"\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=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002258bb3447060349b2ad70b2eff55310be\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 2 JUNE 2021\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002204c87bcd7e484347990f627d0e8699de\u0022\u003EWEDNESDAY, 2 JUNE 2021\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000002\u0022\u003EThe Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000004\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b78e6ae156414522bf0b0618a630515c\u0022\u003EKarakia/Prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a8f6bc1651164fc3b54319b0c6a5fb83\u0022\u003EKarakia/Prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022c47860ba0add4a22b32c02a1e66cb9a9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c47860ba0add4a22b32c02a1e66cb9a9\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Talofa lava, members. I\u2019ve asked Barbara Edmonds to say the prayer in Samoan today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022 data-id=\u00224f21d5eb63ae40a78efaa54e3df82f57\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224f21d5eb63ae40a78efaa54e3df82f57\u0022\u003EBARBARA EDMONDS (Labour\u2014Mana):\u003C/span\u003E Tatou ifo ma tatalo. Le Atua silisili ese matou te sulaina lou alofa ma lou agalelei ona o tofiga ua e valaauina ia i matou. Matou fiafia foi e ta\u02BButino lo matou amanaiaina o le Tupu Tamaitai o Peretania. O la matou tatalo, alofa ma taitai ia matou felafolafoaiga uma ina ia faia i le loto maualalo ma le faamaoni ia matou faaiuga i totonu o lenei Maota Fono. Faamanuia i Taitai o le Faigamalo ina ia maua le tofamamao ma le loto maualalo e taitai lou atunuu i le manuia ma le filemu. I le suafa o Iesu Keriso, Amene. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00223bbce3cf490d469e8b819356e9335ca7\u0022\u003EPetitions, Papers, Select Committee Reports, and Introduction of Bills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a35f3febc62240bc8844ddc2581f2912\u0022\u003EPetitions, Papers, Select Committee Reports, and Introduction of Bills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00223ccdc509e22c44c589a4590838c659a2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223ccdc509e22c44c589a4590838c659a2\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No papers have been presented, no bills have been introduced. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EPetitions have been delivered to the Clerk for presentation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u002205e9b2604d484026a66932b02adb32db\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002205e9b2604d484026a66932b02adb32db\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EPetition of Sarah Rowland on behalf of New Zealand Eating Disorders Carer Support requesting that the House urge the Government to ensure that the new Dunedin Hospital has a specialist paediatric facility to treat eating disorders, provide more specialist facilities nationally, and enable a national body for treatment standards \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Margaret Brough requesting that the House urge the Government to reconsider the location of the proposed National Erebus Memorial, and note that 12,000 people have signed a petition to prevent it being located at Dove Myer Robinson Park.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002211d108dc9f904912b5c50562a0e8fd9f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002211d108dc9f904912b5c50562a0e8fd9f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Those petitions stand referred to the Petitions Committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003EA select committee report has been delivered for presentation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u00229ea218faa2af4af1876f2d6208509e43\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229ea218faa2af4af1876f2d6208509e43\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: Report of the Finance and Expenditure Committee on the Controller and Auditor-General, Draft annual plan 2021/22.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00227e288a84799c476797c4fd5dcbbf772e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227e288a84799c476797c4fd5dcbbf772e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That report is set down for consideration.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022c99f18c85b124cababa1e23e3f3760b7\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000020\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002252ee384c14944dc48c833b1aa6b57495\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222e5380344b364f2e8abd60ece94a76f6\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u0022ce09913d8a1c453283317f745f54029a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ce09913d8a1c453283317f745f54029a\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022fbe6d77c947e4d0ca7c9e4f180c74d80\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fbe6d77c947e4d0ca7c9e4f180c74d80\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E Fa\u2018afetai tele lava. The ANZ bank\u2019s latest Quarterly Economic Outlook, which was released yesterday, noted that the New Zealand economy is \u201Cwell on the way to recovery\u201D. The bank\u2019s economic team said it was surprising to be able to say this so early and that going into the crisis, every economic forecaster was expecting a large, drawn-out recession with a possibility of deflation, a 10 percent unemployment rate, and an economy that would struggle to get back to pre-COVID levels of output. The bank acknowledges that the policy response to COVID to eliminate the virus has meant that New Zealanders have spent the last 12 months living relatively normally. Compared with other countries that did not control the virus, ANZ notes that New Zealand\u2019s health outcomes have been better, which has allowed the country to come out of lockdown much sooner and has, in turn, led to a more advanced recovery in New Zealand than in most of our trading partners.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d2c6eefdbd14e2bb285d099e6041c1f\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: What else did this report say about the impact of the Government\u2019s policies on New Zealand\u2019s economic outlook?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f728df42c9444f41ad53a4d013aa6e12\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the ANZ report noted, \u201CThe focus of Government policy on keeping workers attached to their jobs has also been a key pillar of [our] relatively good economic outcomes.\u201D We\u2019ve seen employment in New Zealand increase above pre-COVID levels in recent months. The ANZ reports that New Zealand\u2019s labour market is far closer to full employment than anyone could have hoped for. Nevertheless, the recovery in the labour market does remain uneven, and this is why the Government has invested heavily in trades training and apprenticeship schemes, as well as expanding the Flexi-wage programme and also, in Budget 2021, extending the Training Incentive Allowance to support 16,000 New Zealanders into work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224c816ba97adc4fc69a8d48293f0f262f\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: What other reports has he seen on the economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022892aa29ad8a74ffbb525a9a5861291ba\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Securing the recovery is also being supported by a number of other sectors. Statistics New Zealand reported yesterday that building consents issued for new homes hit a record high of 42,848 in the year to April 2021, and this overtook the previous annual high set in March 2021, which in turn bettered the previous record that was set in 1974. Building consents for new homes in the year to April 2021 have now risen 41 percent, or by more than 12,000, compared with 2017.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274024953be954d458c0078636a6f9b79\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Before I call on the next question, I\u2019m just going to remind Marja Lubeck that she\u2019s sitting a lot closer both to the Minister\u2019s mikes and to my mikes than she was previously, and her energetic interventions are sort of echoing a bit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002242c0532c81f646909112aac1770c1aa3\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2\u2014Housing (Public Housing)\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022 data-id=\u00224500ceb64dd44c07a89334a6d93be130\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224500ceb64dd44c07a89334a6d93be130\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Green\u2014Auckland Central)\u003C/span\u003E to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Does she agree with the statement in the Labour Party\u2019s 2020 manifesto that it will \u201Cregulate property managers to protect landlords and tenants\u201D; if so, what action will the Government take in response?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u0022de115c12338645daa5e972a833b2b43a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022de115c12338645daa5e972a833b2b43a\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): In answer to the first part of the member\u2019s question, yes. In answer to the second part of the member\u2019s question, the Government intends to deliver on this manifesto commitment over this three-year term of Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298b5e542908547da8e9740a47c80368d\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: When will the Government regulate property managers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b3b2d94ad594026b18b7958b8c2ada8\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: as I said in answer to the primary, it is our intention to do this in this term of Government. The work has already begun on this work stream. In late 2020 and in early 2021, officials started engaging with the property management and tenancy sector stakeholders, and in March 2021, the Minister met with relevant stakeholders. So this work stream has begun.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c9c4b64b84a41dd930b3a61b9ee0b47\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Will regulation in property managers include a mandatory code of conduct with sanctions if the code is broken; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243723de46b204a28a7170983608e7eb3\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: as I said, we\u2019ve begun this piece of work and we are engaging stakeholders, and this will be rolled out over this term of Government. As a starting point, we are committed to ensuring that property managers comply with a mandatory code of conduct\u2014so that is something that we are looking at\u2014be part of a licensing regime, meet a good-character test, and follow a framework that allows tenants and landlords to resolve any issues.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225a337684f579458f9a1f56d384a658c5\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Will regulation of property managers give the Tenancy Tribunal new powers to investigate alleged breaches of the law across the property manager\u2019s whole property portfolio, rather than restricting it to a specific individual tenancy; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227b9cb35e4777415aa1ef1f9e06505309\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: as I said, that work has begun. I\u2019m not sure if that level of detail has been got into yet. I invite the member to put that question in writing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022086264deae694e829c027c97a498e541\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Government have an accurate record of how many property managers and landlords there are in New Zealand, and, if so, how many?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225776b88af09e4fdbbffcb7395652f8c6\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: one of the issues, of course, that we have is because the sector is unregulated, there is no accurate data on how many property managers there are or how many properties they actually manage. Rental bond data that is held by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment gives us some insight, and shows that at 5 November 2020, 2,104 property managers had lodged bonds for about 42 percent of rental properties. But these are conservative estimates and, of course, part of the work we are doing is so we can have data such as the member is asking about.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022a291958d71e64f3aa37fd46bf81230a5\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022 data-id=\u0022816177a53a2848cf8880dd7f5685ae6f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022816177a53a2848cf8880dd7f5685ae6f\u0022\u003EHon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Talofa lava, Mr Speaker, and fa\u2018afetai. Does she stand by all of her Government\u2019s statements 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=\u00225381ed79afc74dd082c96106929ca724\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225381ed79afc74dd082c96106929ca724\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava. Yes\u2014in particular, our recent Budget announcement of a main benefit boost, which is projected to lift up to an additional 33,000 children out of poverty on the after - housing cost measures in 2022-23. In combination with other changes under Labour such as our Families Package, 109,000 families with children will be better off by, on average, $175 per week by April 2022. Increasing incomes for our most vulnerable both secures our recovery by adding targeted stimulus to the economy while also addressing one of our most pressing long-term challenges of child poverty. The initiative, along with others recently announced in the Budget, are core parts for helping us achieve our three goals for the term: to keep New Zealand safe from COVID-19, to accelerate our recovery and rebuild, and to tackle our foundational challenges\u2014those issues of housing affordability, climate change, and child wellbeing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228247696bcf054bb28bf19eb0593bc195\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Why did Budget 2021 cut almost $20 million from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment\u2019s Endeavour Fund, which is used to promote research, science, and technology, with the potential to boost our long-term economic growth?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eea3c775ce9f474e96f65597fdfca895\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s my understanding that the money that the member is referring to is being reprioritised across the portfolio. The other point that I would make is that the Minister is doing quite a bit of work in this space generally, alongside the sector, to determine that we are appropriately incentivising and aiding research and development in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8d04cd5197d4fab91cf39b2c02273fe\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Has she received any advice on the Australian Budget\u2019s investment in a billion-dollar digital economy strategy, and did the New Zealand Budget contain anything similar?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225db7537cb99c401aac2010762cc5b4a2\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I received advice on New Zealand\u2019s economic performance relative to Australia\u2019s economic performance based on some of the data contained in both countries\u2019 Budgets, and I can tell the member from that that our unemployment rate is lower than Australia, we are projected to go into surplus, again\u2014operating balance before gains and losses surplus\u2014earlier than Australia and at about the same rate as we did following the global financial crisis, our debt levels are lower, and our growth rates are a solid 3.5 percent across the forecast period, which is also higher. So, on all measures, New Zealand is really outperforming Australia economically. On the issue of incentives and supporting technological development, I\u2019d say that we\u2019re looking at New Zealand\u2019s circumstances, and that\u2019s told us that, really, we need to put that support in for our small businesses, in particular. They saw considerable advancement during the COVID era, where they were forced to technologically adapt. We are trying to continue to support that with some of the acceleration funding that we\u2019ve put in for digital support for small businesses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227fb2adfc63b141419e2de3f1cafdbac8\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you\u2014fa\u2018afetai. Why has Budget 2021 revised our projected long-term labour productivity growth down to just 1 percent per annum, and what specific initiatives in Budget 2021 will address this?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f264ea98892c4d6387b50104df38ca7f\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the member\u2019s first question, that data is, as I understand, across decades. As I recall, it\u2019s a 30-year average, so that wouldn\u2019t just take into account this Government\u2019s performance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220ace468843b14796bb5a5a381b192626\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by the Minister of Health\u2019s statement in regard to Patient Voice Aotearoa advocating for increasing funding into Pharmac that\u2014I quote\u2014\u201CI don\u2019t buy into extremist rhetoric.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b9eef200552426facbfdcc15996221e\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: At the same time, the Minister has rightly pointed out that we have increased funding for Pharmac to the tune of $200 million across the Budget period, and that has meant that we\u2019re seeing well over a 20 percent increase in Pharmac\u2019s budget overall. Ultimately, though, many of the advocacy groups that we, as a Government, and past Governments have faced often have specific drugs in mind that they would like funded, and the point that we\u2019ve continually made is our job is to support Pharmac and the model. They are the ones that make the decisions over what is being funded. They should not be decisions for us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a4e843308bd74d0aaa0304a673474ed6\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. My question was quite clear: whether the Prime Minister stood by the statement made by the health Minister about extremist rhetoric. I don\u2019t believe that was addressed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022da93e95209ef4cd18b1ac278ddd6bd1f\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I refer the member to Speakers\u2019 rulings, I think it\u2019s somewhere around page 183\u2014early on that page\u2014and that is that one can\u2019t expect a specific answer to a supplementary question unless the primary is specific. If this area was signalled, I would be supportive of the member, but that area was not signalled as part of the primary question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea2d38e88e434619a14bd6ee279e54e8\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The primary question related to statements made by the Government. That question was accepted. Surely a question about a statement is in order, and therefore the statement should be addressed. The Prime Minister did not do so. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224c0de9ab8e554f6a97a77b385f52c781\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I\u2019ll just find the one. Speakers\u2019 ruling 183/3: \u201CIf a member wants to have that kind of specificity addressed in a supplementary question, the primary question needs to be somewhat more specific than this one. (The primary question to the Minister was, \u2018Does he stand by all his recent statements?\u2019.)\u201D\u2014the Hon Dr Lockwood Smith. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022337e889d7ec1402ba196e317772b5063\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by the Minister of Health\u2019s denial that he used that language at the Health Committee this morning, stating\u2014I quote\u2014\u201CI didn\u2019t say that, and you\u2019ve got that wrong.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226aa879bc48d94cdf96c752665c32d5fd\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sure the member will appreciate that I have neither the transcripts from that particular event about what was said by either the Minister nor the context in which it was said. I\u2019m just not in a position to be able to answer the member\u2019s question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223e494629d62f4de080d151e1fd1cf3f5\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you\u2014fa\u2018afetai lava. Will there be a significant opening of the border in January 2022?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022577b1fa09b554f41a81fd858076c0814\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As the member will have heard, Ministers on this side of the House say repeatedly that we\u2019re working through, of course, a phased approach to reconnecting our people with the world. We\u2019ve already moved on the trans-Tasman bubble arrangement, but as that already demonstrates, these openings can be complex, and our number one priority, if we want to preserve the position that New Zealand is in\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002283408a38fdbc4816b786e6603cfa282b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! I\u2019m taking this as a very serious question asked by the members\u2019 leader. I suggest that the front bench let it be answered because I think the leader might be interested in what\u2019s being said.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e30e5791500484fb5d04e93c5df9df2\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: But as the member and, in fact, all of New Zealand has seen, even those arrangements with a country that is in a very similar position to us do pose risk and do pose complexities. So our goal is to put ourselves in the best position possible to start reconnecting with the world. However, we will always base those decisions on the data, the evidence, and New Zealand\u2019s position at the time. We are in a good place; we\u2019re not going to run the risk of losing it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e6cdac9dc914b62b98180365b69546d\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Is she aware that the Budget forecasts are based on the assumption that the border will be significantly open by January 2022, and how will the economy be impacted if the border is not opened by that date?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d09e3f526f9643b1910ed926608404d5\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Two things: Treasury, of course, have to make predictions. As I understand it, their framing of that prediction was the idea that New Zealand may have further \u201Cgreen bubble\u201D or bubble-style arrangements which enable further opening. But, again, all the way through COVID, it\u2019s necessitated both Treasury and external commentators to make predictions\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c43feab76be644faaac8fc83d99bb271\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Read the Budget. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d63468edbb674fbc89d4d965c71c75c7\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014about a very unknown environment\u2014and I have, Mr Bishop. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d0c4f2a111a345d0b69080ae6cb75b2f\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: In which case, why is it that the Budget clearly says that it is predicting a significant opening of the border in January 2022 in its assumptions as to the economic wellbeing of this country? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bf460a551d3a47298fdd480c2fbcd3b6\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Firstly, Treasury have to make assumptions and predictions in order to make their economic forecasts and projections. Secondly, the member is interpreting what she believes to be significant to be. I\u2019ve just explained that what is being shared with me is what Treasury considers to be significant.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e11f73170e04b20b7556dddfa88a8d1\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Prime Minister aware of any individuals or loose entities who have called for the bubble to be open, closed; the border to be open, closed; and sometimes at the same time?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ff84008ee76c432a9d579c0ce2ecc66e\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I have. I have to say, from the member\u2019s line of questioning, I\u2019m not entirely sure what she is advocating. What I know is that this Government has taken a firm and clear decision\u2014the safety of our people first\u2014and it just so happens that when we predicted that putting people\u2019s health first would support our economic recovery, that has been borne out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002285ec30d4-6394-433a-a12e-2c4def705dd0\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022549e4f1bbe9e446b83b6c04d144082f5\u0022\u003EHon Judith Collins\u003C/span\u003E: Why does the Government have a target to reduce prison populations by 30 percent, but not a target to reduce violent crime?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fa1d3af33c194d08b0eed9920af44b96\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Because, as the member will know, having worked across corrections, if you are seeking to reduce the prison population, that\u2019s often the equivalent of reducing recidivism. Many people in our prison population are circulating back through. So if you focus on rehabilitation programmes that make a difference\u2014if you focus on having, as prisoners exit, work to ensure that they are in employment and those things which prevent reoffending\u2014then you ultimately also reduce victimisation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227b700878df2e4073a63a2fb22fd040b6\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 4\u2014Energy and Resources\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022 data-id=\u00224b45c6811e704755a6e0adb75d6244da\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224b45c6811e704755a6e0adb75d6244da\u0022\u003ERACHEL BROOKING (Labour)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Energy and Resources: How is Budget 2021 supporting the roll-out of heating and insulation to make Kiwi homes warmer? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u00227633e4ac01cb4ccd8ec9d4c426b706b4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227633e4ac01cb4ccd8ec9d4c426b706b4\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Energy and Resources):\u003C/span\u003E We\u2019re continuing our investment in the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders through an extension of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme in Budget 2021. We are funding the success of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, which has, to date, delivered around 62,000 insulation and heating retrofits by investing an additional $120 million over two years to install insulation and heating retrofits for a further 47,700 homes. Tens of thousands more lower-income Kiwi families will benefit from better health and lower power bills as a direct result of the Government\u2019s ongoing investment into warm, dry homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225c497f0926a543b8a4aece8411a8bc0c\u0022\u003ERachel Brooking\u003C/span\u003E: How will the extension of this programme result in better health outcomes for New Zealanders? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220425ab41a8ee4bd980ee176c5a903a60\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: We know that the poor quality of some of New Zealand\u2019s housing stock has led to an unacceptable amount of avoidable hospitalisations linked to cold, damp, and mouldy houses. In 2011, a Motu study on the benefits of insulation found that the benefit-cost ratio was $4.66 for every $1 spent in comfort and wellbeing. It is my intention to update this study to also look at the impact of heat pumps under the programme, which were introduced in 2019. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002262fc2e92d0c24d30b1eebbbc0192050c\u0022\u003ERachel Brooking\u003C/span\u003E: How many jobs will be supported by the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022522596cc52294be3a5474f3acd92747f\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: The Warmer Kiwi Homes programme has been hugely successful, not only for grant recipients but for enabling service providers to continue delivering installation. It is estimated that the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme will support up to 600 jobs in the energy services sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022134c66ac03a8418e83bd36812d9669e6\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 5\u2014NZ Security Intelligence Service\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022 data-id=\u002287fa809cb7884fa59fab8b250550fc14\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002287fa809cb7884fa59fab8b250550fc14\u0022\u003EDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader\u2014Te Paati M\u0101ori)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister responsible for the NZ Security Intelligence Service: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u0022cb2721d730034aeeac86930d3b9efb53\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cb2721d730034aeeac86930d3b9efb53\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister responsible for the NZ Security Intelligence Service):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. There is a longstanding convention of not discussing or confirming what may or may not be New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) operational matters. This is necessary to protect the NZSIS\u2019s methods, capabilities, and areas of focus so that the agency can protect New Zealand\u2019s national security. For that reason, it\u2019s not in the public interest for me to address every statement and action, but, generally speaking, the answer is yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e2e2d7091cdc4500bead2d337e56ba82\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: What action has he taken since being appointed Minister to ensure that the SIS shifts its focus off peaceful M\u0101ori activists and Muslim citizens and instead targets the right people, including violent white supremacists?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220dc35940831b4352a7d771c197a11e60\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: It would be apparent from the report of the royal commission of inquiry into the Christchurch mosque attacks that the NZSIS began its work specifically on white identity violent extremism in May 2018, and has continued to deal with that threat along with other terrorist threats and other threats to the national security of New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022523df2138fd34fb98f9b2f57e50ed9fd\u0022\u003EDebbie Ngarewa-Packer\u003C/span\u003E: What specifically is he doing as Minister to ensure that the SIS are working to protect M\u0101ori, who are increasingly being targeted by violent and racist white supremacist rhetoric?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228cb35d54417a434fb452b7643eea38c6\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m satisfied that the SIS is devoting appropriate resources to all of the national security threats that New Zealand faces, including the threats of terrorism, which itself includes the threat of white identity violent extremism, which itself includes threats against M\u0101ori as a people. I appreciated the opportunity to meet with representatives of Te Paati M\u0101ori yesterday, with the Director-General of Security, and to go through those issues. As the member will be aware, the director-general has undertaken to go back and ensure that both the work that they do and in conjunction with partners such as the New Zealand Police meets the expectations of that member and, indeed, all New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022165e22e37486441b9d680a7e4d1952c9\u0022\u003ERawiri Waititi\u003C/span\u003E: What specific measures and processes does the SIS currently have in place in order to monitor the rise of anti-M\u0101ori white supremacist threats?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bfa8a39ee91d4c95ba7f9762edab7f37\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: Both the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and, indeed, its partner agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau, have, I am satisfied, the means to monitor the threats that we would expect them, as a nation, to be monitoring and keeping abreast of, and are working in conjunction with other Government agencies and partners, including partners overseas, to make sure that New Zealanders are safe from those threats, and that includes M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022627249b41f3040b98e56fc57bd32dac8\u0022\u003ERawiri Waititi\u003C/span\u003E: Will he work with the Minister of Police to establish a joint task force specifically targeting white supremacist groups and organisations who seek to inflict harm on tangata whenua, and, if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226f090b07462545e983081aa2c622bb0d\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: I assure the member that the Security Intelligence Service and the police do work closely on matters of national security and where they are manifest and where people are identified as acting out those threats. But, in any event, in light of the events of last week that that member and his colleague, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, have brought to the nation\u2019s attention as well as to mine, there is clearly a need to ensure that the work that all Government agencies involved in national security are doing is responding effectively to those threats, bringing people to justice, and making sure that they and all members of the New Zealand community are safe.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a5f0fe84-01e8-4eb3-a590-0025017c4243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022004cd23ee0f447fc916ef79d0d3d8871\u0022\u003EHon Marama Davidson\u003C/span\u003E: What evidence does the Minister have that NZSIS is able to identify and respond appropriately to white supremacy rhetoric and threats of violence?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022aaeb3a6e2243452a9e01cf9ecfb07adc\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: Again, I refer that member to the report of the royal commission of inquiry into the Christchurch mosque attacks, where the inquiry laid out both the work of the SIS and the threats that it is across. But, as the Minister in charge, I can assure that member and, indeed, the House that I am satisfied that that agency and all partner agencies are responding effectively to the national security threats that they face.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022349f37f20eeb42afb795ae661927c951\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 6\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u0022033923089a7e496d89da2b5af0cfed5e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022033923089a7e496d89da2b5af0cfed5e\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Port Waikato)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Talofa, Mr Speaker. What specific initiatives, if any, in Budget 2021 will materially lift productivity in New Zealand, and by which year will this impact be seen?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022f0bbced7eb324cd6991b3129f896ee4d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f0bbced7eb324cd6991b3129f896ee4d\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I thank the member for the question. Budget 2021 includes a number of initiatives to ensure that our economic recovery results in an economy that is more productive than we have had before, as well as being more sustainable and inclusive. A wide range of policy areas affect productivity, so I\u2019ll ask the Speaker and the member to bear with me while I cover just a few of the investments included in Budget 2021. Most prominently, Budget 2021 invests $57.3 billion in infrastructure over the next five years, which will not only create jobs but also improve the physical and digital infrastructure that New Zealand businesses rely on and reduce congestion, improving productivity. Improving the skills of New Zealanders is important when it comes to improving productivity, and Budget 2021 invests in this. Building on the more than 100,000 additional apprenticeships and trade training places that have been taken up since July 2020, Budget 2021 continues this with our reform of vocational education, presenting $279.5 million of funding. We\u2019ve also reintroduced the training incentive allowance, with degree-level programmes, so that 16,000 sole parents, disabled people, and carers will have the financial support they need to get degree-level qualifications, increase their skills, and improve productivity. Research and development and innovation is also important when it comes to productivity. We will be investing an additional $300 million in the New Zealand Green Investment Fund, along with $56 million in science, research, and innovation, including a further $22 million to Research Education Advanced Network New Zealand and $10 million in ongoing investments in research\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cfac55aa9bc4ed59222467b19a091bb\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The member will now get on to the second leg of the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261774bf526a24de188faac4daf2d1b43\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, thank you, Mr Speaker. In answer to the second part of the question: straight away and also over the next four years, evidenced by the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update showing annual business investment averaging almost 6 percent over the forecast period and real per capita GDP growing at around 2.4 percent.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c9cba45d5f3484abd8730b4b91d6022\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Is he concerned by the Productivity Commission report that shows New Zealanders are working longer but produce less than other OECD countries, and, if so, how will Budget 2021 improve this?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022934b8c28dce84dd6a0329d6768fc1eb3\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question, yes, and in answer to the second part of the question\u2014I\u2019ll get in trouble with you if I go into that any more.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cf403941d90a41d099921f412a7bb964\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: How can he be confident in his Budget when long-term labour productivity growth is now projected to drop to a mere 1 percent\u2014the lowest in 15 years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd5a502973184d3bbd2015630bec781f\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s worth going through how that figure is derived. It is derived by the Treasury using a 30-year historical median. In making their assumptions on labour productivity growth, Treasury do not make judgments on any current policy settings, nor on the potential of new technologies, nor on anticipated level of investments in coming years. Those assumptions are entirely based on backward-looking data over the last 30 years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed2661847bd64c70b4f16ef3c31efd17\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: What are the reasons that Budget 2021 projects long-term labour productivity growth to continue to fall to just 1 percent per annum?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224e4b2233968f4e9a9c0caf11489313e8\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Referring to my last answer, that is because that has been the historical record of New Zealand. The investments that we are making in infrastructure, in skills, and in research and development mean that we have every chance of improving on that record that has bedevilled New Zealand for decades.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a2487d04220b4adcb508b12a10df852b\u0022\u003EAndrew Bayly\u003C/span\u003E: Why did Budget 2021 not include a tax incentive to make it easier for businesses to invest in new plant, equipment, and software?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022876a29d20eb444dcb0125983890c79a9\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019ve made changes in the package that we did in March of 2020 that enabled building depreciation, which I know will benefit, according to estimates, around $1 billion in the 2021-22 year, which will significantly help businesses. We previously introduced the research and development tax credit. But, equally, the member can\u2019t have it both ways. He wants more money spent, but he also wants less tax coming in. It doesn\u2019t add up, Mr Bayly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022093efe0e6cb84297b72cb5dbb7f3d62b\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 7\u2014Emergency Management\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022 data-id=\u00227852cb686d4d4997a8f04779198169d0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227852cb686d4d4997a8f04779198169d0\u0022\u003ESARAH PALLETT (Labour\u2014Ilam)\u003C/span\u003E to the Acting Minister for Emergency Management: How is the Government responding to the Canterbury floods?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022 data-id=\u0022750ba9c400b943f7b4da492db2ef8211\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022750ba9c400b943f7b4da492db2ef8211\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI (Acting Minister for Emergency Management):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. The Government is supporting the Canterbury region as it responds and recovers from the significant flooding event. Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Ministry of Social Development, Te Puni K\u014Dkiri, the National Emergency Management Agency, among many agencies, have assisted in the response, alongside personnel and equipment from the New Zealand Defence Force. The Ministry for Primary Industries is coordinating rural recovery support, the Ministry of Education is supporting schools, kura, and early learning centres as damage is being assessed, and Waka Kotahi is supporting the repair and recovery of significant damage to the transport network. As announced on Monday, an initial contribution of $100,000 to support the region has been made through the mayoral relief fund, and yesterday, my colleague Minister O\u2019Connor announced that the Government has classified the Canterbury floods as a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking funding of $500,000 to support farmers and growers in the region.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f79b4e60d26d472b80e32a2587756fb7\u0022\u003ESarah Pallett\u003C/span\u003E: How well has the overall civil defence emergency management system performed in the event?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261910637d5ba4ccbb6e515831bd3ffdf\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI\u003C/span\u003E: The response has been very well managed at a local, regional, and national level. The Canterbury regional civil defence emergency management group has been leading response efforts, and I would like to acknowledge the group controller, Neville Reilly, who has demonstrated calm and effective leadership on the ground, and acknowledge those who staffed emergency operation centres over the weekend and the beginning of this week. The National Emergency Management Agency national coordination centre remains activated in support of the response, alongside local coordination centres in Christchurch, Timaru, Ashburton, Selwyn, Mackenzie, and Waimakariri. I would also like to thank the Canterbury region mayors, who came together swiftly to work with the whole region over the weekend to plan for and respond to the flooding event.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022271bb378421145e080a88feab0861e6e\u0022\u003ESarah Pallett\u003C/span\u003E: What role have the local community and volunteers played in the response?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002290ea1538-43e8-4257-bd80-df3ccd1e5f27\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225439d465bfb64481b4f4ac8111dcd7ce\u0022\u003EHon KRIS FAAFOI\u003C/span\u003E: Cantabrians have demonstrated once again why responses to local emergencies are best led at the local level. Canterbury-based first responders Ng\u0101i Tahu, Federated Farmers, the Hakatere, Koukour\u0101rata, and Tuahiwi Marae, and community and rural leaders, including the Rural Support Trust, St John, Red Cross, and many other organisations and individuals, were critical to the response. I want to thank all those families and friends and neighbours who took in evacuees over the weekend, helped clear debris, and even, in some cases, saved lives. I especially want to thank the hundreds of volunteers like those that I met at the civil defence centre at the Mandeville Sports Club, and also those at the Ashburton and Waimakariri emergency operation centres. There is a significant recovery ahead for affected communities, and Government agencies are well involved in that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222cbea34495cf4d07a57795eb44f8ba69\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 8\u2014Housing\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022 data-id=\u00228d4e2d5f3ecf4d379f6ae9d6204958d1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228d4e2d5f3ecf4d379f6ae9d6204958d1\u0022\u003EBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader\u2014ACT)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Housing: Does she believe that Government policies are helping first-home buyers keep up with rising house prices?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u0022b36a77e1254040f5a489de53648ef49f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b36a77e1254040f5a489de53648ef49f\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. In March, we introduced a package of both demand and supply measures aimed at increasing housing supply, relieving speculative demand pressures on the market, and making it easier for first-home buyers. Ten weeks in, we are seeing some promising indicators that our Government\u2019s recent policies are beginning to help first-home buyers, but I acknowledge that it\u2019s very early to assess the impact of the package. The housing crisis is a problem decades in the making that will take more time to turn around, but our combination of measures, including reducing barriers to building houses, will start to make a difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d76e88ef42c34c4fbc3405928ee3311c\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: Has she seen reports of how increasing housing costs have contributed to nearly half of the Capital and Coast DHB\u2019s bowel screening programme nurses quitting, and, if so, what urgent actions are being taken to support those affected by rising house costs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022426496c4d76e49e8b4dae51c7728fa7a\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question, no, I have not seen that report.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b994b07ffba44fadacffd0509d3d07de\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: Has she seen reports of the average resale profit in Wellington increasing by $60,000 over the last three months, and, if so, does she believe that first-home buyers can be expected to raise the additional $12,000 for a deposit they would have needed over those three months?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022913796d5acef43749b2c3a874fd7d65e\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, I have seen reports of those increases in Wellington, but I have also seen several reports showing that the different impacts of the policies are starting to take effect at different speeds around the country. So if we have a look at the house price index change between February 2021, when we were seeing a 5.3 percent monthly increase in house price, and April 2021, across the country, it was 0.6 percent. I also point to a number of commentators that are pointing to the fact that they are seeing an uplift in terms of first-home buyer market activity in the market, and Westpac economists, for example, who are saying that they\u2019ve revised their house price forecast as a result of the Government\u2019s recent move. I think the point is we are 10 weeks into these changes. These are problems decades in the making, but we are starting to see some promising green shoots.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223ce1e8d2c9974d20b4647e417c08fa2e\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Does she think her Government\u2019s decision to buy up more than $750 million worth of houses to turn them into State homes has helped or hindered first-home buyers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fc110e7f71e142d6916ef766eeb572da\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: I think the member needs to get some perspective on that number and the size of the total number of sales\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022733903d207074dc192bbb6d2e4c72a66\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: Duff advice\u2014duff advice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bafdc28a54044d3998444b633f802186\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014of properties that we have\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229cb1fa926d6448649e9b02ed24779d80\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Too loud, Mr Brownlee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a5b2d41abc174ae8b543534ee5d29534\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: Always. The member needs to get some perspective. But what the member is talking about\u2014[Interruption] Thank you, Mr Brownlee. The number that the member is talking about is actually a very tiny fraction of the number of sales and purchases that happen in New Zealand. But, as I have repeatedly told that member in this House, I am not satisfied with the level of buy-ins that I saw were happening within our public housing sector that were instigated under the previous Government. In some years, like 2015, for example, 67 percent of the all-new public housing places were, in fact, buy-ins and not new builds. Our Government has that down to around 12 percent this year. I am proud of what we\u2019re doing in public housing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c7a6ce0d9fe4215b92acb55bf35a8ef\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Well, can she confirm answers to her own written questions, showing her Government has spent\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224486ffd994504f7984fbc3db6b28f277\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I think you might just want to rephrase the beginning of it. I don\u2019t think\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a7a1bdbe8dd484483118e198a492db0\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Showing the Government, not Megan Woods\u2019 Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022028b3cd0465a40ad8d0e6d846b5acd50\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, I don\u2019t think they were her questions\u2014her answers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210b0d60d5c9d45d7b4e8b270a240305f\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Can she confirm her answers to written questions showing the Government\u2014her Government\u2014has spent more than five times as much buying up houses than the past National Government ever did, and what does she say to the hundreds of first-home buyers who have missed out on a house because they were outbid by the Government?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271a3e3450f70482dbfab654398171e9a\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: I certainly can confirm that we\u2019ve spent five times more than the previous Government, because that was a Government that sold off public housing and did not add to our stock. It was a Government that ended up with 1,500 fewer public houses than it started with, and what I say to first-home buyers is that this is a Government that is part of the solution to the housing crisis, not the cause of it. We have built over 5,000 new public homes in the nearly four years we\u2019ve been in Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272552570d55040feb53363d96e0bd58c\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: What reports has she received on how fast incomes would have to grow for first-home buyers in order to keep up with house price inflation from the previous quarter? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d3a2341be7c4ff7b3fd45fe53cb7ed6\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: There are a number of reports that are out there that are calculating across different regions what that would look like. We saw that CoreLogic is showing what that is doing across different parts of New Zealand. But I think the point I want to make to the member is that we are not content with the current rate of house prices that we are seeing. This is exactly why we instituted these changes back in March and are happy to see that we are seeing some green shoots. That shows some indications that rapid house price growth is slowing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221a3e20cc64954396827a62be783e3792\u0022\u003EBrooke van Velden\u003C/span\u003E: How much does she believe an affordable house should cost in Wellington? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f788bae6c67947d6963b8e507a0d1e27\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: I think that we\u2019ve traversed this ground often in this House. There are international measures: around 30 percent of income on housing, whether that be through rent or whether that be through servicing mortgages. But, of course, some people choose to spend far more of their incomes on mortgages because they want to pay them off faster. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223085eeb135974a7b89803a32d086a788\u0022\u003EChl\u00F6e Swarbrick\u003C/span\u003E: Is the Government still committed to so-called sustained moderation of house prices, and, if so, is the Minister aware that it will take approximately 50 years for house prices then to get back to the level of affordability in the early 2000s? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022daee33a52f9c42dd9a2a5fa515251036\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: We\u2019re a Government that is taking action to ensure that we can do something about out-of-control house prices. What we have shown is that we have a programme of work that we see that the Treasury and the Reserve Bank forecasts show less than a 1 percent increase in housing prices in the coming year as a result of policies that our Government has instituted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a27214913674ce58d6d5f423dd738e5\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: What does it say for the effectiveness of that action by the Government that the May year-on-year CoreLogic figures showed a 20 percent rise in national house prices versus only 18 percent in April? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224a497ca3d10e4f4d9f8cc6eb822a4bb8\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: As I said in the answer to the primary question, we are 10 weeks in from making these changes, and in terms of the only data we have, which is for April, that reflects six weeks in. The data set that the member referred to first is indeed the one that included the hyperinflation from November through to March. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221c319e6b9be34ddb863a251315fd8663\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Further to that answer, can the Minister confirm that the latest monthly data does show that in 10 of 19 regions, we are seeing a slowing rate of house price increases? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221d247808f75148f98c6a2f5e3e52b0ff\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and, furthermore, some of that data shows across Auckland even bigger swings. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00223f534adc43a447779e7a768f7f9985cf\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 9\u2014Women\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022 data-id=\u0022396166183ea24aad95f243b4f4351915\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022396166183ea24aad95f243b4f4351915\u0022\u003EWILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour\u2014Northland)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Women: What initiatives are there in Budget 2021 to improve the lives of New Zealand women?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u002262cd24ec14c34ed7a446155a41bea829\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002262cd24ec14c34ed7a446155a41bea829\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI (Minister for Women):\u003C/span\u003E I am pleased to inform the House that Budget 2021 delivers for New Zealand women through breast and cervical cancer screening system improvements, increasing benefits to tackle inequality, and providing better employment opportunities for women. Some of the highlights that will have a real impact on the lives of women and girls include extending the training incentive allowance, 3,000 extra places in childcare, pay parity for early childhood education teachers, and $131 million to tackle family and sexual violence.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022453f89f625c741e2aeca474d3707458b\u0022\u003EWillow-Jean Prime\u003C/span\u003E: How will the increases to benefits announced in Budget 2021 impact women?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022de35f6d616284265bfb6a46d3063d031\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: We know that 83 percent of sole parents are women, and 90 percent of the recipients of sole parent support are women. The changes made through Budget 2021 mean for a single mum on the sole parent benefit, she will have received the 22 percent increase in her main benefit under Labour since 2017. The Government has also extended the training incentive allowance, of which 86 percent of recipients are women. In addition, the 3,000 extra places for children in childcare, plus increases in childcare assistance, will help about 900 low-income parents to remain or transition into employment, training, and education, and many of these parents will be women.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be27443d2e094c80aafcac50430b648c\u0022\u003EWillow-Jean Prime\u003C/span\u003E: How else has the Government delivered for women following the COVID-19 pandemic?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002259a61ae30c9e43c391057bf6f72dab36\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: During New Zealand\u2019s peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a gap emerged between men\u2019s and women\u2019s unemployment rates. We have now closed that gap, and unemployment between men and women is equal. In real terms, that means in the March quarter there have been an additional 14,000 more women in work compared to the previous quarter. Pre - COVID-19, only 14 percent of apprenticeships were held by women, and just 3.2 percent of all building and construction apprenticeships were women. The Apprenticeship Boost has contributed to a 30 percent increase in women taking up apprenticeships during 2020. This is a Government that is committed to gender equality. The COVID-19 economic recovery plan, combined with the delivery of Budget 2021, demonstrates that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d93763cca833470e8de2ccf6d662c85b\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 10\u2014COVID-19 Response\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022 data-id=\u00228fc04911add6436699b3d55ba5bfede0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228fc04911add6436699b3d55ba5bfede0\u0022\u003ECHRIS BISHOP (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Does he stand by all his statements and actions in relation to the Government\u2019s response to COVID-19?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022 data-id=\u00224432164822124e5e83b633613fedf93d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224432164822124e5e83b633613fedf93d\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Associate Minister of Health)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Yes\u2014in particular, the work already undertaken by all DHBs, which has seen them administer over 668,000 vaccines to people across New Zealand, well in excess of their plans.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b914d1757d74aceaf755449c7298662\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Why does the Canterbury District Health Board not have enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to complete its group 1 and 2 populations, and which other health boards are in this situation?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d682b85f454e4e249efe2d9c0f7c2593\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: Vaccination of group 1 is near completed nationwide, vaccination of group 2 in Canterbury is well under way\u2014and I know in many of their aged-care facilities, a majority of residents have received their first dose\u2014and, thirdly, vaccination of group 2 will continue throughout July.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223f1963e241af4c75ac777937ef4693a9\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Why has it taken until June 2021 for the Government to allow saliva testing to be offered as an alternative to the nasopharyngeal PCR test for workers at the border, when the Roche-Simpson report recommended it be rolled out as soon as possible in September 2020?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e0e01072427243e1ab64c74eec250a60\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: there\u2019s been a process to work through with identifying the correct use of saliva testing\u2014and, in particular, how that is integrated with the nasopharyngeal PCR test, which we know is the most reliable gold-standard test\u2014and, in addition, a tender process to run.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220cad375bc1fd44a3874c7a07d8249b8d\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Has he seen the comments of the Hon Phil Twyford on Facebook: \u201CWe are working on a longer-term border plan and exploring how we can expand MIQ that will allow more people into New Zealand.\u201D; if so, can he share some more details of this quite important announcement made by Mr Twyford via a Facebook comment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204d334e15fa74bd6a62387845afe7ee5\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: No, I am not aware of my colleague\u2019s Facebook post.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002257e41e9d-285b-4fb3-847d-a63820ae7137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002204276924347a4ba7afc3e3b29f5cb216\u0022\u003EChris Bishop\u003C/span\u003E: Will the vaccine roll-out scale up enough to complete the 493,837 doses in the next four weeks, as the Ministry of Health model indicates will happen?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a7a15980488544ad963c499ed1e744e5\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: he has been clear in his statements that the biggest influence on vaccination doses administered throughout this month and next will be supply. We\u2019ll be receiving an update on supply very shortly and may need to adjust the model, but, currently, our current plan is the model as it is published.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220cbfeb791f9a470588882476561a97e9\u0022\u003EHon Michael Wood\u003C/span\u003E: Which of the Government\u2019s policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic does the Minister believe have contributed to New Zealand being ranked the No. 1 country in the Bloomberg COVID resilience index, recently updated?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9640d2b23ad4b08b3dce4f73b874f17\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: Well, there could be many reasons, including our strong public health response, which included an excellent response at the border; the set-up, when we had no existing quarantine facilities, of an integrated managed isolation and quarantine facility; the excellent contact tracing system that we have built over time; and the wide-scale testing system, not to mention the development of multiple pieces of information technology to oversee this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002261c798f7c27a4a6fb188951a3951eaf7\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 11\u2014Transport\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022 data-id=\u0022a42735b115914abf934f586dd53a6bea\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a42735b115914abf934f586dd53a6bea\u0022\u003EINGRID LEARY (Labour\u2014Taieri)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: How does Budget 2021 invest in rail?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022 data-id=\u0022512473d74aef4aa7b7b107c070277516\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022512473d74aef4aa7b7b107c070277516\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. The Government is delivering on its pre-election commitment to invest in rail and develop domestic rail workshops to create jobs as part of our COVID-19 economic recovery plan. Budget 2021\u2019s $1.3 billion investment in rail replaces locomotives and wagons and builds new rail workshops in Dunedin and Christchurch, new IT systems, maintenance, and renewals across KiwiRail\u2019s 3,700 kilometre rail network, creating jobs and improving safety. These investments will create hundreds of jobs, as well as supporting the 4,000 good jobs currently provided by KiwiRail.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279fafcd658ce4967ad9579dd9aee9059\u0022\u003EIngrid Leary\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary, faamolemole. What are the benefits of building rail workshops?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022980012e7aeaf4efc82e303d460228d15\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD\u003C/span\u003E: By investing in rail workshops in Dunedin and Christchurch, we\u2019re going to create around 445 good local jobs and boost jobs in the civil engineering and construction sector throughout the wider supply chain. This will create apprenticeships and help upskill KiwiRail\u2019s workforce. Instead of buying ready-made wagons from overseas, the new facility at Hillside will allow us to initially assemble around 1,500 wagons locally. This investment will mean local jobs, rebuilding expertise, youth training opportunities, and boosting Otago\u2019s economy and making our railways more self-sufficient and resilient.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275367ec8757143f3a2f2a02cd95b400e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! I\u2019m going to call a member in a second. I\u2019m going to remind people that if they really want to ask questions, they\u2019ve got stand up and take the call. They don\u2019t\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228fd19b7032cc40cf90e40de78ced1ff3\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: But we don\u2019t have any.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c01e4a441afe459ca6fb46dcfd7bd685\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, the party has four.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022327dcf48c66b400faba5171463e60ee8\u0022\u003EIngrid Leary\u003C/span\u003E: Fa\u2018afetai lava. How does the Budget\u2019s investment in rail build on the Government\u2019s previous investments?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8ff06ad54a84adeb84ea507ef356cad\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD\u003C/span\u003E: The $1.3 billion in Budget 2021 for rail builds on the Government\u2019s revitalisation of rail, which includes a range of important investments such as reopening the Wairoa to Napier line, futureproofing the Auckland City Rail Link, bringing the rail line north of Auckland up to scratch to help with freight, building a third main line for Auckland, extending electrification to Pukekohe, future rail stations at Drury, 15 new electric trains into Auckland\u2019s network, starting the Te Huia service between Hamilton and Auckland for commuters, and saving the Wairarapa line from deterioration with critical maintenance work. It\u2019s a busy programme, and there\u2019s more to come.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb524d660fc843e587755aeda6ae18c2\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary question, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225247239e7c9d44eeb6fa669c2c6b5035\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is it about the Hutt?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e1d98e5058c44b72a442be3d37f75a14\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: It can be if you want it to be, Mr Speaker. Has the Minister seen any reports as to why it is that the National Party hates people getting jobs and there being sustainable transport caused by\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a16f168ee34423ba5d71a4a5a90c808\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Look, it\u2019s not even Thursday, Mr Robertson. When the Minister\u2019s acting for the Prime Minister in the House, I\u2019m reluctant to\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9022fa01683410e8fdc4daea2fc453f\u0022\u003EHon Grant Robertson\u003C/span\u003E: Don\u2019t tell her. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ce0f690214914c67b7b725ded0ab8ebd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I\u2019ve just mentioned her and, therefore, it will come up on her feed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002294671e8f9d2b4996955273ccd4e88e88\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Extra question? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022910bdb01c55644c5a4e64760f2f7552a\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes\u2014extra question, Mr Woodhouse.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241b86f858dd44bc4b2dc95f6c07371d0\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Does he think an investment of $75 million for the privilege of assembling wagons at a cost of $23,000 per wagon more than the current procurement process represents good value for the taxpayer?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002282db6b5c736842eea1bd1aa9ccc341ac\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD\u003C/span\u003E: In the first instance, I\u2019d encourage the Opposition spokesperson on transport to check his figures. It\u2019s $85 million that the Government is proudly investing into Dunedin and the Hillside workshops, following through on our election commitment, investing in the people, the communities, and the economy of Dunedin and Otago to create skilled jobs and opportunities for young people and to ensure that we have a resilient and reliable transport network. Unlike the previous Government, this Government won\u2019t stand by and run the rail network into the ground. We\u2019ll build up the skills and the infrastructure and the people to have a resilient and reliable rail network in this country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002224a8e704ae0a4c23b58881fdfd1f6012\u0022\u003EHon David Parker\u003C/span\u003E: Would the re-establishment of carriage assembly at Hillside workshops have cost tens of millions of dollars less if the previous Government hadn\u2019t shut the previous facility down?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226d9b90255f744db9b2d75adcad3ad5ce\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD\u003C/span\u003E: I think that the member is right in making that assessment. Work that this Government has done in terms of building a plan for the future of rail reveals that the New Zealand rail network was in a period of managed decline under the previous Government, and we are very proud of the investments that we have made to ensure that rail, which delivers significant economic value\u2014valued at $2.1 billion every year by the recent value of rail report\u2014is fully realised to make sure that we have a resilient transport system and that we have good jobs for many New Zealanders in the rail system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022eb7eb2a502ad4f628cd14fb8f81c8f68\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Supplementary. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022692c12a8914d4adbae80870a7b7d46ec\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Well, I\u2019ll call a member in a minute, but I\u2019m going to ask people to settle down. I mean, it\u2019s sort of like members here are getting more excited than my grandkids do playing with trains.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d7081009809d487a97e716240ae1f49f\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 12\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u0022908c2864975d4efdb695bdde8ccbb5fb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022908c2864975d4efdb695bdde8ccbb5fb\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Education: Does he agree with the Prime Minister\u2019s comments in response to questions about white privilege in relation to education that \u201CIt\u2019s not part of our Government agenda\u201D and \u201CIt\u2019s not something that we\u2019re teaching\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u0022b51db4de4661475dbebd9a2a93c9b2ec\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b51db4de4661475dbebd9a2a93c9b2ec\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI (Associate Minister of Education)\u003C/span\u003E on behalf of the Minister of Education: Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef8a656cb626415093073ece0e160b0d\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: How does the Minister explain this Te Hurihanganui blueprint document guiding that programme in schools, which says, \u201CBuilding critical consciousness means reflecting critically on the imbalance of power and resources in society, and taking anti-oppressive action to do something about it for the better. It means recognising white privilege,\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002258a3ce4b9dd84fd0aed53faf584b3f1e\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: White privilege is not part of the New Zealand Curriculum. I would like to inform the member, though, that the education system in the past hasn\u2019t worked for everyone in this country. It is inequitable. One of the biggest reasons for this is systemic racism. Te Hurihanganui is one resource that works with communities to address this. Te Hurihanganui is a professional resource for teachers. Let me help the member understand the difference between teaching children curriculum and building and supporting teacher competence and capacity. Te Hurihanganui is about critical thinking, understanding who teachers are, the impact of their behaviour on students, and understanding others\u2019 world view\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f095a730c1a64dcfaa02d1e85e59d6cf\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! First of all, the response is getting too long. This an area of discussion which a couple of weeks ago led us to some problems, and one of the things that my team has agreed is to ask people just to contemplate, both in their answers and in their interjections, the effect that it will have on the House if this area gets wound up in the way that it\u2019s threatening to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243db764df45340bbbe2be0466b2cb6f4\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: If teaching white privilege isn\u2019t part of this Government\u2019s agenda, why are teachers going to Ministry of Education accord teacher-only days where they are invited to \u201Ctake a minute to list your own privileges. This might include things like white privilege, which we\u2019ve been talking about a lot recently.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271babf6525b64793a7321a2314e30af8\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: Teachers are required to teach the New Zealand\u2019s Curriculum to our children. White privilege is not part of that. However, injustice, inequality, and privilege are themes that are explored in some teaching resources to build cultural competency amongst our teaching workforce. Not talking about these concepts does P\u0101keh\u0101 a disservice, and M\u0101ori children will continue to grow up thinking their position at the bottom of the heap is their fault, rather than the systems that keep them there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220da11f458e7b48869e5b5e5cb07a5668\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Aren\u2019t we far more likely to successfully address inequities, privileged or otherwise, by dealing with the truancy crisis in our schools than by transposing American culture wars into our classrooms?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cda5cd7066094d86baad4007c3a87b49\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: On behalf of the Minister: that member needs to understand some of the underlying causes that are causing truancy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227c406ea0967f465faee7aae160de296c\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Minister please help the New Zealand public and parents understand how Te Hurihanganui is a resource for teachers about white privilege, it\u2019s a resource provided to teachers, and yet teachers are not teaching white privilege? How does the Minister reconcile those facts?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e874841551b846f5a7f3b8893b3d5ab1\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: Te Hurihanganui is a professional development programme for educators. It was co-designed to address bias, strengthen equity, and accelerate educational achievement and wellbeing of M\u0101ori. At a practical level, building the community\u2019s knowledge and experience might include things like New Zealand\u2019s history, colonisation, and its effects.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228bafcb36be05461dbed85676d414779f\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Has she corrected the Prime Minister so she knows that under Labour, it is part of the agenda and we are teaching it?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220a12df78ed0b48aeb2d35cb6ae058d73\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: In the context of the Prime Minister\u2019s sayings and not the shortened version that the member has taken, no.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00222d3aa8511de742fda124d992dce7f1e8\u0022\u003EBudget Debate\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=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228c18a984066342c59ae3802551fe86c6\u0022\u003EAppropriation (2021/22 Estimates) Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000201\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 1 June on the .\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u002210be414b39b84141b5492bfca8491dd2\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002210be414b39b84141b5492bfca8491dd2\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s a privilege to stand up and speak in the Budget debate today. What I am most relieved about is that a central part of the Budget 2021\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f0f52d462bd44d2a8cafe93ab6f94d4\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Far too much noise. It\u2019s very impolite.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c80804ac890431a908dbd32e907a438\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014was with respect to the welfare system and making some crucial adjustments and changes to ensure that those who are having to access support from the welfare system are able to do so with a level of dignity. And what was great to see is that, by and large, there was support from across the House, bar perhaps ACT but including National, and I think that is recognition of the fact that the changes, particularly the benefit increases, were long overdue, needed to be done, and actually, I think, reflects a public sentiment and empathy that has grown towards those in the welfare system, an understanding of the fact that, actually, yes, they deserve to get a little bit more.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EYesterday, I heard a speech from an Opposition member of Parliament\u2014I think it was Simeon Brown\u2014talking about the \u201Cmother of all Budgets\u201D. He made the point that in 1991 he was only just born. His point was that he felt it was of no relevance and he felt that it was important just to continue to look forward. But I would argue with him on that. We do need to look to our past to understand why we are in the situation that we are currently in, and we need to look to our past to see where mistakes were made and, in any way possible, look to rectify those.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EIn 1991, the \u201Cmother of all Budgets\u201D hit us. There were massive slashes to benefits at the time. Many of us can remember it for our personal reasons; mine was that I had parents who lost jobs at the time. They had always worked. They had always wanted to work. And then, all of a sudden, with not their own choice but because of the economic conditions of the time, they were no longer able to\u2014and then, on top of that, hit with cuts to benefits, which saw them further impoverished, not just because of the economic conditions but because of the political decisions that were made during that period of time. And they were unwise political decisions. They had impacts on generations after as well, and we should not forget that. To finally be able to increase benefits to a reasonable level, a level that was in line with what the Welfare Expert Advisory Group have recommended\u2014in fact, a level that went beyond what the Welfare Expert Advisory Group have recommended for those with children\u2014is actually a relief for me as the Minister for Social Development and Employment and, I know, is a relief for many people in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EBut it wasn\u2019t just about the increase to income support, although that is incredibly important; it was also, in the Budget, about ensuring that we continue to put investment towards supporting those in the welfare system to be able to work. We are very much focused on that. Last Budget, we put $200 million towards front-line work-focused services through the Ministry of Social Development. The year before, we had put money into work-focused case management. We recognised, when we came into Government in 2017, there had been a decline in the work-focused case management because of the fact that there was more of a focus on hardship, which is important, but the levels of staffing had not been lifted to be able to ensure that anyone who walked into those Work and Income offices could also get the support that they wanted for employment and upskilling. And they do want it. This came out when the Welfare Expert Advisory Group were going around the country and consulting. The vast majority of people who are on benefit want to work, and they want support to get into work. So that investment is as important as the income support or benefit increases that we\u2019ve put in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EBut it wasn\u2019t just about the front-line work focus. We\u2019ve mentioned a number of times in the House, and I will continue to shout this one from the rooftops, how proud we are that we have finally reinstated the training incentive allowance. It was one of the meanest moves, actually, by the previous Government, in 2009, as one of their first actions, to cut the training incentive allowance and cut off that additional support for sole parents, for disabled people, and for carers of disabled people to be able to get that additional money that would support them to get level 4 to level 7 qualifications. Now, why we wouldn\u2019t want sole parents and disabled people and carers of disabled people to be able to access higher-level degree study is beyond me. Of course we want that to happen. So, when that cut was made, it seemed like one of the most mean-spirited cuts and, I will say this, particularly given those cuts were made by a woman who said she got the training incentive allowance herself. So I am proud that we get to reinstate this opportunity. There will be many women out there, disabled people, carers of disabled people\u2014in fact, there will be about 16,000 over the next four years\u2014who will take up this opportunity to enrol at levels of study from level 4 to level 7. And not only will they be better off but their families will be better off.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EOne of the points I want to make\u2014or the last point I want to make\u2014on the training incentive allowance and the reinstatement of it is that we should not forget that all of the research shows that a child\u2019s level of academic achievement will be determined by, or one of the main determinants will be, the mother\u2019s level of academic achievement. So, when we\u2019re looking for generational change and ensuring a whole-of-wh\u0101nau wellbeing, it is this type of investment that actually makes a very meaningful difference. So I am very proud of the fact that we\u2019ve been able to reinstate that, and I look forward to hearing the stories of the sole mothers and the disabled people and the carers who actually take up that opportunity to upskill and train.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EAnother area that we haven\u2019t had a chance to traverse to the extent that I would like, with regards to the changes to the welfare system, is with respect to process. So we\u2019ve talked about the increases in income support, we\u2019ve talked about the increased investment with regards to work and supporting people to work, but also there are process changes that have needed to take place in our welfare system. Of many recommendations that have come through the Welfare Expert Advisory Group on this, one of the key ones that we managed to get across the line at Budget 2021 was with respect to the expectations and the processes around medical certificates. This is raised all the time by beneficiary advocates, by people with health conditions and disabilities themselves, and even by health practitioners\u2014the fact that, through the welfare system, we\u2019ve had an expectation that if you have a health condition or a disability you are, for the first two months, every four weeks, to go and get a medical certificate and present it to prove that you still have that health condition or disability, and thereafter every 13 weeks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EThis doesn\u2019t work for people who have conditions that are clearly not going to change in a four-week period, and I think this was recognised back in 2017 when the process was changed for people who have cancer. The process was changed for them because there was so much media around the fact that people were undergoing radiation and chemotherapy and still expected to go and get this medical certificate on a four-weekly basis, and it was deemed to be unfair. But it wasn\u2019t changed for other people with health conditions and disabilities in the welfare system, when they may have been in similar circumstances. So we have changed that. We will take the advice of the health professionals with regards to how often they need to produce a medical certificate to prove that that a health condition or disability still exists, and the flow-on effect means that those people are not going to be having to pay for GP visits, to get that medical certificate unnecessarily, because of this unreasonable bureaucratic process. But it also means that we will save ourselves about 20,000 visits to GPs a month, clearing up that space for people who are actually sick to be able to go to the doctor. And how many of us here have wanted to make an appointment with the doctor the next day only to ring in and find, no, you can\u2019t get in to see your GP for three or four days? So this will assist with that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EI\u2019m very proud of the changes that we have made to date with regards to the welfare overhaul. This was not a beginning; it comes off the back of many changes stretching back to the Families Package that we introduced early in 2018. We have made some significant moves, and I don\u2019t have time to rattle them all off, but Budget 2021 provides some key milestones, and I look forward to continuing this work, continuing the overhaul and the transformation of our welfare system for the better outcomes for New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022080b13153c9440e898c655fb6c6dea2f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022080b13153c9440e898c655fb6c6dea2f\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (Deputy Leader\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E The clear signal in Vote Health 2021 is that Labour no longer cares about older people. They have turned their eyes away from older people and towards the mirrors on their wall. Labour doesn\u2019t care about older people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIt is the Budget where older people pay for the ideology of this Labour Government to centralise everything, in Wellington. It is the Budget where older people are fobbed off so that the Minister and his increasing band of expensive consultants can decide from Wellington what is good for older people and good for New Zealanders. It is the Budget that hides more than it helps; it hinders more than it hastens. It is the Budget that takes from older people. Labour doesn\u2019t care about older people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s be clear on exactly what is taken from older people in Budget 2021: $200 million of healthcare, the annual free GP check, has been taken, dissolved, and removed\u2014a broken promise with older people simply dismissed by this Government. They have every right to be angry.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWhat is even worse is that the draft document papers show cynical discussions, how this Labour Government can pull $200 million out of health but pay off a paltry $8 million towards an aged-care commissioner to keep older people happy. They will see through the smoke and mirrors.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThe business case to David Clark for the free annual health check is fascinating as the Labour Government makes the case for why it is so important. The benefits of the annual over-65 health check are: reduced mortality, Labour doesn\u2019t care about older people; reduced health costs for out-patient and in-patient care, Labour doesn\u2019t care about older people; reduced emergency department\u2014ED\u2014visits, Labour doesn\u2019t care about older people. And while we are talking about emergency visits, please explain to me why, in the month of January, from the hours of 1 a.m. to 7 a.m., 156 people over the age of 80 were discharged from DHBs\u2014that is not just in an emergency department; they were in in-patient status in a bed, and 156 sent home at 1 a.m. in the morning. Oh, and what is even worse: three of them were over the age of 100. Explain that to me; that surely is unexplainable. The final benefit: improved mental and social wellbeing. That is another benefit that is being cut. Labour doesn\u2019t care about older people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESo $200 million is what older people have given up in this Budget. What have they got in return? More hip replacements? Nope. More knee replacements? Nope. Half of the cost of this Government\u2019s restructuring has been borne by older people in the experiment for three new statutory entities, three new health systems, and layers and layers of bureaucracy. That is what older people are paying for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EAndrew Little knew that when he was taking money away from older people, it was a bad decision\u2014a very bad decision\u2014because he was even afraid to take it to Cabinet. Written parliamentary question (WPQ) No. 202\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002286e2f899bf344439b7e721f4aaac1d11\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The member\u2019s not allowed to say that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002295e3d7ca51544f2aba199224f6c51a8f\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, OK. Then, if I can just talk to WPQ No. 20233: \u201CWhat communications has\u201D\u2014this is to Andrew Little\u2014\u201Che taken to Cabinet, if any, around cancelling the free over 65s seniors annual health check and eye screening \u2026 ?\u201D \u201CI have not taken any papers to Cabinet around cancelling the free over 65s seniors annual health check.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIs the $486 million a good business decision? Well, let\u2019s check the business case. Oh, wait! There isn\u2019t a business case\u2014$486 million on health restructuring, and no business case. Andrew Little wrote back to me, saying that no, he had not been provided with a business case for the restructuring. So I thought maybe Grant Robertson might throw further light on this. \u201CA formal business case is not part of the review case\u201D is what Grant Robertson writes to me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESo if older people are giving up $200 million for half of the health restructuring\u2014that $486 million\u2014where else is the rest of the money coming from? Well, some of the Associate Ministers were clearly told, \u201CWe\u2019re already taking money away from older people and out of core health to pay for this, so don\u2019t even make a Budget bid. Don\u2019t even ask.\u201D WPQ No. 20585, from an Associate Minister of Health\u2014I got this last week\u2014\u201CWhat communications with the Ministry of Health or Minister, if any, describes Budget 2021 bids that the Minister made \u2026 ?\u201D \u201CI did not submit any separate bids\u201D, from an Associate Minister of Health. Wow. No health bids into Budget 2021 from an Associate Minister of Health. What does that say?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI can tell you where the rest of the money to pay for this experiment is coming from: it will come from cutting costs, delaying programmes, and repurposing existing programmes. I know that because that is exactly what the Minister told me. WPQ No. 20827: \u201CDid he send or sign a letter to the Minister of Finance, between Dec 3 and Dec\u00A011 2020 inclusive indicating \u2018To live within a smaller funding envelope will require choices to be made about whether to progress these initiatives, how they might be phased, and whether they can be scaled, or I look at what existing programmes may be able to be repurposed\u2019?\u201D The answer to that was \u201CYes, or reprioritised\u201D\u2014as we heard today; another word for cutting costs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESo what programmes in Budget 2021 were phased, scaled, and repurposed to pay for this experiment? The Pharmac budget is $200 million. In campaign 2020, we had three revenue streams for Pharmac: the first was $200 million for cancer, the second was $20 million for rare disorders, and the third was to index Pharmac funding to the increase in Vote Health that goes up every year. What we know is that it has gone up about 10 percent this year on a $1 billion Pharmac fund\u2014that\u2019s $100 million. We would have been looking at around about $320 million in our hands this year; understandably, still not the $700 million that is required for unfunded medicines, but at least 50 percent more than what this Government was putting in Budget 2021.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWhat else was scaled? Who else is paying for this experiment? Well, DHB funding has been scaled back by $305 million from last Budget\u2014$980 million is what the operational expenditure for cost pressures for DHB was last Budget; $675 million this year. How will the lights stay on, when operational funding has been cut to DHBs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EDental care was cancelled. An absolutely clear broken promise, when the Prime Minister stood on the campaign trail nine months or so ago and said, \u201CWe promise 20 mobile dental clinics in 2021 and to increase the emergency dental benefit\u201D\u2014nothing in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWe already have a health Minister who is struggling to stand up to Grant Robertson with his health bids. And we know that because we asked the health Minister whether he made a bid or had he had any correspondence suggesting that Budget 2021 might have 20 free mobile dental clinics. The answer to that was: \u201CI indicated which of the manifesto commitments I believe should be progressed, alongside the work on the health and disability system reforms, which included an initiative around additional mobile dental clinics.\u201D Andrew Little seemed to have understood the importance of the mobile dental clinics, but couldn\u2019t get it over the line with Grant Robertson. Dental care was cancelled. As I say, there are no teeth in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI think what we are also concerned about is what else has been removed from the 2021 Budget. I think that a real concern is where we are seeing cost cuttings around rationalising specialist services at provincial hospitals. Now, I actually asked Andrew Little this question on 8 April. It was my second question in this House, supplementary No. 4. I asked him: \u201CHas he read any briefings around rationalising specialist services at provincial hospitals \u2026 ?\u201D He said: \u201CNo.\u201D Then, imagine my surprise this week, when in reply to my WPQ No. 20767, he replies\u2014my question was: \u201CHas he read any briefings around rationalising specialist services at provincial hospitals to manage funding down pressures, and if so, what?\u201D And he replied: \u201CI received a briefing on 3 December 2020.\u201D Quite different to what he indicated to me on 8 April in the House. He knew specialist services would be cut to fund this experiment\u2014this experiment in centralising health from Wellington\u2014but told me \u201CNo.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIf I can just conclude, how else could we spend that $486 million that is to go to restructuring? Well, a few weeks ago, there was an anomaly in cancer drugs for children who currently receive Pharmac-subsidised drugs in hospitals. The Ministry of Health has realised there is a policy anomaly and are considering whether newly diagnosed children with cancer should still be able to receive those medicines in public hospitals. I would strongly suggest that they could. A tiny, tiny part of this $486 million would cover that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EWe could completely eliminate the waiting list for cochlear implants\u2014not just double what we\u2019re currently doing; completely eliminate it. We could fund more than half of the total cost of unfunded Pharmac medicines. It turns out that we could do nearly 30,000 hip replacements with $486 million that is being put aside. That would likely clear the waiting list so well that we would be doing normal hips\u201430,000 hips could be done instead of the $486 million.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EIn conclusion, there will be no more Pharmac funding, there is no closing or clearing of the cochlear waiting list, and there are no more hips to be done, because, in this Budget, the Government takes from older people, they take from DHBs, they take from Pharmac, they take from dental health, and, finally, New Zealanders are also taken to the cleaners in this Budget. This is a poor Budget. I cannot commend it. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022 data-id=\u002241bb964742c94fca8f6f894f18cdb3e5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002241bb964742c94fca8f6f894f18cdb3e5\u0022\u003EHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing):\u003C/span\u003E This year\u2019s Budget does what Labour Governments do well\u2014driving economic growth while looking after our people\u2014and I\u2019m proud to be part of the Government that has delivered Budget 2021. I do want to take a moment to acknowledge some of my colleagues that made this happen: our Prime Minister for her leadership around the areas to focus on but also our Minister of Finance. Putting together Budgets can be a lonely time for Ministers of Finance. They do need to phase, they do need to scale, they do need to insist on reprioritisation. Every Government comes in with a manifesto full of three years of activity that it will deliver, and in every term of Government, the first Budget that a Government delivers does a third of what that Government promised to do in its manifesto to the people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003ESo I want to acknowledge the work of Grant Robertson for crafting what I think was an incredibly clever Budget that allowed us to focus. It allowed us to address the long-term structural issues that New Zealanders need to address, but it also allowed us to deliver on critical manifesto commitments with clear pathways over the next two Budgets. I think it\u2019s not a three-part harmony, as he called it, but a trilogy that we will over this term of Government need to deliver on our manifesto promises. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EOf course, Budget 2021 was set against the backdrop of 2020. It took the next steps in our economic recovery from COVID-19, and we cannot divorce this Budget from that. The collective effort and strong health response from New Zealanders to keep COVID from spreading in our community is paying off, and this is backed up by a number of commentators. We see the OECD economic forecast this week that expects New Zealand to be one of the strongest performers due to our swift and decisive response to eliminate the virus and support households and businesses. In line with the Budget update, the OECD forecasts growth of 3.5 percent in 2021 to 3.8 percent in 2022. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWe are investing in our people. We are investing in infrastructure, and we are tackling those long-term issues like inequality, housing, and climate change. These are all issues that need to be addressed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re investing $57.3 billion in infrastructure over the next five years to drive our economy. This is a massive investment for New Zealand and it goes some way to addressing the infrastructure deficit that we face as a country, and that, we know, is critical for us to be able to deliver on our desires and aspirations for New Zealanders around housing unaffordability. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EIn this Budget, of course, is included the appropriation for the $3.8 billion housing acceleration fund that we announced back in March, and this will enable us to maximise the potential of the land that we own to get more pace and more scale into those large-scale projects. It will also allow us to work with councils, it will allow us to work with iwi, and it will allow us to work with M\u0101ori to ensure that we are setting up more land for development and that we are finally doing something to address affordability in our housing market. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EAs we came out of COVID, as the Minister of Housing, when everyone was prophesising that, actually, what we were going to see was a collapse of our housing market, one of the things that we looked very carefully at was what happened post the global financial crisis. What we saw was a development community that, not unexpectedly, went to the safest part of the market for them, and that wasn\u2019t high-density, affordable housing. It was large houses on single sections, and what that did was it reduced the number of first-home buyers that we had able to access housing in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EAs a Government, as we came out of COVID, we were determined that that was not going to be our fate. We had a chance to build this back better. As it was, as we all know, we far from saw a collapse of the housing market. We far from saw that slump that so many people thought was going to happen. Instead, we saw a period of hyperinflation, and we have to recognise that, actually, if we just leave the market unfettered, we are not going to get those affordable housing outcomes that we know that we need to deliver economic growth while looking after our people. That\u2019s why that was such an important investment in this year\u2019s Budget. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EAnother important investment that was appropriated in this Budget is the ability for K\u0101inga Ora to borrow an additional $2 billion to make strategic land purchases. We don\u2019t want the Government to be a passive bystander that looks on and says, \u201CTut, tut! Isn\u2019t it sad? Housing\u2019s really unaffordable.\u201D We are a Government that is making the commitment. We are showing that in our Budget decisions\u2014that we want to be an active player\u2014and it is our responsibility as a Government to ensure that housing affordability is one of the issues that we put at the core of things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWhat we want to do is to stimulate more development that builds upon the critical work that we have done already and the further work that we are going to do, and, as we look to increase intensification, we can look to increase scale and we can look to increase pace, and I hope that we can work across the House. I hope that we can have a shared commitment to New Zealanders that we, as a Parliament, do put things in place that address this most fundamental of issues for New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EWe also saw in this Budget, in the area of housing, some packages to address the longstanding deprivation that we have in M\u0101ori housing. What we know, if we look at all the indicators across M\u0101ori, is there are greater rates of homelessness and lower rates of homeownership. Across the housing continuum, we want to address this. Ultimately, opening up homeownership for more M\u0101ori is an aim of this Government. If we are to address fundamental wellbeing around health and if we are to address fundamental wellbeing around education, the stability of long-term, secure, dry housing is absolutely critical to that, and homeownership is important as well. That is why we have carved out $350 million from the housing acceleration fund to open up more land, whether that be papa k\u0101inga or whenua M\u0101ori, or it be land held in other forms by M\u0101ori. That is for the infrastructure under the ground to allow the houses to be built, but it\u2019s also matched by another $380 million fund for M\u0101ori housing\u2014housing for M\u0101ori\u2014and this is really important. We\u2019re looking to those funds to deliver over 3,700 warm, dry homes, as well as repairs to existing homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EOne of the issues we have with our insulation schemes in some parts of New Zealand is we simply can\u2019t insulate the houses because they\u2019re not in such a state of repair that you can put the insulation in and it will make a material difference. So I\u2019m looking forward to us being able to deliver on that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EDespite the rhetoric that we just heard from the deputy leader of the National Party, Budget 2021 was also a Budget that delivered on health. We saw $4.6 billion in new day-to-day spending over the next four years. We saw $704 million for one-off expenses like building coming through this. We, as a Government now into our fourth Budget, have shown that we are going to address the infrastructural deficits that we have in our health system. We\u2019re not content to have hospitals in the states of disrepair that we found when we came into Government. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EDHBs receive another $2.7 billion to keep up with cost pressures, and this represents a 45 percent increase in DHB funding since we came into Government in 2017. It also includes in Budget 2021 an increase of $200 million for Pharmac. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EIn the last minute that I have available to me, there\u2019s one other colleague that I want to acknowledge for her work in putting together Budget 2021, and that\u2019s the Hon Carmel Sepuloni for the work that she\u2019s been doing through the Welfare Expert Advisory Group to turn around what has been an injustice in this country for 30 years now: to increase benefits to make them at a level where people can live with some dignity. That is something that has been a key priority for our Government. No one has had more tenacity in their advocacy for us to undertake this work and deliver for those New Zealanders than Carmel, and I want to acknowledge her for that work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003EBudget 2021 is a Budget that I am immensely proud of. It is a Budget that allows us to address our long-term issues and it puts us on a path going into the future with some optimism. Thank you, Mr Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022 data-id=\u0022b9119d9d508c4842a5ca93188ce6365b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b9119d9d508c4842a5ca93188ce6365b\u0022\u003EBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. This was a Budget that could have been so much more than what it is. A Budget is a way for the Government to show the country the direction that the Government wants to lead us. It\u2019s an opportunity to address the key issues that face New Zealanders and provide a road map to improve the lot of all of us. It needed to do three things. Number one, it needed to provide a credible plan for how we maximise the opportunity of our COVID-free status to allow Kiwi firms to grow and to create a more prosperous society. It didn\u2019t do that. Number two, it needed to take the issue of an out-of-control housing market seriously. It didn\u2019t do that. And, number three, it needed to show us a strategy to keep New Zealanders safe from a rapidly growing gang problem in New Zealand\u2014and it didn\u2019t do that. It did none of these things. Instead, what New Zealanders were shown was a Budget that mapped out a course for increasing debt, putting more burdens on businesses and workers, and increasing wasteful spending. So let\u2019s focus on what it should have addressed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWe needed a credible plan for maximising prosperity. Jacinda Ardern told us on election night that she would govern for all New Zealanders. Well, where was anything in this Budget for middle New Zealanders\u2014the battlers of this country who work hard to look after their family, people who are trying to save for a first home? These are people that are being squeezed from every direction right now and the Budget does not provide a single dollar for middle New Zealand. At a time when we have near record terms of trade, we have milk prices sky high, and interest rates at record low, New Zealanders could be forgiven for thinking that the Budget would actually look to lift some of the burdens that the Government has placed on them. Instead, we see a Government focused on increasing the rate at which they spend our taxpayers\u2019 hard-earned money. By 2024, Government debt is set to exceed $94,000 for every New Zealand household. This is borrowed money, borrowed from New Zealand workers, and it will need to be paid back. It will be our children and our grandchildren having to pay back for this Government\u2019s reckless spending. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003ENow, we\u2019re very grateful to have had the ACT Party in Parliament because we had an alternative budget to show us a different way, a different road map. It\u2019s our battler\u2019s budget. ACT\u2019s plan would pay down that debt faster. It would give New Zealanders some much needed tax relief. ACT\u2019s budget was made for the battlers, those hard-working Kiwis who are striving to succeed, but are increasingly being punished for their efforts, for trying to get ahead and do well for their families. Instead of facing higher taxes and regulations, ACT would have delivered them a $3.8 billion tax relief package aimed at middle-income workers. Instead of increasing debt by billions of dollars, ACT would have mapped out a path to surplus. We can provide tax relief and reduce debt faster than Labour without any cuts to public services. All we need to do is to ensure that we\u2019re spending our taxpayer money wisely and putting it in place where the policies will actually encourage growth. So, we would stop paying hundreds of millions of dollars to foreign wealthy countries in subsidies and we would end ineffective policies like fees-free\u2014and the Government even acknowledges that it\u2019s an ineffective policy, so why are they putting money into it? But we would also lower barriers to investment and cut back the costs and red tape the Government has piled on small businesses. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWe needed a realistic plan to build more homes. Beyond support for middle New Zealand, the Government has been unable to rein in an out-of-control housing market. Just this week, another of the seemingly endless reports of further increases to house prices was released. Wellington\u2019s average house price is now over $1 million, Auckland\u2019s average house price is over $1.25 million, and the prices continue to rise. They\u2019re rising across the whole country and it\u2019s increasing the costs of rents, mortgages, and all living costs for all New Zealanders. The problem is actually quite simple, though. We\u2019re just not building enough homes. But the Government\u2019s response in this Budget has been to dither and divide. They\u2019ve announced billions for housing infrastructure, but they don\u2019t have a single detail to support it. They\u2019ve announced major tax changes, risking higher rents and penalising people who are simply just trying to give their families a better future. And what does the Government say to people who have told their stories to me who will suffer real consequences because of these tax changes and because of their divisive policies? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EYou know, I had a woman write an email to me just the other week. She\u2019s got two disabled sons, both in their 20s, and she has bought two units for them so that they have the ability to live an independent life. The problem is, of course, that she pays or she charges them lower than market rent. With these housing tax changes, she is forced to now sell those homes and give up her children\u2019s independence. She\u2019s doing this out of love for her family. She is not a speculator that this Government is trying to divide and pit us against. Why are we pursuing ineffective and divisive tax policies when the problems should just be solved by building more homes? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EI\u2019ve had other stories received from tenants who are worried that these policies will see their rents increase. The Government\u2019s own officials agree that rents will increase. It\u2019s heartbreaking. There was one story from a person with a criminal conviction who had asked their landlord to increase their rent because they say, \u201CI don\u2019t know who else will take me in.\u201D What sort of \u201Ckind\u201D Government is this where somebody who is actually trying to make their life better could be made worse off or end up in emergency housing because they don\u2019t have another option because of this Government\u2019s divisive tax changes? We need to be focused on uniting people behind good ideas and not dividing them with bad ones. We need to stop looking at blaming people and focus on solving the problem: build more homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWe needed a strategy to suppress gangs and keep more New Zealanders safe. This was one of the more telling issues of the Budget: a lack of commitment to initiatives to keep New Zealanders safe. We have seen gang numbers increase to close to 50 percent under this Government. That\u2019s staggering. The result, though, isn\u2019t always just what you see on the Budget sheet. It\u2019s the cost to people\u2019s lives. It looks like gang members taking over State Highway 2 in the Hawke\u2019s Bay. It\u2019s regular reports of shootings and violence in our community. And it\u2019s a woman telling me last week, who lives in Auckland Central, that she does not leave her home after 8 o\u2019clock at night because she does not feel safe. That\u2019s not a country I want to live in. I want one where we are helping New Zealanders be safe, creating an environment where children are not being kept at home because parents are afraid that they might get caught in crossfire. That\u2019s not to mention the meth in our community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EA Budget cut for police at this time is remarkable. It\u2019s difficult to see how the Government does not see the growing problems of gangs as a priority; in fact, there\u2019s even evidence that they\u2019re going softer on it. You know, they\u2019ve spent $70 million to expand community panels to allow offenders of serious crimes to face less severe sanctions than they would in the court system. The Government keeps boasting that its prison population is decreasing. Well, that\u2019s because there are more gangs and criminals on the street, not in prison. They should not be having cups of tea; they should be serving time. For every offence there is a victim and we need to be thinking of those people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EACT has always been the true party of law and order. We introduced the three-strikes legislation. We have a member\u2019s bill that would require prisoners to do rehabilitation before being released. And we have a member\u2019s bill that would increase the power of police to seize assets connected to gang members. ACT has the real solutions to crime and offending, and we have the plan to build more houses and grow the economy. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022fa75e295d88c4946881cea8f96fc9bb3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fa75e295d88c4946881cea8f96fc9bb3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Before I call the Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan\u2014I didn\u2019t interrupt the member because the member is still a relatively new member. But I did indicate at the beginning of the year that we are going to be a lot tighter on members reading their speeches. The Budget is a debate where members should be able to speak from notes. And I will be interrupting members from now on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022 data-id=\u0022437f29b0335a45abbac538b0b57b31fd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022437f29b0335a45abbac538b0b57b31fd\u0022\u003EHon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker, in recognition of Samoan Language Week. It is an absolute delight to stand and take a call and be part of this Budget 2021 debate today, and it is a delight because there\u2019s so much in this Budget to speak of, to talk about, to highlight, and that I\u2019m proud of. It builds on the Budget of 2020, which was very much a Budget that laid the foundations and took us through an incredibly difficult period, that we are basically still going through. However, it was a Budget that invested in saving lives and livelihoods. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EIt is quite unfortunate that the member who just resumed her seat chose to term that \u201Creckless spending\u201D. It was spending that, as I mentioned, saved lives and livelihoods and basically was an economic plan that we see is working. It is what has gotten us to the point that we\u2019re at today, where we can actually look at investing further to address the infrastructure deficit that we\u2019ve inherited, to invest in ensuring that we take all New Zealanders with us when we improve the economy or mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EWe are in a pretty good position. We are seeing, for example, one of the lowest unemployment rates in the OECD. Growth has increased compared to what was forecast. Our debt as a nation is lower. But I do want to just point to something that the Prime Minister has said before: that there was no costless recovery when it comes to COVID-19. We basically had two paths that we could go down as a Government. There was the pathway of austerity and cuts, which would have seen jobs disappear, which would have seen a reduction in welfare spending. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EI just want to point to something that my colleague the Hon Carmel Sepuloni\u2014a point that she made when she spoke earlier today. She really highlighted what that austerity spending\u2014what we\u2019ve seen as a result of that. What we\u2019ve seen in terms of hardship that families have gone through when they\u2019ve lost their jobs, and cuts in benefits as well, is the entrenched intergenerational poverty that we are trying to reverse through successive Budgets. That\u2019s partly the trajectory of that that we\u2019re seeing through Budget 2021 as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EIt is a careful, cautious Budget. It takes into account the fact that we\u2019re in a much better position than was forecast at the start of COVID, but it also recognises that we\u2019re not out of the woods yet. So it balances spending in some of those areas that I touched upon earlier and will go into a little bit more detail on, but it also balances that with keeping a lid on the debt that we had to incur to invest in saving lives and livelihoods, as I mentioned previously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EWhen our Government took office this term, we were very clear on the three focus areas for this term for us. The first, of course, was to continue to keep New Zealanders safe from COVID-19. The second was to focus on securing our recovery in the face of the economic impacts of COVID-19, and doing so in a way that was sustainable. The third was to continue to focus on addressing some of those long-term challenges that we face as a nation, challenges like the housing crisis, climate change, and child poverty. That is exactly what you will see, what members will see, through Budget 2021 as well, and I\u2019m, as I said at the start, incredibly proud of it. It is a Budget that focuses on creating jobs, and we know that about 221,000 New Zealanders will be supported into employment as a result of Budget 2021. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EJust going back to that point about keeping New Zealanders safe from COVID, though, we see $1.5 billion that is still kept aside through Budget 2021 and is allocated to support the COVID-19 vaccine programme. We know that there will be enough of the Pfizer vaccine for everyone, and I want to underscore this point: everyone, regardless of immigration status, across Aotearoa New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EGoing back to the economic impact of COVID and the steps that Budget 2021 takes to mitigate that impact, we see that there is budget to support the infrastructure spend and address the infrastructure deficit that I alluded to before. The infrastructure investment now totals $57.3 billion over the next five years to increase, for example, housing supply, and Minister Woods outlined in her contribution earlier today the $3.8 billion that goes towards the Housing Acceleration Fund. That will make land build-ready and speed up the building of new homes as one of the steps to address the housing crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003ESo as I mentioned, it takes our spending in infrastructure up to $57.3 billion, and that is money that will be invested into our rail network, roads, schools, hospitals, housing\u2014as I mentioned previously\u2014and energy generation. It is what others\u2014the economist Joseph Stiglitz, for example\u2014have mentioned is doing double duty. It\u2019s about doing what\u2019s right for us as a nation, and also creating jobs at the same time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003ESpeaking of jobs, though, I just want to also highlight the Training Incentive Allowance, which we have reinstated, expanded. As Minister Sepuloni mentioned in her contribution, it was one of the first cuts, sadly, that the National Government made back in 2009, that locked out a whole generation of people who wanted to retrain, upskill, and transition into careers, particularly to be able to take up educational opportunities at those higher levels. We are reinstating that, and that will support 16,000 New Zealanders into jobs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003ESpeaking of the support that we\u2019re providing, I\u2019ll just touch on support for small business, because I know that as the Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, that is often an area that is raised with me. We know, through the support that we\u2019ve provided to small businesses in the previous Budget, that one of the areas that came up as an area for further investment was to support our small businesses to be part of the digital economy and to take up opportunities in that space. Small businesses, we know, are crucial to our economy, and so I\u2019m delighted to see $44 million invested to support digital business skills training and the package that includes advisory services to small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as well. That, of course, is in addition to the wage subsidy scheme, the Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme, the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme, and the COVID-19 Resurgence Support Payment that we\u2019ve seen previously. We know that about 30,000 SMEs will benefit just from the Digital Boost training scheme, and 15,000 small businesses through the advisory services specifically, as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EI also quickly want to touch on the boost to weekly benefits as well, because it is a huge part of the philosophy of this Government, where when we talk about the economic impact of COVID and mitigating that impact, we know that economic shocks like COVID-19 don\u2019t affect us all in the same way. They disproportionately affect those who are particularly vulnerable or marginalised, and so I\u2019m incredibly pleased that we will see a lift in weekly benefits, from between $32 and $55 per adult. That will roll out completely by April next year, and will lift up to 33,000 children out of poverty on the after-housing cost measure in 2022-23. So that, coupled with reinstatement of the Training Incentive Allowance, gives me great cause for pride, really.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003EI just want to use my time remaining to touch on the additional $5.3 million over the next four years, to establish the new ministry for ethnic communities, which I\u2019m incredibly proud of, and I want to take this opportunity to put on the record that many from across ethnic communities have been advocating for this, and I\u2019m proud that our Government is delivering that. As of 1 July, we will have a new ministry that will take the place of the Office of Ethnic Communities, keeping, of course, the expanded community engagement function. We almost doubled the resourcing to the office in the last term, and increased the Ethnic Communities Development Fund eightfold. Now, for the first time, this entity will have a chief executive solely focused on lifting the wellbeing of our ethnic communities, and driving the Government\u2019s policy programme in a way that also benefits our ethnic communities to take up the opportunities that they have often felt left out of.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022872744a3-2256-4cdd-a4cc-939836dc2b11\u0022\u003ECan I just take the last few seconds of my contribution to pay tribute to the Prime Minister, to the Minister of Finance, and our Government for putting this Budget together\u2014a Budget that will continue to lift the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. It\u2019s an inclusive Budget, and it\u2019s one that I\u2019m incredibly proud of. Fa\u2018afetai lava.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022 data-id=\u002215838d56e26b432787accfbc320bf3a0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002215838d56e26b432787accfbc320bf3a0\u0022\u003EHon TODD McCLAY (National\u2014Rotorua):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Speaker, thank you very much, and can I congratulate you for taking the chair, firstly. Secondly, can I tell you that in the good old fashion of some countries around the world, don\u2019t give it back to the man that just left. Stay there. We probably like you much more because of your smile\u2014and some other reasons.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThe last speaker in this debate, Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, finished by saying that this is a Budget that will lift all New Zealanders up. If that was the case then this could be a very short speech, because, as the Opposition, if it was doing that, it wouldn\u2019t be politically great for us, but we could just agree, but sadly it doesn\u2019t do that. Most New Zealanders actually are not better off. And where this Budget has missed a real opportunity is there is virtually nothing in it to help New Zealanders to help themselves.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ENow, the National Party is often\u2014it is said we talk a lot about the economy and a lot about business, and that\u2019s correct because the economy is people, and in New Zealand Kiwis own businesses. It was the case not so long ago, and I\u2019m sure it still is, that New Zealand had more small businesses per capita than any other country in the world. These are hard-working mums and dads that get out of bed every day and go to work, they take risks, they borrow, they put their houses up as equity, and they look to employ others so they can provide for themselves and their family\u2014they are the economy. They\u2019re not the large companies that often do well one way or another, it\u2019s actually in every single suburb in every single part of New Zealand, these hard-working Kiwis that were looking towards the Budget and this Government for some help as a result of everything that\u2019s happened over the last four years, and particularly the significant impact that last year had upon them as a result of the restrictions and lockdown and the debt that they took on. It does not do that, and therein lies the problem that it is a missed opportunity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EBusiness New Zealand came out very quickly on the day and, actually, to their credit, they do talk about things the Government does in a light that I may not always be politically comfortable with. They offer praise to the Government when they get it right\u2014this Labour Government. But in this case, Business New Zealand said they\u2019re disappointed at the lack of focus on growing the economy in Budget 2021, and I quote, \u201CBusiness was keen to see less burdensome regulation, policies to stimulate growth and development, and more certainty around business policies into the future.\u201D Kirk Hope said, \u201CThere\u2019s not enough really in there to boost economic growth.\u201D Well, if the economy is individuals, it\u2019s people, it\u2019s hard-working Kiwis that run businesses, who take risks, and there isn\u2019t enough in this Budget for the economy\u2014there is not enough in there for these hard-working mums and dads.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EBut what we have seen over the last four years, and certainly since the election is changes that come very quickly through this House, often through urgency, without appropriate time in committee that add cost to businesses. So on the one hand, we\u2019ve got significant costs coming down when businesses are doing it hard: a doubling of the sick leave. Nobody in this House would argue that if somebody\u2019s not well they shouldn\u2019t be looked after, but when you double sick leave you\u2019re imposing costs directly upon small businesses that are already finding it hard to pay the bills. An extra holiday that they must meet the cost of and the fair pay agreements that are going to be anything but fair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EDo you know the most interesting thing, if you go back in history and you have a look at countries around the world, when the leader of a country puts the word \u201Cdemocratic\u201D in the name of the country, it often isn\u2019t democratic, and that\u2019s been the case in many places around the world. To call this a fair pay agreement means it\u2019s not actually going to be fair; it\u2019s actually going to revert to an area where the Government, with unions, will get to tell hard-working Kiwis and small businesses what to do. And yes, the Government says, \u201CWell, we\u2019ll pay attention and we\u2019ll make sure that, say, in Invercargill they\u2019re not treated the same as in Queen Street.\u201D, but that won\u2019t be the case, because this is extra cost placed upon small business through bureaucracy that they\u2019re already finding it hard to pay the bills for.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThe Government has increased the minimum wage very, very quickly over the last three or four years. It was a commitment that they made. It\u2019s now $20 an hour and soon it will go further. The Minister responsible has said he wants to look at moving it further to the equivalent of the living wage. Every time the Government puts the minimum wage up quickly, it does have an impact upon the economy and it is on those small businesses, because when you put a cost upon a business, a small business, it can only meet that cost in one of three ways. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EIt has to put its prices up. Well, they can\u2019t always do that and if they do, the very people the Government say they\u2019re trying to help are impacted, because costs go up for that consumer\u2014number one. Number two, they have to economise, and they don\u2019t let people go straight away, but we see it when it comes to confidence from the business sector. When business confidence is down, it\u2019s an indicator of what will happen in six months\u2019 time. It\u2019s a lagging indicator of what\u2019s happening in the job market. And if somebody leaves, they often will not be able to replace them. It means they have to work harder for what they are doing, and the very people the Government says they\u2019re trying to help with vast increases in minimum wage actually are worse off.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EYes, the economy creates jobs, but it doesn\u2019t create jobs for the people that are losing them that often have the lowest level of skill and they actually earn the least and that the Government is forcing out of the workforce because of the costs they put on businesses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EWell, the final thing a small business has to do is absorb that cost. What\u2019s happened over the last four years is\u2014if there is a single small business in the country that can still absorb costs the Government\u2019s piling on them, I would be surprised. That\u2019s why in January of this year, there were a thousand fewer small businesses than the same time a year ago. The rate with which we see small businesses closing in New Zealand is escalating quickly, some of that as a result of COVID\u2014some of it is\u2014but not most of it. Most of it is the debt they\u2019ve taken on, that the economy is not doing as well as the Government says, and that there is cost being piled upon them day after day after day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThere are some things in the Budget that I would like to say are good. The last speaker, the Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, spoke about some more support for small business, but it\u2019s not the support that the small businesses in New Zealand need. The $22 million this year to help them with some digital stuff? It hasn\u2019t been defined. And, actually, there are a lot of small businesses out there that say\u2014Manuka restaurant owner Peter Reeves, who says he doesn\u2019t have time to do training as the Government\u2019s crackdown on immigration means he\u2019s had to wait tables rather than focus on growing his business. He doesn\u2019t need help from that. His small business needs the other type of help that allows him to pay his bills and to grow his business, which grows the economy. But there are others in here who are saying it\u2019s just as bad. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThere are many questions. But if help is needed for small businesses, is it really about the digital economy just at the moment? Is that the most important thing or could the Government have taken some of the $1.5 billion, or whatever it was, he wants to plough into putting together Chinese locomotives down in Dunedin and applied that to things that would actually help the private sector, the small businesses, mums and dads who are finding it hard to pay their bills and therefore finding it hard to provide for their families?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThere are many things that are lacking in the economy at the moment. There is a lack of skills in the workforce. The Government has said there is some money they\u2019ve set aside to train people. But as we are waiting, as we waited for KiwiBuild and light rail and fees-free to actually deliver, businesses in New Zealand are struggling. They need the skills now to grow their businesses. You know, I\u2019ve had a business get in touch with me, an engineering workshop, who actually wanted to employ somebody who had skills\u2014he was in New Zealand but from overseas, needed a work permit\u2014so that this person could train others to work in the business. And when he went to look to apply for the work permit, because the Government has resoundingly said, \u201CThe border is closed. We\u2019re not issuing these things any more.\u201D, he was told he had to find somebody in New Zealand, who doesn\u2019t have the skill. He didn\u2019t want this person to take a Kiwi\u2019s job. He wanted them there to train others, and they said no. Time and time again they are being let down. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThere is a need for labour in New Zealand, skilled and unskilled. The Government suggested it wants to lift everybody up. But I tell you what, there\u2019s not many members on that side of the House that will be out there worrying that the kiwifruit won\u2019t be picked or the apples won\u2019t be picked because the workforce is not there. It is not the fault of these hard-working Kiwis and their businesses that they can\u2019t get the labour they need. The Minister of Tourism went to Queenstown and announced money to help tourism\u2014$20 million to help tourism not be tourism businesses any more\u2014and they can\u2019t get the labour they need to do what he says is \u201Cpivot\u201D. The border remains closed without the Government talking about when they would like to open it. There is a lot more bureaucracy. There is cost being piled on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EIf this was a Budget, as the last speaker said, that lifted all New Zealanders up, well, that would be a good thing. But it doesn\u2019t. It doesn\u2019t do anything for small businesses who are in debt and finding it hard. It doesn\u2019t do anything to show there is a plan to grow the economy sustainably. If the economy is going to do well, it\u2019s through the Government\u2019s debt-fuelled spending, and when they spend money New Zealanders don\u2019t get their roads, they don\u2019t get their infrastructure. It is not a good Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022 data-id=\u0022587b3d5c30d541498170961a7b74d439\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022587b3d5c30d541498170961a7b74d439\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. I\u2019m very pleased to be able to speak on Budget 2021, a Budget that is focused on securing our recovery. Along with members on this side of the House, I am enormously proud of the progress that New Zealand has made over the last year as we have faced the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19. Budget 2021, which, as I say, is about securing our recovery, is about building on the hard work of New Zealanders, it\u2019s about building a strong economy, and it\u2019s about making sure that we bring all New Zealanders along with us. I want to talk about each of those things in turn in my contribution.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EContrary to the enormous and extraordinary catastrophising of the previous speaker, New Zealand is incredibly well positioned, and there would be few people around the world who would not wish that their country was performing as well as New Zealand has performed over the last year. Budget 2021 continues to make the investments to make sure that we build on that hard work and sacrifice, and to ensure that we keep New Zealanders safe. That is our number one priority. So while it is all very well for members of the Opposition to stand up and proclaim, as we have just heard, that the borders should be thrown open because we need some kiwifruit picked and apparently it\u2019s too hard to train New Zealanders, this is a Government that says that we will put the health and the wellbeing of New Zealanders first. And that has not only served New Zealand so well in terms of making sure that we are topping the global league charts in terms of our resilience against COVID-19; the number one thing\u2014the number one thing\u2014that is supporting our economic recovery and that is supporting small businesses across New Zealand is this Government\u2019s work and our country\u2019s work, our team of 5 million\u2019s work, to keep COVID out, and this Government will continue to stand by those policies and continue to keep Kiwis safe. But in Budget 2021, we have continued to put the investments in\u2014$1.5 billion in Budget 2021 to make sure that all Kiwis have the opportunity to receive a free and safe COVID vaccine, and that programme is rolling out now. It is an incredibly important part of securing our recovery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EBuilding a strong economy is an important focus of Budget 2021. Again, I note the previous member\u2019s catastrophising and negativity. It\u2019s simply extraordinary that, as we stand here, 18 months into a global pandemic\u2014a global pandemic\u2014New Zealand has an unemployment rate of 4.7 percent, amongst the lowest in the OECD and lower than the point it got to under the so-called rock star economy of the previous Government. Growth projected to be 3.5 percent over the next three years\u2014higher than virtually any of our trading partners. A path towards managing down our debt to sustainable levels. I want to acknowledge the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, who\u2019s done an extraordinary job of bringing these things together to offer a stable economic platform to secure our recovery. But there are important investments in here, because, unlike that other side of the House who all see it in the negative, this is a Government that believes that by investing in New Zealand and New Zealanders, we build the platform for future growth, prosperity, and fairness for all Kiwis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThat\u2019s why, in Budget 2021, there is a record $57 billion of investment in infrastructure over the next four years. This is the infrastructure Government that is investing in infrastructure right across our country. As Minister Radhakrishnan said so eloquently, quoting Joseph Stiglitz, \u201CDoing double duty.\u201D Investing in our schools so we have people put to work in upgrading important infrastructure in our education system to deal with growth, but at the same time giving our kids the high-quality modern classrooms that will support their learning. Huge investment in the health system. The rebuild of Dunedin Hospital and many others around our country that were underdone, under-invested in for so many years under that previous Government. And in this Government, through that investment, we are creating jobs and we will deliver the First World health services that all Kiwis deserve.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI would be remiss not to mention the investment in free trades training for over 100,000 young Kiwis to get into apprenticeships. If we want to talk about investing in the future, if we want to talk about investing in a more productive economy, that\u2019s where the investment needs to go. That was let go by that previous Government who said, \u201CLeave it to the market. They\u2019ll take care of it.\u201D This is a Government which does believe that Government has an important part to play in partnering with the public sector, in making sure that we invest in the training and skills of young Kiwis to make sure that they get into good, sustainable jobs and support our growth in the future. I\u2019ll repeat that figure: 100,000 young New Zealanders who have now got hope, who\u2019ve got skills, who\u2019ve got training, who are able to contribute\u2014100,000 since July last year into apprenticeships, and that will continue to be supported through Budget 2021.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI said before that, as well as building on our hard work and as well as building a strong economic platform, Budget 2021 is about bringing all New Zealanders along with us. We are determined that this will not be a Government that\u2014in our response to a global economic crisis, in getting ourselves out of that\u2014will leave the vulnerable of our country behind. We have seen that happen before. That is what happened in 1991, when the other side of this House had the Treasury benches and we saw hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders plunged into poverty and despair because of their instinctive response to cut the support that the most vulnerable in our country needs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EContrary to that, our Government sees that investing in our people is the way to take our country forward economically and socially because it is the right thing to do. That\u2019s why I was so very proud of the work of my good friend, the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, the Minister for Social Development, in having the courage and doing the mahi to make sure that we got to the point of being able to reverse those disastrous cuts that were put into place on our most vulnerable in 1991. That is lifting the living standards and just giving a little bit of hope and light into the lowest income New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EThere was one other policy that the Minister for Social Development announced through Budget 2021 that really speaks to the difference between the vision and the humanity between the two sides of the House, and that was the restoration of the training incentive allowance. Sometimes in this House the word \u201Cideology\u201D is thrown around like it\u2019s a bad thing. I don\u2019t actually hold to that, I actually support people who have a coherent ideological vision, whatever that is. If you can put some ideas together, have a vision that\u2019s linked together and works well together, then I respect you for that, even if I disagree with it. But there are few policies that were more spiteful and more stupid than the destruction of the training incentive allowance under the National Party and their previous leader, Paula Bennett. A policy that gave people on benefits the ability to get into higher education, supposedly to do all of the things that members on that side of the House consistently lectures them that they\u2019re supposed to be doing, and here is a policy that actually gives practical support to make that happen\u2014lifts people out of poverty, lifts their life prospects, gets them into work and contribution, and that side of the House took away the rungs of the ladder. On this side of the House we were proud to put that ladder back together for people, by restoring the training incentive allowance.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI really should say a few words about transport in respect of Budget 2021 as well, because there was so much in there. This was a Budget which made further progress in terms of restoring a resilient and reliable rail network\u2014and on that side of the House there are few things that they hate more than investment in New Zealand\u2019s rail system. The other thing in the Budget that I\u2019m so proud of is investment in fair and decent conditions for New Zealand workers through fair pay agreements, and I\u2019m very proud of the Budget for making investments in both of those things. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003ERail, under the previous Government, was left to rack and ruin in a state of managed decline, assets stripped by the vultures that were let in in the era of privatisation in the 1990s. This Government, which has a nation-building vision for rail in New Zealand, is very proud of the $1.3 billion of investment that we have put in. It is so important in terms of reaching our climate change obligations. Last year, 119 out of 120 members of this House stood up and declared a climate emergency, and I take my hat off to every member across the House who did. This is a Government which is now actually doing something about it, and the investment in our rail system is an important part of that. Every year, KiwiRail takes the equivalent of 27,000 trucks off New Zealand\u2019s roads by moving freight efficiently around our country. We stand for an integrated freight network in which we bring road, rail, and coastal shipping together to get freight around our country efficiently, and in which we reduce carbon emissions. That investment, alongside the $85 million in the Hillside Workshops, is one of which we are very proud. That investment will create jobs, it will create skills, it will really help to take the Otago and Dunedin economies ahead and create much greater resilience in our rail system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EAs I said, this is a Budget which is about securing New Zealand\u2019s recovery, it\u2019s about building on the hard work and the sacrifices of New Zealanders over the last 10 years, it\u2019s about making sure we have a strong economic platform, and it\u2019s about making sure that we bring people along with us. This is a Budget in the proudest of Labour traditions, and it ensures that we all move forward as a country together. While that side of the House is focused in its desperate and divided state on pitting New Zealanders against each other, this Budget is one that takes us forward together. I commend it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022 data-id=\u0022424c6165643848868e0be0e93c4d5e59\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022424c6165643848868e0be0e93c4d5e59\u0022\u003EDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader\u2014Te Paati M\u0101ori):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, manuia Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa. T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Mr Speaker. I want to take the time in today\u2019s Budget debate to talk about the kaupapa of health, specifically the M\u0101ori Health Authority, Wh\u0101nau Ora, and Pharmac. The inconvenient truth is that the health system fails M\u0101ori. Systemic racism plagues our health sector and sees M\u0101ori dying approximately seven years earlier than P\u0101keh\u0101. The failure to ensure equality in access and outcomes for M\u0101ori in the healthcare system is a mirror image of the degrading way we have been treated by successive colonial Governments. Tinkering with the broken system will never achieve the transformative outcomes that tangata whenua desperately need and are owed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003ETe Paati M\u0101ori have stayed cautiously optimistic about this year\u2019s Budget. It is the first Budget to accept the need for a targeted approach to funding, rather than a universal one. Te Paati M\u0101ori recognise that this Government is resourcing a system that kick starts M\u0101ori ability to look after ourselves in the M\u0101ori Health Authority. There has been $98.1 million budgeted in establishing funding provided to set up the M\u0101ori Health Authority, and we acknowledge the significance of this and established funding. Many M\u0101ori health experts have been calling for a proportional approach to funding the M\u0101ori Health Authority\u2014one that would look at per capita Budget health entitlement. This is also Te Paati M\u0101ori\u2019s policy. Therefore, budget for the M\u0101ori Health Authority funding should be $5 billion. That would be about 20 percent of the 2019-20 health budget. So in our opinion, this falls slightly short.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EWe are concerned why we would spend $98 million when we have pre-established models of success in Wh\u0101nau Ora and its commissioning agencies. We are concerned that money may be, and is going to be, poured into bureaucracy at the cost of quality care, at the cost of attention to growing health disparities and inequities. That is why our position is that the funding for the M\u0101ori Health Authority should be channelled through the Wh\u0101nau Ora commissioning model rather than through P\u0101keh\u0101 structures or the Ministry of Health. The model of Wh\u0101nau Ora, which is by M\u0101ori, for M\u0101ori, according to M\u0101ori, is an ideal kaupapa M\u0101ori model for success. No more cash for Wh\u0101nau Ora in this Budget is a major blow. We are particularly puzzled that Wh\u0101nau Ora received no additional funding given that the Minister is on record saying it is the highest-performing portfolio in Government. We need to invest in what works, and Wh\u0101nau Ora has proven itself to be delivering life-changing outcomes for our wh\u0101nau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EAnother area of growing disparity in health that is needed is Pharmac. People are struggling to survive as they can\u2019t even afford life-saving drugs such as for cancer and spina bifida, which are publicly funded in similar countries. These people are disproportionately M\u0101ori, who are even less likely to afford drugs that aren\u2019t funded by Pharmac. In this Budget, Pharmac received $200 million of new funding over the next four years. We acknowledge this as a step forward; however, the call has been loud to double the Pharmac budget, with an increase to $400 million a year. Many of our wh\u0101nau, including Patient Voice Aotearoa and chair Malcolm Mulholland, who I mihi to, have been among those leading this advocacy. On 12 May, just a few weeks before the Budget, we heard the karanga of patients and advocates in delivering a 100,000-strong petition calling for the doubling of Pharmac\u2019s budget. I think of young 13-year-old Casey with spina bifida, and this Budget has fallen short.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EOur unapologetic voice in Opposition has given M\u0101ori in Government the kaha to fight for more, and this Budget is a reflection of that. In the bigger scheme of things, this Budget presents a significant win for M\u0101ori. The fact that it is such a great Budget is the very problem, because we are building from a shockingly low baseline. Whilst this Budget is a significant move in the right direction, we will continue to apply pressure, to keep the Government accountable, to encourage you to keep being bold, to end disparity, to end poverty and environmental destruction. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022 data-id=\u0022c3c59084e00141909324052d7c0d5af4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c3c59084e00141909324052d7c0d5af4\u0022\u003EHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO (Minister for Courts):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. Manuia le Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa. Can I also thank all the members of the House for using the language here. Samoan Language Week is the second of nine Pacific language weeks that will be celebrated this year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EAs I listened to Mr Todd McClay make his comments earlier, I thought thank goodness he\u2019s speaking the truth, because he was declaring where National stands and their philosophy. They stand for keeping labour costs down at the expense of New Zealanders. They are well-prepared and don\u2019t care if they\u2019re socialising the cost for business, but in so far as the profits\u2014that stays theirs. That whole speech was about reducing labour costs. That\u2019s what he spent 10 minutes doing. On this side of the House, we are a Government that governs for all New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224d41112f5fb74ef98cbac45983eb959f\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228f4388616bd14b0190fa884e9a86f8c9\u0022\u003EHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right. We are a Government for all New Zealanders. Remember the wage subsidy? We prioritised business last year. That\u2019s right. Are we asking for business to pay that back? No. We\u2019re asking business to value workers, to ensure their employment, and to pay them a decent wage. Do businesses do that? Some of them do, but not all of them do. That\u2019s why this Government continues to lift the minimum wage\u2014to $20 an hour, as it was as of April this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EThis Budget, I want to say thank goodness that we have a finance Minister that understands the needs of all New Zealanders. This Budget is about securing our recovery from COVID-19. They keep forgetting there is a pandemic here. They keep forgetting, and every now and then they lose sight of is this about keeping costs down or is this about prioritising New Zealanders. This side of the House is about prioritising all New Zealanders. We inherited so much harm and damage in the health sector, education, employment, and income because of that very attitude that Mr McClay has talked about: keeping labour costs low at the expense of New Zealanders. So we\u2019re having to address the long-term challenges of housing, inequality, and climate change, while we\u2019re making sure that we can continue the growth of our economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EA recovery Budget is what this Budget has been about. I want to acknowledge all the Ministers, and particularly the leadership of the Prime Minister and Grant Robertson, the Minister of Finance, because it\u2019s been hard to balance the needs of all New Zealanders. But this Budget here is a continuation from the work that we started when we came in in 2017\u2014raising the minimum wage, lifting benefits, ensuring that we are supporting families with children. In Budget 2021, yes, we\u2019re raising main benefits, but that will enable us to lift an additional 33,000 children out of poverty. In total, 109,000 families with children will be, on average, $175 a week better off as a result of changes by our Government since 2017. Treasury has forecast that over 200,000 more people will be in jobs in the next four years as our economy recovers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EFor Pacific peoples, I\u2019m very proud that Budget 2021 continues the work that the Government allocated\u2014targeted, specific support to the Pacific\u2014from 2019 and last year. I want to share something with the House. So you see, in 2018, we released a report: The New Zealand Pacific Economy Report. In that report, it showed that Pacific peoples contribute $8 billion to New Zealand\u2019s GDP, despite inequalities, despite the barriers. Here\u2019s something interesting that we\u2019ve just learnt: Pacific peoples volunteer 66,000 unpaid hours per week, and, in addition, they give not only their time, skills, and knowledge but also money. Pacific peoples gifted $2.4 million to others over four months. That\u2019s about $160 per week per person.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022b398827c-6bf5-403e-90dc-ff03205302a5\u0022\u003EI\u2019m so grateful that I\u2019m part of the Government that recognises that in order for all New Zealanders to contribute positively to New Zealand\u2019s economy, we\u2019ve got to eliminate these inequalities, we\u2019ve got to eliminate those barriers\u2014because imagine if we do that. Just imagine, if we\u2019re able to do that, the kind of contribution that all New Zealanders can make to Aotearoa New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022 data-id=\u00225d65d95c5a70434b9a2be7d84794cbbe\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225d65d95c5a70434b9a2be7d84794cbbe\u0022\u003ECHRISTOPHER LUXON (National\u2014Botany):\u003C/span\u003E Look, a few weeks ago I spoke about how living in New Zealand right here, right now feels like we\u2019re living in the main street of Disneyland. You walk down it, you see the saloon, you see the emporium, you see the lolly shop, you look back; it\u2019s just a facade, and Mickey Mouse is having a smoke behind the facade. There\u2019s nothing in this Budget that\u2019s fundamentally changed that view for me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EI want to talk about three things. The first thing is, yeah, it was great to see the Welfare Expert Advisory Group recommend an increase in benefits, but they also made another significant recommendation that wasn\u2019t picked up, which was do the work, make the investment to help people get from welfare into work. On this side of the House we fundamentally know you should do that work in order to make that happen. Spend significant amounts of money to get people out of a pathway of hardship where they\u2019re sitting there on State dependence, on benefits, into a job. That\u2019s the only way that we can get them moving forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EThe second thing is that we\u2019ve actually got a squeezed middle, and it\u2019s very obvious this Government doesn\u2019t care about the workers of New Zealand. These are the people who are waking up each day, they\u2019re taking on the extra shifts, they do the two or three extra jobs, they raise their kids right, they pay their taxes on their lower middle incomes, and there\u2019s nothing in here to support them. And yet this Government\u2019s gone off and increased the cost of living for those very people. Think about it. The costs are piled on to small business\u2014that\u2019s reflected in higher prices. The costs are piled on landlords\u2014reflected in higher rents. Food\u2019s up 9.5 percent, rents are up 30 percent, and fuel\u2019s up 17 percent. Power\u2019s up. Building costs are up. There\u2019s a four times increase in shipping and air freight costs. All these labour and material shortages\u2014we\u2019re getting increasing prices and the cost of living is going up for the squeezed middle, and there is nothing in this Budget for these people. It is quite obvious that this Government, for workers and for small-business owners, they are not their tribe and they don\u2019t care enough about them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EThe third thing is that there is nothing in here about growth and private sector - led recovery, because there\u2019s a fundamental belief in this Government that \u201CWe know best. We don\u2019t trust you to go off and make things happen in this economy. In fact, we create the jobs.\u201D The Government doesn\u2019t create the jobs. It\u2019s the private sector that fundamentally creates the jobs, and I can tell you right now the prosperity of our nation and the quality of our life is single-handedly going to be improved by improving our productivity. And who does that? It\u2019s actually private sector and private enterprise, creating jobs and growth. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s nothing in here that\u2019s pro-trade or pro-growth. And the reality is in the next two to three years all the global economies are bouncing back big time. You\u2019re seeing double-digit growth out of China. You\u2019re going to see high single-digit growth out of the US. And we\u2019re not going to be able to participate in that global recovery, because we haven\u2019t got the economy shaped up in the right way. What we\u2019ve got instead is we\u2019ve been talking a lot about\u2014you know, we\u2019ve done a tidy job on COVID and keeping it out of New Zealand, an island nation at the bottom of the world with lots of water round it. Great\u2014good stuff. But the bottom line is we\u2019ve got nothing going on in terms of vaccination, so our vaccination plans and our trade plans, which are we want to keep people healthy so we can get our economy powered up, are not happening. The second-worst economy in the OECD in terms of vaccination roll-out and speed. The risk here is that we\u2019ll do an OK, tidy job on COVID, but we\u2019ll miss the huge opportunity, economically, that sits out beyond COVID because of our settings and our vaccination plans.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EI think the biggest, saddest thing is there\u2019s nothing here about seizing on the opportunities that exist out there in the world. We know the biggest problem we have in this country is our productivity disease. It\u2019s been with us for 30 years, and there\u2019s some big things that we need to be able to do that. We need to power up our export firms and make sure they operate at global scale around the world and actually can raise the floor, be better firms, and raise the total business environment as a consequence. We know there\u2019s a lot of work to do on labour skills, because it\u2019s all very well talking about improving productivity, getting to higher-value sectors, getting more money through the front door, but when you can\u2019t get your kids to school and then you\u2019ve got the lowest levels of reading, science, and maths that we\u2019ve got in the OECD\u2014in the bottom two or three\u2014you\u2019re not in a great shape to go off and create higher wages and salaries and therefore give families and people more choices as a result.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EThe last thing is we\u2019re not really delivering infrastructure. We\u2019re borrowing a hell of a lot of money, but we\u2019re not, fundamentally, putting that money in between hard, hard infrastructure that\u2019s about nation-building, reimagining what our country can look like for the 2040s and beyond. We just continue to band-aid and number eight wire stuff. There\u2019s no real solution around a second harbour crossing. There\u2019s nothing nation-building that\u2019s going on here. There\u2019s no big plan. It\u2019s all really tactical stuff, and yet we know, fundamentally, that improving productivity is the biggest thing that we can do, and export firms, education, and infrastructure are the way in which we can get that job done.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003ESo what we\u2019ve learnt in this Budget is exactly what we\u2019ve always understood: fundamentally, a National Government grows the economy. It cuts taxes and it creates jobs, and what we\u2019re seeing here is exactly what a Labour Government does every single time: it increases taxes and spending, and it grows not the economy but bureaucrats. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022 data-id=\u002289150b455f85410ab6ac2d410fb811c8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002289150b455f85410ab6ac2d410fb811c8\u0022\u003EHon STUART NASH (Minister for Economic and Regional Development):\u003C/span\u003E Fa\u2018afetai, Mr Speaker. The first thing I\u2019d say to Mr Luxon is stop getting your lines from Mike Hosking, mate. You need to read, you need to understand, and you can see what\u2019s going on around you. We have the lowest unemployment in the OECD. Our economy is growing better than nearly every single country we compare ourselves to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThis Government has three priorities: keeping New Zealand safe from COVID, accelerating our recovery and rebuild from the impacts of COVID, and laying the foundations for the future. There\u2019s a five-point recovery plan that underlies all of these. It\u2019s investing in our people, creating jobs and improving productivity, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, positioning New Zealand globally, and preparing for the future. This Budget delivered on all five of those.