"\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=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00222ac42a4b48b24f168807f920a7abf5f2\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e9ef865193034215ac0ef3e5f914bcf4\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2019\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000004\u0022\u003EPrayers.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002207022bf828bd4f9185943a9d0a4db1db\u0022\u003ESpeaker\u2019s Rulings\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223c4237f2ac4d41609b3dfeaf8e716e86\u0022\u003EWritten Questions\u2014Overdue Replies\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022e7e22c67f29645d6b56b3d89757dc90b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e7e22c67f29645d6b56b3d89757dc90b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Members, towards the end of last year, I ruled on overdue responses to written questions. I\u2019m aware that some but not all Ministers are proactively releasing papers and diaries. Where they do so, a reference to material that is or will shortly be available would be a satisfactory reply to a written question. I repeat Speaker Carter\u2019s ruling that such a reply must be given with some particularity to enable the member asking the question to directly locate the information\u2014Speaker\u2019s ruling 185/1. It may be that the proactive release of information reduces the number of written questions required. However, at present, there are 172 written questions that have not received a final reply. Many of the replies were due in December, but one was due in May last year. It appears that written questions are not working as they were supposed to as an accountability mechanism, so I intend to award the Opposition 10 additional supplementary questions each day until the end of this sitting block or until all the questions due last year have received their final replies\u2014whichever comes first. I will review the situation again in the next sitting period. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00224a025539d53b4d6b917b7dc04e61629b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224a025539d53b4d6b917b7dc04e61629b\u0022\u003ECHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Anticipating this issue would come up, my office contacted your office last week to find out how many questions you still had concerns about and was told by your office that you would not supply that information. It\u2019s very difficult for me as the Leader of the House to follow up and ensure that those questions are answered if you will not supply me with that information.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022e0577840d65645aa8454ee89d9b8e365\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e0577840d65645aa8454ee89d9b8e365\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Just being very directly responsive to the member, I do not regard it as my responsibility to ensure that ministerial offices are well managed. I indicated through my office to the member\u2019s office that there were many Ministers involved\u2014very close to the majority of Ministers involved\u2014and that the warning to get up to date should be a general one rather than directed at the specific individual Ministers. If Ministers\u2019 record-keeping systems are not good enough to know that they have overdue questions, then I think the Minister responsible for Ministerial Services should do some sort of review of their offices to make them more efficient.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022864332b9831a464d857a001a9ddf3f98\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022864332b9831a464d857a001a9ddf3f98\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. In this case, many of those questions have actually been answered. The issue is that you do not believe they have been answered satisfactorily. Therefore, if you won\u2019t indicate to me in any particularity which ones you don\u2019t think have been answered satisfactorily, how is the Government supposed to follow that up?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022679e4ef3cc764b33b430d56a8d7b24f8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022679e4ef3cc764b33b430d56a8d7b24f8\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Ministers could go into their inboxes or their staff could go into their inboxes and review the questions in their names that are not shown as being answered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00222210b515d93745e7a32fda4a5f671d60\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222210b515d93745e7a32fda4a5f671d60\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House):\u003C/span\u003E I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. They are being shown as being answered. It\u2019s that in many cases you have decided that they haven\u2019t been answered sufficiently. The ruling that you gave before Christmas\u2014in many of those cases, Ministers gave an answer that said the information would soon be available and Ministers have made additional information available. If you are deeming that the information they have subsequently made available is insufficient, I\u2019m happy to follow that up and I\u2019m sure the Government is happy to follow that up, but there are thousands of questions\u2014written questions that were covered by the ruling you made before Christmas\u2014and unless you tell us which ones of those you\u2019re not happy with, how are we supposed to follow it up?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022edb54f59fa6c451a89be9485835439f2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022edb54f59fa6c451a89be9485835439f2\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: As I\u2019ve said before, you go into your inbox and see which of them have had a final reply. None of the 172 I\u2019ve referred to have had a final reply\u2014none of them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f4ae1224b6a84f25beda25e488b80c3b\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d305202cf5e04a4cad1c83c8f194bdfa\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002255639c540492444f80aba04ac7d4f253\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022 data-id=\u00228f4b096e32b74f49abea979f486c15e7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228f4b096e32b74f49abea979f486c15e7\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: What progress is the Government making on implementing its economic plan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u002272f68bbee99443ce93926f4883c2e062\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002272f68bbee99443ce93926f4883c2e062\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E The Government has a plan for a more resilient economy by transitioning to a more productive, sustainable, and inclusive growth path, and, as outlined by the Prime Minister yesterday, we are making excellent progress on implementing this plan across a number of fronts. We are modernising the New Zealand economy. We have introduced a research and development tax incentive that will come into effect this year. Tens of thousands of young people will benefit from fees-free. We will continue to invest in our regions through the Provincial Growth Fund and invest record levels in our infrastructure and continue our negotiations on important trade agreements. As I announced this morning, we will also deliver our first well-being Budget on 30 May, which will be a significant step in ensuring that the well-being of New Zealanders is at the heart of everything that we do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a6e4efd025c342f8876f494aef0e2ce5\u0022\u003EDr Deborah Russell\u003C/span\u003E: What factors has the Government taken into account in formulating its economic plan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d33ddfe68a9f4450aed199ea2c6fbd86\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: While the New Zealand economy is forecast to grow solidly over the next few years at around 3 percent and our strong economic fundamentals mean that we are in a position to deal with the emerging challenges we face from the downturn in the international economy, there is still a lot of work to do. We have developed a plan to adapt and modernise our economy to be more resilient, but we must be realistic that global growth is predicted to ease, largely because of rising trade tensions and political uncertainty. Advanced economies are forecast to grow at only 2 percent a year compared with our forecast growth of nearly 3 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022371440066c52492cb3e8c1681e3bedae\u0022\u003EDr Deborah Russell\u003C/span\u003E: What feedback has the Government received on its economic plan?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e397d4d0b8894c54afb8c5c01dadf235\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: From informed commentators, we\u2019ve seen very positive feedback, particularly from international ratings agencies. Just a couple of weeks ago, Standard \u0026amp; Poor\u2019s upgraded New Zealand\u2019s credit outlook to positive. Standard \u0026amp; Poor\u2019s specifically identified that the Government\u2019s proactive policy-making supports sustainable public finances and economic growth. At the end of last year, Moody\u2019s said that given our commitment to robust finances, the Government had the flexibility to fund the spending on families, infrastructure, affordable housing, and education while maintaining fiscal surpluses and debt reduction. We know that there is plenty to do, but it is pleasing that the vote of confidence is coming from these agencies in the Government\u2019s management of our finances.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ae0ff7235bfc45c186622871ef29c549\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022 data-id=\u002219caac6314724594a701f5663debf359\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002219caac6314724594a701f5663debf359\u0022\u003EHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Has New Zealand\u2019s relationship with China deteriorated under her Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u00226788a422dddf47beb705db6aca81d39b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226788a422dddf47beb705db6aca81d39b\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E No. There is no question that an economic and people-to-people relationship with China is incredibly important to New Zealand. Visitor numbers in the last year are up 8.4 percent. There\u2019s also been an increase in goods exports by 20 percent in the year to September. That demonstrates the strength of our economic engagement and, I would also say, demonstrates the importance of a bipartisan approach to our relationship.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223bb9ffe8407c4a94904e8ccccd02f591\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Are five of her Ministers currently seeking visits to China, and are they currently waiting for agreement from China to visit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b4fe698eb31420a9bc633e55ef2ddf5\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s fair to say that we have had a number of invitations over the last year. In fact, to be more explicit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs visited in May, the Minister for Climate Change visited in July, the Minister of Education visited in July, the Minister of Forestry visited in September, the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation visited in September, and the Minister for Trade and Export Growth visited in November.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226465752429ed43fdabd4097f52ffce7f\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Are five of her Ministers currently seeking visits to China, and are they currently waiting for agreement from China to visit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220da8c2ba1bd44b37b598a0318b02e7f2\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As is demonstrated by the number of Ministers that have been, of course we have ongoing engagement, and at any given time there will be a number of Ministers working through their next visits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022feb6fdf93a074694bbccab9deba6c23d\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does she know how long those five Ministers have been waiting for agreement to visit?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228946a90b86784e8685dfa47736f8acff\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, as I\u2019ve said, at any given time there may be a number who are working through the logistics of visits. We\u2019ve had six that have been already, and we may well have five intending to visit in the near future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da70fdc205ec46c8976de7d4015c7873\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is it the case that these Ministers have not yet been granted visas, and why is that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022108584829e0b4af4aa3e5ca0efa3dfb3\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, as I have answered in previous questions, we have a number who have been, and there will no doubt be a number who intend to go in the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239125fdff79348c3bd4ba4e39c6268aa\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Could the Prime Minister elaborate on her comments yesterday about the collapse of New Zealand\u2019s hitherto foreign policy consensus?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed240c61e8d94ffd8965361f172c5199\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely happy to, because I do think this is an important point. New Zealand, for a number of years, has rightly had an independent foreign policy line that is in the best interests of New Zealand economically, in terms of national security, and in terms of its values. That has generally been followed by both the Government of the day and the Opposition. It\u2019s disappointing that in recent times, we have seen the politicisation of our relationship, which sits directly in contradiction to our economic interests and our national security interests.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227049d5ff347b4abdb5f42afff2c0982d\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: When the last Government Minister to go to China, David Parker, visited last year, did he secure a meeting with his equivalent ministerial counterpart?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d3b26967ac141bb893a4b76c9f31c78\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I do not have in front of me the individual bilateral engagements of every Minister who has visited in recent times. But let us speak frankly in this House: there are challenges in our relationship. There are challenges in our relationships with a number of countries at any given time when you run an independent foreign policy. My question to the Opposition would be this: we stand by our decisions, particularly as they relate to the use of the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Act (TICSA) and the scrutiny of any telecommunications vendor in the national security interests of New Zealanders; would the Opposition do the same? That is my question to the Leader of the Opposition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0ba3b031d6c46289debda1a2e2ef1f5\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is it the case, then, that things are getting better with the relationship with China, as the Prime Minister said in answer to the primary, or that there are significant challenges, as she just said? Which is true?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225f267fd26a264c62ba1e3c83cdc20013\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: If the member chooses to look at foreign policy in such a simplistic way, then he\u2019s going to run up against some challenges. I think the answer that I\u2019ve given demonstrates that our economic relationship is both incredibly important to us but also very strong. That is not mutually exclusive from us having challenges from time to time, and that is the case with the likes of, for instance, our relationship with Australia.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b3598cea1384fd29760e550be6332c3\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Is it true that the Government\u2019s position is to treat every nation and every people fairly, politely, equally, and respectfully, and would never say, for example, what a member of this House said\u2014that \u201CTwo Chinese are better than two Indians.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229fd3c7c29a24d6198854954fbf2b3bd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The Prime Minister can answer the first part of the question; the second part is not her responsibility.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246b09584c2a0402da44e1529db555364\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely. Respect is an incredibly important part of our relationship. New Zealand has a long history of ensuring that we do speak directly with our counterparts where we have areas of concern, and we have continued that foreign policy position.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ff3c3ec0d6148c0815c947a62d7374f\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Prime Minister confirm that when I visited China as Minister of Trade and Export Growth in November last year, I met with Vice Minister Wang from the Chinese administration, who is responsible for both the World Trade Organization negotiations on the part of China and for the bilateral trade relationship with New Zealand?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002230070511ced34a258741f25ef772e28e\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I can.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b34c10f4a4884176a96571e193971fdd\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does she agree with her Foreign Minister\u2019s former comments that \u201CTwo Wongs don\u2019t make a white.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9496072862b4fbab858ad6846a7069d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! There\u2019s no part of that that the Prime Minister\u2019s responsible for, and I am going to warn both the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Prime Minister that I consider they knew that both of their comments were outside the Standing Orders and, therefore, were deliberately disorderly. I will treat deliberate disorder of that sort more seriously going forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271806528fb5d47eb89bb348a5442ffdc\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: When will her Foreign Minister, the Rt Hon Winston Peters, next visit China?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022868822e0e3704951874fae029f3c9945\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Obviously, I\u2019ve already referenced the fact that he visited in May 2018. I haven\u2019t asked him about his forward intentions for visits there, or, in fact, about any other of our engagements. But let us in this House speak frankly. I do not resile from the position that this Government has taken in support of our independent foreign policy, our economic interests, and our national security interests. My question for the Opposition is this: will they uphold the TICSA legislation they introduced, or are they willing to trade away our interests for the sake of the politicisation of our relationships?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224504cd8d47b6427293efb4dd1b0ebe6f\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Prime Minister, in that answer, tacitly acknowledging that her Ministers aren\u2019t getting visits to China anymore?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ffcaff0312f84fb895ab3adb84b4751d\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: No. I am calling out the playing politics of our relationships.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228912ead4cb1b49c0a913d9e9a11a5af5\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does she have a date set yet for when she will visit China?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022957d90b1897647ebbad5556d3af70227\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, I have spoken openly about the fact that I have received an invitation, but it\u2019s quite obvious that I have not yet visited. But, again, I stand by every decision that we have made and that the GCSB has independently made. It seems to me that the Opposition does not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bbdc07516c1e4dcaac776f61fec71d9d\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Does she have a date set yet for when she will next visit China?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002257c964933c3c4985ae6a885db94f5683\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve already answered that question, but I will point out that I have met already with both the President and the Premier.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c8ffa6be9534d02ae32c099aaa6018c\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Is any progress being made on her visit to China as Prime Minister?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002238c0e959bf434819ab4d409604c3e440\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, as I\u2019ve already pointed out, I have already had high-level engagement at the highest level, where, in fact, the Premier, the last time we met, talked about his invitation to me to visit. But, again, I do not measure the strength of our relationship in such binary terms. We have\u2014[Interruption] Our people-to-people exchanges have increased\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229f6ed77a1c9646928ed89ca9ec614701\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I\u2019m going to interrupt the Prime Minister and ask people on both sides to settle down. I think all of us know that this is a very important issue, and I don\u2019t want any confusion through people not being able to hear. So that includes people from not far away behind the Prime Minister. No, don\u2019t look round, Mr Jones.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002268df71032ecc4f5d9a78dcda127c7ac1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As I said, our people-to-people exchanges have increased, as have our exports. Those are equally incredibly important measures.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3acc3e1acfb4d8e882c9bcddecdb709\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: When the Prime Minister, effectively, blames the TICSA and the Huawei decision for the complexity of the relationship, does she also have a view on whether the foreign Minister\u2019s comments on the Belt and Road Initiative, the defence strategy paper of New Zealand, and his Georgetown speech have also contributed to the deterioration in relationships between New Zealand and China?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c053103726314ed795034e2b6e2d8b9c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I absolutely reject that. But, again, if the Opposition is now taking a different view on some of those issues, like for instance the South China Sea, I\u2019d be very interested to hear that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002263918340eeed41d2a10b57f85b169e2c\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: In light of the fact that she hadn\u2019t read that Georgetown speech before it was delivered, does she confirm that she agrees with all of its contents today?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ede9d8683d724b6c90ba6aa399c04715\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: The Deputy Prime Minister\u2019s address acknowledged that the United States had taken a different foreign policy line in recent times and that it is in all of our interests if the United States continues to engage both at a regional level and with multilateral institutions. If the Opposition doesn\u2019t agree with that, then that\u2019s a matter for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002219d729bb634b486e95777b47c58d902f\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Just who is ultimately responsible for New Zealand\u2019s foreign affairs: the foreign Minister or Jacinda Ardern?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c66b3d3fc01c4ac08e77595cc8be7f4c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As is, of course, convention, the Prime Minister and not the Leader of the Opposition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ac39d88289c49a0b23855632e09d5ad\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Then why didn\u2019t she read the foreign Minister\u2019s incredibly significant speech to Georgetown University before he gave it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022daa5ae26a024469fa086960110c63e1a\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: We absolutely have agreeance on the principles of our position and our engagement both with the United States and with China, and in past Governments, there\u2019s equally been general agreeance around New Zealand\u2019s foreign policy interests between Government and Opposition as well. I was already aware of the principles contained in that speech.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229dbb814dbbe94a0799f1aac75a033800\u0022\u003EHon James Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Prime Minister think that the relationship with China might be improved by, say, gifting a sheep farm to a wealthy businessman from that country?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8ff34ec9e9840118f6da8f274c9e849\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227afd3a02936a41e59af2e5ef86aa2b67\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: When she said recently at a Chinese event that I also attended that she fully supported the Belt and Road Initiative, how is that consistent with comments her foreign Minister has made consistently bagging it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002211eb9c60848d43009f875bfe7042b6ed\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s absolutely consistent. What the Deputy Prime Minister has pointed out is that the now Opposition signed an agreement without having put any infrastructure around it, and that\u2019s a job that\u2019s been left to us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022badb0a39-849c-462a-b32f-77fc017c9fc2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad7bfad5a00c486b89960a80401b98cc\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E: Isn\u2019t the reality that she\u2019s, post the events, trying to cover up the mess he\u2019s making in relation to our China relationship?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f655c5c62708474bad94d5c9c7c2db51\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022df96db6e592340e1b5f334104c08869f\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022 data-id=\u0022fe55da1ec24340d3a56f3bb496c608d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fe55da1ec24340d3a56f3bb496c608d7\u0022\u003EHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader\u2014National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government\u2019s statements, 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=\u002204df825ba6234b33be6b15b7939bc05d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002204df825ba6234b33be6b15b7939bc05d\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002256c2830e3cae44118d12e32923b1072f\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: What will the question be that the public will vote on in the binding referendum on legalising marijuana in 2020?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed8d13f8b6194ee8816fd064cd0c7f5d\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Of course, what sits behind the question around the potential legalisation of cannabis is a level of detail that is still being worked on by the Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9c01cc666e54d8691bf422d007081f2\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Join the cross-party group.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b939ceb763574e8c9a5e835ee494454d\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: What process is her Government going through to come up with the question?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002226faa99fd3234ff1a135c62fde3accaa\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Again, that\u2019s detail that is being worked through, led by the Minister of Justice. Again, I hear that there is an invitation. Given this is a referendum being put to the people of New Zealand, we would welcome the engagement of the Opposition as we develop up the question and the work that sits behind it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f137e13231f4af0b38227f2072030f6\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Will the cross-party group on drugs be deciding what the question is?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236d8482282a04506bc06c976b7edefb4\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019ll appreciate that we have to add the rigour of advice from the Ministry of Justice but, no question, we welcome input.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022980f756791fa4796856d507bc23e8514\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: When will the public know what the question is?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223027c248a6364acbbd3cf5c14162a8bc\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Obviously, in good time. There needs to be relevant debate in the lead-up to the general election so that people are able to genuinely engage in the question. This is an issue that we want the public to give full consideration to, which is why it\u2019s important we get both the question right and the detail that sits behind the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ec3cf0ceb8742cd9c4539c087bee302\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Will there be a yes/no question as to whether or not marijuana should be legalised?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022944a82d27667403d9e6568bd73be142d\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Even if you have a binary question like that, people need to understand, of course, how the law would change as well, alongside that. So even simple questions like that have to have a level of detail underneath it, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re working through now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002263776108-58dc-4cab-baf1-95282c61d0de\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002201d5a913fca94a27854f24761416b0dd\u0022\u003EHon Paula Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: In the context of that answer, then, when will the public know what the question is and have the level of detail, as the Prime Minister has just pointed out?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022332d2877ebbb4a6997967821dedccc27\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Obviously, well in advance. We need to give the preparatory time for the Electoral Commission, which is why we\u2019ve flagged our intent this early out. Obviously, we are some way off a general election. We will, as a Government, be maximising every month we have between now and then. But we will ensure that there\u2019s enough time for the public to properly engage. But, again, the detailed time line is something we\u2019re working on presently.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227c4bd999da5e4fb0a83d5efa0ba00c4b\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 4\u2014Internal Affairs\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022 data-id=\u0022e8361a1a9539439c8c2e1ccd9d175426\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E4, \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e8361a1a9539439c8c2e1ccd9d175426\u0022\u003ECLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What recent reports has she received regarding Fire and Emergency New Zealand\u2019s response to the Nelson Tasman fires?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022 data-id=\u0022f1e97185736543b1bb3a1c3b18b8e898\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f1e97185736543b1bb3a1c3b18b8e898\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister of Internal Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E I received a briefing yesterday evening outlining the state of the emergency. The fire perimeter is approximately 35.8 kilometres, and with favourable weather conditions yesterday significant progress has been made towards containing the fire. I was heartened to see that the safety, health, and well-being of everyone involved is of paramount consideration. I\u2019ve been advised that while the hours are long and conditions are challenging, morale is high due to the support and well-wishers from around across the country. As Minister, I am proud of the outstanding work being done by firefighters who are working long hours in difficult, hazardous conditions to protect life, property, and livestock.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002278f887dbe8084ced82ad70a67e9ec819\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: What information has she received regarding the support the New Zealand Defence Force has provided to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) in response to the Nelson-Tasman fires?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022914e6eb49fc946908cb4062143d5d129\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: One hundred and fifty-three New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been deployed, including 14 firefighters embedded with Fire and Emergency New Zealand, four New Zealand Defence Force fire appliances, 111 defence force personnel working on the cordons, and 20 personnel participating in the welfare of those on the front line by providing catering services. Other tasks since 6 February have included supporting evacuations, vehicle escorts, overnight patrols, and support to the police.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cd86b3c5585844b4b6919c6b5aeef008\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: What advice has she received regarding the support the New Zealand Police has provided to FENZ in response to the Nelson-Tasman fires?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022074d66930cd8435cb951b810a2450b9b\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: I have seen official reports and media reports, including a comment from the Tasman District councillor Dean McNamara, who says the presence of police and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) patrols made it a lot easier to leave his home in Wakefield when he got the instructions to evacuate. Thanks to significant Government investment in police, we have been able to ensure a strong presence of personnel alongside fire and emergency teams. More than 100 dedicated police personnel were deployed as part of the response. This includes 37 brand-new recruits who completed their final exams at the Royal New Zealand Police College last week, took their oaths as constables, and travelled immediately to Nelson, with thanks to transport assistance from the NZDF Hercules and KiwiRail\u2019s Interislander ferry. The Wakefield police station is able to be kept open 24 hours a day during the state of emergency. Police are assisting through a number of ways. Their function is to keep the community safe, such as assisting with evacuations and maintaining the cordons; to prevent crime such as looting and other property crime, or the unauthorised use of drones; and to investigate crimes such as two suspected arsons. Their visibility in the community is also a wonderful signal for the locals, who just want to get their lives back to normal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e89a41f7612488e952c2031af07af99\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Will she consider providing funding to ensure volunteer firefighters or their employers are not financially disadvantaged for their tremendous effort over the past week, given that this is the largest fire New Zealand has had in 60 years and that the length of commitment by those volunteer firefighters has gone beyond the normal duties we would expect of those volunteers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022735b2f8f01fb44a3b327957c29bff268\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: Can I thank the member for his question and for making sure that we recognise the businesses who allow the volunteers to go out and do this very important work. I have a meeting at 4 o\u2019clock today with Fire and Emergency New Zealand. This is a topic that I will be discussing with them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022919a8e8d-afaf-4342-ad6f-71cbb6024544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022af45e5143d1d482db1501ed3896afe50\u0022\u003EClayton Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: How many volunteer firefighters have actually been involved in the Tasman fires?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e4445b344a1d453996017a25d03e11a3\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: There are up to 200 firefighters working at any one time and the majority of these are volunteers. As the honourable member from the Opposition side has already pointed out, each one of those volunteers is taking time out of their own lives, out of workplaces, out of businesses that they own, and we need to acknowledge that this is a vital service they do for their community and for their country\u2014and just take the time to acknowledge those businesses that allow them to participate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d2df3fa05cd84fb48a252fcd5191559d\u0022\u003EHon Dr Nick Smith\u003C/span\u003E: Does she agree that the merged rural and urban fire service, now Fire and Emergency New Zealand, has resulted in a far better response to these Nelson fires than what occurred with the Port Hills fire in Christchurch; and, if so, has she changed the view where she vigorously opposed the merger and said in Opposition that we\u2019d be better to have separate rural and urban fire services?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022947bdd74822b4970bddc3f28fb9d9c9d\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN\u003C/span\u003E: First of all, to the first part of the question, I do. I think the work done by the Hon Peter Dunne to actually bring together the fire and emergency services, to recognise that we needed a better response after the Port Hills fire\u2014and considering that they are only part-way through their amalgamation into integration and this is been the biggest test that they have had to face since they became FENZ, I agree. This is a much better response. With regard to the second part of the question, I\u2019m actually going to have to go back and check the Hansard, because I\u2019m not confident in the member\u2019s basis of the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002286ad224e06114f798577d38b7a7af22e\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 5\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022 data-id=\u00227e47d74c68394a0eb00fb7f8fff8b83b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227e47d74c68394a0eb00fb7f8fff8b83b\u0022\u003EHon AMY ADAMS (National\u2014Selwyn)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Is it his view that the current tax take in New Zealand is sufficient; if so, does he agree that income tax thresholds should be adjusted over time to keep up with inflation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022ed11348b28e544d58a8c0352cbbfd298\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ed11348b28e544d58a8c0352cbbfd298\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E The current tax take in New Zealand is sufficient to run the operating balance before gains and losses surplus, which the coalition Government delivered last year, is delivering this year, and is set to deliver over the forecast period. These surpluses are part of upholding a fiscal position that allows us to make investments in infrastructure and keep debt under control. In response to the second part of the question, the Government set up the Tax Working Group to look at the overall balance and fairness of the tax system. We will look at their recommendations in this regard and respond to them in due course.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c8d3b8fc1e04e26880572a6f8212d4d\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: How does he justify taking $17.7 billion more in tax over the next four years than was predicted at the election when economic growth is slowing, rents are up $40 a week, and middle New Zealanders are struggling to keep up with rising costs of living?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002229b8c9fa76b74f8ebad104c50c31e989\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: We covered some of this ground before Christmas, and, leaving aside the difference between forecasts and projections, that extra revenue is a result of Kiwis earning more, businesses doing better, and the economy growing. So it\u2019s quite sad that the member opposite is not celebrating this kind of success in the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f73bb2f34e264d8ea8a53158f3cedc3a\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Given that the Minister entirely failed to reference the impact of inflation on that number, how much of that extra tax take comes from the impact of inflation, as acknowledged by Treasury and the Reserve Bank?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c929759beea4ed99106536f266bada5\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t have that number with me, but what I can say is that in the period between 2013 and 2017, an additional $17 billion was collected above what was forecast when the previous Government was in office. This is part of a growing economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f520429d34d44f94923039dccb611b98\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Well, will he commit to adjusting tax thresholds to keep pace with inflation to ensure that it\u2019s workers, not the taxman, who get the full benefit of any wage increases?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a86cd35bf2394995a3b15c0fc10fafdd\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: As I said in answer to the primary question, we set up the Tax Working Group to get experts to look at the balance and fairness of the tax system, and we will respond to their recommendations in due course.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229028f2d071c443a48348011285940a4b\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Does he agree with his associate finance Minister, who said yesterday that this Government doesn\u2019t deserve to be re-elected if it doesn\u2019t bring in a capital gains tax, or does he prefer the comments that Winston Peters has previously made that it\u2019s very clear a capital gains tax is off the table?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e2954a2e7c74363930ca757b6154ce0\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That member knows full well that she\u2019s quoting from a time in my career when I was not a Minister, and therefore she cannot raise it in this House in the way she seeks to do now. She\u2019s been around long enough to know those rules.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022461af22e60ee479895404bb49575682b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I am going to allow the question. I think there\u2019s a difference between asking a Minister directly about something they said in Opposition and just mentioning a statement quoting a member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022764bdcc9d9b54d29a63fff923af2127c\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. A Minister is not responsible for a comment another member made when they were not a Minister. If that was the case, the Government would welcome that, because we could then be questioned on some of the comments being made by members opposite.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228ac3d5b93d8246048a3e525989714a80\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and members have been asked on a number of occasions if they agree with comments in reports or comments made by people opposite, and that has not been ruled out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223aeee058f9e5438eb054fbc059d7a99a\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: As I\u2019ve stated, the Government will look at the report of the Tax Working Group and make up our mind as a Government about what position we\u2019ll be able to take. People take a number of positions on tax issues over the years. For example, members of the Opposition have called the policy that was announced just a few weeks ago by them \u201Cchewing gum tax cuts\u201D in the past.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f487c604e294a938487935f458326db\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: So is it his position, then, that he won\u2019t make sure tax thresholds keep pace with inflation; he\u2019s more than happy to take $17.7 billion more in tax from New Zealanders and leave them with the threat of a capital gains tax hanging over their heads? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002252a611c6143b40a0a305005048fc90c9\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dc6c0f88-e781-476d-bca1-d1bf9b69302b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022158e982f7a734af7a0f4d07337c4010f\u0022\u003EHon Amy Adams\u003C/span\u003E: Which one of those statements does he not agree with? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221da5ffa45d454e4798978e5976446bb0\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: I already have said the member is confused about the difference between our forecasts and projections around the $17 billion figure. What that is about is the fact that the economy is forecast to grow because people will earn higher wages and businesses will make more money. I just wish the member would celebrate New Zealand\u2019s success. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022599d8f6ae2e148d8a4b5fbfb6c957367\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 6\u2014Housing and Urban Development\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u0022bf6349cdb5c04f2e94e2cc1cda588430\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022bf6349cdb5c04f2e94e2cc1cda588430\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (National\u2014Papakura)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: What changes are being considered to the KiwiBuild programme to, in his words, \u201Cmake KiwiBuild a stronger incentive for developers and how we can make it work better for first home buyers\u201D and \u201Cprovide a package of assistance to developers that will be enough of an incentive to get them to commit to serious volumes of affordable housing\u201D? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022d2b68706714044feb380e8df7a7178fe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d2b68706714044feb380e8df7a7178fe\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E We came into Government with a plan to tackle the national housing crisis. Part of that plan hasn\u2019t worked as well as we expected in the early stages, and we haven\u2019t built as many KiwiBuild homes as fast as we had planned. But, in spite of this, we\u2019re making good progress to address the housing issues that we inherited. Consent numbers show that between KiwiBuild and other Government housebuilding, we\u2019re building more homes than at any other stage in the last decade. I am currently preparing options for Cabinet to consider, and Cabinet will make decisions on specific changes in due course. However, I can confirm that we are considering how we can better support builders to build more KiwiBuild homes and accelerate large-scale projects and acquire land faster. Changes to the underlying system are also required to address the dysfunction in the housing market. That\u2019s why we are moving faster to reform the planning rules, establish the urban development authority, and progress infrastructure funding and financing reforms. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022edebfc6a5a7242a7b6eb0ee6215b85a7\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Will either the purchase or construction of KiwiBuild houses be subsidised? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277344d5fa2474eb6b04ac306d8ca41f2\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: No. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225657575d13fe4be5991f1296cffcc550\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: What kind of programmes is he envisioning putting in place that will incentivise developers without providing a subsidy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229acc0ebdfde74179adfb3289616bd6fc\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: As I said, we\u2019re considering a number of options to strengthen the Buying off the Plans part of KiwiBuild. I\u2019ll be taking options to Cabinet shortly, and the member will find out shortly after that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022416dd6d57e5b44f4a5f9513d83dcc84f\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: How can he assure New Zealanders that he will successfully redesign the KiwiBuild programme in the next few weeks, since he has stated that his initial design of KiwiBuild is in need of \u201Crecalibration\u201D so soon into the Government? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274b8ee90e51343a58709fff513b8bf49\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, we\u2019re doing something that no Government has tried to do since the 1970s, and that is to work directly with builders to encourage the building of more affordable homes. We\u2019re actually trying to do something about the housing crisis and build affordable homes, unlike the former Government, who, basically, did nothing of that kind for nine long years. We\u2019re doing our best, and we will build more affordable homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221bee9e4552ee44b3a42f20799e7b9371\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: How does he respond to the Deputy Prime Minister\u2019s statement that \u201Cthere are many in this Government who are seriously going to be practically committed to ensure that we do meet our targets.\u201D and that \u201CI am going back to former Governments, where practical men who had never been to university, and women, decided they would get on with the job and get it done\u2014and get it done we are.\u201D? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002228abe2503d2a4f79961c6a5d09c25d56\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I think the Deputy Prime Minister\u2019s statement exactly reflects the spirit that we bring not only to KiwiBuild but to the entire housing and urban development programme. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204d5f24361d342578baecf42f4d10182\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: When will he announce any KiwiBuild targets that will allow the public to hold the current Government to account on KiwiBuild progress before the next election? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b3c12ff4487f4e4b87fd5a43a32435ae\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019ve made it very clear that we are totally committed to the target of 100,000 affordable homes over 10 years. We will continue to be completely transparent\u2014as we are, and as we have been\u2014about the number of homes that are being built through KiwiBuild, through State housing, and all of the other things that we\u2019re doing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022dc43a079308c456eaf88d381c829b40a\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 7\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u00220b92fe97eb6e45718036ce150808bcdb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220b92fe97eb6e45718036ce150808bcdb\u0022\u003EJAN TINETTI (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: Has he released any proposals to strengthen and grow trades training and other vocational education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022e21c30fb86654f528679c24350113339\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e21c30fb86654f528679c24350113339\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E The Government has released three proposals for consultation to transform trades training and other vocational education. Under these proposals, industry and employers will be given a much greater leadership role in setting skills standards and overseeing qualifications and programmes across the entire vocational education system, including off-job training. The New Zealand Institute of Skills \u0026amp; Technology will bring together 16 polytechs into a robust regional network to offer high-quality vocational education throughout New Zealand, and a new unified funding system will remove barriers to collaboration and flexibility.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f890f30344e4620ae19acee187d00b9\u0022\u003EJan Tinetti\u003C/span\u003E: What are the problems with the current model of vocational education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223f8d64b0ee44c7d89bd20ae27aa0085\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: There are many, and I won\u2019t go into all of them, but it\u2019s clear that many learners are not getting the skills that they need. We have significant skills shortages, and we also know that the need for training and retraining is going to increase. We know that the system makes it hard for education providers and industry training organisations to work together, and clearly our polytech sector is unsustainable when the Government has to spend $100 million in one year alone simply to keep the lights on. We cannot continue to tweak the system when we know that the model is fundamentally broken and it isn\u2019t delivering our workforce the skills they need to thrive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ccb5e4e1567b4f9abf169f84430a3369\u0022\u003EJan Tinetti\u003C/span\u003E: How would the proposals for reform support learners to get the in-demand skills that they need?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f93ae352df044e3990da329b8fe993e6\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: One of the biggest benefits for learners is that they will be able to move from campus to workplace and around the country without disrupting their studies. This is the step change that\u2019s needed to shift from the idea that the ultimate goal of secondary school is to prepare young people for university. Large national employers will be able to deal with a single organisation to arrange consistent training and education across the country. We want industry to take a leadership role and to have a greater say in the provision of trades training and other vocational education so that learners are getting the skills that they need for the workforce.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee38f4d7a81f43c9a1bae074230b8be2\u0022\u003EJan Tinetti\u003C/span\u003E: How would the proposals for reform support regions to play a leadership role in the delivery of trades training and other vocational education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002299b36865a26e489686a25b32e80b3df6\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Ultimately, these proposals will increase the amount and the range of education and training available in regional New Zealand. Campuses will continue to offer a wide range of delivery. The courses on offer in each region won\u2019t be limited to just what the local campus can provide on their own, because each campus will be able to draw on the resources of the whole nationwide network of polytechnic provisions, and their offerings will be able to be tailored to regional needs through the establishment of regional leadership groups.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223f367c0aab8948a390bcab4fe2bea6b8\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 8\u2014Transport\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u0022a35f9163166c405eb3f4515a65116227\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a35f9163166c405eb3f4515a65116227\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: Is he committed to building light rail from the city to the airport in Auckland and if so, when will work begin?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022d379cce5109b46bb837b7bc94278897e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d379cce5109b46bb837b7bc94278897e\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. Light rail will be a game-changer for Auckland. It will be a magnet for private investment in urban renewal, and each line will be able to carry 11,000 commuters per hour, the equivalent of four lanes of motorway. The light rail project will extend Auckland\u2019s rapid transit network, a core part of our plan to build a modern transport system for the city. There is a procurement process under way now, so work has already started.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b044ae9f0ce4221ae4d913304d9f369\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Government on track to have built light rail from Wynyard Quarter to Mount Roskill within four years of becoming Government, as promised by Jacinda Ardern in August 2017?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f408074c93284c28a8302e5160191797\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: At that point, Jacinda Ardern was not the Prime Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8d4d6b29943405b8e4f7324f9076769\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That\u2019s not answering\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e262720f64fc4dab99dfdde70151d1b0\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it answered as much as the Minister has any responsibility for it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db93af6927bd4230976943d9b7fa39c9\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the core part of the question was\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ad6189c5b2e4a1d81e74206b3973623\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the member can ask it again. Ask another question if he wants to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d8111242344426fa251980cbfd50bfb\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Government on track to have built light rail from Wynyard Quarter to Mount Roskill within four years of becoming Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c7e132288be44c92886df96307613d55\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ve expressed the view that we hope to have shovels in the ground in 2020. There\u2019s a procurement process under way; that\u2019s what we\u2019re working towards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c3f1e42d88ba4f76b2a3b3038e322420\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: So is that another target he no longer intends to keep?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224aa49dbf04ee4f0e946b36d97c7d0969\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: I reject the premise of the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002239249e2d763944c590b640b319a40ee8\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The Hon Jami-Lee Ross.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea5731c3413749138b23fcd46fc86684\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Not honourable, Mr Speaker, but thank you. Is he, as part of the Government\u2019s wider Auckland transport strategy, committed to also building an airport to Botany transport link as either light rail or a dedicated busway?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c3ff8fa72f2489cb24920ac8402818b\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: The south-east of Auckland is one of the most underserved areas of the region when it comes to public transport. I was happy the other day\u2014with Mayor Phil Goff\u2014to announce the new Pakuranga to Howick busway as part of the Auckland-Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative project. Work is under way now looking at the possibility of extending a rapid transit service that would connect the Auckland Airport with Manukau, Puhinui, and up through Flat Bush to Botany. My hope is that that will be something we\u2019ll be able to get up and running and make progress on in the coming years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022163d0b68-eb0e-4094-9bed-99e184f063e1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a543c5ff3724a3589d22a7e9b685a73\u0022\u003EJami-Lee Ross\u003C/span\u003E: Is he willing to work with me as a local MP to progress future plans for an airport to Botany transport link?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002277ae1933bf494aafbf6205fbd9d3d1ad\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I would welcome the member\u2019s cooperation in that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db09ee40cf034e5c81003346d7e2aa47\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister agree with infrastructure Minister Shane Jones\u2019 message to Phil Goff about the light rail project: \u201CI would say before Phil Goff gets too enthusiastic about the Dominion Road idea he needs to sort out how he\u2019s going to fund the CRL project. It hasn\u2019t been completed yet and now he\u2019s got to find $500 million to $1 billion for that.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022194442565a0248a686c5c337d4711c86\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I would point out that the light rail project is being pursued through the Auckland Transport Alignment Project and is expected to be funded and financed as part of that 30-year transport plan, and funded partly through the National Land Transport Programme. The member will know that the City Rail Link project that was entered into under the former National Government is funded through Crown contributions\u2014completely separate from the National Land Transport Programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c8564d2171a947819cab69ed025163b6\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 9\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u002230075351ce374c08aa3a14bb9fc0ac01\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002230075351ce374c08aa3a14bb9fc0ac01\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (National\u2014Whangarei):\u003C/span\u003E Does the Minister stand by all his statements and actions around tertiary education and vocational education reforms?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002217d8661474f74f6abdbbf1733561bf9a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I am going to ask the member to ask the question again as it is on the sheet.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022345e8c5b7c2f4eb084f1927c9a70e1f2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022345e8c5b7c2f4eb084f1927c9a70e1f2\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (National\u2014Whangarei)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions around tertiary education and vocational education reforms?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022d0fed0be380c4fd9b9780cf5f0a19d5c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d0fed0be380c4fd9b9780cf5f0a19d5c\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, and I particularly stand by my statement that those who\u2019ve created the mess in vocational education continue to be in denial about it and don\u2019t seem to have any plans of their own about how to fix it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229971086bf93841f3a183012fd30bb29b\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de15138d1f8a4a3fb8e990112e548361\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Simeon Brown, sorry. It\u2019s almost like the first time. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9e836987ef94aec884d2bd0319dbaa9\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: Happy New Year, Mr Speaker. What are the implications of the announced reforms for w\u0101nanga and private training establishments?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d9528199f2b545149960ff751edd7244\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: In the short term, there aren\u2019t any. In the longer term, there are great opportunities for both w\u0101nanga and private training establishments. We\u2019ve committed to meeting with\u2014very quickly\u2014the w\u0101nanga, in particular, to talk about the opportunities for them. I know that in the past they have expressed a desire to be more actively engaged in on-job training, and this does create the opportunity for them to do so, as it creates an opportunity for private training establishments.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222f427e28b8f44f4fbe13c580bda1cb25\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: Will jobs be lost in the announced vocational education reforms; and, if so, from what areas?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221074b75aec584da98c647956a3d11824\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Jobs are already being lost in vocational education and training around the country, and doing nothing will result in even more jobs being lost. It is simply irresponsible to speculate at this point on, ultimately, how many jobs might be lost and how many people might need to be redeployed or retrained for different roles. That work will be done now that the proposals are public. It would not be possible to do the analysis around that work without making the proposals public, because we wanted to ensure that people knew what we\u2019re planning, rather than think that we\u2019re going around behind their backs, planning their futures without them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022973e36ab31d9451fac2ebb83572c60dc\u0022\u003EDr Shane Reti\u003C/span\u003E: How is the local decision-making and self-direction of well-performing Otago Polytechnic better off under these reforms?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e9b9007f06f46aa96db6102cad39fb0\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s very clear that we need the system to operate as a whole. The whole system is not delivering, for businesses and for employers, the skills that they need. We have seen a 20,000-plus reduction in the number of people studying at polytechnics across the country. We need to do a much better job of providing a system that meets the needs of the whole country. In so far as those regions where they\u2019ve got strongly performing institutions, those institutions will continue to perform strongly as part of a national network.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002275a05f96-2474-4c90-a6ea-cf7b5798e03e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa0990a208b144fdbe15a78e6a7b8b0d\u0022\u003EHon Ruth Dyson\u003C/span\u003E: What reactions has the Minister seen to the release of the proposals on the reform of trades training and other vocational education?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222476c3d92e67488bafba2fe380683d00\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s been a lot of reaction so far, but I\u2019ll just pick out three briefly. The Tertiary Education Union have welcomed the bold changes, particularly saying that they will provide more security and certainty for staff. Business New Zealand have welcomed the proposals. The Employers and Manufacturers Association have welcomed the proposals, saying, \u201CWe\u2019re pleased to see that the imbalance that\u2019s developed between the focus on tertiary and vocational education is being addressed.\u201D Many, many other businesses have also been saying that this is what they\u2019ve been waiting for for a very long time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a1b449a89cda41959d5dfe55aa045d81\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 10\u2014Trade and Export Growth\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022 data-id=\u0022c6f71c65d2c54af3bd35a68023328b28\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c6f71c65d2c54af3bd35a68023328b28\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Trade and Export Growth: How much money has been spent on the Saudi sheep farm in the desert also known as the Saudi agri-hub, and have any steps been taken to stop more money being spent?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u002229c4157c35f044aaa4305cb14d380b51\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002229c4157c35f044aaa4305cb14d380b51\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Minister for Trade and Export Growth):\u003C/span\u003E Around $10 million had been spent on building a sheep farm in the Saudi Arabian desert before we took office, including taxpayer money spent flying ewes on Singapore Airlines and a $4 million cash payment to a Saudi business not owed any money. On 31 December, this Government terminated the remainder of the contract to ship and install an abattoir in Saudi Arabia. This has saved taxpayers almost $1 million. We don\u2019t believe any more taxpayer money should be flushed down the drain on this shabby scheme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ca61dd1402d249a29e22084a537dfccc\u0022\u003EJamie Strange\u003C/span\u003E: What have been the benefits of building a sheep farm in the Saudi Arabian desert?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220833411204a7473ea210aa7e719d96a9\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Thus far, I\u2019ve seen none. There was never any credible legal threat to New Zealand, so building a sheep farm didn\u2019t resolve it. We still don\u2019t have a trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council. New Zealand\u2019s reputation for fair dealing was undermined by the so-called incentive payment of $4 million to a Saudi business not owed any money. The Auditor-General found the payment was \u201Cprovided under the guise of a contract for services.\u201D She was undoubtedly correct. This money was wasted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022586ed7a9cc4b48c5a3f144ed066b6524\u0022\u003EJamie Strange\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the report back required by the Auditor-General from the responsible department on the benefits of the sheep farm?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b17677d33ec94746b3fdc42101b33d9e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m advised that officials are still working on it, but I would opine that they would probably work for a decade and still not find any benefits to justify the scheme. There were no benefits from the $4 million cash payment to the Al-Khalaf business, no reputational benefits from the mass deaths of lambs, and there was no benefit for the terms of the deal allowing the media to be blocked from the showcase farm. I agree with the Auditor-General that the lack of transparency around this venture was appalling, and I will ensure that a fulsome report is provided. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d49aeac-8adf-497b-9400-ab7bb077bb8d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002242fdf326e5204a1aa675fb88d220b4c9\u0022\u003ERt Hon Winston Peters\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Minister saying that the claim that there was a legal threat and therefore action had to be taken by the previous Government was simply not true?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275ae3c39842e4b168d3df192e736a972\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I am. I am saying that. It\u2019s clear that there was no legal threat and that the ban on the export of live sheep for slaughter was always legal. I have seen departmental reports from ministry officials that do record that the Saudis did take offence at expectations that were created by a former Minister for Primary Industries and also at the somewhat arrogant statements that were made by one of his staff members as he talked down to the Saudi officials. Perhaps those on the other side of the House who\u2019ve been casting aspersions should look to their own house.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3cd598e21914419a15d5bd6382d001a\u0022\u003EHon James Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Has anyone been or will anybody be held accountable for wasting taxpayer money on a sheep farm in the Saudi desert?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002280f5f1c45887472280dadbb26687a8a6\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, sadly, no. The money\u2019s been lost; we\u2019ve got no right to recover it. But I suppose one form of accountability was the election result.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002228509829fa704f4bb7c8d97fad438514\u0022\u003EHon James Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen any reports that corroborate former Minister McCully\u2019s assertions about why the deal was needed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dddc8bb89d614340959e16e272842389\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I haven\u2019t, and I would also make the point that after the Auditor-General\u2019s highly critical report, that Minister gave but one interview, held 20 minutes after the report had been released as he came into question time, before the media had even had the chance to read the report, and since that time he has not given one interview to the media during the year or so that followed prior to his leaving Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229e990c01a75249b3ba44f4879ed4fa2b\u0022\u003EHon James Shaw\u003C/span\u003E: Has the Minister seen any media reports that Murray McCully and Michelle Boag have moved on from the Saudi sheep scandal to establish a blue-green party in Auckland?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221e523d0a98fc4f9b8cfa34916507418a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Even if he had, he wouldn\u2019t have any responsibility.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002256bea2d1f4da4a79b430dda57cfaaa3d\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 11\u2014Social Development\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022b3304d229aeb47e59448c172cdb081db\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b3304d229aeb47e59448c172cdb081db\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development: How much did the Government transfer in social security and welfare payments according to the Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the Year Ended 30 June 2018 on a per household basis?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u0022b559b55e607345748ad67fd6a43faa2f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b559b55e607345748ad67fd6a43faa2f\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E The Crown spent $25.99 billion on social security and welfare in 2018, according to Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand, 30 June 2018. However, this includes spending on departmental expenses and so is not the amount provided for transfers on social security and welfare payments. The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2018 records the amount provided for the benefit expenses, which was $24 billion in the fiscal year to 30 June 2018. The majority of that spending actually relates to New Zealand superannuation: 56 percent of that. According to Statistics New Zealand, the estimated households and private occupied dwellings on average over the year ended 30 June 2018 were 1,735,200. I\u2019ve been provided with Treasury advice that, based on those two figures, the total spend is approximately $13,834 per household.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022524822fd63204f33927484386e340742\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Given that the Government is spending $13,834 per household on cash transfers, why does the Salvation Army say this morning in its State of the Nation Report that \u201Cthere are few signs that government policies are beginning to address seemingly entrenched aspects of poverty in New Zealand.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229bd5958121af4a80ae169055d31b96a7\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: With all due respect, I have received the Salvation Army\u2019s report but I do not have responsibility for the Salvation Army\u2019s State of the Nation Report.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b06021c2b9e460fa6ad4534c4bc5c35\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: If transferring $13,834 to the average household every year in social security and welfare payments is not enough to end poverty, how much does the Government plan to transfer each year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a767b05ccbe04523863d1062be939247\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: Can I just remind the member that 56 percent of the spend that we have just discussed is actually allocated to superannuation. I think it\u2019s a really important point to make. Seventeen percent of the transfers with regards to the benefit amount is spent on main benefits. The information I have in front of me shows that for the last few years that\u2019s been fairly static. I\u2019m unsure of where the member is trying to take this House; however, I\u2019ve laid out the information I have in front of him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c7d33a0ca8f443b883f91c6a5e89ce65\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 12\u2014Tourism\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u002268fa029d05f940a59712c095402eaf2c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002268fa029d05f940a59712c095402eaf2c\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN (National\u2014Waitaki)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Tourism: What was the date he first found out about the need to postpone the China - New Zealand Year of Tourism opening ceremony?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022 data-id=\u0022b2e5beb1bd3b42dca344ffe6c828d78f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b2e5beb1bd3b42dca344ffe6c828d78f\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister of Tourism):\u003C/span\u003E The Chinese Embassy informed the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on 28 January. I was informed by MBIE officials shortly after.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022585208be3d554126a0d8d082ec732065\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: Why did he not make a public announcement on the postponement?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a26e16c6e8748cfaf3fe2a7c8570d7d\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS\u003C/span\u003E: The event is being organised by the Chinese Government, and it would be silly for me to upstage them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229aa89967f7db4203b99fcabc426a6f6b\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: When did he inform the Prime Minister of the postponement, and what was her response?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa311ac6637b4b449425db4300116656\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS\u003C/span\u003E: I informed her immediately.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022695659bb37fa477bb6e7fb62cf0b0d05\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: What actions has he now taken to secure a new date for the opening ceremony?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f083993c92ed4b4a95b83e2d3c7b3c85\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS\u003C/span\u003E: Again, this is down to the Chinese Government. It\u2019s down to their scheduling and coordination, so I\u2019ll leave it up to them and MBIE officials to organise this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3f75026946f418ebc7c56a3025a3f71\u0022\u003EHon Jacqui Dean\u003C/span\u003E: Does he agree with the Prime Minister, in question time today, who said that there are \u201Cchallenges in the relationship with China\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a1dc14110a941aaa39e76d4fa3b545c\u0022\u003EHon KELVIN DAVIS\u003C/span\u003E: I agree with almost everything the Prime Minister says, especially when she says that the numbers of Chinese tourists continue to rise: 8.4 percent growth in the last year and we\u2019re expecting those numbers to continue to rise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022802874a3-deca-48b7-9d33-9087058892f5\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00220d80bce2ff3b4c0cb13e662c09f6d95d\u0022\u003EUrgent Debates Declined\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220efc02b8b06248c39f3e8461be4e4386\u0022\u003EHousing and Urban Development, Ministry\u2014Resignation of Stephen Barclay\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022270da5d0354f4adea11302682ff98d6f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022270da5d0354f4adea11302682ff98d6f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I have received a letter from David Seymour seeking to debate under Standing Order 389 the resignation of Stephen Barclay from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Mr Barclay was an employee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, which is a department of the Public Service. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EA Government is not answerable to the House for the matters set out in section 33 of the State Sector Act 1988 in respect of individual employees\u2014Speaker\u2019s ruling 160/5. In those matters, which include the appointment, promotion, or cessation of employment of any employee, chief executives have a duty to act independently. In the case of an urgent debate where decision making has taken place independently of Ministers, there can be no ministerial responsibility. The application is, therefore, declined. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002207df1cc07cf346eba64b24bf6e43c12a\u0022\u003EDebate on Prime Minister\u2019s Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022787c1538337641e2a6b0fa6e86ca128f\u0022\u003EDebate on Prime Minister\u2019s Statement\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000217\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 12 February.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022a31da989cd2d49d5800003a447027366\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a31da989cd2d49d5800003a447027366\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I want to start my contribution today, as we did yesterday in the House, by acknowledging what has been happening in the Nelson and Tasman region. It has obviously been an appalling situation for the people involved and a great deal of hardship has ensued, and there is more to come, unfortunately, as we continue to support the firefighters and those working in the area. But my fundamental emotion on this is pride: pride in New Zealanders coming together to support one another; pride in our volunteers, both within the fire service and the wider civil defence community, stepping up time and time again; and pride in the Government departments who have supported those volunteers and supported that community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThis is New Zealand at its best, coming together to help out one another\u2014to put people first. That\u2019s what New Zealanders believe in, and it\u2019s something I think everyone in this House can be proud of. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIt is also the fundamental thing that binds together the Government that I am proud of. The fact is that all three parties that make up this Government\u2014coming, as we do, from different traditions\u2014have something that binds us together: we believe that people come first. We believe that the environment that we live in needs to be protected and enhanced, we believe that we are stronger together as communities when we include people\u2014not when we seek to divide people, but when we include people\u2014and I am proud of a Government that is doing that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI am proud of the leadership of this Government. As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday, there are choices for Governments. They can govern and manage the shop\u2014and we saw a lot of that in the last nine years\u2014or Governments can take a choice to lead. That\u2019s what this Government is doing, and I am proud of Jacinda Ardern\u2019s leadership in that regard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud of the year\u2014or just over a year\u2014that this Government has had. From the Families Package to record investment in health and education, funding for conservation, support for the regions\u2014the list goes on. This is a Government that is not afraid to face up to the big issues. This is a Government that is not afraid to take some risks to make sure that we build a country for future generations, not only for them to be proud of it but for them to be able, themselves, to leave a legacy in the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI am proud of what this Government will do this year. We are building, from an economic perspective, on a strong base: solid GPD growth of around 3 percent a year; surpluses in our first year and forecast into the future; debt at the target levels that we are setting; unemployment hovering around 4 percent and, in the last two quarters, the lowest in a decade; and wages forecast to grow at around 3 percent. These are the fundamentals of a strong economy, and this Government is delivering on what we committed to the public in that regard. But we know that it is never enough. We know that there is always more to do, and we remain ambitious to do that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIn terms of the economy and the areas that I\u2019m responsible for, our mission is to modernise our economy. We want to look forward to an era where we do pass a zero carbon bill, as we will this year, and have a low-carbon economy. That\u2019s not just the right thing to do but it has opportunities for our entrepreneurs. There are abilities for businesses to make money from the fact that we can have a better planet and one that we look after for the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI want us to make sure that we\u2019re adapting to the future of work. That\u2019s why the announcement from the Minister of Education today about vocational education is so important, because we must be preparing our workforces for the economy of the future. The same applies to our well-being Budget, where we will finally look beyond just GDP\u2014as important as that is\u2014to success being about the health of our people, the protection of our environment, and the strength of our communities. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThese are the things that New Zealanders care about. Time and time again, if members of this House asked the members of their families or people they know \u201CWhat is it that you want for your children?\u201D, the first thing they will say is that they want them to be healthy and to be happy. That\u2019s the same thing that this Government should be saying. The first thing we should be saying is \u201CHow do we keep our people healthy and happy?\u201D Yes, we need prosperity, but we need a Government that cares about who shares in that prosperity, and that is what this Government is focused on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ESo we are looking at the economy of the 21st century: how do we set ourselves up for the middle of the 21st century? On the opposite side of the House, they\u2019re firmly fixed in the rear-vision mirror. They rolled out the brand new, bright ideas of tax cuts and beneficiary bashing yesterday\u2014an amazing step forward from the National Party!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EBut the truth is that things are not good across the aisle. The Titanic is relentlessly focused on the iceberg. They are indeed the angry dog barking at every car. And the real story of the poll this week has been lost: National\u2019s eaten all of its friends\u2014the ACT Party and United Future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EBut they\u2019ve devised a cunning plan. Now, when we were children, some of us had imaginary friends, but we grew out of it. Well, not National or Simon Bridges, because in the absence of any potential coalition partners, National\u2019s found an imaginary blue-green friend\u2014not so much an Avatar as a Tava, but we\u2019ll come back to that. It\u2019s like some fantasy of blue-green friends out there\u2014they are not real. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ESo, in the absence of friends, they have started turning on each other, and yesterday\u2014and I\u2019ve seen this movie before\u2014was a communications train wreck. It started with Matt King. Honest as the day is long, Matt could not bring himself to toe the party line about Simon Bridges. This is what he said: \u201CI like Simon. I like Judith. I like a few of our leaders. Look, there\u2019s a number of people in our caucus that can lead the party, and I\u2019d be happy with any of them.\u201D Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the leader, but Matt wasn\u2019t finished. He said, \u201CIf Judith went for the job and had the support of the caucus, I\u2019d support Judith as well.\u201D Judith can mark him down. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EMeanwhile, Nuk Korako had missed the memo completely. He said, \u201CThere\u2019s a number of people who would make a great leader. We\u2019ll just see.\u201D\u2014presumably not the leader that Nuk has got at the moment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThere were also a lot of ATMs among the National MPs yesterday\u2014ATM being \u201Cat the moment\u201D. Gerry Brownlee said, \u201CThe leadership was not up for consideration at the moment.\u201D Tim van de Molen\u2014or, as Simon Bridges knows him, Hamish; I\u2019ll explain that joke later\u2014said, \u201CSimon is doing a good job at the moment.\u201D So, ladies and gentlemen, we have a new nickname for Simon Bridges: ATM\u2014the leader at the moment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EMeanwhile, the woman of the moment, Judith Collins, was keeping her powder dry\u2014gunpowder, that is. She refused to rule out a leadership challenge, saying \u201CI am very clearly not ruling out anything.\u201D, and she was literally limbering up during Simon Bridges\u2019 speech yesterday. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ENow, Judith Collins has undertaken some academic study lately, and I want to congratulate her on that. The focus has been on a Bachelor of health and safety\u2014that would be her health, and not Simon Bridges\u2019 safety. My advice to Simon Bridges is not to accept an invitation from Judith Collins to visit a building site any time soon, because she knows what\u2019s legal and what\u2019s not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EBut it appears that Judith has done a double major in psychology, or, more accurately, reverse psychology, because this is what she had to say yesterday: \u201CMy job is to do whatever the caucus needs me to do.\u201D If that wasn\u2019t a hint, I don\u2019t know what was. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EMeanwhile, Anne Tolley didn\u2019t seem sure what she wanted Judith to do. When Anne Tolley was asked yesterday what she thought of Judith Collins as leader, she said, \u201CYou either love her or hate her.\u201D Now, Anne didn\u2019t leave us any the wiser as to what she thought about that question. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EFor Judith herself\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022025e048b141c4f9b8319bde011257d8f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002276e9b14562aa4203a655a02572fed2e9\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: For Judith Collins herself, she employed everything she had learnt in her psychology studies. She said, \u201COpposition leader is the toughest job in politics, and I\u2019ve seen a few come and go.\u201D When asked if it was a job for her, she said, \u201CI\u2019m a lovely, sweet person, not given to that sort of toughness at all.\u201D Then, the final twist of the knife from Judith Collins: \u201CThe caucus has voted for the leader, and he\u2019s doing the very best job he can.\u201D An A plus for reverse psychology in her studies, from Judith Collins. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ESo while the knifing and the backbiting has only just begun across the aisle, we are a Government with a plan. We\u2019ve got a leader who is not prepared to sit back and mind the shop, but who actually wants to lead our country forward. We know that there\u2019s a lot to do and we know we have to take some risks, and we know everything won\u2019t happen as fast as we would like. But above all, we know that we\u2019ve got what it takes to give every New Zealander a share in prosperity, a place to call home, a community to be part of, and a country to be proud of. I am proud of this Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022 data-id=\u0022beb2811e43da4cc0ae9e444cc2c3b721\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022beb2811e43da4cc0ae9e444cc2c3b721\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY (National\u2014\u014Ctaki):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, before I make some remarks about the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, can I first of all say happy New Year to you and to all of the parliamentarians back for 2019. On a more sombre note, can also acknowledge the passing of John Wilson, the former Fonterra chairman, who had a battle with cancer and, unfortunately, passed away last month. There was a massive send-off for him at Mystery Creek, and my heartfelt condolences, on behalf of the National Party, go to Belinda and his four daughters. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003ECan I now make some comments about the Prime Minister\u2019s statement: 2019 is supposedly going to be the year of delivery. Well, we\u2019ll wait and see on that one, because we know that 233 working groups and reviews are going to be reporting back, costing over $200 million to establish. We will wait and see what these reports come up with. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003ENow, Cabinet already has in their hot little hands the Tax Working Group final report. We surmise\u2014and I bet we\u2019re right\u2014that a capital gains tax is going to be in there, and, of course, the reason they are going to propose this is that the economy has already started to slow. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EIf you talk to businesses that are out there trying to do their best with the New Zealand economy, they realise that the signs are already there. Just in this last quarter, we have started to see the economy slow, and, of course, what\u2019s the Government\u2019s reaction? What options do they have? Well, the first option is to rack up more debt. They\u2019ve said that maybe they won\u2019t do that, but let\u2019s wait and see. The second option is, of course, more tax\u2014to treat hard-working New Zealanders like an ATM machine. The third option\u2014which they won\u2019t do\u2014is to cut services. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003ESo 2019, I think, is going to be an underwhelming year of nonsense delivery from the Government. I think, really, they are going to struggle to keep this economy moving, because they have policies that are actually slowing down the economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EAlso, when we look at the unemployment in the last quarter, that\u2019s up by 10,000. If we look at what\u2019s happened with KiwiBuild, isn\u2019t that an embarrassment? I look across the other side of the House now, and all of their heads are down. What have they built? Forty-seven homes, and they said that in their first year they were going to build 1,000, in their second year they were going to build something like 5,000, and in their third year, 10,000. Now, what\u2019s happened? Well, Phil Twyford said, \u201COh well, those targets are pretty movable. Yeah, we think that we might get that.\u201D Winston Peters didn\u2019t get the memo. He said that, yes, they were going to achieve it. So I don\u2019t think they will, and now KiwiBuild is very much a \u201CKiwiFlop\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EAlso today, talking about flops, Government MPs couldn\u2019t get out of bed on time to make the Finance and Expenditure Committee. What an absolute embarrassment it is that they couldn\u2019t get out of bed and turn up and do their work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EThen we have the Salvation Army report out today. What a shocker that is. The Prime Minister\u2019s Budget in 2019, focusing on well-being\u2014well, they came in with all this rhetoric that they were going to do more to support the most vulnerable in our communities, and this is a shocking indictment on this Government. They\u2019ve been all talk and all rhetoric, and they\u2019ve failed to deliver anything that has turned the lives around of our most vulnerable. The number of kids in dependent households is up, child abuse and neglect is up, and the number of people on jobseeker benefit is up, so we will wait with bated breath and see what Budget 2019 actually delivers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EBut it\u2019s got to be more than just money; it\u2019s got to be delivery, and that\u2019s why I don\u2019t think they\u2019ll be able to deliver much in 2019, unlike our leader, Simon Bridges, who\u2019s started the year fantastically well with his speech, talking about shifting the tax thresholds, or what\u2019s commonly known as bracket creep. Those on the middle income at the moment, they will be paying the highest tax rate by 2022. Things need to change, and, under a National Government in 2020, it will. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003ECan I also talk about the primary sector, because that is a big part of this economic growth. We\u2019re just seeing the cracks starting to appear. The Federated Farmers\u2019 confidence survey\u2014the mid-season one\u2014says farmers\u2019 confidence is at the lowest ebb since 2019. What happened in 2019? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285259e4daa304d3e9bda94fb2094a0db\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: No, 2009. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225d9c4e1c0583438c9f9114b0fdefc817\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry\u20142009. Well, it was the global financial crisis. That was biting hard then. So they\u2019re already looking at the sentiments of this Government, wondering whether on earth the agricultural community and sectors could be the next oil and gas. They\u2019re in trepidation, and we think now about the China relationship. That is a huge relationship for us as an exporting country. It\u2019s our second-biggest exporting country. It\u2019s worth about $28 billion in two-way trade. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003ENow, we\u2019ve had a numerous amount of stuff-ups that have occurred under this Government, which is why we are now seeing, effectively, our relationship being in what I\u2019m terming the chiller for the next six to 12 months. The first one is that New Zealand First Ministers waded into the South China Sea debate, which they shouldn\u2019t have done. David Parker couldn\u2019t get any meeting with his ministerial counterpart when he was up there last year. The Chinese Government have also noticed that the foreign investment changes by this Government have ricocheted all the way back up to Beijing. We then had the recent Huawei decision. That\u2019s gone down like a cup of cold sick, and they\u2019re all wondering what that means. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EWe now have the tourism conference that was due to be happening at Te Papa next week. All Ministers from both sides were going to be there. That has now been pulled. We heard this afternoon in the House that Minister Kelvin Davis heard on 28 January that it was scrapped, doomed\u2014it will never happen again, in my opinion\u2014and no date invitation has been sent to the Prime Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003ESo what should our farmers and growers think right now? The next Federated Farmers\u2019 survey will be even more doomsday than this one. Also we have the EU. Shortly after the Prime Minister left the EU, with her meeting with the senior-ranked politicians over there, what happened? The EU\u2019s out there, threatening to remove our preferential access for lamb and butter.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EThen, of course, we have had numerous other things. We\u2019ve got research and development that\u2019s being halved by this Government for the primary sector, and water storage, which is a massive issue right now, particularly in Nelson and Tasman region, where actually all of those firefighters and emergency services are doing well to get on top of this fire. But one thing in how you can turn these regions around\u2014particularly on the east coast of both islands and the Tasman region\u2014is building water storage projects. That\u2019s now pretty much\u2014not the Waimea dam, but all the other proposals that we were working our way through are now doomed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EOf course, the Government also had deaf ears when people like the Mental Health Alliance and Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand came to the Government and said \u201CWe need some more funding.\u201D, and they said, \u201CNo way.\u201D Also, we\u2019ve got the looming aspect of more regulation from David Parker, already out there talking about environmental taxes. Whether it\u2019s for hill-country farmers, whether it\u2019s winter grazing, or whether it\u2019s feedlots, you can bet your bottom dollar that more regulation\u2019s coming. Then we had Damien O\u2019Connor last year, out there arrogantly saying that farmers should get used to the fact that there will be more costs that are going to be incurred on them by this Government. There\u2019s a hell of a lot of uncertainty under the dairy industry restructuring legislation. Submissions closed on that, so we\u2019ll wait and see what happens as it works its way through the Parliament and what the Minister and his officials come up with. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EThen, of course, we\u2019ve got the tertiary review and reform that\u2019s been talked about today, and it is now public for the next six weeks. I personally think that for such a big reform like this, six weeks is too tight. Then we have Taratahi, a private training establishment (PTE). Nowhere mentioned in this review\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022925341eb302a450d972f833389e517a7\u0022\u003EHon Ron Mark\u003C/span\u003E: Who\u2019s to blame for that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228098c5a737b04fd8a7e215862d81aa64\u0022\u003EHon NATHAN GUY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014are PTEs. Then, we have Ron Mark chipping in there. It surprised me that he wasn\u2019t out with his Labour counterpart Kieran McAnulty, proposing a Givealittle page this summer to support all the staff. Well, the Government had the opportunity to give a little to Taratahi and that was to find some funding, but they slammed the door shut on them. Mark Patterson\u2019s been running around with a Givealittle page to try and support Telford. Well, the Government\u2019s done the right thing there and supported Telford, but now Taratahi is in limbo, and now I\u2019m hearing that Landcorp is looking at picking it up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002223de6bd3-0482-495d-88f4-7cc3f75d8442\u0022\u003EThe National Party has had a good start to 2019. It\u2019s been underwhelming for the Government, and I\u2019m going to finish where I started: 2019, in my view, will be a debate all about tax and it will be a year when the Government struggles to perform and deliver anything that\u2019s going to help grow New Zealand and grow the economy. There\u2019s grey clouds on the horizon, and we should all be very, very nervous. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022 data-id=\u0022521798ac6964408ba58e6fd4d25692bc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022521798ac6964408ba58e6fd4d25692bc\u0022\u003EHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister for Children):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It\u2019s interesting. There\u2019s so much that was either incorrect, manufactured, or something else in the contribution from Nathan Guy, the last speaker, that I could be completely diverted from what I want to say about the Prime Minister\u2019s statement just by taking well over 10 minutes to try and correct most of the inaccuracies. But I think what\u2019s most fascinating for me is the statement that he finished with, which was that the Opposition has had a good start to the year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EThis morning at the Finance and Expenditure Committee, the Opposition set the tone for the year by deciding to play politics with the select committee process. Three National Party MPs stood outside and refused to allow a quorum in a select committee, while submitters\u2014New Zealanders who had paid their way to Wellington to see their elected officials\u2014waited, and those members did so because they deliberately wanted to play politics with the select committee process. This is the party that seeks partisanship. This is the party that continually stands up and says \u201CPlease, Government, work with us.\u201D, and then three National Party MPs, the Rt Hon David Carter, Andrew Bayly, and Andrew Falloon, stood outside deliberately to make a mockery of the select committee\u2014and to make those New Zealanders waste their money and their time\u2014by not coming into the select committee room. Unbelievable. I\u2019ve never seen anything like it, and New Zealanders will judge that party on their behaviour around those submitters. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EWhat did we do\u2014what did we do? We brought those submitters into the select committee room, which was now empty, and we sat down with them and we spent the next hour making sure that they were heard and had a one-on-one conversation with the Labour Party MPs and myself, as a New Zealand First Minister. That is what we did, so that they didn\u2019t waste their money and their time coming to this Parliament for a game\u2014a game\u2014that the National Party was making. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EBut to get to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement\u2014because that is what this Government is going to do\u2014we\u2019re not going to play games with New Zealanders. We\u2019re not going to play games with the future of our nation. That\u2019s not what we are paid by the taxpayers to do. I don\u2019t know where those members find the time to think up these games, but it\u2019s not what we\u2019re doing on this side of the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003ESo, with regard to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, one of the great privileges I have is I\u2019m the Minister for Children and the Minister for Seniors. This Parliament will be judged, and this country will be judged, on how we treat our children and how we treat our senior citizens. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EMadam Deputy Speaker, with your good self sitting in the Chair, it\u2019s almost embarrassing for me to actually go through the changes that are taking place with Oranga Tamariki, because the work that set this in motion was yours, and, with as much honour as I can give it, we have continued down that pathway. So Oranga Tamariki had come into existence only in April 2017\u2014under your guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker\u2014and in the last year, what we have done is we\u2019ve recruited 150 extra social workers and created a number of new practitioner roles so that social workers can spend more time with children. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EThe average caseload in care and protection has reduced from 31 children to 25 children, and a new practice framework sets out front-line social work practice. There are now 250 more caregivers, so children can more likely get the right type of care placement, and we know that getting the right type of care placement to give them consistency so that those placements don\u2019t break down is better for our children. The caregivers now have access to a 24/7 support line, and the country\u2019s first ever care standards regulations have been set. The ministry has also established a new function to improve the safety of children in care. The ministry is strengthening its relationships with the NGO sector and with iwi organisations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EUnder section 7(1)(a)\u2014I\u2019ve got to say, Madam Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the previous Minister in this role, the Minister who set up Oranga Tamariki, that it was enlightened to put section 7(1)(a) into legislation. No responsibility like that has ever been placed on a chief executive of an organisation before. It was enlightened by that Minister, and Oranga Tamariki is working hard to make sure that we build direct relationships, co-designed relationships, and flexible relationships with iwi organisations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EAround about 70 percent of the children in our care are M\u0101ori children. We must have M\u0101ori solutions and M\u0101ori delivering for M\u0101ori, well resourced and well-supported by the Government. The last thing a family needs is for Oranga Tamariki to show up at their door. What they need is somebody that they know from their community and they trust in their community, who comes well resourced and upskilled so that they can deal with the complexities of that family. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EThat leads me on to the operating model. At the end of last year, I took through Cabinet six Cabinet papers, so that we could set the new operating model in place and have it up and running by 1 July 2019. Some really important parts of that need to be articulated. We have too many children in care. We have too many children in the State\u2019s care, and one of the reasons for that is because we do not have an intensive intervention service. So that is something that we will build. We will build it. We are working right now, actually, with some iwi organisations, and I spent a day up in Kait\u0101ia, after being up at Waitangi, to sit alongside an iwi organisation, an NGO there that has been doing intensive intervention for 20-something years, but is not recognised by the State, not resourced appropriately, and not funded. That is what we must do, and that is what we will do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EThe other thing we must do is we must build a transition service, and that is where young people who are care-experienced, and so they have been in care, or young people who have been inside the youth justice facilities\u2014when they leave care or leave youth justice, they will be walked alongside of. I don\u2019t know about my colleagues, but I was 29 the last time I ended up at my mum and dad\u2019s place, on their sofa in their spare room\u2014right? So how do we expect young people out of care or young people out of our youth justice facilities to just suddenly, at the age of 18, be able to be there on their own? They need people to walk alongside them, just like any other child or any other young person who has a family that can support them, and we will create that service. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EI\u2019m going to use the last of my few minutes to shift over to seniors. It\u2019s a true privilege to be the Minister for Seniors. For the last year, the Office of Seniors and I travelled up and down the country, refreshing what is the Positive Ageing Strategy, which was actually created in 2001. All of its targets finished in 2010, and no work had been done to refresh or update or change any of those targets or to create any new targets. A lot has changed between 2001 and 2018-19 in this nation. The diversity of this nation is completely different. Levels of homeownership among those in their 40s and 50s and 60s have taken a plummet. Many other things have changed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003EA million New Zealanders will be over the age of 65 in a decade. We cannot have a million New Zealanders, with the skills and the historical knowledge that they have, just drop out of the workforce. So we must work with, and we are working with, the Employers and Manufacturers Association and other businesses to give them a tool box to make sure that they understand how to have conversations early to transition workers, because there is no retirement age in this country. People are not required to retire\u201465 is the age that you get a universal basic income from your Government, and then you are not required to retire. People transition, and that was what we heard on the road. We must remove the word \u201Cretirement\u201D. People transition from paid employment to unpaid employment, they transition from full time to part time, and they transition to the next stage of their lives, and we are going to work with our communities, with our businesses, to make sure that that transition is better. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022530ce0c4-c977-40cb-90fb-754f54931ff1\u0022\u003ESo this is a big year\u2014a big year\u2014but the plan is there, and I just want to mention the relationship between the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern and the Rt Hon Winston Peters. It is such a tight relationship. They constantly communicate. They work well together. The mutual respect is brilliant to see, and the relationship between the Hon James Shaw and Winston Peters is also another tight relationship. We have worked together collegially. We\u2019re building on the successes that we have. This is going to be an awesome year for a coalition Government that\u2019s going to take this country to the place it needs to be and give the people of New Zealand what they need to be well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022 data-id=\u00222c94141309db4b97ac811ad1154f5d9a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222c94141309db4b97ac811ad1154f5d9a\u0022\u003EHon Dr NICK SMITH (National\u2014Nelson):\u003C/span\u003E I want to take some time to address the incredibly serious fires that have ravaged my home community over the last week, and the drought conditions that have become extreme in the Nelson and Tasman communities. The fire that got started last week is the largest fire in New Zealand for more than 60 years, and I do say it is something of a miracle that there has not been loss of life and that only two homes have been lost. That is a huge tribute to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the hundreds of firefighters from not just my own community but all over New Zealand who have come to attack this fire.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI also want to pay tribute to literally thousands of people who have opened their homes to those who have been evacuated; those who have provided food for the firefighters, the army, and the police; and the huge effort that has gone into the response, whether it\u2019s been civil defence, whether it\u2019s been the army, or whether it has been our schools and others responding to this emergency. I would particularly say that Fire and Emergency New Zealand have learnt the lessons of the Port Hills, and when this Parliament made the decision to merge our rural and urban fire services, it resulted in a far more robust response, and I commend both the officials and the parliamentarians who supported that reform that is paying dividends in my community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EMyself and my colleague Maureen Pugh have been dealing with dozens of constituency cases, and it is a reminder for our officials to just be a little bit flexible in these circumstances. Can I give an example: I was confronted with a situation on Monday where a parent of a special needs student\u2014where the family had been compulsorily evacuated from Wakefield to a home in Nelson\u2014was told that the normal special needs transport for their child could not be provided, because it wasn\u2019t their normal home. Now, when I spoke to the official responsible, they were so focused on the regulations that they had lost their humanity, and I thank the intervention of the director of the Ministry of Education for dealing with that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EEqually, there have been situations where I say the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) needs to be more responsive to farmers. It was insulting for MPI to tell farmers they didn\u2019t know about the welfare of their animals and that only they were sufficiently expert to be able to go on to those properties, and can I thank the Ministry for Primary Industries for changing their approach after representations over the weekend. Let\u2019s be practical: it\u2019s the farmer who knows where the troughs are, it\u2019s the farmer who knows where the feed is, it\u2019s the farmer who knows where his animals are, and it is the farmers who need access to those properties to ensure animal welfare.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThere are two important flow-on issues that I would like the Government to address. We\u2019ve got hundreds of volunteer firefighters from Richmond, from Stoke, from Wakefield, from M\u0101pua, from Golden Bay, and from T\u0101kaka who have been working in this fire under trying conditions for a week. Some of them are self-employed, and their businesses have financially suffered. Some of them are with small employers, and their businesses have been in touch, and I would invite the Minister of Internal Affairs to give consideration to ensuring that every volunteer firefighter\u2014they or their business\u2014is not disadvantaged as a consequence of their tremendous efforts over the last week.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThere is also a further issue that needs to be addressed. Fire and Emergency New Zealand have, quite appropriately, created firebreaks across private property\u2014bulldozed through people\u2019s fences, through their driveways, through their landscaping, and through their crops. The Minister and MPI and no one from the Government are able to answer those property owners as to whether that will be repaired or whether there\u2019ll be any compensation. Let me make plain: Fire and Emergency New Zealand have been absolutely right to create those firebreaks, but if damage has been done in the course of that to people\u2019s private property, it is the Government\u2019s responsibility to put that right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EYesterday, myself and Maureen Pugh asked the Government to consider, in the same way that National did for the Christchurch and Kaik\u014Dura earthquakes, providing financial support for some of the businesses that are just bleeding right now. Civil defence have used their powers to ban any agricultural contracting, any forestry contracting, and any civil contracting in my community, because the district is a tinderbox, which is appropriate, but those businesses, involving hundreds of employees, are now in real difficulty. None of us know when the rain is coming. My plea to the Government for those businesses is to provide a similar block of support for those employers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI now want to turn to the issue of the drought because, in financial terms, that has now become so severe in my district that we are looking at close to $100 million of impact on my community. The council has announced today that we will be moving to stage four rationing. That means, on the Waimea plains, a 65 percent cut in the amount of water that they are able to use for their apples, for the hops, for the boysenberries, and for other crops, as well as for major vegetable producers. I want to say to the House that these are the worst drought conditions on record in the Nelson community. We\u2019ve got large businesses like MG Marketing that employ nearly 200 people, whose jobs are now at risk as a consequence of the economic impact of this severe drought.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EThe last time I gave a speech in this House was last year in securing the support of this Parliament for the Waimea Community Dam. I challenge the Greens to come to my community to see the scale of that drought and to see why that dam is absolutely essential to responding to this sort of issue. But my plea, again, to the Government is to consider the extent of that drought and the financial support. I note that the Prime Minister has announced a $20,000 contribution for the Rural Support Trust and $50,000 for the Mayoral Relief Fund. With due respect, those sums of $20,000 and $50,000 do not cut the mustard. This is a Government that has provided an extra $700 million in aid internationally. This is a Government that\u2019s provided $10 million for Tonga last year, $1.5 million for Indonesia, and over $9 million for Papua New Guinea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003ECharity begins at home. Businesses in my home community are bleeding. The Government needs to provide the support for my community to be able to get through the damage that is coming from the fire and the impact on those rural contracting businesses, as well as the impact that is coming from the drought. I would invite members of the Government in any of the parties to come to Nelson and to see first-hand the extent of the issues that our community is now facing. Whether it be Mayor Richard Kempthorne, our mayor in Nelson, Rachel Reese, or whether it\u2019s our economic development agency or our chamber of commerce, there is a universal plea from our community for the Government to recognise the scale of the challenge that is facing our community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e978865e-57e5-41d6-a7f6-b49daae78630\u0022\u003EI don\u2019t know whether the rain is two weeks away, four weeks away, or six weeks away, but what I do know is that the level of stress and anxiety in my community has never been so high. We have never in our history had 3,000 people evacuated. We\u2019ve never had the level of financial stress or the extent of the drought or the scale of this fire. Today is a day on which we, as a Parliament, need to back my Nelson-Tasman community and give it the support it needs to get through this environmental and climate crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u00229015d54293624c98a94799104f90b993\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229015d54293624c98a94799104f90b993\u0022\u003EDEPUTY SPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call\u2014two five-minute calls.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022 data-id=\u0022315a245ca4b84e5a993e8dde15bda8f1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022315a245ca4b84e5a993e8dde15bda8f1\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Green):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou e Te Whare. I thought long and hard about the topic of this speech, and I thought about not addressing the subject which I\u2019m about to address, but I thought that it was important, given that so much of this debate tends to operate in the abstract when we talk about numbers. I want to talk about something real, because last night I got a call about another young person in Auckland who had attempted to take their life. That\u2019s not abstract. That\u2019s very, very real, and what concerns me is that we so often talk about these things in the abstract. We talk about the numbers and we talk about the statistics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI was having conversation with somebody close to me about this, and they shook their head and said that the mental health system is failing our young people. Yes, the mental health system is absolutely failing our young people, but far worse than that is that every single other piece of this system that this Parliament has built up, decade after decade, is failing our young people. Whether it\u2019s the housing system, whether it\u2019s employment, or whether it\u2019s the debt that they take on to get an education, we are failing our young people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI cannot drive it home anywhere near enough, because when people say to me that young people are lacking in resilience nowadays, our young people aren\u2019t dying from diseases, but they are taking their own lives. There is something chronically wrong and chronically ill in the system, and we have to be bold enough to address that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI can\u2019t get this out clearly enough: if we cannot work together as a Parliament to solve this issue, we don\u2019t deserve to be here\u2014all 120 of us\u2014we do not deserve to be representing the people of this country. I understand that what typically happens in this Chamber is the back and forth and the political point-scoring, and we all understand that that\u2019s just the politics of it\u2014that\u2019s the theatre. We all go back to our communities and we have to face up to those people who are experiencing immense, immense struggle.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI have been up and down the country, as I\u2019m sure many of us have, and I have spoken to those who are dealing with this mental health crisis\u2014this epidemic. It didn\u2019t happen overnight. I said in my maiden speech that I feel as though the mental health epidemic is the pointy end of decades and decades of what\u2014for lack of a better term\u2014is a kind of austerity. It\u2019s the shredding of safety nets, it\u2019s the shredding of care, and it\u2019s the shredding of community.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EWe know there is surmounting evidence\u2014contemporary evidence\u2014on the mental health crisis that showcases that three of the major driving factors for mental illness are trauma, isolation, and poverty, and we have set up this system to perpetuate those things. So we need to be prepared to be bold, because in going around the country and talking to people about these issues, I have not once heard people ask for tax cuts. Instead, I have heard people ask for support, I\u2019ve heard people ask for adequate housing, and I have heard people ask for opportunity, and that is what we have a responsibility to provide.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ENone of this is normal, and it should not be inevitable. We need to come together as a Parliament and invest in our future, and I believe that we are all, ultimately\u2014if our words are to be believed and if our rhetoric is to be believed\u2014committed to a paradigm shift, and that paradigm shift looks like being bold enough to look at the problems bald-faced and see them as they really are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EI am proud that we have started on the first step, with the investment in the pilot programme in Porirua that will impact the lives of 10,000 New Zealanders. But we need to see this rolled out throughout the country, and we need to see all of Parliament coming together to see that happen. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022 data-id=\u002271838b9c9fef46e6b652c6563fda5426\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002271838b9c9fef46e6b652c6563fda5426\u0022\u003EGOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, in the commencement speeches on this side of the House, we heard it noted again and again that New Zealand voted for change last election. With that comes a responsibility to deliver real change. For me, carrying the kaupapa of the Green Party in foreign affairs and trade and in defence, that means holding an unwavering call for New Zealand to stand as an independent voice on the world stage. We have done it before, and we know that we\u2019re good at it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EIn trade, that means the call to divest from that archaic, so-called free-trade agreement that has led to the misery of the last global financial crisis and the values that underpin the misery of inequality at record rates here in New Zealand. The Green Party called for a new style of trade\u2014one that puts people and planet before the profits of multinational corporations\u2014and, eventually, the Government heard our call. I got to stand here proudly as the voice of thousands out there, and finally, this Government has committed to never again enter into that kind of trade agreement, because we know that there is no such thing as free trade. Someone is writing those thousands of pages\u2019 worth of rules. Someone is paying and someone is profiting in the billions. We know that we can\u2019t afford to deregulate our healthcare system, our education system, and our environmental protections so that they get to profit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003ESo we will stay vigilant but hopeful, because the Government has committed to put people and planet first now. In foreign affairs, that means carrying forward that call\u2014that renewed call\u2014and we need to have a new approach. Whether it\u2019s in national security, or whether it\u2019s in the way that we pick and the way that we follow our allies, it\u2019s time\u2014as Green Party MPs have called for many, many times before\u2014for us to review the way we support the likes of Trump in spying on our Asia-Pacific neighbours through the Five Eyes network. If we\u2019re going to stand up to perceived threats of spying by China through Huawei, we need to do that with integrity. We need to regulate our own spy agencies like the GCSB. In defence, it means spending less on billion-dollar war planes and focusing more on what our defence force does best, on environmental monitoring in the Pacific, on disaster relief, and on supporting scientific research to combat climate change in the Antarctic.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s time, at this moment in global history, for New Zealand to stand apart from the nations who happily put the profits of the war industry before the misery of actual people and our planet. There is no longer any doubt that war is an industry. Instead, we should stand as an independent voice; a voice for peace. It\u2019s time we stopped hosting the war industry, as we did in Palmerston North last year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003EAs a mark of our commitment to peace, I\u2019m calling on the Minister of Defence to end our deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, where war began illegally and has now turned into a perpetual nightmare of violence. We need to be investing those millions of dollars in providing useful development and humanitarian aid and building pathways to peace, because we know that people trapped in perpetual military occupation are only going to watch their children be recruited into more and more violent militias. Instead, New Zealand needs to do things differently. Only through that independence will we be effective as brokers of peace, as we have been before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022abf27403-4392-47c9-9af0-6773753e95cb\u0022\u003ESo we need to stand as a counterpoint to the politics of hate and division and violence on the rise elsewhere in the world\u2014supported for nine years on that side of the House. We need to do things differently because that\u2019s what New Zealanders voted for. The rhetoric of change won\u2019t do because, actually, lives are at stake. But I am hopeful because we have cooperation on this side of the House. The first true MMP Government is working together to change things, and we will be that independent voice on the global stage again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022 data-id=\u0022f89dca6ea6aa4997b7772905e46e81b9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f89dca6ea6aa4997b7772905e46e81b9\u0022\u003EHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National\u2014Coromandel):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to take my first call in the House this sitting year, and might I wish you and your fellow presiding officers well for the work that you do on behalf of this Parliament. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s been a very good summer in the beautiful Coromandel electorate. We have been spared the extreme weather events that we witnessed and succumbed to back in January 2018, and we were not put to the test in the way that Nelson and Tasman have been put to in terms of fire. But our hearts and thoughts go out to those people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EBut in the Coromandel, we\u2019ve found that this Government is not being effective for the business people, for the families, for the individuals, and for the people\u2014the hard-working taxpayers\u2014of Coromandel. They\u2019re feeling very let down by this Government. In a seat that was once held by a Green Party MP, there is a sense of utter frustration amongst Green Party supporters in particular that their Government has not been able to deliver for them in a way that they felt it would. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EActually, those two last speeches from Green Party members epitomise entirely the problem with the Green Party in Parliament these days\u2014that is, notwithstanding that they spoke about important issues of defence and trade and, in Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u2019s case, the very serious issue of suicide, there was nary a mention of the environment or of conservation. In fact, I don\u2019t think conservation was mentioned once. Nary a mention of our marine environment and of the biodiversity threats that are so prevalent and that they are so weakly ignoring on behalf of all New Zealanders and future generations\u2014nary a thought\u2014and this is the problem. Now that they find themselves in Government, they find themselves impotent\u2014impotent\u2014to do what they thought they could do, because they\u2019re being outmanoeuvred entirely by the other junior party in the coalition, the New Zealand First Party. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EWhat we have seen is that in terms of the environment, almost nothing has occurred since this Government came to power nearly a year and a bit ago. So what have we seen? Well, we\u2019ve seen plastic bags banned in supermarkets. Now, I\u2019m not going to say that that\u2019s not an important issue, because we have far too much plastic in our lives, but I can assure you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and members across the House, that plastic bags are the very least of our plastics issue. We\u2019ve got far greater issues to come to terms with in terms of plastics than single-use plastic bags in supermarkets\u2014particularly when, actually, under the last Government, a voluntary agreement had been agreed to and set in place by the two big supermarket chains to be rid of the supermarket plastic bags already. So it\u2019s difficult for the Government in this space, where so many people had such high hopes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EBut wait\u2014help is on the way. This year, the National Party will be releasing eight discussion documents\u2014eight fully investigated and well-thought-out discussion documents\u2014and in the nine years of the Labour Opposition, how many were produced? Zero, zip, nada\u2014none. So already, in the space of a short 18 months or less, the National Opposition has done more work in Opposition than the Labour Party did in their entire nine years in Opposition. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EI\u2019m delighted to let the House know that in Raglan, on 23 February, the Bluegreens of the National Party will be holding their 21st annual get-together. We\u2019ve had a blue-green party in this House for 21 years\u201421 years\u2014and I\u2019m very pleased to be part of it. But at that meeting in Raglan on 23 February, we\u2019ll be releasing the very first of those eight discussion papers, and it\u2019s on the environment\u2014our environment\u2014because we are the party of practical, pragmatic, sensible environmentalists. In that discussion paper, we will be proposing a range of initiatives across climate change matters, across the conservation portfolio, across the environment portfolio, and, indeed, into a couple of others as well that touch on the matters that are so important to all New Zealanders in terms of our environmental assets, our environmental heritage, and our environmental future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EOne of the things that I find most abhorrent about this current Government is that they actually have only three policy initiatives\u2014only three\u2014and they apply these three policy initiatives to every single thing they do. Those three policy initiatives are simply these: one, tax it; two, make it compulsory; or, three, make it free. Those are the only policy responses that this Government has to any single issue confronting New Zealand and New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003ENow, actually, New Zealanders want a far more sophisticated and nuanced approach to the challenges and issues that confront us as a nation, so that we can collectively, in this place, during our time here, add value for not only today\u2019s citizens but those that will follow us tomorrow and in generations to come. So, wearing my hat as spokesperson for the National Party on workplace relations and safety\u2014what we used to refer to as industrial relations or labour relations in the old days\u2014what strikes me as strange is that a Government that is so wedded to the trade union movement would want to take us back to a time in our history that, actually, most New Zealanders think we have long since left. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EI\u2019m referring to the legislative initiatives, the plans, and the working groups that are all focused on taking us back to the 1970s. That was a time of aggression and adversarial angst between big trade unions and big business, when there was no ability for small-business people, individual businesses, and individual enterprises to negotiate terms and conditions of employment with individual staff members, and that seems to me to be something that is utterly wrong. When the rest of the world has been looking to New Zealand for guidance and saying \u201CWell, how is it that a small country at the bottom of the South Pacific, under an administration led by John Key and Bill English, could be creating in their economy 10,000 jobs a month\u201D\u2014how could it be that a new Government, a socialist, left-leaning Government, would come into power and want to take us back to a time and a place that we all thought we\u2019d left behind long ago? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EAll that will happen by giving big unions the opportunity to assert their power and influence in the way that they have been is that we\u2019ll end up with more strikes\u2014more strikes. Indeed, the trade union movement is already promising us more strikes this year than last year, and we know in 2018, we had more strikes, more industrial action, and more threats of strikes last year than we have had in any single year for the last 30 years. Now, at that point, the actual legislation that they pushed through the Parliament last year hadn\u2019t even taken effect. So it wasn\u2019t the legislative environment that had changed. The only thing that had changed was the Government\u2014the only thing that had changed was the Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that has emboldened and empowered the trade union movement, because now the trade union movement thinks that their mates are in the Beehive and they have almost tacit approval for industrial action and strikes. Earlier this week in Auckland, we had the first of what we haven\u2019t seen for many a long year: a wildcat, no-notice strike by bus drivers on the North Shore of Auckland. Now, this is a very retrograde step in terms of the New Zealand economy, in terms of our industrial relations landscape, and in terms of opportunity for business and for business people. But in the National Party, we understand that going backwards\u2014back to the 1970s\u2014isn\u2019t actually going to take us forward as a nation, and it seems strange that the Government wants us to go there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EIn the National Party, we have a view that people should be accountable for their own actions and inactions, that they should have freedom to organise their lives and their businesses in ways to grow those businesses and to enrich their lives, and that there is little place for big government, big unions, or big, heavy-handed regulation or legislation in their lives. We like to think that New Zealanders are imaginative enough, witty enough, and nimble enough to get on with most things themselves and that, actually, having less government is probably a good thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003ESo, Madam Assistant Speaker, as I draw to an end in my first contribution in the House this year, I just want to wish you and other members well, because this has been a start to the year that the Government\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=\u002261496d8384fc4cf5be1b735ff8e3cea0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002261496d8384fc4cf5be1b735ff8e3cea0\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise to the member. I\u2019m sorry, your time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u00224f7e5638fc8149bfb0d6a1bb85011b5e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224f7e5638fc8149bfb0d6a1bb85011b5e\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E I want to start today with some congratulations. I believe, from being an avid member of the Hansards, that it is the Hon Michael Woodhouse\u2019s 26th wedding anniversary today. As he is my counterpart from Dunedin and also my counterpart as the Opposition health spokesperson, I want to wish him all the very best. From reading the Hansards, I also know that he begrudges spending too much money on flowers for these anniversaries because around Valentine\u2019s Day, the price of flowers goes up. But I want to say to that member, the Hon Michael Woodhouse, congratulations\u201426 years is no small feat\u2014but I also think he should buy his wife an extra large bunch of flowers this year to celebrate that anniversary. His wife\u2014whom I\u2019ve met\u2014is a lovely person, and she will now be having to endure him being around the house a little more. So an extra big bunch is in order, and some congratulations at the same time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EThis Government is motivated on ensuring that we are tackling growing inequalities and that we are improving incomes, housing, health, and education in this country. We know that one of the symptoms of a growing gap between rich and poor is an increasing number of children living in poverty. It doesn\u2019t sit right with us as Kiwis to read reports from the OECD like the one that came out in 2014. There was a recent one that confirmed that growth in inequalities in New Zealand over recent decades has outstripped other Western countries. It\u2019s something we can do something about. It\u2019s why we\u2019re so proud of the Families Package that we brought in as a coalition Government, because it\u2019s at the heart of tackling inequality, which does not sit well with us as Kiwis. We are absolutely committed as a Government to building a fairer society, and we will lead because we are committed to making change that matters. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EI want to speak a little bit, of course, about our healthcare system. I want to speak about primary care. I want to speak about critical facilities and mental health. These are the priorities that this Government is taking forward. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EIt is hard to understate the importance of primary care and early intervention for good health outcomes in our health system. We have as a Government already made doctors visits more affordable for around 540,000 community services card holders. We\u2019ve made them more affordable by about $20 to $30, on average, because we know that in this situation, where we\u2019ve had this growth and inequalities under the previous Government and where they haven\u2019t looked to make sure that prosperity is shared, around 585,000 New Zealanders\u2014according to the New Zealand Health Survey\u2014can\u2019t go to a doctor for reasons of cost, and that\u2019s not right. That\u2019s not right. We know that if people get to the doctor and intervene early with health conditions, they can get the help they need. It keeps them out of hospitals and it means that they can enjoy better health. So we are absolutely convinced that introducing that on 1 December will make a real difference for New Zealanders in terms of making sure they can access our health system and get the healthcare they need and deserve. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve also advanced other initiatives, including making healthcare free for 13-year-olds\u2014for 56,000 thirteen-year-olds. I want to thank New Zealand First for that, because that\u2019s a part of our coalition agreement as a Government. New Zealand First and Labour\u2014we have made free doctors visits for 13-year-olds. That is a step forward. So for around 600,000 New Zealanders last year, doctors visits got either significantly cheaper or were made free. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve also put more nurses in schools because that makes sure that needs are met early, when we see the first signs of trouble. But we\u2019ve got further ambition. New Zealand First, again, have put forward a free health check for seniors, so that\u2019s something that we\u2019re working on as well. We\u2019re making primary care more accessible because we know it leads to better health outcomes for New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002207dc4112-8a19-4dd6-a57c-878b47f8a9b6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002240569d18b8d242eba65ab45369f989fc\u0022\u003EHon Ron Mark\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s for Nick Smith. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002200db962da89241d1baec061fdf3613fe\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, I can\u2019t comment on that one, Mr Mark. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EOf course, when people do need hospital care, we need to have hospital facilities that are up to scratch, and, again, the underfunding under the previous Government\u2019s watch means there is a big job to do right there. In our first Budget, we put forward $2.2 billion of new funding to make sure that those hospitals were able to operate better to actually meet the need that has been growing in that underfunded environment. But the buildings\u2014the buildings\u2014sadly, we know many of them have struggled. We\u2019ve heard about the rot and the mould in the walls at Counties Manukau, and so we\u2019ve allocated some money to address that issue. We\u2019ve heard about leaks in operating theatres in Dunedin Hospital. When it rains, they\u2019ve had to cancel surgery in the past. It is absolutely outrageous that we\u2019ve come to this point in our health system, and we, as a Government, are determined to get on and fix the mess that we have inherited. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EIn our first Budget, we put aside $750 million worth of capital to start addressing those critical infrastructure needs in our hospital system, and so far we\u2019ve spent money. There has been money allocated, including $275 million for Auckland District Health Board (DHB), to address significant infrastructure challenges; $200 million - plus for a new elective surgery unit at North Shore Hospital; $80 million for four projects at Counties Manukau DHB, including the one I mentioned to get the rot and mould out of the walls; $45 million for the new Wellington Children\u2019s Hospital; $24 million for endoscopy and cardiac capacity at Whangarei Hospital; $20 million for the new Buller Hospital integrated family health centre; $8 million for a new secure mental health unit at Porirua for our most high-needs intellectual disability and mental health patients; and $7.1 million for the second phase of development at Bay of Islands Hospital. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EOne thing that we also need to do\u2014and we are getting on with\u2014is planning longer term. We are going to make sure that we don\u2019t end up long term as a country where our infrastructure is run down every time we have a Government that takes its eye off the ball. We as a Government are committed to putting in place a national asset management plan\u2014in fact, it\u2019s outrageous that as a country, we haven\u2019t had one for our health system\u2014and while I\u2019m not about to make any Budget announcements today, I can assure this House that this Government is committed to making sure our health system is funded better, that we\u2019re addressing that historical underfunding that the previous Government brought in, and that we will address the mess we\u2019ve inherited with our buildings that were neglected under their watch. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EWe also want to do some things in the area of mental health. We know that we need to. Every person in this House and all New Zealanders, I would hazard, know someone in their family or in their circle of friends who has wrestled with a mental health challenge. Demand is one measure of what\u2019s been going on, and demand on our mental health services increased by 70 percent during the previous Government\u2019s time, but funding went up by less than half of that amount. So we know that the demand is there and the pressure is on our system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EIt is a personal priority for me\u2014mental health\u2014but it\u2019s also one of the Government\u2019s priorities for the upcoming well-being Budget, and, of course, we had started with this journey before we were even in Government. All of the parties now in Government campaigned on having an inquiry into mental health. This coalition Government has been concerned about mental health for some time, and the inquiry was launched in our first 100 days in office. It has made substantial and considered recommendations and our response will be substantial and considered, and I expect to make announcements about that next month. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EBut, in the meantime, we have got on with investing, because the need in mental health is so great. We\u2019ve put an extra $200 million in our first Budget into DHB services. We launched the Mana Ake programme in Canterbury and Kaik\u014Dura to make sure we had mental health workers in primary schools and secondary schools there. We extended the nurses in schools programme to make sure that all schools up to decile 4 in New Zealand have a nurses in school programme, and we also have announced the construction of new drug and alcohol detoxification facilities in Auckland. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve mentioned already the cheaper doctors visits, and we know that for many New Zealanders, their GP is the way into the mental health services they need. Making those doctors visits cheaper will mean that not only will those people have cheaper doctors visits drugs but they will actually be able to afford to go, to get the help that they need to intervene when they have challenges that are mild or moderate before they become more developed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019re very proud of the progress we\u2019ve made already, but there is so much more to do in mental health. Just this last week, Julie Anne Genter and I travelled to Porirua. The Greens have in their agreement with the Labour Party a new integrated therapies pilot, and so we launched a programme now known as Piki, which means to support another and to ascend, which will provide free mental health support to an estimated 10,000 eighteen- to 24-year-olds\u201410,000 with mild to moderate health needs\u2014and we will be scaling that up, according to demand. We know that three-quarters of all lifetime mental health cases present by 24 years of age. We need to move earlier on the mild to moderate stuff. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that is people-centred and determined to grow the economy and share the prosperity. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u002224ffbddeca4b45008e5706a420962457\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002224ffbddeca4b45008e5706a420962457\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Assistant Speaker, thank you so much, and I\u2019d like to begin my contribution speaking against the Prime Minister\u2019s statement by wishing everyone a happy New Year. As has almost become a bit of a tradition, I say that in my native tongue: se hae bok mani baduseyo, which actually means, \u201CIn the New Year may you receive lots and lots of luck.\u201D So I hope you have a wonderful new year of the golden pig and I hope that everyone is well rested from our summer break and ready for a challenging year for our Government, because, apparently, it\u2019s a year of delivery for the Government. I say \u201Cchallenging\u201D because I mean, oh my goodness, what a failure this Government has actually been in the last 15 months that they\u2019ve been in Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EIn the contribution by the Minister who just sat down, Dr David Clark, he tried to actually say that their focus was on the inequality, the growth in poverty in terms of primary healthcare. You know, apparently they\u2019re so focused and yet this Government has been an utter failure in the last 15 months of their Government, in their leadership of this nation, and yet they try and blame the former National Government. Do they not realise that they are, in fact, the Government? Fifteen months is a long time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229494035aa3064838bfe035d8751c147f\u0022\u003EHon Maggie Barry\u003C/span\u003E: Halfway through.