the confidence to turn on the heater and keep their house warm, instead of what they\u2019ve been doing under the National Government, and that is going to bed early and not having a life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224dddc39e627a40ee89522e9794852946\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: No, we were going to give them a big tax relief.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4549c9c98364f4d93b7bdf3deb0256b\u0022\u003EHon RUTH DYSON\u003C/span\u003E: I know that the member, whose name escapes me, would have preferred to have given himself a tax cut and a superannuitant no winter energy payment, but that\u2019s not the way this Government thinks. We want to ensure that the most vulnerable have warm, dry homes, where people will be able to afford to buy a home, or when they can\u2019t save a deposit, there will be a State house for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EThis is a Budget for people. This is a Budget that ensures that we are acting responsibly with our finances but that we are also putting the money not to the highest income earners, who didn\u2019t need a tax cut\u2014no one in this Parliament needed a tax cut\u2014but to people who genuinely find it hard to get by day after day. That should be the priority for us. So we\u2019ll have more houses for Kiwi families, we\u2019ll have more construction, and we\u2019ll have more stable house prices. The previous National Government sold off State houses. They sold off State houses so that people in entire regions\u2014in the Wairarapa, as an example, there are no State houses left because the National Party sold them off. Some people might think, well, that\u2019s quite good if they use that money for housing, but they didn\u2019t put one cent of the house sales money back into housing. So we\u2019ve ended up with a housing crisis, which our Government is determined to address.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003EThis is a positive Budget. This is a Budget that is forward-looking and lays the foundation for a solid future. It has balanced the books properly. We\u2019ve had a surplus declared after nine long years of borrowing and increasing the debt from the National Party. We\u2019ve finally got a Budget that works for all New Zealand. I am so proud of our Ministers, of our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, and so pleased to work with New Zealand First and the Green Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022 data-id=\u0022f76408c4132c44adadab9e1a6d8f9f24\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f76408c4132c44adadab9e1a6d8f9f24\u0022\u003ECHRIS PENK (National\u2014Helensville):\u003C/span\u003E New Zealand has just seen a Budget of broken promises, and there are a number of reasons that people across this land have observed that this last week. First, they overpromised in a way that was quite reckless, which now leads us all to ask a very important question: is a promise not yet fulfilled the same as a promise broken? Making a promise and not fulfilling it is the same thing as breaking it. Policy of a Government should bear some resemblance to that which the parties making up the Government campaigned upon. In particular, a Budget should reflect spending promises, again, of those particular parties. \u201CReturn to what was said on the campaign trail\u201D would be my advice to the various parties and Ministers who are now disappointing New Zealanders up and down this land. For example, having said that as a result of the first Budget there would be no further need for school donations, we find exactly the opposite of that is true this week. Election 2017 should have been about gaining a mandate to govern for whichever party or parties won that election, from now until 2020, but, again, the opposite is true. Funding only some of the extravagant promises of the coalition parties entails a democratic deficit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EIn my first occasion to speak in this House, I made some remarks reflecting on the constitutional nature of coalition formation under MMP and, now, as I speak for the first time on a Budget that has been presented into this House, I\u2019d like to return to some of those themes. I observed that the process in 2017\u2014to be fair, as it had been in previous times\u2014had reflected a three-stage process; namely, an election which the people of New Zealand were able to participate in, then a selection of political parties operating in secret behind closed doors. And, finally, a collection of policies that those parties between themselves\u2014again, without further reference to the people\u2014decided would be in the people\u2019s best interest for the next three years. Fair enough to those parties that did form Government. They did it in a way that was legitimate under the MMP rules. But here\u2019s the thing: in the formation and presentation of a Budget, it is all the more important, that being said, that the promises that each of those parties made is now kept. And if those promises are not kept\u2014and they have not been kept\u2014then what we have is a democratic deficit. This is\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258a1026772614738b08442445cce1bdc\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! [Interruption] Order! Minister, colleagues, please show some respect to the speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224f1da50a25124e09b14fe6c2878e3ad6\u0022\u003ECHRIS PENK\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I believe I was saying, although it was difficult to hear over ambient noise\u2014I must confess, I sometimes find it difficult to think and speak at the same time, but I note that members opposite seem to have the same problem. I was reflecting on the MMP nature of Government formation and how that entails a higher responsibility in the presentation of a Budget, such that the promises that each of those parties has made must be reflected in some way if the Government as a whole is to have democratic legitimacy. So each of the times that the Government might say now, in response to criticism over their Budget, \u201CWell, we couldn\u2019t do all these things effectively, because if you add up all the promises of the constituent parties, we would not be able to afford them.\u201D\u2014and, make no mistake, this is exactly what we have been hearing, whether or not they acknowledge it openly or not. The fact of the matter is that New Zealanders voted for those parties\u2014again, I acknowledge, in a way that led legitimately, under MMP, to them forming the Government\u2014in a way that now sees New Zealanders, quite rightly, feeling disappointed about the result. They have been disappointed, and so have other organisations in the land.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ERadio New Zealand has received $23 million less funding as a result of a certain breakfast at Astoria. Well, that\u2019s a lot to pay for a breakfast. That must be the most expensive breakfast of all time. The only way in which this Budget reflects a stable Government is the stable in which the good-looking horses that have been the subject of the only tax cut in the Government are now housed. Like many New Zealanders, I am disappointed in this Budget of broken promises.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022 data-id=\u0022064ee9ac5503490e9bbe3df59adfd49c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022064ee9ac5503490e9bbe3df59adfd49c\u0022\u003EHARETE HIPANGO (National\u2014Whanganui):\u003C/span\u003E E Te Mana W\u2019akaw\u0101. This is my first Budget that I speak on as an elected MP of Parliament and as the Whanganui electorate MP. So the rural regions which are included within my electorate\u2014Waverley, P\u0101tea, H\u0101wera, Manaia, Eltham, Stratford, Te Kiri, and of course W\u2019anganui\u2014they\u2019ll be wondering what this Budget might deliver for them apart from a jolly good taxing time. During campaign mode and post-election, Labour and New Zealand First promised to W\u2019anganui $6 million for the velodrome roof, $3 million to the north mole, $3 million to the port development, and $3 million to rail\u2014nothing; still waiting to deliver. Is it a case of a Government that\u2019s soon to be broke or a case of yet some more broken promises?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe Budget is about priorities and carving out a piece of the Treasury pie: carving out and serving up some treasured pie; a decent piece of the Budget pie to whichever, whatever, whomever is considered of importance in priority\u2014some of greater and others of lesser importance. This Budget should have been a Budget of pai ora: a healthy pie for those healthy pieces. However, for M\u0101ori in New Zealand it is far from being a \u201Cpai ora\u201D, and, as National Party spokesperson for M\u0101ori tourism, M\u0101ori and New Zealand tourism have been starved\u2014in fact, denied any slice of the pie. There is nothing\u2014kua kore: nothing\u2014for New Zealand and M\u0101ori tourism. The Government slashed $6 million from Tourism New Zealand\u2019s budget\u2014a short-sighted cut that will cost the economy significantly through lost export earnings.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe tourism infrastructure fund of $25 million\u2014and under a National Government it was $100 million, recognising the importance to grow that pie\u2014has now been assimilated and immersed into the Provincial Growth Fund. You have to ingredient\u2014you have to invest in\u2014the pie in order to grow it. It\u2019s now a lesser priority, mainstreamed into that $1 billion - a-year Provincial Growth Fund. At the opening and closing of the World Indigenous Tourism Summit in April 2018, Ministers Mahuta and Davis affirmed New Zealand tourism as New Zealand\u2019s biggest export industry, contributing 21 percent of New Zealand\u2019s exchange earnings, affirming M\u0101ori tourism as a crucial dimension to New Zealand\u2019s tourism sector. Where is the piece of the pie? Kua kore\u2014nothing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003ESo a rapid tourism growth industry in New Zealand\u2014nothing is being invested there. How can we expect decent returns without those ingredients to this pie? The Ministers also each questioned whether New Zealand has capacity to sustain growth in our visitor numbers in spite of the obvious economic benefits these visitors have brought to our country. Not one slice of the pie\u2014not even a skinny slice; not even a crumb. The New Zealand and M\u0101ori tourism industry is starved of any treasured slice or crumbs of the pie. No \u201Ckei te pai\u201D in this Budget round\u2014sorry, New Zealand tourism; sorry M\u0101ori tourism.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI move now to M\u0101ori development. Kua kore\u2014empty. Not just broken\u2014nothing. Wh\u0101nau Ora: nothing, despite the $20 million that had been promised during the campaign. Vote M\u0101ori has been halved\u2014again, Wh\u0101nau Ora: nothing. Wh\u0101nau Ora is about cultural and social transformation of M\u0101ori back into M\u0101ori hands. I simply do not buy the fact that mainstreaming and assimilating M\u0101ori interests into the Budget pie is the way to address this. Au\u0113. What of Labour\u2019s promises to voters before the election? Wh\u0101nau Ora: nothing\u2014nothing healthy or nutritional about this Budget pie for M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EMany are saying that this is a typical laboured approach under this Government. There are more M\u0101ori MPs in Government than ever before, but this Government coalition still refuses to believe and back wh\u0101nau and M\u0101ori communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI acknowledge your M\u0101ori MP colleagues across the House, your 13 M\u0101ori MPs having laboured. I emphasise, e ng\u0101 mema m\u0101, despite your numbers\u2014though they may be significant\u2014sadly, your presence and influence have lacked. It has fallen on deafened ears. It seems to have been that those priorities that you may have advocated for have been deflected, and they\u2019re certainly not reflected in any way whatsoever in this Budget pie.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a bad and unhealthy Budget pie for M\u0101ori interests and for New Zealand M\u0101ori Tourism. Au\u0113. Kua kore\u2014nothing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022 data-id=\u002207099fdac0494eb2aa44f285621448d3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002207099fdac0494eb2aa44f285621448d3\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister for Children):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Deputy Speaker. Thank you very much. This is my first experience of a Budget, and I\u2019m proud to stand on it, but I\u2019d like to just start by addressing some of the comments by\u2014it\u2019s Mr Penk, I think. Is that right?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002251559739886544e7b9d0a65bc72cbfef\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: I think so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002234a51e8c2eec42a58fb0ebbf6125eb9c\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Penk. What we heard from that contribution was a really interesting statement with regard to how our democracy works, and that is around the process of MMP. Now, Mr Penk, in the first instance, acknowledged that the New Zealand public voted\u2014that\u2019s nice. He noted that they had the right to vote. He then talked about closed doors. Can I direct Mr Penk to talk to Bill English, Gerry Brownlee, Paula Bennett, Todd McClay, and Wayne Eagleson. I\u2019m trying to think of the other people who rushed to that room with the closed doors, as the first people that New Zealand First spoke to, as they had committed to during the election, to the first people that they had a conversation with\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be39e6518fb246a2866988c952d6337c\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Is that the day after you filed papers in the court or the day before? Which day did you file the court proceedings, Tracey?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e86ea0e920fb4b58989d7fbfaf330ea9\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014when we took over 300 policies. Mr Bayly, it is not this Government\u2019s fault if your people do not tell you how those negotiations took place. Three hundred policies taken into the room, 300 policies discussed with the National Party, and 300 policies discussed with the Labour Party\u2014the same policies, on the same days, over the same period of time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EThis is MMP at work. There were no closed doors to any political party. It is unfortunate that the National Party cannot understand how MMP works, but that led to this Budget. There were no secrets, no closed doors; there was open dialogue between that political party that apparently\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a06e18b896c94a5490b83e08761fbeec\u0022\u003EStuart Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Who paid for the advertisements?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022356238ebe72c4edb8af3990010cdfcf6\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014now a member of their backbench wishes to deny happened, Mr Smith. So perhaps Mr Smith and Mr Bayly might take aside their newer colleague and explain to him how these things work, recognising that in 2020 there will be another election, and they might like to figure out how it works before then.