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe objectives are very, very clear, and I\u2019m going to outline a few of those as they relate to my portfolios. But first of all, I\u2019d like to say congratulations to the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, and our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, for the prudent management of our economy during the most difficult of times. History will show that this Government\u2019s policy of a health response as the best economic response has actually worked. We are yet again number one in Bloomberg\u2019s global Covid Resilience Ranking, and it is very, very hard to argue with that. That\u2019s because as a team of 5 million, we have worked together. We took the hit together, but now we\u2019re enjoying the openness of our communities and our economy together.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EHaving said that, I acknowledge and I have always acknowledged that some members of our national team of 5 million have done it harder than others, and no more so than the tourism sector. That\u2019s why in this Budget we allocated another $200 million, on top of the $400 million beforehand, to help the tourism sector transition from now till when the borders open\u2014very, very important, because we understand the value of our tourism sector. They asked, we heard, and we delivered yet again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EFor small businesses, it\u2019s vital that small businesses are part of the digital market place, part of the digital revolution. McKinsey \u0026amp; Company, an American consultancy, did some work in the States which showed that five years\u2019 worth of digital enablement had been compressed into eight weeks in the States, and I think that is exactly what has happened here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EI used to say, pre-COVID\u2014and I certainly reiterate it now\u2014that this is the last generation of business owners that would survive, let alone thrive, without being digitally enabled, because everything we are doing in this Government is based on a digital platform, whether it\u2019s paying your taxes\u2014and no, there were no new taxes, Mr Luxon, as you mentioned in your last speech. It\u2019s paying your taxes, it\u2019s interacting with Government, it\u2019s procurement, it\u2019s paying invoices\u2014everything we are doing is based on a digital platform. It\u2019s why we allocated another $44 million to the Digital Boost programme, to ensure that small-business owners could learn about what digital technologies can do. They can learn about this in their own time, in their own place, in their homes, but it will drive a level of innovation that we have never seen before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EI talk about the digital adoption curve. That has been thrown on its head. There\u2019s a whole lot of small-business owners who understand now that it\u2019s not about success; it\u2019s about survival, and digital technology is a part of that, and that is not the only one but a major, major focus for this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EThe previous member talked about driving productivity growth. We are concerned about the lack of productivity across our economy. It\u2019s why we have instigated industry transformation plans, and this Budget reiterated that. There are five areas\u2014five areas\u2014in our economy where we believe we need to increase productivity, where we can develop some form of global competitive advantage, and we need to get all the stakeholders in a room, working together to come up with a plan to drive this forward. We can\u2019t do it as a Government\u2014I acknowledge that\u2014but neither can business do it in a vacuum of Government, so that is why we\u2019ve got the unions, the iwi, key stakeholders, Government, and the private sector working together. That is the only way we are going to get the sort of results we require. I know that there are really smart, engaged people on the other side, like Erica Stanford, who get this, who know that the only way to drive productivity and growth across this economy is by working together, not in isolation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003ELet me talk about regional economic development. This is a Government that, for the first time ever, engaged in the level of economic development that has made a huge, significant difference across our economy. In the new fund, the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund, from which the Provincial Growth Fund has morphed, will be a much more targeted fund, working with local regions in order to help them to drive opportunity, to achieve their objectives\u2014again, in partnership.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003EI could talk about this for 45 minutes, around what this Budget delivers for businesses, what this Budget delivers for Kiwis, for economic development, for regional economic development, for our regions and this country, but my colleagues will elaborate on that. But I am very, very proud to be a member of Cabinet in this Government. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u0022a551d7bce18a448b965a742a3df1d892\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a551d7bce18a448b965a742a3df1d892\u0022\u003ETEANAU TUIONO (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Firstly, I\u2019d like to give a big talofa lava to all of our Samoan community for Samoa Language Week, especially my Samoan brothers and sisters over there, from me, their Cook Island cousin in the Green Party. This year\u2019s theme for Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa / Samoa Language Week 2021 is \u201CPoupou le lotoifale, ola manuia le anofale.\u201D, which means \u201CStrengthen the posts of your house, for all to thrive.\u201D That sounds like a Budget announcement to me! I like that whakatauk\u012B because it is like when you are building a foundation for a fale, it can\u2019t have a weak foundation or post, because it will just fall over. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI would also like to acknowledge that it was Samoan Independence Day, actually, yesterday, and acknowledge the connection and history and the importance of the Mau movement to Samoa and also to us here in Aotearoa New Zealand. I also do hope that the political situation in Samoa comes to a conclusion which is in line with the aspirations of the democratic institutions of Samoa, as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI don\u2019t pick sides\u2014I don\u2019t pick sides at all\u2014but wasn\u2019t Dwayne \u201CThe Rock\u201D Johnson great in the latest version of The Fast and the Furious? Talking about going faster, the Greens do like the direction of travel of this Budget, but, like with all things Green, we would like it to go faster and furtherer\u2014is that even English? Maybe. So it was good to see the wellbeing investment into our Pasifika communities. We welcome the $108 million boost for Pasifika-led initiatives, giving Pasifika people more revenue to gain employment, training, and education that will boost the livelihoods of our families\u2014that is a great thing. Pasifika wh\u0101nau come to Aotearoa for better education and employment, which is supported through this Budget. So it is good to see that on top of the commitment to Pasifika housing earlier this year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EHowever, there are some things that I did hope to see in this Budget, and perhaps they are hidden in the back balance sheets of the Budget somewhere where my seventh-form calculus was unable to interpret in the Budget book. I wanted to see something signalled in this Government\u2019s Budget that was about giving an apology for the Dawn Raids\u2014perhaps that is going to happen, and perhaps that corner of the House will surprise me pleasantly. For me, this apology is long overdue. The dawn raids are a shameful stain on New Zealand history, defined by racial tension and unrest, as police and immigration authorities victimised Pacific Islanders who they suspected of abusing the terms of their visas. I also wanted to acknowledge the legacy of the Polynesian Panthers and the role they played in standing up for the rights of Pasifika communities, particularly in the 1970s. They organised against the dawn raids. Any apology that does happen needs to be meaningful, and that means also ensuring that that history is remembered and taught in our schools. So if it is somewhere in the back balance sheets of the Budget, perhaps it is in the curriculum review\u2014and I hope so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EThe thing is that in order to ensure that we have learnt from our history, we also need to send signals that we won\u2019t repeat the mistakes of the past. I\u2019d like to acknowledge the leadership of the Pacific Leadership Forum, who I managed to connect with just after the first lockdown, and the concerns they had about providing pathways to residencies and an amnesty for overstayers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EIn this Budget, I would have liked to have seen a greater emphasis on emergency benefits so that Pasifika migrants could be connected and delivered more effectively without them having to show they have a return ticket. I have concerns about Pasifika migrants being exploited, and also understanding that many of these workers are essential workers. They are the people that got us through the COVID crisis; they are the people that continue to get us through this COVID crisis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI would like to end by recognising that we are just starting into Matariki, and I know that we began our Matariki season today on top of Tangi-te-keo, and I know that, in the same way that we can see Matariki from our hills in Aotearoa, they can see them throughout the Pacific. It is a reminder that Aotearoa and the Pacific are deeply, deeply connected, and the need for us to embed ecological sustainability in the curriculum review, which, I hope, will begin to talk about our Pacific histories, including the history of connections between M\u0101ori and Pasefika communities, but also more recent history around the dawn raids and about our connections and our responsibilities as people from Aotearoa and the Pacific. Fa\u2018afetai tele lava.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022 data-id=\u0022019bec306a394942ad73f2998e040ebb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022019bec306a394942ad73f2998e040ebb\u0022\u003EDr DEBORAH RUSSELL (Labour\u2014New Lynn):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. I am honoured to talk about our Budget this year: a Budget which is about continuing to keep Aotearoa New Zealand safe from COVID-19, a Budget which is about accelerating the recovery and rebuild from the impacts of COVID-19, a Budget which is about laying the foundations for the future and addressing some of the key issues that confront us. In particular, this year we focus on child poverty, and that motivates the benefit increases\u2014the benefit increases this year that finally expunge the levels of cuts from the 1991 \u201Cmother of all Budgets\u201D and a benefit increase that meets the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group. Of course there is more to do, but it is wonderful to see this action being taken. And those increases in benefits will flow back to the local communities as families spend the extra money on their children and on the resources to support themselves\u2014it\u2019s a great move.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI want to cast our minds back to the lockdown last year, which was, I guess, very difficult for many of us. In my neighbourhood, what I noticed was many, many people out walking about, enjoying the native bush where I live, and that bush is very precious to us out west in Auckland. The Waitakere Ranges are our jewel, our treasure, but, in the Waitakere Ranges, the kauri are dying. Kauri dieback has taken a really strong foothold there. We have all sorts of measures in place to try to reduce its impact, but for many\u2014in fact, ever since I\u2019ve entered this Parliament I\u2019ve been advocating for a better approach to kauri dieback, and this year this Budget delivers that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EThis year, this Budget delivers $28 million towards rolling out a national pest management plan for kauri. Now, what is that? Well, it\u2019s a legal framework that brings together the work of Government, of councils, of iwi, and of NGOs all together in a framework that means that activity is coordinated and that everyone is at the decision-making table and involved in understanding how to fight against kauri dieback.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s pretty interesting having a national pest management plan for kauri dieback. We have three in place currently: one for Psa-V in kiwifruit, one for bovine tuberculosis, and one for American foulbrood in bees. But, interestingly, those are all there to protect commercial crops and commercial species. This is the first time that a national pest management plan will be rolled out for a taonga species\u2014for our kauri, which have no commercial purpose, but they are deeply important to us, and we do need to do some astonishing work on trying to save them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EI mentioned that it had been something that I\u2019d concerned myself with since I entered this Parliament. I have a report here from the previous Parliament from the Environment Committee where, at the time when I was chair, we led a series of briefings into kauri dieback. And what we found at that stage was that the work around kauri dieback was fragmented, it wasn\u2019t coordinated, that there were lots of people trying to do lots of things, but altogether the effort wasn\u2019t adding up to enough. As we talked to the various Government agencies, we found that work was beginning on putting together a national pest management plan or some kind of coordinated plan. Our committee recommended that that be followed\u2014that that go ahead as soon as possible. So it took a bit of time for the money to arrive, but I would like to commend the Minister for Biosecurity, the Hon Damien O\u2019Connor, for finally pulling together this package of funding, which will ensure that kauri dieback is addressed properly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002212d74f81-b1f7-4b51-9fb4-8f9481477192\u0022\u003EBut as well as commending the Minister, obviously, I also would like to acknowledge the other people who\u2019ve worked on this for many years and have been raising their concerns around it: people like Te Kawerau \u0101 Maki from the Waitakeres, who have this deep commitment to kauri; people like Dr Nick Waipara, an absolute expert in plant pathogens, who has brought his considerable knowledge to bear on this issue; people like the Save Our Kauri Trust\u2014all people working to save our kauri. I\u2019m very grateful for their work and for their advocacy, for their input into the select committee briefings on kauri dieback, for the contribution they have been making to the development of this national pest management plan, and for creating the will to do it. So there\u2019s a lot of work that has gotten us to this point where, in the Budget this year, finally, with the support of the Minister and to my great delight, that money has been allocated. And it does contribute to our future, it does contribute to our security, it does contribute to our recovery. Why? Because it is part of our bush, part of our New Zealand native species, part of our treasures. Kauri are magnificent trees\u2014they are absolutely fabulous trees. It has been heartbreaking to see them dying in my neighbourhood, and it is wonderful to see this plan now rolling into place so that we can save our kauri.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022 data-id=\u0022e7daf530ffc54ad9b590fd4edfad498f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e7daf530ffc54ad9b590fd4edfad498f\u0022\u003EDr JAMES McDOWALL (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. Budget 2021 was the chance for new initiatives and aspirational reform in the immigration space and to provide hope for all New Zealand businesses who are, frankly, sick and tired of being chastised for keeping their operations alive by employing desperately needed migrants. Businesses are doing everything they can to find and train up locals, and have to prove this to Immigration New Zealand, but they\u2019ve also told me that it\u2019s not particularly helpful when the Government constantly implies that many of these sectors are low skilled, unattractive, and not a great career pathway. The Government isn\u2019t exactly selling it to locals. Businesses all over New Zealand have been through the wringer when it comes to their workforce needs in their interactions with Immigration New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022\u003EIn terms of managing expectations around Budget 2021, that wasn\u2019t really a problem for business owners. The recent commentary from the likes of the Minister of Immigration, the Minister of Tourism, and even the Prime Minister provided the backdrop to what they could expect from this Budget, which was absolutely nothing. No new initiatives at Immigration New Zealand, no aspiration, no real solutions for migrants overall\u2014just a Government that after four years still tries to put all the blame on business owners and migrants themselves, who pay their fair share of tax and got absolutely nothing other than continued headache and heartache.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022\u003EWhat we\u2019re left with is a significant missed opportunity for reinvention, and the chance for a positive strategy for the so-called immigration reset has gone begging. Talk of an immigration reset has been going on since before the 2020 election, so there\u2019s been no shortage of time to develop a strategy and use the opportunity of Budget 2021 to map a clear path forward. But, perhaps, they\u2019ve just been too busy trying to deal with their self-inflicted visa application chaos. All we\u2019re getting is the usual reviews in the policies and processes, and even the forthcoming changes to work visas took far longer than originally promised. And given the way the roll-out is designed, it will almost certainly create unintended consequences. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022\u003EBusinesses and migrants have been asking why the Minister of Immigration has not confronted the obvious when it comes to immigration\u2019s role in our post - COVID-19 economic recovery. The rhetoric from the Government, particularly in recent weeks, is divisive and tone deaf. To suggest that businesses nationwide need to stop employing hard-working migrants, drive up costs and therefore their prices, and fill vacancies in areas with skill shortages is not only ignorant, it\u2019s economic sabotage, especially in the regions. I\u2019ll be honest, though. I suspect the Government\u2019s strategy, if you can call it a strategy, is actually just going to fizz out into nothing, and subsequent rhetoric will be a mix of backtracking and verbal gymnastics\u2014probably during question time\u2014because they can\u2019t change reality. Sectors will be crying out for migrants, whether highly skilled or in more manual jobs, and the Government may just have to give in and quietly put the whole immigration reset concept on ice. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022\u003EIt was also intriguing to hear from the Reserve Bank last week in a select committee when my colleague Damien Smith asked if the Government had given them any indication as to future immigration levels to assist with their economic forecasting. Evidently, the Government hadn\u2019t, and I think we can safely assume that this is because the Government doesn\u2019t know either, and the bankers are left guessing in their models. I suspect there\u2019s a fair bit of that going around, particularly as we look at forecasts around productivity, employment, and inflation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022\u003ENot everyone in the immigration space was left empty-handed by Budget 2021 though. Immigration New Zealand itself got a significant bailout in February, with more to come. And I sincerely hope that they use this stake to get on with the job at hand: get visas processed, reunite families, and get investment back into New Zealand fast. We have an immigration system that is at breaking point, a visionless Government that seems totally disconnected from the realities of doing business. Whether a person owns a small cafe, a restaurant, a high-tech start-up, or an apple orchard, they\u2019re paying their weight in tax, providing jobs for migrants and Kiwis, and they want some answers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ff1ad5a3-e02a-4ffe-a961-ef69bdaee1c9\u0022\u003EACT would start again with the whole system: create aspirational and efficient pathways that reward skilled migrants and be truly business-led when it comes to work visas, as opposed to the Government\u2019s plan, which may drastically increase migrant exploitation and unemployment. We certainly wouldn\u2019t blame businesses for lacklustre Government policy around training initiatives. We would empower them because it\u2019s business owners who know best when it comes to their workforce needs and the needs of the economy as a whole. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022 data-id=\u0022a1c54c19e1df4555bc8204425d367f72\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a1c54c19e1df4555bc8204425d367f72\u0022\u003EGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour\u2014Hutt South):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. What an opportunity to be able to speak today on such a magnificent Budget. I must say that in the recess time, I\u2019m lucky enough to be able to get out into my community and talk to people about what\u2019s in the Budget. I never get sick of doing that. It\u2019s a great opportunity, because Budget 2021 was about securing our recovery from COVID and people can see this. When you look at what\u2019s happened in the past, people know that New Zealand has delivered a strong health response; they can see that. People know that through the wage subsidy, our local businesses and local workers continue to be employed and our local economy in the Hutt is thriving. We can also see there\u2019s been a significant investment in infrastructure, and that translates not just to the things that we need to drive or trains or hospitals, but it also means jobs\u2014jobs in terms of our apprenticeships and our people working and bringing home a good wage, and that\u2019s what people see when you talk to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EBut this Budget builds on that. It builds on that platform that\u2019s already been delivered over the last Budget and it lays the foundations for coming out of COVID stronger and building back even better by addressing some of those challenges that we know are systemic within New Zealand: the housing crisis, inequality, and also climate change. There is a whole lot of good work in there that continues to develop the hard work that\u2019s gone on before.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EWhen you think about real examples and you talk to people\u2014I met an early childhood education teacher the other week, who knew that they were going to get as much pay as kindergarten teachers, and that was making a significant difference to what they could afford to buy. A local business owner who now had two apprenticeships going, under his watch, instead of just one, because of the apprenticeship scheme. And because that had worked so well for his business he\u2019d taken on two in Mana in Mahi who were previously unemployed, and had got the benefits through that, and he was looking at taking those lads from Mana in Mahi into doing apprenticeships. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EWhen you talk to someone who knows they\u2019ll be able to now get the Training Incentive Allowance, that their bus fare, that their books, that their additional support to be able to get to and learn and improve and drive stronger\u2014that is what New Zealand wants. It\u2019s to give opportunities to people to make the most of what their lives can be. And it even helps so much more to have the mum or the dad who knows they\u2019re getting that extra money in their benefit to buy some shoes, to buy some food, and to buy those extra things to help get by.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EI could talk about all of those things a lot, because there are so many things in this Budget. There are so many great things to pick out. But I\u2019m going to use my remaining time to talk about something that I\u2019m really passionate about, and that\u2019s Te Pae Oranga, which is M\u0101ori justice panels. Just today we\u2019ve had the announcement in Hamilton that Budget 2021 will invest in reducing reoffending by funding an additional 12 Te Pae Oranga community justice panels, or iwi community justice panels. This will include nine new rangatahi or youth panels, and that will fund approximately 35 fulltime-equivalent positions within police to work within communities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EI was waiting to hear the cries from the benches opposite of \u201CSoft on crime.\u201D, but they seem to have gone quiet today. But I came prepared just in case they did cry out \u201CSoft on crime.\u201D, because I have a couple of great quotes. The first one I\u2019d like to quote is\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fcbdb9c749094b2aa81fe0b3fb5c6043\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Soft on crime!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265743e14ee30495db08b2d44d7f087d2\u0022\u003EGINNY ANDERSEN\u003C/span\u003E: Oh there you go, thank you. \u201CSending someone off to jail for their first shoplifting offence might make society feel good, but if that then sets them on a lifetime path of crime, then I don\u2019t think society has won out of the deal.\u201D That was by the former Minister of Justice the Hon Amy Adams in 2016. Here\u2019s another one: \u201CHaving sat through these panels, they are not soft on crime. The offender certainly has to pay the price.\u201D So it\u2019s great to know that there\u2019s agreement across the House on the fact that having a community response, having an offender work within their community to address the underlying issues of what is driving low-level offending, is actually how you drive transformational change within the justice system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c21f4beb-20c4-4b12-bc6f-fdc931e2dc96\u0022\u003EWhen I first worked on police and sat on these panels and saw how they operated, I can say firsthand that people who would have entered the justice system were prevented from doing so. They provide real opportunity for local autonomy, local communities, local marae to work hand in hand with police and their people to make sure we have positive long-term outcomes for our next generation. I\u2019m proud to be part of a Government that delivers a system that enables that engagement early on and does not resort to just courts and prison as a knee-jerk reaction, instead of addressing the underlying factors that are driving that offending in the first place. I think that is the way we will work forward to have a better New Zealand, and that is what Budget 2021 delivers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022 data-id=\u002242cf3fe341914c9c99fd7c57c5030c87\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002242cf3fe341914c9c99fd7c57c5030c87\u0022\u003EMATT DOOCEY (National\u2014Waimakariri):\u003C/span\u003E Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to this Budget debate. I stand here on behalf of the National Party to oppose this Government\u2019s Budget and to support the Hon Judith Collins\u2019\u2014National Party leader\u2019s\u2014amendment that \u201Cthis House has no confidence in anything this Government promises, because after just four years its track record of failing to deliver, of broken promises, of spin over substance, and of announcements over results speaks for itself.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003ETo bring that amendment to life, I want to focus on mental health. Absolute four years of failure from this Government. If I can begin by the context when this Labour Party was in Opposition: they politicised mental health, they weaponised suicide statistics, they raised expectations with vulnerable New Zealanders, and they got thousands of New Zealanders to turn up to an inquiry and tell their traumatic and heartfelt stories. And what do they do? They kick them in the guts. They announce a lot of funding in 2019, wash their hands and say that\u2019s all. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EWhy do I know that Budget 2021 is an admission of absolute failure in mental health? They\u2019ve raised the white flag. How many times did the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern mention mental health in her Budget speech? None. Zero. De nada. How many times did Grant Robertson mention mental health in his Budget speech? The Minister of Finance\u2014one. The two top people mentioned mental health once. That\u2019s why Budget 2021 for mental health will be known to sweep mental health under the carpet. They don\u2019t want to talk about mental health anymore, because what does a Labour Government do in Opposition? They say, \u201CHere\u2019s a problem: put us in Government and we\u2019ll make a difference.\u201D They promised New Zealanders they would change the mental health system and they have failed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EIn the context of this Budget, they turned up after announcing record amounts of mental health funding in Budget 2019, and just before Budget 2021, as of 30 April, they were supposed to have spent $247 million in new services. They promised vulnerable New Zealanders. And as of that date they were supposed to have spent $247 million. They have only spent $147 million. Already, going into Budget 2021, they\u2019d underspent $100 million. I know New Zealand Association of Counsellors working in secondary care and in DHBs are crying out for funding to respond to the growing referral numbers in response to COVID-19\u2014and they\u2019re not spending the money.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EGrant Robertson has record underspends in his mental health bank accounts. And what was there for mental health in Budget 2021? Nothing. They wouldn\u2019t even mention the word. Nothing for mental health. They don\u2019t talk about it anymore. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003ETomorrow, I will accept a petition from Rebecca Toms from my region of Canterbury\u2014a heartbreaking story. Many New Zealand parents around the country, they\u2019ve got kids with eating disorders. They go in to get treatment and they\u2019re told that their kid is not near death enough to access the treatment service. They went to Andrew Little, the health Minister, and asked for funding. Currently, eating disorder services are funded by a paltry $15 million. If addiction services are poor second cousins to mental health services in New Zealand, eating disorders aren\u2019t even on the radar. Their stakeholder group is voluntary; they get no funding. They went to the health Minister and asked for funding in Budget 2021, just a few million so they can develop a strategy for New Zealand. They got nothing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ee649aea-c6fa-4610-9fcf-5c4bb2d3cd33\u0022\u003EHere we have, I think, the actual epitome of how these guys have absolutely failed. Many will know what I\u2019m going to say, and that\u2019s Mike King handing back his Queen\u2019s honour. He says there is more than enough money in the system. It\u2019s just the incompetence at the top. It is so up the creek without a paddle, it\u2019s ridiculous. Families are suffering. Shame on them for letting down vulnerable New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9b5b0952dfe4d639bd40f3231d3fa6b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9b5b0952dfe4d639bd40f3231d3fa6b\u0022\u003ESARAH PALLETT (Labour\u2014Ilam):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Talofa lava. I\u2019m extraordinarily proud to stand here today talking to what is my first Budget in this House, and what a Budget it is. I was preparing for this speech and I was finding it really hard to find the best bits to talk about, and so I had to really just stick to the bits that were relevant to me. Relevant to me as the proud MP for Ilam, relevant to me as a woman and a healthcare provider, and relevant to me as a breast cancer survivor. But, of course, they\u2019re not just relevant to me; they\u2019re relevant to many, many thousands of other women and other people in New Zealand and beyond.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003ENow, Ilam, where\u2019s the relevance, you might think. Ilam is actually home to Antarctica New Zealand and one of the six bases from which our scientists travel to Antarctica. Now, Scott Base is, as you know, in the Ross Dependency in Antarctica. It\u2019s actually 3,800 kilometres south of Christchurch. It houses world-leading scientists from New Zealand, and they are completing world-leading science in what is an old set of buildings that were in urgent need of upgrade and repair. So our scientists are going to be better equipped in a fantastic new series of buildings that will be constructed in New Zealand and probably, I hope, in Christchurch. They\u2019ll create 170 jobs at the peak of construction and 700 over six years. And that will enable us to continue to understand how climate change affects Antarctica, affects Aotearoa by extension, and the rest of the world. It\u2019s absolutely vital work that we need to continue to support, and, hopefully, in a way that doesn\u2019t mean our scientists are having to stand on the roof to sweep the snow off as they do currently\u2014not ideal in minus 50.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003EAs a breast cancer survivor\u2014moving on\u2014I see a Budget that is literally lifesaving; 3,200 people a year are diagnosed with breast cancer. So, currently, at the moment, our screening programme provided by BreastScreen Aotearoa, who are doing an amazing job, does screen eligible people between 45 and 69 every two years. But it\u2019s an opt-in service. What we\u2019re doing in this Budget is allocating $55.6 million for a major upgrade of our breast-screening programme, which will mean that we\u2019re able to screen 271,000 extra women who are not currently accessing this screening programme. Currently, we have an opt-in programme, so you have to know the screening is available and actually access it yourself. But what we\u2019re going to be doing is using technology to ensure that it\u2019s an opt-out programme, and that\u2019s why so many more women are going to have access to it. This disproportionately affects M\u0101ori and Pasifika women, who are much more likely to be benefiting from this opt-out programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e7bab061-0905-44a1-a4ec-cf89b58a1baf\u0022\u003ESpeaking of lifesaving, more money is being spent by this Government in this Budget\u2014$53 million\u2014as we move into a new test for cervical cancer. Each year, 160 women develop cervical cancer. And I\u2019m noting, as I say that, that I\u2019m standing at the desk of the Hon Kiritapu Allan, who was one of those this year. Kiritapu Allan has been absolutely vocal in her support of cervical-screening programmes and has encouraged all of us to make sure that we do access the programmes that we can to make sure that our cervical screens are up to date. And when I describe this new programme, it\u2019s not to say, \u201CPlease wait for it.\u201D, but to \u201CPlease have your cervical swab now.\u201D, and the screening programme will be rolled out from 2023. The new programme will be self-administered, it will be quick, it will be a swab that\u2019s less invasive and more effective, and it will be preventing 400 additional cervical cancer diagnoses, saving 138 lives over the next 17 years. Of those 138 lives\u2014138 lives will be saved\u2014a third of those will be M\u0101ori, because, at the moment, 61 percent of eligible w\u0101hine M\u0101ori are not accessing our cervical-screening programme. I think that\u2019s because it can be a little invasive and it can be a little embarrassing to go for that smear, but I do encourage everybody wholeheartedly to make sure that they do do that and don\u2019t wait for the new screening programme. Thank you so much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022 data-id=\u0022c12eb76dc7444780b62a76bf94fca71b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c12eb76dc7444780b62a76bf94fca71b\u0022\u003EHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava. Fa\u2018afetai. We all deserve a strong safety net that helps people live with dignity, and that\u2019s why the Greens were so pleased to see in this Budget the increase in income support for New Zealanders living in poverty, in line with the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group. That means 33,000 children will be lifted out of poverty. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EThis Budget has also seen a huge investment in climate-related activities: $2.1 billion. It quadruples the size of the Green Investment Fund to kick-start low-carbon technologies, with an extra $300 million, and there\u2019s been a major commitment in this Budget to recycle the revenue from the emissions trading scheme (ETS) from next year\u2019s Budget into green initiatives. That will mean approximately $3 billion can go towards climate action in coming years, and when the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw, is going to release the climate commission\u2019s final recommendations on 9 June, knowing that all this ETS revenue can be invested in climate action, it is really exciting. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EThis Budget 2021 has been about people. It\u2019s been about investing in people and infrastructure and climate action. Papat\u016B\u0101nuku also needs investment. There was a big increase in funding for conservation in Budget 2018 and in 2019, and then we saw in the COVID recovery package with Jobs for Nature an extra $1.3 billion across four agencies. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EIn Budget 2021, there\u2019s an extra $132 million in Vote Environment for the design, enactment, transition, and reform of the Resource Management Act (RMA), because of the recognition that it has really failed to protect the environment. It is too cumbersome and takes too much time, and, unlike in 1991, when the RMA was passed, there is funding to help with implementation and the guidance that councils will need. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s also $28 million for kauri dieback, to protect the taonga of our kauri forests, but what\u2019s missing in terms of this Budget 2021 is an increased investment in our oceans, in fisheries, and in marine protection. So we haven\u2019t seen that. In the words of the Ministry for Primary Industries, in answer to select committee questions, there is\u2014and I quote\u2014\u201Cno significant change\u201D in the fisheries appropriations as a result of Budget 2021. There are no new policies or outputs, no reprioritisation of funds, and just no change to the outlook. So that is same old, same old, but same old, same old is not delivering for fisheries management. It is not delivering for our oceans. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve got a huge information deficit in terms of fisheries management and big shortfalls in information about fish stocks, about species bycatch, and about ecosystem impacts of fisheries. That\u2019s long been recognised, and it was highlighted by the Prime Minister\u2019s Chief Science Advisor, Dr Juliet Gerrard, in this report about the future of commercial fisheries. But this Budget has no additional funding for fisheries research. That\u2019s despite some fish stocks being in freefall. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EIn 2020, nine fish stocks were reported as collapsed, five were virtually certain to be experiencing overfishing, and two were likely to be experiencing overfishing. We need more funds for stock assessment and we need more funds for that to be done every year. In 2019, only 160 fish stocks had been scientifically evaluated. There were 228 fish stocks that hadn\u2019t been assessed. Those 228 fish stocks account for 30 percent of our commercial catch. Expecting sustainable fisheries management without real-time assessment of those stocks is not sustainable management. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EForty-six percent of our commercial catch comes from bottom trawling. The Budget in 2022 needs to provide for significantly more investment to tackle the impacts that bottom trawling has on beds, the ecosystems, and the habitat. Overseas, there\u2019s been a lot more effort to protect seamounts as biological hot spots, but not here. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s no extra funding in the Budget for reform of marine protection. That may be being done under Fisheries New Zealand\u2019s baseline and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai\u2019s baseline. It is urgent, because the 1971 Marine Reserves Act is outdated. It doesn\u2019t provide adequately for Te Tiriti. It\u2019s focused around protection for scientific research. We need major reform of marine protection, and we need an investment in that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e122e0e6-61c6-4d17-9a79-6ad2ac7d127e\u0022\u003EWe rely on our oceans. They\u2019ve helped protect us from a warming climate, and we need more investment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022 data-id=\u002256940a648c244a3f9eeb30a552543f1a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002256940a648c244a3f9eeb30a552543f1a\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Associate Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava. It is a privilege to speak in this, my first Budget debate as an MP and a Minister. This Budget lays the foundations for coming out of COVID stronger and focuses on securing our recovery. This Budget builds on the strong position New Zealand is in thanks to our world-leading health response to the global pandemic. It means we can tackle long-term challenges like housing, inequality, and climate change. We can take a balanced approach that will create jobs and keep a lid on debt, and we can invest in our infrastructure, lifting children out of poverty, and building a stronger, more responsive health system.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EI do want to take a couple of minutes to highlight some new initiatives that will make a real difference to people. And let\u2019s start with COVID. In this Budget, we\u2019ll see that public health units will receive a $53.2 million investment. That is building on $40 million for public health units in the last Budget. Not many people know the day-to-day work of public health units, but they are the people who respond to all our COVID outbreaks, who do school testing, who coordinate public health responses to every outbreak, who do the contact tracing, and who often coordinate COVID-related activities across the DHB. In addition to this, they are also promoting health in their communities through things such as smoking prevention or improving food environments. As part of this investment, there will be $15.4 million to train 10 additional public health specialists each year. This, plus the Government\u2019s plans to develop a public health agency as part of our wider systems reforms, means that the future of public health in New Zealand post-pandemic is in good heart. We will never need to rebuild our public health infrastructure in the face of a pandemic again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EOther initiatives that are related to preventative health include the HPV testing and breast-screening announcements. Budget 2021 will deliver a better cervical-screening test and a major upgrade to breast screening that will save lives. We\u2019re investing $53 million to implement a new human papillomavirus test, which is the cause of the majority of cervical cancers. As my colleague Sarah Pallett has mentioned, the new test will replace the current smear test, and it will mean that, for 1.4 million eligible women, they will soon have a simple and quick swab rather than an invasive speculum exam. We know from clinical trials conducted in New Zealand that this will increase the number of M\u0101ori and Pacific women who are willing to participate in the screening programme. These are groups that we have traditionally underserved. Our modelling predicts that we\u2019ll detect an additional 400 cancers over 17 years, and save over 138 lives. Around a third of those will be lives of M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EIn breast screening, we are also investing in new technology. We\u2019re building a better register that guides the information technology for our breast screening. As has been mentioned, the opt-in model is currently a barrier to women accessing breast screening and, through the new register, we\u2019ll be able to reach the 271,000 women proactively who currently are not on the screening programme.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EIn the final moments, I want to draw attention to some of the other health and vaccine investments, particularly those that are of interest to seniors. One of the biggest investments\u2014I think it\u2019s underappreciated how important it is\u2014is the $1.4 billion we\u2019ve invested in the COVID vaccination programme, to ensure that a New Zealander can receive a free vaccination. Yes, it\u2019s a massive investment, but it is also an investment that is most likely to save the lives of seniors in New Zealand, and I think that will be one of the biggest impacts that we\u2019ll have on the health of seniors in history. These investments sit alongside other major investments in health, including $200 million for Pharmac, so that New Zealanders can access more medicine, and $100 million for ambulance services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EFinally, we have also put aside money in the Budget for an Aged Care Commissioner, which we\u2019ll be able to provide more details on in the future. There is much more in Budget \u201821 that I could talk about, from the investments in warmer, healthier homes to the major increases in weekly benefit rates. This is a Budget for recovery and that looks out for people in need and tackles our long-term challenges.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00225f90ea3a81634df88360cfeee5f298f8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225f90ea3a81634df88360cfeee5f298f8\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: As I call Erica Stanford, I want to indicate to her that she has less than five minutes because, when there\u2019s 10 minutes to go in the debate, I will call the Minister of Finance in reply\u2014about four minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022 data-id=\u00222a2dadfb80e1414880c890d340507462\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222a2dadfb80e1414880c890d340507462\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD (National\u2014East Coast Bays):\u003C/span\u003E OK. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise to speak in opposition to this Budget 2021, and I don\u2019t think anyone will be surprised about the fact that I\u2019m going to talk about immigration, because when you add it up, all the money that they\u2019ve bailed them out with and the money that they\u2019ve given them, it totals about half a billion dollars. The single overarching purpose of this appropriation\u2014and this is the funny part\u2014is to provide efficient immigration services that generate positive economic and social outcomes for New Zealand. Now, anyone listening to this debate, to me speaking today, who is either an immigration agent, an immigration lawyer, or anyone who has to actually interact with the immigration service, will be laughing or crying, or a combination of both, because they know how broken our immigration system is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s, firstly, just take a look at those words: \u201Cefficient immigration service\u201D. We\u2019ve got residence queues that are the longest we\u2019ve had in history. We\u2019ve got an immigration department that are on a go-slow, producing one outcome in residency a week, where they used to do 1.2 decisions a day. We\u2019ve got an expression-of-interest (EOI) queue being frozen since March last year. We\u2019ve got secret priority queues, split migrant families. All of this is not because of COVID; this started as far back as 2018\u2014they are not allowed to use that as an excuse. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EPoor Minister Stuart Nash had to get up on behalf of Kris Faafoi the other day and talk about the immigration reset, where we\u2019re going to, you know, have highly skilled migrants. Well, if you google \u201Chow to do immigration\u201D, that is pretty much what it tells you on any immigration search. There wasn\u2019t anything new in that speech, and yet everyone flew to Wellington for it, thinking that it was going to be some great announcement, and poor Stuart Nash had to deliver the bad news: there was nothing in it, apart from more anxiety and stress for migrants.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EIf we take a look, the most important thing about our immigration system is to encourage highly skilled migrants here. If we take a look at the expression-of-interest pool that is now reaching 10,000 people, that has been frozen since March last year: 235 doctors are sitting in there, 900 nurses, 543 teachers\u2014one of them at my local high school, Rangitoto College, is a great maths teacher, and she also coaches my daughter at netball; stuck in an EOI queue, thinking about leaving\u2014150 plumbers and electricians. Those are just the registered occupations. If we want to have the very best people, the most highly skilled people, come to New Zealand to help us claw our way out of our economic decline that COVID has caused, then we need to do the best\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022430bf8884368442fa40aac89da9e625b\u0022\u003EHon Carmel Sepuloni\u003C/span\u003E: Take a breath. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226673c586a8d24383bfe2ee9c5ec1a55d\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014and we don\u2019t have the best\u2014I\u2019ve only got four minutes, Carmel Sepuloni, and you know that well; no time for a breath.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EIf we want the best, we have to be the best, and we are currently one of the worst. People think that people want to come to New Zealand to live and work. Right now, they don\u2019t. In fact, the good people we have here, the highly skilled people that Stuart Nash is talking about trying to invite, are already here: they work for our local businesses, they are our teachers, our nurses, our doctors, our IT workers, and they are all looking to leave because they can\u2019t get residency, because they are stuck in a queue that is going nowhere or it is going to take two years or they are split from their families for over 500 days and can\u2019t see their children. Why would they stay here? They are all looking to leave\u2014our doctors, our nurses, our teachers, these good people, these skilled people that Stuart Nash and Kris Faafoi want here in New Zealand. They are already here but they don\u2019t want to be here any more because we treat them so appallingly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EA man I spoke to today who owns a company whose staff are looking to leave, a Kiwi, he said to me, \u201CI am embarrassed about the way we treat our migrants.\u201D We all should be embarrassed about the way we treat them. It is appalling. The immigration system is broken, and here we are spending half a billion dollars on an immigration system that is supposed to be efficient and have good positive economic and social outcomes, but, actually, when it boils down to it, is delivering the exact opposite. We will be watching every single dollar that is spent\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fff4138ad728478a9cc4decd4f1c5aca\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! The member\u2019s time has expired.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022f4d3ac98528d4fabb30d473d65e0642b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f4d3ac98528d4fabb30d473d65e0642b\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I thank all members who have contributed to this debate, including the member who\u2019s just resumed her seat, Erica Stanford, who did, I think, manage some kind of world speed record with her speech. But I do thank her, and all members, and I also thank members in advance for the work that they\u2019re about to do in the Estimates hearings as we go through the full Budget process. It is a very important part of the accountability of Parliament to look through the processes. Some hearings will be better attended than others, as we go through this period of time, but they\u2019re all important and all ones that are going to contribute to the debate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThis is a Budget that I am intensely proud to have presented on behalf of this Government. It is a Budget that builds on the hard work of New Zealanders over the course of the last year and a bit. When I stood up in this House in May 2020, we were facing down a period of significant economic restriction, of a reduction in our GDP that had not been seen before, of unemployment being close to 10 percent, and we can proudly look today at a country where we have overachieved against those predictions, and relative to the rest of the world. We continue to be able to look across the world and see that our strong public health response has enabled a limited amount of restrictions in our economy and has seen us able to operate in a way that other countries are still not able to do. Whatever the other side of the House want to say, we take a look at whatever measure you like, and the Bloomberg Index is the one that is being used by a lot of people\u2014New Zealand sits at the top of that index. That index is not just about our health response, it is not just about the work that New Zealanders did to support one another to get through COVID; it\u2019s also about our economic response.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EI can think of nothing more than that\u2014and this Budget builds heavily on this\u2014in the area of apprenticeship and trade training. I remember sitting in this House after the global financial crisis\u2014in fact, I remember being at a select committee hearing and asking how much money was going into making sure that apprentices could stay in their jobs. The short answer was that money was actually put aside and it wasn\u2019t spent and it wasn\u2019t used, and apprentices got laid off. It meant that when it came time to do the recovery and to do the rebuilds, there were not people trained up to do it. Well, we made sure we didn\u2019t repeat that mistake, and since 1 July last year, as a result of this Government\u2019s policies, more than 100,000 New Zealanders have taken up apprenticeships and trade training for free\u201457,000 of those people are new apprentices. Of that, a third are in the construction industry, an area where we now see a 7.1 percent increase in filled jobs in that sector over the course of the last year. That is the kind of thing that we have been able to do to make sure that we have got through this in a way that is, relatively speaking, better than a lot of the rest of the world.