"\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000001\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002295e558026441483c89870b2230596e09\u0022\u003ETUESDAY, 29 MARCH 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000003\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022067ba8737ec840e4aae37f234504f256\u0022\u003ETUESDAY, 29 MARCH 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000002\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000004\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022433813d410c74b30b44cd1f233ad8ae6\u0022\u003EKarakia/Prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000006\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d907a6bd9c2f4b9ca1d1859a1b1e73f7\u0022\u003EKarakia/Prayers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u00227c5ba99ec0d64dc6bc86543e7849df5e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000005\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227c5ba99ec0d64dc6bc86543e7849df5e\u0022\u003EHon JACQUI DEAN (Assistant Speaker):\u003C/span\u003E Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the Queen and pray for guidance in our deliberations that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom, justice, mercy, and humility for the welfare and peace of New Zealand. Amen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000007\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002268efe239695e4788895e147b1ec6988b\u0022\u003EMotions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000008\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002255019b56933841ae96797406b4e0bd23\u0022\u003EAcademy Award, Congratulations\u2014Dame Jane Campion\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002295791b76bc4d4f4ea1ed6860b3ca6817\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000009\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002295791b76bc4d4f4ea1ed6860b3ca6817\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m going to call the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, but remind her that she must use the chat function in order to seek the call in future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u00223bbc0c8ea5cb4fe7ae58c4ba14432aac\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000010\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223bbc0c8ea5cb4fe7ae58c4ba14432aac\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E Point of order. I seek leave to move a motion without notice and without debate to congratulate Dame Jane Campion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000011\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221095175c261c4c74b743eee42b07a971\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000012\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002250727fb8b248470f8fa08fe9eec5fa8e\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That this House congratulate Dame Jane Campion on receiving the Academy Award for Best Director for The Power of the Dog.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000013\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003EMotion agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000014\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00227cfe219b65794a27849c364fa587f579\u0022\u003EResignations\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000015\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022d0736692e4d748f4aea2e958be882bec\u0022\u003EHon Simon Bridges, Tauranga\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000016\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ccf73028850d4c2b8a5af9829d0ca147\u0022\u003ELouisa Wall, New Zealand Labour\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000017\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b7c0ba06835b4f7d8775091645467982\u0022\u003E Hon Simon Bridges\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022cc52a110e8814da68d9d98fafe333963\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000018\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cc52a110e8814da68d9d98fafe333963\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Members, I wish to advise the House that I have received a letter from the, resigning his seat in the House with effect from 5 p.m. on Friday, 6 May 2022.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000019\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00228eb2987d962b4537b12993caee8e9aaf\u0022\u003E Louisa Wall\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000020\u0022\u003EI also wish to advise the House that I have received a letter from, resigning her seat in the House effective on Sunday, 1 May 2022.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000021\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022dea5de8624204e82b08a22d0a258bb52\u0022\u003EPetitions, Papers, Select Committee Reports, and Introduction of Bills\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000023\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227aa74ea55663486b8b327a9e5af94bd6\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=\u0022e477e66be42c4f7e9b8962f3d680cda6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e477e66be42c4f7e9b8962f3d680cda6\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Petitions 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=\u00221984abfb1d0a48cd810c163aa053f52d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000024\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221984abfb1d0a48cd810c163aa053f52d\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000025\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EPetition of Helen Paddison requesting that the House abolish the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 and urge the Government to shut down the mental health system\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000026\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Democracy for Myanmar Working Group New Zealand requesting that the House allow 1,000 refugees from Myanmar whose families are New Zealand citizens, residents, quota refugees, and asylum seekers to be resettled in New Zealand\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000027\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Dan Liu requesting that the House amend laws to allow anonymous birth, and assign funding for safe haven baby hatches\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000028\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Carl Smith requesting that the House find ways to allow people to enter businesses and public spaces without a vaccine pass\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000029\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Amy Skipper requesting that the House increase funding for public mental health services\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000030\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Ross Divett requesting that the House maintain the low-user electricity power tariffs\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000031\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Hana Pilkinton-Ching requesting that the House provide free public transport nationwide for community services card holders\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000032\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Michiel Badenhorst requesting that the House require ACC to allow exercise physiologists to register as health providers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000033\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Ana Briggs requesting that the House require that employers be completely honest with applicants about why they don\u2019t progress in a recruitment process\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000034\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Helen Paddison requesting that the House urge the Government to ensure no one is beaten in prison or treated unfairly\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000035\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Carmen Shanks requesting that the House urge the Government to publicly fund the medication Trikafta for people in New Zealand with cystic fibrosis, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000036\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Epetition of Gerard Rushton requesting that the House urge the Government to expand access to meningococcal vaccines.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022c8411de530104d82b5b724f3dc816a82\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000037\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c8411de530104d82b5b724f3dc816a82\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Those petitions stand referred to the Petitions Committee. Ministers have delivered papers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u0022edc6eb1ceda749399cc22c3f55a9e26f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000038\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022edc6eb1ceda749399cc22c3f55a9e26f\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000039\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EAnnual reports for 2021 of the: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EGovernment Communications Security Bureau\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EHealth Promotion Agency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Security Intelligence Service, and \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENorthland District Health Board\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000040\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EHe Puna Hao P\u0101tiki: the 2022 investment strategy and associated erratum, and \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000041\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003ENorthland District Health Board annual plan 2021-22 incorporating the statement of performance expectations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u002299520dd698a04e4ea9f669f078720234\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000042\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002299520dd698a04e4ea9f669f078720234\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Those papers are published under the authority of the House. Select committee reports have been delivered for presentation. There are quite a few.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u0022d34221df53644ae28491f8a49fbecaef\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000043\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d34221df53644ae28491f8a49fbecaef\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000044\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EReports of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee on the 2020-21 annual reviews of the:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMeteorological Service of New Zealand Limited \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Post Limited\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EBroadcasting Standards Authority\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EFinancial Markets Authority\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Tourism Board, and on the\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EElectricity Industry Amendment Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000045\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereport of the Environment Committee on the 2020-21 Annual review of Predator Free 2050 Limited\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000046\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Finance and Expenditure Committee on the:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003E2020/21 annual review of the Pike River Recovery Agency\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EReserve Bank of New Zealand, Monetary Policy Statement, February 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000047\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Governance and Administration Committee on the 2020-21 annual reviews of:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EStatistics New Zealand\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EDepartment of Internal Affairs\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EDepartment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EOffice of Film and Literature Classification\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EOffice of the Ombudsman, and on the\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ELocal Government (Pecuniary Interests Register) Amendment Bill, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Epetition of Alan Thompson\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000048\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Health Committee on the 2020-21 annual reviews of the:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EHawke\u2019s Bay District Health Board\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003EMental Health and Wellbeing Commission\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Blood Service, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ESouth Canterbury District Health Board\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000049\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Justice Committee on the 2020-21 annual reviews of the:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ECriminal Cases Review Commission, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003ESerious Fraud Office.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000050\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Petitions Committee on the:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Epetition of Juan Pablo Proverbio\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Epetition of Makahokovalu Pailate \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Epetition of Philippa Cameron\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Epetition of Shannon Parker, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Epetition of Suzi Taylor\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000051\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Regulations Review Committee on the examination of COVID-19 orders presented between:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003E1 March and 7 March 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003E21 December 2021 and 1 February 2022, and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003E23 February and 28 February 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000052\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereport of the Social Services and Community Committee on the: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003E2020-21 annual reviews of the social services and community sector (Ministry of Social Development, Social Wellbeing Agency, Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Ministry for Women, New Zealand Lotteries Commission), and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Ebriefings on the 2020/21 financial performance of the New Zealand Artificial Limb Service and the Social Workers Registration Board\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000053\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003Ereports of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee on the 2020-21 annual reviews of the:\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Eenergy sector (Genesis Energy Limited, Transpower New Zealand Limited, Electricity Corporation of New Zealand Limited, Mercury NZ Limited, Meridian Energy Limited), and\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBItemSL1\u0022\u003Etransport sector (Ministry of Transport\u2014Te Manat\u016B Waka, New Zealand Transport Agency\u2014Waka Kotahi, City Rail Link Limited, Maritime New Zealand, Air New Zealand Limited, Airways Corporation of New Zealand Limited, Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, KiwiRail Holdings Limited, New Zealand Railways Corporation, Transport Accident Investigation Commission).\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u0022c4dae39c3cf44217bc9482a29d1cde17\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000054\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c4dae39c3cf44217bc9482a29d1cde17\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: The bills are set down for second reading. The reports of the Regulations Review Committee and the report on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Monetary Policy Statement are set down for consideration. The Clerk has been informed of the introduction of bills.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022\u0022 data-id=\u00220073875d2c3346f08a478091e4c08f58\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000055\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220073875d2c3346f08a478091e4c08f58\u0022\u003ECLERK\u003C/span\u003E: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000056\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003EFair Pay Agreements Bill, introduction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003ERotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill, introduction.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022 data-id=\u00228c3807fd87c441ecb8bd903fbd3a502d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000058\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228c3807fd87c441ecb8bd903fbd3a502d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Those bills are set down for first reading. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000059\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00225d6026de267f46ec8008178fae7b1315\u0022\u003EOral Questions\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000060\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ee2ef887d4224c2795f61c6cd999d7d2\u0022\u003EQuestions to Ministers\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000061\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002297592a06943940a28583c7ad77ef7145\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022 data-id=\u002297263ef9e75e4fca83e3f68f63265a90\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000062\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002297263ef9e75e4fca83e3f68f63265a90\u0022\u003EBARBARA EDMONDS (Labour\u2014Mana)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: 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=\u0022c89c018c430749f08e173b958c6df653\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000063\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c89c018c430749f08e173b958c6df653\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E The IMF released its annual review for New Zealand last week, where they commended the country for our strong economic and fiscal position\u2014in particular, the Government\u2019s successful health-led approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. They noted the economy had rebounded strongly in 2021, with record low unemployment. The IMF also noted that our relatively low debt levels compared with many of the countries we compare ourselves against\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000064\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002296c4cf559f92444da27dedad76df669f\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Which you inherited.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000065\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220f934265c8fc461aadc560acba537cbd\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000066\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4d4f2152bdc4cae842af883a778d7db\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014provides substantial headroom to respond to further challenges. While economic growth is forecast to slow in 2022, the resilience of the economy and our strong fiscal position means we\u2019re in a good position to support\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000067\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022daf5de6beba3431fa3584be600a3841e\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Which this Government inherited.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000068\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c265992af8774129a91f0e68d584dff4\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014New Zealanders as we deal with the challenges arising from the ongoing pandemic, Mr Goldsmith\u2014and it would pay to listen to the IMF this time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000069\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ac6f3ed5342542efab6b7222cefa0400\u0022\u003EBarbara Edmonds\u003C/span\u003E: What did the report say about fiscal policy supporting the economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000070\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d88943abcd1c419ca6c319a26da7c69c\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Well, in the characteristic style of the IMF, they said that in New Zealand, \u201CThe normalization of macroeconomic policies had started, as fiscal COVID-19 support measures have been scaled down\u201D. They did point out, however, that \u201CDuring the exit from the exceptional, crisis-related policy support, the pace of \u2026 [withdrawal] needs to be calibrated carefully.\u201D In response to the Omicron outbreak, the IMF welcomed the limited and targeted support to businesses in need \u201Cwithout adding materially to aggregate demand pressures.\u201D The IMF also noted the temporary reduction of fuel taxes provides relief at the pump to motorists, though it does favour relief to consumers dealing with cost of living increases being targeted at vulnerable households. We are making sure that our spending continues to be carefully prioritised and targeted at the areas and people that require it the most, and from this Friday, 1 April, we are supporting low and middle income New Zealanders dealing with cost of living increases through increases to Working for Families, superannuation, benefit levels, student allowances, and the minimum wage, while the winter energy payment kicks in from the beginning of May. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000071\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e81a284d54d44219b0ece842ff364fdc\u0022\u003EBarbara Edmonds\u003C/span\u003E: What did the IMF say about other fiscal options to support the economy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000072\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228d06ac89a37243abafb22a4d38e792b3\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: In comments to the media following a briefing on the report, the IMF said that it was not recommending any reduction in the overall level of taxation at the moment. It is not the right time to cut taxes as it would just add to inflation pressures at a time when many households are already under significant stress\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000073\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002279af508676004eac8e6f169bcb4ae8bb\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: Michael Cullen\u2019s return. You\u2019ll never get puddin\u2019!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000074\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229bb7b1c07982478b9783a1c6e96579f6\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Goldsmith, the financial genius, helps me again. The IMF has also made a number of recommendations in their report\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000075\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222cb4da4bb9af4506a9d1350980d44d7c\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: More genius than you are. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000076\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002222589f174bc84d7aa55d0860f6a82564\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000077\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ae8c2fc7327d409db9a734628bc27b7b\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014that while we are always grateful to receive, we would not always agree to adopt. I would note that we are not actively considering changes to corporate tax rates, while we have already committed to not implement any new taxes in this term, such as a capital gains tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000078\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222ac724b278b9467e8b034eba68b1b90a\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 2\u2014COVID-19 Response\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u00227a8671e9816b41c399fa4be6314eec67\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000079\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E2. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227a8671e9816b41c399fa4be6314eec67\u0022\u003ETEANAU TUIONO (Green) (remote)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Is he concerned about the safety of at-risk communities following the announcement that protections under the COVID-19 traffic light system have changed and will change further?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u00221c008e8481554af385ccd4f460bb4fd4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000080\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221c008e8481554af385ccd4f460bb4fd4\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response):\u003C/span\u003E Preserving the safety of every New Zealander has been the Government\u2019s key priority and at the core of every decision that we have made throughout the pandemic. Recognising the disproportionate effect of the virus and that it can have on certain communities, including M\u0101ori, Pacific, immunocompromised, and disabled wh\u0101nau, our response has and will continue to focus on ensuring that these groups are appropriately protected. The changes announced last week, informed by the latest evidence from here and overseas, have been specifically designed to make life simpler and closer to normal, but whilst also retaining the things that have proven to be effective in reducing the spread of the virus, like the use of face masks, capacity limits, testing, and isolation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000081\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1ea1b640c10432eb3b60a9b1e0280a7\u0022\u003ETeanau Tuiono\u003C/span\u003E: What would he say to the founder of parenting support group Awhi Ng\u0101 M\u0101tua, Elizabeth Goodwin, who described last week\u2019s changes as a \u201Ccruel blow for wh\u0101nau with disabled and immunocompromised children\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000082\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002269b675f0c34b4bf480b2f1a596c1490a\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: I would disagree with that assessment. The Government has been acutely aware throughout the pandemic of the potential effect on vulnerable communities of COVID-19, and that has absolutely informed all of the decisions that we have taken.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000083\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220dfe40e599354ad8a2f7c9b44d2b1268\u0022\u003ETeanau Tuiono\u003C/span\u003E: Does he support setting up indoor clean air standards to improve the safety of schools and workplaces?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022151ff9364ba544efa92fc50fea06080f\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: The work that we\u2019ve been doing to provide carbon dioxide monitors for every school in the country and to provide portable air cleaners, where a demonstrable case exists for them, is already making a difference within our schools. We are fortunate in that most of our schools actually have very good ventilation already and good airflows already. But, of course, we continue to look for where we can make further improvements.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000085\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022668dd21b88e9476da7317fbb53456a13\u0022\u003ETeanau Tuiono\u003C/span\u003E: Will he ensure N95 masks are provided for teachers and staff at all schools; and if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000086\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ea51ab433ba3412399c8e59d1e128e37\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: N95 masks are being provided to our front-line health workers. Our education workers are being provided with what we typically term \u201Csurgical masks\u201D\u2014the paper masks with the blue fronts that many members in the Chamber are wearing at the moment\u2014they have been supplied to all teachers. We\u2019ve also supplied enough for schools to have a back up supply for students, including some small-sized masks, so that schools have them available for their young students.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000087\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221136a980bbbf4f51b616312f167a8c4f\u0022\u003ETeanau Tuiono\u003C/span\u003E: What steps is he taking to address the impacts of long COVID and ensure people who are unable to work get the support they need to recover, particularly in M\u0101ori and Pasifika communities, as these communities have experienced higher rates of infection?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207b5fdd07c654d258896ced2142354c4\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: In terms of income support that\u2019s supplied, that\u2019s not something that I have ministerial responsibility for. But we are continuing to look at the evidence around long COVID and the effect that it could have for the number of people that could be affected by long COVID. It would be fair to say that the international evidence on this is still continuing to emerge, and it\u2019s something that we are following very closely.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000089\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207c2aeecbe0049cda908bd3816085506\u0022\u003ETeanau Tuiono\u003C/span\u003E: Will he maintain the traffic light system and strengthen that system if the next waves of subsequent variants are more severe; and if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000090\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a610cf46bcd4182b501e2560cf86ee4\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: We are committed to the traffic light system. It is absolutely the right system for New Zealand at the moment. But what we\u2019ve always done throughout the pandemic is respond to the latest emerging international evidence around the effect of new variants, and that\u2019s what we\u2019ll continue to do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000091\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220c2483ced67b498784ceb2976f2cfd99\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 3\u2014Social Development and Employment\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u0022d165993ad6db4ee5bd9497a7ddd32c80\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000092\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E3. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d165993ad6db4ee5bd9497a7ddd32c80\u0022\u003ET\u0100MATI COFFEY (Labour) (remote)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What changes to income support come into effect on 1 April?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u0022304ac33879bf4a698c0d6ffdb9316b27\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000093\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022304ac33879bf4a698c0d6ffdb9316b27\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E This Friday will see a raft of changes come into effect, including the continuation of the biggest lift to main benefits in decades. For many years, the rate of main benefit has fallen further behind the average wage, and it\u2019s placed many people, including children, in undue hardship. In addition to indexing main benefits to wage growth, we are further lifting main benefits so they don\u2019t fall further behind. The Ministry of Social Development\u2019s analysis shows that from 1 April, a couple on a benefit with children will now be, on average, $237 a week better off than they were when the Government took office in 2017. As a Government, we have worked hard to lift as many children out of poverty as possible, and while raising the level of main benefit is only one way to achieve our goal, it is an incredibly important step in the right direction. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000094\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fb79e1231d3147bbbb2e3b202626eac8\u0022\u003ET\u0101mati Coffey\u003C/span\u003E: What changes to income support will help working families? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000095\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b262cde41c34881861537e96ca64cbb\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: In addition to main benefit increases, childcare assistance income thresholds will also begin to increase annually in line with net average wage growth. Income thresholds for eligibility for childcare assistance have been frozen since 2010. The growth in wages in the last 12 years has meant that the number of low-income parents and caregivers who can access childcare assistance has been steadily declining. This change is the right thing to do and will support low-income working families who need to access childcare. Working for Families tax credit, Best Start tax credit, and family tax credit will also increase from 1 April, providing 346,000 families with an average of an extra $20 per week. This is a Government that is targeting support at families who need it most to support with key costs of living like childcare. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000096\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002251acf67bcd6d4769a9248f8e23c7949f\u0022\u003ET\u0101mati Coffey\u003C/span\u003E: What changes will be happening to the rates of superannuation? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000097\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022135f07f1dd7342908a60b4b832a3da4e\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: The superannuation annual general adjustment comes into effect from 1 April. Single superannuitants living alone will see a rise of $52 per fortnight, and couples who both qualify will see an extra $80 per fortnight in total from 1 April. On top of that, as of 1 May, people on superannuation will receive extra every week thanks to our winter energy payment, which provides extra income for over 1 million New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000098\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00222dd17e2121634f7db6e26d996e9255bb\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 4\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022 data-id=\u00220fc0fd9f01734c72b0b791562f3ca436\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000099\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E4. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220fc0fd9f01734c72b0b791562f3ca436\u0022\u003ECHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: 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=\u00229f1d96a43af24901b48d30e9a71feba0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000100\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229f1d96a43af24901b48d30e9a71feba0\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes. In particular, I stand by this Government\u2019s plan to accelerate our economic recovery and lift the incomes of New Zealanders, with a number of changes that will come into effect this week on April 1. Compared to 2017, these changes will see over 100,000 beneficiaries with children better off by an average $175 per week, increasing to $207 per week during the 2022 winter period; nearly 350,000 beneficiaries better off by an average of $109 per week, increasing to $133 per week during the 2022 winter period; adjusting the income thresholds for childcare assistance annually, in line with average wage growth, benefiting 1,000 families, or around 1,500 children, after being frozen by the previous National Government. We\u2019re also increasing minimum wage, student allowances, and superannuation. Our economic recovery plan is all about making sure we focus on supporting New Zealanders through this economic recovery. There\u2019s no silver bullet that will fix the cost of living, but we have a plan and are implementing a range of measures that, together, will make a difference.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000101\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9d96915e6344120992698b541c9b04a\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: What is her plan, if any, to help the average Kiwi household\u2014the squeezed middle\u2014who don\u2019t qualify for Working for Families payments, when ASB expects their cost of living to increase by another $150 a week this year, on top of the near $100 a year increase they saw last year?