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EWith regard to this Budget, I have in my hand the coalition agreement between the Labour Party and New Zealand First. Mr Penk said that every election promise was broken. That has been the rhetoric of the National Party sitting on the benches. Those are the notes they have had from the few researchers they have at their disposal: \u201Cwork on the broken promises, work on the broken promises.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EIf I can just quote: \u201CTogether, we will work to provide New Zealand with a transformational Government, committed to resolving the greatest long-term [changes] for the country, including sustainable economic development, increased exports and decent jobs paying higher wages, a healthy environment, a fair society and [a] good government. We will reduce inequality and poverty and improve the well-being of all New Zealanders\u201D\u2014all New Zealanders\u2014\u201Cand the environment we live in.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003ESixteen points inside this coalition agreement have been delivered in the Budget for 2018-2019: a $1 billion per annum Regional Development (Provincial Growth) Fund; re-establishing the New Zealand forestry service, located in the regions\u2014Rotorua; $15 million\u2014an increase in the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b6363b064b444b28b0f45f4adf6c3a0\u0022\u003EAlastair Scott\u003C/span\u003E: Waste of money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227861cfb7a07b465c8935a359334dc74b\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: Beg your pardon, Mr Scott? A waste of money? \u201CA waste of money\u201D, Mr Scott says. Mr Scott from the Wairarapa says that it\u2019s a waste of money to open a forestry service in Rotorua. I will tell the people of Rotorua that the next time Mr Bridges is on a regional tour. No problem there, Mr Scott; I\u2019ll pass that on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EAn increase in MPI\u2019s biosecurity resourcing: $9.3 million. Honour existing Crown Irrigation Investments commitments: done. Examination of agricultural debt mediation: done. Review the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act: under way. Progressively increase the minimum wage to $20 per hour by 2020: we are on track, and nobody lost their job so far, Mr Scott. Work to increase the research and development spending to 2 percent of GDP over 10 years: on track. Strengthening the Overseas Investment Act: on track. Free doctors visits for all under-14-year-olds: done\u2014and remember, it was 2005 to 2008 where Labour and New Zealand First introduced free doctors visits for under-six-year-olds. Develop a 30-year strategic plan for New Zealand education\u2014my goodness, haven\u2019t they been popular? Strive towards adding 1,800 new police officers and commit to a serious focus on combatting organised crime and drugs, unlike the previous administration, who thought, \u201CWe\u2019ll just let them work it out on their own.\u201D Increased funding for family violence networks including women\u2019s refuge and Shakti: $76.2 million over four years. Provide 800 extra places for Limited Service Volunteers scheme: $26 million. Introduce a programme for long-term unemployed to improve work readiness, such as Ready for Work. Specifically increase funding for the Department of Conservation: $181 million over four years. Support New Zealand First\u2019s racing policy: $4.8 million over four years, plus $10 million for a covered\u2014and so on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EMr Penk does not understand how Government works. Mr Penk needs to sit down and be quiet and listen. Breathe through your nose for longer, Mr Penk. This is a three-term Government. Sixteen points out of the coalition agreement are already delivered. Two more years to go, and years and years and years beyond that if that is the level of Opposition we are going to get; an Opposition that goes to the press and says that the Department of Internal Affairs is cutting\u2014is cutting\u2014areas that will protect our children from pornography, which is blatantly untrue, and the department itself comes out and says so. What has happened to the front bench of the National Party that they will work on gossip rather than make sure that they know what they are talking about, particularly when we start to actually frighten the people of New Zealand by making such strange allegations?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003ENot only is the Department of Internal Affairs not cutting any such thing; they are increasing that department to 27.5 employees. Who was the Government that decided that we would actually invest in more money for those of our children with intensive needs around disability and learning support? It was this Government. Which was the Government that said to their members on the Education and Science Committee, \u201CYou can make as many changes as you like, but do not spend more money.\u201D? It was the previous Government. These are the things that this Government is doing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand First entered into this coalition Government because we need to change the direction of this nation. Trickle-down doesn\u2019t work, Mr Bridges. Trickle-down doesn\u2019t work, Mr Smith. It is fine for somebody at the top of the tree to decide that eventually their largesse will trickle down. The people of New Zealand have waited too long for that to happen. This Government will take action. This is the start of a three-year pathway, and probably a six-, a nine-, and a 12-year pathway by the time we\u2019re ended. We will change the direction of this boat. We will not leave New Zealanders in cars and in garages. We will not ignore our children. And the next step\u2014and then we will build on and build on with the child poverty action plan, with the child well-being strategy. We will make sure that we put a line in the sand that we will not let our citizens fall below.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EThis Budget is the start of it. I commend every Minister that worked on it. There was a lot of dialogue and a lot of collegiality around this, where we had to make sure that we put in the priorities we could while also being responsible. It is fascinating that those on the other side of the House, on one hand, complain that this is a spend-and-borrow Government and, on the other hand, complain we haven\u2019t spent enough. Please, for goodness\u2019 sake, make up your mind. Make up your mind, and educate your members into how this democracy actually works so they don\u2019t embarrass\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cb556a20eb7a4a7a878698871653c65c\u0022\u003EAlastair Scott\u003C/span\u003E: Priorities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f71224f409d54178b96dc2600b474092\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014themselves when they stand on their feet. Make sure, when you\u2019re out around the regions, Mr Scott, that you let them know that you don\u2019t think that we should be putting Government departments out in the regions. Just make sure that you let the people of the Wairarapa know, in all the adverts that you\u2019re putting out there with their taxpayer dollars, that it is not your opinion that we should put anything out into the regions. So in those adverts, just make sure, sir, while you\u2019re spending their taxpayer dollars promoting yourself, that you let them know that is a point of view\u2014a point of view\u2014that you particularly hold. Kia ora, Madam Deputy Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022 data-id=\u00225dd488b7de6442208840f095c24326c3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225dd488b7de6442208840f095c24326c3\u0022\u003ELAWRENCE YULE (National\u2014Tukituki):\u003C/span\u003E I want to thank Tracey Martin, the former deputy leader of New Zealand First, for her contribution, because while it was energetic and it stood up for everything in the coalition Government, it actually didn\u2019t say much about the Budget. For me, as a new MP and with this being the first Budget, I\u2019d have to say the Budget that was delivered by the people that sit across from our side was completely underwhelming. You know, despite a lot of promises in the election campaign, not one new house has been built yet, and this winter, people will still be sleeping in cars\u2014all the things they said they were going to fix\u2014and, do you know, in this Budget, hardly a move was made on that dial. I do want to reiterate what Bernard Hickey said, which is that this is a fundamental opportunity lost. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EThey might reflect, on the other side, on how this Budget was delivered, because at this time, we have record job growth. We had economic confidence at a record high. It\u2019s dramatically plummeting under a lot of the policies of this Government, but none the less we have had confidence in this country that we haven\u2019t seen for a long time. There are surplus funds in this Budget of over $2.3 billion for this Government to play with, and there are massive trade surpluses. There has never really been a time in the last 15 years where the economic conditions have been so good. As well as that, what\u2019s happened is this Government has increased a whole lot of taxes\u2014a new fuel tax, a brightline test that\u2019s brought in extra revenue, an Amazon-based tax. At the same time\u2014and I think this is the thing that particularly galls me\u2014the projections of net Crown debt are set to increase by $17 billion. So not only is the income at a record high but the Government is going to borrow and spend like we haven\u2019t seen before. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EMy view on this Budget\u2014and the core competencies of what this Government has stood on\u2014is that it\u2019s actually delivered very little. It\u2019s given a lot of free fees for the students\u2014$2.4 billion worth, or thereabouts\u2014but the actual increase in the Budget for education has gone up by only about 1.6 percent, which is actually very similar to what our Government, when the National Government was in power, used. All the promises about doing away with compulsory donations and all those things were just conveniently parked as though they never existed\u2014\u201CWe never said those in September\u2014don\u2019t go back to that. We\u2019ve just ignored it.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EIf you look at health, there are massive claims being made by this Government. They have all been refuted by the Hon Simon Bridges in his reply. Where have the $10 doctors visits gone? Oh, it got a bit hard. But, actually, I remember in the campaign, on national TV: \u201CWe are going to make doctors visits $10.\u201D Not six months later; that is too hard. I consider that is actually a broken promise. It was a really simple thing to do and it hasn\u2019t been done. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EAround $100 million has been taken out of the mental health system, based on what was promised at the last election. Those were promises that were heartfelt and well made on the campaign trail, and they were simply walked away from. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EIn my own district health board (DHB), the increase in funding for the Hawke\u2019s Bay District Health Board this year is 3 percent\u2014exactly the same percentage increase as under the National Government. So you cannot say to me in Hawke\u2019s Bay that my people are somehow way, way better off. In fact, the chair of the Hawke\u2019s Bay DHB said that because of that little amount of funding, they\u2019re likely to have to look at making $12 million worth of savings in the next financial year just to break even. That doesn\u2019t even account for all the claims and the expectations of nurses right across New Zealand, including in my own community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003ESo the people I represent, I consider, have been fundamentally ripped off by this Budget. Not only have they lost a tax cut of a thousand dollars a year; we have lost the four-laning of the Napier to Hastings expressway, which was $300 million or $400 million. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c500478c95464d3a9933bd47f3b557cb\u0022\u003EHon Stuart Nash\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, it was never funded, Lawrence. You know that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bc7b9056e2548fa9ece2644ba2a6108\u0022\u003ELAWRENCE YULE\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re actually going to have to pay 12c a litre extra for fuel tax. All of that\u2019s going to go to Auckland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EAnd, actually, something that really matters\u2014and the Hon Stuart Nash should listen to this\u2014is around biosecurity. You know, under the Ministry for Primary Industries\u2019 budget, despite the significant risks of M. bovis and the brown marmorated stink bug, actually, the amount of money increase in biosecurity only went up by $9 million. The National Government put it up by $18 million last year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003ESo I think this is actually a tax and spend Budget. The Government is relying on Shane Jones spending about $3 billion over 2\u00BD years in the regions to make it right, but what we\u2019re doing is borrowing and spending. There\u2019s little confidence in this Budget. That\u2019s why this side of the House doesn\u2019t support it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022 data-id=\u0022758aed88bc434ecca091c1bb4f7b2d58\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022758aed88bc434ecca091c1bb4f7b2d58\u0022\u003ETIM VAN DE MOLEN (National\u2014Waikato):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Missed opportunity\u2014that\u2019s what springs to mind, first and foremost. This Budget was a huge opportunity. There was huge potential for our new Government to make New Zealanders proud. It was absolutely underwhelming, what they\u2019ve delivered for us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EI must say, going through this budgeting process for the first time, I was really excited. I was really looking forward to hearing some of these things, and whilst I would have loved to have been on the Government benches, that wasn\u2019t the case. But I thought, \u201CWell, hey, this Government has got $34 billion to invest in the future of New Zealand. Surely, they\u2019re going to have plenty of fantastic policies\u2014plenty of great things for everyday New Zealanders.\u201D, and yet, what have they delivered? They have absolutely underperformed with this fantastic opportunity they\u2019ve been presented with. Huge surpluses\u2014they had so much available, and on top of that, they were borrowing another $10 billion to add to that massive cash pool. New Zealanders deserve better. They have been severely let down by this Budget, and although the Government did every effort to decrease expectations, they have actually underperformed those decreased expectations significantly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EIt was interesting to note that the Prime Minister herself said that she\u2019s not proud of New Zealand and she wants to be proud of New Zealand again. Well, I\u2019m proud of New Zealand now. This is a fantastic country that has a fantastic history. We\u2019ve had a great past nine years. The economy has been in a fantastic position, and yet the Government squanders that opportunity to make it even better still, and all we\u2019re hearing from the other side is attack\u2014attack about what\u2019s coming from this side of the House. No attempt to try and justify or explain why it\u2019s fantastic. It\u2019s just \u201Ctry and pick the Opposition to pieces.