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EBut COVID is not over, and every person who watches the news each night\u2014and tonight people will watch the news and they will see that the lockdown in Melbourne has been extended by another week\u2014will look around the world and see the places that some members of this House have wanted to compare us to, like Vietnam, like Taiwan, and see that those countries have further outbreaks and are now in restrictions and lockdowns. So we need to continue to invest in keeping New Zealanders safe from COVID and in making sure that we continue to play an active role in the economy, to continue to stimulate the economy, because every single economic forecast contains the words \u201Cuncertainty\u201D and \u201Cvolatility\u201D. So that is why this Budget sets a very balanced approach, investing in the areas where it is needed most, but keeping an eye on the future, keeping a lid on debt, and making sure that we are looking out for future generations. The Budget invests heavily in the Government\u2019s number one priority of keeping New Zealanders safe from COVID-19, with $1.5 billion going into a vaccination programme that is ahead of schedule. You\u2019re not going to hear that from Mr Bishop, are you? Ahead of schedule, 9 percent ahead of schedule, 235,000 people fully vaccinated. On this side of the House we know that we will achieve our goal of making sure that every New Zealander who wants it, over the age of 16, is vaccinated. At the same time, we\u2019ll keep investing in the managed isolation facilities, we\u2019ll keep investing in making sure that our border is safe and secure, and this Budget does that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EBut what it also does is it has an eye to the future on the two other priorities of the Government this term: accelerating our recovery and our rebuild, and making sure we get on with addressing those long-term challenges around climate change, around housing affordability, and around child wellbeing. There\u2019s $57.3 billion into infrastructure. This is the pipeline that the infrastructure industry asked for year after year after year under the previous Government, and they did not get it. They got inconsistent, haphazard investment in our infrastructure. Rather, from this Government, what they get is a long-term pipeline. Now, there are constraints in the New Zealand economy at the moment, caused by supply constraint, caused by lack of labour supply, but that means that at least those companies now know where that investment is coming from, and that the Government is prepared to put its money where its mouth is. It\u2019s not about putting out press releases, it\u2019s not about standing in the middle of a field and saying, \u201CThis is where a road\u2019s going to be built.\u201D, and putting no money in; it\u2019s about making sure that that money is actually on the table and ready to be spent. In addition to that is our ongoing investment in skills and in training and the reform of our vocational education system, of looking ahead to a future where New Zealanders have high-paid jobs wherever they live in the country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EIn the time remaining, I do want to focus on the third of those key priorities, and that is the work that we have done in this Budget to improve child wellbeing. I want to congratulate the Minister Carmel Sepuloni for the hard work that she has put in over several years now, in terms of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group and our ability to now be able to respond to further of their recommendations. I heard, in one of the opening speeches in this\u2014actually, I didn\u2019t, I heard about it later\u2014from the Leader of the Opposition, where she used the phrase that this was a \u201Cbroken compass Budget\u201D. It\u2019s not. It\u2019s a \u201Cmoral compass Budget\u201D. It\u2019s a Budget where a Government has got the moral compass back for New Zealand that has been lost over so many generations. We are not creating a world in which people who are living on main benefits are somehow or other going to be flush with cash. We are still expecting a 25 year old person to be able to live on $315 a week. Now, that is a boost, that is going to make a big difference to that person\u2019s life, but that is far, far from being some kind of lap of luxury life that we hear from some members across the House. This is about restoring dignity, and it\u2019s about restoring hope, and the same applies to the reinstatement of the Training Incentive Allowance for degree-level qualifications. It is another thing that is about giving a chance and an opportunity and a hope to those who want to go and get those qualifications and then add to the productivity of New Zealand through doing so. Alongside that, we\u2019ve got additional support around the childcare allowance, additional support around the unsupported child and orphans benefit as well. All of these are things that add on to what we have already done, meaning that New Zealand families will be better off, 109,000 of them, by more than $175 a week since this Government came into office. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThe other two of those priorities are also important. This is the Budget that appropriates the $3.8 billion for the Housing Acceleration Fund, practical work, funding that will go out and build the roads and the drains and make sure that land is build-ready to put those houses on. It\u2019s what local governments asked for, it\u2019s what the private sector has asked for, and it is delivered inside this Budget. It is also a Budget where we finally take some proper steps around M\u0101ori housing, and I do think it\u2019s really important that we note today the work of our M\u0101ori Ministers who are out there at the moment, in our communities, talking to the communities about where we can build houses, where we can repair houses, and give a clear basis for good development for our M\u0101ori communities. The same applies to the work being done in the M\u0101ori Health Authority establishment, also funded in this Budget.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EThen there is the third of those priorities, that are around climate change. This Budget\u2014and I know you, Mr Speaker, will understand this, as somebody who has helped put Budgets together\u2014does something very significant. It says that all of the revenue that we will get through the emissions trading scheme will be hypothecated, recycled into emissions reduction initiatives. This is not something the Treasury\u2019s always a particularly big fan of, but it is something that is important, because if we are truly to deal with an intergenerational issue like climate change, then we must take a step such as this.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003ESo this is a Budget that secures our recovery. This is a Budget that gets the balance right, between making sure we invest where it is needed most while being responsible and careful with the financial management of our country. It is a Budget that starts to get on top of our long-term issues around inequality in our society, around making sure everybody has a warm, dry, safe home to live in, and looks to the future of a low-emissions economy that will produce high-paying jobs. It is a Budget I am immensely proud to have delivered in this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022a34ca6d293644a3a9f35535f0754aa4b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a34ca6d293644a3a9f35535f0754aa4b\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the amendment in the name of the Leader of the Opposition be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022c031c6120aa54884a4451d48b1e8d60d\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 all the words after \u201CThat\u201D be omitted and the following substituted: \u201Cthis House has no confidence in anything this Government promises, because after just four years its track record of failing to deliver, of broken promises, of spin over substance, and of announcements over results, speaks for itself.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 43\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 75\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 65; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAmendment not agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002268bfc92a5d044771af0f1d55a76fc45e\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 the Appropriation (2021/22 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 77\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 65; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati M\u0101ori\u00A02.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 43\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.\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\u003Ca id=\u0022ad47b03c1b914361b3e5683f3734548e\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228c18a984066342c59ae3802551fe86c6\u0022\u003EMaritime Transport (MARPOL Annex VI) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022436f66d8beb447d5a1d9fb3da2015aa9\u0022\u003EInstruction to Transport and Infrastructure Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022 data-id=\u002214ce8962976a4b519074b367bef17a78\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002214ce8962976a4b519074b367bef17a78\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Maritime Transport (MARPOL Annex VI) Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 16\u00A0September 2021 and that the committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting (except during oral questions), during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House, and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House and outside the Wellington area, despite Standing Orders 193, 195, and 196(1)(b) and (c). \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EIf I can just take a couple of moments to speak to the referral motion and why it is that the Government is seeking from the House a shortened report-back date and the other conditions that I have just outlined on this piece of legislation. The driving reason is that we are very keen to ensure that New Zealand can accede to MARPOL Annex VI in early 2022 in line with international commitments that we have made to ensure that New Zealand can benefit from the reduced air pollution that will come from ascension to the treaty and, very importantly, to ensure that New Zealand can assume a credible role in negotiations at the international maritime organisation that will be beginning to occur from that time onwards. Our ability to be able to stand up and say that we have acceded to MARPOL Annex VI is an important part of New Zealand\u2019s ability to engage in a meaningful way in that process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EOnce a bill has passed through Parliament, it will take about three months until the instrument of ascension is deposited for Annex VI for MARPOL to come into force in New Zealand. Therefore, to meet that deadline of around about February 2022, we do need to deposit the instrument of ascension before the end of this year. So, working back, that means that a select committee report-back date by September allows us to have the bill passed at around about that time and for public consultation to carry on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003EI do note, in respect of this piece of legislation, that there has been extensive public consultation over a number of years and that the select committee consideration of the bill occurred between February and June 2020. It received a small number of submissions from interested parties, but the select committee unanimously reported back to the House and recommended that we do proceed with this piece of legislation. So it\u2019s a non-controversial piece of legislation that there is support around the House for. I do note that the proposed report-back date still does allow 3\u00BD months for the Transport and Infrastructure Committee to examine the legislation and take submissions, but it is a reduced report-back date for the reasons that I have outlined previously.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003ESo, in conclusion, given the extensive public consultation that has occurred, given the unanimous nature of the select committee\u2019s examination of the international treaty that this piece of legislation springs from, and given the important need for New Zealand to accede to the treaty by the beginning of next year, I think that the reasons for a shortened report-back date are sound and I look forward to the House\u2019s agreement to that proposal.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u0022c43957cc58c84fcaa688c5915c7301dc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c43957cc58c84fcaa688c5915c7301dc\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the motion be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022 data-id=\u002228247b1ea6e543ffa02763eb94213c10\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002228247b1ea6e543ffa02763eb94213c10\u0022\u003ECHRISTOPHER LUXON (National\u2014Botany):\u003C/span\u003E Look, National doesn\u2019t support the referral motion and it\u2019s very simple: because we\u2019re not following due process and there\u2019s no really compelling justification for it. The first thing that the Minister\u2019s talked about is that, you know, we\u2019ve got a requirement under MARPOL legislation to get it there on time. Well, the question is: why didn\u2019t you bring it to the House earlier? If you thought it was that important, why hasn\u2019t it been done earlier? It just feels lazy, shambolic\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022370df373f2174b03bfccfbf456e5819d\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Not me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002217bc3e68bd1940fda5cd722853f88fc4\u0022\u003ECHRISTOPHER LUXON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014sorry, why didn\u2019t the Minister bring it to the House earlier so we could actually discuss it in time, if that\u2019s the case? I thought James Shaw made a very articulate speech last night and he talked about the urgency around climate change. But we declared a climate emergency; it could have been done the very next day. This legislation should have been done under urgency if we thought it was that important as a result.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003ESo we oppose it because now this is the 34th bill that\u2019s been coming to this House since this Government came to power that\u2019s been under four months in terms of time for us to go through the process, and I think that\u2019s the key issue. So we don\u2019t think there\u2019s an adequate reason. We just think it\u2019s sloppy and lazy and shambolic as to why it\u2019s come here so late. If we believe it\u2019s so fundamental, then why wasn\u2019t it done under urgency? It\u2019s just becoming a practice and a habit that we don\u2019t, fundamentally, think is good for debate in this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003EI have to say, we know the key issue with this Government is, fundamentally, implementation. We know execution is their enemy. Now this Minister\u2019s probably better than the one that delivered the oil and gas ban, but we now deliver an oil and gas ban, we don\u2019t follow through on execution, we import Indonesian coal, and our emissions are up. So we really want to make sure that when we go into understanding\u2014you know, we need to be reassured, given that track record, given this thing is being done with a truncated process, that we actually do answer some specific questions like: what fuel will be available in New Zealand\u2014low sulphur fuel? Who will it be available for? Where will it be available and in what bunker port?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003ESo I think we need time from the officials to understand some of those questions and, again, we see no justification and, again, we\u2019re going against due process. We can\u2019t work out why we\u2019re doing it this way.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022 data-id=\u0022d596018e2e3d4e4d9f258a692c611048\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d596018e2e3d4e4d9f258a692c611048\u0022\u003ESIMON COURT (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E The member Christopher Luxon has raised some valid justifications as to why a shortened or truncated period at select committee is unacceptable. I\u2019ve had advice today from stakeholders that this is a rush to a low sulphur fuel. The case has been made last night that actually it\u2019s not a rush, because the treaty was signed some time in the 1990s. However, we\u2019re talking about New Zealand here, a couple of dozen ships, many which rely on the fuel that\u2019s currently available and manufactured by the refining company in New Zealand, and will have no choice but to switch to\u2014essentially\u2014diesel, at two to three times the price. So at a time when the supply chains are under pressure, where our manufacturers and importers are under pressure, and there\u2019s a risk of all of those costs passing through into the economy\u2014we\u2019re talking about transport bulk cement and bulk solvents and other chemicals around New Zealand, as well as transporting containers and other goods up to the Pacific Islands. All of these shipping companies will be at risk of increased cost pressures that flow through to the wider economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003ENow, it\u2019s clear that New Zealand is about to face a very uncertain energy future. Many of this Government\u2019s policies have been announced on the hoof, potentially by mistake, later backside-covering exercises involving working groups to try to justify decisions taken on the hoof. It seems unreasonable\u2014given all of the risks raised by the shipping industry, by the fuel suppliers, by the refinery, even by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that pointed out New Zealand is woefully short of the strategic petroleum reserves that the IEA requires its member countries to have, those 90 days of storage that New Zealand doesn\u2019t have\u2014that all we are currently holding are IOUs that we might go begging around the world for a few ships to come and save us in the event that we face a supply problem here in New Zealand. It\u2019s not acceptable to refer this bill to select committee for a shortened period of submission and consideration when all of these risks are coming through this very narrow point at one time and the solutions for them\u2014while they might be available, are not available soon, and they\u2019re not available without cost. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003ESo it is for that reason that the ACT Party does not support this truncated and shortened period at select committee and for submissions. In fact, we think, in this case, the full period should be allocated to hear from submitters, to hear from stakeholders, and to give the industry\u2014as well as Government\u2014time to come up with solutions to come up with these important environmental objectives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022 data-id=\u0022d4dd4aa6ea7f4649b66d9d6460d8c46f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d4dd4aa6ea7f4649b66d9d6460d8c46f\u0022\u003EHon JAMES SHAW (Minister of Climate Change):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Green Party supports the referral motion. I just wanted to pick up on a couple of points that the previous speaker, Simon Court, made. He talked about the \u201Crush\u201D to low-sulphur fuels. It\u2019s a rush that has so far taken 25 years to get to this point, given that MARPOL VI was agreed to in, I think, 1996! I think it came into effect in 2002, and we started work on it in this Government at the end of 2017, beginning of 2018. It\u2019s still taken, even with a Government that actually said, \u201COK, let\u2019s get into this thing\u201D, nearly four years to get to this point. So I would say we\u2019re hardly rushing into this, given that that is most of my colleague\u2019s life to get here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227c215736-b512-41de-8f0c-6c5543fcfce7\u0022\u003EI would also say, when you look at the weight of submissions, there were only 48, and that somehow it took two years to process. Forty-four of those submissions, I think, were in favour of the transition, and those were from the industry itself. So what that suggests is that this is an entirely non-controversial process. It is, clearly, carefully considered, given that it\u2019s taken us 25 years to think about it so far! I don\u2019t think it\u2019s the kind of thing that\u2019s going to take an enormous amount of time from the select committee to have to go out and ask all of the same questions that the Ministry of Transport has already asked many times over, in workshops and in submissions processes, and so on and so forth. Therefore, we do support the referral motion. Let\u2019s get this done finally. It\u2019s time to put this thing to bed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u002221b47b085e2a43b9b403609819d8b448\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 the Maritime Transport (MARPOL Annex VI) Amendment Bill be reported to the House by 16 September 2021 and that the committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting (except during oral questions), during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House, and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House and outside the Wellington area, despite Standing Orders 193, 195, and 196(1)(b) and (c).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 75\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 65; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 43\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.\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    \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=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022989892e5d55d4cb8bf107a6a91332cc6\u0022\u003EFair Trading Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022066ca2beac9a4333b5aa4e6b3c27dfd6\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000427\u0022\u003EDebate resumed from 19 May.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022 data-id=\u002233d6aafe450f4fa585809e63926a7f50\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002233d6aafe450f4fa585809e63926a7f50\u0022\u003EHon TODD McCLAY (National\u2014Rotorua):\u003C/span\u003E Point of order. I seek leave for this Fair Trading Amendment Bill to be referred back to the select committee for it to deliberate, produce a report, and forward it to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc419f54517d487a913f0106fcc4dd48\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019ll just take some advice on that. [Pause in proceedings] Leave is sought for that purpose. All those in favour say Aye. There is objection. I call the Hon Todd McClay.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022 data-id=\u0022afe301ac2a8b429b988bb44f9277036b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022afe301ac2a8b429b988bb44f9277036b\u0022\u003EHon TODD McCLAY (National\u2014Rotorua):\u003C/span\u003E A travesty of justice right there and of democracy. You see, the problem is\u2014and I have an email here that says the following\u2014\u201CThe Fair Trading Amendment Bill has been discharged from the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. This is because, although the original schedule for the dissolution of Parliament meant that the bill would be eligible for reinstatement in the 53rd Parliament, the postponement has meant the report-back date of 12 August has now passed.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThis is a piece of legislation that is important. The Government members will stand up in a moment, as the Minister did a few weeks ago, and talk about protecting consumers. They won\u2019t talk about getting the balance right so that those businesses that this legislation should focus on are targeted and affected. They will talk about the things that mean that businesses in New Zealand that function properly, that are running their businesses well and are caring for consumers, will be impacted and there will be a cost upon them. And what we will see from the Minister, I believe, is a significant number of Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs) of amendments to the legislation because the committee was not allowed to finish its work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ENow, I know the Government is in a rush to get things through. That\u2019s why lots of pieces of legislation have come to the House and been rushed through in urgency in a day or two when there was absolutely no urgency at all. But a question to members opposite and to the Minister is: why will he not allow the select committee, or why will Government members not allow the select committee, to do its job properly, to improve the legislation and get it right, if this is so very, very important?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ENow, there could be a reason, and that reason could well be because the Government wants to get this into law so very quickly. But we have now had six months since the election, six months of House time where the committee could have done its job. The committee could have done its job and finished hearing submissions and deliberated and talked to officials and got it right and produced a report, perhaps with amendments\u2014some of the SOPs the Minister will dump in the House so that submitters and members of the public and others won\u2019t have a chance to consider and inform us on. And this, again, therefore, I suppose, will be rushed through. That\u2019s just not good enough, because there isn\u2019t urgency with this. We\u2019ve had six months. It could go back to the committee for just a month to finish the work that would have been done if the last committee, and the chair of the last committee, had been able to get it back, but that hasn\u2019t happened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EHerein lies the problem, because we are going to see significant SOPs. That means the Government knows the legislation as it stands is not going to do the job it needs, or it\u2019s changed its mind, or actually a significant number of submitters from the business sector have been engaged with the Minister, meeting in his office, or going to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the Government realises that, actually, in its current state, it will not do what it wants and it will burden businesses in a way that it shouldn\u2019t, create costs that inevitably will be passed on to consumers. Because, inevitably, every time this Government comes up with a bright idea and they don\u2019t allow a committee to do its job properly, it means costs upon businesses that end up being passed on to consumers. And that\u2019s just not good enough, because this is a Minister who, in essence, hasn\u2019t got this legislation right. He won\u2019t allow it to go back to the committee; so he hasn\u2019t got that right. He\u2019s going to dump significant SOPs on the Table, which means so far that it has not been right. And when I saw him earlier, he hasn\u2019t even got his hair cut right! This is quite important, and the reason for that is it\u2019s going to make significant changes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003ENational supports sensible, transparent, straight-forward regulation that prevents the exploitation of consumers. This legislation doesn\u2019t do that. It\u2019s going to create significant burden upon some businesses where it doesn\u2019t intend to, that\u2019ll make it harder for consumers and will pass on frustration and cost. We don\u2019t support imposing the poorly crafted or ill-defined regulation that is in this bill. I hope, when the Minister comes here and dumps a huge number, a large number, of SOPs, that actually they fix some of these things. But who would know? Because the experts haven\u2019t been able to advise the House, because there isn\u2019t a report from a committee\u2014and I\u2019m not meaning the members of the committee; the experts. We\u2019re the ones that take advice, hear from the public, hear from businesses, and get to question the Minister\u2019s officials to make sure that he is not captured by them. I don\u2019t believe he is, but I can\u2019t see the reason why he won\u2019t allow this to go back to the committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EYou know, one of the biggest challenges with the legislation is that it fails to specify which behaviours would constitute unconscionable conduct. He mentioned this in his speech two weeks ago; this is what the bill is trying to achieve. But by not actually defining \u201Cunconscionable conduct\u201D, what it does is create uncertainty. Businesses won\u2019t know. There will need to be regulation. Whenever there is uncertainty, there is cost. So this isn\u2019t about deciding that there shouldn\u2019t be legislation; it\u2019s that the Government and the Minister haven\u2019t done their job properly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EMuch of what the Minister has said he\u2019s trying to achieve is already covered by legislation that\u2019s gone through this House, the majority of which was when National was in Government. You see, we did a number of things that would ensure that consumers were protected, and, sadly, some of what this Minister is doing he says will protect consumers more but indeed it won\u2019t. What it will do is merely make them feel better but won\u2019t provide any additional support to them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EAs an example, the Minister said it strengthens the ability for consumers to dismiss or prevent door-to-door salesmen from entering their property. They already have the ability to do that under existing law when it comes to consumer rights, and equally around anybody that comes on to your property if you do not want them there. So I don\u2019t know what extra ability this gives consumers they don\u2019t already have, but if the Minister had waited or asked for a report from the committee, he might have known that the committee looked at that in some detail. National will not be supporting this legislation, not because we don\u2019t support consumers\u2014we do\u2014but this legislation won\u2019t achieve what the Minister wants. It won\u2019t protect consumers more. It is window dressing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EThere is one very important point in it, though, that actually needs to be looked at, and if the Minister doesn\u2019t have an SOP drafted on this, he must, because it actually is going to be of great challenge. One of the things he said in the legislation is that it\u2019s not to focus on smaller businesses, and he\u2019s defined this by way of contract. But one of the challenges that he has is looking at the value of smaller contracts. If you look at the insurance industry, actually there can be a contract for underwriting insurance companies which is a very large amount that has no impact on the consumer, because actually it\u2019s not the value in the same way as it would be if somebody purchases something from somebody else. It is just a contract in the case there would be a problem, and the entire insurance industry will have to go and have a look at what it is they\u2019re doing, and they\u2019re considering what the rules are and how this will affect them. There will be great uncertainty, which adds to cost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0f78f60-c2fd-46f4-8138-72f39692fc20\u0022\u003EMore than that, though, I understand the same Minister has another piece of work around reform of the insurance industry, because there is legislation there that certainly needs updating; there is no question on this. So why is he putting his toe in the water to have a little crack at the insurance companies here, which will create uncertainty, won\u2019t provide any more support or protection for the consumer, and as soon as this is through later on come back and actually do the whole insurance industry? It is because the Minister isn\u2019t in charge of this portfolio. He\u2019s not focusing on the things that are important, and what he is not doing is thinking about legislation that actually will have the effect intended, as opposed to just window dressing that creates cost through regulation and uncertainty on business. Because every time you do that for a business, large or small, someone has to pay, and sadly it\u2019s always the consumer, the very man, the very woman that this Minister says he is trying to help and protect with this legislation. We won\u2019t be supporting it in its current form.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022 data-id=\u0022e3db713dc24a409795ec55e1d8a3919c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e3db713dc24a409795ec55e1d8a3919c\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE (Labour\u2014Hamilton East):\u003C/span\u003E Delighted to take a call on the second reading of the Fair Trading Amendment Bill as the chair of a very, very busy select committee. And just to acknowledge the previous speech, there is a Supplementary Order Paper coming from the Minister. And to acknowledge what the previous speaker, Hon Todd McClay, said about the Minister\u2019s haircut, the Minister has a very nice haircut and also a very cost-effective haircut as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThis Government is committed to protecting New Zealand businesses and working closely with New Zealand businesses; that\u2019s what we\u2019ve done over the past four years and that\u2019s what we will continue to do\u2014and protecting consumers from unfair commercial practices. So what I\u2019ll do is I\u2019m just going to outline a little bit around what the bill does and maybe just use a few sort of anecdotes around that. Then, particularly, I wanted to focus in on the aspect around empowering consumers to direct uninvited sellers to not enter property. This bill addresses business behaviour that goes beyond what is commercially necessary\u2014where the little guys have been taken advantage of and consumers are suffering.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EAt times there is a power imbalance within the business world. Over 90 percent of businesses in New Zealand are small businesses\u2014less than 20 employees\u2014and at times those small businesses enter into negotiations with much larger businesses and there is a power imbalance. So what this bill does is, basically, builds on previous work that has been done to ensure that there\u2019s good faith discussions going on and the best outcomes for New Zealand consumers and the best outcomes for all businesses in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThe bill introduces three key changes. The first one is it prohibits unconscionable conduct in trade; secondly, it extends protections against unfair contract terms to business contracts under $250,000 a year; and, thirdly, it empowers consumers to tell uninvited sellers\u2014whether that includes MPs, we\u2019ll maybe find out in the committee stage\u2014to leave their property, including through the use of a \u201Cdo not knock\u201D sticker on the door.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ESo the reason we\u2019re making these changes is because there have been many stories of small businesses who have been bullied by suppliers or by business customers. I just want to give a bit of context around this and a few examples. So one example that we\u2019ve seen, actually, is businesses waiting a long time to be paid for their invoices. Now, the challenges for this are obvious in terms of cash flow. If someone is leading a small business, then the cash flow challenges can be exacerbated because there\u2019s obviously less money within a small business than in a large business. The large businesses can, basically, bully the small businesses by not paying the invoices on time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EA second example is businesses having contract terms changed without their knowledge or consent. Now, this is obviously unfair. One of the fundamental philosophies that we have here in New Zealand\u2014and all New Zealanders subscribe to this\u2014is the aspect around fairness. We believe in a fair society where everyone should have an equal opportunity and an equal right to operate in our society. In this context we\u2019re talking about business and we\u2019re talking about fairness within business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EAnd the third example that we have seen in terms of bullying is businesses being pushed into unfavourable contracts due to a lack of bargaining power or alternatives. And that basically goes to what I was saying before about the power imbalance. The power imbalance does exist\u2014we have to be real around that in terms of we have a diverse range of businesses in New Zealand. And it\u2019s really great that we do, but the reality is we\u2019re always going to have some small businesses, some medium, and some large. Like I said before, the majority of our businesses are actually small businesses here in New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EBusinesses can experience stress, interruption, reduced profitability, and are unable to focus on growth, and we want our businesses to focus on growth. We want our businesses to have the ability to invest\u2014the ability to borrow and to invest capital. But more than that, we want our business owners to be able to lift their heads up and to be able to be visionary. We\u2019ve seen a number of visionary businesses here in New Zealand, and more and more are coming online each day in a whole range of areas. So we don\u2019t want our business owners to be bogged down in these sorts of challenges, and particularly this bullying behaviour. If you look at bullying\u2014I mean, if I think back to sort of my high school days\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002265a27a2029774d4d80c7435598482dea\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Not me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002242d78e856e8f4423887ad2a390213656\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: No, sorry, they\u2019re my high school days, Madam Speaker\u2014I appreciate that. The bullying generally happens when there is a larger person bullying a smaller person. That smaller person then often loses the will to either come to school or to operate, but, more importantly, to have a vision, and we want our small businesses to have vision, to have aspiration, and we\u2019re supporting them to do that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EAs the chair of the select committee, which, like I said, is a very busy and hard-working select committee, I\u2019d like to thank all of the submitters who submitted on this bill. Now, as was previously raised, the submissions took place under the previous chair of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, Jonathan Young, so I\u2019d like to thank Jonathan Young, who is no longer a member of this Parliament, for the excellent work that Jonathan Young did as the chair of this committee in terms of shepherding those submissions through, and there were other members on the committee as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThe committee received 51 written submissions\u2014so there was certainly some interest in this\u2014and heard oral evidence from 20 submitters in hearings in Wellington and virtually over Zoom. Officials considered these submissions in the departmental report. Now, just to highlight some of the submissions that we heard: so we heard a number of submissions on the unconscionable conduct. Some submitters wanted a definition of \u201Cunconscionable conduct\u201D to aid clarity. The list of factors in the bill provide a principle-based approach to help determine what conduct could fall foul of the law. There were a number of submissions on extending unfair contract terms to businesses. Submitters had mixed views on whether the unfair contract terms extension is appropriately targeted. The protections only apply to standards from contracts which aren\u2019t subject to effective negotiation; this limit is for the protections to smaller and more vulnerable businesses who have poor bargaining power and don\u2019t have the resources to identify unfair terms.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to move on to one other point, as I indicated at the start, which is the aspect of this bill around empowering consumers to direct uninvited sellers to not enter their property. So we currently have a situation\u2014and I\u2019m sure that many people who are either watching Parliament TV tonight or are listening at home have had this experience, whereby you are sitting at home, there\u2019s a knock on the door, and somebody comes to sell you something at the door.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e8e16bbf3c2842a98afa7f5607a77e56\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Me?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad8de12e6da646ad87c55057bd3e5eaf\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, Madam Speaker, I apologise\u2014to sell the people something at the door.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a330aaf8f5674523b590c18259c6dacc\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: I don\u2019t want to buy anything.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222c45007bbed041df8cbebb53e4903070\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE\u003C/span\u003E: No, no, no. I was going to sell you some encyclopaedias, Madam Speaker! Ha, ha! A wonderful set of encyclopaedias! And look, in the 1980s and 1990s it really was. Encyclopaedias was sort of the clich\u00E9, and the reality is I know a number of people who have a large range of encyclopaedias in their house because of the sales pitch.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EThese days it can be a whole range of products, but there are many examples of somebody sitting in their house and receiving a knock on the door and somebody at the door trying to sell them something. And then that person then, basically, says to them, \u201CLook, I\u2019m not interested; I\u2019m a little bit busy.\u201D, but the salesperson can often be quite pushy, and it can create a really difficult environment, and pressure is put on consumers, and I\u2019ve experienced that myself, and I know a lot of people have.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003ESometimes these people can be, obviously, very well meaning, and sometimes they can actually be charities. The charities often subcontract someone to do the selling for them. But the reality is that there is an aspect of pressure that is often not welcome. Sometimes that pressure, like I said before, can come from members of Parliament. I know myself when I\u2019ve knocked on doors previously and I\u2019ve seen the sign \u201CDo not knock\u201D on the door. What does that mean for a member of Parliament? I\u2019m not sure. Maybe someone else might have an opinion on that. I actually have been bitten twice on a doorstep by dogs, Madam Speaker, not by constituents, but I have been bitten twice by dogs\u2014I didn\u2019t learn the first time, but it is very important when someone does go to a door that they don\u2019t put extra pressure on the person who opens the door.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003EI could tell a number of extra stories to illustrate what this bill does, but I see that my time is coming to an end so, unfortunately, I will not be able to tell any further stories about the door-knocking aspect. I wholeheartedly commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u00229b21114a07cf44a79d60e2606b3ce9fc\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229b21114a07cf44a79d60e2606b3ce9fc\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: The time has come for me to leave the chair for the dinner break and the House will resume at 7 o\u2019clock.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 5.59 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u0022c3348151a4724388a3e9fc2a17e4af16\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c3348151a4724388a3e9fc2a17e4af16\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: The House is resumed. When the House rose for the dinner break, we were commencing the second reading of the Fair Trading Amendment Bill, and the next call goes to National. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022 data-id=\u0022d56ddbd6380548ae82fc0221c4899d08\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d56ddbd6380548ae82fc0221c4899d08\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. The previous speaker, Jamie Strange, made a comment about the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, saying how it was a hard-working select committee and that we worked really well, and I have to say that, actually, we do. However, the issue at hand is that the Fair Trading Amendment Bill, which is now currently before the House at its second reading, has not even completed the due process. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EEarlier, my colleague the Hon Todd McClay took a point of order to try to return this bill to select committee, because what had happened was that when the select committee in the previous Parliament was considering this bill, we had\u2014I think Jamie Strange mentioned\u2014more than 50 submissions on this bill. Not all of the submissions were even heard and the select committee did not even consider the departmental report, and I am unsure how the Minister can actually claim that this bill has gone through proper process in this House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThis House is about listening. This thing that I\u2019m talking about is democracy, and there is such a terrible injustice when good people in New Zealand make submissions to select committees for a particular piece of legislation\u2014they want their voices heard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThe Minister has actually said that there will be lots of SOPs\u2014Supplementary Order Papers. What that means is that he himself recognises that this bill does not fit what a good bill is supposed to be. That means there are major issues with the bill that is currently before this House that we are debating if it has to have Supplementary Order Papers. One of the questions that I\u2019d like to ask the members opposite is that since the last election, we have now had six months of House time: why could the Government not have returned this bill to select committee so that we could have had plenty of time to go through the process of actually examining the bill, looking at the submissions, talking to the officials, examining the departmental report that they were going to produce, and actually considering making changes to the bill? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EIn the previous incarnation of this House, the Commerce Committee worked really well, and that was before the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, when members of the Opposition as well as the Government\u2014all of the parties\u2014were involved, and I have to commend all of the members who did that. Through the submissions process, there were some suggestions that a certain bill actually get changed, and the thing that was really lucky was that the Minister who was responsible for the communications portfolio was the Hon Amy Adams. I, as the chair, approached the Minister and said that there was a submissions process and there were some suggestions through the submissions process by submitters that certain aspects of this bill change, and she was really open to it. She had given the select committee the opportunity to completely redraft the bill, and that was one of the major highlights of my chairing a select committee. I think every single member who took part in that process, from right across this House, would agree that that\u2019s how a select committee is supposed to work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThe process in this particular instance\u2014I will read the email that I received from the former clerk, who said, and I\u2019m quoting part of it, that \u201CThe Fair Trading Amendment Bill has now been discharged from the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. This is because although the original scheduling for the dissolution of Parliament meant that the bill would be eligible for reinstatement in the 53rd Parliament\u201D\u2014that means we didn\u2019t actually finish the work, and it would have been reinstated when Parliament resumes. But because there was a delay in the process of the election, the actual end date for reporting back came up on 12 August. That means that that had actually passed, and that means this bill had to be returned to Parliament and it doesn\u2019t have an opportunity unless this House sends it back to a select committee, and it should have been sent back to a select committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EThere are aspects of the bill where this bill amends the Fair Trading Act of 1986 and I think Jamie Strange mentioned something which talked about how, as a member of Parliament, we also doorknock, and if there was a sticker saying \u201CDo not knock\u201D, what would that actually mean to us as a member of Parliament. It actually shows that as chair of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, he doesn\u2019t actually understand the bill, either, and it should have been sent back so that all of the new members could get to grips with this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EWe are not opposed to protecting the consumer rights. We are wanting to protect consumer rights, but the thing is that this bill should have gone through the right process so that it could be examined properly and returned to this House for recommendation so that the bill could have been changed. Now we have to deal with it as an SOP, and I haven\u2019t seen the SOP and I\u2019m not sure if we can actually support it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EOne of the submitters, Business New Zealand, said\u2014and I will quote what they said\u2014\u201CIt would be fair to say that addressing this issue has been a lengthy and repetitive process and we have consistently made the point there must be clear evidence of a significant problem before any of the changes proposed are enacted. At no stage during the process\u2014now lasting around 16 years\u2014have we had any clear evidence yet despite this, issues apparently already dealt with have now resurfaced. This raises the obvious question\u2014what has fundamentally changed? Despite exhaustive issues and discussion papers over time, we still remain perplexed as to why these same issues keep coming up when no legitimate problem has been clearly identified.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003EOne of the things that I am really confused about in this bill is when they talk about a specific terminology\u2014\u201Cunconscionable conduct\u201D\u2014which most submitters actually objected to, because the bill does not define what unconscionable conduct is. Nobody wants people to be cheated out of their good savings or anything, but the thing is that it has to be narrowly defined, in my opinion. Unfair conduct such as the use of pressure tactics, deception, or targeting vulnerable people, which some of the other speakers have talked about, is something that we certainly do not want in New Zealand, and we need to protect the consumers. But we already have laws that protect them, and these laws are already in place. I don\u2019t think that this law, this piece of legislation, is good enough work, and I oppose this bill. Thank you, Madam Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022 data-id=\u00220297290a870f4d2faebceb4fceea669d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220297290a870f4d2faebceb4fceea669d\u0022\u003ENAISI CHEN (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E This bill will be remembered in this House as being a bill that\u2019s brought out many ironies. First of all, let\u2019s set the record straight. Jonathan Young was the chair of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation (EDSI) Committee when this bill was referred to select committee\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c3e485172dc24973a6a8ecc116e943ca\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Good chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a34e7050c3b84d61b9a3291090be44ca\u0022\u003ENAISI CHEN\u003C/span\u003E: Maybe not as good as you, Melissa, because what happened was he had six months to write the report and he had six months to direct the work of that select committee to finish this report on such an important bill, but did he? No, he did not and, unfortunately for him, my good colleague here has taken over the good electorate of New Plymouth and so we have an even better chair this year, Jamie Strange, chairing the EDSI Committee, making sure that we stay on schedule.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003EThis bill had six months in select committee. What happened was that they did not arrange for the submitters to make their oral submission in time, before the time that this bill was due, and what happened was that our officials from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) had to end up writing the departmental report for this bill. What they did\u2014and credit to them\u2014they actually went through all of the written submissions and actually included their opinion into their departmental report, which we have at the moment. There had been already 20 oral submissions that Jonathan Young got to, but there were still a lot left. But what happened was that they did submit written submissions so we have them here in the departmental report here today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003EYou know what I said\u2014that this would be a bill that brings out many ironies. I was actually reading Hansard about a month ago on this bill. Do you know what Jonathan Young said when he got up to speak\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b3fb6f8dd414405b8dac1bfef587e5e9\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Not me. Order! Order! Not me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022326a4d5619e446ed9e49d2ee54a9e6b5\u0022\u003ENAISI CHEN\u003C/span\u003E: Excuse me, Madam Speaker. When Jonathan Young got up to speak on this bill in the first reading, he said, \u201CI am so pleased it\u2019s coming to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee.\u201D and then\u2014blah-blah\u2014\u201CWe have had such a light workload\u201D\u2014blah-blah-blah\u2014and then he said, \u201Che can have assurance that we will do the job unbiased. We will do it professionally.\u201D Did he? No, he didn\u2019t. He had six months to complete this bill, to hear all of the submitters. Technology\u2019s an amazing thing\u2014we did go through COVID\u2014he could have called them on Zoom. He did some of them but he didn\u2019t finish all of them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003EWhat I would like to turn to now is actually the substance of this bill. Like I said, irony prevails in the way that the National Party has handled this bill. I still remember my colleague Dr Deborah Russell when she first spoke on this bill. She said it was incredibly ironic how the National Party would not be voting for a bill that actually supports small businesses here in New Zealand. This bill was designed so that small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) would have a fair opportunity to do business here in New Zealand, so that they didn\u2019t have to stand up to the big companies and actually be bullied into contracts that were unfair for them. So this is a situation where we find often small businesses in the situation of David and Goliath\u2014when they had to take a contract because maybe the bigger company was their sole supplier, it was their only source of business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003EBut we want to make sure that New Zealand remains one of the best places to do business in the world. We\u2019ve retained that reputation. We want that to continue, to last into generations, and so that is why we have to legislate this bill, to make sure that businesses in New Zealand can do it fairly so that they\u2019re not bullied, like in the report where we\u2019ve seen that 45 percent of businesses get bullied when they\u2019re actually doing business. We know that they are. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003ESMEs are the fundamental foundations of our economy as we look at recovering from COVID-19, and what a great Budget we have to do that, to lead us into that. We need our small to medium enterprises to be able to feel safe while doing that, to be able to write and get into fair contracts while they\u2019re doing that. They need to make sure they have the support of this House, of this Government. That\u2019s why I am proud to be in a Government that looks out for small businesses to make sure that no one gets bullied when they\u2019re just doing business in this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003EThere\u2019s a third part that I think is really, really important that I would really love to talk about, which is the doorknockers or the people that come up and do door-to-door selling. As someone who comes from a migrant community, can I just reflect on a very personal note that they are actually very scary for people who might not speak fluent English. They don\u2019t know who\u2019s at their door. They might not understand the whole entire context of why they\u2019re there. And often the tactics they use in order to sell their products are quite pushy or sometimes even quite abusive. And in that way, I think this bill will actually set the safeguards for all communities to be able to feel safer in their own homes so that they will not get bullied into buying things; so that for fear of their own safety they will not have to agree to spend ridiculous amounts of money in order just to get someone away from their front door. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard of the example of encyclopaedias. I\u2019m sure many who are listening to Parliament TV tonight will be looking at their collection of encyclopaedias at home and reminiscing about the time when they were forced or they were bullied into having to buy that set. So today, as we talk about this bill, as we get on with actually legislating this bill, we are looking out for consumers in New Zealand so that they actually feel safe in their own homes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022cc477162-e622-4c94-add7-36a586729e51\u0022\u003EWe know that in New Zealand doing business is extremely important. That\u2019s why in this bill we have to actually achieve the right balance. We\u2019ve talked about that and MBIE, our department, has done so well in trying to balance that, and we know that that balance will be further achieved with all of the Supplementary Order Papers that the Minister will bring about, because we are actually trying to do the hard mahi that was left out by the select committee of the last Parliament. I think this bill is really, really important in terms of protecting our businesses, protecting our consumers, protecting everyday New Zealanders, but also protecting our economy so that we have the right climate for businesses to be attracted to New Zealand\u2014even for the incentive to actually be able to start off businesses, because we all know that businesses start off small. Every business, even the large ones that we see that have prospered in New Zealand, they started off small, and we want to make sure that they have a fair go in our economy and we want to make sure that the law actually protects them and makes sure that they get given a fair chance. And so that is why I\u2019m commending this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022 data-id=\u00225150f3cf6cf048aba5fdae164d7982af\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225150f3cf6cf048aba5fdae164d7982af\u0022\u003ERICARDO MEN\u00C9NDEZ MARCH (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Speaker. I rise to make a brief and succinct call on the Fair Trading Amendment Bill. Look, I support the intent of the bill and the direction it\u2019s taking to clamp down on unfair practices and protect consumers, and I think this bill makes a commendable move towards ensuring that our consumers are better protected from unfair practices.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003EI wanted to touch on one of the submissions that was co-written by Beryl Anderson and Sue Kedgley, one of our former Green members of Parliament, from the National Council of Women of New Zealand. They felt really strongly about clause 9, which is around the directions to leave premises or not enter premises. I acknowledge that, as Naisi Chen mentioned, there are communities that are actually far more vulnerable and feel much more targeted by door-to-door salespeople, and this includes women, people who do not speak English, people who are disabled, and so I do think that the intent of this bill to safeguard and protect consumers is really important. I think back to a time where I\u2014in between being a student and finding a more permanent job\u2014took a very, very brief stint as a door-to-door salesperson for an electricity retailer. I have to say that the experience was so uncomfortable, because you were encouraged to actively try and get into someone\u2019s home and to be as coercive as you could to get that commission. And I think about the fact that we\u2019ve created a culture where companies are incentivised to push workers towards unsafe situations that ultimately put our households into unsafe situations. So I think the intent of this bill, in terms of protecting consumers and actually making sure that our companies are not also putting workers in a situation that is not safe, is really important and a really key move to ensure that the way that we conduct commerce does not put people in danger.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003ESue Kedgley also noted some of the imbalances between big businesses and smaller retailers that clause 6\u2014inserting new section 8\u2014aims to address, in terms of ensuring that there\u2019s some safeguards to ensure that small businesses that feel like they\u2019re targeted have avenues to deal with that. One of the examples they made was around supermarkets penalising suppliers because they promote or sell products to other retailers. I think the example in the supermarket industry and in the food industry is a key one where this bill will, hopefully, ensure that smaller retailers who work around food are not at the mercy of big supermarkets in terms of unconscionable practices. And that\u2019s something that has been raised for many, many years. So while we can litigate time and time again what unconscionable conduct is and we can work, hopefully productively, across the House to put really strict definitions around it, ultimately I think the key call from the communities has been that big retailers and companies that engage in door-to-door sales have had far too many powers and that consumers have not been well served by our legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003ESo while I hear comments from members from the other side of the House around the process and I hear some qualifications around, perhaps, where some of the gaps may have occurred, I think there is an opportunity none the less to work towards progressive legislation that helps protect our consumers. So we commend this bill at its second reading. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022 data-id=\u0022d1c094d8c01c4691b85974daa16536dd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d1c094d8c01c4691b85974daa16536dd\u0022\u003EDAMIEN SMITH (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Before I start this speech\u2014Mr Nash and Mr O\u2019Connor might be able to relate to me\u2014but the Encyclopaedia Britannica was a very useful tool for the four kids that were in my family, and, actually, it\u2019s where I first saw a picture of New Zealand. So I think we shouldn\u2019t really defame the pre-internet literature that was available to us at the time, and it served us well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003EMr Strange made a very strange speech, and there\u2019s some very strange behaviour going on this evening. I think the last committee and this committee probably failed to define \u201Cunconscionable conduct\u201D in a way that gives confidence to consumers and business. We need to ensure that there\u2019s a well-functioning market\u2014you know, you can\u2019t just go to a tribunal or to the court for any old reason at all. There are some examples in the press today about a painter with a $16,000 quote for a two-bedroom house, deemed outrageous by the disputes tribunal, and it would be classified as four statements: outrageous, not unconscionable, but potentially unfair. So this is the sort of area and zone that we\u2019re in. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003EWe\u2019d love to support this bill; we just can\u2019t see how the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee has actually done the job of defining what is accurate around unconscionable conduct. We don\u2019t think it\u2019s sufficiently formed to provide clarification. Even the Citizens Advice Bureau have said that they think it\u2019s unnecessary and that unfair or bad conduct is deemed as acceptable in terms of the types of cases that even they see. So we should all look at this and maybe send it back to the select committee and just be sensible about it. I know there\u2019s obviously a massive majority on the other side, but maybe this is one where we actually go: \u201CRight. Let\u2019s just take this back and do a bit more work.\u201D I\u2019m sure Mr Webb would agree with me. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003EThe one thing about New Zealand is that it does, in the Commerce Act, have a web of protection already for contract terms and conduct around various Acts. There are several tests there that actually protect both a consumer and a business relationship and a business to consumer relationship. So we\u2019re sort of reinventing the wheel a little bit here. Even when the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment sought submissions around this, there were only about 50 percent of businesses that actually thought it was an issue that was sufficient enough to want to change the law. It is going to cause confusion and a lot of court time\u2014a lot of resolutions that will have various different opinions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003ENow, I\u2019ve actually got a definition from the Australian consumer commission, which we could use tomorrow, but it still isn\u2019t applicable in some contexts to the New Zealand marketplace. But one exists, and I don\u2019t understand why it\u2019s not actually in the bill. Surely that should be one of the precursors of doing that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003ESo the elements of the bill, \u201Cunconscionable conduct\u201D\u2014the other big area that I think we\u2019re all missing is just on the small contract terms. The transport industry made a very good point in the submissions that $250,000 wasn\u2019t actually enough to help them, given the nature and size of their contracts, and they recommended that $500,000 be the best-case scenario. I think we should really take that into consideration because the size of transactions by various industries does vary. But given the fact that transport and haulage is such a major issue in this country, a load in the back of a truck or some dispute has a significance, more than some of the monetary sums that are in this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019d like to get the officials to consider that the threshold to define \u201Cunconscionable conduct\u201D\u2014you know, when you compare it to \u201Cunjust\u201D or \u201Cunfair\u201D, it\u2019ll take a large effect on what is happening in terms of harmful conduct, and the lawyers will have a field day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003ESo the financial markets, the Citizens Advice Bureau, the supermarkets, everyone is challenging the reason for this, and we need to do, I think, a better job around this bill. So we can\u2019t impose this on business dealings. Let\u2019s be sensible. We don\u2019t want to create chaos in the market. We don\u2019t want to actually do something that distorts day-to-day relationships with people who enter into contracts together. And we don\u2019t need to put any natural bias into what is something that the commerce Acts already protect. So I\u2019d like to recommend that we go hand in hand with industry, with consumers, and take New Zealand with us on this one, because I think we\u2019re sort of imposing, as politicians, something that\u2019s overly dramatic. We\u2019d like the bill to go back to the select committee and then we\u2019d like to review. And if the bill is needed or not needed, we should get it right. But at the moment, the status quo would probably be a preferable option to what is being proposed at the moment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a97e1705-20b1-4844-8140-1090426c1397\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019d like to offer a comparison to the Australian market, which hasn\u2019t seemed to have been done particularly well. And just to put it into context, we\u2019re not talking about massive transactions here; you know, it could be a rental lease, it could be a franchise condition, it could be something that does involve door-to-door selling, but, let\u2019s be honest, the amount of door-to-door selling that\u2019s going on is very little now, and there are probably more problems, actually, on the internet. I also think that, with regards to direct selling, there is nothing wrong with that industry. It has a set of rules around it, and people make a living that way. So in that sense, ACT can\u2019t support the bill as it stands at the moment, but we\u2019d certainly be open to review at such a time as the definition was more clear. Thank you, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022 data-id=\u0022f43d61cd468d4b599152bc7451d1e2d7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f43d61cd468d4b599152bc7451d1e2d7\u0022\u003EHELEN WHITE (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Madam Speaker. I rise in support of this bill, and I would like to try and make this a genuine discussion, so I want to actually try and respond to some of the comments that you\u2019ve made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c385cf65f0e486090dc6d07fd220dbd\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Not me. Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ebb2457dcc434dab8a07421735f5f79e\u0022\u003EHELEN WHITE\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, the member Damien Smith has just made.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EI worked as an employment lawyer for a long time, but I did law generally, and one of the gaps that I saw in the law is going to be filled by this bill. Because what we had was a situation where we started to understand the vulnerability of an employee, but we ignored the vulnerability of the fledgling companies that were actually the same employees trying to live their own life on their own terms. They got crushed by bigger companies that use these kinds of tactics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003ENow, one of the case law points that I think is interesting is a case that was about Home Direct. With Home Direct what they did was they set up a standard contract, which would be covered by this bill, and the standard contract had in it that people who bought the goods at the door would actually sign up to pay for the goods over quite a long period of time. When they\u2019d finished paying in full for the goods, which were at an inflated price, the contract had in it a point which meant that they actually continued to pay. They paid and that money went straight to Home Direct. In exchange for that, they got vouchers. So if they did not use their vouchers to buy goods from Home Direct within 12 months that was forfeited. That cost people in this country $600,000-plus in one year, and that was just for the vouchers that were forfeited, not for the people who spent their vouchers. That is an unconscionable kind of agreement. It\u2019s actually something that\u2019s well defined in this Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003ESo what the purpose is of having a definition over something like this, a very general definition, is the same purpose that you get with something like good faith. So a concept like good faith got introduced, it was a general concept, but it came in on a wave of people\u2019s thinking and case law. The same is true here. There is a lot of case law in Australia on what unconscionable conduct is. There is actually a very good formula in this bill. There are eight points which you can look at in the bill, and there\u2019s a catch-all so you can actually go\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b556984db07b4d92a2235e339c7bae29\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022748ad1237a8d4cc28e11d80b114b32d3\u0022\u003EHELEN WHITE\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry, I apologise, Madam Speaker. So if you go through this bill you will find those eight points. Sorry, the member will find those eight points actually point the way to the kind of conduct which I doubt the member thinks is acceptable. Those things are all looked at by a court and balanced. Actually, if there is something new that a new instigator comes across, because people are very inventive in the way they will track others, then actually this law allows the law to evolve. So it will catch the situations where people are being exploited.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003ENow, I want to talk about the fact that this law actually moves to an area where it looks at businesses that are basically doing business at about $250,000 a year. It is absolutely right, as the Green member said in his speech, that we have all seen this for a long time. We have known that our big supermarkets, for example, hook in a supplier, get them into a situation where they\u2019re now dependent upon that supermarket chain, and then they actually just continue to erode and erode and erode the amount that they\u2019re paying the supplier. It actually brings those people, those businesses and their families, to their knees. They\u2019ve often actually invested in huge amounts of equipment to make something. They might have created a new form of jerky. They may have brought a new form of yoghurt. They need our help and support in getting a fledgling business off the ground. They need to be supported for all our sakes because they are our innovators. They are the people who will actually make this country stronger, and they actually need to be seen and recognised for what they are, which is vulnerable. They are also creative. They are also interesting, and they need our support.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EActually, a party like ACT would be likely to be able to see that if it looked at what the purpose of this bill is. The purpose of this bill is to actually do several things at once. It is a purpose that is set out by the Minister as promoting competition and protecting the people we have and protecting businesses against unfair practices. So it\u2019s always about promoting competition. Those things are not in tension. They complement each other.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EWe need to nurture our small businesses and our people, and this law does this. It is not OK to delay payments, to unilaterally add duties and cost to businesses. It is not OK to blackmail them, and it is not OK to bully them. The word \u201Cunconscionability\u201D will grow in the minds of New Zealanders under this law. And we will all understand that that is not just good business, it is not hard business, it is unconscionable behaviour, and so I\u2019m very proud of that term.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EThe term \u201Cunconscionable\u201D here, just to drill down a bit, if you go to the bill you can see that it involves the balancing of what about the conduct that is not necessary. It is not appropriate. So it\u2019s always looking at is this a necessary term? And if we go back to the Home Direct example we can see how that applies. Because was it necessary for a company selling a good to somebody in their house to sign them up for a contract which actually meant that they were getting their money after that purchase had been completed? Was that necessary? Was it appropriate? It was neither. And so when you look at the actual terms you will see\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a355b0ddb5964d4bb7ee832c34c81661\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Ahem!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f33bd917054c453f897152b044630e79\u0022\u003EHELEN WHITE\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014sorry, I apologise, Madam Speaker. I will get used to it and change my habits.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003ESo the bill actually talks about the eight factors. The eight factors that the bill will involve are assessed as \u201Cthe relative bargaining power of the person engaging in the conduct\u201D. It will be a matter of looking at the person and whether they have bargaining power. So if it\u2019s a supermarket and a supplier there\u2019s an obvious issue here. \u201CThe extent to which the trader and an affected person acted in good faith:\u201D. Again there is an importation of a terminology which actually has become commonly understood in New Zealand through the case law. \u201CWhether, taking account of the particular characteristics and circumstances of an affected person, the affected person or the affected person\u2019s representative was reasonably able to protect the affected person\u2019s interests:\u201D. Again, we\u2019re talking about the particular person and their vulnerability. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003E\u201CWhether the person was able to understand the documents that were provided, (e) whether the trader subjected an affected person to unfair pressure or tactics or otherwise unduly influenced\u201D that person. Again, the whole idea of \u201Cundue influence\u201D is something that as lawyers we know and understand, and it would be very, very good if one of the ethics that we grew in the society was not to unduly influence. Whether the trader failed to disclose to \u201Can affected person\u2014(i) any intended conduct of the trader that might adversely affect the affected person\u2019s interests:\u201D, or any risk that that has to that person. So that\u2019s about saying to somebody, \u201CThis is the risk you\u2019re taking. This is what you\u2019re actually doing.\u201D That\u2019s actually about informing them, and that\u2019s a very important thing. It\u2019s very, very well-established in other parts of the law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EWhat we\u2019re doing in this bill is we are changing the way that people think about these things. This is no longer legitimate, hard conduct. This is us all learning to live in a society where there are big multinationals, where there are sophisticated characters out there who will actually take out their competition, who will actually do that if we do not actually have decent rules for a decent way of managing those relationships. And so I am absolutely proud to commend this to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022 data-id=\u00226fece4151d704845a3a4dc855a9357f5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226fece4151d704845a3a4dc855a9357f5\u0022\u003EJOSEPH MOONEY (National\u2014Southland):\u003C/span\u003E It is my pleasure to rise this evening on behalf of the National Party, and as the member of Parliament for Southland, to speak on the Fair Trading Amendment Bill. The National Party opposes this bill. The National Party supports sensible, transparent, and straightforward regulation that prevents the exploitation of vulnerable consumers, increases trust, and lowers transaction costs. That is why the last National Government amended the Fair Trading Act 2013 to streamline and simplify regulations, decrease the compliance burden on businesses, while developing a fair trading environment for consumers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EUncertainty created by poorly crafted legislation, on the other hand, is effectively a tax on small businesses. Labour needs to understand that increasing uncertainty and piling cost on to businesses will end up hurting the very consumers that they think they are helping. New Zealand needs a Government that is focused on removing unnecessary or burdensome regulations and allowing Kiwi businesses to survive and thrive; not one that\u2019s hell-bent on piling on ever more rules, directives, costs, guidelines on businesses. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EWe already have laws in place that can be used to prosecute those who do try to exploit vulnerable consumers. What Labour seems to fail to understand is that every time they introduce a new rule, they are creating additional costs for businesses, in particular small businesses, and ultimately harming the consumers they think they are protecting. Without defining the definition of \u201Cunconscionable conduct\u201D, what they\u2019re, effectively, doing is they\u2019re creating work for lawyers. And having been a lawyer, I can say this: there\u2019s going to be a lot of litigation over the terms of this Act and this definition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EWe look through some of the factors that the court can take in regard, in determining what\u2019s unconscionable conduct, and we see \u201Cwhether an affected person was able to understand any documents provided by the trader:\u201D. Well, how is a small-business owner going to possibly figure out whether someone understands their documents or not? That\u2019s placing an unnecessary, onerous, and subjective burden on small businesses.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003ELet me just speak to small businesses, who this will affect the most. Small businesses are the engine room of New Zealand\u2019s economy. In fact, 97 percent of all New Zealand\u2019s businesses are classified as small or medium sized businesses. They employ nearly a third of New Zealand\u2019s workers and they generate more than a quarter of our economic output.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002210938376283043ddaff8fb346e1f73c6\u0022\u003EHon Stuart Nash\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a67bbd7254504ab1bc45e8dcc44eccfa\u0022\u003EJOSEPH MOONEY\u003C/span\u003E: Simply put, as Mr Nash will know, what happens to small businesses matters, in this country. When they thrive, our economy thrives. When our small businesses suffer, our economy suffers, and right now they are suffering. Most small-business owners are under immense pressure and are working hard just to make sure their businesses survive. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EIn fact, even today I\u2019ve received a letter from a small-business operator who is not able to get more employees because this Government has decided to clamp down on immigration settings. Some of his employees have left because the visas aren\u2019t being rolled over in time. He can\u2019t get more, and he\u2019s asking me, \u201CI\u2019m starting to wonder if it\u2019s even worth keeping on going.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EAnd this bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002284103ccc85b34725af26d255bca60160\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: Tell him to pivot\u2014pivot your business!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f8def00674f74695a5d9de5b3525edc0\u0022\u003EJOSEPH MOONEY\u003C/span\u003E: Just pivot your business\u2014find something else! It isn\u2019t going to work, and this is a classic case of why this Government does not understand what small businesses need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c266afbc9c24e3ba22ebdae566b2e5e\u0022\u003EHon Stuart Nash\u003C/span\u003E: Come on, Joseph. You\u2019re better than that, mate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4150c98764f4425819cc1f8b2665323\u0022\u003EJOSEPH MOONEY\u003C/span\u003E: I have been in small business, Mr Nash. I have worked past midnight many nights in a row, and I\u2019ve had to deal with regulations and try to keep the business operating, try to keep my people paid, try to make sure the bills are paid, and I know how tough these regulations are. And if you\u2019re a small-business owner, you are operating on very small margins. You do not\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222a49c485ee49412b8f441e166b782464\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Not me. Order! Not the Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022242359f1f86e494eba61266447754553\u0022\u003EJOSEPH MOONEY\u003C/span\u003E: My apologies, Madam Speaker. When one is a small-business owner and is working usually very long hours, usually paying oneself last, and you have all these regulations that one has to comply with, it is incredibly difficult. One does not have the resources that a larger business has to figure out how to comply with all these regulations. This is a classic example of uncertain law that will place more compliance costs on small business and make it, frankly, harder for small business operators to operate. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EThis is irresponsible of this Government not to take into account the impact its regulations are having on small-business owners, so I do not commend this bill to the House. I would recommend the Government take a look at this and provide some certainty to our small-business operators, who are employing about a third of New Zealanders and are making sure that this country keeps going.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u002221b7808ebb6644aaba64de04e4348890\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002221b7808ebb6644aaba64de04e4348890\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe, Madam Speaker. A pleasure to rise and stand here and take the call that the M\u0101ori Party would take, should they choose to, but once again they choose not to. I do find it extraordinary that a party that claimed, or the leader that claimed in his maiden speech, to be speaking on every piece of legislation in this House, to scrutinise it from a M\u0101ori perspective, has once again chosen not do so.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EBut over here, we heard from Mr Mooney, and the irony of hearing the usual National Party lines around small business and freedom from regulation when this bill\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b3dca98c5d446e1969465ab9047b4b2\u0022\u003EJoseph Mooney\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The member used the word \u201Clies\u201D and that\u2019s not parliamentary language.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022163994540ee64abaa38440e2a9efaf06\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Did the member take offence?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022125081afcfe942f293bed629aa6570aa\u0022\u003EJoseph Mooney\u003C/span\u003E: The member did take offence, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a995570efa10432b992604b3f3cec042\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9032c69d930403e922ac1c1b078748e\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise. I look forward to reading Hansard, and I hope the member will read Hansard as well. And perhaps if he\u2019s\u2014my office is just over the way; he\u2019s welcome to drop in with a case of whisky to make amends for that error of his.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EBut the point is this: that this bill has its sights set on protecting small businesses from the predatory practices of large businesses, and that member has missed the boat entirely. Here he is talking about this putting more burdens on small businesses, when it does the opposite. It arms them with a remedy so that if a large business acts in a way which is oppressive, unfair, unconscionable, if it exerts its powers in a way which is utterly unreasonable\u2014and we know, we\u2019ve seen that this happens. I mean, not so long ago we heard about Fonterra unilaterally telling its creditors that it was going to 90-day payments, isn\u2019t that right, Mr Nash? I believe it is. And that was utterly unconscionable, but the power lay all on one side, and it took intervention from the outside for that outrageous decision to be reversed. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EWell, this will not allow unfair terms like that to be imposed on small businesses. Whether they be dairy farmers or whether they be dairies, this is a bill which actually puts the power\u2014and what it does is it redresses the imbalance. We know that unconscionable contracts have always been illegal, but the problem is the remedy. What this piece of legislation does is it puts tools in the hands of the Commerce Commission so that litigants don\u2019t have to go to the courts at huge expense, that the agency that is tasked with making sure that our markets work effectively and efficiently can take the appropriate steps to redress that imbalance. And so for the suggestion by Melissa Lee that \u201Cunconscionable\u201D was a vague term, it\u2019s a term familiar in our law since about 1600. It\u2019s got a very clear definition, and it\u2019s about imbalance of power. In fact, in what was the Credit Contracts Act, now the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, that term appears there as well. It\u2019s well established that unconscionability is about a vulnerability, an imbalance of power, and an abuse of that relationship, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re looking for. So if\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264479b416ff743259d03250fbe459ae8\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: If that\u2019s the case, then find it in the legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb860bc017a341ceb8e1f66e894b4d05\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB\u003C/span\u003E: Once again, look, I would invite you to just do a little bit of reading, because the fact of the matter is that this is very clear, and the law, time and again\u2014and the other point is this: that when you\u2019re using terms like \u201Cunconscionability\u201D and \u201Cunfairness\u201D\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a39122f20f694cb1a3c464085fbab5cb\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Order! Not the Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228b51bd503dd040a1bf05a77662d14b11\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Madam Chair, I stand corrected. When one uses terms like \u201Cunconscionability\u201D or \u201Cunfairness\u201D one needs flexibility, flexibility to take into account the multitude of arrangements that may be unfair or unconscionable. So we\u2019re not going to constrain the Commerce Commission or our courts, we\u2019re going to let them\u2014and trust their judgment to address the problems that arise in the market.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003ESo this is a bill which is excellent. It\u2019s a bill which is going to make our markets work better, and we know that a good market is an efficient market, and an efficient market is one that has free information and equal bargaining power. That\u2019s what this creates. That\u2019s what the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee that considered this, that Jonathan Young chaired, failed to report back, but this Government isn\u2019t going to let that stand in the way. It\u2019s going to move this legislation along and make New Zealand better for it. Thank you, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022 data-id=\u0022339c22a648e64d93925a4b331ce45444\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022339c22a648e64d93925a4b331ce45444\u0022\u003EDr GAURAV SHARMA (Labour\u2014Hamilton West):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, kia ora, namaste, Madam Speaker. It\u2019s my pleasure today to rise in the House to take a call on the Fair Trading Amendment Bill, which amends the 1986 Act to introduce new protections against unfair commercial practices. These unfair commercial practices exploit vulnerabilities of a consumer or a small business, and this bill addresses this in three ways: first of all, by prohibiting unconscionable conduct in trade; secondly, by extending the Act\u2019s existing protections against unfair contract terms in standard form consumer contracts to also apply to small trade contracts; and, thirdly, by strengthening the ability of consumers to require uninvited direct sellers to leave or not enter their property.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003EThe Act currently provides protections against unfair contract terms in standard form consumer contracts. So what are these standard form contracts? These are the \u201Ctake it or leave it\u201D contracts, where the party accepting the contract has no real ability to negotiate its terms. The bill extends these protections against unfair contract terms to standard form small trade contracts. These are contracts between businesses with the actual expected value of less than $250,000 in any 12-month period.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003EI was recently looking at a report from the Royal New Zealand College of GPs\u2019 Workforce Survey, and they said 42 percent of GPs are either small businesses or contractors. Last year, during COVID, a lot of these GPs were front-line healthcare workers, and I heard from a lot of them, because one day they were out there working in the global pandemic; next day, they received a call from the small medical practice and they just said, \u201CWell, sorry, don\u2019t come back the day after. We don\u2019t need you any more.\u201D Now, this conduct was against the conscience by reference to the norms of the society, norms of acting honestly, fairly, and without deception or pressure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003EBut that\u2019s not where it stopped. The GPs also had in their contracts that they couldn\u2019t work within a certain radius from the actual medical practice. So you couldn\u2019t work for 10 to 15 kilometres from the practice that had just terminated your contract, with your business. Next day you had absolutely no job; you couldn\u2019t work anywhere in town. This was even worse if you actually worked for a big commercial entity that owned 30, 40, 50 practices. If you worked in Auckland, if you worked in Hamilton, for one of these practices, you just couldn\u2019t work anywhere in town. It\u2019s about protecting the rights of small businesses, and this is just one example in healthcare, but this applies to businesses across the board, not just in healthcare but other businesses as well which don\u2019t have these protections.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard today from the other side, many of whom want this bill to go back to the select committee. As some of my colleagues have talked about it\u2014you know, people like Melissa Lee and other members on the other side\u2014they keep forgetting that they were in charge of the select committee through which the bill came, and for six months there was no report from their side. But in many ways, the country is lucky that they were only in charge of the select committee and not the House, because if they were, well, we know what would happen. Couldn\u2019t figure out who the leader of the party was, couldn\u2019t figure out whether we should keep the borders open or not\u2014they couldn\u2019t even figure out if they should write a report or not, for a bill that we\u2019re discussing right now. Apparently we should now, but not for six months when you had the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003ESo aren\u2019t we glad that we just had them for the select committee, for six months, to not be able to write a report, rather than in the House, where they can\u2019t decide who the leader of the party is, they can\u2019t decide whether we keep the borders open or not. The select committee had the bill for six months, and now they want it back. We are lucky that we had departmental reports on this where they had provided enough information, collating the information that was submitted to the select committee about how the bill should go ahead for the second reading. Now, thank God that the Labour Party is doing the job that we were asked to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003EBut, again, I bring back the point of small businesses, like the GP practices, where the small businesses, the GPs, didn\u2019t have a bargaining power to take care of that contract. But, also, there was no good faith from practices which fired these GPs last-minute in the middle of a pandemic, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to prevent. The people who are out there making their living and in good faith working for another business, with another business, have that protection in place when their own business makes less than $250,000 dollars in 12 months.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002234ec4a4e-60bd-4a4d-b211-10f9324db3ac\u0022\u003ESo I would like to commend this bill to the next stage, because I know the National Party hasn\u2019t done their work.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022 data-id=\u0022fd81be2a8b7a428482473bc434775796\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fd81be2a8b7a428482473bc434775796\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH (National\u2014Kaik\u014Dura):\u003C/span\u003E Well thank you, Madam Speaker. Dr Gaurav Sharma is a new member, so we\u2019ll have to give him a bit of latitude, but he may not have been aware\u2014in fact, it sounds very much like he wasn\u2019t aware\u2014that we had a lockdown and select committees didn\u2019t meet. Select committees couldn\u2019t come to Wellington when we went out of level 4, actually. So the member might like to go and read his relatively recent history\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022afa3f493283049a0a60ab8928136709d\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: No, he\u2019s happy being ignorant.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022097f7fa76973455bb9e0297f38602a6a\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, OK. Yes, perhaps he is happy being ignorant, but we\u2019ll leave him with that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EI think a lot of the speeches tonight have swung around the point of unconscionable conduct. You know, I would think after Dr Webb\u2019s excellent definition there, I\u2019ve finally realised what unconscionable conduct is. It\u2019s promising to build 100,000 homes and delivering 800, if you\u2019re lucky, with a tailwind. That is definitely unconscionable conduct. So I\u2019m glad we\u2019ve cleared that up. However\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022735d5420bfe7425ba54c78f08516fce6\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Not funding GP practices in a pandemic; that\u2019s unconscionable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b1e0e58c31d4454a001abc131d2dd02\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, that\u2019s right\u2014or promising to do all the vaccinations; not having the vaccine. Promising that we\u2019re at the front of the queue, and we\u2019re not; we\u2019re way down the back. [Assistant Speaker gestures for member to return to subject of bill] Well, this is absolutely related to the bill because unconscionable conduct is a major part of this bill. I could go for 15 minutes on unconscionable conduct\u2014given the look on your face, Madam Speaker, I will actually move on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EBut I think it is very interesting to note that Business New Zealand opposed this bill. And I think the last sentence in the piece that I\u2019ve read is, and I\u2019d just like to quote this, \u201CDespite exhaustive issues and discussion papers over time, we still remain perplexed as to why these same issues keep coming up when no legitimate problem has been clearly identified.\u201D I think that\u2019s\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228e9fa920ddc74e868194dbaef4e359a2\u0022\u003EHon Stuart Nash\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s not true.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d949989b89eb46128f69ff877ca9eab9\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, it is actually true. I think everyone in this House would agree vulnerable people should not be taken advantage of. Absolutely agree with that. Vulnerable businesses should not be taken advantage of. I\u2019ve been a businessman. I know what it\u2019s like taking out contracts. Is it a level playing field? It\u2019s never a level playing field. One will always be bigger than the other. The buyer, depending on the product that you\u2019re selling, is actually in a better position, particularly if there\u2019s plenty of product around. On the other hand, when there\u2019s not a lot of product around, the seller is in a good position. And I know in the wine industry at the moment, that\u2019s absolutely what\u2019s happening. Because of the short vintage, buyers are now disappointing people they didn\u2019t have contracts with because they can\u2019t supply, and they\u2019re choosing buyers at a higher price. So what\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f6dd3d00842442fd9adfe1a7b7638f12\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s unconscionable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a246b54acf2f4c10baca8f45526a48c3\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: Well, under some of the definitions we\u2019ve heard tonight, that might well be unconscionable, even though it isn\u2019t in contract.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EI think what we have to also ensure we don\u2019t mix up here is unconscionable conduct and buyer\u2019s remorse, and that is a very common phenomenon. People buy something, they think they want it, the next day they think, \u201COh no, I don\u2019t really want that now.\u201D, and we could end up in that situation with this bill. So we don\u2019t disagree on the definition that we don\u2019t want to see vulnerable people taken advantage of or vulnerable companies taken advantage of. But is this bill going to do it? Well, according to Business New Zealand, it\u2019s not going to do it. Also Consumer New Zealand, although they supported it\u2014they thought that the definition of unconscionable conduct to ensure the provisions work as intended and to avoid division about the meaning of the term as there has been in Australia.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EWe only have to look over there to see the issues that we\u2019ve had in this sort of legislation. I think we\u2019ve got a lot of problems when we have these sorts of things coming through where case law will define at some point in the future what the definition is of unconscionable conduct. If Dr Webb is so certain on the definition of unconscionable conduct, why didn\u2019t they put it on the bill? No answer.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EThe reality\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221091f8b8ff2a4031afdf3b501ff395cb\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Yield. Yield.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227241f98e518a4f159841a82b001fc14e\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: I think the jack-in-the-box over there has had his turn. The real reason here is\u2014in fact, this is another act of unconscionable conduct. This bill had not been reported from the select committee. It could and should have gone back to select committee. Instead, the unconscionable conduct of this bill will be to dump a whole lot of Supplementary Order Papers in the committee stage on the House with no forewarning, with no proper process\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022efaf47c762c94b4180038e8d88688eec\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Due process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022123913fff6cd48a08b3904b167157581\u0022\u003ESTUART SMITH\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014where we can\u2014due process; that\u2019s correct. Where we can actually get submissions from the people it will affect\u2014the people that will know out there\u2013that\u2019s how good legislation is made. That\u2019s what we have a select committee process for. Our parliamentary system is built on that. But unfortunately, in this Government\u2014again, unconscionable conduct\u2014they have taken every opportunity, in this case six months doing nothing, then they dump something on in real haste to try and get it through, ram it through without due process, and we\u2019ll be back here fixing it. I guarantee it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022094b0ff4-e404-451b-b4a9-ad12bd4dee56\u0022\u003EMost of the legislation that\u2019s been passed under urgency in this House is shoddy. It has all sorts of problems, and we\u2019ll be back here fixing it. The members on the other side all hanging their heads, they know that\u2019s right. Well, the new ones might not, but the others do. And that is a waste of parliamentary time. It\u2019s a waste of the public\u2019s time, because they\u2019ll be the ones that bear the brunt of poor legislation, and we\u2019ll have to fix that up, and I think that\u2019s really appalling process. So with that, I condemn this to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022 data-id=\u002257500575a8f24ebe90252006fa373420\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002257500575a8f24ebe90252006fa373420\u0022\u003EINGRID LEARY (Labour\u2014Taieri):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Madam Speaker. It is a pleasure to wrap up this side\u2019s debate on the Fair Trading Amendment Bill second reading for my friend and colleague who is shepherding it so ably through the House, the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, David Clark. Really, we\u2019ve heard tonight that this is about the David-and-Goliath relationships that can occur in commerce. So, yes, there can be level playing fields, but very, very frequently there isn\u2019t, and we don\u2019t assume that the playing field is fair. I guess that sums up the difference between the arguments on this side of the House and the other side of the House. This piece of legislation, which will significantly change the landscape of consumer law, really does look at behaviours. It promotes competition but it also ensures that the behaviours that occur during contracting enable fair contracts and reduce the chances of exploitation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EI didn\u2019t sit on the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee. However, I do have, amongst my extended networks, firsthand experience of individuals who have been really unfairly impacted by unfair contracts, and I\u2019ll come to that later. But also, like members on my own side and on the Opposition, I\u2019ve been a small-business owner. Like Joseph Mooney, I\u2019ve had to deal with cash flow, deal with paying contractors and staff before myself, deal with contracts, deal with the pressure of trying to find contracts, deliver on contracts, and report on contracts all at the same time. For me, I would have welcomed this piece of legislation with my small business because it would level the playing field. We all know that many contracts, particularly by really big suppliers, involve pages and pages and pages of fine print, and who really sits there to read those to find out whether they are putting themselves at a great disadvantage?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EI said in my maiden speech, last year, that I am in this House because I\u2019m interested in and committed to economic justice, and this bill really does go towards that. It assumes that contracts should benefit both parties and not be exploitative. It is about fairness. It addresses specifically things like pressure tactics, deception, the one-sided contract terms, and the general exploitation of consumers and small businesses. It also arms businesses with a remedy, as Duncan Webb has so rightly pointed out. It includes prohibiting unconscionable conduct in trade, as we\u2019ve heard, and it also extends protections against unfair contract terms to include small trade contracts. For those watching at home who may not have been tuned into the previous parts of the debate, this applies to small trade contracts where the trading relationships exceed $250,000. And it applies to the following types of contracts: franchise agreements, telecommunications contracts, retail leases, independent subcontractor agreements\u2014so many of those happened in the industry that I had my business in, which was in television\u2014in waste management terms, and also supply agreements in the agriculture sector.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EWith unfairness, the elements really are whether it causes a significant imbalance in rights and obligations of the parties and whether it isn\u2019t reasonably necessary to protect the interests of the benefiting party and whether it would cause detriment. So that is a robust test. It is a clear test on fairness. It is based on the effects on the parties, and it can lead to the Commerce Commission declaration so that a term may not apply. To my mind, that is an equitable approach; it is about equity and it is about fairness.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003ETurning to \u201Cunconscionable\u201D, which has had so much attention tonight, it is really important that we don\u2019t define it. The Opposition know full well that defining a term in a piece of legislation means that it has a limiting effect to the things that fall fairly and squarely within the categories that are listed. This is about applying a threshold. It is about defining features, which can include relative bargaining powers, the requirement to comply when it is not necessary to protect the benefiting party, undue influence or pressure, and the extent to which parties acted in good faith. And that last element is really important. As has been traversed by our side, there is plenty of case law, both in Australia\u2014case law that will evolve to further give us understanding of \u201Cunconscionable\u201D. That term, as Duncan Webb has pointed out, has been around since the 1600s. It is a well-known legal term and it will continue to evolve. What we don\u2019t want to do is limit it to a finite list or definition.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThe good faith element of it also negates the possibility that was mentioned by another member opposite about buyer\u2019s remorse. Somebody simply changing their mind about purchasing a product or a service or entering a contract would not be able to be exempt through buyer\u2019s remorse. There would have to be those other elements around a lack of good faith or around unnecessary benefit to one of the contracting parties. The penalties are $600,000 for bodies corporate or $200,000 for individuals. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EThe Opposition, I understand, has raised concerns about the criminality elements to do with unconscionability, as well, and that was looked at by the Ministry of Justice who raised it with the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and they noted that if one looks at unconscionability in the criminal sense, that mens rea is inherent. It implies good faith. Were there unfair pressure tactics? Was there inducement? All of that implies an intentionality which safeguards against a lack of mens rea for that criminal element. The other items that MBIE have noted is that there are parallel civil and criminal remedies already in place in the Act and that the penalty levels are consistent with existing penalties in the Act.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to turn now to the \u201CDo not knock\u201D element. In my own networks, this would have been a fantastic law to have in place for somebody who we know who bought encyclopaedias, bikes, cleaning products, and aromatic oils, and not only bought these products but signed contracts which meant that the funds were going out of their bank account, and every time they failed to have sufficient funds in their bank account, they also faced a bank penalty of $25. It took some undoing, each time these purchases happened, to get this person out of the contracts. They were able to live at home, they were definitely vulnerable, and they certainly would have benefited from a \u201CDo not knock\u201D sticker to protect them. That sticker, under this law, will fill a gap in the Trespass Act 1980, where one needs to identify the person who they are seeking to trespass, in order to get them to leave the property. It also actually upholds the principle of \u201Cone\u2019s home is one\u2019s castle\u201D. It won\u2019t apply to personal visits or charities or political parties, but it does involve a visible or audible direction to leave. Those who are interested in the stickers can actually get them from Consumer New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000582\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003ESo, to sum up, this bill goes towards the Government\u2019s goal of creating a productive, sustainable, and inclusive economy. It is about fairness. MBIE has said that the elements needed to make that economy happen that way are trust, merit-based competition, reasonable opportunities for businesses to grow and thrive, but also to protect consumers from detriment. So it is about finding that balance. It assumes good faith in contracts. It provides a clear steer to the Goliaths in the David and Goliath relationship about the expected behaviours, and it looks at the impacts of the contracts, which is an equitable approach. It doesn\u2019t assume a level playing field. It acknowledges that, in the current world, there are Davids and Golaiths in the contracting environment, and, therefore, it seeks to recalibrate so that there can be fairness, transparency, competition, and also protection for consumers. I\u2019m delighted to commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022ebbdbda0ceec4ae2ab0eacd91664b5e6\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 the Fair Trading Amendment Bill be now read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 77\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 65; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati M\u0101ori\u00A02.