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000102\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022479967a763764a90bda2daf162f24dff\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Given the member has referenced the ASB report, I would again just acknowledge that, in that same report, it pointed out that, since the end of 2017, when Labour came into office, disposable incomes have been, and will remain, higher than consumer spending in 20 out of 21 quarters, through to the end of 2022\u2014a point that, of course, we\u2019ve continually made in this House. We of course acknowledge, though, that we are in a period where the contributing factors of the global economic recovery from COVID-19 and, of course, the war in Ukraine are causing an impact on the cost of living. We\u2019ve already seen the response: the universal application of that lift in fuel excise of 25c per litre and the road-user charge (RUC) is aimed at helping every consumer who, of course, relies on those petrol prices to be as reasonable as possible. The second point is that, actually, 60 percent of families will be reached by the changes that we\u2019re making to the family tax credit. That is a large portion. Working for Families does reach into middle-income earners, and that\u2019s where we\u2019ve increased the family tax credit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000103\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d0deae69e2804062b0dd17cf7255ffb5\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: What does she say to the average Kiwi household\u2014the squeezed middle\u2014who are facing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000104\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022241202b0722748ab89e478708757c3ea\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! I\u2019ve let the member go, but time for a bit of developmental feedback, and that is that unnecessary phrases, like the one that he\u2019s used twice, should not be part of questions. They\u2019re not required for the sense.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000105\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220e2ba2845dd04d2fb5929113ef79e9d8\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. I think I know where that term comes from, I\u2019ve heard it many times from members of the public who self-describe that way. Now, surely, it\u2019s in order for a member\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000106\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d18f47035a38441e9a27b624ab603765\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The member will resume his seat. I have ruled; the member will not argue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000107\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022729e6b75eb964ae181b83d0f7e378549\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: What does she say to the average Kiwi household, who is facing a total increase to their cost of living of almost $13,000 in just two years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222d795c9f994647f8834d73c6f0ac7072\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: What I\u2019d come back to is that you\u2019ll see, of course, the response that we, as a Government, have made in response to what we see in this present period where inflation is high. We know it\u2019s having an impact. It\u2019s why we moved quickly on fuel. It\u2019s why, at the end of last year, we moved on the family tax credit. It\u2019s why you see that raft of changes, which I\u2019ll spare the House from repeating again, on 1 April. But what I would also say is that the kinds of proposals we\u2019re seeing from the Opposition, which, for them, would mean about $2.15 in their pocket, would also mean about $8,000 in the Leader of the Opposition\u2019s pocket. That is not a focus on them. A focus on them is bringing down the cost of healthcare and making it free for their kids to go to the doctor; getting rid of school donations so they\u2019re not having to face that every year, when our education system is meant to be free; putting free lunches in schools; and lifting the wages of teachers, nurses, police. Those are the things that make a difference in the long term; not $2 for them and $8,000 for you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000109\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a0d055de287e4723802122cfc943978d\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000110\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002278e3d77c44d742d0bf0d543b7ef91aaa\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s out of order.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000111\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223aa67f279cb34cd982f7a007c5e10168\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you. I\u2019ve told Mr Goldsmith off about that twice today.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000112\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ae229baf89d845459836ff5f15f03004\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: What\u2019s her explanation to a family on an average household income for why she has refused to, at the very least, provide them with an inflation adjustment to their tax bill when their cost of living is set to increase by almost $13,000 in just two years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000113\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022453b20ba7692461da9b2f48c65826bc1\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: As I have already said, the comparison there is clear. The difference that we can make for 346,000 families is greater through the family tax credit than, for instance, broad-brush changes which will come at the cost of investment in services like health and education and would also benefit the wealthiest the most. We have made a decision that we want to make sure that we\u2019re doing more for those who are feeling the cost of living impacts the most\u2014our low- and middle-income families\u2014but we also have a duty to make sure that they can still rely on health and education; with that member\u2019s tax plan, they can\u2019t.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000114\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002261278b47b2a141deac1fbb9176b7c2b2\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: What does her Government have to offer for families who aspire to make and keep more of their own money in a growing economy, instead of hoping that she\u2019ll give them some sort of handout? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000115\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002272a40e0ef4184f4ebe2e7abbfd18d820\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I absolutely dispute the way that the member is characterising a tax credit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000116\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b7931fabbe4d494fb38cab93b8495be1\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: Does she think that inflation of 5.9 percent, almost double the rate in Australia, will result in more Kiwis looking overseas for opportunities they can\u2019t get here?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000117\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226849abae1ee44edeb70a33273b658b00\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: With unemployment at record low levels, there are significant opportunities here, and that has been a focus of us as a Government: to make sure that, as we come through what has been a health and economic crisis, we have ensured that people have maintained that contact with their employer, and that jobs have been available, and training opportunities. For instance, our Apprenticeship Boost has meant people have stayed in training and had new training opportunities. That, in turn, will help with our construction industry, which is seeing a boom at the moment and needs a greater workforce. All of that adds up to a place where there are opportunities in New Zealand. We do have to, however, support New Zealanders through this period that the rest of the world is experiencing as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000118\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002208157ceaa4684eb4bdeed05df01dcd20\u0022\u003EHon Michael Wood\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by her Government\u2019s policy of introducing fair-pay agreements, a form of sector-based bargaining similar to Australia?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000119\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002293272d4e-6912-4148-8b35-c9622e18b814\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223a9688548de74414abd6838bdc850b6d\u0022\u003ENicola Grigg\u003C/span\u003E: Wait for the polling!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000120\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f624d7fea5a4c76b9ce83bf4ce4cfbe\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Which member was that? Which was the loudest member? Was it you, Ms Grigg?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000121\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002293272d4e-6912-4148-8b35-c9622e18b814\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f40d38cf079c4797b68846007ef0be0d\u0022\u003ENicola Grigg\u003C/span\u003E: Possibly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000122\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022486a2f3eae204254877901ca2e714d10\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Possibly the loudest. I think we\u2019ll go to the Prime Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000123\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b27e3333da54b7d8337a901a1e9b926\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: We absolutely do, and the member is right to point out that this is a mechanism that has been in place in Australia for some time. And it wasn\u2019t that long ago that I did hear members on that side of the House talking about the difference in wages between New Zealand and Australia. It is important that we make sure that we have a situation where the wages and conditions of those who are working in often the most precarious work are improved, because that equally comes at a cost to all of us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000124\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cc88ff6da67f4238bf8c31cd4ba2fe70\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: Why does the average Kiwi work for an hour to earn what the average Australian earns in 45 minutes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000125\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a61abee0e92f4fd19085f69af2eea9fe\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Because of the productivity issues that we have, and that is exactly what things like fair-pay agreements are about. Welcome, welcome, Mr Luxon, to the Labour Party.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022760cebbdfa204452921a76e5d7b3a597\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: Why has the Minister of Finance stopped talking about productivity?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000127\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225fe7879bdc644f67b93bec6d050eb85a\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: He never has. In fact, I would welcome the chance for the member to have a meeting, perhaps with our Minister for workplace relations, because it seems that perhaps he takes a more favourable view of fair-pay agreements than he thinks.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000128\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bc43b900d1a04d2d885652a24c2a6c94\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: Has she been advised whether prices are expected to continue growing faster than wages this year; and if so, does she at least accept that two consecutive years of declining real incomes means Kiwis are going backwards fast under Labour?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000129\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226c7b62c5c169427585d00c177551093a\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: I refer to my original answer where, in the ASB report, there is the acknowledgment of the fact that wage growth has outstripped the growth in the cost of living for 20 out of 21 of the quarters since we came into office in 2017. That is not, of course, to diminish the period that we are in now, and that is exactly why we moved on excise. It\u2019s exactly why we\u2019ve halved the cost of public transport. It\u2019s why we\u2019ve made the raft of 1 April changes. It\u2019s why we\u2019re increasing Government support for those on welfare, and it\u2019s why we\u2019ve seen the increase in support for our superannuitants: $50 per fortnight for a single, $80 for a couple. It is why we\u2019ve increased the family tax credit\u2014all of that whilst maintaining critical services. The member\u2019s proposal to give himself a tax cut would not allow any of that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000130\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022ea31fdd3-90e9-47d7-92a4-20b6a3109eef\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226ef7d8eeb599402897e8af5ae6333668\u0022\u003EChristopher Luxon\u003C/span\u003E: Is she honestly saying that Kiwis who\u2019ve seen their real incomes fall over the past year shouldn\u2019t be concerned because inflation four years ago wasn\u2019t as bad?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000131\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b15ea8b19a87425eb6095ccb975a35b3\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: No. Obviously that is not what I said. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000132\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225b8289310dfc4c28865c4b016e10f731\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Can the Prime Minister explain to New Zealanders how her policy of putting large groups of workers all on the same contract will make them more productive\u2014that is, produce more so they can take home more?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000133\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220db85f4eef454df78a2816baa1b8e00c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Well, first of all, the member is actually neglecting to acknowledge that for many it is a lift to the same rates that some in the sectors are already receiving. The Minister, when he launched fair-pay agreements, did so alongside employers who support fair-pay agreements, because it\u2019s an acknowledgment that there are some sectors where there is a race to the bottom in terms of wages and conditions. This creates a fairer playing field. It means that you will see innovation in some sectors where, instead of pursuing cheap labour, we will see innovation and improvement in productivity.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000134\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022236e798ed62044da8422ddaab56dc706\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: The employer was probably MBIE!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000135\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214c16918b36941d78b3bebb1805e3cf8\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Mr Goldsmith, the last one some of us would consider witty, but they certainly haven\u2019t been rare and reasonable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000136\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e80216c51380498c859af9e181971c38\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 5\u2014Education\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022 data-id=\u00222616d245761b4b0694327f1a30189784\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000137\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E5. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222616d245761b4b0694327f1a30189784\u0022\u003EMARJA LUBECK (Labour) (remote) \u003C/span\u003Eto the Associate Minister of Education: What work is the Government progressing to lift student achievement in maths and literacy?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022 data-id=\u00220602f50540444caca4a4868e669a3032\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000138\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220602f50540444caca4a4868e669a3032\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI (Associate Minister of Education):\u003C/span\u003E Last week, the Government was pleased to release two new strategies that set out our plan to improve outcomes for Kiwi kids in maths, literacy, communication: Te Reo Matatini and P\u0101ngarau. It\u2019s time to do things differently, and these strategies provide a vision and direction that we need to head, in order to improve learning over the next five years. It is fundamental that teachers are supported and have what they need to be good teachers and\u2014as a former teacher\u2014I know firsthand how important this is. We are fixing assessments so that kids are assessed as individuals and supports are tailored to what the learner needs\u2014not a one-size-fits-all check-box exercise. We\u2019ll ensure opportunities for all young people and particularly for those who have been underserved in the past, by tackling inequity in our system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000139\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225cfb026ba4504176ae5dcf80c7ffc3f3\u0022\u003EMarja Lubeck\u003C/span\u003E: How were the strategies developed? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000140\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022817c3ba472744c5db7b28702c7df09dd\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: These strategies are evidence based, and draw on domestic and international best practice, and expert advice. However, importantly, they have also been developed for the New Zealand context and ensure that we place the learner at the centre, and leave nothing to chance. They have also been developed in partnership with a range of educational leaders, teachers, learners, parents and wh\u0101nau, and others from the wider community. This has included the perspectives of M\u0101ori and Pacific people, professional associations, unions, employers and industry representatives, members of the disability sector, and expert advisory groups such as the NZC, Curriculum Voices Group. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000141\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f677db8b-66c5-4794-953c-bdf7aa425710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a07888f7060e4d9eab396edab4534417\u0022\u003EMarja Lubeck\u003C/span\u003E: What do these strategies mean for teachers, parents, and students?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000142\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ef6dcb7d50ec400b88835fdfc50988c7\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: These strategies will guide action to shape the early learning and schooling system, to deliver equity and excellence. Previously, in English medium, the curriculum for maths and literacy has been too vague for students and, for M\u0101ori medium, curriculum P\u0101ngarau and Te Reo Matatini were a translation of the English medium resources that missed the mark for our \u0101konga. Students will now be able to enjoy a curriculum that is clear, engaging, and relevant. Parents and wh\u0101nau can feel confident we are developing a curriculum that supports their children\u2019s learning progress and will provide lifelong maths and literacy skills. As for teachers, confidence comes with knowledge, so there will be a stronger focus on these subjects in initial teacher education and professional learning development. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000143\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022275c91f8-c6b8-42fd-b3ab-d8fc000dd41f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022035c64354dbd496395bca6fd01c4da33\u0022\u003EErica Stanford\u003C/span\u003E: Why is it, when she says that the strategy document is evidence based, that the Science of Reading findings\u2014the most up to date body of research\u2014is never even mentioned in the document?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000144\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221343e68c330e408799289b3b356d4b8f\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: Very simply, that this is the strategy that oversees the whole of the development in literacy and numeracy\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000145\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e06eed6acf30496880e3a9971e263a09\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! We\u2019ve had lots of complaints of noise overriding and\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000146\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298f501ab28e04ad48c6ef9cbc263d555\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: How many?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000147\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022be62eabf50a04701be4342473367a1f3\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Can the member resume\u2014hundreds, and the member should know not to interject. We\u2019ve had lots of complaints about roars of noise overriding the ability of the public to hear, and we had just one of those now\u2014not even a full sentence into the beginning of the Minister\u2019s reply to the supplementary question. The Minister will start again. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000148\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229eef65cd-ce82-441c-af1b-954ea0782a04\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a2582856a7394593892153fb5eec6fc4\u0022\u003EHon JAN TINETTI\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just to reiterate that this is the strategic document that shows the overall strategy and the road map towards where we are heading in literacy. There are other important parts of this that are progressing at this particular time, including the refresh of the curriculum. As I have said, these strategies are based on evidence, and the evidence shows that there is no one-size-fits-all, and I would actually point that member towards the references in the back of the document that fully show the broad range of evidence that we are using in the production of this strategy. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000149\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224d14a1aed0794bc7af8cd1e310242307\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 6\u2014Finance\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022 data-id=\u0022f2d3d33cad77498498b9bb753f6b1bb0\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000150\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E6. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f2d3d33cad77498498b9bb753f6b1bb0\u0022\u003ENICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader\u2014National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with ASB\u2019s assessments that \u201Chigher consumer prices and debt servicing costs could raise household weekly outgoings by an average of around $150 per week over 2022\u201D with income growth unlikely to keep pace?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022ab1e9c779b1d4bebaa9025ee53766801\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000151\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ab1e9c779b1d4bebaa9025ee53766801\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E There are many parts of the ASB report that I agree with. These include the report\u2019s acknowledgment that higher global food commodity prices, higher global oil prices, and the impact of the war in Ukraine are all having an effect on the inflation being experienced by New Zealanders. I acknowledge that a number of New Zealanders are facing a cost of living crisis due to these factors. That\u2019s why the Government has moved quickly to ease the pressure on New Zealand families by, for example, cutting fuel excise by 25c, which has flowed through immediately to prices at the pump. With respect to the number quoted by the member, it is hypothetical and relies on a number of factors and calculations that are highly uncertain. In response to the second part of the member\u2019s question, I would note that the ASB forecasts that, on average, over 2022, household disposable incomes will be higher than consumer spending, giving a positive savings rate over the year. And as the House may already be aware, the report indicates that since the end of 2017, when Labour came into Government, disposable incomes have been, and will remain, higher than consumer spending in 20 out of 21 quarters through to the end of 2022.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000152\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228dd0e8deff7e4beebff6fe3b79e76ab8\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Does he deny calculations showing a typical New Zealand household experienced a $5,000 increase in costs last year, and is he concerned about the difficult choices households will face this year as they struggle to absorb an estimated additional $7,800 in costs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000153\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226804465fe2cc4f8b8dd82694aeae2f6e\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the member\u2019s question, I note that the ASB report is not actually a typical household but, rather, a \u201Cstylised average\u201D, which includes the household paying both mortgage and rental costs. So those numbers do need to be carefully looked at. As I said in my original answer, we acknowledge that many New Zealand families are doing it tough, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re supporting them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000154\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022114fde998b904eb1be476502471d131b\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Does he acknowledge that there are hundreds of thousands of taxpaying New Zealanders who are not eligible for Working for Families or Government benefits but who also face a cost of living crisis, and why doesn\u2019t he think they deserve income tax relief?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000155\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f22e130044f24b8186dd08da4da92a57\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: Because the package that the member\u2019s party is offering up would see those on the highest incomes benefit the most, would see a benefit to property speculators, and would see those on lower incomes getting $2 a week\u2014all, at the same time, putting in danger investment in health, education, housing, and other Government services. The member\u2019s plan doesn\u2019t add up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000156\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002262c1cc06d7df4a38bbc39cf169c87bce\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Well, what does he say to Kris, who wrote to me, saying\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000157\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b263d274a09640d1b078bb67a41b605e\u0022\u003EHon Members\u003C/span\u003E: Ha, ha!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000158\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e480930cf07d43f3b3f452907dace02c\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000159\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c02a088edce0491495ac57bcaa54009d\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Shall I start again, Mr Speaker?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000160\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002245e6a151e27740f389f62478d0ad3006\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m sure it wasn\u2019t Hipkins, but carry on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000161\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022455e08d65a724ad69f3bf8032e956884\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: What does he say to Kris, who wrote to me saying\u2014\u201CKris\u201D with a K\u2014\u201CI can\u2019t get Working for Families. I earn too much for any help. The Government is making it harder and harder for people on an average wage to live. I am angry and upset that I have to work harder and harder every week just to live.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000162\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223871b12230f74fd3b4b16a1b8bd165f9\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: What I would say to Kris and to other New Zealanders is that this Government is making sure that we continue to invest in health, in education, and in housing, and all of the public services that they rely upon, and that if they were to take the National Party\u2019s tax proposal, those on the highest incomes would benefit the most, those who are speculating in housing would get a tax break, and those on the lowest incomes would get $2. There are always difficult choices to be made in households and in Governments. On this side of the House, we believe we\u2019ve got the balance right. A balance doesn\u2019t come from $8,000 to that member and $2 to somebody on the minimum wage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000163\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022748f723e181b46baaae96f94a61d902d\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Why does he continue to argue that wages are keeping up with the cost of living and why is it that so many Kiwis are feeling worse off, including Porirua resident Mykie Sagar, who was reported by Stuff this weekend as saying, \u201CI thought with all the extra work we\u2019ve had that I would have a small fortune somewhere, but I don\u2019t, I just don\u2019t know where it\u2019s gone.\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000164\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002263b8dff836a54af793e4360eead50578\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: On this side of the House, we\u2019re committed to making sure that we do the long-term things we need to do right: to invest in our roads, to invest in our public transport, to make sure that we build houses\u2014not to sell the houses off like the previous Government did. The member\u2019s proposal will benefit the wealthiest the most. It\u2019s just the same old National Party; New Zealanders wouldn\u2019t be better off with it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000165\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f12da0af-dc73-4870-8f77-1d50a75eb44c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002213b768f54f824cd6a7ab2d4ce8571822\u0022\u003ENicola Willis\u003C/span\u003E: Well, what does he say to Jamie, who wrote to me saying, \u201CNow I\u2019m 40, still doing 50 to 60 hours a week, struggling to survive, and starting to wonder if I\u2019d be better off on a benefit.\u201D, and why won\u2019t the Minister deliver income tax relief for hard-working New Zealanders like Jamie?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000166\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022cbd233214c1046cea0ef905b5c6d5a2c\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON\u003C/span\u003E: On this side of the House, we know that New Zealanders want and need good quality public health, good quality education, good quality housing. For the nine years the National Party were in office, every single one of those was undermined. The member can\u2019t have it all ways. She can\u2019t say she\u2019s going to reduce debt, cut taxes, and keep up that spending. It\u2019s the same Bermuda Triangle that Paul Goldsmith was in, and unless the National Party come up with new ideas, it\u2019s just same old National again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000167\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022ed53d78869394d2c8b6924cf6b897976\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 7\u2014Transport\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u0022dc1eb700bc954f47b54e366f15684c14\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000168\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E7. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022dc1eb700bc954f47b54e366f15684c14\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Transport: What recent steps has the Government taken to support New Zealanders through the current global energy shock and associated transport costs?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022 data-id=\u0022c510d14003b24bf88cf832f24b6ddbbb\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c510d14003b24bf88cf832f24b6ddbbb\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Transport):\u003C/span\u003E In March, we announced moves to reduce the costs of fuel by lowering fuel excise duty and road-user charges, in response to the global energy shock following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We also announced half-price fares for public transport to encourage commuters to consider changes to the way that they travel at a lower cost. Changes to the fuel excise duty were immediate, and I\u2019ve now confirmed that road-user charges will be cut by 36 percent across all legislated rates, coming into effect in late April. The scope for public transport services has been confirmed and will include key additional services such as the Capital Connection; Te Huia; and the Total Mobility services, that are so important to our disability communities. These changes ensure that it will make a meaningful difference to more New Zealanders and provide more options for them to move around our towns, cities, and regions.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000170\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002236bf2703cd5f4831995b452be34e280d\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Why is it important that these key additional services were included?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000171\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232f39c23172947ba821aafe427940219\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD\u003C/span\u003E: In addition to the inclusion of bus and train services across the country, the inclusion of services such as the Capital Connection, Te Huia, and Total Mobility recognise the range of different transport modes and the needs of commuters, especially those who have particular needs, and travel between regions\u2014and I note in particular the advocacy we\u2019ve received for support for the Total Mobility services for our disability community, and we\u2019re very pleased to support that. By reducing the cost barrier for these services, we\u2019re providing more options for commuters to get around, which helps us to reduce carbon emissions. It reduces the cost for those commuters and gives people more choices.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000172\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a689fa3ed51645ec940fe697605929ca\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Why was it important for the Government to move quickly in making these changes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000173\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022098b8334-57f8-4062-bac6-bfbc3474e88e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e033510c814a426399116b75747114da\u0022\u003EHon MICHAEL WOOD\u003C/span\u003E: The global energy shock brought on by the invasion of Ukraine had a particularly acute and rapid effect on the cost of fuel worldwide, and New Zealand was no exception. We recognise that the flow-on effects at the pump were having a real impact for Kiwi families, and, by moving quickly and decisively, we\u2019ve been able to mitigate those impacts and reduce the cost barrier for the users of public transport services as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000174\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224939bbcc1f534b8da2104f37f60f182b\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 8\u2014Police\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022 data-id=\u0022cf88cb641dd745988d5eaa93de529ca9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000175\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E8. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cf88cb641dd745988d5eaa93de529ca9\u0022\u003EHon MARK MITCHELL (National\u2014Whangapar\u0101oa)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her statement, \u201CThe reality is that this Government has never been more active in targeting the gangs and criminal leaders and getting them off the streets\u201D; and if so, how does she reconcile that statement with the over 40 percent increase in gang membership since October 2017?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022 data-id=\u0022eb03fd17f1a548a89befe2f07aa10ef9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000176\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022eb03fd17f1a548a89befe2f07aa10ef9\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police):\u003C/span\u003E Yes, this Government is committed to combating the harm caused by gangs and organised crime through a variety of measures, including amending the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act to hit the gangs in their pockets, introducing firearms prohibition orders to give police more tools to tackle gun crime, and continuing to invest record amounts into our police to provide them with the resources they need to do their job\u2014including 700 additional organised crime staff by June next year. In answer to the second question, the member is referring to the National Gang List, an intelligence tool designed to give police a high-level understanding of the gang environment. It was never designed to be an accurate State statistical count of gang membership in New Zealand. This Government will continue to support police in their work to disrupt organised crime and gang membership.