\u201D Well, that suggests that they don\u2019t even back their own Budget. They can\u2019t even have confidence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EYou can look across the House now and see all those heads hanging, because they all know that they have severely under-delivered on this opportunity. Look at agriculture\u2014and in the Waikato that\u2019s a major industry for us; we\u2019re proud to be a heartland of agriculture in New Zealand\u2014and they have significantly under-delivered, again. Biosecurity, as we\u2019ve just heard from Mr Yule, is a fantastic area that is hugely important for all of us as New Zealanders, and yet we\u2019re seeing that investment cut by 50 percent, as we\u2019re seeing such a focus on Mycoplasma bovis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228596be88211c47e6b542e1e4dbd3160b\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: By how much?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225364c0f99c7a4fa79f697730525aba07\u0022\u003ETIM VAN DE MOLEN\u003C/span\u003E: A 50 percent reduction, Mr Brown. That is outrageous.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EThey get up here and tell us that we are not doing enough for biosecurity, and then they cut it in half. Where\u2019s the sense in that? That is outrageous and disappointing for all of rural New Zealand. On top of that, they decided that, actually, they need to break apart the Ministry for Primary Industries, because it wasn\u2019t doing a good enough job. Well, OK, so what have they done? They\u2019ve broken it into four new segments and they\u2019ve lifted the cost to run it. What\u2019s the point of that? Adding more cost into bureaucracy, and what are they gaining from it? They\u2019re stripping the funding to achieve that, actually, out of the Primary Growth Partnership. So, on the one hand, they\u2019re saying we need more innovation in agriculture if we\u2019re going to change the way we farm and we\u2019re going to be better at managing biosecurity, and yet they\u2019re cutting that very funding in the research and development space for the Primary Growth Partnership. It does not make sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EAnd then we come to the family side. Well, our families, as we know, are paying now a thousand dollars more in tax than they would have been. They\u2019ve been given an untargeted \u201Cspray and walk away\u201D winter energy payment. And, of course, there is the broken promise around the $10 cheaper doctors visits. Kiwis should be, and rightly are, disappointed in this, and this Government will find that you cannot talk your way out of something you\u2019ve acted your way into.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022490ccdbf-7c22-4e12-98f2-f3aa08f8e676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f740aecf4ce4ee7bb2405d7305c4436\u0022\u003EHon Iain Lees-Galloway\u003C/span\u003E: I miss Lindsay Tisch.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f18ceb9e46474c908430320ebd270c6a\u0022\u003ETIM VAN DE MOLEN\u003C/span\u003E: Feel free to write that one down, Mr Lees-Galloway. Think about and reflect on it, because I think you\u2019ll find that you have sorely disappointed New Zealanders across the country\u2014broken promises. We\u2019re seeing priorities left, right, and centre\u2014and they haven\u2019t got them right. We hear about diplomats and foreign aid, and, hey, these things are great if you can afford to do them. But they\u2019re sacrificing so many other key areas that they could have\u2014could have\u2014made a fantastic contribution on. Roading is another massive one for the Waikato. The expressway projects have been cut\u2014three of them\u2014and yet we hear the New Zealand Transport Agency saying we\u2019ve got six of the 10 highest-risk rural intersections, and they\u2019re not doing anything with these projects to support it. It is a huge missed opportunity, and it\u2019s disappointing to see.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022fc9f7388ca404a08a6aeea6a8871a438\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fc9f7388ca404a08a6aeea6a8871a438\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That this debate be now adjourned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022\u003EBills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002275dece61f7cf430792871cbc267db578\u0022\u003ETaxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e28f9270e8ae4f80b47b13bd73861138\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u0022bc2940c08421442c92972aba7ff5177e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bc2940c08421442c92972aba7ff5177e\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH (Minister of Revenue):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill be now read a second time. As a small, open economy reliant on trade, this is a very important bill for New Zealand and for our tax system. Along with other countries, New Zealand is taking action to prevent multinational corporations from engaging in aggressive tax-planning. This practice, known as base erosion and profit shifting, or BEPS, is a challenge for tax systems around the world. The overall result of these BEPS strategies is that some large multinational companies pay little tax in New Zealand, or, in fact, anywhere else in the world, despite having a significant economic presence here. This threatens the revenue base that Governments need to deliver public services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EMultinationals benefit from taxpayer-funded investments in areas such as education, infrastructure, economic development, regulations, and property rights, so they should rightfully contribute to the costs of these investments, and I don\u2019t think anyone would argue with that. Aggressive tax planning distorts competition and effective and efficient allocation of resources. It enables some multinationals to exploit gaps and weaknesses in tax rules to get an advantage over other businesses who do not engage in BEPS. Finally, BEPS erodes the overall fairness and integrity of our tax system. Fixing this is most important. The tax system must be fair for all income earners, regardless of their size or complexity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill contains a comprehensive package of measures designed to combat BEPS and ensure fairness and equity and improve system integrity. These measures will prevent multinationals from using a large number of BEPS strategies, including using artificially high interest rates on loans from related parties to shift profits out of New Zealand. The bill also prevents related-party transactions which are intended to shift profits into offshore group members in a manner that does not reflect the actual economic activities undertaken in New Zealand and offshore. Further, the bill tackles hybrid mismatch arrangements that exploit differences between countries\u2019 tax rules to achieve an advantageous tax position, as well as preventing artificial arrangements to avoid having a taxable presence or a permanent establishment in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe final major item in the bill addresses certain tactics which can be used by non-cooperative multinationals to stymie an Inland Revenue Department investigation, such as withholding relevant information that is held by an offshore group member. The Government is determined to address these issues because we want to improve the fairness of the tax system, but at the same time we want to ensure that New Zealand remains a good place to invest and do business in. We also want to ensure that the measures we introduce do not impose unnecessary compliance costs but, at the same time, not only maintain but enhance our reputation for transparency.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EI am very grateful to the Finance and Expenditure Committee for their careful consideration of both the bill and the public submissions on the bill. This is a complex piece of legislation. A number of the submissions were highly complex. I know the members spent a lot of time and energy working collaboratively to come up with a consensus on this, and I do thank them. A number of changes have been made to the bill, though, in response to public submissions. These, together with the committee\u2019s recommendations, make this a better bill by making important adjustments. For the benefit of members, I will explain the most important of these changes very briefly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe first is cross-border related borrowing. The use of debt is one of the simplest ways of shifting profits out of New Zealand. The bill as introduced proposes a new transport pricing approach to price-related party loans between non-resident lenders and New Zealand borrowers, or inbound cross-border related borrowing. However, submitters were concerned at the risk of double taxation. Adjustments have been made to strike a better balance between addressing the problem of subjectivity or manipulability of standard transfer pricing, and reducing this risk.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe income interest ratio, which was one of the three tests intended to prove a company is not a high BEPS risk, will now be removed. This is because the rule could result in double taxation where companies are in loss or only have recently started trading. The remaining two tests will be sufficient, we believe, for establishing whether a company is a high BEPS risk or not. In the bill as introduced, where a New Zealand borrower failed any of the tests to show it was not a high BEPS risk, its credit rating would generally be restricted to one notch below its worldwide group credit rating. For example, if a worldwide group\u2019s credit rating for long-term senior unsecured debt is AA\u002B, a one-notch margin means the maximum deductible interest rate on a related-party loan to a New Zealand subsidiary would be based on an AA rating.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226eb48036339348068f33785df8c7f7e3\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Say it like you mean it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298c78372946c4817a5ccc96f223d52b3\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: And I do mean it, Mr Bayly, very much so. This is an important piece of legislation, and I look forward to your contribution, as well. To alleviate concerns about double taxation, the spread will be increased to two notches, provided the New Zealand borrower\u2019s credit rating is BBB\u2212 or higher, because, as we all know, BBB\u2212 is the lowest investment-grade credit rating. We need to get this right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EIn examining the terms of a loan between related parties for BEPS risk, inland revenue will consider\u2014they will consider\u2014whether such terms are in line with a commercial loan between unrelated parties. Some features of the borrowing can be disregarded by the IRD\u2014amazing\u2014unless it is a feature in significant third-party debt. In the bill as introduced, one key aspect was to restrict the credit rating of the New Zealand borrower. The bill as introduced allows a borrower to include a feature in pricing a related-party loan when it is a feature of significant third-party loans, but an equivalent test was not available to determine a borrower\u2019s credit rating. We think this is unduly harsh, so a third-party exclusion is proposed to be extended to the credit rating of high BEPS risk borrowers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ETime bars\u2014inland revenue currently has four years from the end of the tax year in which a taxpayer files an income tax return to investigate and amend their tax position. This four-year limit is known as the time bar. The bill as introduced included a provision that would extend the time bar for transfer pricing issues to seven years, which is consistent with Australia\u2019s time bar for transfer pricing. The committee, however, recommended an amendment so that the time bar would only be extended to seven years in those cases where inland revenue had begun a transfer pricing tax investigation within four years of the relevant tax return being filed, and has notified the taxpayer of this investigation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThis amendment ensures that the vast majority of taxpayers will benefit from the same level of certainty as the current four-year time bar. Taxpayers will know their tax position is final, including any transfer pricing positions, if they have not heard from inland revenue within four years of the tax return being filed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EPowers to request information from offshore group members and associated parties: the bill proposes to extend the scope of inland revenue\u2019s existing powers\u2014most important. So they allow inland revenue to request information that is held by any member of a large multinational group. To reduce privacy concerns and to ensure that the new information power is appropriately targeted and investing in multinationals\u2019 tax affairs, the proposal is amended to require the requested information to relate to an investigation of a multinational group\u2019s own tax position\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022909fd8f9fa5c42a79711d171234f27ac\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Very wise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bce1d6f4f6784f40af39424b4bec5f59\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014very wise indeed\u2014rather than relating to an investigation of a natural person, such as a bank customer who is not part of that multinational group.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe bill as introduced also includes both criminal and civil penalties for failures to provide information that was held by an offshore group member of a large multinational group. However, when failure may have been caused by an associated offshore group member, it was not appropriate to apply a criminal conviction to a New Zealand person. The criminal penalty therefore has been removed from the proposal. We believe that the proposed civil penalties should provide sufficient incentive for multinationals to comply with any inland revenue information request.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThat is a brief overview of the most important changes made to this very important bill. New Zealand\u2019s response to BEPS, or base erosion and profit shifting, is generally aligned with Australia\u2019s. It is also broadly consistent with the OECD and G20 action plan, although the specific proposals are tailored for the New Zealand environment. Once again, I thank the committee for their important contribution to this bill. I commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u002233124a0946eb4054b226caa38e0e6d15\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002233124a0946eb4054b226caa38e0e6d15\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Hunua):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. It was good to see parts of that speech where Minister Stuart Nash showed some real interest in this topic.