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221424c07ed95e445e840ffaec73d42ca6\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s halfway through, until the next election, and to actually say that this Government is so focused\u2014let me start with what the Minister said. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EIn terms of primary healthcare, does the Minister actually know\u2014I guess he does because he is the Minister of Health. Apparently, I heard from someone who works in the Ministry of Health, we are short of 1,000 doctors in this country and one of the reasons why we are short of 1,000 doctors in this country is because of another policy of this particular Government, and that is in relation to foreigners being prevented from buying a home. \u201CHow is that in any way relevant?\u201D you might ask. It is that foreign doctors are being recruited to come to this country to work, and the reason\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227d6585781b77496eb93a413030affa5c\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s wrong with foreigners?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002242f64aced9b24d10b9b39b46366cb63b\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE\u003C/span\u003E: And we would love to have them, Mr McAnulty, but the issue is that these people are refusing to come to this country, because when foreign doctors want to come to New Zealand they want to be able to buy a property for their family and actually settle in this new country of theirs, but they are not allowed because they are foreigners.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EAnd let\u2019s actually get to the targets for this particular Minister who just spoke. Whatever happened to the health targets this Government is supposed to be meeting, or delivering for New Zealand? They\u2019ve decided that they\u2019re going to can the targets because they realise that they cannot meet the targets. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EShall we actually talk about some of the other targets? I mean, did anybody else actually read the Prime Minister\u2019s statement? I tried to go through some of the statements that the Prime Minister actually made. You know, she talks about the intentions to make good policy and a good country. Intentions don\u2019t actually make good policy. Nor do they equate to good outcomes for New Zealanders. Intentions don\u2019t actually deliver for New Zealanders and the people that they apparently care most about\u2014the vulnerable New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EIf anybody was there at this morning\u2019s breakfast release of the State of the Nation Report by the Salvation Army\u2014I mean, this Government hasn\u2019t actually addressed the poverty issue or the social or economic inequality, because apparently we are at record levels of household debt. And this is talking not about the last nine years; this is actually talking about the last year. This is a report about this Labour-led Government\u2019s performance. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EOffender recidivism has gone up. Alcohol, drugs, and gambling have gone up. The number of children in benefit-dependent homes has gone up. Child abuse and neglect have gone up. Family violence referrals have gone up. The number of NEETs\u2014those not in education, employment, or training\u2014has gone up. The number of jobseeker benefits has actually gone up. Rents have gone up by $40 for average New Zealanders who are actually renting. That makes a huge impact on their budgets. The PM talked about the well-being - focused Government. It looks like they\u2019re not so focused on the well-being of the most vulnerable people that apparently the PM and this Government care about. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EUnemployment increased by 10,000 in the last three months\u2014unemployment. That is ridiculous\u2014and they\u2019re talking about a growing economy. If it\u2019s actually a growing economy and the economy is doing so much better than what they say they are, then people should be getting into jobs. People should be getting into jobs so that they can actually pay for things, but it seems like this Government is not telling the whole truth. They talk about wastage. Let\u2019s talk about the wastage that this Government has actually produced: the $3 billion dollar slush fund of Shane Jones. How many jobs did that actually create?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002270cddb391b324a61868369b0908abc59\u0022\u003EDan Bidois\u003C/span\u003E: 54.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b4b65dd83ee4c4f8a0688abecf90664\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE\u003C/span\u003E: Fifty-four. Dan Bidois, thank you so much for reminding me of that. What about the wastage of $2 billion for free education for first-year university students? I\u2019m sure that students who are going to university for the first time would appreciate it, but the focus was supposed to have increased the number of people attending university. Did it in fact deliver that? No it didn\u2019t\u2014no wonder. It actually delivered zero increase. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003ETalking specifically about my own portfolio area of broadcasting and communications and digital media, the Prime Minister didn\u2019t even say anything about that. I guess she\u2019s rather embarrassed about what that particular portfolio did not actually deliver. And we\u2019ve had the shameful promise by the Labour Government to deliver RNZ\u002B, actually a stand-alone TV channel for Radio New Zealand. That was going to be funded to the tune of $38 million a year. But what did we actually end up with last year? We ended up with a Minister having to resign as a result. Actually, it wasn\u2019t even Radio New Zealand who got the $15 million funding; it was actually the public media. I guess Radio New Zealand plus New Zealand On Air have to split the $15 million funding that they actually got. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EBut what\u2019s going to happen to the public media, a thing that Labour was so apparently focused on? They haven\u2019t delivered. They got rid of a Minister. She didn\u2019t perform. Now we have a Minister who is seen to be a little bit confused as to where the targets are. I think we were supposed to have a spectrum auction in October or sometime around October. We don\u2019t know when that 5G spectrum auction is going to actually happen. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s talk about the ethnic communities, as well\u2014another one in my portfolio. The director of the Office of Ethnic Communities was actually gone for\u2014it was a job that was missing for almost a year. Nobody actually replaced the former director. It took them nearly a year, and this morning at select committee I was told that they appointed someone in November\u2014but they had a month off and, actually, literally just started\u2014but that job is not a permanent appointment as a director. I mean, it was a job that was left vacant for one whole year, and they decide to find someone for only six months. This person\u2019s job is only for six months. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThey talk about the skilled migrant shortage. My goodness! It seems they are able to pay former MPs and former race relations conciliators, by the Office of Ethnic Communities, to go to a Safer Communities forum that the Minister for Ethnic Communities held and paid someone $5,000 to facilitate. I would have done it for free, but the National Party wasn\u2019t invited; only the Labour Party was actually invited, it looks like. According to the minutes on one of the things that I received on our Official Information Act request, the attendance list for the forum includes two persons listed as \u201CLabour Hunua\u201D. I\u2019m sure \u201CNational Hunua\u201D would have wanted to attend as well. If it was specific to Hunua, I\u2019m sure every party would have wanted to go. There was also a minute from one of the meetings on the Safer Communities forum session, and I quote, \u201CThis table then had a staff member from the Labour ethnic communities office plug their office and that they were there to contact and could help.\u201D I think this person works for an MP\u2019s office, wasn\u2019t actually from the Minister\u2019s office, and claimed that this is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dbc5a85b4736416694203b770665c5fb\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s this got to do with the Prime Minister\u2019s statement?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022525dd77f979b4293b65f9eb50f446f7a\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE\u003C/span\u003E: What I\u2019m actually getting to, Mr McAnulty, is the lack of performance. The Office of Ethnic Affairs had no director for one year and decided to appoint someone, but it\u2019s not even permanent. This is the lack of performance of this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022 data-id=\u0022e21ef301f4934d6aa6033e4fe5a9f04c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e21ef301f4934d6aa6033e4fe5a9f04c\u0022\u003EHon DAMIEN O\u2019CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. Look, it\u2019s an honour to speak for the first time in the House in 2019, but I have to say it\u2019s a privilege that I\u2019ve had for a number of years, every year that I come back. I do value the responsibility and, I guess, the honour of being able to be part of a democratic system that I think we should be very proud of. But it\u2019s not perfect, and I acknowledge that: from time to time, we get National in charge. Those are the down times, I have to say. But I am proud to be part of a coalition Government, led by the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, that is inspiring the world\u2014inspiring the world. What she has done on the international stage\u2014and we will back up here in New Zealand\u2014is believe in ourselves. There\u2019s a saying: \u201CThose who think they can and those who think they can\u2019t are right.\u201D Well, we think we can. We think that we can help people in poverty. We think we can help people who don\u2019t have a home. We think we can help people who need more income. We think we can help New Zealand become a better place for every New Zealander, just not for the elite. That was the objective of the previous National Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EI have to say, before going on, that I\u2019d like to take the opportunity to acknowledge what has been happening in Tasman-Nelson. A fire has been down there. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the efforts of an incredibly coordinated effort\u2014people on the ground, in offices, in Wellington\u2014ensuring that that fire, firstly, is put out and that people who are affected are assisted. Now, there will always be glitches, as there have been, but Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Tasman District Council, civil defence, the helicopter pilots\u2014all of these people have done an incredible job, and, assisted by my colleague the Hon Kris Faafoi, the Prime Minister has been down there, and my colleagues as well, ensuring the Government will support those people to recover and get on with their lives. That\u2019s because this Government, indeed, focuses on the provinces.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThere was criticism before from, I think, an Auckland MP about the Provincial Growth Fund. They don\u2019t like the Provincial Growth Fund, because this Government is going out into what they considered Tory heartland, into the provinces, and saying, \u201CWe do appreciate what you do for our economy. We do appreciate the fact that you need good infrastructure and support, and we will support you and fund you.\u201D My colleague the Hon Shane Jones is going and talking with those people and investing to provide the support for a better future in the provinces\u2014not sitting around, supporting a real estate merry-go-round held up by immigration in Auckland, which was the measure of the National Party\u2019s objectives. We are going to get out there and ensure that every New Zealander has a better future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EMy responsibilities in the primary sector are absolutely crucial. We are still at the heart of economic wealth creation in this country, and we take that responsibility with great pride. The objective in the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Biosecurity New Zealand, and the different agencies that we have set up is sustainable value growth. Some people challenged me the other day as to whether MPI was on the same path that it was sent down by the previous National Government: double exports. They thought that was the way to success. No, we have accepted that sustainable value growth must be the objective of our Government, and ensuring that that value flows right through our economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ECan I say that we have a number of important challenges; water quality is one of them. Working with my colleague David Parker, we have taken that challenge on board, grasped it with both hands, and are going to go out to the farming sector and, with tools, provide them assistance to make the transitions that they need. Climate change is a reality. You don\u2019t have to go too far to ask anyone whether that\u2019s true or not. There are, I believe, a couple of people in the country and one, even, regional council that perhaps suggested that it wasn\u2019t a reality. Can I say that, on behalf of the West Coast Regional Council, they accept that climate change is a reality. They have some questions over what it might mean for their local communities. But we are facing the reality of disruption on a regular basis, and this Government will help prepare the heart and soul of our economy\u2014that is the rural sector\u2014to address that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve had, down in my patch of Tasman, on top of the fires, a necessary requirement to cut water availability to intensive farming horticultural operations to 35 percent of the water they expected. That\u2019s a tough challenge. We\u2019re going to help them through that. We can\u2019t create the rain, but it\u2019s a warning to everyone in the primary sector, whether you have water or not: be prepared for some tough times on occasions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003ECan I say that there are a number of challenges that we will address. We have, of course, a biosecurity system that was left in a little bit of disarray\u2014an animal tracing system that was left in a bit of disarray\u2014by the previous National Government and its kind of laissez-faire, hands-off, head in the sand approach to governance in this country. We are about leadership. We are going to create a better biosecurity system. We are going to get farmers to adhere to a proper animal tracing system, and we\u2019ll pass legislation to ensure that happens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re going to support organic growers in this country who have been focusing on value-added production but have not been able to underpin that with a certification system that is recognised internationally. We will pass legislation to ensure that they are supported for all their efforts. We are going to pass and support a farm-debt mediation bill because we know there are some challenges in the primary sector, and with our colleagues New Zealand First, who initiated this, we\u2019ve worked to bring back to this House a bill that will be effective, that will provide some fairness when on occasions those people across the primary sector are forced to negotiate a way out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EWe had the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act, passed in 2001, up for renewal, and we\u2019re working with the dairy industry to ensure that we get a better outcome and futureproof the dairy industry for the good of all New Zealand. We will overhaul the Biosecurity Act. Biosecurity has been seen as perhaps the responsibility of just our horticultural and primary sectors. It is not. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us as Kiwis because our lifestyle and our flora and fauna is quite unique, and if we allow some of these unwanted pests and organisms into this country, we will start to see that destroyed. One clear example: the brown marmorated stink bug. You might think them just little bugs, but go online and have a look at video clips as to what happens with an infestation to just a normal barbecue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EThese are all challenges that we have. One area\u2014and I\u2019m very pleased to say that my colleague the Hon Chris Hipkins announced today a total revamp of the occupational education and training system in this country. It has been broken. The National Government sat on their hands with their heads in the sand and failed to address the core problems, particularly in the area of agriculture. We\u2019ve had to go through a difficult process with Taratahi and Telford and, effectively, close them down temporarily to revamp the whole system and give them a sustainable future. All the Tories did is throw a bit of money at them, revamp them, put Telford, firstly, under Lincoln and then under Taratahi, and say, \u201CYou\u2019ll be right.\u201D and walk away. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EWhat the Hon Chris Hipkins is doing is bold, it\u2019s brave, and it will ensure that we get the proper level of training and education for all those young New Zealanders across this economy. Too many times I\u2019ve spoken to employers, over a number of years, who have said, \u201CLook, the young people we\u2019re getting out don\u2019t have the skills that we need.\u201D There\u2019s been a mismatch between the billions of dollars, effectively, that have gone into occupational training and education over the last 10 years, literally to produce, I guess, young New Zealanders who still don\u2019t have the skills needed by industry. We\u2019re going to change that, and that revamp will achieve it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003EI can\u2019t finish a speech without mentioning, I guess, the big challenge that we have\u2014and it\u2019s being watched internationally\u2014that is Mycoplasma bovis. Can I thank my colleagues once again? As I go around the country, farmers and observers who are informed appreciate the bold and brave move that we took to actually say we want to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis. Anyone who looks at the disease and its potential effects on the New Zealand production systems and livestock knows that this would be a nightmare. It is managed in other countries\u2014that is true\u2014but we run unique farming systems here that would mean that for a disease like Mycoplasma bovis, which is hard to identify until you see the acute signs of it, we would have to change the farming systems in this country. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022cbab4ab22fa14de388b7d04c58e87989\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cbab4ab22fa14de388b7d04c58e87989\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I apologise to the honourable member; your time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022 data-id=\u0022b8fa3df5f31d45b69370b547e34721a8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b8fa3df5f31d45b69370b547e34721a8\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY (National\u2014North Shore):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I rise to talk, I guess, with some bemusement about the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I listened to it pretty carefully yesterday, and then a wash of Groundhog Day d\u00E8j\u00E1 vu came upon me, because I heard pretty much the same old, same old at R\u0101tana, at Waitangi, in the state of the nation, and sundry other speeches. It\u2019s words, words, high-sounding weasel words, and, apparently, this is the year of delivery. My question is how are they going to deliver?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EIncidentally, it is the Year of the Pig and the Chinese New Year, so I should say kung hei fat choy. While the Chinese are looking at prosperity\u2014and, in fact, it\u2019s the Year of the Golden Pig, I\u2019m reliably informed, and as someone who was born in the Year of the Pig, this is very encouraging news\u2014for this Government it will be all about delivery. When I listened to the Prime Minister\u2019s speech and didn\u2019t hear very much of substance, I thought \u201CGive her a fair show. Let\u2019s have a look at the speech itself.\u201D So I went through. I saw \u201Cnew kind of leadership\u201D mentioned at least six times, so I gave up counting after that. It\u2019s not clear, of course, what on earth that means.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThese people are halfway through their term\u2014what have they been doing for the past 15 months? It is a shambles. The coalition is blaming everybody but themselves for their shambolic and incompetent performance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EWe had the Minister of Health here, barrelling through his usual old lines. \u201CNine long years.\u201D\u2014we\u2019ve been hearing that for rather a long time. The Minister doesn\u2019t appear to understand that he\u2019s in Government now. He\u2019s in charge, and\u2014about delivering\u2014it needs to have much more than just rhetoric. It needs substance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI\u2019m usually quite a fan of recycling, but the amount of rhetoric and, really, waffle that we\u2019ve been hearing from this Government\u2014and, in particular with the Prime Minister\u2019s statement\u2014is more at the compostable end of recycling. I think we really do need to look at what\u2019s fit for compost and what\u2019s fit for modern purpose.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002249108f7ac687480ca0921fa2b8632f43\u0022\u003EHon Kris Faafoi\u003C/span\u003E: You\u2019d know it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0eea407606a48929fa385c9d097bf25\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: Yes I would know that, and that\u2019s exactly true, Minister. I know a lot more about recycling than you guys do\u2014or, I thought I did\u2014but now, of course, you\u2019re taking over from that, because he\u2019s dishing out a bit of manure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022873b684226a64d0ab5b970c05ad6095e\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Stop bringing the Speaker into the debate. Thank you, both sides.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022769bdf2961094c50b84b11b1a983ff14\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: A fair bit of manure coming across from the Government benches, but nothing new from that member\u2014class clown. Anyway\u2014a lot of virtue signalling, a lot of words and not action, and a lot of rhetoric and empty promises, but, again, no delivery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo I come back to the tedious, repetitive speech that we had to endure listening to yesterday in the House. I look through for a few things\u2014what do I find? The well-being Budget. OK, what exactly is that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c4f9318e14484a2cb8e9b3712304e84a\u0022\u003ERt Hon David Carter\u003C/span\u003E: Very good question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226cd36d36326b4ea39a5a79c9d2f0b4d8\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: Yes indeed, the Rt Hon David Carter, it is a good question. We are told in the same breath that it is going to be the first well-being Budget in the world, and it will be delivered in May, but that it will not alone guarantee improvements to New Zealanders\u2019 living standards. Oh dear\u2014really? What is the purpose of a Budget? What is the purpose of voting for Labour if they are not going to improve New Zealanders\u2019 living standards? Apparently, Ministers are going to have to change their thinking. They are going to have to think about outcomes for New Zealanders. It\u2019s going to be a darn high threshold, to prove that you have to have intergenerational benefits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve been a Minister who has gone to some pretty stingy Ministers of Finance and asked for money for my Budget for my ministries. Bill English, God bless him, I love him to bits\u2014very short arms, very long pockets, really hard to convince and prise money out of. If I had to prove to him intergenerational benefits for every bid I put up, I wouldn\u2019t get very far with him. I doubt very much whether anyone across the House is going to get very much out of their finance Minister either, because he\u2019s just talked himself into an excuse to not give money where it is needed, as opposed to this nebulous stuff around well-being and so forth.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo then we read on: \u201CCreating opportunities for transitioning to a sustainable low emissions economy\u201D\u2014yep, good. How? I keep coming back to this word \u201CHow?\u201D. Where is the detail? \u201CLifting M\u0101ori and Pacific incomes, skills and opportunities.\u201D\u2014I don\u2019t think there\u2019s been a Government in New Zealand for, probably, 40 years that hasn\u2019t had that as its priority, but again, there is no detail. Virtue signalling on its own is not enough\u201415 months in and halfway through your term, we would expect a whole lot better. And \u201Csupporting mental well-being\u201D\u2014well, hold the front page. It\u2019s a revelation, is it not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EI thought the educational stuff was really light: \u201CAn important focus will be [on] ensuring our education system is better prepared for the disruption we are facing [with] increasing technology and climate change.\u201D Wow! It doesn\u2019t get much broader than that. Instead, on our side of the House, we see the Hon Nikki Kaye running 41 education meetings on the future of education and actually engaging with communities. I\u2019m holding one in my North Shore electorate on Friday 8 March. Members opposite are very welcome to come along and learn something of the misgivings and the concerns of teachers, boards of trustees, and parents, as well as children. We will be taking the temperature. We will be asking people in a genuine way to have input into the task force. Again, not high-sounding rhetoric that delivers nothing, but something that is a very important element that we are very keen on doing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EWhat\u2019s missing in this statement? Lots, actually. Let me start with seniors, which I know a fair bit about, not only because I\u2019m fast approaching the age\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229eebb7ef1c2f4d218c85a5fa3a278c01\u0022\u003ERt Hon David Carter\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t believe that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd0bb697f304471e92db726eb1da6b53\u0022\u003EHon MAGGIE BARRY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014but also because I was the Minister for three years. Thanks very much, but there it is. Thanks David Carter there, interjecting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EIt is fair to say that we are an ageing population, and it is at a great rate. Therefore, I would have expected, in a document and a speech of substance, that we would have heard what\u2019s being done about elder abuse. What level of resourcing is being applied to this very important area? What I know for sure is that my office was contacted by somebody who rang an 0800 elder abuse line which I set up last July. They rang my office on the advice of the person who was on the other end of the line. They said, \u201CWell, we don\u2019t know what to do. You\u2019d better ring Maggie Barry. She might be able to help.\u201D This is a person on the other side of the country from my electorate, who rang an 0800 number expecting assistance. They were given none and, instead, given some pretty odd advice, I think.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EThis shows me a number of things. One of them is that the funding and the energy that was put into that 0800 number, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week\u2014or should be\u2014has now been downgraded. I think that\u2019s deplorable. I think it\u2019s regrettable. I think that anyone who\u2019s ever listened to the aged care sector would know that what they\u2019ve been after for a very long time is a helpline that is available for them when they need it, with some solid advice about how they can get out of an abusive\u2014either physical, financial, or psychological\u2014relationship. Often, unfortunately, it is from members of their own family. I was personally very disappointed to hear that that service has been run down, and also disappointed that there is nothing of substance for seniors in what this Government are talking about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EKiwiBuild, of course, has been mentioned endlessly\u2014only 47 houses completed out of the 10,000 that were promised. The capital gains tax that\u2019s coming up is going to be a tax on every small-business owner, every farmer, lifestyle block owner, KiwiSaver account, mum and dad investor, bach owner\u2014you name it, it\u2019s going to hit hard. I mean, tax and spend, tax and spend\u2014nothing has changed with this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo while it builds itself up with the idea that the Greens have somehow made them more green, they are not. Banning plastic bags is not going to save the world; that starts in your own backyard. It starts and is a very important thing to engage hearts and minds of people. I don\u2019t believe that this Government has done this well with environmental and conservation issues. Predator Free 2050, which is a goal that many, many New Zealanders have bought into, again remains way below the radar. Why? Because of political pettiness? Because it was instigated under National? Do I see Ron Mark nod? No, but we see before us a Government that hasn\u2019t delivered on its promises in this area.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EOn the other hand, in a couple of weekends\u2019 time, the National Party, with its Bluegreens focus group\u2014which has been around now for 21 years\u2014will be getting together at Raglan on 23 February. [Interruption] Yeah, National have been doing blue-green for 21 years. We are across this, and we do what we do very well, and the very first of our nine discussion documents is going to be on the environment. That\u2019s how important we think it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019ll put out, this year, nine discussion papers\u2014eight discussion papers. The people across the House did nothing in nine years\u2014not a single discussion paper. What on earth were they doing in Opposition? What on earth were they doing to formulate policy? There were 233 reviews, working groups, and inquiries. They\u2019ve spent nearly $300 million on asking other people what they should think and what they should do while in Government. They were not prepared, but we are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022736a5c0b-8df3-4047-ba26-632ba2798b4c\u0022\u003EWe have the kinds of policies and the kinds of plans that New Zealanders can rely on. We are a safe pair of hands. We will ensure that what New Zealanders earn through their hard-earned wages, they will be able to spend more of. We will look at adjusting the tax brackets, as our excellent leader, Simon Bridges, outlined a couple of weeks ago. We are a strong and united Opposition. We have ideas, we have stamina, and we will prevail. So I think the Prime Minister\u2019s speech is a woeful example.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022 data-id=\u00226c1e0912b2d940be994fb8daf8f21e8b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226c1e0912b2d940be994fb8daf8f21e8b\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI (Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media):\u003C/span\u003E Kia orana, Madam Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s always a pleasure to follow that member, Maggie Barry, because on this side of the House, we like to call her \u201CTeacher Only Day\u201D\u2014whenever she speaks, there\u2019s no class.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to wish all the parliamentarians in this House a happy New Year, especially that member. But can I begin my contribution and spend quite a bit of time on thanking the effort of the many, many people who have been\u2014for the last week and a bit\u2014fighting the fire in the Tasman area. As the Minister of Civil Defence, I have visited the area numerous times and have been witness to a massive effort and spirit in and around that effort. I want to first of all acknowledge both mayors in the region: the Mayor of Tasman District, Richard Kempthorne, and the Mayor of Nelson\u2014sorry; it\u2019s coming\u2014Rachel Reese. Rachel Reese\u2014sorry, Rachel, if you\u2019re watching.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003ESince the fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon last week, it grew to an epic proportion, similar to that of the Port Hills fire. The initial effort to control the fire was huge, so I also want to pay tribute to the men and women, both local and national, of Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). I will point out a number of people: first of all, controllers John Sutton and Ian Reade, who have led the fire effort, but also Grant Haywood\u2014who is the local manager of FENZ, I understand\u2014who have been putting in a massive effort to lead the fire fight itself.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EOn Wednesday morning of last week, the local state of emergency was declared by the joint mayors of the area. Since then, the emergency operations centre has been standing out 24/7. I want to acknowledge the efforts of Roger Ball, who has been the main controller in the emergency operations centre, and the team that has been pulled from not just the Tasman and Nelson area but civil defence and emergency management teams around New Zealand to make sure that the communities that have been affected by that fire have been well looked after. There have been evacuations, obviously, in and around Pigeon Valley, Eves Valley and Teapot Valley, and some of those residents haven\u2019t been able to return to their homes. We thank them for their patience. They have been out of their homes for over a week, and we are trying everything we can to make sure that they can have some limited access to their homes, but while the fire risk remains as it is, the civil defence controllers have seen fit to keep that evacuation in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003ETo the Wakefield evacuation\u2014not an easy feat around the logistics of moving 2,500 people out of that village. So, first of all, thanks for the cooperation of the people of Wakefield, who are, thankfully, now back in their homes, but also thanks to the authorities who made that happen in an orderly and safe fashion. So to the civil defence team, to the police team, to the defence force team who were leading that evacuation of Wakefield when the fire was becoming a risk to that village\u2014thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EI spent yesterday in Wakefield. I dropped into the Four Square, where Phil, the manager, said that things are slowly returning to normal. I also had the pleasure of going to the Wakefield volunteer fire station, where one of the managers there, John, showed us around. The effort is still continuing to make sure that the fire can be fought. The fire is not as visible as it has been in the last week as of yesterday and, I understand, today, but to people who are watching that closely, and obviously to the residents, there is still a lot of hard work to be done to put that fire out. We can\u2019t see it; a lot of it is underground because it is a vegetation fire, but there is still a hell of a lot of work that will need to go into that area to make sure that the fire is put out and the community continues to stay safe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003ESo, to wrap that part of the speech up, again, huge thanks to all those volunteers, all those professionals within the civil defence and emergency management sector, FENZ, other agencies, and the Ministry for Primary Industries\u2014notably, because of the big animal welfare issues in the area\u2014who have slugged their guts out and will continue to do so to make sure that that community is safe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EBack to politics. Can I acknowledge the speech that was made by the Prime Minister yesterday. While we have set out to make sure that we deliver this year, I\u2019m actually very proud of the delivery that we made last year. In the important areas of health, housing, and education, we are making a massive improvement because of the massive need in those areas for the communities of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EI want to talk a little bit about my own community because on Friday morning, I\u2019m going to wake up very early and go to a piece of land on Castor Crescent that has been barren for the last nine years but, nine years ago, did have some Housing New Zealand properties on it. While the previous Government was in office, for about 7\u00BD to 8 years, that land remained barren, but on Friday morning, we\u2019re going to bless that land, because this Government is going to take an empty piece of land, which most locals in the Cannons Creek and Waitangirua area had given up for parkland and thought was going to remain parkland. The building is going to start, to make sure those families in that community can have warm, safe, and affordable housing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EIf you\u2019re talking about delivery over the last 18 months of this Government, I am extremely proud of that. That land, known as the Castor loop land, has remained barren and has been something that I have been fighting for for many years. I am very proud to say that our Government\u2014this coalition Government of New Zealand First, Labour, and the Greens\u2014is going to get off their backsides and make sure that the people in my community are going to have homes to live in, and at an affordable rate. So that is delivery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EIn the area of commerce and consumer affairs, last year we did deliver in market studies to make sure that New Zealand\u2019s markets are operating effectively. Now, in English, that means consumers are getting a fair deal. At the moment, the Commerce Commission is looking into the issue of whether or not petrol prices are fair, because we understand that many New Zealanders are feeling the pinch that increased fuel prices can have on their day-to-day living. Now, to make the point again about the politics of that, the previous Government had nine years to do something about that. In fact, I think the previous Minister of Energy and Resources\u2014Judith Collins\u2014wanted the market study power, but the last Government didn\u2019t deliver. Last year this Government did deliver so that the Commerce Commission will have the power to look into those markets, and if they\u2019re not giving the average New Zealander a fair deal and making sure that they can have a cost of living that is affordable for them and their families, then we can take action. That is something that this Government has delivered.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EAlso, I want to talk about the delivery that we\u2019ve got this year, and I\u2019m focusing a bit on myself. We want to make sure that those consumers who are vulnerable consumers who are being preyed upon by third-tier lenders, or loan sharks, have protection. Again, it is something that the previous Government had nine years to do, but it didn\u2019t go far enough. Well, I\u2019m very proud that, hopefully, all going to plan\u2014and I\u2019m wondering what the National Opposition is going to do about this; whether they\u2019re going to support it or not\u2014we\u2019re going to crack down and put limits on what those loan sharks can charge those vulnerable consumers. We don\u2019t want those consumers to be trapped in debt spirals\u2014something that continued to happen under the previous Government. It is something that we are extremely proud of\u2014that we will bring it into legislation and give more protection to those vulnerable consumers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003ESo my challenge within this speech to the Opposition is: are you going to support those measures or not? Are you going to be on the side of consumers and giving them some protection from the likes of loan sharks and third-tier lenders, or are you going to be on the side of the loan sharks and the third-tier lenders\u2014something you didn\u2019t do a thing about in the previous Parliament?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003ESo that\u2019s my challenge. I\u2019m going to be very interested when that piece of legislation comes to this House in whether you\u2019re going to man up and support us in our effort to look after vulnerable New Zealanders, or whether you\u2019re going to look after the loan sharks who have been ripping off New Zealanders for nine years under your Government\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227e7203241d6c4f11b17891c6e5ec351d\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022625c86741e9b4ab8a5917de2d072c9aa\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014under that Government. That\u2019s one of the big things that I\u2019m looking forward to: seeing whether the National Party is actually going to support that piece of legislation, because if they do, it will be almost unanimous. I think our friend David Seymour probably won\u2019t, but I\u2019m looking at the likes of Alfred Ngaro and our list member from M\u0101ngere, who are in those communities where those consumers need that kind of protection. What are they going to do to make sure that those vulnerable consumers are given those protections? That\u2019s something that I am going to deliver for the people\u2014for those vulnerable consumers\u2014of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003EIn the areas of health, housing, and education, we are going to deliver in 2019. We\u2019ve got those challenges and we are going to deliver. The National Party has some other challenges, which others have spoken about much more eloquently than me, but we are focused on the things that matter to New Zealanders: making sure we put more money in their pockets, and looking after health, housing, and education. Good luck to the National Party for the challenges over the next wee while.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022 data-id=\u00226377043fe641485dbef1ea2c4692ad35\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226377043fe641485dbef1ea2c4692ad35\u0022\u003ERt Hon DAVID CARTER (National):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Assistant Speaker, can I start by acknowledging you and welcoming you back to this House. I want to acknowledge all members as they return from a very long summer break\u2014welcome back, to 2019. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003ECan I start by making a comment about the previous speaker, the Hon Kris Faafoi. I was very disappointed with his opening remarks, when he personally attacked the Hon Maggie Barry, who had just given a fine speech. That sort of politics is not necessary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI was actually going to start my contribution by acknowledging the excellent job that the Hon Kris Faafoi has done as Minister of Civil Defence over the last couple of weeks in Nelson. I\u2019ve watched with huge interest. Twelve months ago, where I live was under the same threat\u2014on the Port Hills of Christchurch. I\u2019ve got to say the response this time by Fire and Emergency New Zealand has been far superior, and the role that the Hon Kris Faafoi has played in being there as the Minister clearly supporting the community has been excellent. So I take this opportunity of acknowledging Mr Faafoi and thanking him for his contribution. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThose fires in Nelson will be frightening to the local community. We went through it last year on the Port Hills. Fire is completely unpredictable. The uncertainty that\u2019s then imposed on the residents is something they just have to live through, and while the fires now may seem under control, the agony for many of those people will go on for a long time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe second comment I wanted to make is that there was a relatively rough start to proceedings with a particular select committee this morning, and I remind the House that it\u2019s the duty of all members of Parliament, if they\u2019re on a select committee, to fulfil that responsibility. I was very annoyed, then, to see two Labour members scurrying around the press gallery actually telling mistruths about what had occurred. I take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister, who has actually come out now and acknowledged and criticised her own Labour MPs for not being there on time. She said\u2014and I quote\u2014\u201CThey\u2019ve made mistakes. We need to own that. My expectation is they do their jobs. There are no excuses. I\u2019ve made it very clear this is not acceptable.\u201D So thank you to the Prime Minister for reminding the Labour members of their responsibility. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EWe had the earlier response in this debate\u2014which I listened to\u2014from the Hon Tracey Martin, where she blamed National for the calamity of the select committee hearing today. She was one of the members that was meant to be there at 8 o\u2019clock, and she waltzed in at eight minutes past 8 herself. She was part of the problem, and the Prime Minister\u2014I thank her for acknowledging it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe Prime Minister, though, has also I think already labelled this political year, and has put a target fairly on her forehead. It\u2019s the year of delivery, and that\u2019s something that applies to this National Opposition as well, because we are going to be well-prepared for the next election and, if successful, we will be ready to govern, unlike the last Labour - New Zealand First - Green Government, which was clearly caught by surprise and ill-prepared. So, from the National Party point of view, it will be a year of delivery. It will be a year of eight substantial discussion documents as we prepare policy to go to the electorate in 2020. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve been thinking how you\u2019d classify the last year, and I\u2019m sure it would be the year of the working groups\u2014233 working groups; estimated cost $290 million. There\u2019s one that I read about recently: the working group into mental health chaired by Ron Paterson, whom I know well. I admire that man. He did a good job in preparing that report and presenting it to the Government late last year. Members won\u2019t believe what the Government\u2019s response to that report was. It was to form a further nine working groups to look at the report given by the first working group. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI say to the Government that if it\u2019s the year of delivery, you won\u2019t do it by forming working groups. It\u2019s time to get on with the job and make some policy that will improve the opportunity for New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThere are some strong challenges for our Government\u2014there\u2019s no doubt about that\u2014with one of them being the slowing economy. The last quarter of GDP growth, at 0.3 percent, was the worst performance of this economy in five years, and the Government seems oblivious to the fact that the economy is slowing, and slowing dramatically. I say that they inherited a very strong economy\u2014there is no doubt about that. They inherited an economy where job creation was flying, at the rate of 10,000 jobs a month. What\u2019s the latest figure I\u2019ve heard from the current job employment rate?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225e6b7aaa-8157-4d5e-9940-1bdbcd61ae95\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a8470c18d414876883b540f0bb3f74f\u0022\u003EAlastair Scott\u003C/span\u003E: 600? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e09af4623dda41669f6b9856a8512b99\u0022\u003ERt Hon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: 670 a month, compared with 10,000 a month under National. That is going to be a problem. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI see the Hon Willie Jackson in the House. I couldn\u2019t stop laughing about his press release last week. Unemployment prior to Christmas: 3.9 percent. It\u2019s up to 4.3 percent in the latest figures, and the Hon Willie Jackson spun that as good news\u2014an increase in unemployment was good news. No one else in this House but the Hon Willie Jackson could do that. I don\u2019t think the media bought it, but it was a gallant attempt, I\u2019ve got to say. It was a very gallant attempt. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019ve got unemployment going up, we\u2019ve got the number on the jobseeker benefit going up, and yet with the economy slowing, I predict these figures will get worse. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI listened to the Prime Minister\u2019s speech yesterday and she listed\u2014as I understood her speech\u2014three priorities. The first priority: share the prosperity. Prime Minister, if you\u2019ve got a declining economy, it\u2019s going to be very hard to talk about prosperity. Why is the economy declining? It\u2019s initiatives like the foreign investment ban that was placed on this country by the Government last year. It\u2019s the lack of business confidence in this Government and its performance and its economic nous, and we saw that with the speech that the Prime Minister delivered to a business audience in Auckland last week. How would you describe it? Well, many of them have described it to me as absolutely underwhelming. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe second priority: she said we will pursue free-trade agreements. An EU photo opportunity, and the very next day, the EU announces they\u2019re going to bash us around on our current tariff access to the EU. The photo opportunity did nothing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe third focus: skills. I accept that we\u2019ve got a lot of work to do there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EI just want to conclude very quickly on the \u201CProvincial Slush Fund\u201D. At the moment, Shane Jones is going around as the \u201Cfirst citizen of the provinces\u201D and spraying money around. I remember questions in this House prior to the Christmas break, when he one day said that 7,000 new jobs had been created, and then it was 9,000. Congratulations to Paul Goldsmith, who\u2019s done the work: 54 jobs have been created. And then\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f317ee7d-f040-44ec-8f2f-ad0a9f206d75\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222013c3361a5d434189ca5c90237c4f07\u0022\u003EHon Willie Jackson\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s better than none. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b96803840bd4d24a6b725371e0bbc21\u0022\u003ERt Hon DAVID CARTER\u003C/span\u003E: \u201CBetter than none.\u201D\u201454 jobs have been created, and then we learn that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has taken on 118 new staff to run the \u201CProvincial Slush Fund\u201D. It\u2019s going to have to deliver, I say to the Hon Willie Jackson, because that money is taxpayers\u2019 money. Those members can spray it around as liberally as they like, but New Zealanders at the election time will judge the efficiency of that fund. I say to the Government members opposite, if they think their money\u2019s being wasted by Shane Jones in trying to buy electoral support so that he wins a seat at the next election in Northland or Whangarei, they won\u2019t buy it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e4b09a29-dfd3-42c0-8585-11463bd6077b\u0022\u003EThe final comment I\u2019ll say is that if there\u2019s any attempt by New Zealand First to gerrymander the MMP 5 percent threshold in an attempt to survive, see if New Zealanders will buy into that, because I assure you, Dr Deborah Russell, they will not. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022e1f6faf9ba744b1ea9e69514cdda2525\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e1f6faf9ba744b1ea9e69514cdda2525\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=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022 data-id=\u0022edf2e1698450464bb4c71adfc1334695\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022edf2e1698450464bb4c71adfc1334695\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Assistant Speaker, I wish to begin my first contribution in this House this year on a sad note, and that is to ask the House to remember Daphne Collins, a lovely woman in my electorate, a singer of beautiful songs, who died just a few days ago. She was a constituent who I was able to help and she touched my heart, and she touched the hearts of my staff members and touched the hearts of many in my community. So I would ask you to remember and celebrate the life of Daphne Collins. She was a woman of great faith, and I trust that faith comforted her in her last days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EMoving on, Mr Assistant Speaker: happy New Year. We\u2019re celebrating the Chinese New Year in Parliament today, so I\u2019ll give it a go: gong xi fa cai.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EMoving on from that happy note, what can we say about the Opposition? They carp, they crab, they cavil, they complain, they criticise\u2014it\u2019s a veritable cacophony of complaint from over that side of the House. Where is the vision? Where is the compassion? Where is the heart? Where is anything that isn\u2019t to do with navel-gazing about their own affairs? The vision is on this side of the House\u2014the vision of a fairer, kinder, better New Zealand\u2014and the achievement is all on this side of the House, too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThis is a Government that in its first 15 months has delivered. We have lifted family incomes. We are backing the regions. We are rebuilding hospitals and schools. There was nine years of neglect from the other side. We are moving as fast as we can to fix the problems that were left to us. That is the kind of achievement that this Government is proud of.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re working on our tax system, working to make it a better and fairer system and a system that supports New Zealand enterprise. That\u2019s what our research and development tax credit is about. And when the Tax Working Group report comes out, in just a few sleeps now\u2014and I have to say I\u2019m very excited about that\u2014we will be working on a tax system that ensures that everyone pays their fair share of tax, their fair share. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EWe get plenty of complaint and cavilling and carping and crabbing from the Opposition about tax brackets and the like, demanding that they get a tax cut. But I say this to the Opposition: every time that the Opposition demands a tax cut, the Opposition must say what services they would cut too. Those taxes are the price of civilisation. They are what pays for our health system, our welfare, our education and every time we cut taxes, services must be cut too. Which services are to be cut? I challenge them to say that every time; they won\u2019t. Not only is this a Government that has achieved, this is a Government that cares about New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI want to talk about one particular area where this Government is working hard for New Zealanders and will continue to work hard, and that is in housing. In my electorate, in the next 18 months to two years or so, about 350 brand new Housing New Zealand dwellings will come online. One-bedroom flats, two-bedroom flats, three-bedroom houses, four-bedroom houses\u2014houses designed for New Zealand families who need a secure, warm, dry place to live. This Government is committed to ensuring that we make sure that New Zealanders are well housed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s an incredibly important thing to do, because a person who is secure in their own home can be a full citizen, can be part of a community. This Government is working on housing, because it matters for the decent society that we want to build. It\u2019s part of our commitment to caring for New Zealanders\u2014caring for New Zealanders in a way that enables them to participate in our society. That\u2019s the sort of Government we are aiming to be. Over there, the cacophony of complaint; over there, the caterwauling; over there, the cries of criticism; over here, hope, care, trust, kindness. I know which side I\u2019m proud to be on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u00226f2fa96fceaa49fda70a60ff77336950\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226f2fa96fceaa49fda70a60ff77336950\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Angie Warren-Clark\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022 data-id=\u0022e308909d896a42ff972ba4e9dc3628fe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e308909d896a42ff972ba4e9dc3628fe\u0022\u003EANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I\u2019m delighted to take a call tonight\u2014my first of the year. I extend my kind solicitations to everyone in this House, and I wish and hope that we will all be speaking with kindness and compassion throughout the year. I look forward to that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003ESo, today, I would like to have a simple chat with you all about leadership\u2014leadership in this country. Now, I have a quote here, which I really like, and I think this is the kind of Government that our country deserves and the kind of Government that I think we have with our coalition Government: \u201CTrue leaders understand that leadership is not about them but about those they serve. It is not about exalting themselves but about lifting others up.\u201D Let me say, if ever there was a truer word spoken, it is that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003EWe are designing a well-being Budget that is all about lifting everyone up. We\u2019re inclusive and we are trying our very best to do the right thing for this country. We know the problems and we\u2019ve worked\u2014as my colleague Dr Deb Russell has said\u2014very hard delivering for the last 18 months, and we will continue to do so. We have, and are very lucky to have, an amazing leader in our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, who leads with compassion, who leads with an entirely clear vision for us as a Government, and who at all times remembers who she serves and who the people are that we need to support\u2014that is, all citizens of this country; all citizens. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003ELeadership is one of those things that is often lonely and, in fact, as a Government we know that we have a lot of things to do, and some of those things will take courage. Some of those things will take real leadership\u2014for example, climate change. We must and we shall be a world leader, ensuring that our country and our commitment to global warming and change is not going to be as a fast follower. Oh no, we actually have to spend time and energy committing, and this coalition Government is doing so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003EI\u2019d also like to talk very briefly about one particular part of our well-being Budget that, for me, is a personal driver of being here in Parliament\u2014that is, the work that we are doing in the family and sexual violence space. It is, as we all know, a huge issue in this country. I am absolutely delighted that our Minister for Social Development, the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, has increased last year 30 percent of funding to our front-line services\u2014delivering. Now, having worked in the front line, I know that we may have had all sorts of things happening in that space, but the front line didn\u2019t get a cent for 10 years. That, in fact, says\u2014when we look at all of the systems in place and everything that would support that\u2014the Opposition members over there were more about thinktanks themselves than they were about actual delivery on the ground. So I\u2019m absolutely delighted that we are working towards making a change in that space.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e60c1237-5e2d-4d0a-9678-ab10db67d1b7\u0022\u003EI would also, in my final statement, like to talk about the work that we will be doing in this space over the next year, and the working group\u2014as you may call it, but we call it an actual organisation\u2014that will work across Government departments to bring into this century the conversations that need to be had and to happen. Leadership will be hard in this space. One in four women are affected by violence in their lifetime, and one in seven men. We need to do better. It will be hard. We need to talk, we need to work together, and, in fact, I am so very, very proud of this coalition Government for putting family violence and sexual violence at the core of our well-being Budget. We will deliver.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022900a5fde31b0423687cb226a358fed6e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022900a5fde31b0423687cb226a358fed6e\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT (National\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker, and welcome to the new year. I just want to follow on from the Prime Minister\u2019s speech, where the Prime Minister made it very clear to New Zealanders what they should expect over the next year. That was a clear expectation that by the end of the year, New Zealanders will be in a much worse position. By the end of the year, more New Zealanders will be out of work. By the end of the year, more New Zealand businesses will struggle to provide the base for this economy going forward. And, by the end of the year, this Government will not be delivering the services that New Zealanders expect. We know what is happening with this plan that we\u2019re getting from the Government. New Zealanders will struggle, it will stifle our economy and that will stunt the growth that this country has had in the past, and the costs will be out of control and there will be no accountability for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s take the sectors that are big parts of our community. Education\u2014what\u2019s it going to be like by the end of the year? Well, schools that currently have their own boards of trustees will be told that they can no longer have their own boards of trustees, but have to be managed by a central economy\u2014basically, out of a central office. That means that schools like Hamilton Boys\u2019 High in Hamilton that have done exceptionally well over many years will now have the rules and regulations of their school dictated to them by a central body set up by the Minister. That\u2019s what it will mean for parents and students. There will be no accountability. By the end of the year, the parents won\u2019t know how their children are achieving at school. They will be just left in the lurch of pretending that every school is perfect, every teacher is perfect, and there is no need for any accountability in our system. That is what is going to happen in education by the end of the year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, in somewhere like Wintec in Hamilton, our polytechnic, it will now be run out of the central office, probably based in Wellington\u2014as if we need more bureaucrats in Wellington\u2014and by the end of the year that organisation will have lost control of its future as well and will be dictated to by some central body.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EWhat will happen in health? By the end of the year, there will be fewer operations done. There will be fewer healthcare operations done in our major centres because all the money that goes into health will be spent on trying to keep alive the growing costs of wages that the Government will find it has to pay to fill in the bureaucracy that it will create within our health system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EWhat\u2019s going to happen in our economy? By the end of the year, we will be less than a 2 percent growth economy. The last quarter put us at 0.3 percent. That is simply not good enough for New Zealand in the modern world. We\u2019re not talking about a world where 3 percent is a great target that we should aspire to; we need to be pumping at 3 to 3.5 percent to deliver in this part of the world, like our neighbours Australia and America do, and in Asia, it\u2019s 7 to 8 percent. By the end of the year, we will be under 2 percent, and that will have a direct impact on all New Zealanders\u2019 lives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, there will be more New Zealanders unemployed. At the end of last year, it was 3.9 percent, reflecting the good economic conditions that the previous Government had set up. It\u2019s already at 4.3 percent now. It\u2019ll be close to 5 percent by the end of the year. That\u2019s what it means for New Zealanders who will be out of work because of the policies of the other side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of year, house prices will be down in our major cities by 10 to 15 percent. In Auckland, you can guarantee that house prices will be down by 10 percent, and that will happen, under this Government, to New Zealand house owners who have spent their lives buying their homes, getting their mortgages\u2014be prepared for a 10 percent reduction in the value of your house. And what does that mean if there is low equity in that property? It means that you are in a very vulnerable position, especially if there is higher unemployment and people lose jobs or lose the ability to have that employment. That, combined with lower house prices, puts the financial viability of more New Zealanders at risk.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBut, by the end of the year, they will also know that if they ever did make any money on their house, or any other business asset, they\u2019d have to pay it in a capital gains tax. OK, a capital gains tax probably will exempt the family home, but it\u2019s definitely going to cover their assets, their businesses, and any investments that they make, and any second house they have or any investment they have. So, by the end of the year, New Zealanders will be under no doubt that they are going to be paying more tax. That is without doubt.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, migrants will know that they\u2019re not welcome in this country. For all the rhetoric on the other side of House\u2014and we\u2019ve got the Chinese New Year celebration coming up in half an hour in this House, and all the Labour MPs will be there saying how welcoming they are\u2014remember, in our migrant communities, that the other side of House has cut immigration in half. They want to cut it further. They don\u2019t want to give people the ability\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002205962733245644d8bf0c880499a4a512\u0022\u003EMichael Wood\u003C/span\u003E: Not so good at maths, are we?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d640bd736f27440884d6c884b0b4e99f\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Is that wrong? No, it\u2019s not. They have cut it, and they want to cut it further, and they are doing that through students who want to come to New Zealand. They are hurting people who want to have that long-term ability to come to New Zealand. I challenge the other side of House to show that the stats are different from that, because immigration has dropped.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, New Zealanders will know what it means to offend the Chinese Government. There are ways and means of proving that you have an external foreign policy, and it is not set by having some loose cannon that goes around the world and thinks that he is bigger than any country and bigger than any Government. We will see the impact of his arrogance in the effect that this economy will find from having poorer relations with China. There will be no advancement of our free-trade agreement, putting us behind our competitors. There will be cases where our exports are stopped at the border, and there will be instances where New Zealanders aren\u2019t given the treatment and the respect they deserve because our Government hasn\u2019t delivered on the international stage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, you can guarantee that investor confidence will be the lowest in the last decade\u2014not only the lowest in the last two years that we\u2019ve seen recently but it will be lower than that. Talk to anybody that\u2019s in the business community\u2014they\u2019re shutting up shop now. There\u2019s no point in investing in New Zealand. They\u2019re reducing their asset base, and they\u2019re making sure that they\u2019re ready to come back into the market in two or five years, or whenever they want to come back in.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, farmers will know what environmental taxes are. There will be such big taxes coming to farmers on their environment and especially in the dairy and the sheep and beef industries, that that will have long-term effects on the New Zealand economy. It will dictate the ability of investment of those farmers and will hurt New Zealand growth in the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBut there may be some good points. By the end of the year, we will know that there are at least 47 KiwiBuild homes that will be built. We might get to 50, or we might even get to 60, but, as has been said today, they are consented, and we can all live in a consented house, can\u2019t we?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, there may be more jobs in the Provincial Growth Fund than 54 jobs. There may even be three figures, and he may get to a hundred jobs by the end of the year in the Provincial Growth Fund. [Interruption] Well, I don\u2019t know. Well, we\u2019re certainly going to get over a hundred jobs in Wellington in bureaucracy, but whether we actually get that in real jobs\u2014that\u2019ll be another question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, another $1 billion of land will be sold to overseas investors. The Green Party said they were going to stop those sales. They clocked up the $1 billion just before Christmas, and there\u2019ll be another $1 billion this year as we wait for the Labour Party and the Greens to agree on what to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, another thousand prisoners will be on our streets. They will be released under the programmes that the Government\u2019s doing now, where the Government is directly indicating to the courts and they are directly indicating to the Parole Board, what should be the number of prisoners. They are reducing the prison population through their actions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, there may be some transport options that still are in progress. You know, we may still see work on the Waikato Expressway, but for the poor people of South Auckland, by the end of the year, the finish of the Southern Motorway will not be complete. They will have not completed the Southern Motorway extension by the end of this year, when it was supposed to be finished last year. But we do have hope of some glorious train that\u2019s going to run underground, which now is at $6 billion, not $4 billion\u2014$6 billion is the cost of the train from Auckland Central to M\u0101ngere.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EBy the end of the year, we can all stand up and say that that doesn\u2019t matter. All those things don\u2019t matter, because we live in a kind, caring, compassionate world; we don\u2019t need to worry about these things. That is the year ahead for New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022cd629c6b68084ddd9d514d81f1a77e3a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cd629c6b68084ddd9d514d81f1a77e3a\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: I understand this is a split call. I call Rino Tirikatene\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022 data-id=\u0022347c4a28e68a41f58b6b16f4b1ceb105\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022347c4a28e68a41f58b6b16f4b1ceb105\u0022\u003ERINO TIRIKATENE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Tonga):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Assistant Speaker. I am very proud to speak in support of the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, but, again, before I do, I want to acknowledge the people in the communities of the Nelson-Tasman and the difficult times that they\u2019re going through at the moment, and all who are involved in putting out the fires. I just want to acknowledge those communities\u2014likewise, the maraes that have opened their doors\u2014from Motueka to Whakat\u016B, and everyone involved, as we all join with them to bring a speedy end to that situation there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThe top of the South\u2014Nelson-Tasman\u2014as legend has it, it\u2019s called Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka. It\u2019s the prow of the canoe, the great waka\u2014M\u0101ui\u2019s waka. I was privileged. Just two days before the actual fire broke out, I was at the unveiling of a magnificent taurapa, the stern of the canoe, to symbolise not only the iwi but the whole community of the Nelson-Whakat\u016B area, including the Tasman. I believe the coming together of the community is symbolic of that magnificent taurapa, and once all of the issues have passed, I encourage people to reflect on and to visit this taurapa, which is six metres in height and a magnificent symbol of the unity and of purpose and of travel that the great people of Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka, the Nelson-Tasman, will be undertaking as they move forward from this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ETo adopt that nautical analogy, I couldn\u2019t come up with a better metaphor than our coalition Government as being a great waka hourua, a great double-hulled canoe, with us and our coalition and confidence and supply partners\u2014a magnificent waka hourua of epic Hekenukumai Busby proportions\u2014because that is what our Government is doing. We are governing with a sense of purpose, unlike the other side, which had nine years of just governing for the sake of managing shop. We have a destination in mind. Our destination is the well-being of all of Aotearoa, and we are making magnificent strides in our glorious waka in achieving that goal. I\u2019m very proud\u2014very proud\u2014to be supporting our Prime Minister and our Government Ministers in the work that is ahead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003EThere is so much I could talk about, but I just want to focus on M\u0101ori, because I represent the M\u0101ori of Te Tai Tonga. M\u0101ori are doing really well under this Government, and I cannot stress that enough. M\u0101ori unemployment is down at its lowest point in over 10 years. More M\u0101ori are in work\u2014thanks to the good work of my ministerial colleague there, Willie Jackson, more M\u0101ori are in work. Less M\u0101ori are in prison, thanks to the good work of the Hon Kelvin Davis\u2014and we all know that over 50 percent of that population are young, brown, M\u0101ori men.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ESo those are fantastic achievements that we are doing, but we\u2019ve got so much that we\u2019re doing in so many areas. We are a Government that is leading the way. We are leading the way in our waka hourua, because we know there are going to be choppy waters. We know there are headwinds. Goodness, Mr Bennett\u2019s speech before\u2014it was such doom and gloom. I really felt traumatised by him talking down everything as if everything was going to flip over. But they\u2019re the only ones flipping over\u2014they\u2019re the only ones flipping over. We have our waka hourua steady as she goes\u2014steady and straight is our travel, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing with our Ministers and in the work that we\u2019re doing, not only in the economy but also right across building the social well-being of our wh\u0101nau right across the motu.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002281825190-fd5d-4ed0-bb80-f12f3c93e653\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s a very, very exciting time. It\u2019s an exciting time to be in this Government, to be under the leadership of our kaihaut\u016B, who is Jacinda Ardern, and all of those who are involved, and we\u2019re just looking forward to the year ahead. We have a lot of mahi to do, but we know what that destination is. As I\u2019ve said, it\u2019s about well-being. It\u2019s about well-being\u2014well-being for all of Aotearoa. Kia ora t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u00222f9d58e902814774b99ed82293b78126\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222f9d58e902814774b99ed82293b78126\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Adrian Rurawhe)\u003C/span\u003E: Louisa Wall\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022 data-id=\u002287ac96d341f34d32b7ca2b71f9677d30\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002287ac96d341f34d32b7ca2b71f9677d30\u0022\u003ELOUISA WALL (Labour\u2014Manurewa):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare. Ng\u0101 mihi o Te Tau Hou, ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau o Te Whare P\u0101remata. I hope everybody\u2019s had a wonderful break and enjoyed the time with wh\u0101nau and friends and are ready for this new year in this place that we spend as servants of the people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EI really want to emphasise and focus on leadership, and the leadership displayed by our leader and our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, a leader who absolutely cares and a leader who is kind and compassionate. And when was the last time I saw this kindness and compassionate side of her? Actually, it was at the Big Gay Out on Sunday in T\u0101maki-makau-rau. How she shows and displays that kindness and compassion actually isn\u2019t just about the hordes of people who want to have selfies with her\u2014and, can I say, she made time for every single person who wanted to have a selfie with her\u2014but, actually, it\u2019s been demonstrated through her actions in this Whare P\u0101remata, in this House of Parliament, through being a champion for same-sex adoption and, actually, through being a champion in voting for marriage equality. I know other leaders have got issues about whether or not they support the LGBTI community. Well, can I say the Prime Minister is not one of them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EWe also know that she\u2019s a champion of young people, and through the work that she\u2019s done through her colleagues\u2014and I do want to acknowledge the Hon Willie Jackson, who\u2019s here today, and also my colleague the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, because for us, employment is incredibly important. Making sure that our young people have opportunities is incredibly important, and, again, through her actions, what has been her priority as the leader of this Government? The Child Poverty Reduction Act, which will actually hold us accountable for the policies that we are instituting with the specific outcome of reducing poverty.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo I want to say that we will set targets and we will be transparent, and that takes leadership, and the leadership, I want to acknowledge, also of our community partners. Today, the Salvation Army released a report, and we have had commentary on that report from organisations like the Child Poverty Action Group. What have they said? They have said that there has been some reduction in income inequality, based on our policies for those on low incomes and in paid work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EHow have we demonstrated that? Actually, through our commitment to lifting the minimum wage. So, on 1 April, the minimum wage will be $17.70, but through this Government, we\u2019ve made a commitment to make that $20 by 2021. It has been through the winter energy payment and it has been through our Families Package that by 2021, 384,000 wh\u0101nau are going to get an extra $75 per week. We\u2019ve also demonstrated our commitment by instituting our Best Start, which is $60 per week for every child, which will extend to years two and three if a family are earning under $79,000.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ENow, to say those are insignificant commitments from this Government actually downplays, again, the leadership that we are showing on this side of the House to address the issue of poverty and to address the issues of inequality. It\u2019s been 12 months in the job and I think we\u2019ve not done too badly, and we don\u2019t mind being critiqued by the Salvation Army or by the Child Poverty Action Group, who say to us that we actually need to help our beneficiary families the most.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003ESo what I want to finish on is an emphasis on how do we do that, and I\u2019ve found a little bit of research from The Economist in 2013. It was an article entitled \u201CPennies from heaven: Cash to the poor\u201D, and what they found was that cash transfers with no strings attached are the best way to help those people in poverty, because what do they do? They actually spend it on vaccinating their children. School attendance goes up. They have improved living conditions because people buy food to feed their families. They make sure that their homes are warm and dry. Their psychological well-being increases and, fundamentally, we actually help them to become more entrepreneurial, so they start having dreams and aspirations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b4a597dd-ed8b-42b8-975b-40c6e0cdaee1\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re on a pathway to supporting all New Zealanders, with a specific focus in the future of making sure that those who are most vulnerable and those who need the support of the Government to create a pathway for themselves and for the next generation are supported. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022 data-id=\u00220abdeb55a17b4243a7d7fc8ade2e41c4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220abdeb55a17b4243a7d7fc8ade2e41c4\u0022\u003EJONATHAN YOUNG (National\u2014New Plymouth):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. I\u2019m pleased to stand and speak this afternoon on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I would have to say\u2014and I don\u2019t want to be overtly critical\u2014that I was not inspired by the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. In fact, there were a number of comments that I would challenge in terms of the workability and the outcome of them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ECan I just say, in regard to the comments of the previous speaker, Louisa Wall, that I think it\u2019s well and good to give people funds without any strings attached, but in order to do that, you\u2019ve got to have a very strong economy that can afford to do that, and I think that that is something that we need to address in this Parliament and in this country\u2014and it is sustainability. Yes, it\u2019s one thing to have sympathy, but we must have sustainability. We must continue to encourage self-determination and we must continue to upskill and support people to become self-reliant. Otherwise, you will not have a country that can afford to do that, and hence some of the comments that have come through on our side regarding, for example, a capital gains tax, which depletes the resource base of people to continue to build that self-determining, sustaining, self-reliant economy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo getting those balances at the right place is very, very important. Otherwise, what will happen is that this Government will bankrupt this country, as has happened in the past, and then the country will have to revert back to some very stringent measures. We all believe that there need to be safety nets for people, of course, but we must also ensure that we have a really strong, robust economy that is growing every year to be able to afford to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EI want to just come to some comments that the Prime Minister made in her statement, on page 5\u2014and, yes, it\u2019s relevant to my electorate and to the rohe, the families, and the friends that live in North Taranaki and around the coast, where I am their MP. She said, \u201CThe fourth priority underpinning our economic theme is the transition to a clean, green, and carbon-neutral New Zealand.\u201D Well, we understand there is bipartisan work to come to an agreed place and process on how this can happen, and my colleague Todd Muller is leading that for the National Party. Then the Prime Minister went on to say, \u201CA key policy priority will be to support a just transition for workers in industries that need to reduce emissions. Initiatives will continue to be developed to support the creation of jobs in sectors that are carbon-free or carbon sinks, such as forestry.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EAs I said last night in my speech, right now, in North Taranaki, there\u2019s a big jack-up rig that\u2019s been deployed. It\u2019s at the Pohokura platform, and it\u2019s going to be working there for three months to enable a freer and more extensive flow of natural gas. Now, while this Government is looking at transitioning away from fossil fuels, the promises or the potential that has been put before us by the Government is that we will see the potential of hydrogen replacing natural gas, particularly around the areas of heavy transport\u2014which I do support\u2014but also around process heat. There are some companies that use natural gas because it is intense and it\u2019s relatively inexpensive, and companies like Fonterra do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo, in the last week, there have been reports that have come out because, obviously, the Government is looking at the potential and the possibility of hydrogen replacing natural gas. Concept Consulting, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and many other organisations have collaborated to research and dig into this, and what these researchers and analysts have found is that it is highly unlikely\u2014highly unlikely\u2014that hydrogen can displace electricity and natural gas for process heat, especially in that high heat area of above 200 degrees or 300 degrees Celsius that\u2019s needed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ENow, the issue about this is that those companies that rely on natural gas don\u2019t have an alternative except to import gas, and in order to do that and to establish the infrastructure and to put all of that in play, it will take around about 10 years. It\u2019s quite expensive and extensive, and there\u2019s a lot of consenting and a lot of issues around all of that. But the problem is that New Zealand\u2019s supply of gas\u2014that supply of natural gas that we are around about 90 percent confident we can access\u2014is available for six years, or maybe a bit less. So there is looming an energy gap that this country is going to face. So while this Government wants to be kind and they want to help people without any strings attached, they are using strings to tie up industries that will empower and enable our industrial and our agricultural sector to continue to prosper, and it doesn\u2019t make sense. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EI think the elephant in the room that the Prime Minister talked about a year ago and said was smaller this year is a lack of connectivity between the production of energy and the consumption of it. If you went to liberal urbanites and asked them where natural gas comes from, they\u2019d point to a blimmin pipe in the wall. They might forget that it actually comes from 3,000 metres down, it\u2019s piped to them on the M\u0101ui or the Vector pipeline from Taranaki, and it gets up there into Auckland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003EWithout that gas flowing, New Zealand is incredibly vulnerable. Back in 2011, when the M\u0101ui pipeline had a leak in it and it took 138 hours to repair that, the New Zealand economy lost $200 million, principally from the agricultural sector. So what the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) did was they were highly concerned about that and they asked WorleyParsons to go and do a study to find what would happen if there were gas disruption in New Zealand. So they, alongside of information from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, produced a report that was delivered to MBIE in about 2013, and they calculated that without a supply of gas to the northern part of the North Island only, the loss\u2014the economic cost\u2014would be in the vicinity of over $650 million per month.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ENow, some people would say, \u201CWell, we should not be reliant on gas. That proves that we are too dependent on a resource.\u201D But what I would say is that if you look at the cost of gas to industry, whether that\u2019s Fonterra, New Zealand Steel, New Zealand Refining, or Methanex, which produces low-emission methanol that\u2019s going to be used more and more in ship transportation as a fuel\u2014if you look at that and then you say \u201CWell, move away from gas to electricity.\u201D, then just that shift is three times the cost. Fonterra said they can\u2019t afford that. If you were to shift from natural gas to hydrogen, it\u2019s 10 times the cost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc9c47c0-4409-44ca-ad2f-498707f27d69\u0022\u003ESo if you tell industries that their energy cost is going to increase 10 times, what they will say is \u201CWe can\u2019t do business in New Zealand, so we will import our steel from Indonesia. It\u2019s about four to five times the emission load than what New Zealand steel costs us in terms of greenhouse gases.\u201D The fact is that over November and December, there were shortages of gas because of infrastructure challenges. What happened is that we had to depend on imported coal. In the quarter ending 30 September, New Zealand used 57,000 tonnes of coal for electricity generation, but in the quarter ending 31 December, that had gone to around about 260,000 tonnes. Because there was a lack of gas in New Zealand, our emissions exploded, and our costs of electricity tripled, and what we\u2019re seeing is that there is no real opportunity to use hydrogen without seeing substantial increases in the costs of doing business in this country. This is why there is an elephant in the room.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u002222f5c4f753784ae5bfdab1a15d61ebd1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002222f5c4f753784ae5bfdab1a15d61ebd1\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=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022 data-id=\u002278b57c188ed649d389f188b1d40bddef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002278b57c188ed649d389f188b1d40bddef\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Assistant Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak for the first time in this House in 2019 in the debate on the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I\u2019d also like to acknowledge some of the challenges that are happening in the Nelson-Tasman area. I\u2019ve got a lot of family members in that area. They\u2019re certainly suffering, and I\u2019d like to say big thankyou to all the volunteers, who are doing an excellent job down there around bringing those fires under control. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EIf you listen to the other side of the House, everything sounds like doom and gloom. I know there\u2019s a game of cricket on the other channel, and people at home are probably tempted to change over to that channel. Well, don\u2019t change the channel\u2014don\u2019t change the channel. I can tell you the score: 229 for 9. So don\u2019t change your channel, because I\u2019m going to talk in a positive manner about the exciting things that we\u2019ve got in store for this year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s an analogy that I think of, and it\u2019s the analogy of an alarm clock. So, from time to time, we all need to get up early. We set the alarm clock and the alarm goes off. Under the previous Government, the alarm clock went off, they pressed the snooze button, and they went back to sleep. They woke up again, they pressed the snooze button, and they went back to sleep, and, after a while, the previous Government stopped even pressing that snooze button. They put their heads under the pillow while the alarm was going. They were not listening to the alarm bells around our regions, around housing, and around mental health. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThe nation voted for change, and we are giving them change. I\u2019ll start by talking about the regions. We have had years of underinvestment in our regions. In 2014, I stood in the Taup\u014D electorate, in the south Waikato area, and there\u2019s huge deprivation down there. There\u2019s deprivation up in Northland, East Coast, and other areas of the country. I\u2019d like to acknowledge New Zealand First for the Provincial Growth Fund and for their vision around the regions. It\u2019s a game-changer. It\u2019s a game-changer for the regions. For the first time in many years, people in the regions are lifting their heads up. They have hope. They\u2019re lifting their eyes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThe Provincial Growth Fund has invested in 136 projects, which are estimated to create 1,200 jobs. The key thing though that the Provincial Growth Fund is doing\u2014all that aside\u2014is that it\u2019s stimulating discussions in the regions. Business cases, collaboration, economic activity\u2014people are once again dreaming of what could happen in their regions. They\u2019re lifting the heads. Economic activity is beginning to start in our regions, and it\u2019s only going to increase. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to acknowledge the honourable Minister Willie Jackson for the work he\u2019s been doing around the NEETs\u2014people not in employment, education, or training. Under this Minister, the number of our NEETs has dropped, from 80,000 to 70,000. That\u2019s 10,000 people now in education, employment, or training\u2014people who weren\u2019t previously. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EJust a final point on the regions there: I\u2019d like to touch on the passenger rail between Hamilton and Auckland. So the New Zealand Transport Association have approved a business case, and, as a local member of Parliament, I\u2019m certainly watching with interest as they engage with the local councils, because having diversity within our transport system is absolutely vital, and this will improve productivity. People who are travelling between Hamilton and Auckland, particularly for business, will be able to hop on the train and open their laptops, and they\u2019ll be able to start working. A lot of productivity is lost by having people sitting in cars on clogged motorways. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EIn the last one minute, I\u2019ll touch on housing and mental health. This Government inherited a crisis in housing. I know that the Opposition are giving us a hard time, but we are taking action. We are taking action. The previous Government had their heads under the pillow while the alarm clock went off around housing. People couldn\u2019t get into their first homes. There wasn\u2019t the safety net of social housing for them, but we are taking action. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThe final point is mental health. I am delighted and I\u2019m excited that mental health will be a key priority in the May Budget\u2014finally, a Government that will take action on mental health. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022 data-id=\u00221405ba232a794e0496a9ab94c6034371\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221405ba232a794e0496a9ab94c6034371\u0022\u003EWILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe. T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai o te Whare, otir\u0101 ki a koutou katoa ng\u0101 mema o te Whare P\u0101remata, koutou ng\u0101 kaimahi o te Whare P\u0101remata, ng\u0101 mihi o te tau hou t\u014Drangap\u016B me k\u012B ki a t\u0101tou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EHe pai te hoki mai ki roto i te Whare P\u0101remata \u0101 muri mai i te tau hou P\u0101keh\u0101, ahakoa kua t\u012Bmata ng\u0101 mahi i R\u0101tana, \u0101, t\u0113n\u0101 koe, i roto i Waitangi an\u014D hoki. Engari, ko t\u0113nei te wiki tuatahi i roto i te Whare P\u0101remata. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI t\u012Bmata ng\u0101 mahi i te k\u014Drero a te Pirimia a Jacinda Ardern. E tautoko ana ahau, pau te kaha w\u0101na k\u014Drero inanahir\u0101, \u0101, inanahi. Poho kerer\u016B ia i ng\u0101 mahi kua tutuki i t\u0113nei k\u0101wanatanga i roto i te w\u0101 poto, i roto i te 15 marama noa iho. Poho kerer\u016B an\u014D hoki ahau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EKua kite ahau i ng\u0101 painga kua whiwhi i te takiw\u0101 o Te Tai Tokerau. I rongo koutou i \u014Dna k\u014Drero e p\u0101 ana ki te tohatoha i ng\u0101 moni ki ng\u0101 rohe, puta noa i Aotearoa, ki te tuawhenua. Ko Te Tai Tokerau t\u0113tahi o w\u0113n\u0101 rohe. Kua kite ahau i ng\u0101 hua o t\u0113r\u0101 tautoko o te k\u0101wanatanga. I t\u0113r\u0101 wiki i reira ng\u0101 Minita o t\u0113nei k\u0101wanatanga ki te whakarewa ake i \u0113tahi atu kaupapa, ki te tohatoha atu i \u0113tahi atu moni, \u0101, ki ng\u0101 takiw\u0101 o Te Kaipara, o Kaikohe, o Te Kerikeri an\u014D hoki. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI t\u016Btaki ahau i t\u0113tahi kotiro, he wahine in\u0101ianei, ko Whina Woods t\u014Dna ingoa. Ko ia t\u0113tahi o ng\u0101 taitamawahine, i mahi i te kaupapa o te Poutama Rangatahi, n\u0101 Willie, \u0101, ko Willie Jackson te Minita o t\u0113r\u0101 kaupapa. K\u0101tahi an\u014D ia ka whiwhi i tana raihana motok\u0101. I t\u0113nei wiki i t\u012Bmata ia i tana ako ki te whakaako i ng\u0101 tamariki. Koin\u0101 te pai, koin\u0101 te hua o te mahi o t\u0113nei k\u0101wanatanga. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI rongo an\u014D hoki ahau i te k\u014Drero o te tama, i mea atu ki te Pirimia, \u201CKo koe te take e haere ana ahau ki te whare w\u0101nanga i t\u0113nei tau. Ko au te tama o t\u0113tahi matua whiwhi penihana. And, e kore rawa ahau e whakaaro ka haere ahau ki te whare w\u0101nanga. Engari n\u0101 te kore utu ki te haere ki te whare w\u0101nanga ka haere ahau i t\u0113nei tau.\u201D N\u014D reira e tino tautoko ana ahau te mahi hei tautoko i ng\u0101 taitamariki o Te Tai Tokerau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EKa huri ahau ki te hanga whare. K\u0101tahi an\u014D ka puare i ng\u0101 whare i Whang\u0101rei. Ko te Minita ko Phil Twyford t\u0113n\u0101 e whakapuare ana i w\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 whare. E tautoko ana te hanga whare i \u014Ctangarei, Kait\u0101ia, Whang\u0101rei, K\u0101kau an\u014D hoki, e mahi tahi ana me Te R\u016Bnanga o Wh\u0101ingaroa. E mihi ana, e mihi ana, e mihi ana ki a Nanaia Mahuta, te Minita m\u014D te M\u0101ori e tautoko ana i t\u0113r\u0101 kaupapa. Me te papak\u0101inga an\u014D hoki. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EKo te tohatoha i ng\u0101 moni hei tautoko i ng\u0101 rohe, \u0101, ko Matua Shane Jones t\u0113r\u0101. Te tau, \u0101, te kaupapa m\u014D te ngahere, te whakat\u014D i ng\u0101 r\u0101kau, ng\u0101 paina, ng\u0101 r\u0101kau m\u0101ori an\u014D hoki i roto i te takiw\u0101 o Ng\u0101ti Hine, i roto i te takiw\u0101 o Ng\u0101ti R\u0113hia, ar\u0101 ko ng\u0101 kauri. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI whakatakoto te k\u014Dhatu mauri m\u014D t\u0113tahi kaupapa, t\u0113tahi whare hou ki roto o Te Kawakawa i te Paraire i ng\u0101 wiki kua pahure ake nei. He kaupapa t\u0113n\u0101 ko te hononga. \u0100, atu i t\u0113r\u0101 ko te mahi i te papa waka rererangi ki Kerikeri, \u0101, ko ng\u0101 tauranga waka i Te P\u0113whairangi, a Vinta Vasa i Whang\u0101rei, ar\u0101 noa ng\u0101 kaupapa kua tutuki i a m\u0101tou i te 15 marama noa iho. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003ENg\u0101 rori, ng\u0101 rori ruturutu o Te Tai Tokerau. I rongo koutou e hoatu p\u016Btea ana ki Te Kaipara kia whakatikatika i te rori ki te, ki Pout\u016B. Ki ng\u0101 rori matua an\u014D hoki te nuinga o ng\u0101 aitu\u0101 i runga i w\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 rori. N\u014D reira e mihi ana ki t\u0113r\u0101 p\u016Btea. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EEngari i rongo i te k\u014Drero o te Pirimia i Waitangi. He nui tonu ng\u0101 mahi kei mua i te aroaro. Ahakoa kua tutuki w\u0113r\u0101 me te nuinga o aha atu o ng\u0101 kaupapa i te w\u0101 poto, he nui tonu ng\u0101 mahi kei mua i te aroaro. Ko t\u0101na, k\u0101hore te whakahaere noa, he \u0101rahi k\u0113, n\u014D reira e te Pirimia, kia kaha, kia m\u0101ia, kia manawaroa. T\u0113n\u0101 koe. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E[Thank you. Greetings, Mr Assistant Speaker, and indeed to all the members of Parliament, and to all of the staff of Parliament House. Greetings for the political new year, so to speak, to all of us. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EIt is good to return to Parliament House after the P\u0101keh\u0101 new year, despite the work having begun at R\u0101tana, thank you, and also at Waitangi. However, this is the first week in Parliament House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EThe work began with the speech of the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. I support her; such strength in her speech the day before yesterday\u2014ah, yesterday. She is proud of the work which has been achieved by this Government within a short time, in only 15 months. I am also proud. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI have seen the benefits which have been received by the region of Te Tai Tokerau. You heard what she said about the distribution of money to the regions, throughout New Zealand, to the rural areas. Te Tai Tokerau is one of those areas. I have seen the fruits of that support of the Government. Last week, the Ministers of this Government were there to launch some other initiatives, to distribute other money to the regions of Te Kaipara, Kaikohe, and Te Kerikeri. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI met a girl, she\u2019s a woman now; her name is Whina Woods. She is one of the young girls who did the initiative of Poutama Rangatahi. Willie Jackson is the Minister of that initiative. She has just received her car licence. This week she began to teach children. That is the benefit, that is the result of this Government\u2019s work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI also heard the story of the boy who said to the Prime Minister, \u201CYou are the reason I am going to university this year. I am the son of a parent who received the benefit. And I would never have thought that I would go to university. However, because of there being no fees to go to university, I am going this year.\u201D Therefore, I strongly support the work to support the youth of Te Tai Tokerau. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI will turn to the building of houses. The houses of Whang\u0101rei have just been opened. It was the Minister Phil Twyford who opened those houses, supporting the building of houses in \u014Ctangarei, Kait\u0101ia, Whang\u0101rei and also K\u0101kau, working together with Te R\u016Bnanga o Wh\u0101ingaroa. I strongly acknowledge Nanaia Mahuta, the Minister for M\u0101ori Development, who is supporting that initiative, as well as communal M\u0101ori housing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI acknowledge the distribution of money to support the regions\u2014that is, Mr Shane Jones\u2014and the year of the initiative for the forests, the planting of trees, pines, and also native trees in the regions of Ng\u0101ti Hine and Ng\u0101ti R\u0113hia, namely kauri. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EThe mauri stone for an initiative was laid down, a new building in Te Kawakawa on the Friday of the weeks recently gone. That initiative is about connection. And, beyond that, the work at the airport land in Kerikeri and the airports at Te P\u0113whairangi, Vinta Vasa in Whang\u0101rei; there are many more initiatives that we have achieved in just 15 months. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EThe roads, the bumpy roads of Te Tai Tokerau. You heard that money is being given to Te Kaipara to repair the road to Pout\u016B; to the main roads also because there are so many accidents on those roads. So I acknowledge that funding. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EHowever, I heard the Prime Minister\u2019s speech at Waitangi. There is still much work before us. However, those have been achieved and many other initiatives in a short time, but there is still much work in front of us. As she said, it is not just management, but leadership, and therefore to the Prime Minister: be strong, be brave, be resilient. Thank you.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022e20e7549066641dc8fdb1cb0068988a8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e20e7549066641dc8fdb1cb0068988a8\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (National\u2014Whangarei):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to speak to the Prime Minister\u2019s statement. I\u2019d like to speak to several parts of her statement, starting with the reflection on vocational training and the tumultuous reforms that have been announced today. Now, I want to put on record that we were really hoping that we could scrutinise and support some of these reforms. We understand that there are challenges across the sector and, as the education cohort, if you like, we thought there actually could be some changes that we could get along with. Unfortunately, with six weeks\u2019 notice, that\u2019s a hugely short consultation period for a tumultuous and drastic reformation process like this, and that\u2019s going to make that very unlikely, but we did come to the table willing to look and understand that some changes were necessary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThe theme through today\u2019s vocational and education reforms, and vocational and training reforms, is the Government knows best\u2014the Government knows better than industry what is best for industry, and the Government knows better than the regions what is best for the regions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002246aa6897aba840d48a98644f81c6bfb3\u0022\u003EBarbara Kuriger\u003C/span\u003E: Just like oil and gas. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022452fa04c6f6e47ce9462dba0032fa782\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: It is like oil and gas. What\u2019s happened today is the industry training organisations (ITOs) have been disestablished and their parts dispersed to the winds, and I\u2019ll talk to that further. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EBut, just so that we understand, the industry training organisations are those organisations mandated by industry and confirmed in the 1992 legislation to do several things. First of all, they\u2019re there to set standards; secondly, they\u2019re there to provide apprenticeships and to organise apprenticeships; and, thirdly, they have a quality function. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s be clear on those organisations that are being cast aside today: Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation\u2014the building people\u2014Careerforce, Competenz, Connexis, the Hairdressing Industry Training Organisation, MITO, the New Zealand Marine and Composites Industry Training Organisation, the Primary Industry Training Organisation, ServiceIQ, Skills Active Aotearoa, and the Skills Organisation. They have been cast aside today, and I\u2019ll come to the alternative that they\u2019ve been cast to. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s also understood that ITOs actually manage more trainees and have more people than all the collective polytechnics together and more than domestic university students\u2014around about 150,000. They are substantive. They were formed by industry for industry, and they\u2019ve been cast aside. Cast aside for what? They\u2019ve been cast aside for this amorphous New Zealand polytech, the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, of which we know very little detail. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s actually look at some of the parts of the ITOs and where they\u2019ve gone. So the standard-setting function of ITOs is, purportedly, going to go to the industry skills bodies (ISBs). We don\u2019t know if they\u2019re going to go across services. We don\u2019t quite know more about some of their components. We know that the ISBs, as they\u2019re called, will be responsible for leadership, for standards, and for capstone and curriculum\u2014a lot of what the ITOs were doing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWhat we do know is that the part that the ITOs were doing will not completely move across. The bigger part of what ITOs were doing was going out to industries and saying, \u201CWould you like an apprentice? Can you take on an apprentice?\u201D They were organising apprenticeships, and that has moved completely to central functioning from Wellington\u2014to the governance arm of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. A central bureaucracy in Wellington will tell industry what they need. Instead of industry telling industry, that has all moved to this national polytechnic, we can call it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ENow, let\u2019s look back at that. So we\u2019ve done this before: in 1992, trade training was done\u2014in fact, in the 1970s and 1980s\u2014through the polytechnics, and we moved away from that in the early 1990s, for a couple of reasons. One of them was that the polytechnics taught what they wanted, not what industry needed. The other reason we were actually looking to move from service-based training\u2014it used to be that if you did just four years, you qualified as a trade certificate or advanced training\u2014was that we actually wanted to move to competency-based training. So Lockwood Smith, through the early 1990s, led the reforms that put industry back in charge of industry, and the industry training Act of 1992 empowered ITOs to do what they\u2019ve done over the last 27 years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESo the main functions of the industry training organisations are going to move to the national polytech. Polytechs will deliver trade training. Industry has not been interacting with polytechs. They\u2019ve been interacting with industry training organisations, for a very simple reason: they best understand their industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EFurthermore, there\u2019s an obvious conflict of interest here. So if polytechs are going to do trade training\u2014if they\u2019re going to do the same role as the ITOs\u2014they would then farm out some of that training to the specialists. But polytechs themselves actually train\u2014they do a lot of the trade training. So they\u2019re going to have two choices: they can look internally to fund their own courses in trade training, or they can look externally to the industrial sector for that training. Where do you think they\u2019re going to look? They\u2019re going to look inside the tent, to themselves. This is what we saw in the 1990s. This is what they\u2019ll do here. This is a clear conflict of interest that the Minister is going to need to manage. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThere are other interesting quirks in this proposal of having a national polytech that need a lot more scrutiny, particularly around the funding. So this national polytech will offer foundation learning, levels 1 and 2 sub-degree category training. Generally, those are diplomas and other sorts of business degrees\u2014well, not degrees, but non-degrees, because then you move to the degree level. So that\u2019s what the national polytechs are going to do. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ENow, interestingly, the sub-degree level\u2014the diplomas and certificates\u2014are normally funded by what\u2019s called student achievement component (SAC) funding, and SAC funding is consistent across the whole sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002240dfc0be50454933a6e136b15a6630b7\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Good evening, members. The House has resumed. Before the dinner break, we were debating the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, and Dr Shane Reti has four minutes and seven seconds remaining to speak, should he so wish to take it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243629fe03fa54bacbacd08d0398d8a9d\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. It\u2019s a pleasure to continue. Just to briefly summarise where we were, I was prosecuting the case that the disestablishment of the industry training organisations\u2014fundamentally, this Government is saying that Government knows best. They know best what industry needs, rather than industry knowing what industry needs. If we look at the separation of the functions of the independent training organisations and how some of them will, wishfully, end up in the industry skills bodies, we don\u2019t know how many of their main provider functions will end up with this national polytechnic\u2014whatever that means. Fundamentally, all of trade training will go to this national polytechnic, which is the position we were in in the early 1990s, when all trade training came from polytechnics. The failure that that was\u2014we have looked back and not looked forward. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESo the ITOs are, clearly, hurting. They are finished under these reforms. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI wanted to talk, then, to job losses. Last week, I put out the statement\u2014which I\u2019ll stand by\u2014that there are a thousand job losses in these reforms. Earlier today\u2014just before the dinner hour, actually\u2014we were meeting with some of the affected stakeholders, and just one small segment of this reform is accounting for 500 job losses. But then we heard the Minister. When we raised the question, the Minister said, \u201CWell, look, we haven\u2019t actually modelled that, so we can\u2019t give you a number.\u201D Now, there\u2019s two points to that. If it wasn\u2019t modelled, then it\u2019s just, frankly, reckless and irresponsible to come to the House with major reforms\u2014and they are tumultuous reforms\u2014not having done the work. If you have got a number and are too scared, just bite the bullet here, now, and put it out, and we can see what it is. So job losses are a huge concern for the sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThe tumultuous vocational education training reforms that were mentioned here today were also alluded to in the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, and it\u2019s a really important piece of work that we need to look at, although a full six weeks to do it\u2014really? Tomorrow\u2019s Schools are, roughly, three times that, and for something as big as this, we\u2019re getting a third of the time\u2014six weeks. That also speaks, as I said initially, to why it\u2019s going to be a challenge for us to collaborate on some parts of this that we really did want to work together on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThe second area I wanted to focus on is the Prime Minister\u2019s statement, at page 5, where she talks about \u201CThe second area of focus, of course, is in health.\u201D She also gives a story a little bit earlier about the child of a beneficiary in Kaikohe, so let\u2019s join those dots together. Let\u2019s talk about children in Kaikohe and health. Let\u2019s talk about whether that child is vaccinated for meningitis, or not. Are you one of the five- to 12-year-olds who\u2014sorry\u2014this Government does not choose to be safe? Are you part of that group who cannot guarantee that you\u2019ll be safe this coming winter, or that you will have developed immunity this coming winter to meningitis? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIf we look at that, let\u2019s look at the reasoning the Government\u2019s put forward as to why they will not vaccinate the 20,302 five- to 12-year-olds in Northland who are ineligible for the meningitis Menactra vaccine. Two arguments are put forward: first of all, that the technical advisory group on 8 November recommended to do only the two targeted groups that are currently receiving vaccine\u2014wrong. Option three also said you could vaccinate everyone under 20. The second argument being made is that there are not enough vaccines\u2014wrong again. Shall we dial up right now on my iPhone and I\u2019ll order dozens of them, right here from the House? There are plenty of them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThe cost of this is $700,000. We can\u2019t find $700,000 to vaccinate Northland children against meningitis\u2014really? We\u2019ve heard of the expense of the reforms here today and all the other options we have in front of us, and the Prime Minister has the audacity to say \u201CThe second area of focus, of course, is in health.\u201D and to talk about Kaikohe children in her prime ministerial statement. But she will not, because the open letter we placed before her before Waitangi Day said, \u201CPrime Minister, please will you consider vaccinating 5-12 year-olds in Northland for meningitis?\u201D, and she said no. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESo you saw the petition at the start of the House today, and we will lobby this through the select committee. Vaccinate Northland children. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022 data-id=\u0022d30c4f2d46684ee9a7265364f584a442\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cbc37df2-57ae-4536-94ed-a2e39eecd585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d30c4f2d46684ee9a7265364f584a442\u0022\u003EHon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Housing and Urban Development):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That this debate be now adjourned. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022106e3ff4e4e845f0a6e4ff9f2fc95e07\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That this debate be now adjourned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 63\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 46; New Zealand First 9; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 8.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 56\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 55; Ross.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000551\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\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=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d3475684e7314d498c7c4e9f3677ebc7\u0022\u003ECrown Minerals Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f04c8d66563241d2a0e9b3b76bcfe41b\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000554\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 12 February.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022 data-id=\u0022f645123bac0142b0b9cf67de39d9f6af\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f645123bac0142b0b9cf67de39d9f6af\u0022\u003EMARK PATTERSON (NZ First):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. It is a pleasure to resume my contribution on this Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, of course, which amends the Crown Minerals Act of 1991. I only got a minute or so into my stride last time, but I was actually responding to a previous contribution from Jonathan Young. I was reflecting on the irony that he referenced in his speech that there was an oil rig just turned up off the coast of Taranaki after months and months of dire warnings that we were banning oil and gas drilling. And lo and behold, here we were with an oil rig turning up right off the shores of the member\u2019s own electorate, putting a lie to that particular premise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EI had been, in fact, so alarmed by the scaremongering of the National Party on that particular issue, I had been scared to get my car or to have my vehicle too far away from a petrol station just in case the country ran dry. But we are moving towards a just transition. Of course, in Mr Young\u2019s electorate, the Provincial Growth Fund is investing in hydrogen. We know there\u2019s a great deal of potential in that technology. In fact, I understand Budweiser are going to have all their trucks in the United States on hydrogen by 2020. So there are great strides being made in that alternative energy market and we are moving in that direction. As the Prime Minister referenced in her address, we are showing leadership in this regard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EOf course, that\u2019s not to downgrade the importance of our oil and gas industry or minerals in general. Petroleum\u2014we have $1.5 billion worth of petroleum exports, which generates $500 million annually for the Crown. The reason this bill is significant, even though it\u2019s minor and technical changes, is the scale of this industry to New Zealand. The mining sector, for example, contributes $3 billion to New Zealand\u2019s GDP or 1.3 percent, and we are a country that is rich in natural resources. I understand we are second only to the kingdom of Tonga in terms of natural resources per capita, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s important that we get the provisions within this Act right, because it is a significant part of our economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EThe petroleum\u2014we\u2019ve referenced. Gold, silver; coal is still a major mineral mined. There are, of course, massive phosphate deposits off the Chatham Rise, which are potentially brought into play at a future date. I was just in at Venture Southland the other day, actually, looking at their soil electromagnetic mapping, and there are deposits of uranium and thorium throughout Southland. Also, of course, more recently the Provincial Growth Fund has invested in facilitating a garnet mine just south of Hokitika in Westland. The Hon Paul Goldsmith in his contribution actually referenced the West Coast in regard to minerals and the Crown Minerals Act\u2014and mining actually still contributes 40 percent of GDP. He was railing against the stewardship land issue in action on this side of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EWell, just the irony of that\u2014after having had almost a decade to do something about it, the Opposition spokesman on regional development, based in that heartland of regional New Zealand, Epsom, has suddenly discovered the West Coast and the fact that 83 percent of their land is tied up in conservation department land. New Zealand First has been a firm advocate for looking at that land. There is some of it that is pristine conservation land, and we have to get that incorporated in our national parks, but there is also a considerable amount that is low-level scrub and very low-level conservation area at all. We need to be able to open that up for the likes of gold mining, etc., which this bill and the provisions in it will assist.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EThe bill itself gives the Minister new powers\u2014powers to revoke permits. What we have in the oil and gas industry in particular is a system where when tier one companies get to a certain level with their wells, they onsell that permit to a second-tier explorer or company that then has specialists that have technology that can make more use of or optimise the resource that is left. Now, the danger, of course, in that is that if you get a cowboy operation that comes in that cannot fulfil its obligations, then that is a very bad space, indeed, to be in. We\u2019ve seen the Rena\u2014even though that was an oil spill off a ship, obviously, but we\u2019ve seen the danger of having an environmental catastrophe like that if we do not get our regulations right and we do not have credible companies operating these permits. So these provisions within this bill give the Minister the power to revoke a permit if we believe that that company is not a credible custodian. Of course, it ups the fines to about $800,000 if those disclosure provisions are not met, which is, I think\u2014given the potential for catastrophe\u2014an appropriate level.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003EIt also clarifies access to schedule 4 land\u2014we know our pristine conservation land. Section 53(1) and section 53(3) actually directly contradict themselves, so this bill clarifies that issue. I\u2019d just like to pay some tribute to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. During the process of that select committee, they did actually modify the bill somewhat. They came up with some good recommendations, and particularly around clarifying contracts around the existing settings for\u2014so I\u2019ve just lost my way there a little bit, sorry, with that provision. [Interruption] I only had one G and T at the British High Commission too, I might say. There was a certain\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a3e49de6219549f8b7597191dcb67e32\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228adb3723726e4d4eb56b19a3f9fedf1e\u0022\u003EMARK PATTERSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014provision in there around contracts that was clarified\u2014and it has come back to me, Madam Assistant Speaker, which is good, and left me again as well. So I also just\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8d8eb59e8ac47e6bd6f201264af922f\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: I certainly hope the member is not trying to tell me he\u2019s somewhat impaired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bf71a65e-c9f0-4856-902f-1a15c4274e94\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220be01f5a733c47468baf57e301b587bc\u0022\u003EMARK PATTERSON\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, I\u2019m certainly not. It was just the one, but my notes are a little bit incomplete. So the select committee did play its role, I guess is the greater point that I\u2019m trying to make. They did make some clarifications around those contracts. To the submitters, obviously, thank you for participating, and the officials, as always\u2014we are always well served by officials in this Parliament in tidying up a bill, which I believe has wide support from the Parliament, including from New Zealand First. Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u00225ef47b61cc8248c7a2add4d59e278e36\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225ef47b61cc8248c7a2add4d59e278e36\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Assistant Speaker\u2014and I promise you I\u2019m not impaired. I have not had a single drink. It\u2019s a pleasure to rise to speak on this particular bill, the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, in the third reading debate. I\u2019d like to commend the member who just sat down, Mark Patterson. What an effort to actually break his speech up into two parts, one last night and one tonight, and to complete almost 10 minutes of a speech. I have to say that I wasn\u2019t quite sure where he was actually sort of going with that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bfaec9734f9e4e5184f0d54b4b3842a7\u0022\u003ETim van de Molen\u003C/span\u003E: Neither was he.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275717113b3b54d6da22c20e1a3eb71bd\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE\u003C/span\u003E: Yeah. He probably wasn\u2019t very sure. You know, often one of the things that actually happens, before I get to the bill\u2014sorry, Madam Assistant Speaker. I just want to answer a comment that Dr Shane Reti actually said in terms of the $700,000 that this Government cannot afford for Northland children\u2019s vaccinations for meningitis. I would say maybe the Government could actually take it off one of the advisory boards. I know for a fact that the broadcasting ministerial advisory board got $1.5 million, and there are only four people\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b278fba43ed4a629c4c503f67936444\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: And back to the third reading, please. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265c88824764a4a8bbef0cf029311d553\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you\u2014and back to the third reading. I will. In the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, the Minister of Energy and Resources actually got up in her third reading speech and said this: \u201C[The] Government is committed to ensuring that the regulatory system that manages New Zealand\u2019s Crown-owned minerals and the permitting regime that underpins these sectors is robust and fit for purpose.\u201D\u2014that sounds wonderful\u2014\u201CThis bill seeks to clarify and update statutory provisions and [addresses] gaps, inconsistencies, and errors with the Act.\u201D\u2014that sounds very reasonable\u2014\u201CThe changes in the bill will ensure that the identified regulatory gaps are closed, it will ensure that there is clarity for regulators and for the industry around permitting, and it will address inconsistencies in the Act.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EFor that particular opening sentence that the Minister the Hon Dr Megan Woods said in the third reading, I completely agree, because National supports making minor changes to tidy up bits and pieces of the Crown Minerals Act 1991. We actually believe that these are, largely, small changes through the bill, although there is actually some financial beef to prosecute those who fail to notify the Minister of the change of control of a permit in the participant companies. For example, when a company has been given a licence to prospect and they decide that they\u2019re going to sell their company, and they do not actually let the Minister know, and the licence goes to some unknown entity, for example\u2014that is going to be a problem. I know for a fact that during the select committee process, there was actually a company that came into the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee and submitted that there is a process of changeover happening, and we actually gave it an exemption. I think that was a good thing that the select committee did.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EOne of the things that I thought about when Mr Mark Patterson was talking in terms of the energy sector\u2014I was reflecting back on my childhood in Korea. Korea was a very poor country and actually relied very heavily on coal. There were many instances where I remembered as a child a coal mine collapsing and people being trapped. But the other thing that is actually very significant and in my memory is that coal miners from Korea actually left Korean shores when Korea was recovering from the Korean War. They were very, very poor. Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world, and the president at the time decided that he needed financial aid from other countries, and by exporting the experts who were actually in the coal mining field, as well as Korean nurses, to overseas countries\u2014and one of the countries that actually took Korean coal miners was the Germans. The German settlement of Korean people began with Korean coal miners. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThe reason why coal miners actually came into my mind was this whole thing about exploration. One of the things that this Government did in terms of minerals and the Crown Minerals Act and the other bill that we debated, and this one is also related, is in relation to the stopping of exploration in this country. What that actually means is that it has a major impact on an economy, for example, in New Plymouth. I think the mayor actually said it was a kick in the guts. The announcement by this Government was a kick in the guts and a decimation of an industry where people rely on work to actually earn a living to support their family, where people are actually working to feed their families and support their families to move ahead in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThey said one of the reasons why they were actually collapsing and kicking them in the guts was to have clean energy. The ironic thing is that in the first year of this Labour-led Government, they talked a big game. There was big talk about climate change and how New Zealand should be clean and green, and yet the results speak louder than words. The rhetoric that they gave out is actually false. New Zealand burnt the most coal in five years to keep the lights on. That\u2019s right. It was the worst result ever\u2014the most coal burnt in five years\u2014because they were trying to keep the lights on. When you\u2019re in a very cold winter environment, you need people to actually have energy so they can keep themselves warm, and we had a shortage, and they actually burnt more coal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThe other thing is talking about \u201Cclean\u201D and \u201Cgreenness\u201D. I mean, a lot of people have talked about wind power and renewable energies, and I\u2019ve actually spoken about this before. Do members actually realise that it takes 230 tonnes of coal for the steel that is actually required to make the turbines for windmills? It is ridiculous that in Parliament\u2014apparently it needs 4.5 new wind farms a year. That\u2019s what Dr Woods actually said: in order for them to progress, we need to create 4.5 new wind farms. What does that actually mean in terms of the coal that is required to make the steel to make the wind turbines? That means we actually use more coal. It\u2019s not as green as the Minister actually seems to think it is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EIn terms of the Crown minerals bill\u2014I notice Madam Assistant Speaker is actually looking at me\u2014the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill contains amendments, as I said, to the Crown Minerals Act 1991. It\u2019s a technical bill. It\u2019s not a major concern for the National Party, because we worked on it and we\u2019re quite happy with it, and we support the bill. But one of the things that I\u2019d like to remind this Government\u2014this Labour Government fails to actually understand that every decision that they make has a major impact, perhaps on another industry as well. Earlier, I talked about a decision that the Government made in terms of foreign homeowners, preventing foreigners from buying a home. In this country, we have a shortage of 1,000 doctors. We can\u2019t entice foreign doctors to come to this country because they are not allowed to buy homes. Somebody across the Chamber, over there, said that if they become residents, they can. Well, if they can\u2019t work here and actually become residents, then they can\u2019t. You know, they have to actually work here, and they can\u2019t work here because they don\u2019t want to work here when they can\u2019t even buy a house.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThis bill is technical. It\u2019s a small amendment, and it actually makes a huge impact on the industry. I totally and utterly support this bill, but I give one warning to the members opposite: decimating Taranaki and decimating the oil and gas exploration industry is killing New Zealand families. It is actually provincial New Zealand. I mean, they say they care about the regions. They say they care about the regions, and Taranaki is one big region that earns a lot of money from oil and gas exploration\u2014one of the richest regions in our country\u2014and that Government, that party, destroyed it. I say go for it. You are making this country worse for the decisions you make\u2014not you, Madam Assistant Speaker, but that Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022 data-id=\u002204482aa50e5b4781979f1ad8ed20ca58\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002204482aa50e5b4781979f1ad8ed20ca58\u0022\u003EGARETH HUGHES (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Assistant Speaker. Ng\u0101 mihi nui ki a koutou. Kia ora. The last member talked about people wanting to move to New Zealand. I know exactly why so many people want to move to New Zealand to work. We\u2019ve got record low unemployment. We\u2019ve got a Prime Minister who\u2019s a bastion of positivity on the world stage in the age of Trump and Brexit. This beautiful country, which has got this great direction, that\u2019s embracing the future and embracing innovation\u2014no wonder so many people want to come to New Zealand, despite the relentless negativity of the National Party and that last member.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EI\u2019m proud to be part of a Government which has had the courage, the integrity of its convictions, the ability to listen to the clear clarion call of science, and the courage to set a leadership direction when it comes to the oil and gas exploration end and the start of the just transitions away from fossil fuels. That\u2019s in contrast to the intellectual dishonesty of the National Party: the party who finally stopped denying the science of climate change but then did everything possible to encourage more mining, more drilling, and more fracking across New Zealand; the party who said that we would have to start to transition away from oil and gas, but the party never had the intellectual honesty to actually say when that would start; the party who continue to prop it up with more subsidies, tax breaks, and other actions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad71868146d945969c44e9f35dc9fecc\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: And back to the third reading, please. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228aff64d273ae499cbd73ab0b256da85f\u0022\u003EGARETH HUGHES\u003C/span\u003E: So I\u2019m proud to stand here as this Parliament tonight does a tune-up of the Crown Minerals Act 1991 (CMA) that closes the loopholes. I raise these points because the last Government didn\u2019t do this, didn\u2019t do a tune up of the CMA to actually improve it, and didn\u2019t close the loopholes that Parliament\u2019s having to spend its time on now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EWhat we\u2019re doing is two big things: a slight technical amendment and upgrading of the Crown Minerals Act\u2014a bit of a spring clean, if you will. The big thing, though, is closing the loopholes. What we saw was that a change of permit operator needed ministerial consent under the existing regime, but that very same company could have its operations changed, could be bought out, could be sold, a foreign multinational could come in and purchase it, and that needed no ministerial control. It\u2019s important that we close this loophole, because we\u2019re at a time of considerable change in what I believe is a sunset industry\u2014fossil fuels, oil, and gas. It\u2019s a sector that\u2019s seen huge change in New Zealand. Just in the last few years we\u2019ve seen almost minuscule demand for oil block offers. We\u2019ve seen Apache Corporation go, we\u2019ve seen Petrobras go, we\u2019ve seen the oddly named New Zealand Energy Corp\u2014which is not New Zealand - owned\u2014go, we\u2019ve seen Shell go, and we see other operators come in and pick up the scraps left. What we\u2019ve also seen as a trend as the fields are declining is a consolidation of ownership but also smaller companies coming in trying to tweak the last bit of oil out of it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EWhat we don\u2019t want to see is cowboys operating in the New Zealand oil and gas sector. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important we close this loophole. But I do reiterate the point\u2014it\u2019s deeply disappointing that National, when they had the chance over nine years, didn\u2019t close this loophole. In fact, what they did was throw tens of millions of dollars of tax breaks and subsidies to one of the wealthiest and most profitable industries in the world. They literally passed, under urgency, legislation to criminalise protest activity at sea. They hosted lavish conferences for oil executives. I remember when Phil Heatley spent $240,000 hosting just 10 executives for four days. It is a party that literally called out the navy on Te Wh\u0101nau-a-Apanui as they tried to exercise their customary rights at sea. That was where National was focused on. What you\u2019ve finally seen, I believe, is a separation of oil and State in New Zealand, which is great.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ENow, for the submitters\u2014there were only 11 submitters in the select committee process. It was a privilege to hear from them. Despite the technical amendments and the loopholes, there were some concerns from some submitters, particularly from the NGO and environmental sector, around some of the language in the legislation. I\u2019m deeply proud that the bill has been clarified to assuage those concerns. The way the legislation was originally drafted legitimately could\u2019ve given people the impression that existing permit activities could occur on adjacent land. I think that\u2019s totally contrary to the principles of our Crown minerals regime, totally contrary to the issues of natural justice, that if someone has a permit on one farm, for example, they could apply the existing activities on the neighbouring farm. So what the committee has clarified is that that is not the case, despite the large number of submissions regarding that point. What it simply applies to is geophysical surveys. A point that I was deeply interested in picking up was, well, if we\u2019re going to allow geophysical surveys on adjacent land, will this include seismic surveys, which have proved so controversial in Taranaki and so controversial overseas? These geophysical surveys will not apply in the adjacent land.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EThe second area it\u2019s important to clarify for the submitters, which the committee dealt with and considered, was the issue of marine and coastal land. What could have been read by the initial drafting of the legislation was a legitimate concern that schedule 4 could be opened up. I remember marching\u2014I was one of, I think, 50,000 people that marched down Queen Street in Auckland to protect our most precious conservation lands, the beautiful forests, the rivers that all Kiwis love, which was opened up for mining. The way the original bill in front of us could have been drafted could have opened up that prospect. What the legislation and the select committee made crystal clear, though, is that with new section 54A in clause 14, schedule 4 is only common marine and coastal area. We\u2019re not opening up, and there\u2019s no risk of opening up, this treasured conservation land; it\u2019s simply only applying to activities at sea.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019re closing up some loopholes, we\u2019re making some technical amendments, and there\u2019s a bit of a tune-up. What\u2019s the future? Now, I don\u2019t believe mining is going to be New Zealand\u2019s future. We\u2019ve seen IT skyrocket into one of our top export industries. We\u2019ve seen oil revenues slashed. We\u2019ve seen oil companies leave New Zealand\u2014hardly any interest in the oil blocks that the Government\u2019s offered. What we\u2019re seeing is a country and, I believe, a world that\u2019s turning away from damaging and polluting fossil fuels.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EI was heartened to read, just today, that every 25 minutes in New Zealand, a new solar system is installed on a Kiwi\u2019s roof. Every month, a new megawatt of battery storage is added on to the New Zealand grid. Transpower, our national transmission provider, is forecasting 1.5 million Kiwi homes powered by the sun\u2014the free energy. This is, I think, the important thing to put in context, right? All fossil fuels\u2014the coal and the oil and the gas\u2014are simply stored sunlight that fell on earth tens or hundreds of millions of years ago, in the age of the dinosaurs. Why on earth are we going through the middle man with these polluting fossil fuels when we could harness the power of the sun? In fact, one hour of sunlight that hits the world\u2014one hour\u2014would power all of the world\u2019s economy for a year. That\u2019s on a single hour of sunlight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EThis is where we should be going, and, in fact, this is where international capital markets are going. This is where the investment community is going. The Bloomberg New Energy outlook says that we\u2019re going to see $9.3 trillion spent on renewable energies in the coming year. We see internationally 100 gigawatts of solar installed last year\u2014that\u2019s 10 times the size of New Zealand, and this is just simply ramping up. I mean, just across my lifetime, the price of solar has dropped 99 percent, and it\u2019s still going to drop by another quarter. So we don\u2019t need to keep drilling for oil and gas or mining coal; the solutions are there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255bb390e-f6c3-498c-bbf6-ea1a8fc993c7\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s an old Chinese proverb, in fact, which is: when the wind blows, do you build walls or do you build windmills? This Government has set a clear direction, which is a just transition away from the old-fashioned sunset, polluting economy. We\u2019re setting a new direction, towards the job-rich, the productive, the clean energy economy\u2014a 100 percent renewable future. This is the clear direction, and I\u2019m proud to be part of a Government which is promoting clean energy over polluting fossil fuels.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022 data-id=\u002225c7b900fe1747a99297f6a4bb9aa0a2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002225c7b900fe1747a99297f6a4bb9aa0a2\u0022\u003ECHRIS PENK (National\u2014Helensville):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Speaker. Happy New Year to you and your fellow presiding officers and, indeed, all members of the House and the countless thousands of New Zealanders, no doubt, tuning in to hear what will be a second-rate speech about my first look on this, the third reading. I\u2019m not particularly familiar with this as a subject matter, and at this stage of the legislative process, I do feel obliged to point out that I will still be more familiar than Mark Patterson clearly was. I think that after his explanation of his impairment, we\u2019re only just waiting to hear him say, \u201CI\u2019m not as think as you drunk I am.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EIn any case, moving on to my own speech on the matter, I note that in the spirit of a third reading, I will traverse as best I can the legislative history: the fact that the bill has come to the House, with support across the House, through the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. It was subject to a number of recommended changes from that committee at the second reading, and those were thrashed out in some detail at that time. Accordingly, I just wish to pass reasonably quickly over each of those proposals and mark those off against the changes that were duly made in the committee of the whole House and that, indeed, have made their way into this, the third and final reading of the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EBefore I do so, however, I might just note some of the general comments and aims that have been made about the bill by its sponsor\u2014in effect, the Government, via the Hon Dr Megan Woods\u2014essentially, of course, amending the Crown Minerals Act 1991 \u201Cto maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of the permitting regime\u201D. \u201CEffectiveness and efficiency\u201D might sound a bit like a tautology, but I suppose we can say the effectiveness is that it works and the efficiency is how well it works. So, with that in mind, we can assess whether it\u2019s done as it is claimed to be doing\u2014and we think, on this side of the House, pretty well\u2014in addressing duplication, gaps, errors, inconsistencies, and so forth. The aim, of course, is to ensure an appropriate permitting regime for the future, and that\u2019s a relief, I suppose, to us all that an inappropriate permitting regime is not being proposed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a1f7bbd1-b6ae-41c0-963b-dbe1251f5540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c9e04d651a8f44ef876c5936ac9a0741\u0022\u003EKieran McAnulty\u003C/span\u003E: This speech is a waste of time. This is just terrible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022943f490811624f64a108b54e556d7e3b\u0022\u003ECHRIS PENK\u003C/span\u003E: So then, moving forward to the proposed amendments that came out of the select committee, there was an offence regarding change of control\u2014\u201Coffence\u201D having a technical term, and not meaning just that which Kieran McAnulty gives every time he opens his mouth. So it\u2019s an offence as defined by the Act. That\u2019s in the new section 41AB, as it will become, which is set out in clause 8. That\u2019s talking about the way that the consent will be obtained for change of control, and, with your indulgence, Madam Assistant Speaker, I\u2019ll take a bit of a closer look at that shortly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EBut, maintaining a bit of a tiptoe through the tulips of the proposed amendments out of select committee, I note as well the specific way that late applications for a change of control would be considered. I think it\u2019s helpful to think about not only the way that the Act, as it will be, once amended, should be complied with but also the consequences for non-compliance. If nothing else, that provides clarity in the event of non-compliance but also, I suppose, it sharpens the minds of those who might be careless as to their obligations so that they know that the legislators and the regulators and, indeed, the enforcers of those rules are serious about what it is that they are saying is required. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ENext, we will look at the consent to change of control of permit operator, and exactly what that means for the Minister to be taking into account. It\u2019s pretty prescriptive, but that\u2019s in the name of clarity, and so we agree on this side of the House that that is a worthwhile thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EThen the final one that I\u2019ll note, leaving aside a number of minor and technical amendments, goes to clarification of the way that geophysical surveys would be authorised where adjacent land is concerned, because there is at least some potential for a lack of clarity in that and perhaps a gap that could be exploited if it were not addressed at this stage. So that\u2019s talking about activity that would be authorised to occur on adjacent land, apart from a geophysical survey. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EIn my remaining time, I\u2019ll just, as promised\u2014or threatened\u2014have a quick look at each of those various amendments that were proposed and that have found their way, more or less, into the final version of the legislation. First, we look at the meaning of \u201Cchange of control of permit participant or guarantor\u201D. So first, looking at the definition of \u201Cchange of control\u201D, there are a couple of different ways this can be achieved. One is by a person obtaining power, whether directly or indirectly, to control the exercise of, or to exercise themselves, 50 percent or more of voting rights in that corporate body. \u201CCorporate body\u201D is another little tautology there, but it is pretty good shorthand for any number of different types of entity that might be holding a permit or, indeed, guaranteeing its operation. A \u201Cspecified person\u201D is set out, and that\u2019s significant because another part of what it might mean to have a change of control is that a person who is exercising voting rights in the corporate body might be involved and act jointly with them\u2014so far, so good. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ESo what is the change of control itself? Well, that\u2019s really where the power that\u2019s being referred to\u2014having just been defined and talked about as, essentially, a majority control\u2014is made, and what\u2019s needed, very clearly, in the Act is the prior consent of the Minister. So she or he, as the case may be, will be required to give consent\u2014or, rather, not be required to give consent, but required to turn her or his mind to the question of consent\u2014and we\u2019ll come to the criteria that will be considered at that point. But set out very clearly, as I\u2019ve advertised earlier, for the sake of clarity, and, again, no doubt to ensure compliance, are the various consequences that might come about if prior consent isn\u2019t gained. One would be that the permit could be revoked, or, second, that an offence could be conducted under another existing section of the Act if the person knows or ought reasonably to have known\u2014constructive knowledge, in other words\u2014that the change of control would be effected.