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 43\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.\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=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000583\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\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=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ba26149dd83d46849ffc19e05d33a26f\u0022\u003EHealth (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00224f11d4f77c314b0e902ad5f80143b84c\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022 data-id=\u0022291cee42a0864be2886ac75b2d43ec01\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022291cee42a0864be2886ac75b2d43ec01\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Associate Minister of Health):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d8aea979db3942b08d5515f6c2837822\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a79dd58f70ec496f865a79d916d69d03\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill be now read a second time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EThis bill will strengthen and improve the National Cervical Screening Programme, a programme that protects the health of women throughout our country. It will enable the programme to take advantage of modern information technology. The new rules are needed because Part 4A of the Health Act did not anticipate the information technology that is available now. The bill also paves the way for the screening programme to move to human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, which causes 99 percent of cervical cancer. As we have discussed earlier today, in Budget 2021 we included investment of up to $53 million to complete the design and implementation of human papillomavirus screening. The new test will replace the current smear test for the 1.4 million eligible women aged 25 to 69 years old. It is a simple and quick swab that women in the future will be able to do themselves and does not require an invasive speculum exam. We anticipate, based on trials that have occurred here in New Zealand, that this will greatly reduce the barriers to getting screened.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003ETonight, in my remarks, I want to discuss the purpose of the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill, outline the recommendations from the select committee, and then describe a tabled Supplementary Order Paper to address the unintended consequences of some of the select committee recommendations, and a remedy to them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003ESo, first, the underlying bill: currently, clinicians who want to access the screening record of a participant have to request and receive that information via fax\u2014via fax. Fax should have been abolished ages ago in the health system. They are unsafe, unreliable, and have a privacy risk attached to them. This bill clears the way for a move to direct, secure, log-in access, just like all the other information systems used across our health system. This is a standard that we should aspire to for every programme, particularly a vital public health programme. This will mean that healthcare providers have the most up-to-date clinical information when a participant attends an appointment, either for cervical screening or follow-up, and it\u2019s crucial information because, if you don\u2019t know the past history of a woman in the screening programme, you can\u2019t decide what to do next\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224b6796973a6d4edd824087abd1be4a17\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Not the Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f60f94c9c91d44029184265ca61f5695\u0022\u003EHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014one can\u2019t decide what to do next and how that woman should be referred. As a result, there can be delays, and women who present for what should be a simple matter are asked to come back once the information has been sent via fax from the screening programme, meaning, in some cases, an additional appointment is needed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EYou can imagine that this is troublesome enough in the type of settings where screening usually occurs\u2014say, in a general practice clinic\u2014but if we want to be more innovative, and we could be in the future with self-sampling, then perhaps we\u2019d want to be able to do this in different settings as well, and being able to use direct log-on with mobile information technology would mean we\u2019d be able to move the screening programme into the community in a way we haven\u2019t been able to previously. So we can and should be doing better for participants in the cervical screening programme, and this bill will allow us to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EI\u2019d now like to turn to the second matter: the Health Committee\u2019s recommendations, and there were four I\u2019ll canvass. The Health Committee reported the bill back to the House on 19 September 2018. I\u2019d like to thank the committee for its consideration of the bill and everyone who took the time to make a submission. The committee unanimously recommended four changes to the bill, and I\u2019ll go over them now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EFirstly, minor changes have been recommended to the definitions of \u201Cdiagnostic test\u201D, \u201Cscreening test\u201D, and \u201Cspecimen\u201D for the purposes of the programmes. Members will find these proposed changes in clauses 5(1AAA), 5(3), and 5(4) of the bill. These changes would apply to all provisions in Part 4A of the Health Act. This will mean that we will move away from using the term \u201Csmear test\u201D, as samples with the new HPV test are not smeared on to a slide, and the definition of \u201Cscreening test\u201D will now also include reference to the human papillomavirus.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003ESecondly, changes are proposed to the new section 112J(4)(d), which relates to the disclosure of information for the purpose of enabling compilation and publication of non-identifiable statistics from the register. So I stress: these are non-identifiable statistics. The change is to use the phrase \u201Cunless the disclosure is prohibited by\u201D instead of the phrase \u201Cin accordance with\u201D. This change is designed to make it clear that any regulations cannot authorise disclosure that is prohibited under another provision.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EThirdly, the consequential amendment is the recommendation to the kaitiaki regulations themselves. The kaitiaki group oversee the use of M\u0101ori women\u2019s data by the cervical screening programme. Members will find this proposed change in clause 9(1A) of the bill. This change is recommended because clause 5(1) of the bill will amend the definition of National Cervical Screening Programme register to include \u201Cany part of the register that is replaced\u201D. It therefore makes sense to amend the definition of National Cervical Screening Programme register in the kaitiaki regulations so that it is consistent with the definition used in the principal Act. I fully support the adoption of these recommendations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EThe fourth change, and the one I propose to change through the Supplementary Order Paper, is a change to clause 6A. The Health Committee recommended the introduction of a new clause 6A to the bill. The clause provides that section 112ZE(1) of the principal Act does not override the requirements of the kaitiaki regulations. The regulations provide for the national kaitiaki group and give it a role in the protection of use of information on and from the register that identifies participants as being M\u0101ori. The committee has identified that section 112ZE of the principal Act enables screening programme employees to retain, access, and use and disclose any cervical-screening information to the extent necessary to perform their functions as employees. This provision, being the principal Act, overrides the kaitiaki regulations. The amendment will change the operation of section 112ZE so that all screening employees\u2019 use of data would become subject to the kaitiaki group\u2019s approval.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EI accept the Health Committee intent in introducing clause 6A. However, the information that is likely to be captured by the legislation is necessary; it needs to be used on a daily basis for routine internal data analyses, data modelling, and data quality checking. I think this is an unintended consequence. It is also possible that clause 6A might be interpreted as requiring approval of the automated use and disclosure of data during even things as simple as electronic data uploads to existing electronic applications. It would be unworkable for the programme employees to be prohibited from accessing this information until approval was sought for their day-to-day work. This could impede the provision of timely data to the sector, used for monitoring and quality assurance activities, as well as having unintended consequences on the workload of the national kaitiaki group.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EThe timely execution of these internal processes is vital to the quality of cervical-screening programmes. As clause 6 was not considered in the development of the bill, an independent panel of reviewers with expertise on the screening pathway considered its impact. It also included expertise on M\u0101ori health, and it has considered that to both meet the intent of the Health Committee and mitigate the risk of unintended consequences, a legislative response is required. To this end, I\u2019ve tabled a Supplementary Order Paper that would replace clause 6A as recommended by the Health Committee with a new clause 6A. The new clause will retain the Health Committee\u2019s clear intent that the screening programme employees must gain the kaitiaki group\u2019s approval for using programme information but only when that information is intended for publication. This would include annual reports, monitoring reports, cancer case reviews, parliamentary review committee reports, any public-facing component of a new electronic application, other publication of information captured by the legislation, and external requests for information captured by the legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EHowever, the new clause 6A would also require that the kaitiaki group\u2019s approval will not be required for the programme\u2019s internal processes that are not intended to result in a publication, nor would applications be required for data uploads to existing electronic applications or for existing publications. These changes would provide assurance that the programme\u2019s internal data and information management can continue at pace and will not be subject to delays. I believe the Supplementary Order Paper goes a considerable way to addressing the select committee\u2019s intent, and recommending clause 6A is necessary given the identified risks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aed260be-c954-464b-bb75-85579e53d05a\u0022\u003EIn summary, I am pleased with the very robust consideration that the bill has received since introduction, both at select committee and the independent review panel, and I look forward to the passage of the bill so that the improvements can be made\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u00221865671ab9eb493ba585c41f03795c5d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221865671ab9eb493ba585c41f03795c5d\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: The member\u2019s time has expired. The question is that the motion be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022 data-id=\u0022901669aff2754a709ecac84bc05a7d74\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022901669aff2754a709ecac84bc05a7d74\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI (Deputy Leader\u2014National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. National will be supporting the onward progress of this bill. This kind of makes sense. I mean, in one way it\u2019s just addressing a very small administrative factor whereby anyone other than administrators couldn\u2019t access the cervical-screening register, and if you weren\u2019t the administrator you needed to, as I recall, fax in your request. It would be authenticated and then you\u2019d get a fax reply back.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e92d59dcabe742fdbec01e67c07836b7\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Not me. Order! Not the Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b6cd2458501a474ea6c8ebca0b35cd30\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sorry. Someone would. A provider would\u2014I\u2019ll get into the anatomical detail shortly, if you really wish. And this was cumbersome, although I may be able to\u2014I mean, looking back, to think why we were using faxes, it is hard to explain. It could be that at that stage, we were following some of the American terminology around health information security. Their Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations actually talk to this, because what happens is, in the US, if you\u2019re HIPAA compliant, if you\u2019re transmitting information in an electronic way\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002221645023860748c4b25608b0d27df610\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Not me. Not the Speaker. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022df691bf6f4934e4daccb5798e5290f3f\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: Sorry. If one is transmitting information in an electronic way other than a fax, you have a whole range of compliance called HIPPA compliance, which adds on roughly a minimum of $20,000 of compliance to transfer that information. But for some strange reason, fax transmission is outside of HIPAA. So it may well be that when the legislation first\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022483b576d61954410a938c546b19b67bc\u0022\u003EHon Gerry Brownlee\u003C/span\u003E: I think you\u2019re a very HIPAA person.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002251371453fb89402f8d2cce7f75040942\u0022\u003EDr SHANE RETI\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014ha, ha!\u2014came into the House, we were following the HIPAA legislation. I don\u2019t know. I\u2019ve considered it as well and it just doesn\u2019t make sense here now, so we\u2019re trying to redress that so that providers, authenticated providers, can access the register.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EThis started off as a National Party bill years ago. It\u2019s sort of hard to understand why it\u2019s taken so long to get here, and yet if we think about it, the promise here was that the cervical-screening register would build on top of the bowel-screening engine. So when the bowel-screening engine was created, the engine was going to be the core to screening IT, and you\u2019d put cervical screening on top and now, you know, purportedly coronavirus and other things. But, as we well know, the bowel-screening engine took so long\u2014it was delayed by six to 12 months\u2014and so I suspect that may be why this bill has taken so long. Because by the time it\u2019s enabled\u2014now, it will be after coronavirus, but it needed to be added on top of the core screening engine which came out of bowel screening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EAs it came through select committee, there were some really good suggestions, some really good futureproofing suggestions, as one can see in the bill. It talked about increasing the anatomical area of pathology, relevant\u2014that made sense. And as the Minister spoke, about futureproofing it for HPV, which absolutely is a good idea, and I totally support that. That\u2019s a really important next progress for cervical screening. Disappointing that it failed the Budget bid 2020. I know Professor Bev Lawton and her team were very enthusiastic about it, but here we are now. I think this will do a huge service to women and certainly help reduce the inequities, particularly for M\u0101ori, that we all want to achieve. So I am very supportive of HPV screening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EI\u2019m sort of hoping that Louisa Wall will be able to take a call, because the issue that we did spend a lot of time on in select committee was around the kaitiaki group and, more specifically, data provenance for M\u0101ori. The rest of the bill was quite easy. This became the most complicated part, as I recall, and that\u2019s what leads us to the Supplementary Order Paper. Because we were mostly looking for that balance between appropriate provenance and management of M\u0101ori women\u2019s cervical-screening data\u2014is what was trying to be achieved\u2014and there was some concern that this bill might override or, more specifically, that this bill might be used to strengthen up some of those kaitiaki regulations. That\u2019s actually what was looking to be done. Having said that, we understood some of the difficulties, because officials did say to us that we could complicate or hinder the sole purpose of cervical screening by putting these regulations in. But at the time, and on balance, we thought it was reasonable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003EHaving said that, here we are with another set of views in the Supplementary Order Paper, which we\u2019ll talk to later, which reinforce the point that, actually, officials think this could be unmanageable to have it in its current form as it was reported back. Having looked through this and seen it, we\u2019re quite relaxed on that. We were relaxed in select committee, understood both sides of that argument, and there\u2019s nothing at first blush that we see in this Supplementary Order Paper that gives us any reason to pause. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022861a1798-a396-4a6c-b9e2-7d2f15d4a001\u0022\u003ESo in net summary, this is mostly an administrative bill. It makes a lot of sense\u2014contemporises what we\u2019re doing with cervical screening. The select committee did a lot of really good work to futureproof it to what\u2019s now turned out to be the current protocols, and we\u2019ll be continuing to support its progress through the House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022 data-id=\u0022583b82c103294ee79c678452e4609aae\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022583b82c103294ee79c678452e4609aae\u0022\u003EDr LIZ CRAIG (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Madam Speaker. Since the National Cervical Screening Programme started, the number of people who have died from cervical cancer has dropped by nearly two-thirds and that\u2019s incredibly good news. But the issue we\u2019ve got is that inequalities still remain, and so we\u2019ve got much higher rates for M\u0101ori and Pacific women, and that\u2019s something that we really need to focus on moving forward in terms of reducing those inequalities. The good news, though, is that cervical cancer usually develops slowly and so it means that those pre-cancerous changes can get picked up by cervical screening, allowing for early treatment and, in most cases, a cure. But what needs to happen for that to occur is that you need to start screening early, and so the current recommendation is that if you\u2019re between 25 and 69 years old, you\u2019ve got a cervix, and you\u2019ve ever been sexually active, then you should be having a cervical smear every three years\u2014or even more often if you\u2019ve had an abnormal smear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022\u003EWhat this bill does is it makes some changes to the current screening programme so that we can actually modernise it and make it more effective, and what I\u2019d like to do tonight is just focus on two of those aspects. The first one of them is looking at how we improve access to the cervical screening register, because as we\u2019ve heard tonight, at the moment, what we\u2019ve got is we\u2019ve got a register that holds the information on women on the screening programme, but it\u2019s unduly restrictive, and so what needs to happen is that people request information. So if you\u2019re a smear-taker working out in primary care, you have to request that information and then wait for a fax. I\u2019m not even sure that many places still have faxes, but, apparently, that\u2019s how it still happens at the moment. So, clearly, this needs to be sorted out. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022\u003EThe other issues are that if you\u2019re laboratory or colposcopy staff, you still need the Director-General of Health to have approval. And so what this bill will do is it will make changes so smear-takers in primary care, colposcopy and laboratory staff, will be able to have look-up access, read-only access, to the register. And so what they can do is then access that information for authorised purposes about those that they are screening. But also a number of district health boards, the Ministry of Health, employ people to follow up on people who have been late for their smears, and this is where we are trying to make sure that we reduce inequities and inequalities in screening rates. So being able to contact people and invite them and remind them about their smear, and so having access and improved access to that, because a lot of this work happens in the evenings\u2014and so, again, anything that\u2019s there to reduce inequities will make a huge difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022\u003ESo one of the main things this bill does is just modernise the whole approach. We\u2019re not relying on faxes. We\u2019ve got look-up access, but it still protects all of those privacy provisions and makes sure that it\u2019s only for authorised purposes\u2014that\u2019s closely monitored\u2014and also making sure that no information is disclosed about identifiable individuals, so those protections remain.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022\u003EOne of the other aspects, though, we looked at in select committee is widening the definition, because \u201Ccervical smear\u201D is relatively old terminology. And what we changed in select committee\u2014there was a recommendation to expand the definition to include high-risk HPV tests and also cervical and vaginal cytology tests, just to reflect more up-to-date approaches to screening. So what that does is it clears the way for human papillomavirus\u2014HPV\u2014testing, which is thought to cause about 99 percent of cervical cancers, the HPV virus. As has been mentioned tonight, the Government invested $53 million in Budget 2021 to enable HPV testing to replace the current smear test. And what we\u2019re looking at is a start date about mid-2023. What we\u2019ll do then is we\u2019ll change over to HPV testing as the main way of cervical screening. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022\u003EWhat women will experience is quite an improvement, because instead of the traditional smear test, which requires a health professional to take the smear and a range of associated equipment, women will be able to self-test with a vaginal swab and, basically, do that privately themselves. The expectation, initially, is that they will still come to a healthcare provider for that screen. But what that saves is a lot of healthcare professionals\u2019 time and equipment, and also, for the woman, a much better experience. And then, once women have had their test, if they have a negative HPV test they can be reasonably reassured that in the next five years they would be unlikely to develop any of those precancerous changes. And so what that means is they would only need to be screened once every five years instead of once every three. But they can still, if they\u2019ve got any concerns, consult their healthcare provider in the meantime. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223c5917bd-9c2f-4bdf-af2f-b13cd1a2c8bb\u0022\u003EThen the Ministry of Health is looking at: can we even make that much easier in future? Possible options would include mailing out self-test kits if they\u2019re found to be safe and effective for women. So what this bill does by changing the definition is allowing some of these changes to occur. So this is an important bill and what it will do is improve the cervical-screening programme. It\u2019ll reduce inequalities and it will save lives. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022 data-id=\u00226e108bbfee3a4226a3432c36d35027a1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226e108bbfee3a4226a3432c36d35027a1\u0022\u003EPENNY SIMMONDS (National\u2014Invercargill):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Madam Speaker. I\u2019m pleased to speak in support of the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill in its second reading. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EAs previous speakers have said, this is largely an administrative change. The bill amends Part 4A of the Health Act 1956 to enable health professionals who provide services to women along the cervical-screening pathway and their support services staff to directly access this information from the National Cervical Screening Programme register. The key amendments are really ensuring that this information is available in a modern and timely manner. It\u2019s almost unbelievable that, currently, the access to this clinical information occurs via fax. It\u2019s incredible not only from a technology perspective but also from a privacy perspective that people are standing around waiting for something like this to be coming through on a fax, and so we certainly support this becoming a much more modern means of accessing this information. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s important that women understand or are assured that privacy is going to be well catered for. The amendments will allow providers to look up the information directly by using secure log-on access via the internet. It is important to note that the relevant provisions of the Privacy Act 1993, the Health Information Privacy Code 1994, health professional regulatory constraints, and employment and contract law are unaltered by the amendment. The National Cervical Screening Programme manager retains the administrative control over who they grant secure access to the information, and it remains an auditable activity. So all those privacy concerns are still catered for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EAs my colleague Dr Reti has already traversed, this bill picks up on work that was initiated by the previous National-led Government. So we support this bill bringing this basic amendment in, which brings the clinical information process into a much more modern set-up. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EIt will certainly speed up the process for smear-takers getting this information and being able to discuss it with their patients without compromising their privacy, and of course we would support anything that makes it easier for women to access primary healthcare. We know that the National Cervical Screening Programme makes a fantastic contribution to the lives of New Zealand women, and so we, again, would want to support any improvements with that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003ECervical screening, as Dr Liz Craig has noted, is a key tool in maintaining the health of women across the country, and being able to get an immediate improvement to the way we access this information on the national cervical screening register is imperative to these improvements. The bill will enable also future upgrades to the IT that supports the register and how it\u2019s used, as well as future improvements to the screening programme, but it retains that strong control over the register. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EI wanted to just bring in some context from my own electorate, where WellSouth have been doing some research on their primary healthcare network. They analysed individual-level data from the entire WellSouth enrolled population as of 1 January 2019 on key health indicators, of which cervical screening was one of those indicators. WellSouth\u2019s target for cervical screening of women with up-to-date smears is 75 percent. That\u2019s in line with the current 2010 primary health organisation performance programme target of 75 percent or more of eligible women in that 20 to 69 years age group enrolled in their practice to have had a cervical smear recorded in the last three years. What WellSouth found was that they were not meeting that target for either M\u0101ori or non-M\u0101ori women, with 63.9 percent and 61.7 percent. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003ESo the point was well made by the Minister that while this amendment will bring improvements in accessing information from the National Cervical Screening Programme through faster and better access to information, the real improvements will come when the primary screening for HPV occurs, and, again, Dr Liz Craig outlined how that will break down a number of the access barriers for women. So we consider it absolutely appropriate that this bill would make the amendment to provide for the new definition of \u201Cscreening test\u201D to include reference to the HPV test. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003ESo, in conclusion, I speak in support of this amendment, and we look forward to the progress of this. Thank you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022 data-id=\u002273c92958a8014db0b6d61265f68cad22\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002273c92958a8014db0b6d61265f68cad22\u0022\u003EDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour\u2014Banks Peninsula):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. Talofa lava. It is a pleasure tonight to speak in support also of this bill at its second reading, the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to start by acknowledging the Minister, the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall, not only for her work but also for the fact that she prioritised this amendment bill. Listening to the Minister\u2019s contribution earlier reminds us\u2014on this side of the House, in Government\u2014we are committed to improving outcomes for all New Zealanders, and this bill is yet another example of us doing that. I\u2019m very pleased, also, to see colleagues on the other side of the Chamber also supporting this bill and the potential that it has to improve outcomes for women and for New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EWhat this bill does is it, essentially, seeks to bring the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP) into the 21st century, progressing it from an outdated, bureaucratic, and laborious process into something that\u2019s much safer and a much more efficient sort of system. It\u2019s topical, I think, that we\u2019re debating this bill following the recent Budget 2021\u2014a fabulous Budget which included, amongst many other things, up to $53 million for the design and implementation of the new test that the Minister outlined earlier on, the new test for HPV to replace the current smear test. I think it\u2019s fair to say that there\u2019s no doubt this new test will save lives, particularly w\u0101hine M\u0101ori lives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003ESo it is fantastic to stand here tonight and support a bill that will, firstly, facilitate the new test; and, secondly, strengthen the existing process in parallel\u2014which currently, as noted by several of my colleagues, requires health workers to receive crucial screening history information via fax following an indirect authorisation process, which is also cumbersome. So, importantly, this bill enables the development of a register that provides secure, direct access to really valuable screening information. However, having said that, detail is also important, as is expert input, so I\u2019d like to also acknowledge the work done at the select committee stage\u2014the previous Health Committee\u2014where, it should be noted, most submitters strongly supported the bill, the gist of which could probably be summed up by the submission by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners when they said, and I quote, \u201CThe College supports this bill and views it as a significant improvement over the current situation where a fax is sent to the general practitioner. We consider the bill will result in better communication and outcomes for patients.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EHaving said that, I think it\u2019s also important to note that some people also raised privacy concerns, and these concerns, I think, should be alleviated both by what the Privacy Commissioner, John Edwards, subsequently submitted, and also the Minister\u2019s Supplementary Order Paper (SOP), which she outlined. So the Privacy Commissioner stated, \u201CI have no outstanding privacy concerns with the bill as introduced,\u201D adding that although \u201CProviding more people with access to the register comes with some increased privacy risk \u2026 I am satisfied the bill provides for this risk to be mitigated through appropriate operational controls\u2014access to the register will be controlled by the NCSP manager, and the Ministry of Health has advised the activity will be auditable.\u201D So in addition to that, as I said, the Minister also introduced an SOP which directly assesses concerns regarding privacy for M\u0101ori participants and should allay any of those outstanding concerns from the bill as was introduced. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003ESo in summary, I think we are making important changes to the NCSP system, while maintaining the appropriate safeguards so that women in New Zealand Aotearoa trust the system and actually feel safe getting what could be a lifesaving test. We know that cervical cancer, as a couple of my colleagues have already pointed out, develops slowly and is both preventable and treatable. The latter is, of course, highly dependent on early detection. We must do everything within our power to assist those health workers responsible for the screening process. By improving the programme to expand information, accessibility, and to make the system more efficient, we go a long way toward facilitating prevention and early detection in a timely intervention. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c46de55f-b9e4-4c64-9ac6-877bd89c2fc5\u0022\u003EThe bill may seem technical in nature, but it is actually about decreasing bureaucracy, retaining trust in the health system, and ultimately improving those outcomes and saving lives. So I don\u2019t want to hold up the progress of this bill any further except to say that it is an important contribution. With that said, I have no hesitation to commend this bill to the House. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022 data-id=\u002211c8723f7ba24ce28499b74d59316a4c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002211c8723f7ba24ce28499b74d59316a4c\u0022\u003EDr ELIZABETH KEREKERE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava. This morning we greeted Matariki with a karakia on the top of Tangi te Keo or Mount Victoria, and then we visited the land occupation at Mau Whenua. Just when I thought my job couldn\u2019t get any better, tonight I get to speak in the House about supporting the health and wellbeing of people with a cervix and a vagina. So while those people with a cervix and a vagina are predominantly cis-gender women, it also includes trans-men, intersex people, and non-binary people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003ENow, cervical cancer is the easiest cancer to prevent. A simple pap smear, an HPV vaccine, will do that job. However, we have about 160 people developing it, and about 50 die from it every year. As the chair of our Health Committee identified, of course it is one of the many ways in which M\u0101ori and Pacific Island people suffer disparities. I fear we will see an increase in those numbers soon, because when our select committee considered and reviewed all of the DHBs, I noticed that many of them reported that in order to allocate resources and staff to deal with the pandemic, their screening programmes for cervical cancer and breast cancer were affected. I really, really hope not.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EThe national screening programme is hugely effective and has reduced the incidence of this type of cancer significantly. One of the ways that it tried to attract and make sure that M\u0101ori women would feel comfortable coming to do this, be screened, was to assure them of their privacy, that not just them as a person coming into this quite vulnerable position and situation, and having that done\u2014and everyone here in the House knows what that feels like: it\u2019s not fun. So they were assured that their privacy would be protected because of the national kaitiaki group that was established that said no information would go out that hadn\u2019t been checked by them in certain circumstances. So they would protect that data by respecting the sanctity of te whare tangata and any data associated with that, making sure that nothing was published inappropriately or that would impact negatively on M\u0101ori, but that, overall, any information would be used to benefit M\u0101ori women.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003ESo we absolutely support our employees in our screening programmes to have all the data they need to do their job, to make their lives easier for them as staff but also all of the people that they\u2019re caring for. We have a concern, though, that the kaitiaki group doesn\u2019t receive many applications for checking the use of that data. So we want to make sure, absolutely, on a day to day, that that gets done and people can do that. But there\u2019s a big gap between that and something being published. So we just want to make sure that that kaitiaki group is still effective and still doing what it needs to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003EBut the other issue I wanted to raise was about the particular ways that members of the takat\u0101pui, trans, intersex, and non-binary communities suffer, and the discrimination they face in the health system. Unfortunately a big part of that description is a complete and absolute obsession with their genitalia. So when it comes to any encounter with our health system, especially to do with sexual and reproductive health, they suffer greatly. So I just wanted to make sure that when we\u2019re talking about privacy, we\u2019re not just talking about particular groups. We\u2019re looking at a group of people who we should also be able to reassure that their information will not be used against them. I have been approached by people who are trans, non-binary, and intersex to talk and tell me the experiences they have had. So one particular example is because they have access to all of their data, they will then address them with a pronoun that\u2019s not appropriate. We know that there are some employees who will use old names, what some of the community will call dead names, which are no longer how they identify and not who they are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227ec53e32-05ab-4c6b-a080-4024e72a9099\u0022\u003ESo in conclusion, we absolutely support this, but we want to ensure that all people, no matter their background, no matter what they were assigned at birth, the sex they were assigned at birth, if they have got a cervix and a vagina, their health and their privacy will be protected. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022 data-id=\u0022a7ece16c003748d696e38181740fce8a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a7ece16c003748d696e38181740fce8a\u0022\u003EBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of the ACT Party in support of the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill at the second reading, because we believe that the amendments would provide our healthcare professionals with even better tools than they currently have, through enabling improved accessibility to the National Cervical Screening Programme register, and significantly streamline the process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EFor context\u2014and I can\u2019t believe that I\u2019m saying this\u2014our current system uses faxes. You know, there is an entire generation of health practitioners coming through the system, coming through college, now in the workforce, who probably should never have used a fax. I have never used a fax. I can\u2019t believe that people are being trained up to be using near-obsolete technology. So this amendment is about enabling our health professionals to access the National Cervical Screening Programme register without going through that whole rigmarole of the current process, the fax process.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s deeply concerning that health practitioners who take smear tests, whose job it is to provide services to our patients along a cervical-screening pathway, are forced to go through such an outdated and obsolete programme. Unfortunately, that\u2019s just one way that shows the inefficiencies in our healthcare system. We have to acknowledge that the problem here is not with the health professionals. Our nurses and our doctors do a great job helping New Zealanders with their healthcare needs. It\u2019s just a massive flaw in a system that they\u2019re having to do it with such outdated technology.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EI do admire the work that our health practitioners are doing to make sure that New Zealanders can get the care that they need, but we also have to admit that data efficiency and accessibility in healthcare is extremely important to make sure that people can get the care that they need in a timely fashion, and especially when it concerns issues such as cancer, because being able to directly access data on a patient\u2019s screening history actually impacts how quickly people can get the care that they need and how quickly a smear can be carried out.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWhile we believe that this bill would make an important and necessary change in the short term, we also think, as the ACT Party, that there needs to be longer-term thinking from this Government, and we actually believe that the outdated IT infrastructure is of huge concern in New Zealand. I mean, we\u2019ve just seen the Waikato DHB issue, and we had reports in 2019 and 2020 that showed that our DHBs don\u2019t have the necessary data technology and security to make sure that they are protected from cyber-attacks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002266f06e7e-afa8-457f-a105-048b86a13282\u0022\u003EWe actually want to be committed to a modern healthcare system which empowers New Zealanders. We should be able to keep people\u2019s information safe but, importantly, acknowledge that a lot of this problem is down to outdated technology, just like this is with faxes. So we believe in streamlining our bureaucratic healthcare system, reducing overheads, making better use of technology, ensuring better integration of our healthcare system, and focusing on patient outcomes, and so I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb422cefac094c3f86e5b0fa2afec5da\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb422cefac094c3f86e5b0fa2afec5da\u0022\u003EWILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour\u2014Northland):\u003C/span\u003E E te M\u0101ngai o te Whare, talofa lava. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224967a43f38fa4909acad668e40f313d8\u0022\u003EShanan Halbert\u003C/span\u003E: Talofa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd12c0054e9e456ab7ef6894a7ce336d\u0022\u003EWILLOW-JEAN PRIME\u003C/span\u003E: Talofa. Tuatahi m\u0101ku, ka t\u012Bmata taku k\u014Drero ki te mihi atu ki a r\u0101tou kua mate i t\u0113nei mate pukupuku, momo mate pukupuku, kua p\u0101ngia hoki i t\u0113nei mate pukupuku. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003ETuatahi, ki a Talei Morrison. Ko ia t\u0113tahi o ng\u0101 wahine toa e h\u0101ere puta noa i te motu ki te k\u014Drero ki ng\u0101 kapa, ki ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau, ki ng\u0101 w\u0101hine, ki ng\u0101 hapori katoa e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei mate pukupuku. Me te whakahau ki ng\u0101 t\u0101ngata kia h\u0101ere ki te rapa, ki te Smear i \u014D Mea. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003ETuarua, e tuku mihi ana au ki t\u014Dku hoa mahi, ar\u0101, te H\u014Dnore Kiritapu Allan. Kua p\u0101ngia e t\u0113nei mate. Engari kei roto ia i te hohipera. Ko t\u0113nei te wiki tuaiwa o te whiwhi rongo\u0101 m\u014D t\u0113nei n\u014D reira e mihi ana ki t\u014Dku hoa, ki te Whare, i t\u0113nei p\u014D. Ka huri au ki t\u0113nei pire. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E[Firstly, I would like to begin my speech by acknowledging those who have died of this particular cancer and those who have been afflicted with this cancer. Secondly, I acknowledge Talei Morrison. She was one of the warrior women that travelled the country to talk with kapa haka, with families, with women and with communities about this type of cancer. She encouraged people to \u201CSmear Your Mea\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003ESecondly, I would like to acknowledge my colleague, the Hon Kiritapu Allan, who has been afflicted with this disease. She is in the hospital. This is her ninth week receiving treatment so I would like to acknowledge my friend and the House this evening. I turn to the bill.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EEvery year, about 160 women develop cervical cancer, and about 50 die from it. This is a tragedy because in almost all cases it is preventable or it can be treated if it is found early. That is one of the real issues that we have and that this bill is trying to address by introducing new systems and processes that may make this screening more accessible to more women so that it can be identified early and, hopefully, treated, and therefore the deaths are preventable. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EIn my short mihi in beginning this contribution tonight, I acknowledged wahine toa Talei Morrison, who unfortunately was taken by this disease, but, in her journey, she shared with so many people the message about how important it is to Smear Your Mea and really encouraged kapa haka groups across the motu, communities across the motu, w\u0101hine, and wh\u0101nau to take up that challenge, to make sure that we look after te whare tangata and that we smear our mea. I also acknowledged\u2014of course, known to everybody here in the House tonight\u2014the Hon Kiritapu Allan, who is currently undergoing treatment, and today she reported being in week nine of that treatment, and giving us all a message of hope and saying kia kaha and aroha to everybody.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003ESo it is really important, therefore, that this bill goes through the House and passes, because it will enable a more modernised system, which should make the opportunity for screening more readily available to people, and, hopefully, more user-friendly. But it does require legislative change in order to achieve that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI thank the member from the ACT Party Brooke van Velden for her contribution just prior to me speaking. One of the issues for anybody listening tonight is that the current legislation requires the transfer of information to happen by facsimile, and I was just thinking then, \u201CWhen was the last time I ever used a fax?\u201D Now, I think my doctor says, \u201CI\u2019ll fax that across to the pharmacy and then you can go and pick it up and you\u2019ll get a text message to tell you that it\u2019s there.\u201D I\u2019m not sure that they are still faxing that information, but anyway that\u2019s what they say. But when I thought about it, the last time I received a fax was when I was 16 years old and I was in Australia on a basketball tour, and my parents sent me a fax to Australia\u2014I\u2019m 38 years old now, and I haven\u2019t received a fax since then. I think that we all agree, in the House, that the fax is something that is quite outdated. We need to modernise the technology that we can use so that we can be more responsive; we can do it in a much quicker manner.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EThis Government, in the latest 2021 wellbeing Budget, committed $53 million to improve our cervical- and breast-screening programmes. As part of that funding, there is an allocation there to upgrade our IT system and also to introduce the HPV testing. The legislation includes the HPV test, which is important because we are going to be funding that and phasing that in and phasing the other one out by 2023, and also funding for a new IT system. So it is important that this legislation is actually in place so that that funding that has been allocated will be effective.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI wasn\u2019t on the Health Committee, but I did read their select committee report, and I did want to talk particularly to the issues raised around the kaitiaki regulations. I want to acknowledge Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall, who approached us as the M\u0101ori caucus to talk about the challenge that she had in terms of the advice that she was given about potentially how unworkable the current proposed clause 6A would be in the legislation, and how we could work through and get a balance of what the concerns were that were raised by the kaitiaki group and submitters who were submitting on that, as well as those of all of us who, I am sure, are very keen to see more M\u0101ori women, who, unfortunately, are overrepresented in the statistics, get access to cervical screening. I thank the Minister for coming to us and talking about quite a sensitive issue and how we get the balance right. I read the select committee\u2019s report and heard what their concerns are. I have also read the Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) and listened to the Minister\u2019s contribution and am thankful for the process that she followed with us in terms of it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI\u2019m satisfied that the new clause 6A will retain the Health Committee\u2019s clear intent that the screening programme\u2014employees must gain kaitiaki\u2019s approval to use screening programme information where that is captured by legislation, but only when the information is intended for application. As she mentioned, that would include information that is used for annual reports, monitoring reports, cancer case reviews, Parliamentary Review Committee reports, any public-facing component of a new electronic application, any publication of information captured by the legislation, and external requests for information captured by the legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EHowever, the new clause 6A would also ensure that the kaitiaki group\u2019s approval wouldn\u2019t be required for the programme\u2019s internal processes that are not intended to result in publication. The real practical effect of that is that, as it was, they would potentially have to go and seek approval every single time they were wanting to use that information, which would make it clunky and slow the process down. I don\u2019t think that was what was actually intended by those kaitiaki regulations. If we look at why the kaitiaki regulations exist, as Dr Kerekere mentioned in her earlier contribution, they \u201Cmust have regard to the \u2026 sanctity of Te Whare Tangata; the need for culturally appropriate protection for the taonga of the information covered by the regulations; [and] the need to ensure that the information is used for the benefit of M\u0101ori women.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003ESo I believe that the SOP proposed by the Minister gets that balance right. It allows those using the information on the day-to-day practical side of arranging and referring for screening to be able to do that without having to go and seek permission. However, if any of the information were to be used for any publication and specifically those that the Minister mentioned, then the kaitiaki group does still have its role there, and that is carried over not only into this legislation but to the legislation that empowers those particular regulations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI have almost run out of time. I just want to thank the Health Committee for the work that they did on this. I heard Dr Shane Reti\u2019s contribution earlier. So for those members who were on that committee, thank you very much for the process that you went through, for your consideration of that balancing that was required for the kaitiaki regulations, the protection of sensitive information, te whare tangata. I am pleased that there is cross-party support tonight for this very important bill and for the programme to be as effective as it can be for our w\u0101hine M\u0101ori and those with a whare tangata. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u0022f1bda882be76429dbf4d4553e531b181\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f1bda882be76429dbf4d4553e531b181\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: Kia ora. I call Erica Stanford. This is a split call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022 data-id=\u00226b39d58fcc0342b6a8e882c98bd14013\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226b39d58fcc0342b6a8e882c98bd14013\u0022\u003EERICA STANFORD (National\u2014East Coast Bays):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I\u2019m pleased to take what will be a very short contribution. I spoke on this bill back in 2018 at first reading, and I remember a couple of things. Firstly, it was the Hon Jonathan Coleman who spoke for us\u2014that\u2019s how long ago this was\u2014at first reading. He opened, I believe. Then I do also recall congratulating Julie Anne Genter for bringing this bill to the House and also on her pregnancy, I believe, and here we are again. So congratulations, Julie Anne Genter, on your second pregnancy. That\u2019s how long we\u2019ve taken to bring this bill back.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003ELook, I think that what needs to have been said has already been said by previous speakers, especially on this side of the House\u2014the very capable Dr Shane Reti and also Penny Simmonds, who has taken up a role on the Health Committee very ably. And we have, sort of, digressed, I think, into conversations about who remembers when they got their last fax, which was quite amusing. I remember the last time we got a fax was from my father in a Boeing 747, 30,000 feet above the Pacific, telling us he\u2019d left the water on in the glasshouse. You used to be able to send faxes from airlines, in the cockpit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003EAnyway, when I do remember speaking on this bill early on, just the disbelief that it was still the case that doctors had to, firstly, ring up a registry to get results and also rely on the use of a fax. But the bad thing about that was it often meant that maybe they wouldn\u2019t do that and then would potentially do the test in a different way which wouldn\u2019t get the results that they needed if a woman had had a previous result that meant that a different type of test needed to be carried out. So that\u2019s potentially quite dangerous.