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227cc5211bba6948f3ab64bd695906ea20\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Bit of life.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205981fd0aad7416a8eb332d1271c132c\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY\u003C/span\u003E: A bit of life. As I was saying, it is a pleasure to be talking on this second reading. Of course, this follows a hard-working process where the Finance and Expenditure Committee has worked its way through a lot of this detail. You\u2019ve got to ask yourself what this bill is actually about, and I thought I just might summarise it very briefly. It\u2019s about the way multinationals manage their businesses in New Zealand and how they arrange their structures to minimise their tax. That\u2019s what base erosion and profit shifting is actually about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EFor corporates, they have lots of choices. They can charge a high amount of interest on debt. They can, in fact, take on large amounts of debt, which means that the profits of the New Zealand subsidiary or branch or whatever are lower than they would otherwise be, and therefore the tax is less than what it might be. Or they might charge high management fees\u2014again, lowering the profit in there for the tax. Or they might set it up so that they can benefit from different tax treatments in different countries. So in one country, it might be deductible for tax purposes; in another country, they might be able to write it off, and therefore they get a double whammy tax benefit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo what happened was New Zealand took a leading role, along with the OECD, to try and come up with complex rules to try and deal with these large multinationals, who are very sophisticated in their approach. To give it a scale, we\u2019re talking between US$100 billion and US$240 billion a year, or between 4 and 10 percent of global income flows that are affected by these base erosion and profit shifting mechanisms. That\u2019s why it was so important that the National Government started this process, but, of course, it is continuing under the auspices of that former speaker, the Hon Stuart Nash.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EIt has been a hard-working committee, because we have made a number of changes to this bill. The Minister spoke briefly to some of those changes, but I just want to highlight some of the more important ones. What we\u2019ve done is we\u2019ve looked at the issue of this artificially high interest rate. There were three tests, and one of those tests related to a definition around EBITDA to interest costs\u2014EBITDA being, of course, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation. The officials had specified 3.3 times. We questioned that because we thought in some cases, particularly with start-ups, etc., that test would not be appropriate. So that was one of the tests that was removed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EThe second thing we did was we focused on this issue of using a credit rating, because people were trying to be formulaic about the approach by saying that if a multinational had a certain credit grade which meant that was the borrowing costs they would incur borrowing it\u2014its credit rating\u2014then the New Zealand subsidiary could only be a maximum of one below that credit rating. We questioned that and, through the committee, we agreed that we would drop that by two notches.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve also imposed a de minimis rate of $10 million of tax, and we\u2019ve allowed for the provision where a third party has provided the interest rate or debt to the company in New Zealand\u2014that interest cost should be the relevant test, rather than reverting back to this convoluted credit rating test I spoke of before. That\u2019s one of the crucial bits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EThe other ones were around the time bar test. I think this is a crucial one, because the officials and the IRD wanted to have the ability to be able to take seven years to look at a tax situation and assess it properly before\u2014and that provided a lot longer than the original provision of four years. We said no. We said no as a committee. We said, \u201CYou must make sure that you have\u201D\u2014and I\u2019m talking about the IRD\u2014\u201Ctold the company that it has an issue after four years, and it has a further three years to take that issue through the courts.\u201D So that was an important balance between the rights of the IRD and also in terms of making sure that we got a good outcome in terms of collecting all the tax we wanted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EThere are other measures around how we get information flows from New Zealand companies about their parent, particularly about their debt arrangements. As the Minister spoke of, we talked about the issue of reducing it from criminal and civil liability for that New Zealand subsidiary or branch and making it only a civil liability. But there is still a strong requirement for New Zealand representatives to provide the requisite information to IRD.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo a very complicated bill. There were actually other issues, but I\u2019m going to leave it to some of my colleagues to pick up on those. It\u2019s a good bill, and I\u2019d like to congratulate the members of the committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022 data-id=\u0022a2fb7c4f61fa44779e2a4c8c398a8e9b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a2fb7c4f61fa44779e2a4c8c398a8e9b\u0022\u003EMICHAEL WOOD (Labour\u2014Mt Roskill):\u003C/span\u003E Following on from six minutes of Andrew Bayly\u2019s best, I\u2019m going to give 10 pretty solid minutes, I think, on this very, very important bill and actually add some substance to the matter. This is an important bill, the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill. Why is it important? Well, tax touches a whole lot of things. I\u2019d actually like to start at the very base of this issue. To me, this is actually very much a moral issue. It\u2019s about the rights and obligations that we have to each other in this country. I think what has concerned a lot of people over recent years, not just in New Zealand but around the world, has been this notion that very, very large, very, very wealthy, very, very powerful corporations can utilise aggressive tax planning to avoid the obligations to the society in which they operate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003ESo the reality here in New Zealand is that for the very most part, we welcome the operation of multinational companies in our country. They often bring valuable goods and, more commonly, very valuable services to New Zealand consumers, and those are good things which enhance our quality of life. But they do operate within the context of our society. They benefit from the fact that we have an established legal system in this country. They benefit from the rule of law. They benefit from the infrastructure. Be it roads, be it public transport, or be it telecommunications, all of those things the multinational companies who operate in New Zealand benefit from. So the moral argument here is that having benefited from those investments, having made profit out of them, there is an obligation back to the society in which they operate. Of course, the reality is that the person working down at the local factory, the person sweeping the streets, and the person working in an office just down the road here, on Lambton Quay\u2014those folks will, generally, pay their taxes. The person running a small business, a lawn-mowing run\u2014they\u2019ll generally pay their taxes, to contribute to those things. Yet we have some very, very large and powerful corporations who have been avoiding that here in New Zealand and around the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EWhat was really interesting was the range of submissions that we received in the Finance and Expenditure Committee. The submissions were useful, and I thank all of the submitters, in fact, because we received many, many considered submissions. But across the vast majority of them, there was a recognition of the problem. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI actually want to just read this out, from Deloitte, which I think was quite representative of the tone of a lot of the submissions. Now, they often went on and said, \u201CWe think these things need to change in the bill. We don\u2019t think you\u2019ve got this quite right. Have you thought through that fully? What about this? What about that?\u201D, but they all started out with this basic premise\u2014or most of them, anyway. This is what Deloitte says: \u201CWe agree that [the] Base Erosion and Profit Shifting \u2026 by multinational enterprises is a major concern, undermining tax authorities and stoking public feelings of unfairness. We appreciate that the Government is committed to taking decisive action to address BEPS issues to maintain the integrity of the New Zealand tax base.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI think that\u2019s notable, because I don\u2019t think five years ago we would necessarily have had major corporates coming to a select committee and saying, \u201CYes, we think there\u2019s something wrong here, and the rules need to change.\u201D But that\u2019s what we had from Deloitte and many, many other submitters to the select committee. I think that is a tribute to quite a lot of people in the political world, in the third estate, and out there in civil society who\u2019ve been raising these serious issues around multinational tax avoidance for quite a number of years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EOne of those organisations is Oxfam New Zealand, and we had a good submission from them as well. They were encouraging us to go even further with a number of areas. They reminded us that, generally, very credible estimates estimate that New Zealand\u2019s probably losing somewhere between $200 million and $500 million worth of tax revenue because of multinational tax avoidance per year. The Tax Justice Network estimates it could be as high as $1 billion, and I think between the previous National Government and this Labour Government we\u2019ve estimated a range of around about $200 million to $300 million in forgone revenue per year. So that\u2019s why we need to address these issues. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThis is forgone revenue that could be supporting our health system, our education system, our infrastructure, and it\u2019s about maintaining the fairness, the integrity, of the tax system. In fact, the Tax Administration Act reminds us that the Inland Revenue Department has a duty to protect the integrity of the system, because if people see organisations over here ripping off the system, then what\u2019s the onus on them to play by the rules? That\u2019s important. It\u2019s important that we get that right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI do need to acknowledge that this is a complex bill. You get that when you look at the bar 2 version of the bill that\u2019s before the House. It\u2019s one of the ones that\u2019s not stapled; it has to be spiral bound. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThere have been a lot of changes made at the select committee, and can I acknowledge the other members of the select committee for the very positive and constructive work that we were able to engage in with our officials. Can I also acknowledge the independent adviser to the select committee, Therese Turner, who gave excellent advice to the select committee around this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EIn fact, Therese said that in her 30 years of looking at tax legislation, this is the most complex tax bill that she has come across. I know that for those of us on the select committee who are not subject matter experts\u2014and that\u2019s I think about 12 out of 13 of us\u2014having her advice, her really pragmatic advice, was incredibly useful. She is the adviser who will say to us, \u201CWell, OK, maybe this is OK for your Apples and your Googles of the world, but what about a New Zealand business person who wants to set up a little bit of a chain over in Australia or in the Pacific Islands? How\u2019s this going to affect them? Are they going to be able to understand this when they look at it? Is it going to work for them as well?\u201D That\u2019s an incredibly invaluable contribution that I would like to acknowledge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThe key areas that the bill addresses, and these have been touched on in a couple of the previous addresses\u2014we\u2019ve got the issue of related party debt. This is a really important issue when it comes to base erosion and profit shifting. It\u2019s one of the major ways in which multinational organisations can avoid paying a legitimate share of tax. It\u2019s sort of the loading up of a subsidiary organisation with a significant amount of debt, often at very high interest rates, which means that, effectively, the interest payments mean that no profit is made in the host country. That\u2019s a significant issue that the original bill attempts to deal with, and I\u2019ll touch on some of the changes made at the select committee soon.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThe issue of hybrid mismatches, where we have rules that are slightly different across different tax jurisdictions\u2014people who know what they\u2019re doing and are good with their tax planning can take advantage of their tax rules, to end up, basically, paying tax in none of those jurisdictions, and, obviously, that\u2019s something that we can\u2019t just fix here. We need to work with our partners on this. That\u2019s why the Labour Party has always said that, yep, we need to do our own thing in New Zealand. We need good legislation here. We need to go after the bad guys who aren\u2019t doing the right thing in this area, but we do need to have a strong regime that is linked up with our partners in the OECD. It\u2019s only by working together that we can really work on these issues. Actually, this legislation comes out of that work, substantially, and largely brings us into line with the OECD guidelines.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThe issue of permanent establishment\u2014this is incredibly important. It\u2019s when we have companies\u2014not exclusively, but particularly in the tech sector they\u2019ve often been identified\u2014that kind of create this sort of mirage or fiction that they\u2019re not really extant in New Zealand. Even though they might be doing millions of dollars\u2019 worth of business and earning millions of dollars of profit here in New Zealand, they\u2019re able to structure their operations to say that there is no permanent establishment in New Zealand. I\u2019ll just note that in terms of the bill, we\u2019re talking about applying new permanent establishment rules to the big guys\u2014to multinationals that have got a turnover of over \u20AC750 million per year, which is the benchmark set at the OECD level.