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ESo there\u2019s a bit of technical detail around the way that a proposed change of control might be given. We\u2019ll skip past that in the interests of time so that I can talk, really, before finishing up, about the application for a consent of change of control. So that will be made by a person in the way that\u2019s set out there in some detail. Various key players would be a \u201Cdirector\u201D, and the legislators\u2014the drafters, probably; actually, more importantly\u2014have in their wisdom relied on the definition of that term under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, and a couple of other definitions relate to that one as well. Similarly, \u201Cstock exchange\u201D is as defined in the Companies Act. So that seems, to me, a good approach\u2014a sensible approach\u2014whereby we\u2019re not reinventing the wheel by stating who these various key players might be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ESo the Minister, naturally enough, has the ability to require certain information. It makes sense, really, if you think about the decision that she or he would be making. Then, we look at a number of criteria under new section 41AE\u2014alfa echo\u2014whereby the consents really would be given if financial capability was held, such as that obligations under the permit would likely be met, whether there would be likely compliance with the work programme set out in the permit, and that obligations under the Act and elsewhere would be met as well. So, really, it is establishing that the permit holder would continue to be an appropriate person or entity to be able to carry out those obligations. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EFinally, then, what would be the result of non-compliance? Well, I\u2019ve touched on that earlier, and there\u2019s more detail at new section 41AF in terms of the way that the permit could be revoked. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ESo I think that\u2019s enough from me, or perhaps almost too much, one might say\u2014an embarrassment of riches\u2014but here we are in the new year and we\u2019re all excited, I can tell, even more so now than we were 9\u00BD minutes ago. So it is that I conclude by saying that on this side of the House, we\u2019re very happy to be part of supporting what we think\u2019s a good bit of legislation to tidy, update, clarify, reduce the duplication, and so forth, and we look forward to the bill\u2019s passage very shortly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u002260472821b71f47308b14ca208b78a70d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002260472821b71f47308b14ca208b78a70d\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Kia ora. I understand this is a split call. Marja Lubeck, you have five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022 data-id=\u0022c9b529d7d62d4e16b6a02f865f46fa63\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c9b529d7d62d4e16b6a02f865f46fa63\u0022\u003EMARJA LUBECK (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare. I would like to speak at this third reading of the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill. I applaud the previous speaker because I too am not intimately familiar with the material of this third reading subject, but, actually, listening to the previous speaker, I learnt a few more new things, so that is really good. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003EIt is important, though, that I very clearly state my support that I will add to this bill, because it\u2019s important for a Government and for the citizens of a country and for businesses to actually completely understand the rights and regulations that are applicable to them. This Crown Minerals Amendment Bill will provide modern clarity to what is the 1991 Crown Minerals Act to enable continued and effective regulation of the right to prospect for, explore for, and mine Crown minerals. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to thank Minister Woods for bringing this bill to the House, and I\u2019ll also extend my thanks to the Environment Committee and the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. They have recommended, by majority, that this bill should be passed with amendments, and these amendments have been carefully examined and presented in what the House feels is the most effective and clear way for this last reading. The support of those select committees\u2014the Environment Committee and the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee\u2014is very important going forward, especially when it comes to this country\u2019s minerals. It\u2019s very clear that our approach to industry and economic development needs to be carefully balanced along strong environmental standards to ensure that we have sustainable prosperity in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003EThis Government has previously announced an end to permits for offshore drilling and an end to permits as we move towards achieving a greener approach to business. What this bill does is close loopholes that have allowed the transfer of permits in the current Crown Minerals Act. So the closing of those loopholes is another step in that journey towards that greener approach. What this will do is ensure transparency in economic activity that has a very significant effect on our environment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003ESo, like I said, I wasn\u2019t part of the select committee doing the work on this particular bill and doing the mahi, but I did look at some of the submissions that had come in, and one in particular struck me as really coming to the nub of what this is about. That actual submission stated, \u201CWe support these loopholes being closed; it is a great concern to a community when a large company that has demonstrable financial capability sells to a smaller, lesser known entity, particularly one with limited financial resources, further, it is our understanding that a permit for most exploration/mining can only be granted to an entity that has specific proven resources, so the same should apply for the sale of said permit.\u201D That was a submission by Protect Karangahake Inc., and it really highlights the need for these particular amendments. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003ENow, our Government has committed to a net zero emissions economy, and what these amendments do is they approach that transition period responsibly and they offer a sustainable regulation of Crown minerals going forward. This will ensure New Zealand\u2019s petroleum and minerals industries are sustained responsibly and will maximise the benefits for the people of New Zealand. Therefore, I commend this bill to the House. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u0022936a4c22ceda4d27a1e50b3556a2b696\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022936a4c22ceda4d27a1e50b3556a2b696\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Speaker. It is a great pleasure for me to stand here tonight, too, in support of this Crown Minerals Amendment Bill at its third reading. We here in the National Party, as you\u2019ve probably gathered, are supporting this bill, and I thought I\u2019d take the time to note the timetable of the passage of this bill. It was introduced, of course, and then referred to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee on 5 April last year. It was read for the first time on 3 May, and here we are at the third reading\u2014all within 10 months. So I congratulate the select committee on its efficiency in getting this bill through the House in such a speedy way, because if there\u2019s one thing I get great satisfaction from, it is making improvements to legislation that specifically supports mining exploration in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EWhy wouldn\u2019t we want to support an industry that is so beneficial to this country, employing around 4,000 Kiwis directly in the minerals industry, without the indirect jobs? And these are high-paying jobs. They earn, on average, over $100,000\u2014almost twice the national average wage. Many of these jobs, as we know, will be supporting families and communities and regions that often don\u2019t have the same job opportunities as they do in the cities. In areas such as the West Coast, the Coromandel, and Taranaki, mining plays a major role in underpinning their economies, and so ensuring that this legislative framework that they all work within is fit for purpose and that it adapts as is needed in the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill that we are discussing tonight is, I think, a really important factor. This is particularly relevant to the very special and mighty West Coast, where one study calculated recently that 40 percent of the region\u2019s GDP is derived indirectly and directly from mining\u2014mainly gold and coal. This means that that region can have relatively high household incomes for a very small footprint. There is no other land in this country that earns the same as mining.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI\u2019d just like to explain, if I can, the scale of the mining footprint. On the West Coast, it is 14 square kilometres compared to the region\u2019s 23,000 square kilometres. That\u2019s 0.061 percent\u2014not 1 percent, not 0.5 percent; it is six 100ths of a percent. So in terms of its scale, the mining footprint, for what it returns to this country, is extremely efficient. An Infometrics report last year identified the significant contribution of mining to the New Zealand economy, and I can say that the labour productivity of mining is $543,000 per full-time equivalent\u2014that\u2019s five times the New Zealand average. It\u2019s a very high-value sector for New Zealand workers and their families, and the great part about it is that most of the revenue stays right here in this country. One major gold company here in this country told us that 88 percent of the company\u2019s expenditure remained domestically, in terms of the businesses and the people that it engages.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EThe other interesting stat that I\u2019d like to quote is that in 2018, the largest goods export from New Zealand to Australia was from gold.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e6f5023bc7a4de899cc9c7b8370cc94\u0022\u003EDan Bidois\u003C/span\u003E: Get out of here!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226b62baf989824c0daf55c49101fd3077\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH\u003C/span\u003E: Correct. We\u2019ve heard a lot about \u201Cjust transition\u201D, and I can tell you that when we on the West Coast hear \u201Cjust transition\u201D, it translates to us as \u201Cabolition\u201D. And, with no inhibition nor inquisition, what will result there is a reposition. And with no acquisition of ammunition, we\u2019ll condemn that apparition to decomposition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222d59ea051a424ca9af92ec35077b2204\u0022\u003EHon Carmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: She\u2019s a rapper!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022703ca966c9874e5d8179b813eb6ad609\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH\u003C/span\u003E: Ha, ha! If I just had the beats, I\u2019d be good\u2014you could do that, Minister. That would be a nice accompaniment to see us working together in such a close way. I commend the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill to this 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=\u0022e7410213d78c448085009148eee39b26\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e7410213d78c448085009148eee39b26\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare. I spoke at the first reading of this bill, and now it is a pleasure to speak at the third reading of this bill. When I was speaking on the first version of this bill\u2014no rapping here!\u2014I characterised it as a \u201Ctidy-up\u201D bill. It was a bill which tidied up the legislation, and the objective of the bill was to make sure that when oil fields and other mineral deposit fields were being tidied up at the end of their lives, it was being done in a responsible manner. In particular, there are firms that specialise in cleaning up the last of an oil field, but there are attendant risks in that activity, so we need to ensure that the firms that are doing it are actually capable of doing the work properly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThere was a loophole in the law that meant that if the shares in a firm changed hands, the Minister didn\u2019t have anything to say about it and didn\u2019t have any control over it. So what this particular piece of legislation does is ensure that if the control of a mining or drilling operation passes from one entity to another, then the Minister has oversight of it and the Minister can ensure that the job is done properly and responsibly, that any clean-up is properly allowed for, and that funds are available for the clean-up. It\u2019s an important part of cleaning up after what is actually a mucky industry\u2014a mucky industry that results in pollution; a mucky industry that results in slag, in oil spills, in leakage; a mucky industry that also results in greenhouse gases.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003ENow, it can be done\u2014the mining can be done; the oil drilling can be done\u2014in a responsible fashion. It can be done to ensure that there is very little environmental impact of the actual drilling, of the actual mining, and particularly if it is done where there are responsible operators. What cannot be done is getting rid of the climate change issues associated with the oil and gas industry and with mining for fossil fuels.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EA large number of the speakers in the House this evening have talked about the changes to the oil and gas industry, and we\u2019ve talked about the words being a \u201Cjust transition\u201D. I want to just talk a little bit more about what a just transition is. A just transition doesn\u2019t mean carrying on with no change. A just transition doesn\u2019t mean looking for new sources of greenhouse gases. A just transition doesn\u2019t mean embracing every possible drop of oil there is. We actually need to make a start on exiting from the oil and gas industry. This is part of what this bill does. This bill helps in the tidy-up of fields, but let\u2019s go a little bit further.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EWhat I can tell the members of the Opposition is that not one single existing permit for oil exploration has been closed down. Not one single existing exploration programme has been stopped. In fact, exploration has continued in the area that is permitted for exploration, an area of sea that is the size of Te Ika-a-M\u0101ui\u2014the size of Te Ika-a-M\u0101ui; the size of the North Island. That is the area that is still available for exploration, and this is exactly part of a just transition. There are decades for the existing industries to adapt. There are decades available for people to retrain. There are decades available for the new industries to arise. That is the transition that we are engaged in. It is a just and a fair transition, giving people time\u2014time\u2014to adapt and change, and it is very clearly signalled well in advance. That is what our just transition is about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EPeople need that time. They have it available to them. The scary thing is that our planet doesn\u2019t have that time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002278e47e807c8f48d184ac2ca937d6414d\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: How many years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a92272576a87452cbcdbc584f92bde1e\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019ve been told 12 years\u201412 years\u2014if we are going to limit the increase in global temperatures to a mere 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial temperature. That\u2019s a serious change. It\u2019s a serious change in global temperatures that underpins many of the weather disasters we\u2019ve seen lately. On that side of the House, they want to hide their heads in the sand and not even engage in starting the just transition. We need to start. That is exactly what this bill is about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThis bill helps us engage in a just transition. It is part of this Government\u2019s serious approach to climate change and to making the steps towards keeping this world liveable for all of us. We are showing leadership on climate change. We are showing leadership, and we are giving people in the oil and gas industry plenty of time. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022100522f484ae4b37a27d871f2f723315\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022100522f484ae4b37a27d871f2f723315\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams)\u003C/span\u003E: Do we have a member to take the next call?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022 data-id=\u0022a3e748f22a4c40c9a025251e925b4c32\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a3e748f22a4c40c9a025251e925b4c32\u0022\u003ELAWRENCE YULE (National\u2014Tukituki):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, I am\u2014my apologies. It\u2019s my pleasure to rise and speak for the first time in 2019. It is a pleasure to see so many Ministers in the House this evening and a number of people, including the last speaker, who would like to be a Minister, I suspect. It\u2019s a very warm welcome to you all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EActually, this evening I was going to speak on what is a very technical bill that has cross-party support across this Parliament, and I\u2019m still going to do that, but I can\u2019t help but respond to some of the comments made by Deborah Russell just prior to me which are not really anything to do with this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d7de9108b63440f9ffe3d91f79d9608\u0022\u003EHon Carmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: Dr Deborah Russell.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ff6799db3ba486393118b68d0c08f33\u0022\u003ELAWRENCE YULE\u003C/span\u003E: She talks about\u2014Dr Deborah Russell talks about transition and change. This bill is really around the regulatory processes, around the Crown Minerals Bill as was drafted in 1991. As my colleague Maureen Pugh has said, if you take aside oil and gas for a minute and just talk about minerals such as coal, gold, and the likes, then there are around 4,000 jobs\u20144,000 jobs\u2014in this industry alone. What this bill and what this change does is to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of the regulatory regime against the largest risk we pose in that space, and that is about the changes in permitting and the changes in company ownership over time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EWhy is this House concerned about that? It\u2019s concerned because there are obligations that go with those consents and those permits and the ministerial approval. We cannot have a situation where a corporate\u2014large or small, international or Kiwi-owned\u2014seeks to use a change in company ownership to somehow get them out of those obligations. I probably liken it to the most recent pretty significant failure, in a regulatory sense, and that was the leaky homes scenario. Effectively, what happened in the leaky homes scenario, everybody\u2014builders went out of business deliberately to take themselves out of those obligations, insurance companies said they weren\u2019t covered, and the agency that allowed a whole lot of those products on the market, the Government agency, said, \u201CIt\u2019s not our fault.\u201D And I remember at the time that local government ended up picking up a lot of that up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EIn a simple sense, what this bill and this change seeks to do is to make sure that the obligations on those that get the permits, under the conditions they get, are carried through as was intended at the start. That\u2019s really all this bill does. It provides that a person must get prior consent from the Minister before obtaining the power to exercise or control over 50 percent of that shareholding. Fundamentally, through the select committee process and through the submissions we\u2019ve received, it was clear that there needed to be some stick in that equation. If you knowingly do something without ministerial consent, and you know you need ministerial consent under these clauses, then you create an offence\u2014or even if you ought to reasonably know. That was a conversation that was held at the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003ESo there are processes set out for the change of control, and a person is not liable to conviction for an offence that relates to obtaining 50 percent or more power without the Minister\u2019s prior approval while the application is being considered by the Minister, or if the Minister consents to the application. In other words, in the global market we operate in and in the fast-moving part of business, you cannot wait on ministerial approval, often, for changes in shareholding or control or investment decisions. So all you have to do under this clause is notify and start the process, and as long as you\u2019ve started it, then generally you are immune from subsequent claims that you have known, because you\u2019ve advised the Minister up front.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EWe heard in the select committee\u2014a number of significant entities came and talked about the practicalities involved in changing ownership in the middle of some of these consenting processes. The select committee wisely said that we need to understand those implications. It was universally supported in the select committee, and I think it\u2019s reflected in this legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EI also want to talk about what was a little bit more of a controversial issue, and that was the authorisation for a geophysical survey on adjacent land. In other words, if you have a permit and you have authorisation to undertake geophysical surveys on land subject to a permit relating to extraction, a company is allowed to get a permit to do geophysical surveys on adjacent land, but only that. So, in other words, there is a permitting regime for the survey, but a whole new permit would need to be applied on land next door. So, in our view, this is quite a simple piece of legislation. It\u2019s nothing to do with a transition, as Dr Deborah Russell has said. It is simply changing some legislation to provide the people of New Zealand with some certainty for changes in corporate ownership and to make sure that the responsibilities and obligations that have been put in place at the time of those permits being issued are actually carried on with.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003ESome of the commentary we\u2019ve heard from the other side\u2014Mr Mark Patterson; a little part of his that actually made some sense to me was around his criticism of oil and gas and transition. Some members on the other side have talked about that. I respectfully say to them that that might be all very interesting. We strongly agree on this side with the approach, but it\u2019s nothing as part of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003ESo in the short time I have left, I just want to say that I congratulate the select committee on the work that was done; as Maureen Pugh has said to me, or said to this House, 10 months to get this through. It\u2019s the first piece of legislation that I\u2019ve observed as a member of Parliament go through the system, and the members of the committee across the board worked well to get the result we have. It\u2019s a relatively simple piece of legislation, but I think this type of approach and the decisions and this third reading show what can be done when you have a sensible piece of legislation that is transitioned over a parliamentary term and that we end up all supporting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003ESo it was a little bit of a shame for me to hear tonight references to oil and gas and what this side of the House might think about some of those decisions, because they\u2019re nothing to do with this. This is a very specific piece of legislation that we received very specific and detailed advice on from a significant number of players who operate in this industry. It\u2019s not an easy industry to operate in. There is a lot of risk. The consenting is done very thoroughly, which means that there are significant obligations placed on the consent holders, and it\u2019s this Parliament\u2019s role to make sure that those obligations are carried out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220c51564f-6c6e-45cc-adab-f15b6c831fce\u0022\u003EIn closing, I just wish to thank members of the select committee for the work that was done, for the fact that it has been finally reflected in this third reading, and that after some 10 months, we have a very sound, sensible set of changes to a piece of legislation that was brought in in 1991, which actually looks after the people of New Zealand and the obligations that are set at the time of consenting. Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022 data-id=\u00226a5e351102894826a95bf2d8469e1f04\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226a5e351102894826a95bf2d8469e1f04\u0022\u003EHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour\u2014Ikaroa-R\u0101whiti):\u003C/span\u003E E Te M\u0101ngai o Te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koe, otir\u0101 ng\u0101 mema o Te Whare nei, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003E[Greetings, Madam Assistant Speaker, and indeed to all the members of this House, greetings to us all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EMadam Assistant Speaker, happy New Year, and happy New Year to you all, colleagues in the House tonight. I\u2019m very pleased to take a call on the third and final reading of the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill. Can I say how proud I am to belong to a coalition Government that has a commitment to reducing to a net zero emissions economy. I see this particular bill very much as part of our commitment as a nation to be leaders; to not just govern. We heard that from the Prime Minister yesterday: we can govern or we can lead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge the Hon Dr Megan Woods for bringing this bill in such a quick manner. I want to challenge the former speaker, the honourable member from Tukituki, around this being part of the just transition of this Government, because it very much is. Absolutely, it is around clarifying the statutory provisions within the Crown Minerals Act to give clarity, to ensure that it\u2019s fit for purpose, and it\u2019s actually up to date.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EPrevious speakers, including the Minister, have traversed the technicalities in the bill. I too want to acknowledge there are some changes in there that give rise to the Minister having oversight when permits may be changed between firms. But I too want to acknowledge the collegial way in which the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee both examined this bill, but also the change that they made to ensure that there is clarification in terms of the timing of when these provisions kick in and when they are going through the process of applying for permits themselves. So I want to acknowledge the work that the select committee did in bringing that change to the House during the committee stage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EThe Minister did say, in the third and final reading, that this bill should be seen as a wider look at the Crown Minerals Act that she will be proposing later to ensure that it\u2019s future-proofed going forward\u2014and particularly her acknowledgment of engagement with iwi, which then reminds me of a story I just want to share with the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EPrior to coming into Parliament, being the CEO of a large iwi group from the East Coast of the North Island, where we actually were asked to meet with a large oil company who came in to Hawke\u2019s Bay, of course, our natural tikanga is to take these high-flying officials for kai. It was actually Statoil; 12 very senior executives flew in from Canada. We took them to a fine Hawke\u2019s Bay restaurant called Vidal. We shouted them and showered them with the beautiful produce of Hawke\u2019s Bay, not to mention the wine, and then we proceeded to have a discussion around their intention to come and explore for oil in the Hawke\u2019s Bay area. Of course, while they were enjoying their fresh lunch and fine wine, we talked about the impact of things going wrong in this industry and the impact it would have in the region of Hawke\u2019s Bay, given the value of both our horticulture and our wine. What we were doing with this particular oil company was to ensure that, yes, this Government wants to move this country to a net zero emissions economy, but it\u2019s also about protecting what we already have.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EWe heard comments from that side of the House around Taranaki, for example, and the impact that Taranaki has on the local economy in Taranaki, but I was once in a meeting with the former Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright who actually said that the two coastal areas weren\u2019t of the same geographical make up. And so it is really critical that when we are giving permits in a particular area, we actually do know the lay of the land, and so I am pleased that the Minister of Energy and Resources has the oversight in this bill to ensure not only that those that are receiving the permits but the environmental considerations are part of that decision-making process. That\u2019s what I believe this bill will enable the Minister to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003ESo it is important that we have a futureproofed piece of legislation that governs our Crown minerals. I am excited that the Minister is going to look at a wider review of this particular Act and the role that iwi play in it. There are certain iwi that have got Treaty claims around their own minerals within their own catchment and, hopefully, that will be, I guess, explored when the Minister looks further at this Act. But it is a simple piece of legislation that we are debating and passing in this House, and, like former speakers, the way in which the select committee but also the pace in which the Minister has brought it here absolutely shows how committed this side of the House is to moving us into an economy that is more sustainable\u2014regionally, economically, socially, environmentally\u2014for this nation. It is a piece of legislation I\u2019m very proud to support, and I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022073496a0-73b7-426f-97f8-916bd542b0fa\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\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=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022af9a72c2d1a54c0685daceb970a3ab5e\u0022\u003ECrimes Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f7c169069ff141b7a5dffa7f21f79317\u0022\u003EInstruction to Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u0022e3eb280327e647a8b9b96044e2312553\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e3eb280327e647a8b9b96044e2312553\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That it be an instruction to the committee of the whole House on the Crimes Amendment Bill that it consider and, if it thinks fit, adopt the amendments in my name set out on Supplementary Order Paper 185.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\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=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00229f600e1a6ab0458ca0c10cfa3de66691\u0022\u003ESocial Workers Registration Legislation Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c13c63415403438ea5db7924cf877ecb\u0022\u003EIn Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002207b5a332ca9349519d4f6d10fe4cccb3\u0022\u003EPart 1  Amendments to Social Workers Registration Act 2003\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u00228a359e51e249431c8b5696210d8bb292\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228a359e51e249431c8b5696210d8bb292\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D):\u003C/span\u003E I hesitated just for a moment because I was hoping that the Minister in the chair, Carmel Sepuloni, would take the first call to explain in detail the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) that she has delivered to this House, SOP 187. It\u2019s a fairly significant SOP, and so I know that this side of the House has a lot of questions about it. As I said, I was hesitating because I hoped the Minister might\u2019ve, you know, kind of taken the charge to take us through it in detail.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019ll start from where we are. For those that\u2019ve just tuned in, this is the committee of the whole House stage of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill. I want to make sure it\u2019s very clear from the outset of my comments: this was a piece of legislation that was introduced when National was in Government, by the Hon Anne Tolley. She did a wonderful job in introducing the legislation to the House, so I want to start by putting my acknowledgments in front of the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EI also want to note, at this point, that in the first reading, in August 2017, it was a piece of legislation that was unanimously supported by the House, and that\u2019s not a particularly common occurrence in this House, which, hopefully, provides a bit of a context for some of the discussions and some of the questions that will follow for myself and also my colleagues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EIn terms of the select committee process, one of the things that I think is important to note is that the departmental report was produced by officials, and there weren\u2019t actually many recommendations for change, based on the many wide and various submissions that were made. I want to particularly thank the submitters, who, as all submitters do, put a lot of effort in to the comments they made to the select committee. They do that because they anticipate that those views will be taken into consideration seriously by the select committee to ensure that we have a better piece of legislation, and, fundamentally, that is the process of the select committee. So, in this Part 1 debate, I think it\u2019s important just to kind of set a bit of a background of understanding so that those who are listening or watching this debate understand what\u2019s occurred.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo the departmental report has some changes, but actually not anything too significant. One of the challenges was that there were a large number of issues that were raised by submitters, because their commitment was to ensure this was the best possible piece of legislation. Members all around the table\u2014and I want to actually also put on record that the Social Services and Community Committee has a very constructive way of working together, and my belief was that it was also incredibly constructive on this particular piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThere was only one issue, but it\u2019s a fairly significant issue, and that was that there was a very short report back required for this piece of legislation. Again, you know, to be fair, some of that was around process of elections after the first reading, change of Government, and I accept that. So submissions were called for in December, and submitters had to provide their submissions by 31 January. The challenge is, and was, that the report back was in April, and that made the ability of the select committee to give its due work and scrutiny on this legislation, with the intention, given that everybody supported it in the first reading, to really listen to those that were using and served by this legislation to ensure that it was the best piece of legislation possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThe Minister had indicated last night that there would be good opportunity in the committee stage. She expected full and detailed questions, particularly around an SOP, because the SOP and the changes there didn\u2019t have the scrutiny of the select committee. So that\u2019s why colleagues on this side of the Chamber will have a number of questions around that, and we want to ensure that this SOP is given due regard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EThere were a number of submitters who raised significant concerns about the workability of the bill. So this debate is not about what the bill will do; it\u2019s about how it will occur. So, yes, we all want mandatory registration for social workers. Yes, we want to ensure that the standards and professionalism of this sector is lifted. Yes, we want to ensure that anyone who works with a social worker is working with someone that has been police-vetted and is registered and that they can be assured of their quality. But where a lot of the discussion occurred in the select committee, and the concerns that were raised by multiple submitters\u2014and I know some of my colleagues are going to use examples and consider individual submitters\u2019 concerns that were raised. What was really unfortunate was that although the select committee was well aware of the concerns, the officials didn\u2019t recommend significant changes, and they didn\u2019t recommend changes to the scope of practice, which was an area that many submitters thought should be included in the legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo the National Party members on the committee, in terms of the minority view\u2014which I thought I would just make sure is on record\u2014\u201Cwere concerned that, given the restricted timeframe, the committee was unable to address fully submitters\u2019 concerns and, had an extension of time been granted, we would have been able to fully consider submitters\u2019 issues.\u201D So that\u2019s the context for this debate: a shortened report back, a request to extend it, and a request that was denied by Labour members. And so we weren\u2019t able to fully and thoroughly tease out the issues that were raised, and so none of that was included in the select committee\u2019s work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EAt the end of the day, that is the job of a member of Parliament, and I have had some feedback from someone today, asking why National was being negative. Well\u2014newsflash\u2014the job of the Opposition is to hold the Government to account and to provide scrutiny of legislation, and when scrutiny of legislation and SOPs of this particular size\u2014how many pages are we up to; 67 pages, and it\u2019s not the first time it\u2019s happened\u2014then, absolutely, we must give it our thorough and diligent work. If we can\u2019t do it in the select committee and we\u2019re forced by the Government to do it on the floor of the House in the committee of the whole House, then that\u2019s absolutely what we will do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EOne of the issues, and this is just around Part 1, and I\u2019ll come to it in the next debate, which will be a separate debate that will be on Part 1A\u2014that\u2019s a completely new part; so the focus of this is really just Part 1, and this Part 1 goes into the purpose and the interpretation of the Act, which, as I said, nobody disagrees with why this piece of legislation is important or that it must be passed. But there are some challenges around the process that\u2019s been undertaken so far and the ability to incorporate some of the changes that submitters had said would improve the legislation. So, you know, our commitment in this committee of the whole House is to ensure that we do end up with a bill that we believe will deliver to the concerns of those submitters. So, in terms of asking questions about the changes in, for example, section 4 in clause 5 in Part 1, in the interpretation section around \u201Cscope of practice\u201D, and, again, in new clause 5A, there\u2019s further definitional issues there regarding the recognition of the New Zealand qualification.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo one of the primary questions that I do want the Minister for Social Development to answer is: given the officials and the departmental report did not recommend any changes and any incorporation of the scope of practice, what changed?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u00221ff15f346b374cd08600a30d8f415442\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221ff15f346b374cd08600a30d8f415442\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Hon Anne Tolley)\u003C/span\u003E: Just before I call the next speaker, can I just say to the member who\u2019s resumed her seat that there is not a separate Part 1A. Supplementary Order Paper 187 inserts a new Part 1A into Part 1, so we have the debate on Part 1, the debate on Part 2, the debate on the Schedules, and then the debate on clauses 1 and 2. So Part 1A is not a separate part.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u00224b0a97f115e34012bc1ac68bac1859ed\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224b0a97f115e34012bc1ac68bac1859ed\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I was going to stop to allow a few speeches before I got to my feet, but I thought, actually, I will respond to the Hon Louise Upston, just to provide the context that she\u2019s asked for with regards to Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 187 that is being introduced into Part 1 here today. Can I just say, before I go into the SOP\u2014just to give it a little bit of context even further back\u2014we need to keep in mind here that the original social workers registration legislation was introduced in 2003. At that time, it was a voluntary system, but with the intention that we would transition to a mandatory system. The intention, however, was not to wait 16 years. So this is a long time overdue and so, can I say, there is a sense of urgency with regards to the overall time frame, and I think it is, as I\u2019ve said, way overdue and it is time that we moved on this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ETo put it into context again, there was a member\u2019s bill introduced to the House in 2015 by myself that didn\u2019t have the support of the Government at the time, but then there was an inquiry that was instigated by the Government through the Social Services Committee in 2016. However, we still only got to the point where a bill was introduced to this House the day before the House rose prior to the election. So it has been a very slow process, I have to say.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ENow, with respect to the SOP and the concerns that have been raised about whether or not we have a mandate or whether or not we\u2019ve gone through correct process, it\u2019s really important to note that something like 70 percent of the submitters asked that there be provisions in the legislation for scopes of practice. Seventy percent of the submissions that came through indicated that they wanted there to be provisions for scopes of practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f64eecc26b5342d9bce1f9b2a2a1e354\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: So why didn\u2019t the officials recommend it? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022496599951432477fa9d35e97a2ed2539\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: The question that\u2019s coming from the member to my left, the Hon Louise Upston, is why the officials did not include it. The officials were really clear that they felt that the purpose of the bill that was introduced by the previous Government was much more narrow in that it was focused on protecting the title as opposed to the role that was being undertaken by a social worker. So, as a Government, and as a Minister, we had to make the decision whether we would extend out beyond what the original intent of the bill was. So that is the decision that I\u2019ve made as the Minister, that, actually, I thought, yes, we should, because what I didn\u2019t want was for us to end up waiting another 16 years before we consider the next part of this, which is exploring scopes of practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ETo be fair, I have to say I was nervous about the idea of trying to formulate scopes of practice in such a condensed period of time, but we managed to negotiate that position so that the SOP allows for the creation of those scopes of practice, but they are not included in the legislation. We haven\u2019t rushed ahead with the creation of those, and so I think that it is actually a very well-thought-through process. I have to say that with regards to the SOP, the Ministry of Social Development has been working closely with social workers through the Social Work Alliance, which is a cross-sector representation body of social workers. It includes the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, it included the Social Workers Registration Board, it includes Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association, and it includes\u2014the member Anahila Kanongata\u2019a-Suisuiki read them all out last night, and now I can\u2019t remember all of the organisations. But it basically includes all of the representative bodies and people that have a vested interest in ensuring that the profession is protected and those that they\u2019re there to serve are protected. So this has been well-thought-through and hasn\u2019t just been developed by the Ministry of Social Development. It has been done working closely with the Social Work Alliance and with social workers. We did that to ensure that we were reflecting the needs and best interests of the social worker sector and, as I said, the people that they work for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EJust to run through what the changes are, the following changes have been made to the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill through this SOP, and here we go. The provisions that have been inserted for scopes of practice for social workers will be based on a longstanding approach in the health sector where each profession defines what its practitioners\u2019 qualifications and skills are, including specialisations as needed. They provide a clear statement of what can be expected of a social worker, as well as a basis for professional accountability.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EIt also includes a new offence, which has been created to enforce existing confidentiality obligations about client information. I don\u2019t think anyone would argue that that isn\u2019t the right thing to do. Employers will be required to report concerns about a social worker\u2019s competence to the board if the employee resigns or is dismissed for reasons relating to their competence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EA new power has been created that requires people to supply information needed to prove that someone is claiming to be, or is practising as, a social worker without being registered. It has been clarified that the Minister is able to issue a direction under section 103 of the Crown Entities Act 2004 concerning registration policy, but not relating to the registration of individual social workers, by inserting the word \u201Cindividual\u201D before \u201Csocial workers\u201D in section 102 of the Social Workers Registration Act 2003.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EThe requirement that non-practising social workers can be required to cancel their registration has been removed. The board is now mandated to recognise ways of undertaking professional development as a required function. The SOP also included a number of other administrative changes and improvements around the operation of the Social Workers Registration Act and to align it more closely to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003ESo I think we\u2019ve been really clear, and I know that there are concerns from the Opposition about process, but, as I said, we\u2019re looking at a process that\u2019s gone back 16 years here, and we don\u2019t want to wait another 16 years to amend the bill to actually put in there a provision around scopes of practice\u2014it\u2019s unnecessary. We know that this is what the sector overwhelmingly desires to happen here. We know that it\u2019s not just in their best interests but it\u2019s in the best interests of the people that they\u2019re there to serve.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EWe know that the submissions reflect the need for this to happen, and those submissions, obviously, were given directly to the Social Services and Community Committee. So what I will say is that I would hope that we can get agreement in the committee today, because this has been one of those issues where we\u2019ve had cross-Parliament support for this. We know why it\u2019s important. Yes, there\u2019s a minor change in that we have extended beyond what the original intent of the bill was, but I don\u2019t think that that\u2019s unreasonable, actually. We\u2019re here to make changes that benefit New Zealanders, and, as I said, why would we wait any longer when we don\u2019t need to?