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000177\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002217b6a69d4a3347538a1b119940cc3a87\u0022\u003EHon Mark Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Are Kiwis right to be more worried about gangs and gang violence today than they were when Labour came to office?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000178\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002264eb365285f946df8b8edcc8bc339adf\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: There is no question that we must continue to disrupt gangs and organised crime networks. This Government will continue to support police in their efforts to crack down on gangs through operations such as Tauwhiro, legislation introducing firearms prohibition orders, and by funding the largest ever police workforce. We\u2019re putting a record number of police on the beat with a specific focus on gangs and organised crime, and we\u2019ve ramped up our efforts to hit gangs where it hurts: in their pockets, seizing $500 million in cash and assets from gangs and criminals in the last four years.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000179\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225e3e4457ea054c30830b290c83dc3323\u0022\u003EHon Mark Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Is gang-related violence increasing or decreasing under her watch?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000180\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f238be8ebc144b5b847c0726389acfe6\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: There\u2019s no doubt that this Government has worked hard to support the police in their efforts to put pressure on gangs. And if I can point to some operations: Operation Tauwhiro, a thousand arrests and 52 kilograms of meth\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000181\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c378495f8406476fa260c9f8eb34992a\u0022\u003EHon Mark Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000182\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224deae9799eac48e787af7b5b03b67dfa\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: A point of order, the Hon Mark\u2014I hope the member\u2019s not going to be disagreeing with an answer, because you know that\u2019s not a point of order, don\u2019t you?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000183\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a57ca3184a9141bca9ad1551954777b9\u0022\u003EHon Mark Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Well, what I\u2019m raising, Mr Speaker, is the fact that that was a very clear, short, concise question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000184\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221b5885365a7246b0bb1faa723ce41266\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: It was, and we\u2019ll let the Minister try and answer it, or at least address it. We haven\u2019t got there yet; I think we all accept that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d6939ccf18444cdebae5d43e402b5a76\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Operation Trout: five arrests and 10 kilograms of meth stopped at the border; Operation Selena: 24 arrests and two properties and five vehicles seized; Operation Weirton: six arrests and over 600 kilograms of meth seized. The charging\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000186\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223b7a647fde854b3190a5f3a1f43fe6cc\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! Order! I don\u2019t want to reiterate what Mr Mitchell has said, but the member has now gone on for a very long time, and she hasn\u2019t addressed what was a pretty simple question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000187\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e83c127e76f642b19a78071f1c2bf125\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: The charging rate\u2014[Interruption]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000188\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fd781bf5cdfb4075b9704b1708e58050\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Who said that? Who interjected then?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000189\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022dd36368ce5d24b1b8b206e1e9ff9092d\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: I think it was me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000190\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b5e5bf0277e04a63b0eaa06778ee9b06\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: You think it was you? You will stand, withdraw and apologise, and sit on a last warning.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000191\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002255d0b7a4-a2c9-4c38-9b77-475311a48a89\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229241f72455bc4401af462fe7f73f7d49\u0022\u003ESimeon Brown\u003C/span\u003E: I withdraw and apologise.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000192\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224f40ff93e1054328828c62b94c3e812e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: That seat\u2019s infectious!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000193\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ebf9c9090fd04d67bab4e0990518c17e\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: The charging rate against identified gang members is 92 percent in the year to date, which has gone up under our watch. We will continue to support police in their efforts to put pressure on gangs.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000194\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002258baa209-edaf-42a5-92d6-b2613c144bfb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ed72b17aaa2b4e118a7c8469ce47d1b1\u0022\u003ENicole McKee\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, how many 501s, which the Government likes to blame for gang violence, are actually on the National Gang List? And do 501s still make up just 1.7 percent of that list?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000195\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f82ae41c0ce046e483a85eb8cd80b5c5\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: If that member would care to put that question in writing, given it is one that is not on notice, I\u2019d be happy to respond to her.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000196\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a46176e4bf9e4c0ebed379cf310b8767\u0022\u003EHon Mark Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Why have the people of Kaikohe been subjected to open gang warfare and violence in their streets?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000197\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222ae61e8ccbe442c4ae285bbca0f80f46\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: Police have responded to recent gang tensions by deploying more staff to Kaikohe. Police have also made a number of arrests in relation to recent gang tensions, and will continue to deploy more staff into these areas if required.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000198\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002232189353dbdb43de98276608dff93c00\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. Mr Speaker, that answer was to the Police\u2019s response. The question was about cause, and none of the answer referred to cause.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000199\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223cb0cf355fb34e469c3730221b901733\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Can the member just repeat the question to me\u2014I\u2019ve lost what it was.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000200\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f1b81e73071c41c49cf12476d7bb683c\u0022\u003EHon Mark Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, Mr Speaker. Why have the people of Kaikohe been subjected to open gang warfare and violence in their streets?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000201\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022903ebeb7a485401692a51209e7ecc7e1\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: No, well I think that the response did address\u2014at least, attempt to intervene in\u2014that issue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000202\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002248a02a21-c1ac-4159-8789-485ad614bd01\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022caf7f60ff6504189b89ecd50eb9af9b7\u0022\u003EHon Mark Mitchell\u003C/span\u003E: Why is the brazen violent behaviour such as we saw on the Waikato Expressway, where gang members brutally assaulted a motorist, becoming more common under her watch?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000203\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c0e0c86e-e14d-4daa-9bc8-1b5a3d7defeb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002203fba1e0b67f4df2ac8996762ad92df8\u0022\u003EHon POTO WILLIAMS\u003C/span\u003E: As I\u2019ve already said to that member: under this Government, we\u2019ve put more resource into the Police and put more cops on the beat to ensure that their response is as adequate as it can be. And I would point to that National Government, when they were in office, freezing resources and dropping police numbers. You cannot do more with less, Mr Mitchell; you have to have sufficient cops and sufficient resources to deal with the issue, and this Government stands behind our police every single day of the year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000204\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d800083c2a7d4ee2b4b2a9a29120fba2\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Right, I\u2019m just\u2014sorry, before I call David Seymour, I am going to say to the Hon Mr Goldsmith he will not interject for the rest of question time. I think we haven\u2019t got a single supplementary answer without at least one interjection from him, and\u2014[Interruption] I think there\u2019s some people who don\u2019t really want to stay here.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022aa66258a55bc41af8f2932bccb57fc0c\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 9\u2014Prime Minister\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022c7047d1be58249dbad5a2f6b7538fa10\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000206\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E9. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c7047d1be58249dbad5a2f6b7538fa10\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT)\u003C/span\u003E to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government\u2019s statements and policies?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022 data-id=\u00226083b5ae70854e4dadfeb8d073749877\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000207\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226083b5ae70854e4dadfeb8d073749877\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister):\u003C/span\u003E Yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000208\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222eb69251f0354f5db0c5c5afc52da581\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by her statement at Waitangi in 2019 that \u201CEquality is our foundation\u201D, and, if so, does she believe that our constitutional foundation should be equal political rights for all New Zealanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000209\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d78933b80ebc43f7a39e03057d29a28c\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: In answer to the first part of the question, yes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000210\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e453b20be93a438fb9a8681096d8a9bd\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Does she stand by her Government\u2019s policy of co-governance for three waters infrastructure, and, if so, can she explain how being appointed based on ancestry makes people better at managing infrastructure than if they are elected by the users of the service?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000211\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00228731353a885a4aecaa9bda7dffb7a827\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: There are a number of areas where, of course, we work alongside M\u0101ori on the basis of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. If the member wishes to distil down his views in Te Tiriti into the way that he just described, that\u2019s a matter for him. I am happy, though, to respond to the general question around how we\u2019ve come to the governance arrangements we have for three waters. This is an issue that we are tackling as a Government, not because it was top on anyone\u2019s agenda in this House but because we have to face the brutal fact that, in New Zealand, thousands of New Zealanders get sick from their drinking water every single year\u2014the fact that just last week, when I visited Tokomaru Bay, there are people there who had no access to water because of a severe weather event. They\u2019re now on a boil notice. That happens for some New Zealanders every day of the week. It is not acceptable, so we need change. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000212\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003EIn making that change and developing entities across the country that will have the role of maintaining public ownership of our critical water assets but ensuring that we have regional representation, we\u2019ve put forward a proposal that that regional representation consist of mana whenua, as happens in local government every day, alongside local authority representatives. I would point out to the member that recently, when we went to a group of local government representatives to ask them for their views on those arrangements, they came back in support of the regional representative group structure we had proposed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000213\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229a3f84a88ebe4198a3d9d0eac5704b7d\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order. It was actually a very simple question about how the composition of governance bodies for three waters would improve the performance and outcomes of infrastructure management. Now, the Minister described a whole lot of features of the policy, but she never came close to addressing that actual question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000214\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022038ba01fc71941bd84139b70d3ed68ef\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: I think she did address the question.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000215\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222cf839b94c064056aa9f73face622dbe\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Prime Minister stand by her Government\u2019s policy of having Ng\u0101i Tahu appoint two councillors to Environment Canterbury alongside democratically elected councillors, and, if so, can she explain how that policy will deliver better air and water quality for the people of Canterbury?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000216\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022bdd057485d9a46e294b30d9bf6fd3b5e\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: If the member wishes to speak to the arrangements that actually exist across the board in many areas of local government, including currently on some of the water issues down south or even maunga management up north, the member takes issue with that. He may wish to reflect on his role in the time that National was in Government, where many of those arrangements were established. What I would be interested in is, actually, if the member could articulate what it is that has been generated by those groups and those arrangements that the member finds particularly problematic; what is it about local government actually acknowledging that, to date, we haven\u2019t had fair representation of M\u0101ori in local government; and what it is about the changes that have come into place that the member finds particularly problematic? Let\u2019s discuss the issue, rather than what I\u2019m worried about is just blatant politicisation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000217\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e253db0a877b4d60939b88e77d42b39d\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Does she agree with this statement: \u201CAll political authority comes from the people by democratic means including universal suffrage, regular and free elections with a secret ballot.\u201D, and, if so, how is that consistent with more and more governance roles being appointed along ethnic lines instead of elected?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000218\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226e17f9e2c97448d0a9742c4dec0615d3\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Of course, I support the longstanding principles of democracy in this nation, but the idea that that cannot sit alongside Te Tiriti o Waitangi, I take issue with that. We are more sophisticated than that, surely, than to take such a simplistic view.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000219\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022409659cc8c4c4fc280bc2f7c67cd6610\u0022\u003EDavid Seymour\u003C/span\u003E: Does she see any distinction between co-governance arrangements for specific taonga returned through Treaty settlements, such as the arrangements for Auckland\u2019s maunga, on the one hand, and co-governance of entities that did not exist in 1840, such as public healthcare systems and three waters infrastructure, on the other, or is co-governance now a wholesale policy, regardless of that distinction?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000220\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022aa2209f1-1889-4c24-b51d-cb2aedc7aa93\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c5a2e9ca2c144ce1953a761ff13ad651\u0022\u003ERt Hon JACINDA ARDERN\u003C/span\u003E: Perhaps we should come at it from a different angle for the member. We have not, since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, had the M\u0101ori Health Authority. Yet what we have had is a national health system that has generated an outcome where M\u0101ori die younger than other New Zealanders and where M\u0101ori have worse health outcomes, for instance, in cancer care and treatment for every cancer there is other than melanoma. It is not right in this country that because you\u2019re M\u0101ori, you are often sicker and you have poorer treatment in our health system. So we are responding to that, yes, with an entity that didn\u2019t exist before, because this is a problem that has existed because we have not confronted it as we should.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000221\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fb03f29024e448f0ad8182c4ea57127d\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 10\u2014Emergency Management\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022 data-id=\u0022923d0a3b105049eea02cd7764e81b1b6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000222\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022\u003E10. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022923d0a3b105049eea02cd7764e81b1b6\u0022\u003EANNA LORCK (Labour\u2014Tukituki) (remote)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Emergency Management: How has the Government responded to the Tair\u0101whiti and Hawke\u2019s Bay floods? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u002267c0228a5dbf47b8bece914435e63da4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000223\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002267c0228a5dbf47b8bece914435e63da4\u0022\u003EHon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Minister for Emergency Management):\u003C/span\u003E On 24 March, I announced that the Government would provide $175,000 to the Gisborne District Council for a Tai R\u0101whiti mayoral relief fund to support a community that has had to deal with five significant weather events in the past year, alongside COVID. On 25 March, my colleague the Hon Damien O\u2019Connor declared a medium-scale adverse event for the flood damage across the Tai R\u0101whiti district and Hawke\u2019s Bay region, unlocking $150,000 of Government support for farmers and growers as part of the clean-up. The Ministry of Social Development has activated civil defence payments to those needing immediate support, and New Zealand Defence Force personnel were deployed to the region and distributed food, water, and medical supplies. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000224\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002291debf1398a84bfeafb2bae1e77b0ff3\u0022\u003EAnna Lorck\u003C/span\u003E: What further support is being considered? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000225\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220bab4a08ac4442c0bc0b406a9425b43a\u0022\u003EHon KIRITAPU ALLAN\u003C/span\u003E: In addition, the New Zealand Defence Force has deployed a reconnaissance crew that was deployed on Monday to determine what further assistance the region requires, including, particularly, roading requirements and support. A report detailing these requirements is expected to be provided to the National Emergency Management Agency and the Civil Defence Emergency Management Group within the next couple of days. In addition, Waka Kotahi and its roading contractors have been working tirelessly to clean up the debris across the State highway network and to safely restore lifelines in and out of the region. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000226\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227917581760034d62a644b3902df36070\u0022\u003EAnna Lorck\u003C/span\u003E: What roles have the local community and volunteers played in the response? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002271acf47f882a49e291cd68eb6f20044c\u0022\u003EHon KIRITAPU ALLAN\u003C/span\u003E: Alongside the Prime Minister this week, I have witnessed firsthand the many volunteers and communities reaching out to support Te Tai R\u0101whiti and the Hawke\u2019s Bay communities impacted by the weather events. These communities, often hailed as resilient, are tired and they have been operating in isolated areas, but nevertheless they have rallied together to support each other. I want to acknowledge the Tai R\u0101whiti civil defence emergency management groups in particular that have enabled the communities to stay well connected, and I also acknowledge the role of Ng\u0101ti Porou and the hap\u016B leads that have rounded around to support the communities. I commend the efforts of all of those that have been engaged and continue to be engaged in the current state of emergency that is occurring in the region now. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000228\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f4cbe91ebe9c47189662f123e58b38af\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 11\u2014Commerce and Consumer Affairs\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022 data-id=\u002232265fbddceb4e7c959716c5cffe3c28\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000229\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E11. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002232265fbddceb4e7c959716c5cffe3c28\u0022\u003ERAWIRI WAITITI (Co-Leader\u2014Te Paati M\u0101ori) (remote)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: Kia ora e te P\u012Bka. Otir\u0101, kia ora t\u0101tou e te Whare. Tuatahi, kei te tangi atu ki t\u0113r\u0101 kuia, Kahurangi June Jackson e takoto mai r\u0101 ki runga i t\u014Dna marae \u2013 haere atu r\u0101, e kui.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000230\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E[Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thank you to the House. First, I would like to acknowledge the elder Dame June Jackson, who is lying in State on her marae\u2014I bid you farewell, my lady.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000231\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003EMy question is to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Does he stand by his statement that \u201Ccompetition in the retail grocery market is not working\u201D; if so, what steps will he take, if any, to break up the supermarket duopoly?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u0022a3a865066c0749ccb84f8cc3bd870b22\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000232\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a3a865066c0749ccb84f8cc3bd870b22\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs):\u003C/span\u003E I do want to acknowledge the member\u2019s question and the respects to Dame June and agree with those sentiments. In answer to the question, yes, I stand by my statement that the report is clear: competition in the retail grocery sector is not working, and consumers will get better prices, range, and quality when action is taken to address this. It\u2019s clear that we need to improve competition and that there is a desire to see quick action. That is what we are doing. My officials are currently working through the recommendations of the 607-page report, but I have been clear that we will not rule out exploring further measures if the recommendations in the report don\u2019t achieve the level of competition we need. We\u2019re looking at establishing a new regulator and dispute resolution scheme, developing a mandatory code of conduct, and how we can ban land covenants to free up space for new supermarkets. These actions can have a real impact on improving competition in New Zealand. This issue is simply too important not to get a response right on, on behalf of New Zealand consumers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000233\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002207fe587663834e9587602d1e8e4ee688\u0022\u003ERawiri Waititi\u003C/span\u003E: What is his response to the Commerce Commission\u2019s recommendations that Government should free up land and supply chains for independent grocers, considering that the current market locks out the potential for tangata whenua - owned supermarkets that operate with M\u0101ori values?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000234\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002244dac7fd3cc0471aa5022210dd8ac1f6\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: The commission has recommended, in terms of supply chains, that there\u2019s a code of conduct that changes the relationship between the supermarkets or the retail grocery sector and their suppliers. Indeed, I do want to acknowledge in particular the role of M\u0101ori in our grocery sector as store owners, suppliers, and consumers, because in particular M\u0101ori have a strong role as growers and primary producers, including owning 50 percent of the fishing quota; 30 percent of lamb, sheep, and beef production; and 10 percent of dairy production and kiwifruit. The commission made recommendations to address the imbalance of power between the major retailers and their suppliers, including the code of conduct and a regulator overseeing it. In respect of land covenants, they are something I\u2019m also seeking to ban.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000235\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00220f7d126e-c18d-4466-9ebe-d424ae5c4bf6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ad12643366eb4764a53e5d50e5f6aa76\u0022\u003ERawiri Waititi\u003C/span\u003E: Will Government regulate the sector to stop price gauging at our supermarkets and prevent low-income people being lumped with regular cost increases\u2014like in my electorate of Waiariki, where cabbages seem to cost up to $12 and cauliflower costs more than $10\u2014just to feed their wh\u0101nau; if not, why not?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000236\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002285666419fde84307bf8775293bcd16ca\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: The Commerce Commission found that competition was not working as it could be and should be in the sector. Improving the conditions for competition should lead to better range, prices, quality, and service across the sector. That is what the study is about. We agree with its findings and we look forward to responding to the recommendations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000237\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002219ed20db-5d6c-4464-9327-6cdd072bb4fe\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222eae2f6c02f141afa0d667e18fa2a5c2\u0022\u003ERicardo Men\u00E9ndez March\u003C/span\u003E: Does he accept that the duopoly\u2019s estimated $430 million in excess yearly profit shows people are being ripped off; if so, will he ensure that the option of a publicly owned competitor is on the table to address this?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000238\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fc4eabb09d4e4a359fdca5edefd166bf\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I have said we have accepted the findings from the Commerce Commission. Even on their most conservative estimate, which is more conservative than the one the member draws on, they find that the supermarkets are making excess profits of $1 million a day across New Zealand. That is a substantial finding and warrants a substantial response. In respect of a Government owned or backed intervention, that is not something the commission recommends. They believe creating the right conditions for competition is what is essential. They don\u2019t see Government as having specialist expertise in selling groceries in particular. They also warn against setting up a Government-owned or backed wholesaler simply on the basis of their analysis around how competition has improved around the world. That said, we are absolutely committed to the findings in the report and are working on the response to the recommendations so that we can see better competition in the sector and see consumers get sharper prices and get a fair deal at the checkout. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000239\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022b6e65ad5450941a2a88f35674cdcd4a5\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 12\u2014Social Development and Employment\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022 data-id=\u0022295a4d9709f54cff81e587c9381ef5da\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000240\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E12. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022295a4d9709f54cff81e587c9381ef5da\u0022\u003EHon LOUISE UPSTON (National\u2014Taup\u014D)\u003C/span\u003E to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many people, if any, had received jobseeker support for three consecutive years or longer as at the December 2021 quarter and how many people, if any, had received jobseeker support for three consecutive years or longer as at the December 2017 quarter?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022 data-id=\u00225a5e254fc6744661bb11f2b3fcf55932\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000241\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00225a5e254fc6744661bb11f2b3fcf55932\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E In December 2017, there were 36,906 people receiving jobseeker assistance for longer than three years; in December 2021, that number was 55,116\u2014a difference of 18,210. We have been enduring a pandemic and the overall numbers of people on benefit have gone up, and, as you can imagine, that means in each time period the number of people on benefit have gone up as well. There are a group of New Zealanders who struggle to find employment during periods of economic shock and are further disadvantaged. This is why Government has increased our focus on getting people back into work, and we are seeing great results\u2014more people moved off the benefit and into work in 2021 than any time since the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) began taking electronic records in 1996.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000242\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226001309c4b1846f5ad5df37622e83dc5\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: Why are almost 6 percent of working-age adults on the jobseeker benefit, almost twice the official unemployment rate, when local businesses like supermarkets are crying out for workers?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000243\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002220c7100aa0c043e781709651a7169845\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: One of the areas that we had to contend with when we came into Government was the area of upskilling and training for New Zealanders who were struggling to find employment. On the front line, there\u2019d been a reduction of MSD work-focused case management, given that the front line was dealing more and more with hardship and hadn\u2019t been given the resourcing that they needed to be able to support people\u2014not only into the immediate employment that was available but the upskilling and training that they might need to get into employment. Since we\u2019ve got into Government, we have focused on that investment, making sure that those on benefit do have access to upskilling and training and employment, and it\u2019s paying off. We\u2019re seeing\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000244\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022c8e99378fd1c4a208b6ab00df307b829\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! Order! The member\u2019s answer is too long.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000245\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220b9a23e108ff41d69606c1a71b3f19f1\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: Why are 6 percent of working-age adults on jobseeker when Stuff reports today that some kiwifruit companies are offering pay of up to $60 an hour?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000246\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002223469b3561424fbb9e4a7436bd53744c\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: Firstly, can I say that that would not be the norm for the kiwifruit picking or horticulture industry. I think that that would be the exception. With regards to some of those employment areas, it\u2019s not easy with regards to the geographical location for some of the people that are unemployed to be able to get there. Even within the horticulture industry, they do need a level of skill that they don\u2019t always have and we do hear that from the horticulture sector. We\u2019re working with that sector to provide them and support them to get the employees that they need, and we\u2019re very hopeful that we will be able to do that over the course of the season.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000247\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222102b9992a6d4e4f831549f87032e43e\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: Can she explain how, at a time the Government is celebrating low unemployment and jobs are offering at $60 an hour, 36,000 more children are growing up in benefit-dependent homes?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000248\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002275f4bc6405eb4c4fb332a756c1f14e45\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: I think we need to reflect on what was forecast initially a couple of years back: we have not reached the peak of beneficiary numbers that had been anticipated, and that\u2019s due to the economic focus and health focus that we have had as a Government. Just last week, we saw benefit numbers come down under 350,000; there are over\u2014I think\u201425,000 less on benefits than there were this time last year. With the investment that we are making, we are tracking in the right direction and we are supporting New Zealanders into employment more than ever, more than any other Government has done since electronic records were kept.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000249\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022641bd3be3ffb4ec7ba1fddc7f4154701\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister believe that characterising people on benefits as \u201Cpretty damned hopeless\u201D, or more recently as \u201Cbottom feeders\u201D, does anything to get them into meaningful employment?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000250\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225c9837339bf24a8ba87ea7c8fcee96da\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely not. And that has been one of the shameful parts of our political history\u2014that we have used beneficiaries as political footballs during political cycles. It does nothing to empower or support those wh\u0101nau to get ahead. We won\u2019t be doing that as a Government; we will continue to invest in them in the way that we have been. We see the potential of people on benefit and know that investing in them is investing in their children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000251\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a68928ea-9dd8-4a30-8e2c-a0f49dfc8bea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223eb61e83e17b44a99c47d6dcb2d65c12\u0022\u003EHon Louise Upston\u003C/span\u003E: If she sees the potential of people on benefit, why is it that there are 116,000 on jobseeker that have been stuck there for over a year\u2014an increase of almost 50,000 long-term unemployed under her watch?