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EIf you want to bring it down to a really simple level, the bill\u2014and I think it\u2019s in one of the schedules at the end\u2014sets out what permanent establishment looks like. It\u2019s actually a bit of common sense about looking at whether there is a genuine operation here in New Zealand that is carrying out business interests and earning profit. Is there an office? Is there a factory? Is there a quarry operating? Some of these things are listed in the schedule. You can kind of go from there and you can work out\u2014or the Inland Revenue Department can work out\u2014whether there\u2019s a permanent establishment here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EAnd then the issue of transfer pricing: this is where the parent organisation overseas might charge management fees or a royalty or some other such payment which, effectively, means that revenue is artificially sucked out of the New Zealand operation, making it look as though it\u2019s not really profitable at all, and therefore not liable for taxation. So the bill deals in different ways with all of these matters.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI want to touch on a couple of the key changes that the bill did make, in the remaining time I have. The two that were of particular interest to me\u2014we had questions and concerns from submitters around the significant powers that the Inland Revenue Department has in these matters. The department does need to be empowered, but we as a Parliament also need to make sure that those powers are appropriately tempered and used appropriately.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003ESo for the issue of the time bar for transfer pricing issues\u2014this was in the original bill, to extend it from four to seven years, which I believe would bring us into line with Australia. But there were real concerns that even though these investigations might take a long time, and there needs to be a decent amount of time for the IRD to carry them out. If you\u2019re an organisation and, potentially, six years and nine months after an original transaction took place, you can suddenly be told that you\u2019re in the gun, that was pushing the boat out a bit too far. So we said to IRD, \u201COK, seven years to complete them, but you have to start and notify the organisation within four years.\u201D I think that was an important change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThe final thing I just want to say is: is it working? I think it\u2019s going to work. One of the submissions was from Google, and they basically said in their submission that because of the work that\u2019s going on, because these issues are being taken more seriously, particularly around permanent establishment, they\u2019re starting to change their practices. So I think this is a win for this Parliament. It\u2019s been a bipartisan and multipartisan effort around the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u002223c9d8816ec0406dacd95b2d10a65dfd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002223c9d8816ec0406dacd95b2d10a65dfd\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s my pleasure to speak on this bill, which National introduced and supports, the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill. There\u2019s no question that we\u2019ve moved a long way from the early days of the tax system, where you physically could find a company down the road that was making sugar or shoes, and taxing that. It was relatively simple. It\u2019s never simple, trying to work out what the actual profit is, as opposed to the turnover\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022674110dae30249628dc18a14ba4cc0e5\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau\u003C/span\u003E: Was it one shoe or two shoes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c651a5e192a94a02b58d4fe8c698347c\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right; whether it\u2019s one shoe or two. But as we\u2019ve had an increasingly internationalised and, particularly, an increasingly digitised global economy, the tax-collecting process has become immeasurably more complex and difficult to handle. So we only have to think of New Zealanders consuming products that are produced digitally in many other countries. The arguments about where the actual value is added are complex and ongoing. It\u2019s not something that New Zealand can fix on its own and it is not something that we can respond to on our own, but only, effectively, as part of wider international efforts. That\u2019s why New Zealand has been at the forefront of a lot of the work done by the OECD, particularly to work on trying to internationalise more effective rules. So we\u2019re part of the broad global stream here and I think New Zealand has been one of the more active countries, and I\u2019m pleased that we\u2019ve made progress with this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EWill we have got everything right in this piece of legislation? Absolutely not. I\u2019m sure there will be things that we will be revisiting in this House next year and in the years to come. Because of the inherently complex nature of the work, we\u2019ll have to monitor it very closely and expect to have a rethinking of elements of it. But, overall, I do commend the work of the officials and the select committee process, and the many submitters that put a lot of time and effort into it. Some of them will be disappointed that the Government hasn\u2019t picked up on all of those changes, but we certainly agree with several of them that were done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EIf I could just use one example of changes that went through the Finance and Expenditure Committee, it was in relation to the income interest tests for New Zealand borrowers from foreign lenders. Just to give people an idea of the complexity here, the original bill stipulated that a New Zealand borrower who borrowed funds from a non-resident lender had to pass three tests to prove it was not a high base erosion and profit shifting risk. The point here is that the primary mechanism for avoiding the taxation is for countries to lend a New Zealand resident outpost money at an artificially high interest rate in order to reduce the profits made in New Zealand and accentuate the profits made in the other country which has a lower tax base. So there are all the arguments about what the appropriate interest rate to hold is and how to assess that. So the revised version of the bill removed one of the three tests because we thought that was too high a hurdle, and that was in relation to whether a New Zealand borrower had an EBITDA\u2014that\u2019s an earnings before interest and tax, etc.\u2014of at least 3.3 times after the interest\u2019s expense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ENow, I\u2019m conscious of the fact that many eyes will have glazed over even touching into the topic, so the reality is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d987061823d34bbbaf2013551e2c28dc\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau\u003C/span\u003E: Just the delivery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225148b73bf8d54f54b0a4b25591bdd7eb\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that could be it\u2014I\u2019m labouring under a bit of a cold. So the only point, in conclusion, I would say is that this is one of the areas that all sides of Parliament try to work on as collegially as they can in order to bring about an effective outcome on our tax policy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ELike I say, I think we\u2019ve made progress in this area with this bill. It\u2019s a bill that the National Party in Government formulated, and it\u2019s part of an ongoing effort by \u201CNew Zealand Inc.\u201D to ensure that its tax settings are just, that there is good integrity in our tax system, and that it meets the demands of the modern technology in which it operates. But I\u2019m quite sure that it\u2019s only the start of a very long, ongoing process because of the inherently complex nature of the work. On that basis, I\u2019m very happy to support this bill. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022 data-id=\u002271895620aed3461e9301bd73dabd3ecf\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002271895620aed3461e9301bd73dabd3ecf\u0022\u003EFLETCHER TABUTEAU (Deputy Leader\u2014NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Assistant Speaker\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227fa9d2ad29364177a6477b8fbf9af157\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: This\u2019ll be better.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219eb19286cbd4e289ecef3841cd76a57\u0022\u003EFLETCHER TABUTEAU\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah, it will be so much better. Look, what we\u2019ve got here in the House this evening, ladies and gentlemen, is a coming together of the parties in this House, agreeing on something that is actually, despite what we just heard, the tone that we heard\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b09e428802b344a4b09f4132626fe1e4\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: The drone.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002292c944da8be44960adb095bd6c4dba8c\u0022\u003EFLETCHER TABUTEAU\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014the drone of the previous speaker, Paul Goldsmith\u2014exciting legislation. It is exciting legislation because this was an incredibly collaborative effort on behalf of the select committee in formulating this legislation. Despite the years it took us of political campaigning and public pressure for the National Party to actually start down this track, we got there eventually. So I say to the House and I say to the New Zealand public, this is exciting and this is incredibly important.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EWhat this means\u2014and I will, invariably, go into the dreadful detail\u2014the summary of what this achieves is that New Zealand businesses will be competing on a competitive, level playing field. Some of the other speakers noted this in their addresses this evening, but what we\u2019re saying now, and what has been acknowledged in this legislation, is that New Zealand firms who were playing by the rules\u2014and there are examples very close by of Kiwi firms who weren\u2019t able to be competitive because of the nature of the tax avoidance regime that these multinationals were allowed to carry on with for far too long.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EThere were lots of excuses from the previous Government about an approach\u2014a worldwide approach\u2014originating out of some of the work from the OECD, and the need to bring jurisdictions together. I respect that argument because, as jurisdictions who are working together, we do need to be unified in our approach. But there has been, as of last week even, some cynical commentary on what some of the European multilateral providers, operators, have been working on in this space, in that we think they\u2019ve been dragging the chain and we think that it looks like they\u2019re not actually getting to the point that we want them to get to in the timely fashion that New Zealand and other independent jurisdictions have said we need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003ESo I do commend the now Opposition for finally getting there, and what I would like to add\u2014and I haven\u2019t done it specifically\u2014is to compliment the operation of the select committee. As I will touch on\u2014hopefully briefly, for the forbearance of the public\u2014there was a lot of good work done and there was a lot of good advice given to the select committee from tax practitioners who genuinely wanted to get this right. Those multinational operators themselves, who see this as the way forward, who understand that there is no such thing as a free ride as far as they\u2019re concerned\u2014if they want good operations in New Zealand, then they have to be part of contributing to that. So when they use New Zealand roads, when they use New Zealand IT infrastructure, they are part of that provision in the first place and they can profit from that. All power to them if they\u2019re paying their fair share, and that is what we have been trying to achieve for a good amount of time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EI know others have spoken to the nature of the New Zealand economy, about the nature of foreign investment in New Zealand, and I will absolutely go on record: it\u2019s critical. We\u2019ve got to get that right. We\u2019ve got to make sure that we enable good investment into New Zealand. But it\u2019s got to be good and it\u2019s got to be real, so when we get there, we also need to ensure that they\u2019re good and fair operators in terms of their compliance in terms of tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EI don\u2019t think, for the purposes of this evening, that there\u2019s any need to go into the piecemeal nature of each and every part of the legislation as we\u2019ve got to this point. I do want to say that we absolutely wanted to ensure, as a Government, when we carried on with this legislation, that it was imperative that what we were trying to achieve was fair, transparent, even, and open, so that not only New Zealand businesses but those multinationals who want to operate in New Zealand understood what it was that they were coming to and understood what their compliance was, but, more importantly, understood that we were serious about making sure that they paid their fair share. We can\u2019t build our roads, we can\u2019t upgrade our hospitals, we can\u2019t do those core, basic things if these big players are avoiding their contribution to our tax base.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003ESo, fundamentally, I actually hope that the revenue derived from these changes will be greater than forecast. The Government and Treasury have given what I think are quite, I don\u2019t know\u2014how do you put it? They\u2019re quite low.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286e581f20b374ffd9e637b6532e26ca2\u0022\u003EHon Tracey Martin\u003C/span\u003E: Conservative.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203f96a67035c4c33b4daac275fc84e90\u0022\u003EFLETCHER TABUTEAU\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CConservative\u201D is a good word; thank you, Minister\u2014conservative estimates on the tax revenue from this legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EPrior to this coming to the House, the debate raged around just what it meant, and some of the numbers per annum were close to a billion dollars, not the kind of $100 million that we\u2019re talking about now. So New Zealand First hopes that an empowered tax department\u2014which is part of the Budget\u2014will work towards compliance and fair operations and that even playing field, and I think we can look forward to more than was forecast.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003EI congratulate this House. It\u2019s great to see a unanimous piece of legislation being passed through this House. I think it\u2019s great to see that we\u2019re all on the same page. Here, I think it\u2019s great to see the Opposition eventually come on board and, to be fair, start this work. I\u2019m not detracting from that\u2014it was a good effort.