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022 data-id=\u002275fba0b9739f43cc90e14515e81c6885\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002275fba0b9739f43cc90e14515e81c6885\u0022\u003EHon ALFRED NGARO (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. It\u2019s an honour to speak in this stage. I want to take up the words that were spoken in the second reading of the bill last night by the Minister for Social Development, in which case she indicated that there would be a provision to allow for a robust process of debate in committee stage, also too confirmed by the other members of the Social Services and Community Committee as well; that\u2019s what the committee stage is for. So I hope that because we didn\u2019t have that during select committee, we will be able to have this during this process here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EThe Minister talks about the 16 years. I too was the chairperson of the Social Services Committee in 2016 that commissioned the inquiry on behalf of the Government to look into managing registration around social workers, and also some of the other issues that were there as well. The Minister talks about 16 years and the process that it\u2019s taken. We all agree; we\u2019re here at this point in time. The issue of concern, though, that we raised last night also is around process, and I want to read from, for instance, one of the 70 percent of those submitters who also asked whether there would be a scope of practice included. This is from the New Zealand Public Service Association (PSA), and it states this: \u201CIt is the view of the PSA that the lack of a scope of practice will contradict and actively work against the stated intentions of the bill in the following ways:\u201D, and it begins to list what those ways are. Minister, you\u2019ve talked about the fact that\u2014let\u2019s not wait for 16 years; let\u2019s make sure that we are putting together a bill that will last for another 16 years and beyond. There was enough information here that would\u2019ve allowed us to be able to have that process and have the information so we didn\u2019t have to go through another Supplementary Order Paper (SOP). Minister, we made a request to extend that time; that did not happen. I just want to put that on the record. I do not agree with that, but hence we\u2019re here today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003ESo I\u2019d like to pose a question, because that\u2019s what the committee stage is about: posing some questions to the Minister in this regard. Now that we have, and are looking at having, a scope of practice that is included in the bill through this SOP 187, I want to ask this question: what is the process for someone challenging the scopes of practice? In other words, while we have it here, it will be generic. In other words, it\u2019s stating the intent of the scope of practice, but I want to ask the Minister, then, what\u2019s the process that she has in place so that, number one, what is the process for someone challenging the scopes of practice? Inside the submissions that were made in regards to this bill, there are varying views around what those scopes of practice would be. In fact, in one of the submissions around Aotearoa social workers was in regards to those who practise kaupapa M\u0101ori, for instance. They were asking about this, they were saying, \u201CWho will define practices under the scope that deal with, for instance, kaupapa M\u0101ori, those who, for instance, are Wh\u0101nau Ora social workers?\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003ESo I genuinely want to ask the Minister to consider this, and I\u2019m sure she has: what is the process for someone to challenge the scope of the practice? What will it include? We know that there are a range of complexities in regards to social work practice: issues around mental health, issues around different ethnic groups that are there. So what is the challenge to that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EThe second question to that, then: who do they challenge to, and what parameters do they have to meet in order to properly challenge the scope? So it\u2019s around a bit more of the process, a bit more around the aspect of how, who, and what is that. And the last part of that is: how is their challenge considered, and who considers it? Will it be the Social Workers Registration Board, as the regulator? Will it be the different associations? Will there be a collective advisory committee that will do that? I think that\u2019s important because that\u2019s the reason why\u2014and, again, I don\u2019t want to harp on too much\u2014we wanted to have an extension of time that would allow for those who are making submissions, those who are the providers, those who are the associations to give them a chance to ask these very questions. We don\u2019t have that, so hence the reasons why, in this committee stage, I\u2019d like to put these questions to the Minister so that she can be able to answer them as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EThe second part of that is, having declined an extension to select committee in regards to this process over nine months, will the Minister then consider what the process is, after the bill has been enacted and has the Royal assent, around the fact of engaging into the wider associations in regards to the regulations of the scopes of practice as well? So there are a series of questions that are there. I\u2019d like to put them to the Minister. It\u2019s also post the bill being passed; then it\u2019s around the operational side of that, in those scopes of practice. I know because these were some of the questions that were being asked by the submitters\u2014I\u2019d like to put them to the Minister, and I hope that she\u2019ll be able to respond to them. Again, this is the committee stage. We want a robust conversation. I look forward to the responses by the Minister to these questions in the committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022 data-id=\u002256dd12c2396d43ea9e60e3946491e242\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002256dd12c2396d43ea9e60e3946491e242\u0022\u003EANAHILA KANONGATA\u2019A-SUISUIKI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Good evening, t\u0113n\u0101 koe, Madam Chair. It\u2019s a privilege to contribute to tonight\u2019s committee of the whole House on the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill\u2014anyway, I go on. Last night, I spoke about my experience as a registered social worker; so I think that tonight it\u2019s only appropriate that I go through that process, because it then demonstrates why this makes sense, why the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 187 makes sense. Registration is only as good as the integrity of the process\u2014only as good as the integrity of the process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EIn 2007, I was a youth justice manager. I didn\u2019t have social work on my title\u2014job description\u2014at Child, Youth and Family, but I wanted to be a good example as a leader, to go through the process so that I was able to show a good example to my staff. So, in 2007, I went through the robust process of becoming a registered social worker. What I like about Part 1 is that it actually says what a social worker is. A social worker is referred to here as a practising social worker, in new section 5A, in terms of scopes of practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003ESo, in 2007, I received my registration. Five years later, I needed to renew my competency certificate. I\u2019ve gone through managing a whole group of people who were practitioners, who were practice leaders, who were supervising social workers, and who were social workers. So I\u2019ve gone through managing and leading that side, but what had happened was that five years later, in 2012, I needed to renew my competency certificate. So what that meant was that I had to demonstrate that I\u2019d been practising as a social worker for the last five years and had gone through that process. I tried many times with the Social Workers Registration Board to say \u201CI am now no longer practising as a social worker, and can I come off the registration list as a non-practising registered social worker?\u201D That took two years of to-ing and fro-ing from the Social Workers Registration Board. Then, in 2014, I lost the battle. I went through the whole process just so I could get my competency certificate because the Social Workers Registration Board was going to take me to court because I wasn\u2019t complying.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003ESo, in allowing the board to set the scope of practice, actually, it takes\u2014and my process, in terms of the two years it\u2019s taken for me to say \u201CI am a non-practising social worker\u201D to actually having to sit my competency assessment again; a whole lot of people were involved in that process. It took up a lot of the time of the Social Workers Registration Board to come to-ing and fro-ing to me to make sure that I sat my competency certificate. All the managers on top of me said, \u201CYou need to do this, this, and that.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003ESo what this does is it actually takes that away\u2014takes that away. It describes what a social worker is and what you need to do to become a social worker. As stated by the Minister Carmel Sepuloni last night and today, it allows the Social Workers Registration Board to set the scope of practice. That way, when you do say\u2014I say to people that I\u2019m a registered social worker, and some academics just roll their eyes. They just roll their eyes, because I go back to the integrity of the process. People didn\u2019t believe that waiting five years to re-sit your competency was enough for you to say that you are fit and proper to practise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EThis Part 1 actually gives the board the power to be able to move with the times, to be able to provide appropriate training, as time goes by, to social workers. And I\u2019ve noticed that we\u2019ve mentioned 16 years, 5 years\u2014I\u2019ve mentioned two years and whatnot. In 100 years\u2019 time, when we\u2019ve all gone and I\u2019ll become compost somewhere, what would be the value of our social work practice? What would that look like in 100 years\u2019 time? Let\u2019s not talk 16 years; let\u2019s talk 100 years because that is really what this is. It\u2019s about setting standards, allowing the Social Workers Registration Board to set the scope of practice because, from my experience, it was two years of wasting people\u2019s time. I think I\u2019ll end it there in terms of my contribution to Part 1. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022 data-id=\u002278915d10e18b485fa5a104c2a45ea892\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002278915d10e18b485fa5a104c2a45ea892\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR (National\u2014T\u0101maki):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. [Interruption] I know; it\u2019s a terrible disappointment. I know some good people who could help you work through this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ECan I acknowledge the member who\u2019s just taken her seat, Anahila Kanongata\u2019a-Suisuiki. Be optimistic about those 100 years. Modern healthcare is incredible, so be optimistic. Secondly, thank you actually for sharing some of your story. I don\u2019t think, from this side, there\u2019s any concern about the \u201Cwhy\u201D of this bill, the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill; it\u2019s more elements of the \u201Chow\u201D. My honourable colleague, Louise Upston, had indicated earlier, as I had, and others yesterday, that there are questions around how this Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) has come about and why the rush. I do take on board that it\u2019s been 16-or-so years but, that said, it still does not provide, if you will, an excuse to rush things forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI know that the Minister Carmel Sepuloni, when she touched on the SOP, said that 70 percent of 74 submitters spoke around scopes of practice, which is great. I\u2019ve had the good fortune, even though I didn\u2019t sit on the Social Services and Community Committee, to read through them. That\u2019s still 70 percent, I would argue, that needs to be interrogated, in the best sense of the word, through select committee. The 30 percent that didn\u2019t speak to scopes of practice or spoke against the concept need to be heard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe are primarily on Part 1, and I know within that there\u2019s a Part 1A. I\u2019m going to, at this point, keep my discussion to the first clauses of Part 1. I suppose, fundamentally, this is about the concept of a scope of practice. Having chaired the Health Committee, scopes of practice are an incredibly important factor in the medical profession and, rightly understood, should be an important part of social workers as well. There are probably some questions\u2014not now but for later\u2014about whether or not we should have actually engaged the existing scopes of practice legislation and brought social workers into that. I suspect that could have been somewhat controversial. The Minister may be able to address that because other\u2014well, the first debate becomes instantly whether social work is part of health. Arguably, I\u2019d say, it is, but I could imagine, had we had a select committee process, that health practitioners\u2014be they doctors, nurses, podiatrists, optometrists and others\u2014may have wanted to have a say. But it probably is the initial question to the Minister of whether she considered having scopes of practice not within a separate bill\u2014as it is at this stage, under the Social Workers Registration Act\u2014but whether or not social work scopes of practice could have been included within the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act as it sits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EIn new clause 4 of Part 1, the determining of a scope of practice is to be inserted. It\u2019s one line; it\u2019s a simple line. I think it just needs to be acknowledged once again, though, that this is a major, major step and change; and the member who has just resumed her seat began to indicate why.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EIn new clause 5\u2014and it\u2019s where I\u2019ll spend, initially, most of my time\u2014we have quite a change from what the select committee itself suggested to what has now appeared in the SOP. Because we have not had an opportunity in select committee to engage, I would welcome understanding this a little bit more. So, first and foremost, we now have two definitions being repealed. I do, I think, understand why \u201Cregistered social worker\u201D has been repealed, but the definition of \u201Cparticular condition\u201D raises a question for me of why that\u2019s been removed. Is that absolutely necessary? I think some of the discussions we\u2019ve had already tonight, but certainly yesterday, were about exploring the wide variety of activities that a social worker undertakes. Therefore, ipso facto, if they\u2019re doing a wide range of work, there must be a wide range of particular conditions. So I\u2019m curious to understand why that has been removed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re also seeing, in new clause 5(2), actually, a whole array of new interpretations being put in. So the select committee removed the notion of \u201Crestricted work\u201D. I assume, but I\u2019m very happy to be corrected, the reason that was taken away is because, through the scopes of practice, it\u2019s going to define what is within work\u2014so, unrestricted\u2014and what is to remain restricted. But, again, it would be interesting to understand from the Minister\u2014again, seeing as we haven\u2019t interrogated it further\u2014why restricted work has now been removed from her SOP changes in Part 1, new clause 5.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe also have now the addition of a prescribed qualification brought in. It\u2019s defined here. It means: \u201Ca qualification prescribed by the Board under section 5B\u201D. Now, at one level, it makes perfect sense. The question, Minister, is: is this a qualification-setting ability or mandate or delegation of the board, or is there going to be a reliance on\u2014as with just about every other qualification\u2014the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)? So it\u2019s a simple question. I\u2019m very happy to be told, at whatever point, that I\u2019ve missed something significant, particularly in new section 5B, set out in new clause 6A in Supplementary Order Paper 187. But the long and short is most qualifications are, if you will, given, prescribed by the likes of the NZQA or a university or a polytech\u2014I\u2019d better use the singular seeing as it sounds like there\u2019s a proposal to merge every polytechnic. But, at the moment, it reads as if a qualification can be prescribed by the board. Now, I assume they\u2019ll be looking towards polytechs, universities, and others to do so, but are we opening up a possibility here that actually the board itself could decide to say \u201CWe\u2019ve just created this qualification.\u201D and that will be fine? I think that should be looked into.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe also have in the SOP for Part 1 clause 5 a new interpretation or definition of \u201Cscope of practice\u201D, and there are actually a number of issues arising here mainly through the nomenclature. It talks about the social work \u201Cprofession\u201D. So it says here, \u201Cin relation to the social work profession, \u2026 1 or more social work services performed by the social work profession \u2026\u201D. It\u2019s unusual writing. A profession, if you will, does not provide the immediate service; a person does\u2014an individual person. A profession, as a whole, oversees, if you will, the care, but in a lot of our legal texts we talk about a person. In other words, I\u2019m surprised that it doesn\u2019t read \u201Cin relation to the social worker or work services performed by a social worker as prescribed by legislation\u201D. Instead, we are talking about a profession, and that\u2019s slightly unusual. Again, it\u2019s not necessarily wrong but a scope of practice is, if you will, Minister, put forward by a profession, but it is manifested and enacted by a person, and surely we are aiming at actually describing what a person does, in this case.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe then move on to the question of a difference between the word \u201Cperformed\u201D and \u201Cprovided\u201D. So, again, this is in Part 1 clause 5(2), where it talks about social work services being \u201Cperformed\u201D. It\u2019s not to make light of it; performances aren\u2019t something theatrical here. \u201CPerformed\u201D implies it\u2019s done around a person whereas \u201Cprovided\u201D is something which is given. And I\u2019m very happy to be corrected by those who are far more expert than I or who are social workers, but, by and large, I would understand social work to be something that is \u201Cprovided\u201D to people. It\u2019s something where a provider\u2014a single person, an entity rather than a profession\u2014is giving something, if you will, rather than \u201Cperforming\u201D, which is, I would like to stress, something which is done around a person. I suppose you could make an argument that it\u2019s a wraparound service, but, primarily, we\u2019re talking about the provision of a service.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ESo I suppose I would ask the Minister to explain \u201Cscope of practice\u201D or the definition thereof, but I\u2019d be suggesting to her and perhaps to the committee of the whole House tonight, that really we should be saying in relation to social workers it means \u201Cone or more social work providers who are providing the social workers that are\u201D\u2014actually, I can\u2019t do it on the fly but I think you get the sense, Minister, of where I\u2019m going; that, really, we do need to look to change the word \u201Cprofession\u201D to indicate that this is not about the whole profession and then divide down to individuals, but we start with individuals who then form a profession. I think it keeps their individuality respected, but also to talk about the work services as something that is provided, if you will\u2014\u201Cgifted\u201D. It\u2019s not really the legal language but it\u2019s gifted to the person rather than performed around them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EI\u2019m probably going to run out of time but I will just indicate that I\u2019d like to take some further calls around what a \u201Csocial work service\u201D means. I think \u201Cservice\u201D is well in keeping with something which is provided, but I\u2019m a little concerned, Minister, that, actually, it\u2019s not quite broad enough. I\u2019ve had the good fortune of working alongside a number of social workers over the years and I just can\u2019t help but feel that the wording here is just a little bit limiting. I\u2019m always worried, in this House, about ill-considered consequences. One of the last things I\u2019d like to see after 16 years is that we actually limit what\u2019s happening, but I\u2019ll come back to that in my final calls.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u0022cb1a4f36ecb04fc0aa6eaf279c62b8ad\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cb1a4f36ecb04fc0aa6eaf279c62b8ad\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu):\u003C/span\u003E I look forward to contributing to this debate as part of one of the more enlightened parts of the O\u2019Connor clan, which happens as you go further south. Saying that, I do acknowledge that, today, we were very fortunate at select committee, at the quite professional select committee, the Social Services and Community Committee, who behaved quite professionally today, I might say. I commend the members opposite who are members of the Social Services and Community Committee for their behaviour today. Other committees could learn from them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EHowever, I would like to point out, as we go to Part 1 of the Act, one of the important things here is that section 3(c) is going to be removed, as set out in clause 4 of the bill. One of the actions of the board has been to promote the benefits of registration of social workers, and now that is, obviously, going to be repealed because registration will now become mandatory. I think that\u2019s quite an important clause in that because now we actually focus on what this bill is about. Part 1 is very much about summing up that if you want to call yourself a social worker, you have to be a social worker. Certainly in Part 1 it makes it quite clear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EAnd, of course, we\u2019ve already heard much discussion about scope of practice. Well, scope of practice\u2014there\u2019s not really much point having a profession if anybody can go and do it, and that\u2019s really what it comes down to. People come to this House from various paths: they come as lawyers, they come as accountants, and they come from a variety of professions, a variety of occupations. In their preliminary speeches here, they\u2019ll stand up and announce and relate what their journey to this House was, and almost invariably they\u2019ll talk about what they did, what their speciality was, and it has become quite clear. What this bill does is put social work really into that category, because up until now, really, there was no sanction for anyone calling themselves a social worker, and as I look, going back to Part 1 of this bill, it really does talk about this, especially new Part 1A with the scope of practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ENow, \u201Cscope of practice\u201D: if we don\u2019t define what it is that a social worker does, then really we could have social workers\u2014I wouldn\u2019t go so far as to say they might be handing out the drugs in a hospital; however, if it suited an employer and there was no real restriction on it, it may well be that they could include that in the job description. This bill ensures that when someone does speak of\u2014and I heard my colleague Anahila Kanongata\u2019a-Suisuiki speak of that very thing: her social work, as she went through the transitions she was making. So she now has, as a very proud social worker, left the profession to take on this profession, the scope of which, I might say, is very clearly defined. We know\u2014anyone looking in this Chamber does know\u2014who is a member of Parliament and who is not. We know there are a lot of people here who are far more important than us, do a lot more work, and are far more important for the running of this place. However, it doesn\u2019t matter what they do, they will not be able to call themselves a member of Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ESo it goes back to Part 1 of this bill. It just really makes sure that we are now focusing on what a social worker does. That\u2019s why the scope of practice becomes incredibly important in what we do, and so I commend the Minister for ensuring that we are now able to focus on this here. I sat through the select committee. This was brought up by most of the submitters, and, in fact, really the debate was around whether there should be a scope of practice or not. And I believe that, while the difficulties certainly of defining the work were apparent, there was a clear understanding, certainly by myself, that we do need a scope of practice because, as I\u2019ve said before, otherwise anybody\u2014in fact, one of the things mentioned was that there\u2019s also about 8,000 people in the last census who called themselves social workers. Very quickly, if we aren\u2019t careful, that might be down to about 2,000 because, while we will define the practice, what we could do is say, \u201CRight, you are no longer a \u2018social worker\u2019.\u201D\u2014just simply change the title but expect people to do the same work, which, again, would be against not only the spirit of this bill but also the whole purpose of ensuring social work takes its rightful place as the profession that it deserves to be. So I certainly will be saying that this is something the Minister has clarified well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u0022d9a4255580cb4c9f9f1f860f04c957d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d9a4255580cb4c9f9f1f860f04c957d7\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E I thought I would just take some time to respond to some of the questions that have been asked about Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 187 in particular, and, hopefully, I can provide adequate answers to the questions that have been put to myself and to the committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EWe had questions from the Hon Alfred Ngaro with regards to the process for engaging people in formulating the scopes of practice and issues that may arise with challenging the scopes of practice. I think it\u2019s really important to note that the SOP is proposing a period of time for these to be consulted on before they commence\u2014that\u2019s a two-year period of time. So what we\u2019re doing is putting in legislation that they must be formulated, but we\u2019re doing the responsible thing and having a period of time in which the Social Workers Registration Board will take the lead in working with the sector to actually develop the scopes of practice. In terms of what\u2019s required and how they go about that consultation, that\u2019s laid out in new section 5C, and it stipulates really clearly that the board must consult with persons representing views of social workers, with persons representing views of employers of social workers, and with organisations affected by the scopes of practice. So I think that answers some of what the Hon Alfred Ngaro was asking earlier. I think it\u2019s really important to state, too, that the process is not set out in the SOP, because it will be operational and implemented after the bill is passed. So we made that really clear\u2014I thought I made it really clear earlier, but perhaps I didn\u2019t, so it\u2019s important to just go over that again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EThe member Simon O\u2019Connor has asked about why the social workers\u2019 scopes of practice couldn\u2019t be included as part of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCA). That was canvassed, particularly between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), and I have to say that the Ministry of Health didn\u2019t think it was appropriate\u2014they didn\u2019t want social workers included. They had a really strong rationale, and MSD agreed, and that was because the vast majority of social workers are not in the health system; they\u2019re operating outside. So that\u2019s why the decision was made not to include it as part of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EBut the consultation on scopes of practice\u2014it was always designed by the sector and also the ministries involved so that it could work in a similar way, and that similar models had worked for other professions. So that\u2019s how we got to the point where it ended up being deemed best that it was done in this way. So MOH supported amending the Social Workers Registration Act using the HPCA Act as a model. Due to the scope and scale of legislative changes, amending the existing Act was agreed by all to be a more straightforward option than moving social work into the HPCA Act. So I think it\u2019s important to note that I think that was a really good question, actually, because I\u2019m sure there may be others that would have a similar question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022 data-id=\u00223aeb6cc2a6634fdf9248f8b96a40f4c8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223aeb6cc2a6634fdf9248f8b96a40f4c8\u0022\u003EDAN BIDOIS (National\u2014Northcote):\u003C/span\u003E Oh, fantastic, Madam Chair. It\u2019s a pleasure to take a call in the committee stage. We have been waiting a long time to debate the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) in question, and I know we\u2019re going part by part, so we\u2019ll narrow it to Part 1. As you\u2019ll recall, in previous debates, the Chair didn\u2019t allow us to\u2014quite rightly\u2014go into the SOP, so it\u2019s a really good chance to go into it now. I want to thank Minister Carmel Sepuloni for fronting up and answering the questions around the SOP. I do want to go to something she said earlier on about the fact that we\u2019ve been waiting 16 long years in order to get this change through. Of course, everybody in this Chamber tonight wants to see the professionalism and the standards of social workers improve, but our point on this side is: could the Minister not have given the select committee two or three more weeks to consider SOP 187, because, as we have pointed out, we do have some serious reservations with being dumped on at the last moment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EI do want to get stuck into, in particular, new Part 1A of the bill, which talks about the scopes of practices. I wasn\u2019t on the Social Services and Community Committee at the time, but having read the commentary there were reservations with the scopes of practice. Yes, 70 percent of submitters said they wanted that included, but the report prepared by the select committee outlined the difficulties with defining the scopes of practice. Had we had the time to consider the Minister\u2019s SOP, we would have been able to actually dive down deeper into that to exactly formulate what is a really important bill. We have all been waiting 16 years; I\u2019m sure we could have waited another two or three weeks to get the process right. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003ESo I want to just, again, go back to new Part 1A of the bill around the scopes of practice. I do have a couple of questions for the Minister in the chair tonight. I do want to ask the Minister who exactly she\u2019s consulted with, with respect to the scopes of practice. So she says that she\u2019s taken on board some of the written submissions\u2014did she follow those submissions up? Has she spoken to some of those organisations that spoke for and against the scopes of practice? That is something that I think needs to be heard, because as my colleague the honourable Simon O\u2019Connor pointed out\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002225f2d2f9fb4d48ddb15015f3c2f5de08\u0022\u003ESimon O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Not honourable\u2014tell me you\u2019re a prophet!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f6bc339e99d4ffda83053539979a1f1\u0022\u003EDAN BIDOIS\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014ha, ha!\u201430 percent of submitters did not want the scopes of practice. So I think it\u2019s fair to ask the Minister in the chair to front up over who she has, in fact, consulted in terms of the groups. Has she been out into the sector to consult widely over the scopes of practice? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000722\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EThe second thing is around the use of the board to define the scopes of practice. If the Minister believes that this board can, in fact, define the scopes of practice for what is a social worker, why not put it in the legislation itself? Why is it that we need a board to define it? If we are setting the standards and we want to make sure that the 2,000 unregistered social workers become registered, why do we not clarify and use the resources from the select committee to, in fact, define what is a social worker and the scope of a social worker in the relevant legislation. Those are kind of the two broad areas that I would like, as the member for Northcote, feedback on from the Minister tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f429fecb-a955-4d95-8105-e5144e651204\u0022\u003EI want to reiterate that this side of the Chamber is very supportive of the overall legislation. We want to see our social workers valued. We want to see the profession professionalised, standardised, so that it encourages far more people into the sector, because we know and we acknowledge the value that these social workers provide into our society. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022 data-id=\u002294a4a346054047b2af97250302ca21df\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002294a4a346054047b2af97250302ca21df\u0022\u003EMAUREEN PUGH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The more I hear from this debate, the more confused I am from the Minister\u2019s explanation about how we have arrived at this point. When we talk about the 16 years that we\u2019ve been reviewing the Social Workers Registration Act and the processes and the scopes of practice, we as a select committee had to take a recommendation from the Ministry of Social Development that there was insufficient time for the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the scopes of practice. So as a select committee, and I refer to page 16 of the report from the select committee, we recommend no other change as the ministry considers the obligations align with the objective of the bill to protect the public from harm. So in order to extend the scope of the bill, the Minister would not allow the select committee to consider it but has then gone on to unilaterally decide, using the same ministry advice, to then consider Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) 187, that we\u2019ve got in front of us tonight. So it confuses me that the Minister is accepting advice, conflicting advice, from different ministries about this SOP and the scopes of practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000725\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI want to turn the committee\u2019s attention, to new Part 1A of Supplementary Order Paper 187, because we are talking about scopes of practice, and I\u2019m left wondering how many of these scopes of practice will eventually end up on the table with the board. Are we going to have subsets of a main set or a main scope of practice? Will there be a specialist, perhaps, scopes of practice for specialist social workers, maybe for senior mental health, maybe youth, and maybe disability? Are we going to have more than one scope of practice, that is referred to in new Part 1A, new section 5A(1), where it does actually refer to the social work profession in one or more scopes of practice. So if we could just have some indication from the Minister about how many of these we may be anticipating.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000726\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EI also now turn to new subsection (2) in new Part 1A, new section 5A. It says that the \u201Cscope of practice and the services described in it may be described as the Board thinks fit\u201D. \u201CMay\u201D is a very non-committal word, and I think, in the context in which we\u2019re looking at it here in this bill, that perhaps the word needs to be \u201Cmust\u201D, that the \u201Cscope of practice and the services described in it must be described as the Board thinks fit\u201D. That way, there is no discretion around how it eventually does get described.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000727\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EWhile I have this opportunity, I would also like to turn to new section 5C(3). It talks about the proposal for consulting with the sector around the scopes of practice, who the board must give consideration to, and whose views must be represented when they are developing the scopes of practice. I believe that although these are the professional bodies that will be consulted and have input into it, there\u2019s no provision in there for the users of the service to contribute or the public in general to have any contribution back there. I recall my colleague Chris Penk earlier tonight referring to a very old song by Tiny Tim where he\u2019s talked about tiptoeing through the tulips. This one reminds me of an old song by Frank Sinatra, where he says, \u201CI\u2019ll do it my way.\u201D I just wonder if we need to expand this interpretation so that the users of the service, perhaps, have some valuable contribution to make back to the board about the scopes of practice.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000728\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224d83c8a5-2f48-4991-9c45-b1a6060daedd\u0022\u003EAlso inside there, there is a reference in new paragraph (4) that the version must be given notice on an internet site. I just ask the Minister to consider whether the words \u201Cpublicly accessible internet site\u201D should be included in that as not all internet sites are publicly available. I just think that this will give\u2014[Time expired]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u00222092d9ec5b844d8194fbbb0d5b7b7172\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000729\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222092d9ec5b844d8194fbbb0d5b7b7172\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development):\u003C/span\u003E I thought I\u2019d respond given that the member Maureen Pugh raised some similar issues or questions that were raised by the previous member that spoke as well, Dan Bidois.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000730\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EJust to respond to the question that has been put to me about why we couldn\u2019t take two to three more weeks to, perhaps, develop the scopes of practice, it wouldn\u2019t have taken two to three more weeks to develop the scopes of practice; it would have taken a much more extensive period of time. The reason that this became achievable, in terms of looking at scopes of practice and including some provision in the legislation, is that we realised, not just myself but the sector and the ministry, that we didn\u2019t actually have to develop them; we just needed to put the provision for the development of them in the legislation. So that became the answer, and so that is why we didn\u2019t need to take two to three more weeks. It wouldn\u2019t have been two to three more weeks if we were trying to develop the scopes of practice; it would\u2019ve been much longer. We haven\u2019t put them in the legislation. I just need to remind the member that brought that up. The provision to develop them is in the legislation. So I think that\u2019s really important to note.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000731\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EIt was also asked who I consulted with, with respect to formulating the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) that we have in front of us. That is the main topic of debate this evening, and so, just to be very clear, the SOP was developed collaboratively by the Ministry of Social Development with the Social Work Alliance. The Social Work Alliance consists of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, Careerforce, the Council for Social Work Education Aotearoa New Zealand, the district health board professional social worker leaders, Oranga Tamariki\u2014Ministry for Children, the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services, the Social Service Providers Aotearoa, Social Workers Registration Board, Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association, and the New Zealand Public Service Association. The broad coverage of these groups across the social workers sector really did provide me and the ministry with the confidence to be able to go ahead and do this, and also provided me with the assurance that further public consultation on the SOP was not necessary.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000732\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s a pretty significant, substantial group that I have just spoken about. I know that the member Dan Bidois raised the issue that, well, if only 70 percent of the submitters said that they wanted scopes of practice, then that means that 30 percent didn\u2019t. Well, actually, they didn\u2019t explicitly state that. None of the 30 percent who aren\u2019t in the 70 percent said they didn\u2019t want scopes of practice. None of the written submissions did. The 70 percent who I speak about, who explicitly stated they wanted scopes of practice included\u2014there\u2019s that group, and then there\u2019s another 30 percent that made submissions who were silent on the whole issue and didn\u2019t bring up scopes of practice at all. So neither did they come to submit that we must do this, and neither did they come and say that this is something we shouldn\u2019t do. So I think, to make it really clear, there wasn\u2019t a huge chunk of submitters\u2014in fact, there were none\u2014that stipulated this is something that we should not do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u0022897e0aabd17643e892a196cfd6a55c56\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000733\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022897e0aabd17643e892a196cfd6a55c56\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister for Social Development for her contribution, but, unfortunately, the contributions have actually made it even more confusing because of the inconsistencies in her answers. There\u2019s a couple of specific questions I want to ask, because in her first answers, she talked about the fact that with the original bill as introduced in the first reading, which Labour, in their time in Opposition, supported, the scope of the bill was too narrow. She said that, actually, the bill needed to be extended, the scope of the legislation needed to be extended, and the scopes of practice needed to be included, and that is allowing for the creation of it. Then, she\u2019s also saying, in complete contrast to that, these are minor changes in Supplementary Order Paper 187.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000734\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ESo I do want to get real clarity from the Minister: is this a major change, in that we\u2019re significantly changing the scope of the bill because the objectives required in the first bill were too narrow, or is this just a minor change? If it\u2019s a major change, as you outlined when you first addressed this House in the committee of the whole House stage\u2014sorry, Madam Chair; when the Minister addressed the House in this committee of the whole House. If it is that major, then the absolute overreach of ignoring the Social Services and Community Committee and not allowing the select committee to consider this is outrageous. So the Minister needs to make up her mind: is it a significant change, or is it a minor amendment? So that\u2019s my first question. Again, if it is a major amendment and it\u2019s a major scope to the legislation, there\u2019s been plenty of time, since it was reported back in April, for this to come back to the select committee for consideration of that major scope change to the bill as introduced.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000735\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003ENow, I am going to labour the point, because I think it is incredibly important, and I also want to address a couple of the comments that have been made by Labour Party members of the select committee participating in this debate which, again, complicate the issue and create these inconsistencies. Greg O\u2019Connor said, \u201CYes, the select committee determined that the scopes of practice were required.\u201D So if they were required and the select committee wanted that, why was that not pushed for in the select committee stage? Why is it that the officials\u2019 advice was accepted that scopes of practice didn\u2019t need to be included? So I\u2019m somewhat confused by your contribution, Mr O\u2019Connor\u2014Mr Greg O\u2019Connor, not Mr Simon O\u2019Connor\u2014because you\u2019ve made the point very clearly that you agreed with the submitters who were saying that the scopes of practice needed to be included.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000736\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EI also want to reflect on another of our select committee members\u2019 contributions and to say it was very useful to have the practical experience of a social worker brought into the House and of the process involved. I want to say to that point that the Social Workers Registration Board, as the regulator, have been incredibly committed to ensuring that the select committee got it right, and, unfortunately, the select committee didn\u2019t have that opportunity. So in the seven months since the report back, why hasn\u2019t this matter been brought back to the select committee for consideration?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000737\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003EOne query I do just want to put\u2014because, in a further contribution, I\u2019ll refer to the regulatory impact statement\u2014is that the regulatory impact statement that is on the Table is the one from 1 May 2017, but the most up-to-date one is 26 July 2018. So I\u2019m not sure if the Minister is deliberately trying to exclude that regulatory impact statement from being considered as part of this debate. I do think that\u2019s critical. I do want the Minister to answer the question. The Minister\u2019s not listening right now, but I do want her to answer the question as to why the regulatory impact statement of July 2018 isn\u2019t the one that\u2019s being considered here today, because that has some critical discussion about the risks of the change, about the risks of the sector misinterpreting the inclusion of the scope of practice. So I do want a couple of answers to that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022 data-id=\u00223defda3860644e9c842f65394695de4d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000738\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223defda3860644e9c842f65394695de4d\u0022\u003EHon ALFRED NGARO (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Chair. I was waiting with bated breath just so that you would call. You\u2019ll be happy to know my contribution will not be talking about the scopes of practice, but they are in Part 1 and I will be talking about the definition of practising as a social worker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000739\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to put this to the Minister: there were a number of submissions in regards to the definition of social work practice. This is, in particular, in addressing the issue for M\u0101ori\u2014for tangata whenua\u2014and I want to read from the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services, where it talks about the definition. In the reflection that you\u2019ve had with the sector to talk about some issues around the scope, have you also considered these submissions, which were significant, along with 70 percent of the others, that talked about the importance of the definition? I want to read from this, the definition that came from the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services, where they state this on page 4 of their submission: \u201CSocial work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promote social change and development\u2026\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000740\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EThe part that I want to move to, though, is where it talks about \u201CUnderpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge,\u201D. Why that becomes important, Minister\u2014through the Chair\u2014is that last year we talked about the Child Poverty Reduction Bill, and not only did we talk about it; we passed that bill with almost the unanimous part of this House. But we recognised the importance of M\u0101ori being included in there, and recognising their definition\u2014their opportunity\u2014through the Treaty of Waitangi to be included in that bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000741\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003ESo has the Minister considered that, especially since the submission that was made by Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association clearly states this: \u201CThe workplace may not be the most appropriate determinent of competent social work practice to work with tangata whenua as the determinent(s) may be according to key performance indicators and contractual obligations rather than effective interventions based on rangatiratanga and working collaboratively with tangata whenua families\u201D\u2014wh\u0101nau\u2014\u201Cand young people instead of imposing solutions on [presenting a situation]. The Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association is concerned that the proposed amendments will ultimately: minimise the importance of [working with M\u0101ori in New Zealand.]\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000742\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022695678cf-542a-4616-9e0a-86990caec192\u0022\u003EMadam Chair, and also to the Minister: has she considered the fact\u2014we put a weight of importance on ensuring that we included the provisions in the Child Poverty Reduction Bill so there\u2019s an exemplar of including the importance of tangata whenua for M\u0101ori under the Treaty, a provision that allows for the importance of their roles of responsibility. In this case, with this submission from the Tangata Whenua Social Workers Association, has the Minister considered that also as a potential amendment to the bill?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022 data-id=\u0022fb0c4a7cbf314b6d825baefc40b92e08\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000743\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fb0c4a7cbf314b6d825baefc40b92e08\u0022\u003ECHAIRPERSON (Hon Anne Tolley)\u003C/span\u003E: My apologies. The time has come for me to report this bill, and I do apologise to Denise Lee. I forgot I had to go back at five to 10. I thought there would be time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000744\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EHouse resumed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000745\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EThe Chairperson reported progress on the Social Workers Registration Legislation Bill and no progress on the Crimes Amendment Bill and the Accident Compensation Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000746\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EReport adopted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id2019021328805739273547238573e1072ad8e69a000747\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022977cccaf-581d-4f48-924e-32bf6c54a93d\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 9.56 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"