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000252\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227a2f0c80c8b14b31a4e825282bbcccab\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: I think it\u2019s important to reflect on some of our policies and how, in that context, they are actually helping people get ahead. One of those policies is actually lifting the abatement threshold so that people can earn a little bit more money\u2014they may keep their benefit, but they get to work a few more part-time hours without losing money. That\u2019s really important, because we see part-time employment as a pathway to full-time employment. Also, if there are women that are on benefit but they are getting tertiary-level education because we actually reintroduced the Training Incentive Allowance, then I\u2019m not ashamed of that, and that will help them and their children get ahead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000253\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b754b0716aca482d8efff67aca3fb85a\u0022\u003EMark Cameron\u003C/span\u003E: Does the Minister stand by her statement \u201Ceven the horticultural industry requires some skill\u201D?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000254\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c3a88c42-f60b-4cf9-8065-8bfb80a020eb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00222e9e91c3b99f4d299dfc46c797c99fab\u0022\u003EHon CARMEL SEPULONI\u003C/span\u003E: Absolutely. And they say it themselves, that they need a level of skill amongst the employees that they support. And so we continue to work with them, and there are a number of supports and products in place where MSD can provide support for that occurring. That has resulted into people going into those jobs. But I do recognise the strain that they\u2019re feeling, not necessarily just because of the domestic labour force but because of the lack of people that are here on visitor\u2019s visas, and a range of other things. But we do see the light on the horizon, and we\u2019ll continue to work with them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000255\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002213ee4ff5290f4995939d36d3523752dc\u0022\u003EQuestions to Members\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000256\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00227eda996830ad47c98de1c7760bd228b4\u0022\u003EQuestion No. 1\u2014Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000257\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E1. \u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227217b25f538845f9b5985c9de4ec0fde\u0022\u003EMELISSA LEE (National)\u003C/span\u003E to the Chairperson of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee: When will the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee report its findings on the Inquiry into the Review of the Radio New Zealand Charter to the House?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022 data-id=\u0022cec66b53761e4384808de78c616f8f36\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000258\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c2e823af-22b7-4411-8b12-14d7b43680ea\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cec66b53761e4384808de78c616f8f36\u0022\u003EJAMIE STRANGE (Chairperson of the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E The reporting of said findings is a matter for the committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000259\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002218f9e3ea-81c5-4414-af48-d6bb843a9227\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022abc52053d58442d7b4008ed16a31170a\u0022\u003EMelissa Lee\u003C/span\u003E: Has the chair received any directives to postpone or delay the inquiry into the review of the Radio New Zealand charter\u2019s final report to the House?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000260\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223c01b77a32f24e0b962472f429af3ace\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Order! That\u2019s not a matter for which the chair is responsible.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000261\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022c83012b4-3939-4753-80fc-1956a3e2bd1e\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002214262c7f42ff4e359062eb6d78d83375\u0022\u003EHon Michael Woodhouse\u003C/span\u003E: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The question asks specifically about whether the chair had received\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000262\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a064228c010e432784770fe4c03c6208\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\u003C/span\u003E: Yes, and the only things that the chair can report on to this House are matters of the decisions of the committee; nothing else. The member knows that\u2014I think the member knows that\u2014and if he doesn\u2019t, he should have and, if he did, he\u2019s being disorderly.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000263\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000264\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022f36fdcb1339a49fb95a26b4610315ab7\u0022\u003EAppropriation (2020/21 Confirmation and Validation) Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000265\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u002205c6056dd8954445bd1129f57f379ec5\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022 data-id=\u0022aabb873f81fd4d378f31969e1b9eee83\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000266\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022aabb873f81fd4d378f31969e1b9eee83\u0022\u003EHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance):\u003C/span\u003E I move, That the Appropriation (2020/21 Confirmation and Validation) Bill be now read a first time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000267\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226007dc96-f459-4cdd-9972-4fde2c994088\u0022\u003EBill read a first 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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000268\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00224e7e626e17fc48c2a6316de1a55ffdaa\u0022\u003ENg\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000269\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022dc3b553fe5b14798abb2dc42dd5b5154\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022 data-id=\u00220d443aee7e55447abc4650c9826f84a3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000270\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220d443aee7e55447abc4650c9826f84a3\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Ng\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000271\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002279db8b64-1f9b-4416-9b81-a12963db9cbf\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022889ce4ac33eb46c7852b62697210e40e\u0022\u003ESPEAKER\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000272\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227f54fae713cd49508734b4f6d3e15db7\u0022\u003EHon ANDREW LITTLE\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Ng\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000273\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ET\u0101kiri mai a na te ata, ki runga o ng\u0101kau m\u0101rohirohi. Korihi ana te manu kaupapa, ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea. Tihei mauriora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000274\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ETaranaki maunga, Taranaki whenua, Taranaki tangata. Ng\u0101ti Maru iwi, nau mai, haere mai. E mihi ana ki te hunga mate, haere, haere, haere atu r\u0101. Ki a t\u0101tou te hunga ora, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000275\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EHe uri P\u0101keh\u0101 au i tupu i te aroha o Taranaki maunga, o Taranaki whenua. T\u0113nei au, otir\u0101 m\u0101tou Te K\u0101wanatanga e mihi nei ki te kaupapa o te w\u0101, n\u014D reira rau rangatira m\u0101 t\u0113nei taku mihi atu ki a koutou t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, huri noa t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000276\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003E [Dawn breaks, a new morning and a dauntless heart. The voice of this issue now sings. A new dawn leads to the full light of day. I now begin.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000277\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ETaranaki mountain, Taranaki land, Taranaki people. Ng\u0101ti Maru, welcome, welcome. I acknowledge those who have passed. May you rest in peace. And to us who remain, welcome one and all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000278\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EI am a P\u0101keh\u0101 who grew up under the embrace of Taranaki mountain and Taranaki land, surrounded by the love of Taranaki people. I stand here, we the Government stands here acknowledging the issue of the time. Therefore to the many chiefs, this is my greeting to you all. Greetings, greetings one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000279\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EI begin by acknowledging the people of Ng\u0101ti Maru today. E te iwi Ng\u0101ti Maru, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou. It\u2019s a great privilege and an honour for me to open this third reading debate as today marks this final stage in the progression of Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2019s Treaty settlement bill. It is testament to the years of hard work of their people, of their leaders, and the dedication towards negotiating te herenga takitaki and the long-awaited day of celebration. Although many are still having to watch this bill reading remotely, I\u2019m pleased that Ng\u0101ti Maru representatives are in the House today to watch this reading in person. I explained to Ng\u0101ti Maru folks who are here in te Whare P\u0101remata that for many of the Treaty settlement bills that we\u2019ve had to progress in the last couple of years, many iwi representatives have had to do so from outside the Chamber, and it\u2019s great to have members back in the gallery.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000280\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EThis is a special day for Ng\u0101ti Maru, and I\u2019m glad that they are here to be able to witness this in person. I thank Ng\u0101ti Maru for their fortitude and patience in reaching this significant milestone. It is, as I said before, a great pleasure for me to stand here today to support the bill\u2019s enactment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000281\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EI pay tribute to Ng\u0101ti Maru t\u016Bpuna on this occasion, for the grievances that they have suffered and for the legacy of peace, which serves as a basis for the identity of Ng\u0101ti Maru to this very day. I also pay tribute to those who initiated this Treaty settlement process who cannot be here today to celebrate this milestone. Moe mai, moe mai, moe mai r\u0101. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000282\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EI acknowledge and thank the Ng\u0101ti Maru lead negotiator, Anaru Marshall, for his work advocating for justice for Ng\u0101ti Maru and for his wisdom and leadership throughout the settlement process. I also acknowledge the wider Ng\u0101ti Maru negotiation team: Holden Hohaia, Nathan Peri, Jamie Tuuta, Karl Burrows, Tomairangi Mareikura, Emma Gardiner, and Paretutaki Hayward-Howie for seeing this settlement through.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000283\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EOn the Crown\u2019s side, I acknowledge David Tapsell for his guidance and able leadership as chief Crown negotiator. I thank my ministerial colleagues for their work and support. Thank you also to the officials who worked to develop and finalise a redress package with Ng\u0101ti Maru. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000284\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EThe Ng\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill gives effect to te herenga takitaki, the deed of settlement, between Ng\u0101ti Maru and the Crown, signed on 27 February 2021, and settles all the historical te Tiriti o Waitangi claims of Ng\u0101ti Maru. The bill, like the deed of settlement, acknowledges the Crown\u2019s historic breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It also provides Ng\u0101ti Maru with a cultural and economic base to support future revitalisation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000285\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EToday, it is right to reflect on that history, a shared and troublesome history, and to record it in this House. For generations, Ng\u0101ti Maru cultivated the fertile land on the Waitara River flats and utilised resources from the forests, rivers, and wetlands. Because of their inland location, Ng\u0101ti Maru had limited contact with Europeans in the 1840s and 1850s, and were not involved in the Crown\u2019s land dealings which led to the outbreak of war in Taranaki in 1860. Nor were they involved in the subsequent fighting. Their involvement was limited to providing refuge to Wiremu K\u012Bngi Te Rangit\u0101ke, in accordance with the requirements of whanaungatanga. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000286\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EHowever, when the Crown confiscated huge tracts of Taranaki land to punish the so-called rebels in 1865, approximately half of the traditional lands of Ng\u0101ti Maru were included. To repeat: half of the lands were confiscated. Many of their k\u0101inga, urup\u0101, and w\u0101hi tapu were taken, and some have never been returned.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000287\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EFollowing the confiscation, Ng\u0101ti Maru continued to live on their lands. In the early 1870s, the Crown attempted to promote European settlement on confiscated land by paying some Ng\u0101ti Maru compensation for the rights that the confiscation had extinguished. These deeds of session, covering about 60,000 acres, created significant divisions within the iwi, compounding the damage already caused by the Crown\u2019s confiscation. Much of the remaining Ng\u0101ti Maru land was then put through the Native Land Court. Ng\u0101ti Maru had no other option but to use that court if they wanted a title that could be legally recognised and protected from other claims. A legal title was also necessary if Ng\u0101ti Maru wanted to lease or sell land. However, the individualisation of customary title made the land more susceptible to alienation and further damaged tribal cohesion. Ultimately, Ng\u0101ti Maru did not retain any of the land awarded to them by the Native Land Court.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000288\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EIn the early 1890s, some Ng\u0101ti Maru were virtually landless and appealed to the Crown for help. The Crown\u2019s response was slow and ineffective. Legislation was not enacted until 1907, and the land provided was significantly smaller in size and not adequate to sustain the needs of Ng\u0101ti Maru. An agreement to consolidate individual awards into more economically viable family holdings was never carried out, and landless Ng\u0101ti Maru people who were not named in the 1907 Acts did not receive any land. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000289\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EDespite further petitions from Ng\u0101ti Maru, in 1946, the Crown finally declined to provide them any further land. Much of the tribe\u2019s remaining land later came under public trustee administration and were subject to perpetual leases that invariably benefited P\u0101keh\u0101 farmers rather than the Ng\u0101ti Maru owners. The extensive loss of Ng\u0101ti Maru lands has eroded tribal structures; created severe poverty; and damaged the physical, cultural, and spiritual health of generations of Ng\u0101ti Maru people. The intense sense of loss and disconnection is expressed in the following Ng\u0101ti Maru lament: Maru h\u0101h\u0101, h\u0101h\u0101 te whenua, h\u0101h\u0101 te tangata. Maru of extreme loss and breathlessness, the land is deserted. The people are gone and gasping for breath. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000290\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EI recognise that the Ng\u0101ti Maru settlement package does not fully compensate for the magnitude of loss they have suffered across generations. It\u2019s testament to the extraordinary honour and dedication of Ng\u0101ti Maru that they have agreed to accept the current package and move towards reconciliation with the Crown. I thank you for your generosity of spirit and I am hopeful for what our shared future holds. Today is a day for reflecting on our shared history of the relationship between Ng\u0101ti Maru and the Crown, for acknowledging our troubled past and for recognising that the burden of history is one that Ng\u0101ti Maru will continue to bear. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000291\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003EThe events I\u2019ve described today may have occurred in the past, but for the people of Ng\u0101ti Maru, the legacy of loss, of deprivation, and of justified anger is ever present. It is my sincerest hope that this settlement will help Ng\u0101ti Maru build a more prosperous future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000292\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022106966ef-8cc3-434a-9dbe-dd76b708c2a1\u0022\u003ENg\u0101ti Maru are already doing work in their rohe to revitalise the iwi and teach rangatahi what it means to be Ng\u0101ti Maru. When enacted, this bill will further empower those efforts and will mark a new beginning in the relationship between the Crown and Ng\u0101ti Maru, based on mutual trust, cooperation, and true partnership. I look forward to meeting Ng\u0101ti Maru in their rohe sometime in the near future to deliver the Crown\u2019s apology. It wasn\u2019t possible during the time of COVID and the progress of these negotiations and of this bill to deliver the Crown apology prior to the legislation coming to this House, but I am determined that we will find a time, and I would be honoured, on behalf of the Crown, to deliver the much deserved apology to Ng\u0101ti Maru. On that note, I commend this bill to the House. N\u014D reira, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022 data-id=\u00221bba78415db84911abcf2a0d0fef9bee\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000293\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00221bba78415db84911abcf2a0d0fef9bee\u0022\u003EJOSEPH MOONEY (National\u2014Southland):\u003C/span\u003E It is a pleasure to rise as the member of Parliament for Southland, and the National Party spokesperson for Treaty negotiations, in support of this legislation at its final reading. Ng\u0101ti Maru iwi, he r\u0101 tino nui t\u0113nei m\u014D koutou, koutou te kaha me te manawanui. N\u014D reira e rau rangatira m\u0101, t\u0113nei taku mihi atu ki a koutou. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000294\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E[To the Ng\u0101ti Maru tribe, this is a very important day for you, you of strength and patience. Therefore, to the many chiefs, this is my greeting to you. Greetings, greetings to you all. Greetings to one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000295\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EIt was a true privilege to meet a number of you this afternoon, and to the elders, leaders, and members of Ng\u0101ti Maru who are witnessing this auspicious moment, either here within Parliament or from their homes or wherever in the world they may be, I extend a very warm welcome this afternoon. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000296\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EAs we near the final stages of this bill\u2019s journey through this House, I acknowledge that the signing of Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2019s settlement, which took place in February, has been a long time coming for iwi who have been in negotiations since the late 1980s. This bill completes the settlement process, which began under former Treaty negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson during the last National-led Government, and I wish to acknowledge Minister Andrew Little, who has laid the settlement to its final conclusion here in the House today. I also extend my gratitude to the settlement negotiators for the Crown and for Ng\u0101ti Maru who worked tirelessly to shape an agreement that we all hope heralds a brighter future for present and future generations of Ng\u0101ti Maru.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000297\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EAs I noted at the first reading of this legislation: with every Treaty settlement bill, we as the House of Representatives turn our gazes in three directions. We look to the past reflecting on traumatic histories and legacies that are very much a part of our story as a nation and need to be acknowledged. We reflect on the present moment acknowledging those injustices and through redress we seek to make right the wrongs of the past. Finally, we look to the future trusting that a re-forged relationship between the Crown and tangata whenua lays the foundation for our best days which lie ahead. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000298\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EThe historical account contained in this bill catalogues the extensive loss of Ng\u0101ti Maru lands, reduced access to mahinga kai and other natural resources, and the erosion of tribal structures and cohesion during the 19th and 20th centuries, which negatively impacted on all aspects of Ng\u0101ti Maru life and severely limited the ability of the tribe to participate in the development of the Taranaki region. Ng\u0101ti Maru have continued to suffer from the effects of poverty, unemployment, poor housing, and diminished physical and spiritual health as a result. Ng\u0101ti Maru calculate that by 1920, more than half of their people had no surviving children. Many Ng\u0101ti Maru were forced to leave the district in search of employment, resulting in further damage to their community. This intense sense of loss and disconnection within Ng\u0101ti Maru whenua, and whakapapa is hauntingly expressed in the lament \u201CMaru h\u0101h\u0101, h\u0101h\u0101 te whenua, h\u0101h\u0101 te tangata.\u201D Maru of extreme loss and breathlessness. The land is deserted. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000299\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EIn this bill, the Crown acknowledges and apologises to Ng\u0101ti Maru for its acts and omissions which breach the Crown\u2019s obligations in the Treaty of Waitangi and for the damage that those actions caused to Ng\u0101ti Maru. These include acknowledgments relating to the wars in Taranaki in the 1860s, the Crown\u2019s confiscation of approximately half of Ng\u0101ti Maru rohe, its imprisonment of Ng\u0101ti Maru men without trial following their participation in protests initiated at Parihaka regarding the confiscation of Taranaki lands and its subsequent invasion and destruction. The legislation also includes an acknowledgment that the Crown failed to ensure that Ng\u0101ti Maru retain sufficient land for their present and future needs, and that it failed to protect their rangatiratanga. Ng\u0101ti Maru will receive financial and commercial redress valued at $30 million. Cultural redress includes the vesting of 16 sites of cultural significance, including the Purangi Domain and Tarata Domain. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000300\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003ENo redress can ever fully compensate for the wrongs of the past. However, we hope that this settlement will allow Ng\u0101ti Maru to realise their aspirations for a vibrant, economic, and cultural future, and restore a relationship between Ng\u0101ti Maru and the Crown based on mutual trust, respect, and cooperation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000301\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EIn closing, I would like to share words which are very appropriate for today\u2019s proceedings. T\u0113nei au e te motu, ko te k\u012B mai a te ao nei kia hoatu \u014Dna hara ki te rangi hao tina haere mai te taonga. It means \u201CHere I am. The world instructs us to release the burdens of the past to the cleansing winds. Bring forth the blessings and opportunities of the future.\u201D T\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. I commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u0022b765d0c92e5b478982901a3b1e0618e7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000302\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022b765d0c92e5b478982901a3b1e0618e7\u0022\u003ET\u0100MATI COFFEY (Labour) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te Pika, koutou m\u0101 o Taranaki maunga, ng\u0101 whanaunga, \u014Dku whanaunga o Ng\u0101ti Maru. He mihi ki a koutou katoa ahakoa kei hea i Aotearoa nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000303\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E[Greetings to the Speaker and to you of Taranaki mountain, to the relations, my relations from Ng\u0101ti Maru. This a greeting to you all, wherever in New Zealand you may be.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000304\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EKia ora, Ng\u0101ti Maru. Today is your day. It was a while ago now that we stood in the House and we acknowledged you on the first reading of your bill. We\u2019ve been through the submissions process, through the committee, and I want to take a moment to acknowledge all of those people that came forward from Ng\u0101ti Maru to put their whakaaro down on paper and to present to our committee. I am also regretful that we were unable to make it for the hearings, and I want to put this back out to you guys that are listening: if you want to invite us at a time in the future when all is safe and well and we\u2019ve passed this COVID pandemic, then I know that on behalf of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, we would love to be able to come to your marae to tie up a loose end, actually, to do what\u2019s right, which is to acknowledge you on your whenua and hopefully\u2014as our Minister indicated earlier\u2014when he comes, he will be able to read that apology as well and we\u2019ll be able to stand by his side and feel the wairua and feel those tears as well that I know that I talked about in my first reading speech in the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000305\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EIn my first reading speech, I commented on an article that had been written by Stuff, and I wanted to acknowledge Tamzyn Pue, who has been one of the leading lights of this Treaty negotiation. One of her comments summed it up really well. She said that \u201CThis deed\u201D\u2014this bill; this settlement\u2014\u201Ccontains the tears of my ancestors, the truths of the history that left Ng\u0101ti Maru landless, with no reo, no tikanga, and no identity.\u201D I really do hope that this is going to help put Ng\u0101ti Maru back on its own journey, as it should have been all those years ago.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000306\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI want to just acknowledge that the work that\u2019s been done to get to this point has been a collaboration of many people, many hours, many documents. I want to acknowledge everybody that put effort into getting us to the point where we\u2019re at today: our Crown officials, Crown negotiator, but also I thank the people of Ng\u0101ti Maru, for whom this means the most.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000307\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ENg\u0101ti Maru is the final of our Taranaki settlements, and rightly so. This was the final piece of the puzzle that needed to happen before we could say that Taranaki Maunga have settled their historical grievances with the Crown. But let me remind you: Taranaki wh\u0101nui, the journey\u2019s not over. We are currently in a space where we\u2019re talking about co-governance, and in our media, all around the country, there are people that are pushing a political narrative that co-governance is a very bad thing and co-management is a bad thing as well, and I\u2019m going to need your help on this one, Ng\u0101ti Maru, to be able to fight back on that k\u014Drero. I need you and many of our iwi to be able to stand up and acknowledge that the historical wrongs and the Treaty settlement process will never truly account for everything that has been lost.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000308\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ESo what we\u2019ve got to look for\u2014and I\u2019ve said this in other Treaty settlements and I\u2019ll say it again in your one\u2014what we need, is for the Crown to constantly remember the hurt and the pain that\u2019s been caused through Treaty settlements and also through the historical injustices that have happened, and look for every opportunity to allow our iwi to be able to gain rangatiratanga for themselves. Ng\u0101ti Maru, today we recognise your rangatiratanga over your whenua, and we hope that in the future, with our support, we can continue to support you into arrangements\u2014whether it\u2019s co-management opportunities, co-governance opportunities, but ultimately to be able to allow you to have a seat around that decision-making table; those decision-making tables, because there are many, as you well know. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000309\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI look forward to travelling to your rohe. I know that we will do it, and I know that finally we\u2019ll be able to see the final process of these settlements, be able to heal the past wrongs by hearing that apology, which I\u2019m going to save for our Minister to be able to deliver, because it is a very important moment to be able to have the Crown\u2014to be able to have representatives of the Crown\u2014stand there on your whenua and acknowledge the hara, the mamae, and the aroha your people that have passed and that stand here and that will be creating generations of Ng\u0101ti Maru for generations to come. I acknowledge you all today, we see you, we hear you, we stand by you, and we look to support you in your future endeavours. Nei r\u0101 te mihi ki a koutou aku whanaunga o Taranaki maunga. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, mauri ora ki a t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000310\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E[This is my acknowledgment to my relations from Taranaki maunga. Greetings, greetings, and life to one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000311\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022 data-id=\u0022c0a4638b5afe4f44a7363e83bfecb83b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000312\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c0a4638b5afe4f44a7363e83bfecb83b\u0022\u003EHARETE HIPANGO (National):\u003C/span\u003E Taranaki maunga, Taranaki whenua, Taranaki tangata. Ng\u0101ti Maru i roto i t\u0113nei Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000313\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E[Taranaki mountain, Taranaki land, Taranaki people. Ng\u0101ti Maru inside this House, greetings to you all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000314\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EIt is indeed a privilege to stand to take a call at the third reading of this, the Ng\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill, about to pass into law, as uri of Whanganui but uri of Whanganui connected also through whakawhanaungatanga and whenua to Ng\u0101ti Maru. T\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000315\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI share with the House and also New Zealanders, I hope, who have tuned in to listen to the k\u014Drero today in this House, because this is a significant piece of New Zealand history, of M\u0101ori history, of Taranaki Ng\u0101ti Maru history. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000316\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E\u201CMaru H\u0101h\u0101. H\u0101h\u0101 te whenua. H\u0101h\u0101 te tangata. Maru of extreme loss and breathlessness. The land is deserted. The people are gone and gasping.\u201D I reference that as a lament that had been expressed at the signing of the deed of settlement at Tarata Marae on 27 February 2021. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000317\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EA brief chronology for the benefit of New Zealanders, who I hope learn from the mamae, from the grievances, from the hurt, in moving forward to shape and make better our nation of Aotearoa New Zealand. But this bill is specific to shaping and making better, moving from the past into the future, the uri of Ng\u0101ti Maru. The agreement in principle was signed on 20 December 2017; the deed of settlement, as I\u2019ve said, at Tarata Marae on 27 February 2021. The first reading of this bill before the House was on 6 January 2021; the second reading 1 March 2022. Here I stand alongside my colleagues in this House, alongside, in support of Ng\u0101ti Maru, on 29 March 2022, for the third reading and the passage of this bill into law. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000318\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EAs a member of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee sitting alongside members of all political parties in this House, we prefer to put politics aside and to make right and to address, to redress, the grievances of the past, to make things right and just. As members of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, we hear and we feel the mamae of those who represent their people\u2014your people, Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2014who have gone before in speaking to this bill and making submissions to the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee for us to turn our minds and for us to turn also our hearts and our heads and our hands to making sure that the shaping of this legislation is correct and is just. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000319\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe select committee prepared a report for the benefit of Parliament, and in that report, after listening to the submissions from people of Ng\u0101ti Maru, shaped, in efforts to make better, this bill. The proposed amendments are outlined in the report, which is made available. One of the amendments that I do particularly recollect is in terms of the relationships that we of Whanganui, through Te Awa Tupua, the Whanganui River, have with Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2014the life source and force that blends us together, not just our waters, not just our whenua, but our whakawhanaungatanga, our relationships that transcend through generations from the past into the future. I recollect the importance of ensuring that the relationship we have in Whanganui with Ng\u0101ti Maru blends in harmony, flows in unison. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000320\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EIn Whanganui, when the Te Awa Tupua bill was before this House, we had the human face and factor, the representation of the awa, our Te Pou Tupua [those that act and speak on behalf of the Whanganui River]. It was important that members of the select committee but also members of Parliament appreciate the importance that this legislation is an embodiment of life forces of our whenua, of our wai, of our awa, and of our people. So that\u2019s encapsulated now by amending the relevant part within the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000321\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI look, and time in the House is flowing very quickly, but I\u2019m mindful also that the time for our t\u016Bpuna\u2014this transcends, this transpires over generations, over lifetimes. It\u2019s taken lifetimes and generations for this bill to come before the House. What\u2019s generated from this is to look forward with hope and positivity, because there is so much that has transpired with the mamae, and today is a time to move forward, looking with hope, looking with possibilities, with probabilities, to make a better future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000322\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EI also recollect before the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee the k\u014Drero about the Minister tendering an apology on behalf of the Crown. Aroha mai\u2014my apology for not being able to be present at the mihi whakatau. My colleague Joseph Mooney, who is spokesperson for Treaty settlements, was able to be there. The apology is so important, and the usual procedure is that the apology to the aggrieved, the afflicted people of Ng\u0101ti Maru ought to have occurred before the passage of this bill into law. We\u2019ve not been living in usual times, with the disruption of COVID and the impact of that in our lives. What I am aware is that Minister Little conveyed to Ng\u0101ti Maru that he will tender that apology in person, appropriately, back at the whenua, possibly\u2014I\u2019m not sure\u2014where the deed of settlement was signed at Tarata Marae. I would hope that the invitation would be extended also to other members of the Crown. I\u2019m in that rather privileged but dubious position as being uri of our people, with relationships to those of our people who have been aggrieved and afflicted, and being now representative of the Crown. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000323\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe apology: clause 10 is a significant part of this bill that is about to be inscribed and enshrined into law. That apology, appropriately, is to be tended in person by Minister Little on behalf of the Crown, to Ng\u0101ti Maru. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000324\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThere are three key parts to this bill, as is well known by Ng\u0101ti Maru: Maru Mua, the historical account, the acknowledgment\u2014some 16 of them\u2014and, importantly, the apology; Maru Pae, the redress. The commercial redress of $30 million\u2014a minuscule amount when one reflects on the passage of time and the losses that have occurred. The redress\u2014Maru Pae. The third part is Maru Muri, the commercial and financial redress\u2014looking forward to being able to utilise and to make the best out of what has been tendered by way of an apology, to realise and to potentialise opportunities, possibilities, for prosperity moving forward into the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000325\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EIn closing, I share these words, these words that were my first words spoken at the first reading, these words that were, again, part of the deed of settlement signing at Tarata Marae: He ata ki runga, he ata ki raro, he ata ki te whakat\u016Bt\u016B, he ata ki te whakaritorito, he ata whiwhia, he ata r\u0101wea, he ata t\u0101nga\u2014the dawn light appears above and below, the dawn light is happening and the dawn sprouts, morning is here, the morning wraps around, the morning has struck. It is a privilege to commend this bill to the House. T\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u0022777e3c38ae0d46f499833f7ee7004053\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000326\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022777e3c38ae0d46f499833f7ee7004053\u0022\u003EHon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Minister of Conservation):\u003C/span\u003E Mai i ng\u0101 t\u012Bpuna o Maruwharanui, mai i ng\u0101 waka o Tokomaru, Aotea, Takitimu. Mai i ng\u0101 awa o Whanganui, Waitara, Taramoukou, Manganui, P\u0101tea, Tangahoe, T\u0101ngar\u0101kau, Heao. Mai i ng\u0101 maunga o Taranaki Maunga, Te Ahurangi, ki a koutou te iwi o Ng\u0101ti Maru, t\u0113nei te mihi ki a koutou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000327\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ETahi tuatahi he maimai aroha t\u0113nei ki ng\u0101 pou o Ng\u0101ti Maru kua ngaro ki te p\u014D, ko Josephine Nona Woods r\u0101ua ko Hazel Pareteuira Ng\u0101taierua Peri, otir\u0101 ki \u0113tahi pou o te iwi M\u0101ori, ki te T\u0101 Wira Gardiner, otir\u0101 ko te m\u0101reikura ko June Jackson. Kei te heke ng\u0101 roimata m\u0101 r\u0101tou. Hoea r\u0101 t\u014D waka ki t\u014D m\u0101tou t\u012Bpuna ki a Hawaiki nui, Hawaiki roa, Hawaiki p\u0101maomao. Moe mai r\u0101 ng\u0101 rangatira, moe mai r\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000328\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EOtir\u0101, kei te huri a m\u0101tou ki a koutou te hunga ora. Ng\u0101ti Maru kua tae mai nei ki te whakatinana, ki te whakakapi t\u0113nei p\u0101nui tuatoru o t\u014D koutou pire, Ng\u0101ti Maru Taranaki Claims Settlement Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000329\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ET\u0113nei te mihi ki a koutou kua tae mai, otir\u0101 ka whiua \u014Dku nei whakaaro ki a Ng\u0101ti Maru e k\u0101ore e haramai ki t\u0113nei Whare i raro i te kapua o te taumahatanga o te mate urut\u0101 e noho haumaru i te k\u0101inga engari me m\u0101taki i runga i te TV. Kei a r\u0101tou, kei te mihi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000330\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E[From the ancestors of Maruwharanui, from Tokomaru, Aotea, and Takitimu canoes. From the rivers of Whanganui, Waitara, Taramoukou, Manganui, P\u0101tea, Tangahoe, T\u0101ngar\u0101kau, and Heao. From the mountains of Taranaki, from Te Ahurangi, to you the iwi of Ng\u0101ti Maru, this is my greeting to you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000331\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EFirstly, this is my expression of affection for the stalwarts of Ng\u0101ti Maru who have passed on, Josephine Nona Woods and Hazel Pareteuira Ng\u0101taierua Peri, as well as stalwarts in the wider M\u0101ori world, to Sir Wira Gardiner and to the esteemed June Jackson. Our tears fall for them. Paddle your canoe to our ancestors, to great Hawaiki, to long Hawaiki, to distant Hawaiki. Rest in peace you noble ones.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000332\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EI now turn to you, to the living. To Ng\u0101ti Maru, you have come here to realise and to finalise this third reading of your bill, the Ng\u0101ti Maru Claims Settlement Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000333\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EGreetings to those of you who have arrived here, but my thoughts are also with those who were unable to attend due to the dark cloud of the pandemic and are sitting safely at home to watch on the TV. To them, greetings.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000334\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EOh, I got a bit choked up there, thinking about our dame who\u2019s just passed this morning. So my thoughts are just with my colleague Willie Jackson and for the wh\u0101nau, kua mate ana tana m\u0101m\u0101 i te ata nei, heoi an\u014D ka mihi aroha ki a r\u0101tou [and the family, his mother died this morning, therefore my compassionate greetings go to them]. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000335\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ENg\u0101ti Maru, I\u2019ve been thinking over the last couple of days about what this means for you all as the last of Taranaki iwi to settle, and what settlement means for a people who have lost their whenua through actions of the Crown. We acknowledge that period of time just in recent times that you\u2019ve had to battle, again, the Crown, and we hear that karanga, whakahokia mai te whenua ki a m\u0101tou, a te mana whenua [call, return the land to us, to those with traditional authority over the land].\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000336\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EIn these third readings, some parts are celebratory and some parts p\u014Duri, because we know that it marks the end of one part of a journey, but it commences a whole \u2019nother, as now, on behalf of the Crown, we have to whakatinana the agreement that has been made through this part of the taupatupatu that you\u2019ve made today, and we must now turn to acknowledge and make sure we don\u2019t break yet again promises made to ng\u0101 hap\u016B, ng\u0101 iwi M\u0101ori\u2014kia koutou Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2014and that\u2019s not a smooth journey I have seen in my short tenure that I\u2019ve been a Minister of the Crown. Minister Little will, in turn, make apologies on behalf of the Crown for the historical grievances at your marae in Taranaki, but I too want to acknowledge that the journey ahead, we must all bear in mind, is an untreaded path for Ng\u0101ti Maru and the Crown, that place. On my behalf, for the agencies that I have authority to, and, I know, my colleagues here, it\u2019s now our duty to make sure that we do in every decision that we make whakatinana, whakamana t\u0113nei kawenata mai i te Karauna ki a koutou a Ng\u0101ti Maru [implement and validate this covenant between the Crown and you, Ng\u0101ti Maru].\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000337\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EI also want to acknowledge those that have been the face of Ng\u0101ti Maru, who have engaged with the Crown since 2016 to land this agreement. Anaru, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. Nathan, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. The k\u0101hui that have supported those: Holden Hohaia, Paretutaki\u2014Pare\u2014Hayward-Howie, Jamie Tuuta\u2014otir\u0101, koutou katoa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000338\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ESettlement processes are hard, eh, you know, and we have to go through a lot at home\u2014you have to go through a lot at home. There are consequences of your decision making for those that are in the position of having to navigate at each turn. They are hard decisions to make, and I can only but commend you for the trials and the tribulations that you would have been through over the past few years to get to this point. I thank you for your patience, and I thank you for the way that you have engaged with your people so that we may commence this new journey today. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000339\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EI stand here today in my capacity as the Minister of Conservation, and it\u2019s those elements that I want to turn to in particular. Others have addressed the whakapapa and the history of the relationship with the Crown, but I want to acknowledge the Ng\u0101ti Maru rohe, centred on the inland of Waitara Valley, east to the Whanganui River and its tributaries, and west to Taranaki maunga. Whakahokia mai te whenua.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000340\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E[Return the land to us.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000341\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EThat is a karanga we hear from our people and it is one that we do not take lightly. Today, as we mark off this particular third reading of this bill, today marks the day when the lands of Ng\u0101ti Maru will be returned home. It is the start of a journey; it is not the end. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000342\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ESo these sites today that return back home include p\u0101 sites, battle sites, mahinga kai, historical and traditional pathways, and w\u0101hi tapu. It is the aspiration that this particular redress of the whenua will provide Ng\u0101ti Maru with a renewed, visible footprint within their rohe, as well as the ownership of lands that have for too long been in the hands of the Crown. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000343\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ENg\u0101ti Maru are seen in part as being conservation warriors. So ko aku mihi ki a koutou, m\u014D t\u014D manaaki ki t\u014D t\u0101tou nei taiao. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000344\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E[So I acknowledge you all, for you care of our environment.] \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000345\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EI often think: what are we as mana whenua if we do not exercise mana over the whenua and if we do not exercise our rangatiratanga over the whenua ki te manaaki i a ia a Papatuanuku [our authority over the land to care for her, Papatuanuku].\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000346\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EThis conservation redress in part: 16 sites are returning home, totalling 218 hectares. We have, in particular, the Purangi Domain, the former Tarata School and the schoolhouse, and property at Tarawai. Some lands are transferring back in reserve status, including Purangi Scenic Reserve, Waitara River No 3 Historic Reserve, and T\u0101ngar\u0101kau River Historic Reserve. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000347\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EImportant among these sites is the transfer of over 100 hectares of the Tarata conservation area, which is situated just 500 metres from Te Upoko o te Whenua, Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2019s sole marae, and my colleague the Hon Anaru Paku has committed to reading the Crown apology, and less than a kilometre from your former p\u0101 site, Te Kerik\u0113ringa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000348\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003ETarata conservation area is covered with incredible indigenous flora and fauna. Pukatea, rimu, n\u012Bkau, and tawa are representative of a forest that once stood there at the lower stretches of the Waitara River. It\u2019s a place of, I understand, reflection and significance to Ng\u0101ti Maru, and it\u2019s hot that this transfer, particularly in light of\u2014I\u2019ll just throw it in there\u2014Matariki, the new pounga, another time to commemorate. Maybe this will be an appropriate time to rekindle that unbroken relationship that Ng\u0101ti Maru have had with the taiao mahi that has continued in those areas to improve the mauri of the ngahere hei kor\u0101. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000349\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EThere are a range of deeds in recognition of statutory acknowledgments, including from where you\u2019ve drawn from your eponymous tupuna, Maru Wharenui, and drawn from the sustenance of the Waitara River. I know that these have been expressed in the course of this settlement bill. With time concluding, may I just say, may this be the beginning of a healthy relationship between the Crown, Te Papa Atawhai and Ng\u0101ti Maru, n\u014D reira kei te mihi ki a koutou [the Department of Conservation and Ng\u0101ti Maru, and so I greet you].\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022 data-id=\u0022f1e628898fbc426a86dee3c06c3745a6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000350\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022f1e628898fbc426a86dee3c06c3745a6\u0022\u003EJAN LOGIE (Green):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te M\u0101ngai o te Whare. E mihi ana ki a koutou Ng\u0101ti Maru. It is a beautiful sight to see some of you in the gallery today. It has been far too long where we\u2019ve been without people affected by these bills being able to observe this process, and I want to acknowledge the importance of this day and all of the work that has gone into getting to this point. I stand as the Green Party spokesperson for Te Tiriti to recognise the significance of this third reading for Ng\u0101ti Maru. This is a huge milestone in their journey towards the restoration of Maru ora that has been so attacked and undermined by the perfidy of the Crown over many generations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000351\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EI want to, along with everybody else in the House, acknowledge the negotiators, who have done the front of the work, and all of the leaders behind, and the people behind the scenes and in the kitchen who manage to hold tight to the vision of Tihei a Maru Ora [behold the vitality of Maru] that has brought us to this day, and our wish, I\u2019m sure, is a collective wish for that to take Ng\u0101ti Maru forward in strength. We remember too on this day, the many who have died along the way but remain present in this work and this day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000352\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EFor those listening who don\u2019t know\u2014and, sadly, there will be many because our mainstream education system has mainly taught us only colonial districts and cities and town names, and not the nation States of hap\u016B and iwi\u2014the iwi rohe of Ng\u0101ti Maru stretches from the eastern side of Mount Taranaki to the source of the Waitara River, across the Heao Stream and down to the Whanganui River, and back across the Matemateaonga Ranges to Stratford. This is the nation of Ng\u0101ti Maru.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000353\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EIt is worth noting that Ng\u0101ti Maru is the final iwi of Taranaki to complete the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process at this point. I want to draw attention to that, because that is actually significant, and note that in the general manager\u2019s report in the Ng\u0101ti Maru annual report during the settlement negotiations, they pointed to the conflict that had arisen with whanaunga over the last few years because of the settlement process, and how they had started work to re-establish links and connections based on whakapapa and a shared interest to see each iwi benefit and succeed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000354\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EBut I want to quote from that, because I think it\u2019s really important for us to reflect on as we take responsibility for our part in this process, where they spoke about using the term \u201Cre-establishing\u201D to describe what they\u2019re trying to achieve, because these relationships did exist at one time and have fallen out of existence over the last few decades. This is a consequence of the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process, where iwi are required to differentiate themselves from their neighbours by claiming specific rohe and mapping these, which, in turn, excludes others. This is an antagonistic practice that creates division and breaks down relationships.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000355\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge Ng\u0101ti Maru for their work to re-establish those links and those connections, and to state again that the Green Party still holds to the possibility of a settlement process that is tikanga based\u2014that, actually, is not full and final; does not force people into large, unnatural groupings; and is led from the ground, not from the Crown\u2019s self-interest, which is still, we recognise, a large part of this process. The generosity\u2014that has been acknowledged in this House\u2014of Ng\u0101ti Maru, in accepting this very hard-fought for settlement, cannot be restated often enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000356\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EI do hope, though, that, in this process, something has been regained for Ng\u0101ti Maru, from the process of uncovering your shared stories and having some of the wrongs acknowledged. I hope that this may help your moko to feel proud of being Ng\u0101ti Maru. My hope too is that tangata Tiriti will read this historical account, and those of other settlements, and understand how much our current way of life, for good and bad, may be a result of the failures of the Crown to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I think, more often, the value for us as a country, for the future, would be if we would learn those lessons as P\u0101keh\u0101. But today I thank you for the reliving of those stories and the collecting of those stories in the hope that we can have a better shared future together.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000357\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EIn 1865, Ng\u0101ti Maru had 220,000 hectares of land. The vast majority of this was illegally confiscated by the Crown or sold through dubious deals done without the permission of iwi members. Large tracts of this ended up in the conservation department holdings. We\u2019ve heard the discussion, and I will repeat it again because I don\u2019t want to be the only one who doesn\u2019t evoke that incredibly powerful saying of Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2019s that comes out of such grief and loss, but feels as if needs to be said to be able to have a sense in this House of what happened, of \u201CMaru H\u0101h\u0101. H\u0101h\u0101 te whenua. H\u0101h\u0101 te tangata.\u201D The English language doesn\u2019t seem, to me, to be able to compete with the sense of truth within that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000358\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EI also want to point to a couple of other small parts of the apology from the Crown, acknowledging, as well as the confiscation of the land, the imprisonment of Ng\u0101ti Maru men without trial following their participation in protests initiated at Parihaka, which now, with the benefit of hindsight, we would say that, as a country, we should have been so proud of those people involved in those protests, providing a vision for the world of peaceful resistance and community building. To see them imprisoned for that without trial is, again, the injustice of all of this\u2014and then the subsequent invasion and destruction of Parihaka; also\u2014and this has been outlined by the Minister\u2014the failure to ensure that Ng\u0101ti Maru had, and retains, sufficient land for the present and future, and the massive impact that has had on the entire Ng\u0101ti Maru society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000359\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EI also want to point to what has been spoken about by others\u2014that, in many ways, the power of the settlements is that they are hard-fought for but it is about the shifting in relationships for the future, and providing even that small bit of an economic base to help people rebuild. But, in this instance, it is, as the lead negotiator noted, significantly about the return of land, where Ng\u0101ti Maru started with 220,000 hectares; that, over the years, was whittled down to less than 900. So the land-return aspects of this are profoundly important. The Greens would still say that this shouldn\u2019t be full and final, and that there should be an opening for more, but this is significant, and that\u2019s not meant to undermine the negotiators by any means. It has been a great result.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000360\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002269dfdffa-4227-42b6-875a-fc8033bc25cc\u0022\u003EBut I also just, finally, want to point to the settlement trust\u2019s vision and values of Maru Ora, Maru Pae, Maru Rota, Maru Taha, Maru Muri, and Maru Tiketike, and that summing up of what\u2019s wanted for the future, and the attention on rebuilding society that comes now, at this point of the process. From the Greens, we wish you all the best, and we will do everything we can to get the Crown out of your way so you are able to rebuild your connections. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022 data-id=\u00223fbfcbc8c8a342888d154dd85af8e628\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000361\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223fbfcbc8c8a342888d154dd85af8e628\u0022\u003ESIMON COURT (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. The ACT Party supports the Ng\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill and we look forward to seeing Ng\u0101ti Maru receive the benefits which they are due as a result of breaches of contractual obligations by the Crown.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000362\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s important that this includes an apology, because, when we are prepared to admit that we\u2019re wrong, that is often the first and perhaps the most important part of healing differences from the past. It\u2019s also important to acknowledge that this settlement relates primarily to land and to rights in water. So where the bill provides for cultural redress, such as vesting 16 sites\u2014specified in Schedule 2\u2014in Ng\u0101ti Maru as cultural redress properties, that seven sites are vested in fee simple, in other words Ng\u0101ti Maru can choose to do what they want with the land when they want, but nine sites to be vested as reserves. So that acknowledges that, in fact, there are limits in the interests in this land and recognises that, in fact, there are rights of other New Zealanders in this reserve land which is held for the benefit of the entire community, and so that is one of the dilemmas that we face when looking at whether these settlements, in fact, address in the most efficient way, in the most enduring way, the breaches of contractual rights that the settlement is trying to remedy, because it does require a balancing of property rights between the individual and collective ownership that Ng\u0101ti Maru will have over this land, and the public interest, for example, in conservation or reserve land which has been allocated to Ng\u0101ti Maru as part of a vesting of properties as part of the cultural redress.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000363\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003ESo ACT supports the remedies, largely, set out in this settlement bill but we do have some concerns about certain aspects, because we think, actually, they can be improved on. So when we looked at the statutory acknowledgments, that relevant consent authorities record the statutory acknowledgment, that Ng\u0101ti Maru has a particular interest in relevant resource management\u2014resource consent applications, I would assume that\u2019s because there are certain matters around land use or water rights, use of water or discharges to water, which Ng\u0101ti Maru has an interest in. So when others are making applications for resource consents, then they would be regarded as an affected party, and it\u2019s important, where in the past regulatory agencies like regional councils or district councils haven\u2019t known who has an interest in particular land and water, that that is recorded formally so that people who wish to make a submission should be able to, where they have an interest, where they have standing. But one of the concerns that the ACT Party has with the Resource Management Act\u2014and while it\u2019s not addressed in this bill\u2014is that too many people have standing and get to have a say about how private property owners use their land. So while it\u2019s not addressed in this bill, it\u2019s important to recognise that there must be limits to who has standing. But in this case, the bill provides for Ng\u0101ti Maru to have its standing formally acknowledged.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000364\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003EThen we come to the deed of recognition, where the Crown is obliged to consult with Ng\u0101ti Maru on specific matters and have regards to their views on special associations that they have with certain areas. So, look, that\u2019s an appropriate thing for a settlement bill to address. Then we come to the natural resources redress. That is where the settlement process potentially could be improved on, because while this bill attempts to address the problems that have arisen through a breach of contract by the Crown, the alienation of Ng\u0101ti Maru from their lands and natural resources, the way that this bill attempts to do it and that others attempt to do it may not in fact be as effective and enduring as they could be. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000365\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003EWhen we look at a joint management agreement, which provides for Taranaki Regional Council and Ng\u0101ti Maru to exercise any of the local authority\u2019s functions, powers, or duties relating to a natural or physical resource jointly, there are problems with that, because rather than actually giving the property rights redress that Ng\u0101ti Maru deserve as part of a settlement, this gives another form of right to make decisions over other people\u2019s property through the resource consent process. So it becomes problematic when we think, \u201CWell, how is it that addressing the breach of contract by the Crown with Ng\u0101ti Maru then leads to giving Ng\u0101ti Maru decision making, potentially, over other people\u2019s consent applications?\u201D So decision makers in consent applications have derived their powers from democratically elected councils. Yet in this case, the bill appears to confer those rights of decision making to Ng\u0101ti Maru as part of a settlement, and that is not through the normal process through electing regional and district councils. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000366\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003EThen we look at the role of iwi in monitoring the river\u2014that is important. It\u2019s important that we develop a better understanding of the natural environment and the effects of human activities on the natural environment. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has pointed out repeatedly that there are huge gaps in our understanding of the natural environment, and only by more comprehensive monitoring, recording the data, and observing discharges to the natural environment, how water take and how land use affects biodiversity and affects the natural resources, will we actually be able to come up with better management plans. So I think it\u2019s very important and worthwhile that Ng\u0101ti Maru have a role in environmental monitoring of the river. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000367\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003ESo on balance, ACT will support this bill, but it is important at this time that we actually question whether giving co-governance or joint management responsibilities and roles to Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2014just as an example\u2014is as effective as actually addressing the breach of property rights. Would be it be more effective, rather than giving joint management, to say, \u201CWell, actually, there\u2019s some property rights\u201D, whether it\u2019s rights and interest in water, and that, potentially, in the future giving property rights in water would be more effective than management and decision making over how other people use the water. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000368\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002262828428-6565-42b4-bd4d-fa3b12531f88\u0022\u003ESo the ACT Party continues to explore what is best for New Zealand, what is enduring, and what is efficient. In this case we will support this bill\u2014it\u2019s progressed a long way through the House, it has the support of all parties, and it goes a long way to addressing the breaches of the Crown in the past. On that note, ACT commends this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022 data-id=\u00223b88b982ffab4b16a394d454640e79fa\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000369\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223b88b982ffab4b16a394d454640e79fa\u0022\u003EGLEN BENNETT (Labour\u2014New Plymouth):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Speaker. Te K\u0101hui Maru, te iwi o Ng\u0101ti Maruwharanui, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, hurinoa i te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000370\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003E[To the cluster of Ng\u0101ti Maru iwi, to the people of Ng\u0101ti Maruwharanui, greetings, greetings to you all, and greetings to all sides of the House.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000371\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EI rise this afternoon and feel the need to apologise. Yes, it has been 200 years, but, even today, as you\u2019ve sat in this House, as you arrived in this House and as you\u2019ve sat here this afternoon, there have been things and words and phrases that I know trigger and challenge, and I apologise for that. Even though we are here in the third reading, even though we\u2019ve come to this place of settlement with you, we still get our language wrong. In many times and in many places, many of us have our thinking wrong, I believe, but I\u2019ll save that for another time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000372\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EYou\u2019re welcome here, and I thank you for the friendships that I see, both in the gallery and those who aren\u2019t here today. Those fierce friendships that have crafted and honed who I am, and I hope will continue to craft the person I am, not only in this place but as a member of our society and as a member of our Taranaki community. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000373\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re here today to reflect on the legacies, the losses, and the oppression that, as I said, is ever-present even today, and I know it\u2019s been a long h\u012Bkoi: 200 years. I know, and I talked about it in the first reading and it\u2019s been mentioned today, that the first time that grievances were brought to this House was 1891. It went on and it went on and it went on, and here we are today, and I will go on with our challenges in trying to forge our partnership together, but I hope it moves forward in a place of friendship, of togetherness. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000374\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EThis afternoon, I want to acknowledge those that have gone before us. To your ancestors, to those who began this journey many years ago who aren\u2019t with us but also those of Ng\u0101ti Maru, who have forged a path for you to be here today and for us to be at our third reading. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000375\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003ENow we reflect, I guess, that today is very much around the future, but as I sat up in the Banquet Hall when we welcomed you, I asked the person next to me, \u201CDid you come down this morning from Taranaki?\u201D, and the answer was \u201CNo, no, no. Actually, I live elsewhere.\u201D It\u2019s interesting that when land loss and oppression and loss of culture happens, there\u2019s a dispersion that goes on, and so I understand that for many of your people, they are dispersed because of what went on as a result of decisions made by Governments past. But today is very much around our future. We always need to hold on to what has gone before us, but it\u2019s looking to what is possible, and I hope what is possible\u2014and I commit myself to this today\u2014is that shared future. That partnership gets thrown around, but that partnership, like I said, is actually friendship. It is actually walking together in friendship, which is equal. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000376\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EToday is around the restoration of mana. There is a financial space to this which I know is only a small part of what was lost, but, hopefully, this financial future sets you up for what can be a future for your people, a future for our region. As you are the eighth iwi to settle in Taranaki, I look forward as I get around our region\u2014watch out\u2014the iwi, the M\u0101ori economy, is the one to watch as we move forward as we are all settled. So watch this space. I will walk alongside you with that as well, and, of course, I know you\u2019re part of the future of Maunga Taranaki, working with the other seven iwi around your t\u016Bpuna and what that future looks like. Very much, again\u2014as P\u0101keh\u0101 I\u2019m stating the obvious, but you knew it already\u2014it\u2019s just bringing us to the party yet again, bringing us to that place of understanding. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000377\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003ESo, as a post-settlement region, I look forward to our future as friends. As I look in the gallery, and I saw it today, I love the fact that there are a number of rangatahi here. There are a number of rangatahi and there are a number of tamariki who are here to witness this, and, hopefully, there\u2019ll be children and young people of the future. The fight will continue, I know, in many ways, but that fight, hopefully, will be a different one\u2014one with some resource, one with a clearer path that you can forge your future\u2014and people like me can be friends and walk alongside but also get out of the way when we need to, because that\u2019s probably quite helpful as well, right? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000378\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EWhat I\u2019m glad about in listening today and hearing the stories of land that was lost, of resources that were taken, and of your dispersion, is that as we begin to teach New Zealand history in our schools, our tamariki and our rangatahi will understand your stories, understand your loss, and understand the mamae and why that exists in order to learn, to grow. Again, I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m speaking to Ng\u0101ti Maru here; I\u2019m speaking to myself and to my people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000379\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EI\u2019m really encouraged to see what you\u2019re already doing as iwi, whether it be in the conservation space, working with young people\u2014I know the conversation with Feats and what that future looks like\u2014and it\u2019s exciting to see, again, you\u2019re grasping the future and taking it and running with it. I look forward to heading back out to Tarata and accompanying the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, the Hon Andrew Little, for that official apology. Another excuse to hang out there but also, this time, when we can come together and your people can be in that space, we can listen to words that need to be said so that we can ensure that we move forward together into the future. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000380\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003EFor me, as tangata Tiriti, and as the MP for New Plymouth, which isn\u2019t technically your lands, but we all share\u2014we all mix and mingle and move around, right? Yeah. My commitment today is to be a friend in that partnership sense. It\u2019s to be a friend in terms of saying, when we aren\u2019t getting it right, that my door is open\u2014I would share my cellphone number here, but maybe it\u2019s too public a space\u2014and to come and see me and challenge me and to encourage me but also to push for what is needed in terms of not just signing a settlement, not just making this third reading today and saying, \u201CWe\u2019re moving on. Sweet\u2014we\u2019re done.\u201D, but, actually, this is partnership, this is friendship. So I commit myself, as I do to the other iwi of Taranaki, to saying that my door is open because I want to be a true friend\u2014not how it\u2019s been, but how it can be\u2014and to learn from that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000381\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003ESo today is another step in 200-plus years of struggle but, hopefully, it\u2019s a step in optimism and possibility in what can be, and so that Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2014your people, our iwi in Taranaki\u2014will lead our journey forward to what is an exciting future. 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=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u0022ea359b192dad47d99903a4867e717cad\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000382\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ea359b192dad47d99903a4867e717cad\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: I call Penny Simmonds for a five-minute call. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022 data-id=\u0022ae64b26340a846cda4ba8570eb5b38a4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000383\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ae64b26340a846cda4ba8570eb5b38a4\u0022\u003EPENNY SIMMONDS (National\u2014Invercargill):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. It\u2019s a privilege to give a short but heartfelt speech in support of the Ng\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill in this, its third reading, and although I can\u2019t see you up there, I want to acknowledge and welcome Ng\u0101ti Maru iwi representatives who are here today. I also want to acknowledge and thank members of the wider iwi who have shown such tremendous perseverance, resilience, and fortitude over what has been almost 40 years securing this settlement. Can I particularly acknowledge your hard-working negotiators. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000384\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EPhysically, Ng\u0101ti Maru will receive financial and commercial redress valued at $30 million, but, as my colleague has said, that is a drop in the ocean. Cultural redress includes the vesting of 16 sites of cultural significance, including Purangi Domain and Tarata Domain. The legislation records the acknowledgment and apology given by the Crown to Ng\u0101ti Maru in the deed of settlement, which was signed just over a year ago on 27 February 2021, and the legislation gives effect to provisions of the deed of settlement that settles the historic claim of Ng\u0101ti Maru. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000385\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge the beautiful lands, the rohe centred on the inland Waitara River valley, east to the Whanganui River and its tributaries, and west to Mount Taranaki. We know that for generations, this land was where Ng\u0101ti Maru cultivated fertile soils and got resources from the area\u2019s forests, rivers, and wetlands. We also know that Ng\u0101ti Maru were not involved in the land dealings which led to the war in Taranaki in 1860 and were not directly involved in the subsequent fighting. Despite this, when the Crown confiscated huge tracts of Taranaki land to punish so-called rebels, approximately half of the traditional lands of Ng\u0101ti Maru were included. Many of your sacred cultural sites were taken and some have never been returned. The extensive loss of Ng\u0101ti Maru lands impacted so significantly, eroding tribal structures, creating severe poverty, and damaging the physical, cultural, and spiritual health of so many generations of Ng\u0101ti Maru people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000386\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022d2995873-613f-4202-a773-5ea2d57cc953\u0022\u003EThis settlement recognises the wrongs of the past and seeks to strengthen partnerships between Crown and iwi. We hope that this settlement will help iwi to unlock the economic potential that we know is there to provide employment opportunities and to boost regional and provincial areas. While no redress will ever fully compensate for the destructive and demoralising effects of the Crown, we must have hope that this settlement will allow Ng\u0101ti Maru to realise their aspirations for that vibrant economic, and cultural future, restoring the relationship with the Crown. While the previous speaker spoke of restoring their mana, I acknowledge that their mana has always been held intact. This gives a future going forward. Thank you, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u0022d69b0b8974114849be0beb9a2ce11b9a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000387\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d69b0b8974114849be0beb9a2ce11b9a\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Making a remote contribution, I call Debbie Ngarewa-Packer\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022 data-id=\u002228bde40e98024fc19e58ff42523dde71\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000388\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002228bde40e98024fc19e58ff42523dde71\u0022\u003EDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader\u2014Te Paati M\u0101ori) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te P\u012Bka. Te Upoko o Te Whenua ka riro ng\u0101 ia o Te Awaroa whakaaria nei e kore e mimiti. Koropup\u016B ake i Waitaraiti. Koia r\u0101 te waka o te atua kei P\u016Brangi. T\u016B ki te Arero te whare karakia. Maru p\u016Bmanawa. Kei whea \u014Dku tumu makaurangi r\u0101 hei herenga m\u014D taku waka. Upoko o Te Whenua te marae. Ko Ng\u0101rongo te whare. Kohia ng\u0101 maramara katoa o Maruwharanui. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou te K\u0101hui o Ng\u0101ti Maru. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou e ng\u0101 whanaunga.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000389\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E[Te Upoko o Te Whenua that receives the currents of the Waitara River never runs dry. Its source is from the hill of Waitaraiti. This is the vessel of God at P\u016Brangi. T\u016B ki te Arero was the church and the heart of Maru. Where are my spiral carved posts to which to tie my canoe? Upoko o Te Whenua is the marae. Ng\u0101rongo is the meeting house. Gather all the descendants of Maruwharanui. Greetings to the cluster of Ng\u0101ti Maru. Greetings to my kin.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000390\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EI stand for Te Paati M\u0101ori to mihi to my whanaunga, wh\u0101nau that are there in P\u0101remata, to our wh\u0101nau that are at Tarata P\u0101 watching, to our wh\u0101nau across the motu, to our wh\u0101nau across the ao watching this reading and supporting. I stand for Te Paati M\u0101ori in support of this third and final reading. I mihi to you all for your generosity to the motu, acknowledging the unrecoverable hours; the tears, the heartache; the advancing, retreating, advancing; and the many hui and the hui before the hui, to those we have lost and to those who today carry this kaupapa, the burden of the legacy. I mihi to your humility and acknowledge all that you have done to get to this point, working with the Government, trying to get the best settlement within fiscal envelope restraints.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000391\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EI want to use my five minutes to help the world understand what goes on behind the scenes to get you here today, to share the extent of your commitment to developing a peaceful, future-focused Aotearoa. I want to help the world understand that after years of Government systemic failures; legislation that worked against you, nearly wiping out your history, your stories, your language; being educated in education systems that don\u2019t recognise you; your native language, having to learn again; and local government that forgot your roles as kaitiaki, Government that forgot your roles as mana whenua, and us as whanaunga forgetting how we lived together, here you are. To the songs and karakia you\u2019ve had to relearn, the w\u0101nanga you recreated to learn about our t\u016Bpuna, the pain you endured, and the huge hours outside of your normal jobs, the time away from wh\u0101nau, the travelling, and all you did to remember ourselves. The research you spent hours and hours finding to unravel the many stories, the agreements, agreeing to disagree, walking away when you couldn\u2019t agree, the need to reset and try again\u2014all of that, and it\u2019s all still related. Nowhere else in the legal system is the perpetrator allowed to determine the process, yet here we are, wh\u0101nau m\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000392\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EWe are very clear: justice is not served by this House today. Do not kid ourselves otherwise. It is the pure love for our nation that sees Ng\u0101ti Maru accepting this settlement, as many iwi before it, and as long as our mokopuna thrive, this will never be full and final, just as relativity will never be off the table. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000393\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EBefore you is a people\u2014Ng\u0101ti Maru\u2014who while negotiating with the Crown has focused on its post-settlement governance entity, an entity to launch their rangatahi kaupapa, Te K\u014Dpae Whanake o Maru. How perfect to show the love of Ng\u0101ti Maru aspirations for their future reo and kaupapa. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000394\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EBefore you is a people who focus on the Maru Taiao plan to reassert the kaitiakitanga that was never lost, nor were their rights or interests ceded. Many improvements could have included the return of private land, water and mineral rights, or asserting tino rangatira, as Te Tiriti states, equally on everything, even governing ourselves\u2014imagine ACT\u2019s reaction to that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000395\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EElections will come, and this will be a hard but an exciting era for Ng\u0101ti Maru, because you will see before yourselves each other\u2019s strengths, your mokopuna\u2019s strengths\u2014those you have grown in spite of all odds. Hopefully, there will be some that will be able to consider, for Ng\u0101ti Maru, local government and maybe Te Paati M\u0101ori. As you grow, so too will your economy, and to grow also is your political advocacy to fight for those who don\u2019t believe in your tino rangatiratanga co-governance and want to rewrite Te Tiriti. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000396\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003ETo Matua Pono, Polly Kopu, Tainui Tukatoa, Poi Pue, Ray Peri, Hazel Peri, Rata Pue, Kauika wh\u0101nau, Puata and Patu wh\u0101nau, Anaru Marshall, Karl Burrows, Holden Hohaia, all my whanaunga, Jamie Tuuta, Tamzyn, and, most of all, to your tamariki. To all your tamariki and your wh\u0101nau, your partners, thank you for all you did to share your m\u0101tua with Ng\u0101ti Maru to do everything they did for us. To all of our tamariki, our rangatahi\u2014Aroha, R\u0101kaiao Nuri\u2014all our rangatahi, our mokopuna, that\u2019s in Te Upoko o Te Whenua watching this at the moment, the sacrifices that your wh\u0101nau have done will always be remembered and recorded in Hansard. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000397\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EKo Maru tuatinitini. It speaks to the many Maru on earth. You are here, Ng\u0101ti Maru, you have arrived. Tihei a Maru ora! Kia ora koutou. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022 data-id=\u00228bb700b65a3f4de5bf7ab30364789881\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000398\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228bb700b65a3f4de5bf7ab30364789881\u0022\u003EANGELA ROBERTS (Labour) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E Kia ora, Madam Speaker. I\u2019d just would like to start by acknowledging all of the 50 of you who are in the House. For those of us who are still in Taranaki, it is hard not to be there. I want to acknowledge everyone who is watching from Te Upoko o Te Whenua Marae, down the road from here. It is a beautiful day in Taranaki for such a moment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000399\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003EFor those of you who haven\u2019t been down to that beautiful valley, it sits nestled on the banks of the Waitara River in the heart of the territory that from the outside may look isolated and rugged, but traditionally was criss-crossed with important tracks and trade routes. We have heard much over the three readings of the history and we have heard your lament. We have heard the lament for the loss and the degradation of the forests, the rivers and wetlands, and the maunga, and the deforestation, the pollution, and the run-off has had such a significant impact on the Waitara. The Waitara, obviously, we\u2019ve heard today, isn\u2019t the only river that is connected to you, but it was one that has had such an impact on this traditional source of transport and sustenance and inhabitation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000400\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003ESo what I want to do, though, is take some time to take inspiration from Ng\u0101ti Maru and look at their horizons and their new opportunities that they are taking, and speak a little bit about the real impact that their leadership and their mahi and their vision has already impacted on our local community. They haven\u2019t sat around\u2014that is for sure. They\u2019re so modest. They say that they are starting small, but they have big dreams, and it\u2019s been fabulous to see that they are focusing on the growing and the education of their rangatahi and the restoration of their whenua. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000401\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003ESo I just want to take a moment to recognise Tupu \u0101 nuku, which is, broadly speaking, a workforce development programme, including a forestry and conservation course, and I think it\u2019s a really good example of how they look at how to sustain and thrive in the future. Ng\u0101ti Maru realised that the forestry jobs connected to the local land were taken by contractors from other regions, so they saw the opportunity to train their local rangitahi for the forestry season, not just in forestry, health and safety, and those really particular skills and everything that\u2019s needed to work the forests, but to make sure that tikanga and Te Ao M\u0101ori were incorporated to make sure that the forestry service that they are developing for themselves is a sustainable one. They\u2019ve worked on riparian plantings and are developing their young people to restore their whenua. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000402\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003EThese courses are so broad, they include financial literacy and, like I said, tikanga and health and safety. They\u2019re looking at pastoral care and support to really ensure that there is a pathway to a sustainable future and sustainable employment. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000403\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003EI need to shout out to the partnerships\u2014the real partnerships\u2014that they\u2019ve had with people like Dave Hare and his team of mentors at Tree Machine Services, and the impact that is having on our young people and the future of this community. They\u2019ve brought in rangatahi from New Plymouth, from Waitara, from down in P\u0101tea, and, of course, from Stratford and H\u0101wera, and it\u2019s a really important piece of work that they are doing. They\u2019re just getting on with it. It\u2019s fabulous to see. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000404\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003EThey have a really broad vision for their youth. It is ambitious. They are maturing the relationship with local secondary schools such as Stratford High School, and helping to strengthen their alternative education and make sure that our young people are accessing higher education and are successful lifelong learners. It\u2019s really exciting to watch the very real work that they\u2019re doing. They\u2019re working at developing leadership, not just as iwi with other governance bodies such as the regional council and the Department of Conservation but, like I said, with schools and with the Ministry of Social Development about helping to build really strong pathways to support our young people with not just entry-level qualifications but further along into tertiary qualifications, and it\u2019s broadly done. Pastoral care is important, and these young people are going into jobs. They\u2019ve been going for nearly three years and they\u2019ve had more than 30 young people come through these programmes. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000405\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s wonderful to see the focus on conservation. Alongside these programmes, they\u2019re strengthening the relationships with other iwi. Ng\u0101ti Tama and Ng\u0101ti Mutunga are helping to build those relationships with environmental organisations such as the East Taranaki Environment Trust, and they\u2019re helping to restore some precious little pockets of paradise like P\u016Brangi to really help this part of the world to heal. A really great example of that is they\u2019ve had young people come through their programmes, they\u2019ve now got an apprentice ranger working with P\u016Brangi, and you hear these young people talk about how passionate they\u2019ve become about conservation, particularly for their iwi\u2019s rohe. They are going to go on and be leaders in our community to help all of us in what we need to do to restore our whenua and to nurture the growth of our young people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000406\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003EI just want to finish off by reflecting on something I was told this morning by someone from Ng\u0101ti Maru about their big dreams. I\u2019ve just reflected on some of the mahi that they\u2019ve done over the last few years and that they will continue to build on, but I was told that there will come a time when they will tell their own story. Until now, this story has mainly been told by those outside of the iwi\u2014commentators and historians\u2014and now they can take the time to, in their own voice, tell their own story. That is really important for the rest of us because we\u2019re going to be better off for hearing that, and we will be able to be better Treaty partners. For those of us who live as neighbours to Ng\u0101ti Maru who are involved in education and who are involved in conservation, it will help us to be better in walking beside them and doing what we need to do for them to realise their dreams as we work together to restore and realise the potential of all of our people and of our land. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225cf229a9-8722-46b2-a37e-b528e075be7d\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s really humbling to be here today to be a witness to the decades of work that has gone in. I look forward to the day, and I think we heard from a Minister earlier that there might be a really good Matariki celebration to be had a little later in the year down the road at Tarata. So at this point, I will commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022 data-id=\u0022cd8b1c76c7fc42a9aa571c627edd92cd\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000408\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cd8b1c76c7fc42a9aa571c627edd92cd\u0022\u003EBARBARA KURIGER (National\u2014Taranaki - King Country):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker, and welcome, Ng\u0101ti Maru. Apologies that I couldn\u2019t be with you at lunchtime. I had a prior engagement, so I wasn\u2019t able to join you then. But I am very pleased that for this third reading, you are able to be in Parliament with us, because it\u2019s been a very lonely journey, standing here and speaking to the past readings of the bill and feeling like we\u2019re speaking to an empty House. But that is just the time and the place that we live in due to COVID-19. But it is excellent that at least a small number of you are able to attend today. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000409\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EAs I think about many of the atrocities that are happening in the world today, it really makes us feel very humble about the atrocities that happened in our own country all of those years ago and those that did happen to Ng\u0101ti Maru. It was very sad to know that Ng\u0101ti Maru were not involved in the land dealings which led to the war in Taranaki in 1860 and were not directly involved in the subsequent fighting. Involvement was limited to providing refuge to W\u012Bremu K\u012Bngi Te Rangitake in accordance with the requirements of whanaungatanga, but then it all changed and the Crown came along and confiscated huge tracts of Taranaki to punish the so-called rebels. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000410\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EIn 1865, approximately half of the traditional lands of Ng\u0101ti Maru were included. As I mentioned before, Ng\u0101ti Maru were not involved in the land dealings and not involved in the subsequent fighting, and yet the Crown actually had the gall at the time to call Ng\u0101ti Maru rebels and go ahead and confiscate the majority of their land. The main k\u0101inga, urup\u0101, and w\u0101hi tapu were taken, and some of those have never been returned. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000411\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ESo, following the confiscation, Ng\u0101ti Maru continued to live on their lands that they still managed to have left, and in the early 1870s, the Crown attempted to promote European settlement on that confiscated land by paying some Ng\u0101ti Maru compensation for the rights that the confiscation had extinguished. These deeds of cession, covering about 60,000 acres, created significant divisions within the iwi, compounding the damage already caused by the loss of the land. But it seems a lot of the promises and a lot of the conversations that were held in the early days never really came to fruition. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000412\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ESo, in the early 1890s, some Ng\u0101ti Maru were virtually landless and they appealed to the Crown for help. The Crown\u2019s response was slow and ineffective, and if it was slow and ineffective in the early 1890s, we have already now had the 1990s and we stand here in this House today, in 2022, talking to fix that. The response from the Crown was slow and ineffective and it\u2019s been a long time coming, this agreement that\u2019s been reached by Ng\u0101ti Maru. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000413\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI acknowledge everyone who\u2019s played a part in this, because it is never, in my view, a complete settlement. It is, in my view, an agreement between two parties to in some part make up for the things that happened a very long time ago, and I would commend the generosity, as I often do, of the iwi in coming to this place and accepting this settlement. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000414\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EAll the way back then, an agreement to consolidate individual awards into more economical, viable family holdings was never carried out. Landless Ng\u0101ti Maru people not named in the 1907 Acts didn\u2019t receive any land, and despite further petitions, in 1946, the Crown finally declined to provide any further land for Ng\u0101ti Maru. Much of the tribe\u2019s remaining land came later under the Public Trustee administration and it was subject to perpetual leases that invariably benefited P\u0101keh\u0101 farmers rather than the Ng\u0101ti Maru owners. The extensive loss of the Ng\u0101ti Maru lands has eroded tribal structures, created severe poverty, and damaged the physical, cultural, and spiritual health of generations of Ng\u0101ti Maru people. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000415\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI only hope that in coming to this place to reach a settlement, you have the opportunity to rebuild as much of your structure, your culture, and the spiritual health of the generations. You know, it\u2019s many generations. There\u2019s a lot of generations that have gone before that won\u2019t be around to see what\u2019s going to happen in the future, but I guess as you move forward\u2014and today you will move forward\u2014these people will be in your mind, and you will know who they are much better than I will because they will be your parents and your grandparents and your great-grandparents and probably your great-great-grandparents, who went through the worst of these atrocities.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000416\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EThe intense sense of loss and disconnection is expressed in the following Ng\u0101ti Maru lament: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000417\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EMaru H\u0101h\u0101\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000418\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EH\u0101h\u0101 te whenua\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000419\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EH\u0101h\u0101 te tangata.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000420\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EMaru of extreme loss and breathlessness\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000421\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EThe land is deserted\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000422\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EThe people are gone and gasping for breath.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000423\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ESo post today and following today, I really have high hopes that that breathlessness in some part\u2014that the breath will be returned to your iwi. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000424\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI really look forward to some of the exciting moments that are going to happen in the future. I was out at the signing of the memorandum, which was going to be a massive event at the time of about 600 or more people. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 at the time, that wasn\u2019t able to be a full attendance, and it was attended by about 40 or 50 of us. At that time, Minister Little, because the apology was not able to be made to everybody, committed to come back and to personally pass on the Crown\u2019s apology to the other members of your iwi who weren\u2019t able to attend on that day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000425\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003ESo I look forward to that day. I look forward to that day in Taranaki, where Minister Little can come back on behalf of all of us and make that apology. Also, coming back, I know you\u2019ve got a new marae in the making, and it is probably at this time largely completed, we hope: a new home for your people to gather at. I think it\u2019s just an excellent time for you to move forward, and, hopefully, this will redress at least in part some of the wrongs of the past. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000426\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003EI heard Angela Roberts speaking before me about the whenua, the land, the conservation, and the maunga, and when I look at Part 2 of the bill and the areas that are subject to the acknowledgment in the deed of recognition, there are some fantastic conservation areas in here. I know they\u2019re in good hands\u2014they\u2019re already in good hands\u2014and together we can help improve our land in Taranaki with our working together and making sure that we look after our lakes, our rivers, and our biodiversity. I know that you will put every effort into the conservation projects that are in front of you because that\u2019s where your heart is and that\u2019s where our heart is, so congratulations on reaching this point. We\u2019re almost at the end of the reading, and I encourage you to celebrate. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022 data-id=\u0022120c133883fe48ab89bdacba1dee7bb6\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000427\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022120c133883fe48ab89bdacba1dee7bb6\u0022\u003EADRIAN RURAWHE (Labour\u2014Te Tai Hau\u0101uru) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te M\u0101ngai o te Whare. E tika ana kia tuku te reo mihi atu ki a r\u0101tou katoa kua hinga mai n\u0101 puta noa i ng\u0101 moutere tae atu ki te kuia e takoto ana ki Ng\u0101 Whare W\u0101tea n\u014D reira e te kuia Dame June Jackson. Hoki wairua atu ki a r\u0101tou m\u0101. E oki, e moe, e moe, \u0101, k\u0101ti noa t\u0113n\u0101.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000428\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EKi a t\u0101tou ng\u0101 kanohi ora, tuatahi ki a koutou o Ng\u0101ti Maru, anei i ahau e tuku te reo mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. E ng\u0101 wh\u0101nau me ng\u0101 hap\u016B katoa o Ng\u0101ti Maruwharanui, Ng\u0101riki, Ng\u0101ti Hinem\u014Dkai, Ng\u0101ti K\u014Dp\u016B, Ng\u0101ti Kui, Ng\u0101ti Tamat\u0101pui, Ng\u0101ti Tamakehu me Ng\u0101ti Te Ika, t\u0113nei te mihi ake ki a koutou katoa, t\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000429\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E[It is appropriate that I acknowledge all those who have passed in all parts of the country, including the female elder who now lies at Ng\u0101 Whare W\u0101tea, which is Dame June Jackson. Return in spirit to your ancestors. May you rest in peace.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000430\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003ETo us all, the living, firstly to Ng\u0101ti Maru, I stand and acknowledge you all. To the families and all the subtribes of Ng\u0101ti Maruwharanui, Ng\u0101riki, Ng\u0101ti Hinem\u014Dkai, Ng\u0101ti K\u014Dp\u016B, Ng\u0101ti Kui, Ng\u0101ti Tamat\u0101pui, Ng\u0101ti Tamakehu me Ng\u0101ti Te Ika, I acknowledge you all. Greetings one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000431\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EI join together with colleagues around the Chamber today. It is a great honour and privilege to be the last speaker in the third reading of the debate on the Ng\u0101ti Maru (Taranaki) Claims Settlement Bill. I just want to reiterate a number of things that we\u2019ve heard from all across the House, and, in particular, to say that I agree that this is not the end of a process. This is the beginning of a new legacy, one that has seen the representatives of Ng\u0101ti Maru traverse the process of settlement and they have done it with tenacity and with inspiration and, I\u2019m sure, with a view of making a better life for the rangatahi, the tamariki mokopuna of Ng\u0101ti Maru. So it\u2019s good to hear that there are rangatahi witnessing this debate today in the Chamber. I apologise for not being there with you today, but I\u2019m thankful for being able to speak to this third reading, even though it\u2019s virtually. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000432\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EI want to just highlight a couple of things. One thing that I really wanted to talk about was cultural revitalisation, and I was pleased to see that this is a mechanism that\u2019s been used within this settlement. I think the cultural revitalisation aspect of the settlement will provide a real opportunity for Ng\u0101ti Maru to do exactly what the mechanism says\u2014to revitalise its culture\u2014and we\u2019ve heard from a number of members around the House speaking about how that might be approached. So I want to add my k\u014Drero to those hopes and aspirations that you will have for your people moving into the future.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000433\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s also an opportunity to use the p\u016Btea that comes along with the cultural revitalisation to tell your own story in your own words in the way that you want to. I think I said in the first reading that the historical account is a negotiated, agreed historical account, where no doubt your negotiators would have had to argue with the Crown over exactly how things were expressed within that account. I look forward to reading your own stories that you write yourself, which is not negotiated with the Crown, and I\u2019m sure it will bring to light a number of different aspects about your experiences as you\u2019ve gone through not only the history but also this process. I know how challenging this process can be, and I just want to acknowledge the leadership of Ng\u0101ti Maru and the negotiators for having the tenacity to get through this whole process unscathed and united. It is an incredibly important process not only to navigate but to settle.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000434\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EWe often hear in these debates what\u2019s wrong with this process, and I have to agree that this process is by no means perfect. I guess it forces every negotiating team and every iwi to ask itself, \u201CIf it\u2019s not perfect and yet we still go through this process, why would we do that?\u201D Having gone through it myself, the answer that I came up with, along with my whanaunga, was we decided that it was the best way forward to use the settlement assets to improve the lives of our iwi. So even though it\u2019s an imperfect process, there is some perfection in knowing that we are in control of our own destiny by taking these assets and using them to better the lives of our people.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000435\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EI\u2019m not going to prolong the vote on this bill. I think Ng\u0101ti Maru has waited long enough, so I\u2019m going to cut short my contribution with these words. Ki a koutou o Ng\u0101ti Maru, ko te t\u016Bmanako kia uhia mai e te Runga Rawa \u014Dna manaakitanga ki runga ki a koutou m\u014D ng\u0101 w\u0101 katoa. T\u0113n\u0101 r\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000436\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003E[To you of Ng\u0101ti Maru, my hope is that the Almighty above places his protection upon you for all time. Greetings one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000437\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a434482b-7ac1-4862-9ce7-13e63289dee3\u0022\u003EBill read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u002268c9eb6c5551499c92ec91f6d9101f39\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000438\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002268c9eb6c5551499c92ec91f6d9101f39\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, I understand that permission has been granted for a waiata.