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea4085050f144929941a04560a239bcd\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, how generous of you!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e11a5f05-1940-41b2-8f1e-911dba7a43a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022475eeb6be7234910bdba89191a9e2a39\u0022\u003EFLETCHER TABUTEAU\u003C/span\u003E: Look, I\u2019m not trying to defame you there, Mr Bishop. I\u2019m just giving credit where credit is due [Coughs]\u2014and I\u2019m choking on it, apparently. So, with that, it\u2019s great that we can all support this bill, and I do so myself. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u002232d051f0d1104829b8dcbb98cadc0c37\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002232d051f0d1104829b8dcbb98cadc0c37\u0022\u003ERt Hon DAVID CARTER (National):\u003C/span\u003E I also rise to make a very brief call in support of the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill. Can I start by commenting on the previous speaker, Fletcher Tabuteau, and saying that the longer you spend in the House the more interesting it gets to know your colleagues\u2014be they from another party. Here is a man who must lead a very dull life, indeed, if he gets excited by this legislation. He was the only one around the Finance and Expenditure Committee\u2014be it Labour; be it National\u2014that got excited by the legislation. But whatever turns you on, Fletcher Tabuteau! If you\u2019re excited by this legislation, then I feel a little sorry for you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003ECan I say that unlike the chair of the committee, Michael Wood\u2014who, I must say, did a very good job in chairing it\u2014I don\u2019t need 10 minutes to explain National\u2019s position on this legislation. But can I also, for the point of view of protecting Labour\u2019s image in this case, note that this is not a new tax. For a Government that campaigned throughout the campaign on no new taxes and has now introduced what I think is up to seven, this is not a new tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EFletcher Tabuteau was quite right in suggesting that this was very good work done by the former National-led Government, and, in fact, the history of this legislation is quite interesting. It goes back to sort of 2011-12, when most of the developed world realised there was a real trouble, a real problem, with multinationals managing the tax system to their advantage and, in fact, not paying fair tax in any country in which they operated. Upon recognition of the problem, the OECD was charged with doing some very good work, which concluded at the end of 2015. In response to that, in 2016, the then National-led Government introduces this legislation and takes it through into the House and to the select committee, and, of course, with the change of Government, it\u2019s now the role of the Labour - New Zealand First Government to complete this process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe tax legislation that\u2019s before the House tonight is, by nature, very complex, and it has to be. This issue is one where some very sharp tax lawyers work for the multinationals. They spend their time living and breathing and finding ways to minimise their tax burdens. The most common one, which has been mentioned in the debate now, is by artificially high interest rates being charged by the parent multinational to the subsidiary operating in a country like New Zealand. Another one that we learnt about was, of course, the ability for them to structure a management system or a management fee, overcharge the New Zealand operation, and minimise the operation in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EWhat we want\u2014and it\u2019s bipartisan on this issue\u2014is that those companies should be able to operate in a country like New Zealand, but we, collectively, want them to pay fair tax on the profits that they make in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThere was talk about quite an important change which we made, really, at the instigation\u2014from memory\u2014in the discussion from Dr Deborah Russell. The IRD wanted the ability to go back seven years and suddenly start an investigation into a multinational. We did not think that was fair. We think there should be an alert from the IRD to the particular multinational of an issue within a four-year time frame, and that that may then drift on for a further three years, but it was unreasonable for us to suddenly have IRD raising it in issue after seven years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000722\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThis is good legislation. It has been taken through in a very cooperative, collegial fashion by the Finance and Expenditure Committee. It is complicated. I don\u2019t expect that it was easy even for the committee members to get their heads around it without the help of a very good independent adviser, Therese Turner, who gave us good advice. I think the committee has made good progress in bringing it back to the House this evening. I commend this legislation to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022 data-id=\u002257d174caff484d70912d24298541e20c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002257d174caff484d70912d24298541e20c\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Green):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou e Te Whare. I rise in support of this bill on behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. It should surprise nobody that I am not a tax expert, but I think that\u2019s kind of the point. I wouldn\u2019t hesitate to say that the majority of us in this House are not tax experts, and of the people that we represent\u2014the 4\u00BD million New Zealanders around this country\u2014by far and away the majority are not either.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EThe technical detail has been incredibly well traversed by both the Government and Opposition benches, and I don\u2019t intend to read from the same song sheet there. As has been stated, it is complex and nuanced but, indeed, there is no silver bullet to fix tax loopholes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000725\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI\u2019d just like to quote a well-known economist in Aotearoa, Shamubeel Eaqub, who said, \u201CAt its core, tax is about pooling our resources and redistributing so that society is better off.\u201D, and this final part may be somewhat contentious, particularly with members of the Opposition, but he ends with \u201CTax is love.\u201D I believe that by far and away, fundamentally, the majority of New Zealanders would believe in the argument that a tax system should be fair. New Zealanders should be comfortable in knowing that at the end of each week, each fortnight, or each month, as they get their payslip and note the tax contribution they\u2019ve made to this country, billion-dollar multinational companies making money here are paying their dues too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000726\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EAs was noted by the former speaker, David Carter, this was work which started in 2011, and in 2012 it was coming into the public consciousness. In 2013, the OECD found that base profit shifting strategies distort investment decisions and give multinationals a competitive advantage over more compliant or domestic companies. They result in the loss of substantial corporate tax revenue, and jeopardise trust in the integrity of the tax system. All of those things, I think, are pretty critical points indeed. To note what\u2019s been raised by a few members of the Opposition\u2014that this was a plan, a body of work, which started under the previous Government\u2014I\u2019d just like to point out a slight fact check, which is that the IRD flagged that this was happening in 2013, and warned the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Revenue at the time, in 2013, that this was an issue that needed to be moved on and should be a key focus in the next 18 months. It did, however, take explosive headlines in and around 2016 to get some movement on it\u2014in particular, the incredible work of investigative journalist Matt Nippert.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000727\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to read an extract from his piece in the New Zealand Herald on 7 June 2017. He found that\u2014and I quote\u2014\u201Cthe 20 multinational companies most aggressive in shifting profits out of New Zealand overall paid virtually no income tax, despite recording nearly $10 billion in annual sales to Kiwi consumers.\u201D He goes on to say, \u201COf those companies who responded to questions, all insisted that they were meeting their legal obligations. Several pointed to their New Zealand operations being almost solely as distributers, with the vast majority of their employment, research and manufacturing taking place offshore.\u201D I think that relates quite nicely to the points that were raised by my colleague Michael Wood around the fact that what we\u2019re talking about tonight is not just the strict legal definition but what kinds of ethics and values we would like to see playing out in the social contract in our society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000728\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EThe estimations of costs to our economy are pretty astronomical. Treasury, as has been noted, estimates that it\u2019s somewhere in the region of $200 million to $300 million per year, but Matt Nippert, who I mentioned earlier, estimates that it\u2019s around $500 million. That\u2019s enough tax to fund the salaries of 9,259 nurses, 7,601 police, or 10,498 primary school teachers. So that\u2019s an estimate of around $500 million, but I\u2019d also note that Professor Craig Elliffe told Radio New Zealand National that the amounts could be closer to $1 billion. Meanwhile, the UK-based Tax Justice Network found in March 2017 that here in New Zealand our likely losses are somewhere nearer to $700 million.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000729\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EWhat we\u2019re looking at here is a piece of legislation that is complex and technical and, indeed, possibly quite dry and boring to some, but I hope people are able to get a little bit of excitement out of it because, indeed, it levels the playing field. It feeds into a more equitable, more just, more fair society. So I\u2019d like to say that there was incredibly good work done by the Finance and Expenditure Committee on this. I\u2019m incredibly proud to stand in this House tonight as we unanimously support it through. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022 data-id=\u00222fa2aea999f742fdaaa9587aa170b49f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000730\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222fa2aea999f742fdaaa9587aa170b49f\u0022\u003EIAN McKELVIE (National\u2014Rangit\u012Bkei):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. Well, most things that need to be said sensibly have been said so I\u2019ll talk about some other things tonight. I joined this select committee during the latter stages of this bill and took a while to pick up the threads of it. I was impressed with the way the committee worked through this very complicated piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000731\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EI also want to make comment on Therese Turner, who was the adviser appointed to that committee. In my experience in this Parliament, wherever we get a well-qualified independent adviser appointed to a committee to assist with complicated pieces of legislation, it gives the committee great confidence going forward because, as has been said by a number of people tonight, it\u2019s quite a complicated piece of legislation and I don\u2019t think too many of us pretend to be tax experts. A lot of us have a lot of trouble with the tax department, but we\u2019re not tax experts, and I think there\u2019s quite a difference. So I was really impressed with the advice the committee received and the way that Therese Turner, particularly, made her points. I thought it was really worthwhile, and I think the committee accepted that pretty well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000732\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EAs has been said, the bill originated with the National Government under Judith Collins. It was written to pick up recommendations from some work done by the OECD. It\u2019s an attempt to tax and, consequently, prevent multinationals from using various accounting methods and other methods to ensure their New Zealand branches pay no tax. Having said that, it shouldn\u2019t be taken from those comments that all multinationals in New Zealand behave in that manner, because many of them are very good corporate citizens of New Zealand and behave as you\u2019d expect them to. Of course, some of these things that happen with taxation happen\u2014I guess they\u2019re almost accidents of history. So you\u2019ll get interpretations of taxation law that change over time, and the IRD clearly have great difficulty keeping up with some of the interpretations that are used by numerous very talented tax experts around the world. Obviously, these companies, as has been said already tonight, employ the very best operators, I guess, not to avoid tax but to minimise their tax exposure, and I think most people do the same sort of thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000733\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s been estimated that up to $200 million in tax may be collected\u2014in fact, we just heard a much larger figure than that\u2014but I think it\u2019s very unlikely as the earliest estimates of the previous Government were as low as $50 million. I suspect that somewhere between the $50 million and the $200 million will be the amount that\u2019s collected. But no matter what that amount is, it\u2019s important that we use the principle of applying firm and fair tax law that doesn\u2019t impact on international confidence in the New Zealand economy. So we have to have tax law that\u2019s fair and acceptable by international standards. I think this bill probably meets that measure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000734\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003ETaxation\u2019s an ongoing challenge for the IRD and for the Finance and Expenditure Committee as tax law needs constant revision. As I said, every new generation of tax expert finds another way of short-circuiting the tax law that\u2019s in place, and, consequently, we\u2019ve got to update and upgrade our tax law. Some of the tools that companies have been using to deal with this or to avoid paying tax are the ability to charge excessive interest to their New Zealand arms and, consequently, lower their profits or take the profit completely out of the country. There are plenty of other artificial methods of overstating costs, which can be used quite easily. Some related-party transactions are designed to ensure profits are not generated here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000735\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThe other interesting thing that really interested me\u2014and I want to concentrate on it a little bit longer tonight\u2014was the issue of the provision of information to the IRD and how the IRD goes about getting information from those foreign-domiciled companies. That\u2019s a challenge in lots of pieces of legislation\u2014not just tax law in New Zealand\u2014where we need to get information from the foreign owners of New Zealand operations of all sorts. So I was quite intrigued by the bill\u2019s approach to try to find or try to get that information. So the revised bill requires that the requested information relates to an investigation of a multinational group\u2019s tax position. This reduces privacy concerns because the bill as originally written could\u2019ve requested information from a natural person such as a bank customer who is not part of a multinational group. So there were some changes made to the way in which the IRD or the investigating body could go after the information, but none the less it\u2019s cleared it up pretty well, and I think it\u2019s come up with a very fair solution to that challenge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000736\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003ESo the chairman of our committee said earlier that this will work and that some of the bigger companies are changing their practices as a result already. I just hope that they\u2019re changing their practices in a positive manner and not a negative one, because they think well forward, a lot of these people, and so it is easy to change the intent of some of these pieces of legislation if we\u2019re not careful how we handle it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000737\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003ESo I look forward to the discussion in the committee stage and I commend the bill to the House. Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022063701f321584736a707ccd3ff69ca47\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000738\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022063701f321584736a707ccd3ff69ca47\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call. Tamati Coffey\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u0022ff38a0d2e61e4a25ad47f41b2ed183f9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000739\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ff38a0d2e61e4a25ad47f41b2ed183f9\u0022\u003ETAMATI COFFEY (Labour\u2014Waiariki):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I am filled with emotion about standing here to talk about the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill for the second time, actually\u2014as much enthusiasm as I had sitting through the many submissions on the Finance and Expenditure Committee listening to this. This is, indeed, a hard bill to understand. I want to give special thanks to Therese Turner, who was our independent adviser. She wrote up her report with me in mind. She said, \u201CIf you get this, Tamati, then I\u2019m doing OK.\u201D So she pointed that out to me. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000740\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EShe also, in the introduction to her report back to us, said, by her own admission, \u201CThis is the most complex and technically challenging tax bill that I\u2019ve seen in the 30 years during which I\u2019ve been a full-time tax professional.\u201D That sentiment was also echoed by submitters, who were also full-time tax professionals with extensive experience. But, of course, it is, as previous speakers have indicated, a very necessary piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000741\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI do find it also slightly ironic that when it comes to closing tax loopholes, the whole debating Chamber is in agreement that we need to close these loopholes up, especially from the lens of a small-business owner. As a small-business owner from regional New Zealand, when we look and we see the kinds of loopholes that multinationals are finding and getting away with, it definitely makes you a little bit angry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000742\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThis bill was a wee bit convoluted in some of the terms. You had one term which was used three times but was actually talking about the same thing. My case in point is this: \u201Crestricted transfer pricing rules\u201D which was also referred to as \u201Cinterest limitation rules\u201D, and in the bill it was referred to as \u201Ccross-border related loan rules\u201D\u2014all of them mean the same thing. So trying to wrap your head around not just complex taxation legislation but also having to decipher the jargon in the bill was definitely a challenge. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000743\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI want to thank all of the submitters that came before us from all across New Zealand that had very certain problems\u2014some problems, some praises\u2014with how we were doing things; the officials that sat and pored through all of the amendments that we made as a committee; and, again, to our adviser, Therese, for all of the work that she put into this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000744\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThe purpose of this bill is, of course, to strengthen the integrity of our tax system and protect our tax base by introducing measures to address the issue of base erosion and profit shifting by multinationals. Now, we pored through this time and time again in the submissions process, with the main proposals being strengthened interest limitation rules, a permanent establishment anti-avoidance rule, updated transfer pricing rules, hybrid and branch mismatch rules, and increased administrative powers for the Inland Revenue Department so that it can more effectively investigate into large multinationals that were seen to be avoiding their share of tax\u2014all riveting stuff.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000745\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EIt is definitely a 21st century problem and it requires a 21st century solution. To think that these multinationals have found aggressive tax practices to ensure that they pay very little to, sometimes, no tax anywhere in the world is reason for action, and that\u2019s exactly what our committee did as we pored over these submissions. We need to protect the fairness of our tax system here in New Zealand, and, for that reason, whilst we are dealing with this particular piece of legislation now, this Government has also established a Tax Working Group to look at more fundamental changes that would improve the structure and the fairness and the balance in our tax system. This is all part of a bigger package, because this Government is committed to getting it right, through all of those submissions but also through our Tax Working Group, which the MP for Hutt South over there is a very big fan of, as well\u2014and I know that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000746\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EOur response to base erosion and profit shifting is generally aligned with Australia and is broadly consistent with the OECD and the G20 action plan, although specific proposals are tailored for the New Zealand environment. I don\u2019t expect that many regular New Zealanders out there would understand the intricacies of this bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u00225b0dbdb439514875b61a108a6de5414c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000747\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225b0dbdb439514875b61a108a6de5414c\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise to the member. Your time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022 data-id=\u0022911f89c67c0d40e08fe487d40469b507\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000748\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022911f89c67c0d40e08fe487d40469b507\u0022\u003EANDREW FALLOON (National\u2014Rangitata):\u003C/span\u003E Good evening, Madam Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to be taking a brief call tonight on the\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000749\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ebe776ecf4754e2781bd45dc2f7f8e40\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Is it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000750\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1aeb53adfa34a849acecbcfcc9f7532\u0022\u003EANDREW FALLOON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill. It is actually a pleasure, Mr Bishop. I\u2019ve actually been fascinated by this bill as it\u2019s passed through the House. But, look, my very learned colleague Mr Andrew Bayly gave, I think, a very good technical summary earlier this evening of the bill, so I\u2019ll keep my comments relatively brief.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000751\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003EMr McKelvie, who also sits on the Finance and Expenditure Committee\u2014now, he mentioned during his comments that he came on to the committee quite late, and that, I guess, put him on the back foot. Well, I don\u2019t sit on the Finance and Expenditure Committee at all, so I\u2019m probably several yards behind him. But I was fortunate to be subbed on from time to time, and so I have been involved, somewhat, in the passage of this bill as it\u2019s wound its way through the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000752\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003EI have to say it is a very good bill. Some of my colleagues on this side of the House have mentioned why it\u2019s such a good bill. It\u2019s because it was actually drafted by this side of the House when we were in Government, based on the very good work that was undertaken by the Hon Judith Collins and also Steven Joyce to address base erosion and profit shifting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000753\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003ENow, as we all know, we have a multitude of multinational entities that operate here in New Zealand, and it\u2019s important that they all pay their fair share of tax and that we limit the opportunity for them to exploit gaps in the tax arrangements both of New Zealand but also in other jurisdictions around the world. Many multinational companies that operate here in New Zealand do so in a competitive environment with other domestic New Zealand - based companies, and what we don\u2019t want on this side of the House\u2014in fact, on all sides of the House\u2014is for those companies that operate here that are multinational companies to have an unfair advantage against domestic companies that are just trying to make an honest dollar.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000754\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003EDuring the first reading of this bill, some of the members opposite, unfortunately, did make some interesting comments about unilateral action by one individual Government. I\u2019ve never been in favour of unilateral action when it comes to multinational tax arrangements, for the precise purpose that they are by their nature international and, therefore, are multinational.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000755\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dff2c35b635f421999da7d9d02c8d9db\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s in the word \u201Cmultinational\u201D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000756\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c578d7e7a0354245bfcbda3f3cbef501\u0022\u003EANDREW FALLOON\u003C/span\u003E: Exactly. We have to work with our other partners overseas to ensure that multinational companies are paying the tax not just in New Zealand but, frankly, in every country around the world. So that\u2019s why we\u2019ve worked for a very long time with the OECD on their very good report that they put out, I think at the end of 2015, and that resulted in some of the work that we\u2019re looking at now, coming to the previous Government in 2016.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000757\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ed2de46a-9047-4bfe-92c8-5f14fd415dfb\u0022\u003ESo that does take some time. That\u2019s the unfortunate thing, I think, as we all find about working in Government, and particularly when you\u2019re working across multiple Governments\u2014not just your own\u2014that things do take much longer than you\u2019d like. So this bill is the culmination of some very hard work, and I think that there\u2019ll be more of that good work coming through from the OECD and other multinational tax partners for the next few years. As has been commented earlier tonight, this isn\u2019t going to completely fix the problem. It\u2019s one step in the process of making sure that all multinational companies pay their fair share of tax. It\u2019s a very good bill, though, and I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022 data-id=\u0022ba6912b11a3a47b6ab90a4143249f80a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000758\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ba6912b11a3a47b6ab90a4143249f80a\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E Our colleague Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick referred to something that economist Shamubeel Eaqub said: \u201CTax is love.\u201D In fact, it was brought out again recently on Q\u002BA on Sunday morning, when Corin Dann said to Shamubeel Eaqub, \u201CDo you think people are willing to pay higher taxes?\u201D, and Mr Eaqub replied\u2014he said, \u201CWhen I said \u2018tax is love\u2019, I got a whole lot of hate mail, so I don\u2019t think so.\u201D Perhaps most people don\u2019t regard tax as love, but certainly they are prepared to regard taxation as the price of civilisation. It\u2019s what we pay for a civilised society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000759\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to say that the select committee process was also remarkably civilised in respect of this bill; indeed, even rather lovely\u2014moving back in that circle. I came into the process late, as a new MP, so, like many of the other new MPs on the Finance and Expenditure Committee, we had to do a lot of work to catch up on what was actually going on in this bill. But it was a very collegial process. Sometimes we fight tooth and nail about taxation, but not on this bill. We actually had a lot in common, a lot of stuff we wanted to achieve together, and, like my colleagues, I am very grateful to our officials and also to Therese Turner, who helped us immeasurably in understanding exactly what was going on in this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000760\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo what is going on in this bill? Well, it\u2019s about base erosion and profit shifting. Now, what that means is the tactics by which big multinational companies can shift profits from one country to another. Typically, what they want to do is they want to shift the profits from a country where they are taxed at a comparatively high rate to a country where they are taxed at a comparatively low rate. If they can do that, they can erode our base of taxation in the high - tax rate country. What we\u2019re trying to do in this bill is to put some measures in place to stop those practices.