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003ESo this really is a very small technical bill that does a lot of good things, dragging us into this century and allowing those practitioners to dial straight into the registry and get the information that they need. It\u2019s going to improve women\u2019s health, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002283dca3a7-93a6-4a78-a313-6fce42ebe49e\u0022 data-id=\u0022246f0b0631f4410da1c6b30be9667b4a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002283dca3a7-93a6-4a78-a313-6fce42ebe49e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022246f0b0631f4410da1c6b30be9667b4a\u0022\u003EVANUSHI WALTERS (Labour\u2014Upper Harbour):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Madam Speaker, and thank you for the opportunity to take a very brief call in relation to the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill. I am not a member of the select committee who considered this bill, but it is a huge privilege to speak briefly in its favour. I just wanted to begin by commending the work of Minister Verrall for shepherding this bill through the House. As the previous speaker mentioned, a lot of has already been traversed about the bill, and as I was listening to speakers, I was thinking back on a quote I heard from a cancer survivor who said, \u201CLife is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we react to it.\u201D I suspect that many people in this House know of and have had family members or friends who have lived with or passed from cancer. And there is a lot of truth to that quote. There\u2019s a lot of profound courage and love and strength that comes from those survivors. But it\u2019s my view that life is also about learning and doing a service to that strength and courage and really looking at the systems that we have in place in terms of providing cancer services to ensure that when people are fighting some of the most difficult battles of their lives, before they go on to those battlegrounds we\u2019re providing them with the best odds possible, and that, for me, is what this bill is about. This is a bill that\u2019s about saving lives. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002283dca3a7-93a6-4a78-a313-6fce42ebe49e\u0022\u003EMy colleagues have quoted the number of women who are diagnosed every year and the approximately 50 who die from it\u2014and this is really an avoidable tragedy, at the end of the day. I just wanted to note very briefly some of the stats that I saw from the 2017 National Screening Unit, which said at the time that there were 63.7 percent of Asian women who were screened\u2014so under what the target was, which at the time was around 80 percent, and the changes made in this bill will really go towards addressing that. This bill is important as it will explicitly allow the people providing community-based services, as my colleagues have said, to be able to look up access to the register so that they can perform their work as easily as possible. I do think this is one step in terms of what we need to do. I referenced the numbers for Asian women who get screened, or rather those who don\u2019t, and I do think that there are a number of steps we need to also take in terms of addressing the culture of women feeling comfortable across all cultures to go and get screened proactively to take away some of that stigma. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022 data-id=\u00227ae25c6f20174deaa99be3881a9b56b5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227ae25c6f20174deaa99be3881a9b56b5\u0022\u003EANAHILA KANONGATA\u2019A-SUISUIKI (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava e te Mana Whakaw\u0101. It is an honour and a privilege to speak on the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Minister the Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall and her leadership now at the second reading here in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EI also want to acknowledge the submitters. I know that it\u2019s been a while since it came to the select committee, but the Health Committee was one of the first committees that I was on and I remember the discussions on this, so I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the 16 submissions received. I think it\u2019s important that we say in this House\u2014record\u2014the names of those who\u2019ve made submissions, because it is really important that we do, so if I can just read it out. I want to acknowledge the M\u0101ori Women\u2019s Welfare League - Te R\u014Dp\u016B W\u0101hine M\u0101ori Toko I te Ora, who, when they gave their oral submission, had attended with Dame Silvia Cartwright; the Auckland Women\u2019s Health Council; the Federation of Women\u2019s Health Councils Aotearoa; the Cartwright Collective; Chris Berriman; Family Planning; Mrs Georgina McPherson; the National Council of Women of New Zealand; Mrs Uputaua Ioapo-Peniata; the New Zealand Nurses Organisation - T\u014Dp\u016Btanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa; the New Zealand Medical Association; Jillian Lamb; the Office of the Privacy Commissioner; Southern DHB; Waipatu Karamu M\u0101ori Women\u2019s Welfare League; and the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Of those 16 submissions, we had oral evidence of three submitters, and, of course, we heard many times from the Ministry of Health.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EI referred to the attendance of the M\u0101ori Women\u2019s Welfare League at select committee with Dame Silvia Cartwright. I think it\u2019s important for the House to remember that the report of the cervical inquiry was in 1988\u201433 years ago. I want to read this excerpt from the background provided by the M\u0101ori Women\u2019s Welfare League, because we are decades down the line and it\u2019s still important that this is a focus, and I quote, \u201CIn her report of the cervical inquiry in 1988, Dame Silvia Cartwright recommended that a nationally planned population-based screening programme should be implemented as a matter of urgency. In relation to that recommendation, Dame Silvia [Cartwright] stated that a special duty was owed to M\u0101ori women who had three times greater risk of contracting invasive cancer, complicated by barriers to M\u0101ori women being screened which were identified as a \u2018financial, cultural, and questions of accessibility.\u2019 Dame Silvia Cartwright identified the need for a programme to be developed in consultation with M\u0101ori women\u201D. It is 33 years down the line and we are still talking about this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EI refer to the M\u0101ori Women\u2019s Welfare League because in their submission it was important that whare tangata and its sanctity is important and continues to be, but also in the information shared by the ministry. So we\u2019ve heard from the Minister speaking about the definitions of bringing into technology of this bill\u2014making it come to technology in terms of fax machines and whatnot, but, really, what remains the same is the concern about the sharing of information relevant to M\u0101ori women. One of the focuses of the group was about the sharing of data for research and for publication. So I\u2019m glad to hear from the Minister that the fourth change that is recommended by the committee will introduce the new clause 6A to the bill and that the clause provides that section 112ZE(1) of the principal Act does not override the requirement of the kaitiaki regulations, and I think that\u2019s important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EI really want to talk about the sacredness of the whare tangata. As a Tongan, we refer to the whare tangata as the \u201Cfonua\u201D, which is one of our many words for fonua. It could mean land; in terms of M\u0101ori it means the whare tangata, it means the afterbirth, so it is important\u2014this is really important. In terms of whether it\u2019s invasive through sharing of information for publicity in terms of research, it must\u2014and it must\u2014go through the kaitiaki programme because of the importance it has for M\u0101ori. But when we talk about M\u0101ori, we forget that it\u2019s important for New Zealand. So in the care that they provide for information for M\u0101ori women, we then follow on as new migrants to Aotearoa after M\u0101ori. So I really want to echo that care that it is important in terms of the act in itself of providing information in terms of cervical screening, and it\u2019s also important in the sharing of the data, whether it be for publication or internally. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EI just want to echo too the acknowledgment that our fellow MP, our fellow sister, the Hon Kiritapu Allan is going through a tough time, but with all the whole country\u2019s prayers and all of this House we want to say, \u201CKia kaha w\u0101hine toa.\u201D In your experience, that experience itself has helped women come out to look at their health in a new way of achieving health for themselves.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002295945ace-51e8-4dbc-a0e3-c19f4ed99ed9\u0022\u003EIt was said before that this is mainly a women\u2019s issue, but it is actually all of us\u2014it\u2019s an issue for all of New Zealand. And when we do care about the whare tapa wh\u0101, the fonua, the woman, we protect our future. And in that case, I commend the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill to the House. Fa\u2018afetai tele.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022 data-id=\u002235cf803ea0f3479aaf85e5da95fdddf1\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002235cf803ea0f3479aaf85e5da95fdddf1\u0022\u003ENICOLA WILLIS (National):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava. I cannot start my speech without acknowledging the Hon Kiritapu Allan. When New Zealand now talks about or thinks about cervical cancer, I\u2019m sure many of us have her face in our minds. I want to take this opportunity in the House to commend and congratulate the Minister on her bravery in sharing her story with New Zealand, because I think it has had a powerful impact across our communities in terms of women\u2019s willingness to have screening, to go and have those tests, and that is an incredibly powerful thing to do. I just want to put on the record for this House, Kiritapu, that we on this side of the House stand with you as you work on your recovery. We wish you every piece of wellness on the journey you are on now, and we wish you a very good recovery. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EThis bill is about making the technical changes that are needed to ensure we have modern healthcare services available in our society. It\u2019s a great case of where technology and innovation have gone ahead and the law, unfortunately, hasn\u2019t kept up. So National absolutely supports this bill for the practical changes that it makes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge the select committee, which I didn\u2019t sit on, but which I understand has heard a number of submissions on this. I want to acknowledge Dame Sylvia Cartwright, who is the figure who stands in the background whenever we talk about cervical screening and the processes used. And actually, having now read this bill and looked at it in preparation for my contribution tonight, I want to acknowledge the healthcare workers and the clinicians and the people involved with the cervical-screening programme who have had to put up with a ridiculously outdated framework, governing Act, for far too long. I almost coughed on my coffee when I read that the status quo is that currently, when cervical screening providers need to access clinical information about individual patients, they do so by fax, that the National Cervical Screening Programme staff fax the information to them. So I just want to do a shout-out to those staff and the people on the other side of the fax; they should not have been having to put up with such outdated technology and such an outdated mode of communicating for so long. I am glad that Parliament is taking the opportunity to remedy that and allow them to move into 2021 and the technology and options we have available to us. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s my view that if we want to provide good modern healthcare to New Zealanders, then the things that we should be considering are: what can we do to make that healthcare better, to ensure people get it sooner, and to ensure that wherever possible they get it closer to home? What this bill essentially does is it makes it easier for people to get the screening that they need. It makes it more convenient. It will encourage more people to do it. Those are good things. It shows the power of technology to improve healthcare, because by having databases that are more accurate, that are more easily updated, and by ensuring that more people are able to access them for appropriate purposes, what we actually have is an end result for the patient, and the end result for the patient is that the healthcare people in their life have connected up the information about that individual\u2019s health. That is, I think, what we should expect in terms of all healthcare practices\u2014that, wherever possible, people are joining those dots on the patients\u2019 behalf, so that they get the care they need as soon as possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EI can\u2019t help looking at this bill and thinking to myself \u201CDoesn\u2019t this highlight how far New Zealand has to go?\u201D, but also what an opportunity we have to improve our health services by harnessing the power of technology, because this is just one area of our health system where things have fallen woefully behind. We are still in a situation where data sharing even between GPs and hospitals, even between hospitals in one DHB and hospitals in another DHB\u2014even sharing information, accessing information about my own children\u2019s health records is still overly cumbersome, too difficult. That is because we haven\u2019t fully harnessed the power of the technologies that are available in our modern world. It\u2019s my view that if we do that, we can actually provide much better care to people, fewer things get missed, and more people get the services that they need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EThis bill deals with screening. Screening is a vital form of primary healthcare. If we get screening right, we are right at the prevention end of things. And I know that all of us in this House share a view that it is better to prevent things than it is to have to treat things down the line. So having a good framework for managing the national screening programme makes good sense from a primary healthcare perspective and will ensure that the screening programme is more accessible and is just simply more practical for more people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EOne of the things that this bill does and deals with that we are having to grapple with across the board when we look at technological amendments, when we move from fax to computer, is this issue that there is the potential for privacy to be compromised, there is the potential for data to be compromised, there is the potential for individuals to have wide access to information that they could misuse or manipulate. So I am pleased to see that this bill sends a strong signal by creating an offence for those who might choose to amend the cervical-screening register without authorisation. That is something that modern technology may make easier to occur, but of course it would be a very grave offence in that doing that could compromise the health of not only individuals but many people but would also, I think, very importantly, undermine trust in this database, in this system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EThat is something that we all need to protect here. Women need to know that when their most personal data is being held in a national register, it will be protected, it will be looked after, that it is there to look after their health, and that it won\u2019t be compromised in any way. And I think offence provisions like this, while I very much hope they won\u2019t have to be used in the sense that I hope there aren\u2019t abuses of this register, they do allow for a very strong signal to be sent if that occurs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EFinally, I think in this bill what we see is the power of research and development innovation to unlock future ways of both preventing, screening for, and treating cervical cancer. Because what we see in the detailed provisions, for example, is the fact that we now are moving to screening for HPV, primary screening for the human papilloma virus\u2014forgive me, medical people listening\u2014rather than simply screening for examining cells. That reflects the fact that we now have better research, we have better information about what are the precursors to cervical cancer, but we also know that this bill will accommodate some of the new ways we have of screening that are easier for women, that are better for women, that potentially allow them to feel more mana and dignity in the testing process, and that I really hope\u2014I really hope\u2014will ensure more women do the testing we so need them to do so that they can live good long lives and so that if they have problems, we can catch them as early as possible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003EI\u2019m also hopeful that there will be further research and development, there will be further technological development that means that in the future, fewer women in this country die of cervical cancer, that fewer women in this country have to go through the trauma and sadness of what we now all know, as a nation, is a very extreme form of treatment for a very serious disease. Yes, this is a small and practical step, but it is important, and I say again, to the Hon Kiritapu Allan, I have you in my thoughts tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022 data-id=\u0022e53aec754ecf4f2d99936a58c5288234\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e53aec754ecf4f2d99936a58c5288234\u0022\u003ETERISA NGOBI (Labour\u2014\u014Ctaki):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa, Madam Speaker. Fa\u2018afetai tele lava for the opportunity to arise today and take a call on this bill. But can I first acknowledge, please, like everyone else, including across the House, our colleague, the Hon Kiritapu Allan\u2014and I have said before but, as a newbie settling in, she was very supportive, gave us a lot of tautoko, a lot of guidance, and for a new MP that\u2019s huge and something we really value. I know I speak for all my other new colleagues when I say we\u2019re with you, and kia kaha wahine toa. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003EI wasn\u2019t on\u2014obviously, being a newbie, I wasn\u2019t on the select committee that considered this, the Health (National Cervical Screening Programme) Amendment Bill, but I know they considered 16 submissions, three of those oral, and can I just say, thank you for that work. Because this bill isn\u2019t just a bill\u2014like others have said\u2014this bill is going to save the lives of many of our women in Aotearoa. So thank you to those on that committee. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003EAs other people have said, this bill is about modernising the technology and upgrading our systems. Currently, like others have said, when cervical-screening providers need to access clinical information about individual patients, they have to do so by fax. And although I look really young, with no wrinkles and no grey hairs, I also remember faxes, so now I\u2019ve probably busted myself and am showing my age. But yes, I also remember faxes and how long that takes, and God forbid if there\u2019s a power cut and the fax stops because the line doesn\u2019t\u2014it\u2019s diabolical. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003ESo to be able to be sure that we can modernise our system to make it easier to not only contact our patients but also look up our patients\u2019 records\u2014health professionals, of course\u2014right there is obviously a lot easier, especially for women who are having to come in and talk about smearing our mea. And I feel more comfortable saying that rather than talking about other things\u2014you know, cervical smear. So, yeah, we\u2019ve also heard tonight that 160 women develop cervical cancer, and as has been said before, 50 die from cervical cancer. And we know that a majority of them, unfortunately, are M\u0101ori women. So this bill will come some way to making that less and less, and will save many more women, particularly M\u0101ori\u2014and, can I say, Pacific as well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003EBecause, as a Pacific woman\u2014and, as I said, I\u2019d rather say \u201Csmear your mea\u201D\u2014and having a Pacific mum growing up, and, Madam Speaker, you may have also experienced this as well: things like this were never talked about in my household. That didn\u2019t mean that my mum didn\u2019t care about my health or what needed to happen to me as a women; it just was never talked about. So even for me\u2014again showing my age\u2014when I started to have cervical smears, it was my friends that took me along to that rather than my mum. I\u2019m happy to say now that there is much more awareness and much more encouragement, and much more of an effort to make sure that we are messaging that out to M\u0101ori and Pacific women in the channels and the messages, and how we need to hear that, so then we\u2019re getting a bit more of an uptake in our people \u201Csmearing their mea\u201D, and that\u2019s fantastic.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003EHowever, like I said, this\u2014although it\u2019s small\u2014technical change will make a big difference to women who are feeling very m\u0101 when they come in to talk about having to get their mea smeared. So, and again, I know this is probably quite similar to many M\u0101ori women as well\u2014you know, being close, Moana a Kiwa are cousins of the Pacific people\u2014I can imagine that it\u2019s a similar thing, having to go in and, first of all, talk to nurses and doctors that you don\u2019t even know, or receptionists, to talk about why you\u2019re there and then having to wait until they, back in the day\u2014or, sorry, even now\u2014fax away your stuff. It can be humiliating. So being able to now make those changes, again, is going to make that whole process\u2014although I still can\u2019t, kind of, talk about the whole process, it will make it a bit easier for many M\u0101ori and Pacific women. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003EI know I acknowledged Kiritapu Allan before, but can I also acknowledge the work that the Hon Kiritapu Allan is doing in this space at the moment. Again, I\u2019ve just talked about how m\u0101 it can be for M\u0101ori and Pacific women and how we are getting better at messaging in the right way so that M\u0101ori and Pacific women understand and are encouraged to make sure they do their regular smear their meas. What Kiritapu is doing at the moment while going through her own wero to me is just an inspiration, that not only is she fighting the really good fight\u2014and she\u2019s strong and she\u2019s young and she\u2019s an inspiration in that field\u2014but she\u2019s also thinking about other women. And even on her really bad days, and you can see sometimes she might have had a really hard bout of chemo, she\u2019s still talking about, \u201CHey, get out there. Smear your mea.\u201D, and trying to save women\u2019s lives, just like this bill is doing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003ESo while this bill is small, focusing on modernising the current system, this bill is actually mighty in what it actually does. Essentially, it saves women and it saves many of our New Zealand women, and for that, again, I am grateful, and I want to say fa\u2018afetai tele lava to the select committee who worked on this bill. I also want to acknowledge our Minister, Ayesha Verrall, who\u2019s championing this cause\u2014as well as many others\u2014for women, and of course with her announcement around the cervical smear and breast cancer screening, as well. Can I just finish by saying it\u2019s such an awesome time to be part of this Government when we are making massive changes for all New Zealanders, but certainly for our w\u0101hine toa. So I just want to say thank you again, fa\u2018afetai tele lava, and I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225a797c9e-cc29-454e-b348-6a415e930295\u0022\u003EBill read a second 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=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022517465fd34d345a9941807389c841878\u0022\u003EBuilding (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002237a44c3a0f934ff7a9e4894d06f6f462\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022724283f31e514bb89e2598f9fdcd8ec0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022724283f31e514bb89e2598f9fdcd8ec0\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister for Building and Construction):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b608d8f28d044babcd96cbc20212148\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227adb3897fc1546f0b86e0756deed0aee\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill be now read a third time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EFirstly, can I pass on to you, Madam Speaker, my gratitude for the work that you have done in this space and for laying a very strong foundation for the continuation of this work. I mihi to you and I acknowledge your work in this space. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThis bill was introduced to the House on 8 May 2020, and it\u2019s with a great deal of satisfaction that I now bring it to its remaining stage in the House. The building sector is, as we know, under significant pressure to deliver durable and affordable buildings to meet a growing pipeline of construction projects. We need a building system that inspires trust and confidence, that lifts building quality and productivity, and that supports innovation. This bill seeks to address longstanding challenges in the building and construction sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s the first stage of a set of reforms that will promote a more efficient building system, lift the quality of building work, and provide fairer outcomes for those involved in building and construction. The reforms also support the Government\u2019s broader housing priorities to speed up the supply of housing and to create an economy that grows and works for all New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThe bill amends the Building Act 2004 in a number of ways. First, the bill introduces a mandatory building product information requirement to support better and more informed decision-making. Currently, the Building Act doesn\u2019t require basic information to be provided for building products. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThe importance of basic building product information cannot be underestimated. Poor information can lead to delays in consenting and increased cost, and it can lead to poor building outcomes if products are chosen that are not fit for purpose. The new product information requirements in the bill will help builders, designers, consumers, and others choose the right products for the right job in the right place, and they will help building consent authorities to make faster decisions on building consents and will reduce the number of requests for further information\u2014and I know that\u2019s a particular issue in my area. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003ESecond, the bill introduces a new voluntary scheme for modular component manufacturers. New Zealand\u2019s been relatively slow on the uptake to adopt innovative off-site manufacturing processes. Some manufacturers are experiencing difficulties in gaining consents for buildings that involve the use of innovative manufacturing approaches. This Government is doing more to support innovation in building and construction because modular component manufacturing has the potential to lift productivity, reduce building costs, and reduce building waste. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThe new modular component manufacturing scheme will provide faster, more consistent building consent approaches for manufacturers who are able to meet quality and performance standards. In some cases, a building consent involving modular components will only need to be processed in around 10 working days. These changes will allow New Zealanders to make the most of the new methods of construction and will help building owners and building consent authorities to save time and money. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThird, the bill introduces a new registration requirement for product certification bodies so that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) can have greater oversight over the CodeMark product certification scheme. Product certification bodies will need to be registered as well as being accredited before they may issue product certificates. The product certificates will also need to be registered with MBIE. These amendments address concerns about the level of confidence with the CodeMark scheme and provide greater assurance that certified products comply with the building code and will result in safe and durable building work. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EThe bill introduces new offences and penalties to support the new building information requirements and the new modular component manufacturer scheme. It also introduces higher maximum penalties for other offences under the Act, because many of these have not been adjusted since 2004. The bill also extends the time frame to file a charge so that enforcement agencies have more time to investigate complex cases. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003ECollectively, the changes to the enforcement provisions will promote compliance and deter bad behaviour. Other amendments widen the scope of the building levy and how the building levy may be used to support a more effective building regulatory system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EPhase two of the Government\u2019s reform programme will progress reforms to occupational regulation focused on ensuring people have confidence in the engineers and regulated building practitioners and their work. I look forward to presenting these reforms to the House in due course. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003EI\u2019d like to thank the many people from across the building and construction sector who gave their time and made submissions, and shared their experiences and expertise with the Environment Committee. I would particularly like to thank the Environment Committee for their efforts to improve this bill. Finally, I\u2019d like to thank the select committee staff, MBIE officials, and Parliamentary Counsel officers and drafters who worked on this bill. I commend the bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022 data-id=\u00225236b274f61a47f984146c49b88da678\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225236b274f61a47f984146c49b88da678\u0022\u003ETIM VAN DE MOLEN (National\u2014Waikato):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I\u2019m happy to take a call in the final reading on the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. The Minister has given a pretty good outline of the context, the substance, of what has been, or will be, passed into law as a result of the completion of this final reading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EI want to state, initially, on this side of the House, we support the bill, and we have through all stages actually. The idea of a registration and certification system for modular or offsite manufacturing is a good one. I like the idea of being able to speed up that process of construction, to, obviously, have a clear set of rules and guidelines and penalties, potentially, around that if the rules aren\u2019t followed. But speed of construction, confidence around the process, is critical for our sector. These are some of the areas where I think we have a real opportunity to make some headway. At the moment, there is a massive need for housing, but actually construction in general is facing significant pressure as there is a massive expectation on the construction sector to play a significant role in the recovery and the ongoing, I guess, growth of our economy post-COVID. So we really support that aspect.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000722\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EThe other aspect I\u2019m excited about within this bill is broadening the scope of use for that levy. I think there\u2019s real potential there to run the rule over some of the different standards, to have a look at how we are ensuring compliance, the opportunities and methods we can streamline as a result of having this surplus levy, some $50 million-odd that\u2019s currently sitting there as surplus, being able to utilise that in a range of different areas. So I\u2019m really looking forward to hearing some of those initiatives, and we haven\u2019t heard any specifics yet around what that might be. Looking forward to seeing or hearing of those in due course.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003ESo this is all good stuff, and I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to visit some offsite manufacturing companies, Concision down in Rolleston, Clever Core up in Auckland, Builtsmart in Huntly\u2014companies that are doing really innovative and really exciting stuff. I think there\u2019s huge potential in this offsite manufacturing space to really ramp up productivity within our construction sector. They can churn out residential properties very quickly, pretty cost-effectively, and very precisely. Those are all factors that I think are desperately needed in the sector and will be greatly received as well. The ability to speed up some of the consenting process by this bill is great in that regard. I\u2019d really like to thank those three companies in particular that I\u2019ve just mentioned for the time they\u2019ve given me to understand their concept, what they\u2019re doing, what they\u2019re looking for, some of the challenges they\u2019re seeing at the moment in terms of the limitations placed on them\u2014they could do even better, so, hopefully, some of that is addressed with this bill. But I still think there\u2019s more that can be done as well. So we\u2019ll continue encouraging the Minister to expand the opportunity for offsite manufacturing in particular.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003ESo these are all good aspects but there\u2019s a lot more that needs to be done in our building and construction sector as well. There are some big priorities that we haven\u2019t heard much about yet from this Government. I would really encourage the Minister to place more urgency on things like their licensing and certification process. Have we got the licensed building practitioner scheme right? There\u2019s plenty of feedback I\u2019ve had as I travel around the country talking to a number of building and construction businesses who are saying that, no, we haven\u2019t quite got it right. What about self-certification for plumbers and drain layers? That\u2019s not on the table yet. Well, if you\u2019re a gas fitter you can self-certify your work, and that\u2019s, in many cases, the exact same person as a plumber, drain layer, and gas fitter. They can sign off part of their work but not the other parts. So let\u2019s have a look at that process, self-certification.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000725\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EObviously the critical aspect to this, and the licensed building practitioner scheme as well, is having a clear set of guidelines in place but also ensuring there\u2019s accountability and maintaining that quality assurance throughout that process. So having that aspect of it dial in really tightly is critical. But I really think there is huge scope in that space in particular to speed up the process. I am hearing consistently every business I visit in this industry tell me they are being held up by the consenting process, by the inspections process, by not being able to sign off some of their work\u2014any number of factors that end up causing months of delays in the construction process. At a time when we are just screaming out for new houses, that\u2019s not good enough. That\u2019s something I\u2019d really like this Minister to be focusing on more strongly and presenting a solution to this House with urgency. So I would encourage her to really pick that up. There are plenty of experts out there in the industry who would be more than happy to give feedback on this, how to streamline this process whilst ensuring we manage that quality throughout it as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000726\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EThe consenting aspect is another biggie. We are seeing far too many consents taking far too long to get through the building consenting authorities. There are a huge number of requests for more information (RFIs), that are being sent back out to the submitters of these applications, asking for more information. In some cases, perhaps, that\u2019s a delaying tactic because the council simply haven\u2019t got the capacity to process. In other cases, councils are finding they\u2019re just not receiving the necessary information. I\u2019ve talked to a number of council consenting authorities in this regard as well, and so, absolutely, the blame is not simply on one side of the fence. But this is an area that we can really tighten up. This bill addresses part of that by reducing that consenting time frame down to 10 days in particular circumstances, and that\u2019s good. But the 20-day time frame to provide a consent is quite long, and it\u2019s quite inconsistent. So whether you\u2019re building a pretty basic, straightforward run-of-the-mill house, it\u2019s 20 days versus a multi-storey apartment building, also 20 days\u2014obviously, slightly more complexity in that process. So we need to have a good look at that. That\u2019s an area that, again, I really would like to see some strong focus on from the Minister.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000727\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EThese aspects can make a significant difference in our productivity. We can really ramp up our ability within the sector to deliver if there is a lot more work put into streamlining some of these aspects that I\u2019ve just mentioned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000728\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003EBut the other big one as well, and we\u2019ve heard some encouraging news around the high number of consents that have been issued recently\u2014fantastic, but actually you\u2019ve got to be able to build them. Our challenge at the moment\u2014again, I\u2019m hearing this message consistently as I travel around the country\u2014is that we simply don\u2019t have enough skilled workers in the building and construction sector. We need some of those migrant workers coming in here to contribute to our economic recovery, to provide that expertise that we are lacking in some areas. We simply can\u2019t train them fast enough. It\u2019s been encouraging to see a significant increase in the number of apprentices, and I do want to acknowledge the Government for some good work in that space, but that\u2019s going to take years to deliver for the industry. Right now there\u2019s a pressure point where you have a shortage of labour, and we need to address it. I\u2019m not hearing from the Minister a solution to address this. We absolutely need to be driving strongly to see more migrant workers coming in to support this desperate need now to get the construction curve ramped up even further. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000729\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022071f7800-2755-41b6-83df-07ebaf867ae2\u0022\u003ESo those are some of the issues that I would really like to see a strong focus on from this Minister. Pretty good work with this piece of bill, some good stuff in here that will help, but actually there are some other priorities that we really need to see around the certification and registration for labourers, for tradespeople, also the consenting process, and of course getting more labour in here. Those are three key priorities that I\u2019d really like to see as a stronger focus from this Government. But we do support this bill, and I\u2019m looking forward to seeing a lot more work from this Minister for the building and construction sector. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u0022f2b683dc35d840d2b9de57e78b9c2970\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000730\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f2b683dc35d840d2b9de57e78b9c2970\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: The question is that the motion be agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022 data-id=\u0022c6c671eaacec415d97d7c3a15f0531f0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000731\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c6c671eaacec415d97d7c3a15f0531f0\u0022\u003ERACHEL BROOKING (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E Talofa lava, Madam Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to talk on this, the Building (Building Products and Methods, Modular Components, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000732\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EWe all know that housing is of utmost importance to New Zealanders. We want good buildings and good houses that we know are safe, that will provide good, healthy environments for people to live in, but also that we can produce the best houses as quickly and efficiently as possible. That is what this bill is trying to do, or trying to address in part. We\u2019ve heard the Minister say already that this is stage one of a series of reforms. On the previous Minister, the Minister who spoke, the Hon Poto Williams, she has also got a housing portfolio. So there\u2019s some real synergy in this Government in trying to deal with housing, not just to say there\u2019s a magic bullet for housing but looking at a whole range of issues, being very, very proactive, and not just sitting still on anything.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000733\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard today as well from the Hon Grant Robertson, who\u2019s the Minister of Finance and also, relevantly to this to this housing issue, the Minister for Infrastructure. He said today in question time that building consents are at a record high at the moment. There\u2019s over 42,000 of them, closer to 43,000. People are working hard, this Government is working hard, to get housing for people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000734\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002241dfe6c8e86e45dfaf8aa1e9f80e616e\u0022\u003EHon Scott Simpson\u003C/span\u003E: Can\u2019t live in a consent!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000735\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002237a99b65-4919-4800-830d-3dd7c920d5cd\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228c90892618654e318f594c37a6161297\u0022\u003EHon Dr Megan Woods\u003C/span\u003E: Good speech, Rachel. Keep going!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000736\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002217378f6d298648e4a68bfb0d88eaa8b5\u0022\u003ERACHEL BROOKING\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. So it\u2019s great to be part of this Government that actually cares and gets on with the job.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000737\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003ENow, we heard, in the committee stage, there was quite a lot of questioning about the new definitions of building product and building method and also about the regulations that can really spell out what these things are. So I think it\u2019s important that we go and we have a look at these. So the bill introduces, at clause 7, a new 9A and 9B. Now, 9A is the meaning of a building product. So it says, \u201CIn this Act, building product means a product that (a) could reasonably be expected to be used as a component of a building; or (b) is declared by \u2026 by Order in Council.\u201D And it goes on. At 9B we have the meaning of the building method. And, again, it says, \u201CIn this Act, building method means a method (a) for using 1 or more products or things as part of building work; or (b) for carrying out building work that is declared by the Governor-General by Order in Council to be a building method.\u201D So what those regulations do is they can really say what a building product is and what a building method is.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000738\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EThere was concern in the committee stage about the consultation requirements around that regulation-making process. So it\u2019s useful to go to section 403 of the primary Act and to look at what those consultation requirement are for making regulations. This section is amended very slightly by the bill but only to be specific that these new sections 9A and 9B, that I\u2019ve just read out in part, the consultation requirements for making those regulations apply.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000739\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003ESo at 403 we see that \u201CBefore making a recommendation for the making of an Order in Council or regulations under those sections, the Minister must be satisfied that the chief executive has consulted in accordance with subsections (3) and (4).\u201D So we\u2019ll go to that. At subsection (3) \u201CThe chief executive must (a) do everything reasonably practicable on his or her part to consult with the persons or organisations that appear to the chief executive to be representative of the interests of persons likely to be substantially affected by the making of the relevant Order in Council or regulations; and (b) advise the Minister of the results of that consultation.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000740\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EMoving on to subsection (4), \u201CThe process for consultation should, to the extent practicable in the circumstances, include (a) giving adequate and appropriate notice of the intention to make the Order in Council or regulations; and (b) giving a reasonable opportunity for interested persons to make submissions; and (c) adequate and appropriate consideration of submissions.\u201D This is a good process for those regulations that are going to help us define what a building product and a building method are.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000741\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EI think it\u2019s useful also\u2014we\u2019ve seen in the legislative statement that\u2019s been referred to by the previous speaker, Tim van de Molen, a number of really useful things that are happening in this bill. One of them is that the building levy scope is widened to enable monitoring and oversight of the building system, and that is an important change. Another one is that the time for prosecution goes from six months to 12 months. It\u2019s very difficult, first of all, to hear about a problem, gather your evidence, and then initiate prosecutions, particularly if there are delegations that you need to obtain, in a six month process. So that 12-month extension is a very sensible measure.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000742\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EAlso, there\u2019s a new offence for misrepresentation. If you misrepresent yourself as a product certification body or you make some sort of false certification around a product, that\u2019s a new offence in this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000743\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002227535d92-0798-4e04-be80-9e91b53610e2\u0022\u003EIn summary, this bill is an important piece of legislation, one I think you introduced, and I am very happy to commend it to the House because it moves on with making the tough decisions, doing the job of actually improving our system so that we can build better. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022 data-id=\u00227e297ab28e5c425baebaf56a3ec29f3b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000744\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227e297ab28e5c425baebaf56a3ec29f3b\u0022\u003EHon SCOTT SIMPSON (National\u2014Coromandel):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I know that there are rules in this House about reading speeches but it seems that there are no rules about reading their legislation. So we\u2019ve had a classic example of the misconnection between academia and the real world in the last speech, because the last speech from the member who has just resumed her seat, Rachel Brooking, focused entirely on the technical detail of the legislation, which is exactly part of the problem that this Government has in terms of delivery\u2014and that is, too much focus on not really getting things done. They don\u2019t deliver\u2014they don\u2019t deliver and they don\u2019t get things done\u2014and that has become the hallmark of this socialist Labour Government: high on words but very, very slack on delivery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000745\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b0cd5f862c844e50853604df713042b2\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: I invite the member to come back to the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000746\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e9ef0e8b7e8346cf957a867e1a518e5e\u0022\u003EHon SCOTT SIMPSON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, this is a bill that is involved with trying to make a small step in the right direction in terms of solving the housing dilemma that the Government is faced with. It\u2019s a small step and it\u2019s one that we\u2019ve supported throughout the processes. We supported it a first reading, at select committee, at second reading, and now at third reading. But I don\u2019t want to traverse the minute detail of the bill; others have already done that. But what I do want to do, is talk a little bit about the potential for real impact from this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000747\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003ENow, in my electorate in the Coromandel, there is a builder, Cherrywood Homes, and they build a range of homes that are all to a standard plan: standard fittings, standard design, standard cladding, standard roofing, and standard in every particular way. The issue that they have is that their ability to provide economic homes to that standard is hindered greatly by undue red tape and process: for instance, the three or four local district councils all have different rules and regulations in terms of consenting those standard homes that this bill, hopefully, will minimise, if not completely remove entirely, and that will be a good thing. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000748\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003ESo, for instance, if a standard build house is being built, for instance, in the Thames-Coromandel District Council area, there are different rules and regulations for a house that is identical in every respect save for maybe the colour of the roof or the colour of the cladding or the colour of the taps and light fittings; but every other way\u2014but every other way\u2014it\u2019s similar and identical. Then if you go to the Hauraki District Council and have exactly the same building, maybe with only a different roof colour cladding, then the rules are different. So the real advantage of this bill is not the establishment of the regulatory regime, not the establishment of the registration and certification system. That\u2019s a given and that\u2019s what a competent and delivering Government should do. Those are in the bill and so we give them a small tick for that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000749\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EBut the real benefit is in the ability for prefabricators to actually get the economies of scale and to achieve some real benefits in terms of standardisation of design, standardisation of componentry, and standardisation of delivery. And these will be the real benefits to New Zealand homeowners, because it will mean that some of the large firms that have been wanting to prefabricate, and actually have been trying to do so for some time, will have the regulatory weights that have been constraining them removed, and I think that that is a good thing. On this side of the House, we are very supportive of the projects, for instance, that a business called Panasonic Homes has been able to achieve at Te Kauwhata. There they were able to build a prototype house using prefabricated componentry in a way that will only be able to be sped up by this process. The real skill and the real ability is if we can have an opportunity to use this piece of legislation as a piece in the jigsaw puzzle that would allow New Zealand prefabricators to do as is done in many other jurisdictions around the world. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000750\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003EFor instance, in the UK, in Australia, and in the United States of America there are very significant benefits to be had from economically built constructed homes that are constructed, essentially, in much the same way that one might construct or manufacture a car: literally on a prefabrication assembly line. Those are design and manufacture techniques that this bill will enable the prefabricators to actually improve more efficiently their processes. Some of the red tape will be removed. There will be sufficient control in the legislation\u2014and we heard at select committee from a number of submitters who were quite happy with the underlying rules and foundations that were going to be presented\u2014but still a freeing up of the mire that they have currently had to work their way through. And when I look at some of the modern, economical, and very attractive prefabricated homes that are available to citizens in some of those other jurisdictions that I mentioned, particularly in the United States of America, there is a big market for homes that are built, essentially, in a large factory environment, with economies of scale, that can be transported by vehicle to a location and then put on a property, and suddenly, then, the more affordable range of the market can be fulfilled. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000751\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002298dbeffa-e059-49d5-8bbf-579cbaead9a3\u0022\u003ESo this is a piece of legislation that does provide a small piece in the jigsaw puzzle that we hope will provide a little bit of support for those innovative businesses that want to get on and help create better housing options for people, particularly at the lower end of the pricing spectrum. This will be something that I think will be welcomed, not only by the manufacturers, not only by the designers and the builders and the prefabricators, but hopefully, also, by those people who want to get into their first home, maybe, who can secure a piece of land that is not exorbitantly priced, and then not be straddled with the sometimes prohibitive costs of construction that have been foisted upon them because of the existing framework and the existing regulatory regime. And so I commend organisations and businesses like Panasonic Homes, but I know that they will be bringing their unique prefabrication technology and methodology\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022 data-id=\u0022c5cdc86bcf6743fe93839c3dbc16232b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000752\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c5cdc86bcf6743fe93839c3dbc16232b\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa)\u003C/span\u003E: Order! This debate is interrupted and is set down for resumption next sitting day. The House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. tomorrow. Fa\u2018afetai tele lava, manuia le po.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000753\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20210602def31e4b4d4248278964a904e5a6bce6000754\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d14b1afe-2069-41e4-96fa-c8dc81a991a4\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 10 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"