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000439\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003EWaiata\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u002209e56ce90c3b4621bd33130e5f126e41\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000440\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002209e56ce90c3b4621bd33130e5f126e41\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: If members would just pause for a moment to allow iwi to make their way from the Chamber, and we bid them farewell. \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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000441\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u002214e4c4de36e74ae29ceb552747dd8b05\u0022\u003ETaxation (Annual Rates for 2021-22, GST, and Remedial Matters) Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000442\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022207944b26e3c4440b79942bd5d7154fd\u0022\u003EThird Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022 data-id=\u00222b5a1a4484b641dc97adb138606f14d5\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000443\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222b5a1a4484b641dc97adb138606f14d5\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER (Minister of Revenue):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2021-22, GST, and Remedial Matters) Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000444\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221f4a7f70ed9d4d7190c7c3bd052a819a\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000445\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220d87bed5f3a74ec6931da8e129f28d0f\u0022\u003EHon DAVID PARKER\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2021-22, GST, and Remedial Matters) Bill be now read a third time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000446\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe role of tax in our society is a big and crucial one. It provides the funding for important Government services and functions that New Zealanders want, need, and value, and it can help support citizens and businesses in difficult times, such as those which we have been recently encountering. To achieve these things, tax rules must be applied as fairly as possible and the integrity of the tax system must be protected. That\u2019s what this bill seeks to achieve. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000447\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe most significant measure in the bill relates to the deductibility of interest on residential investment property. The bill limits the deductibility of interest expenses incurred by residential property investors, and I want to start out by briefly covering the rationale behind these changes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000448\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EFirstly, New Zealand does not have a comprehensive capital gains tax on residential property, despite capital gains making up a significant proportion of the income from residential property investment. Despite this, our current tax law allows full deduction of interest costs. This leads to a situation where landlords aren\u2019t taxed on a large portion of their income from their investment but can deduct their interest costs on highly leveraged assets in a way that doesn\u2019t occur in other parts of the economy\u2014or doesn\u2019t generally. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000449\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003ESecondly, interest deductions are based on nominal interest. Some of that interest cost is simply compensation to the lender for inflation. That is to say, some of the interest is not a real cost but it has been tax deductible. For example, if inflation\u2019s running at 3 percent and the mortgage interest paid by an investor is 6 percent, then the real interest being paid by an investor is only the other half, the other 3 percent. In real terms at the end of the year, the investor only owed 97c adjusted for inflation. Yet investors have been getting a deduction for the full 6 percent interest charge. They get a deduction, effectively, for the inflationary component of their interest payment, but normally don\u2019t pay tax on either the real or nominal increase in the value of their asset upon sale. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000450\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EOver time, this is a huge tax break. If their debt is 60 percent of their property, then the excessive deduction in this example is 1.8 percent per annum. Over 20 years, that is a 36 percent tax deduction of the original purchase price. That amounts to a distortionary tax setting and it\u2019s one of the reasons why house prices have become so inflated in New Zealand and one of the reasons why residential rental owners have been able to outbid a first-home buyer because they have a tax advantage over their competitor for a house if that competitor is a first-home buyer or an owner-occupier. As the Finance and Expenditure Committee pointed out, there have actually been times recently where real interest rates have been less than zero. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000451\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003ENow, all of this is complicated, and it\u2019s very difficult to ever get the tax system to tax everything absolutely perfectly. But over a long time, we\u2019ve allowed, significantly, over-deduction of interest on residential investment property. This has caused investor demand to massively increase and squeezed out first-time buyers. So the Government\u2019s decided to act by removing the ability of investors to deduct their interest. For clarity, that interest can still be deducted against profits under the brightline test because that\u2019s fair too. The objective is to reduce investor demand for existing residential property and, thus, make it easier for first-home buyers to successfully compete to purchase a home. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000452\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EHowever, we also want to ensure there\u2019s no obstacle to new supply. So the bill proposes exemptions from the interest limitation rules for land businesses, property development, and for new builds. There are also proposed changes to the brightline test for the benefit of residential land. Also, the bill makes owners of new builds subject to a five-year brightline period, reducing that from the 10-year period before this bill passes. It proposes limited extensions to roll over relief from the brightline test for some common ownership change scenarios where the economic ownership has not changed or is materially the same as it was before. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000453\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe bill contains other measures to ensure that the tax system continues to be applied as fairly as possible. It confirms rates of income tax, including the 39c rate on incomes over $180,000, and we believe that this is appropriate that higher-income earners pay what we think is a fair share. There are a number of amendments to the GST rules, and they\u2019re aimed at making life easier for businesses and helping our economy. Chief amongst these are proposals to improve GST apportionment rules. These have the effect of helping ensure that the sale of an asset of mixed use, some of which is taxable, some of which is non-taxable, which has appreciated\u2014the profits on sale or the GST on sale is not an overtax. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000454\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EProposals also reduce compliance costs for smaller GST-registered suppliers by allowing them to apply to the Inland Revenue for an improved alternative apportionment method. There\u2019s a proposal to zero rate the domestic leg of international transport services, applied as part of international transport of goods. This addresses a current inequality where the domestic transport of goods within New Zealand is taxed differently where it\u2019s part of international transportation of goods. We propose to expand zero rating of accommodation to subcontracting arrangements.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000455\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re also keeping up to date with technological innovation and new business practices. The bill proposes to exclude crypto-assets from GST. This ensures that people are not disadvantaged when investing via crypto-assets or using them to raise capital, and it enables the use of these new technologies. The bill also proposes that tax pooling be able to be used to satisfy a tax obligation, but where there is no existing tax assessment or where the tax obligation has not been quantified. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000456\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EAn important function of maintaining the tax system is to be vigilant against attempts to defeat the tax rules. We must continually work to uphold the integrity of the tax system so that everyone pays their fair share and they\u2019re not left carrying the burden or the share of others. Current tax laws allow tax authorities to transfer the benefit of their tax-exempt status to their taxable council-controlled organisations. This means that local authorities\u2014or some of them; most of them haven\u2019t been doing that, but some of them started\u2014are able to shelter their controlled organisations from tax The integrity of the tax system is jeopardised if local authorities can, effectively, extract profits from the council-controlled organisations tax free. This also provides certain council-controlled organisations using this mechanism with an unfair competitive advantage against private sector competitors. The bill therefore improves the integrity of local government taxation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000457\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EIt introduces new penalties on the sale and acquisition of electronic sales suppression software\u2014again to protect the tax base. Such software is explicitly designed and sold with the sole purpose of misrepresenting and under-reporting taxable income artificially and deceptively. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000458\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EOther measures in the bill include removing the time limit from COVID-19 information-sharing purposes, thereby allowing it to remain in effect without need for repeated extensions through Order in Council. That, though, is linked to the COVID pandemic. This information-sharing has been very important to allow Government agencies to help respond swiftly and efficiently to the pandemic, including with support for taxpayers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000459\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe bill proposes 11 New Zealand charities with overseas charitable purposes to be given overseas donee status, which supports wider overseas development aid objectives in the Pacific and in other developing countries. In addition, the bill contains a number of other minor technical and remedial changes to the legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000460\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003EThe final point I will make relates to the committee stage of this, where the Opposition proposed large tax cuts for those earning over $180,000 a year. I won\u2019t say much about that other than to note that last week when the IMF was here, as the Minister of Finance said in the House today, they said\u2014and I have the article here\u2014that now is not the time for any reduction in the level of overall taxation. And as veteran political commentator Richard Harman noted, \u201CIronically the IMF statement comes only three months after National Leader Christopher Luxon himself also said now was not the time to decrease taxes.\u201D I agree with the IMF and the summer holiday version of Mr Luxon. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000461\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f5d71749-ae91-4af7-b2bd-77260398912a\u0022\u003ELastly, can I think the select committee for its diligent work and also the policy officials and drafters for their work. I commend the bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022 data-id=\u00229ba94393f9fb4d309b3df358050ab56f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000462\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00229ba94393f9fb4d309b3df358050ab56f\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\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=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u0022449e7f29d57747feae643fe6c38ba83f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000463\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022449e7f29d57747feae643fe6c38ba83f\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Port Waikato):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Interesting final comments from the Minister, and I think I\u2019m going to address those shortly, but we will, of course, be opposing this bill, because this bill is all about imposing more taxes on hard-working New Zealand families and individuals. Of course, we don\u2019t think that\u2019s appropriate, particularly at a time when many of those people are suffering from this incredible high cost of living that\u2019s resulted from Government policies that led to this rapid escalation in inflation, feeding through into higher fruit and vege costs, housing costs, building costs\u2014it just keeps going on. As the Speaker knows\u2014Mr Speaker does know\u2014inflation is currently at 5.9 percent but wages are only going up by just under half of that amount. So New Zealand businesses and people are getting caught because they just have a less amount of money to spend on essential or household items. That\u2019s why the tax rates that are enshrined in this bill, we oppose them. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000464\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EI want to say that this is a Government that loves to tax. It has this wonderful need to tax because Mr Grant Robertson, of course, loves spending the money, loves spending that stuff\u2014he\u2019s addicted to it. Unfortunately, much of that spend is in poor areas that don\u2019t derive real benefits for New Zealanders. Of course, just to give an example of that, we\u2019ve had the fuel tax. Of course, now we\u2019ve got the biofuels proposal to put a bit more tax on our fuel cost, even though they\u2019re not high enough yet, according to the Labour Party; that\u2019s not what my constituents tell me, particularly my farmers and growers in Pukekohewho do not get a discount for diesel at the moment. We have got the brightline changes, we\u2019ve got the ute tax, we\u2019ve got the interest deductibility\u2014all new taxes coming in. That is why our leader Christopher Luxon proposed revision, a reversal of the tax creep that this Government has put in place since 2017. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000465\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EWhat our proposals are about is not a tax cut, it\u2019s actually about just scaring back to 2017 and allowing people to keep what they might otherwise have had, if it hadn\u2019t been for this Labour Government. Taking into account inflation over the last four, five long years\u2014gee, it\u2019s getting to that stage, isn\u2019t it, Mr Little, five long years. We propose that we just reverse the tax thresholds to take into account inflation. That would have meant that the first 10.5 percent is normally paid up to 14; it would mean extend it to 15.6\u2014$15,500. Next threshold, rather than $48,000 at 17.5 percent would go to $53,500 and of course the 30 percent goes up to $78,000 rather than $70,000. That means that someone on $55,000 would be better off a year by $800. Someone on the average wage would be $870 a year better off, and someone over $78,000 would be better off by $1,000. Of course, the Labour members love to misconstrue the figures, because we were careful not to make any adjustments to the 39 percent tax thresholds. Of course, superannuitants would be better off by $540. What this is about is returning money that has been ripped off them by this Labour Government, and that\u2019s the central opposition of this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000466\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EThe second thing, getting back to the issue of interest deductibility; the Minister just spoke about this. He has broken the cardinal principle of deductible expenditure with assessable income. It is a cardinal rule that if you run a business, that if you have assessable income\u2014which means you have to pay tax on it\u2014it is only fair and legitimate that you should be able to deduct relevant business expenses off that\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000467\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022fabbb014000e4597849ce875a3fc08ce\u0022\u003EChris Penk\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s called a loophole. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000468\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022a9aacd2a91ab4915846d7d8dde730397\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s right, Mr Penk; my colleague here is just reminding me. He called it a loophole; it\u2019s no loophole at all. In fact, this Labour Government has broken the cardinal principle. We fundamentally disagree with it, firstly on those grounds, because then, let\u2019s say we take this and extrapolate this breaking of this principle that this Labour Government\u2019s brought in, what does it mean for business expenses now, on someone legitimately doing an expense? Why don\u2019t we just say you can\u2019t deduct the price of fuel? Why don\u2019t I say to my growers, or the Labour Party should say to my growers: you no longer can deduct the fuel expense from their business. It\u2019s just the Labour Party, and Mr Parker in particular, have broken that cardinal rule, and that is wrong. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000469\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESecondly, when we started to ask how many people are going to be affected by this and what is the extent of this, the IRD came back and said there were 350,000 people who own investment properties in New Zealand\u2014350,000. Contrary to what we hear from the Labour members, \u201CThere\u2019s thousands of these rampant investors\u201D, there\u2019s 350,000, of which 75 percent, or about 260,000, claim interest. Of which, 75 percent claim less than $30,000 a year. Hardly a major investment group out there taking all this money and driving these huge businesses. We hear from the Labour members it\u2019s always about these investors and they\u2019ve got hundreds of homes. Actually, by far the most amount of homes are owned by mums and dads who are claiming no more than $30,000 interest a year. If you take it away, which is what\u2019s proposed by this bill, what it will mean is that those people will be in a situation where they will not be able to claim the interest. In some cases, they\u2019re going to have to sell the properties, and of course once they sell those rental properties, they\u2019ll no longer be available to be rented and, if they do keep them, they\u2019ve got to bear a $30,000 cost. If they don\u2019t have the money, what are they going to do? They\u2019re going to put up rents. This is what the tax officials, and this is what the experts said, \u201CDon\u2019t do it, don\u2019t do it; it\u2019s not good policy.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000470\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022016c3f14023e4e4692b0a59169da0987\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: They didn\u2019t say that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000471\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002243cdee9c06fc485985d6b5e361669b77\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY\u003C/span\u003E: Yes they did. But, guess what! Labour, because they\u2019ve got a philosophical issue, are going to ram this thing through, and it means that New Zealand mum and dad investors who, on the average own only one rental property as part of their retirement, are now going to bear up to a $30,000 loss.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000472\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EThe other major element is the brightline stuff. Unfortunately the debate on this during the committee of the whole House stage was brutally cut off before we even properly dealt with this issue. What it means, the brightline test, is that if you are out of your property for more than 12 months during a 10-year period, you will have to pay capital gains tax on your property. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000473\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022501183518a6249bab3a8d3f2fb4a4498\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: For that period. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000474\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002288f8c31bff284f33b2d040ad8c684d1e\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY\u003C/span\u003E: What that does not mean\u2014and I hear Dr Duncan Webb saying it. This is where the practical considerations come into play, but, of course, we\u2019ve got a Government who philosophically hates landlords and loves the idea of a capital gains tax on property. So if you\u2019re in the military and you get posted overseas\u2014like I have two constituents from Onewhero who have been posted overseas, on a military assignment, gone overseas, serving our nation, going to be away for three years because that\u2019s a normal term to go on a military posting. Of course, they\u2019re now in a situation, their home in Onewhero, because they can\u2019t live in it because they live overseas, in Canada, now they\u2019re going to have to pay tax on that property. They\u2019re not going to get reimbursed during the military posting, of course; they\u2019re going to have to pay tax. Same with our people in Foreign Affairs. Same with police and school teachers who normally and regularly get posted around the country to get a better opportunity, a new opportunity, or, in the case of the police, are literally told to go. Of course, now they go away\u2014they may have a place in Pukekohe\u2014, a great place to live\u2014and get shifted to Eket\u0101huna. They want to keep their place in Auckland because they always want to come back to it. But under these rules that have been ill thought through by this Government, they will now have to pay capital gains tax because they\u2019re out of their home\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000475\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261720d2e-5b1d-4742-b4f0-30424316ccc1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022285a55911b4b40668213ab74c5ea19c9\u0022\u003EBarbara Kuriger\u003C/span\u003E: Appalling.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000476\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ec050106036842ba90d3d2fd3271b74d\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY\u003C/span\u003E: \u2014for 12 months or more, and that\u2019s what Barbara Kuriger is saying. It is appalling. It\u2019s appalling.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000477\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EThen we\u2019ve got people going to hospital, and suddenly finding, hey, they\u2019re really seriously ill and, gee, they\u2019re going to end up paying capital gains tax. And then the worst one is mums and dads trying to support their children into a house. They\u2019re now captured under these brightline laws. They will have to pay capital gains on the contribution of the deposit, if they do so for their children, and that is an outrageous proposition when we\u2019re trying to get people into their first home.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000478\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022ee20638b222d4212b21699a650365641\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Kia ora, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022 data-id=\u002221887e59a0bf43248d09e25afea8a3ea\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000479\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002221887e59a0bf43248d09e25afea8a3ea\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\u003C/span\u003E: Ah!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000480\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022437d483d9d74424696b6343b7d058a79\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: It\u2019s Duncan Webb, sir.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000481\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002280aadf81b49c40d6acb43ba9afb30977\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\u003C/span\u003E: I\u2019m caught betwixt and between, and I\u2019m a bit frightened of the other one than I am of Duncan Webb, but I\u2019ll call Dr Webb. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022 data-id=\u002269ea8ed5e99a48c780cae7742fbb5ac9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000482\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002269ea8ed5e99a48c780cae7742fbb5ac9\u0022\u003EDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour\u2014Christchurch Central):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. First of all, it\u2019s always hard to follow the Minister the Hon David Parker, because he is so thoughtful, so thorough, so perceptive, and just so clear. So he hardly leaves me anything to tidy up, but, thankfully, we\u2019ve got Mr Bayly, who I can follow with ease\u2014where I understand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000483\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EBut the thing I find most offensive about his speech is his continual harping on about \u201Chard-working New Zealanders\u201D as if bus drivers aren\u2019t hard-working New Zealanders, cleaners aren\u2019t hard-working New Zealanders, and people who are in the care industry aren\u2019t hard-working New Zealanders. He seems to think that only people who earn a lot of money are hard-working New Zealanders, and, therefore, they deserve more back. Well, on this side of the House, as the Minister said, we think that people who earn a little bit more should pay a little bit more, and that\u2019s what this progressive tax system does. And as the OECD said, this is not the time for tax cuts. This is the time to hold fast and have a rational tax system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000484\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EAs for the interest deductibility question, the Finance and Expenditure Committee did have a good look at this question. Mr Bayly was in there when we got special advice\u2014we asked specific questions from the IRD, and he knows as well as I do that the IRD said that inflationary effects skew interest deductibility, and that the real interest is usually a lot lower. And so that means that, in many cases, people are getting, fundamentally, a significant tax rate. They are deducting more expense than they are really incurring, and that\u2019s what this fixes. And let\u2019s face it, as I\u2019m sure will be said by other speakers here, many people who have rental properties are in there not simply for cashflow returns, the money they make off rent; they are in there for long-term capital appreciation. The real income they make is made when they sell their house. And Mr Bayly himself said they are doing this so that they have an asset, an appreciating asset, for their retirement. And so they get a double win: a tax break on their interest, they claim more than they actually incur in real terms; and a tax-free capital sum at the end of the investment period. This addresses that skewing of the market. It says that\u2019s not appropriate, the market isn\u2019t actually operating correctly, as my friend, Mr Clark said, and what we need to do is to straighten that out and straighten the interest rules out. And that\u2019s what we\u2019ve done. That will correct, as we are seeing already, the out-of-control housing market, and slow down some of that price appreciation. That\u2019s a good thing for people who want to buy their own home.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000485\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EAnd, of course, we\u2019ve made sure the rules allow for people to get tax deductions for building new homes, because that\u2019s something we want to encourage. But trading in homes for simple capital appreciation is not something we want to encourage. We want people to be able to afford and get into their own homes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000486\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003EAnd, of course, we looked at a whole lot of other things in there, GST rules; apportionment rules; cryptocurrency was interesting; and also that sales suppression software\u2014absolutely offensive software that seeks to thwart the tax system by, essentially, lying and defrauding the tax system by creating fictitious sales records. There\u2019s penalties in there for that. That also is a very, very good thing. I absolutely commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022 data-id=\u0022491561db7ade477b8523acf45b1d513b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000487\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022491561db7ade477b8523acf45b1d513b\u0022\u003ESIMON WATTS (National\u2014North Shore) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. It is a privilege to rise on behalf of the National Party and as the member of Parliament for North Shore to talk on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2021-22, GST, and Remedial Matters) Bill third reading.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000488\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003EAs we\u2019ve heard from a previous speaker, Andrew Bayly, National oppose this bill. We oppose this bill for four key reasons, and I\u2019m going to spend a little bit of time going through those. But firstly, I do wish to acknowledge the Finance and Expenditure Committee, of which I am a member, for the work that was undertaken on this bill. I acknowledge the officials and the specialist advisers and all of the taxation and special interest groups that provided submissions through that process. While we heard a number of your submissions, it is regretful that we weren\u2019t able to get the numbers to change this, but we\u2019ll talk about that a little bit more as we go through.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000489\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003ESo National, firstly, oppose the limit on interest deductibility which is included as part of this bill. We know that this is basically stopping the ability for a business to legitimately claim a business expense. This is at the heart of taxation: that where a business incurs revenue, it should be able to offset that revenue with expenses\u2014and, in effect, this will limit the ability to do that. The limitation of interest deductibility applies specifically for residential investment properties, and, as we\u2019ve heard previously, that will impact a number of middle-income Kiwis, mum and dad investors, that are, in effect, claiming less than $30,000 of interest per annum. This has sort of been bandied around as these significant, big investors that will be impacted, but the reality is this will impact a number of middle-income New Zealanders, and that is why National are opposed to this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000490\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003ENew Zealand also has a housing crisis, and middle New Zealand is impacted most, through the impact of housing affordability, and the cost of living crisis, as well. What is interesting in regards to this bill is both Inland Revenue and the Treasury advised that the change in limiting interest deductibility would reduce housing supply and push up rents. So this is not just me and the National Party, as Opposition, saying that this is bad policy. This is consistent with a number of people that provided feedback through the select committee process that this is bad policy. This is Labour Party policy, driven by a Robin Hood ideology, and it is not backed up by those that are within the sector, and that is because it is an inconsistency which goes to the heart of the ability to deduct interest from business.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000491\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003EI want to also talk about the brightline test. National, obviously, oppose the extension of the brightline test. This is when a person sells a house within 10 years after purchasing it, and the sale proceeds may be, therefore, taxable. Labour are increasing this from five to 10 years, and our issue, primarily, around this\u2014National support the brightline test of two years, but the extension of this to 10 brings a large number of unintended consequences. Some of those unintended consequences of this change are aspects that my colleague Andrew Bayly referred to before: it captures people within this net that may include a wide variety of individuals, but we did talk about service personnel who are deployed to other areas of the world, or, indeed, the country, which means that they will be outside of their home for that period of time. That is a significant issue for us. And, at the end of the day, the actual change in policy is not going to drive any of the actual intended benefits that have been discussed in regards to this. So, again, National would oppose the extension of the brightline test.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000492\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003EThe third element I want to talk about is in regards to the 39 percent personal tax rate. National strongly oppose this element of the bill. This tax will affect nearly 120,000 Kiwi taxpayers. This is 44,000 more Kiwi taxpayers than the Inland Revenue originally and first estimated would be impacted by this change in the law. The IRD has noted, and I quote: \u201Csignificantly higher than anticipated\u201C\u2014so that\u2019s the number of people that are captured by this new tax. This element of the bill really acts as what I would describe as the driftnet of taxation that Labour are using to basically harvest and feed their addiction to spending\u2014this driftnet of taxation that we\u2019re seeing across the board. The 39 percent personal tax rate, the extension of the brightline test, the limit of interest deductibility are all examples of where this Labour Government are continuing to put pressure and increase taxation on hard-working Kiwis. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000493\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003EThe fourth element of the bill relates to changes within the Goods and Services Tax Act. National supports the modernisation of our GST system. The issue that we have, particularly\u2014and this was echoed by a number of submitters, as well\u2014is that we need, and individuals require, a lead-in to implement the modernisation, particularly around information requirements for GST. We would have liked to have seen some practicality around providing additional time for people to implement these changes in regards to modernisation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000494\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003EThose are the four areas in terms of the bill that National strongly oppose. Through the process, and post - select committee, we did provide some simple and effective contributions and ideas around effective tax policy to the Government, which were not taken up, but, you know, I\u2019m looking forward to the ability in the future for National to implement positive changes to the tax system when we are in Government. One of those is around the inflation-adjusted tax bands to reduce the impact of cost-of-living increases that we\u2019ve seen under this Government. That\u2019s just a sensible change in taxation policy that is very disappointing that hasn\u2019t been adopted and wasn\u2019t considered as part of this bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000495\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003EWe will, obviously, repeal the 39 percent personal tax rate. We\u2019ll repeal the limits on interest deductibility. We\u2019ll repeal the brightline test back to two years. And, of course, we\u2019ll repeal the \u201Cute tax\u201D, which is completely ridiculous and does not deal with the underlying issues that we need to do. We would extend the loss carry-back scheme for up to four years for businesses impacted by COVID, and increase asset write-off on capital investment, and increase depreciation\u2014all ideas that we contributed through this process in the bill which were not picked up by this Government.