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000761\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EBefore we talk about the measures, exactly how do companies shift profits from one country to another? Well, they can do it by charging a management fee. So the overseas company charges a management fee to the high-tax country. That means there\u2019s a big tax deduction in the high-tax country, and in the low-tax country the management fee is received as income and it\u2019s taxed at a comparatively lower rate. So that\u2019s a management fee transfer. You can do the same thing transferring goods from one country to another\u2014all right? So the overseas company makes the goods at a low price, but it charges a high price in the country which has a high tax rate. That means they get the effect of a high tax deduction. It has the effect of shifting profits across borders quite straightforwardly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThe way they do it when it comes to loans or to interest rates is the overseas company, the parent company, will lend money into a high-tax country and in a high-tax country\u2014and that is New Zealand, in terms of its corporate tax rate\u2014it will, you know, pay interest. It can claim a very good tax deduction because of that high interest that it pays, and as the interest flows back to the low-tax country, it\u2019s regarded as income there and it gets taxed at a low rate. So the effect is to shift profits from one country to another, and ideally you shift them from a country with a high tax rate to a country with a low tax rate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000763\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s not fair. That\u2019s the problem with doing this sort of thing. Look, people are entitled to structure their tax affairs in order to pay the least tax possible under the laws. But there\u2019s a different thing going on here and it\u2019s to do with the fairness of the tax system. But what is fair? What is fair when it comes to taxation? That\u2019s actually really hard to judge, especially when it comes to these multinational companies, particularly if we\u2019re trying to work out whether the price they\u2019re charging across borders is actually fair and right and proper. It involves a lot of back and forth, a lot of documentation, and a lot of hard work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000764\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo in this bill, when we are trying to ensure that we\u2019re going to tax multinationals fairly and that they pay their fair share in New Zealand, what we want to make sure that we do is we don\u2019t involve everyone in a whole lot of unnecessary work. So one of the first things this bill does is it identifies companies which we think are highly likely to engage in this base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). We\u2019ve got a couple of tests for that. There were three tests. One of them we took out on the advice of submitters and the advice of our tax expert, but two of them are still sitting in there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000765\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo if you\u2019ve got a multinational structure where one company has a very high debt ratio, so they\u2019ve got a lot of debt to equity\u201440 percent\u2014we say they are perhaps going to be more likely to be caught up in this BEPS stuff, and so we want to have a close look at them. Or if we\u2019ve got a company where they are borrowing money from a parent which is in a low-tax jurisdiction, then we say they\u2019re a BEPS risk and we are going to investigate them fully. You\u2019re doing one of those factors, then we\u2019re going to have a look at how we apply these base erosion and profit shifting rules to you, but we\u2019ve got a de minimis in there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000766\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ELook, if the New Zealand company only borrows $10 million or less from its overseas parent, even if they were in a low-tax jurisdiction, we say, \u201CNo, we\u2019re not going to apply the rules.\u201D, and it\u2019s worth working through the numbers on that. People say, \u201CWell, why wouldn\u2019t you apply the rules?\u201D, but, actually, there\u2019s only a small amount of tax involved. So if you think of $10 million of borrowing at a 10 percent interest rate, that might be $1 million worth of interest expense. The tax deduction on that in New Zealand\u2014the amount your tax is reduced by\u2014is about $280,000. Now, if the loan has come from a low - tax rate country\u2014say, a 12.5 percent tax rate\u2014it means that in New Zealand, you would have tax reduced by $280,000. In the low - tax rate country, their tax would be increased by $125,000. The difference is $155,000 of tax. Now, that\u2019s a lot of money to most ordinary people, but in terms of the Inland Revenue Department spending its time and energy chasing after it, they say, \u201CLet\u2019s not do this.\u201D They just say, \u201CLet\u2019s not do that particular one.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000767\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo there\u2019s a safety rule in there to make sure that companies don\u2019t get involved in unnecessary work and that they don\u2019t have to sort of do too much. But then what do we actually do? You know, the company here in New Zealand is still entitled to a tax deduction. Let\u2019s say we\u2019ve found them, they are engaging in this profit shifting\u2014they can still get their tax deduction; it\u2019s just that we\u2019re going to impose a different interest rate. We\u2019re going to reassess the transactions and impose a fair rate of taxation, and we\u2019ve got a way of assessing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000768\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EYou know, companies do lend money across borders. That\u2019s a perfectly legitimate thing to do. But what we are trying to do is make sure that the interest rates on it are fair and reasonable. So the rule we\u2019ve got is this: we look at the overall credit rating for the worldwide company, and then we say, \u201CWell, look, the interest rates implied by that credit rating\u2014have they implied those interest rates here in New Zealand?\u201D But the fact is, here in New Zealand, we\u2019re a slightly riskier economy because we\u2019re small.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000769\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo what we\u2019ve said is that it\u2019s actually okay to charge a slightly higher interest rate here, but how do we assess that? Well, we take the worldwide credit rating and we chunk it down a couple of notches. So say you\u2019ve got an A\u002B credit rating. We\u2019ll chunk it down a couple of notches to a\u2014I think it\u2019s an A. I don\u2019t know exactly how those things work so maybe it\u2019s an A-. How much interest would you pay that\u2019s implied by an A- credit rating? Well, that\u2019s the interest deduction you can claim. So we still allow the interest deduction; you\u2019ve just got to make it at a fair and reasonable rate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000770\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s all quite complicated stuff, but what we\u2019re trying to do with this is to make it fair and reasonable. We\u2019re not trying to deny deductions. We\u2019re not trying to stop companies from operating across borders. All we\u2019re trying to do is make sure that the interest rates that they charge are fair and reasonable. That\u2019s part of the idea of what\u2019s going on here with this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000771\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve got a whole set of other rules in this legislation. There\u2019s rules around permanent establishment, there\u2019s rules around hybrid mismatches, and all of them are oriented towards making sure that companies pay their fair and reasonable amount of tax in the countries where they earn the income, and that\u2019s really important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EIf taxation is the price of civilisation, then we all need to pay towards it, but we need to pay our fair share\u2014no more, no less. And if ordinary citizens see multinationals getting away with not paying their tax and they see them getting away with this base erosion and profit shifting, then why would ordinary citizens want to pay their tax, too? How can you say to a hard-working farmer, to a small-business owner, or to a wage and salary earner that they have to pay tax when the multinationals don\u2019t? That\u2019s why we need to make sure that we tax multinationals fairly, so that we are all in it together\u2014all of us fairly paying the price of civilisation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022 data-id=\u00228b81c73138be45b6b71d4244906bc852\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000773\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228b81c73138be45b6b71d4244906bc852\u0022\u003ELAWRENCE YULE (National\u2014Tukituki):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s 5 to 10\u2014the last run of the evening\u2014but it\u2019s my pleasure to speak on the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill. I do want to congratulate the committee because, as a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, working through this bill has actually been a pretty collegial affair. Dr Deborah Russell, who spoke just before me, alluded to some of the technicalities of the bill. It actually is a complex piece of legislation, and I want to congratulate the chair, Michael Wood, and other members of the committee on getting us to this point. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EThis bill is around aligning us with the OECD and a set of regimes and taxation regimes that we actively participate in. Our broad based - low rate tax system in New Zealand continues to perform very well by international comparisons. However, it\u2019s important that we keep up and evolve our tax system so that companies operating in New Zealand pay their fair share and, importantly, multinationals are not advantaged over our own companies. So most multinational companies actually do follow the rules, but there are some that attempt to minimise or eliminate their New Zealand tax obligations and, actually, that\u2019s what this piece of legislation is about. This bill targets those, and I\u2019m pleased that the Government has carried on what National started in this space. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000775\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve talked about some of the measures\u2014and I\u2019ll just briefly go through them\u2014that international companies have been using. There are artificially high interest rates on loans from related parties to shift profits out of New Zealand, and they are called interest limitation rules; artificial arrangements to avoid having a taxable presence in New Zealand is another one that we are trying to cover, and I believe we have; related party transactions, or transfer pricing payments, to shift profits into their offshore group members in a manner that does not reflect the actual economic activities undertaken in New Zealand and offshore\u2014in other words, they\u2019re fudging the arrangements\u2014and a hybrid and branch mismatch that exploits differences between countries\u2019 tax rules to achieve an advantageous tax position. Now I do have to admit that getting my head around this took a little bit of time, and I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve completely got it right. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000776\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EBut there are also certain tactics to hinder the Inland Revenue Department from investigating, such as withholding relevant information. I will comment on what the previous speaker Mr Ian McKelvie said, because, actually, the ability for the Inland Revenue Department to reach out into those companies internationally is important, but also we run fair and square up against privacy provisions and other international jurisdictions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000777\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003ESo I was pleased as we worked through this that we actually managed to find some solutions, and I am actually pleased, as this House finishes for the night, that we have actually come up with a collective approach that all political parties are going to support. It makes common sense and I support it at this stage of the proceedings. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u0022b9f84a65987c469796c96b4ba56982e5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000778\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b9f84a65987c469796c96b4ba56982e5\u0022\u003EKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s an absolute delight to be called to speak at this time. There should be many members who are very interested in my enthusiastic contribution this evening. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000779\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aeb9cbf923754a468016451618d0d8e7\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Up the East Coast. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000780\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b89b49449ee041a5b3a417ccaf527b54\u0022\u003EKIRITAPU ALLAN\u003C/span\u003E: The East Coast will be watching with extreme pride, I am sure. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000781\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s say it\u2019s been an interesting journey sitting on the Finance and Expenditure Committee and hearing submissions in respect of the Taxation (Neutralising Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Bill. Now, I cannot give the eloquent address that my colleague Dr Deborah Russell has just provided this House with, but I do actually want to make comment and commend the contributions of my colleague Dr Deborah Russell, who has been, I think\u2014and I think that would be agreed across the House\u2014quite a steady hand in, and guide for, our Finance and Expenditure Committee as we have undertaken the task of considering this piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000782\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EIt has, I think, taken some time, through a great deal of advocacy, both internationally and domestically, and on both sides of the House, to come to the agreement that I think we\u2019re working towards it being a full House in unanimous support of the\u2014[Serjeant-at-Arms enters the Chamber] Oh no, I was just finding my flow. There is the unanimous agreement that we have all come to in respect of seeing the passage of this bill through the House. I also really want to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u002273861fb425894b58869a35bd701c2003\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000783\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002273861fb425894b58869a35bd701c2003\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise to the member. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000784\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20180522519a4a2f428d478faa19420725088724000785\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 10 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"