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000496\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022713ccc5b-7ff0-4fa5-ab58-4780620184fe\u0022\u003ELastly, again, I wish to thank all of those who made submissions to this process. Their feedback is appreciated and National will oppose this bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022 data-id=\u00220337c8350ce1475b926cf702f3172411\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000497\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00220337c8350ce1475b926cf702f3172411\u0022\u003EBARBARA EDMONDS (Labour\u2014Mana):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. At this time, I just want to quickly pay tribute to a number of our Labour family who have lost really important people over the last 24 hours, particularly to our member, the Hon Willie Jackson. Haere, haere, haere atu r\u0101, to his mother. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000498\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s always a privilege for me to speak on a tax bill. I\u2019ve spent over a decade of my professional career in the area that is tax law or tax policy, and I fully appreciate the work and effort that has gone into making these omnibus tax bills. So I once again thank the work of the IRD officials, the Finance and Expenditure Committee team, independent adviser Therese Turner, and the Minister. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000499\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EI appreciate the considered submissions provided by submitters not just on the bill itself but also as part of the generic tax policy process. As set out in the regulatory impact assessment, consultation was undertaken on some of the measures within this bill and helped to inform what has become the bill itself. I especially want to acknowledge a number of the tax practitioners who submitted, as their technical feedback ensures that the draft legislation is cohesive and identifies any unintended consequences. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000500\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s not unusual to have two to three tax bills per year because tax policy evolves quickly to cater for changes in technology, to cover fiscal or integrity risks, and as the deputy commissioner of IRD, Robin Oliver, once said, to keep the lights on. So here we have that, in the title: the \u201Cremedial matters\u201D bill. The Minister, in a number of his speeches talked about why maintaining the tax system at this time is a crucial function, but particularly at this critical time for the health of our people and the economy it is absolutely vital. Although New Zealand has relatively strong tax settings, it is important to maintain the tax system and ensure that it continues to be fit for purpose. This also means, again, that it adapts to changes in business practices so that compliance costs are kept at a minimum. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000501\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EI just want to talk briefly on a matter that our chair, Dr Duncan Webb, touched on, which is New Zealand does have a progressive tax system, and security guards, cleaners, our bus drivers are hard-working people. To reiterate what he said around the OECD and the IMF: that now is not the time for tax cuts\u2014now is not the time. If you want to be able to increase income for those lower paid workers, you do it directly through tax transfers. That\u2019s how tax policy has, a lot of the time, been made in New Zealand. That\u2019s why we have Working for Families. That\u2019s why we have the winter energy payment, and that\u2019s why we\u2019ve lifted the minimum wage. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000502\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EI just want to touch briefly on probably the biggest policy item which is in this bill, which is the interest deductibility rules. The IMF also said that some of the domestic risks in New Zealand are centred around financial stability, particularly in relation to the housing market. We know that tax is not the cause of this problem, but it does contribute to the problem. So it\u2019s our Government\u2019s goal to level the playing field for existing homes in favour of first-home buyers and those moving to new homes compared to those investing in residential property. So investors can generally outbid first-home buyers, and we want to make sure that residential properties are less attractive for investors while stimulating new investment in housing. That\u2019s why the deductions for interest expenses of residential properties will be restricted from 1 October 2021. We\u2019ve tried to make sure that transitioning is possible within the bill by ensuring that the policy will be phased in so that interest deductions on a mortgage on a residential investment property acquired before 27 March 2021 will progressively be reduced between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2025.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000503\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003EWe are removing interest deductions as a business expense for residential investment properties, but allowing deductions for property developers or people purchasing a newly built residential property. Once again, this goes to around financial stability in trying to apply for supply because we know, again, that tax is not the cause of the problem but it does contribute. So we want to ensure that the playing field is even for those who are bringing in new supply.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000504\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002261725fea-7d5e-4d1f-8fd3-e5779bb7a14d\u0022\u003ESo, once again, a real privilege for me to be able to stand to speak briefly on this bill. I really, again, thank our officials and thank our Ministers for bringing it to the House, and I\u2019d like to commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022 data-id=\u00223d192ef9c579451da9999cafbba48e14\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000505\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223d192ef9c579451da9999cafbba48e14\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK (Green\u2014Auckland Central):\u003C/span\u003E E te M\u0101ngai, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou e te Whare. The Opposition has many times throughout the debating of this legislation invoked Robin Hood. I\u2019m not sure if they recall from their reading of that childhood story that Robin Hood was, in fact, a good guy. He was the good guy who was pardoned by the king at the end, after implementing a fairer tax system. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000506\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EAll of that said, we\u2019ve heard a lot from the National Party, who have been speaking, I think, out both sides of their mouth. What I mean by that is that we\u2019re hearing, on the one side of things, that the National Party wants housing treated as any other business when it comes to tax deductibility rules but then, when it comes to things like the brightline test\u2014or paying tax on income that you receive from capital sales\u2014that they want housing treated differently to any other form of business. I think that that duplicity, or that difference of approach, is perfectly indicative of the fact that the National Party very much perceive those so called hard-working New Zealanders that they so frequently invoke not as those who work to earn an income for their living but as those who own assets and earn income as a result of that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000507\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EThis is a huge missed opportunity, unfortunately, as a piece of legislation addressing our taxation system. It uses a scalpel to address the housing crisis\u2014and, ostensibly, also the issue of inequality\u2014when what is needed is a saw. What is needed is a far, far bigger tool for a far, far bigger problem. In fact, as all of us well know\u2014and I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll hear from other speakers throughout this House\u2014we\u2019ve seen in the COVID context that the economic response, that is, the fiscal and monetary policy deployed by both the Reserve Bank and, via Treasury, by the Minister, has seen trickle-up economics, that is, estimated by economists, approximately a trillion dollars\u2019 worth of wealth transferred to the wealthiest New Zealanders. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000508\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ETo that effect, addressing the points that have been raised by National Party speakers thus far around inflation or what they\u2019re banging on about with regard to costs of living, cost of living is not something that is felt equally across all those of different socio-economic backgrounds. We know for a fact that inflation, if you own a house, has been pretty all right for you in terms of those capital gains, especially, obviously, on paper. To that effect, we know that New Zealanders who are of lower incomes have for a really long time\u2014and Statistics New Zealand has research to bear this out\u2014been paying approximately double the rate of inflation because they, of course, are paying the majority of their income on those essentials.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000509\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EWhen I say that this bill is a missed opportunity, it\u2019s, unfortunately, a missed opportunity because it doesn\u2019t tackle those far more fundamental issues inside of our tax system. Whilst, again, the National Party has been banging on about the fact that this is really unfair that we\u2019re extending this brightline test, it is, of course, the case that of the 35 OECD countries, Aotearoa New Zealand is the only one without a capital gains tax. In fact, I\u2019d say, philosophically, that all of us should agree that there should be some form of simplicity inside of our tax system. When we\u2019re talking about things like income earned on capital gains, it is, of course, the case that within the Income Tax Act, it was intended that those who were earning income on the sale of capital were supposed to be paying for that income tax. That is, of course, the reason that the former National Government introduced the brightline test in the first place. This is again why I would say to my Labour colleagues on this side of the House that this is a missed opportunity to not just straight up implement that simplicity in a capital gains tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000510\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003ETo the other point, as raised by the National Party\u2014because they have, in fact, been banging on about their policies as announced by their new leader\u2014when they talk about wanting to lower income tax rates, when they talk about this trickle-down economics, I think that it\u2019s important for all of us to recall how they paid for those promises in their former terms of Government. That was, of course, by increasing GST, which, again, had a disproportionate impact on lower-income New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000511\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d3030defd2d544a7b040d264ba72a097\u0022\u003EHon Member\u003C/span\u003E: They\u2019re growing the economy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000512\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022948482d4a8f043238f6e582f8dbc3fb1\u0022\u003ECHL\u00D6E SWARBRICK\u003C/span\u003E: And I hear across the aisle that Mr Bayly is screeching once again about trickle-down economics.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000513\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EWhat this bill does is nowhere near enough to meet the scale of what is necessary to tackle the climate crises nor the crises of poverty nor the crises of inequality nor the crises of biodiversity in this country, and we need to see far more substantive changes in the Budget, as well as the emissions reduction plan coming up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000514\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EJust finally, in summation, I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll hear over the next few contributions\u2014probably responding to some of my points as already laid out\u2014that the economy is a set of rules that are set in place by human beings about how we are going to organise our economic transactions and the rules about things like distribution, the types of spending that we want to do, and otherwise. The economy is not a deity that is set in stone nor is it a deity that we have to sacrifice to. It is the set of rules that all of us agree to about how we choose to govern society, and we get to make choices about how we want to do that, about how just and how fair and how equitable we want that system to be. Whilst this bill, again, uses a scalpel to address some of the issues around the housing crisis, we\u2019re gutted, as the Greens, that it doesn\u2019t go anywhere near far enough to address these crises of inequality.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000515\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022dbaac12b-3efa-4d95-a08d-f0f637a48bab\u0022\u003EThe Greens will be abstaining on this bill, to that effect, noting that it again, unfortunately, simply does not go far enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022 data-id=\u0022ced9f9969a3a45bcbfd85f4cc4b0da79\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000516\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ced9f9969a3a45bcbfd85f4cc4b0da79\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader\u2014ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. It\u2019s always a great pleasure, and sometimes a great amusement, to speak after the Green Party on a piece of legislation. And they\u2019re speech number six and we\u2019re speech number seven, so happily it happens very often. We\u2019ve just heard Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick get up and say, \u201CIsn\u2019t it terrible that $1 trillion of wealth was added to property values because of cheap money?\u201D. I don\u2019t want to start beating the Green Party up with history, but which party voted for the Reserve Bank to have a dual mandate that led to the low interest rates, that led to the money printing, that led to the inflation of house values, that transferred so much money away from younger New Zealanders?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000517\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022b8aa162cab374899a6f197e3ae6e7644\u0022\u003EHon Paul Goldsmith\u003C/span\u003E: The Labour Party!\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225037a05459cd4407aa04915588eb1d2f\u0022\u003EDAVID SEYMOUR\u003C/span\u003E: Do we hear anything? Yes! The Labour Party and the Green Party. That\u2019s right. So when we talk about hyperinflation of housing, they are absolutely guilty. And then the Green Party says, \u201CThe economy\u2019s not a deity that we should bow down and make sacrifices to.\u201D Well, I know that this is no longer a pagan world, but the ACT Party is not in favour of bowing down and making sacrifices to any deity\u2014we\u2019re trying to separate politics and religion in this country. We\u2019re trying to have rational economic debate about how we create opportunity for the next generation of New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000519\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd that is why the ACT Party stands wholly opposed to this Taxation (Annual Rates for 2021-22, GST, and Remedial Matters) Bill. You see, Parliament does this every year. And I\u2019ll give you one thing: it\u2019s good that we live in a country where the Government can\u2019t take your money in taxes unless this Parliament, that everyone can vote for, actually has a debate and a vote and agrees\u2014in quite a few pages; 137 pages\u2014that this is what the law says. No taxation without representation. That is a very good thing; perhaps the best of things in a free society.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000520\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe problem the ACT Party has is that there\u2019s too much taxation and not enough representation in this particular bill. Where to start? Well, it starts off by selecting the tax rates that people pay. It says that if you earn over $180,000, that income gets taxed at 39c in the dollar. I know what people will say: \u201CStuff them, they earn too much money. They\u2019ve got it, we\u2019re going to take it.\u201D That\u2019s what they like to say, and I just ask the Labour Party: where is the future for a country where it is acceptable to take stuff because they\u2019ve got it and we can? We\u2019ve got to stop thinking that way, because we\u2019re not going to become a wealthier country if we say, \u201C39c in the dollar. You worked hard at school, you studied, you got qualifications, you worked hard at work, you saved your money, you invested carefully what you\u2019ve put away, you have an income over $180,000. Well, stuff you, we\u2019re going to put an extra tax just to take a bit more because we can.\u201D That is the wrong values for any country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000521\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen it says, 33c from $70,000 to $180,000. Then it says, from $48,000 to $70,000: 30c. So you\u2019re on $48,000 and you add an extra dollar of income\u2014you work hard, you earn it\u2014and you get to keep 70c. Well, the ACT Party says that\u2019s wrong. And we put up amendments that no other party voted for, that would have given a generous middle-income tax cut: dropping that 30c down to 17-and-a-half. All the way from $14,000 to $70,000, you pay 17.50c under ACT\u2019s generous middle-income tax policy. And it is a representative democracy. We put that up for every other party to vote on and none of them did. None of them wanted to give $2,000\u2014a real tax cut for middle-income earners\u2014back to Kiwis.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000522\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe funny thing about it is that the Government has increased the amount of tax it takes off the average person in the last four years by about $2,000\u2014adjusted for inflation, which is significant now. We wanted to give it back; no one else did, and that\u2019s a good reason to vote ACT\u2014because taxpayers have had enough.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000523\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EWe had Barbara Edmonds get up and say, \u201CThis is not the time of tax cuts.\u201D Well, let me just give you a fact into the debate. You know, the Government\u2019s tax take in the last two years has gone from $85 billion up to $103 billion this year forecast. So when the Government takes an extra $15 billion in two years\u2014you know, if the Government\u2019s just taken $15 billion extra in two years and people are struggling to pay their bills, that\u2019s not the time to let people keep more of their own money? What that tells you is that Barbara Edmonds and the Labour Party will never, ever leave you \u201CSure to Rise\u201D because they don\u2019t want anybody to ever get any of their taxes back, I can tell you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000524\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EWhat else does this bill do? It introduces the brightline test. How many stories have we heard of people who now have to change their plans? Can\u2019t move for work because if they leave their house, when they sell it after 10 years, they\u2019re eligible to pay income tax. Tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax people will have to pay just for doing what New Zealanders ordinarily do: living in their home. But if they live outside their home for a year over 10 years\u2014perhaps they moved for a job or whatever\u2014then all of a sudden, they\u2019re liable for tax. How disruptive is that?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000525\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EAnd I say to the National Party\u2014the National Party say, \u201CLook, a brightline test\u2019s OK so long as it\u2019s only two years.\u201D I say to them what I said in 2015: \u201CDon\u2019t do it. Because if you introduce a brightline tax at two years, guess what! Taxes are like acorns. They grow.\u201D You put it there at two years, then it\u2019s five years, then it\u2019s 10, soon it\u2019ll be 15. It\u2019s a de facto capital gains tax on your house right now because National introduced it, Labour expanded it, what do you expect? The ACT Party\u2019s the only party that said \u201Cno\u201D to a brightline test, and we predicted it would expand at the time. And Mr Speaker\u2019s looking there wisely because he knows, he remembers it well too. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000526\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen what else does it do? It takes mortgage interest deductibility away from landlords. Now this is probably the dumbest of all. And I just go back a step: ACT put up legislation saying, \u201CLet\u2019s get rid of the brightline test.\u201D Every other party had an opportunity to vote to get rid of the brightline test. No other party did. The National Party said, \u201CAs long as it\u2019s only two years, it\u2019s OK.\u201D Labour Party said, \u201CWe want it to be forever.\u201D The Green Party probably wants you to be taxed indefinitely. The ACT Party says, \u201CLet\u2019s get rid of it.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000527\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThen there\u2019s the mortgage interest deductibility. Now here\u2019s the thing, when this policy was introduced by the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, she said, \u201CWe\u2019re going to tilt the playing field towards first-home buyers.\u201D Well, this is a case study in somebody who doesn\u2019t know how to separate intentions from outcomes when it comes to setting policy. Here\u2019s how it works. We have a tight rental market; that\u2019s why rents have gone up like a rocket for New Zealanders up and down this country. And when extra costs go on to landlords in a tight rental market, what do they do? They increase the cost of rent. And if you put an extra tax on landlords, what is that going to do to tenants? They\u2019re going to have to pay more rent to help the landlord cover the tax.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000528\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003ENow here\u2019s the next question. What sort of people are tenants? If they\u2019re renting, they probably don\u2019t own a home\u2014most of the time. And if they don\u2019t own a home but they\u2019d like to own one, then they are first-home buyers. So the Prime Minister\u2014trying to tilt the playing field towards first-home buyers\u2014has put extra taxes on first-home buyers, made it harder for them to save a deposit, and actually sabotaged her own policy. I mean, it\u2019s incredible how big the gulf is between great Instagram and good intentions on the one hand, and actual policy that works and does what it says on the tin on the other hand. But that, sadly, is our first ever Instagram Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. And people are hurting because of bad policy that she makes and promotes, and it\u2019s not the first time she\u2019s done it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000529\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227e22bb95-9afb-449c-bcd2-de9fd4f2277c\u0022\u003EThe ACT Party, of course, put up an amendment to this bill, where we said, \u201CLet\u2019s get rid of the mortgage interest deductibility removal.\u201D Or, \u201CLet\u2019s keep mortgage interest deductibility for landlords, because actually it\u2019s the right thing to do.\u201D Every party had the opportunity to vote for it; none of them did. So what comes out of this is that if you believe in lower taxes, if you believe that people should be able to keep more of their own money, and if you believe that people that get up and try to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of people they care about, then, of course, there\u2019s only one party in this Parliament through the passage of this bill\u2014the annual rates bill setting the taxes for New Zealand this year\u2014that has stood up for lower taxes and people making a difference in their own lives, and that is the ACT Party that proudly opposes this bill, which puts tall poppy syndrome in the tax code, holds us down, and hurts the very people the Prime Minister said she was trying to help. Thank you, Mr Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022 data-id=\u002294b06e8e84204a5f9eef1b2a6a29970e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000530\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002294b06e8e84204a5f9eef1b2a6a29970e\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, the time has come for me to leave the Chair. This fascinating debate will resume at 7 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000531\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003ESitting suspended from 5.58 p.m. to 7 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022 data-id=\u00224178d35dd1cd4661902b0527db18de80\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000532\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00224178d35dd1cd4661902b0527db18de80\u0022\u003EHELEN WHITE (Labour):\u003C/span\u003E I rise in support of the third reading of this bill, and I come at a time when we\u2019ve heard speeches from the National Party and ACT and the Greens. It\u2019s always a privilege to come after those speeches, because it gives me the opportunity to actually think about the principles and values I stand for and what might be different. One of the things that I think we have a duty to do in this House is not mythologise, and I want to bust a few myths right now. The first is that people who raise these issues, things like mum and dad investors and the tall poppy syndrome, are myth-making\u2014this is not what is going on in this House and not what this legislation will do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000533\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EI want to talk first about the mum and dad investor, and the myth of it. I lived at a time when a lot of people, because they were wealthy enough to have some capital, were able to buy a house, and they bought that house because they had the capital plus they had tools like interest deductibility, and that interest deductibility meant that they could offset a lot of those costs, and the cost wasn\u2019t captured, because the capital gain wasn\u2019t actually captured at any point. Those people are not mum and dad investors. They own a lot of land, and what we are actually doing if we don\u2019t put this through is we are protecting those people at the expense of others\u2014because there are losers in this system. One of the losers is the first-home buyer. They miss out on these houses. When they are sold under this scheme because somebody wants to invest in housing, that house investor will reinvest that money. They will invest it in things like the economy, which will be good for us all. They may well choose to invest it in new housing, and that will add to our supply. Those are win-wins people, because the other house that comes into the market will, hopefully, go to those first-time homeowners, and I\u2019ll be pleased to see that happen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000534\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003ESo this is not about one group pitted against the other. This is about a piece of legislation that shapes the way that we think and shapes the way that we put investment, and, after all, isn\u2019t that what we\u2019re supposed to do? We are a Government, after all. We are supposed to shape policy that will actually change things that have been going wrong\u2014and that\u2019s been going wrong for a long time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000535\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EI want to talk about another tool in the tool box that\u2019s being used and has been mythologised, and that is the brightline test. I was disturbed to hear Mr Bayly talk in his last speech about how this would affect people who were divorcing\u2014that they would suddenly be caught by the brightline test. It is just simply not true. This is a main home exemption, so if somebody\u2019s marriage breaks up and they have to sell their house at that time, they won\u2019t be caught under this situation. The people who will be caught are people who actually are making an income out of flipping houses. Those are the majority of people who will actually end up having to pay the profit that they make.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000536\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EAnother myth that came out today was that for some reason the people who were out of the house for one year would somehow have to pay capital gain on the entire time in their property\u2014that was the implication at least. So I want to put that straight for the New Zealand public\u2014because that\u2019s not what the story is. The story is that if you are out of your house for one year and you come into the new brightline, you will actually only have to pay the capital gain on the time you were out of the house. So if you have your house for nine years and for one of those years you have been out of the house, the other eight years are not ones that are subject to this\u2014it is only profit while it is not your main home. This is a really important thing to get straight, because these myths are damaging. We need people to understand what the purpose of this legislation is, and it isn\u2019t right to put the New Zealand public wrong about that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000537\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225ec01d23-b55e-45b9-a668-d3bf14212126\u0022\u003EI want to talk, finally, about the myth of the tall poppy, because this comes into the debate about our tax rates. Our tax rates are very moderate in this country; 39c will be paid by people when they have already earned $180,000, and those people who pay that extra tax have been supported in doing so over the last few years by our nurses, by our teachers, by our supermarket workers, who have earned nothing like that, and I want to see policies that target those people. I want to see tax policies that do that and I want to see other policies, and I certainly don\u2019t want to see $8,000 for the Leader of the Opposition and $2.30 for somebody who is on the minimum wage. It is not good enough. I 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=\u00223f2059e91b7d49149ed16ff866d78203\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000538\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00223f2059e91b7d49149ed16ff866d78203\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: I call the Hon David Bennett\u2014five-minute call.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022 data-id=\u0022db3edc2f0ce340169352bb1a1b15274f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000539\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022db3edc2f0ce340169352bb1a1b15274f\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. Well, tonight\u2019s debate will show you the true colours of the Labour Party and their members and their desire to really knock out of any New Zealander the aspiration to do well, to build a business, to actually get out there and do anything. Because they tell you, time and time again\u2014and in these speeches they\u2019re very confident around it, saying, \u201CWe actually have a duty to do this, as Labour Party members. Our duty is to make sure that anybody that makes any money in this country has to pay it so that we can distribute it to other people.\u201D That\u2019s their fundamental belief, and it is contrary to what human nature is, it is contrary to what the country has been built on, and it\u2019s contrary to what good economic policy is built on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000540\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022471dee54-f59e-4497-b3d3-c39044ce7169\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002206f94d0a9d2a431a8918c3f1d946a3e1\u0022\u003EHon Damien O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: That\u2019s bullshit.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000541\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d4069c4a6d1546758dfbbcf18911856b\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Now, Mr O\u2019Connor may say \u201Crubbish\u201D there, but, you know, he\u2019s all the time saying that we need to trade with the world, we need to be in the business area, and yet he\u2019s cutting out this very business that people are in of providing housing for other people. And he can\u2019t explain that. And Mr Nash, who\u2019s sitting beside him, is another reasonable member of the Labour Party. I remember Mr Nash saying that we should tax just income and not actually have any expenses that can be deductible, at one stage. He soon backtracked from that.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000542\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EThat was the same theory that we\u2019re seeing here tonight: they are only wanting to tax income, and not the expenses that people have in that business. And it is not that they are doing some God\u2019s work, that they are saving people and that they are providing some great country that will provide freedom and a free lifestyle for everybody. It is doing exactly the opposite. It is hurting those very people that actually need a hand in this country, who don\u2019t want a skewed system around the business of owning homes. And that is what we are doing here. We\u2019re skewing it completely differently from any other business. So those that go into the homeownership business, you can say, of providing rentals for somebody that can\u2019t get there themselves, have now a different model from any other business. And so they have to earn more income. They have to charge more rent. It\u2019s the only way they can do it. That then puts the cost of living up, puts inflation up, and the very people Labour say they\u2019re there for are the very people that get hurt. It is the traditional Labour Party economic policy that\u2019s failed for generations, and it will always fail.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000543\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223bff4c1ab08c468fb53c9970c7fbeb9d\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, look at the bigger\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000544\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022e313f73155984145b0c42b8fc3fab8b0\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: And that member from over the other side, from Christchurch\u2014he was very confident in his speech, saying, \u201CThis is our God-given right to do this. We need to do this. This is our job. We need a progressive tax system like this.\u201D That\u2019s his words. They are a failure waiting to happen.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000545\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003EAnd if you want to look at it, what\u2019s happened to housing prices in New Zealand in the last year? Twenty-five percent increase in house prices. If it\u2019s such a great policy, why hasn\u2019t that stopped? Why is first-home ownership still dropping, as it has around the world, and it will continue to do because it gets harder and harder to do that? This policy won\u2019t stop that. This policy is just for the ego of the Labour Party, and it will not actually help the very people that need assistance. This is lawmaking at its worst. It is bad policy being enacted by a bad Government. It will not achieve their purpose. What\u2019s worse about it is that they present it in a way that it is there for the interests of those people in most need, when it will do exactly the opposite. It creates a system that will then mean more costs on those people that are renting, that then will reduce their ability to get into homeownership and keep them in that cycle of renting for ever and a day. It is stupidity of the highest level, but it is Labour Party policy, and we expect that from them. And that\u2019s why you\u2019ve got an economy that\u2019s out of control at the moment. They\u2019ve got inflation they can\u2019t control. All those things come from\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000546\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f7fc7ac3-5ce1-43ca-8cd6-dbb0941bf3ae\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f03c748f42ca4c11ace8436fa3fb3ec8\u0022\u003EDr Duncan Webb\u003C/span\u003E: Low unemployment. High GDP.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000547\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022eaf79431-1033-44f1-a633-22633da52c0d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00224fe4ea1c7c3743468683264883bb658a\u0022\u003EHon DAVID BENNETT\u003C/span\u003E: Low unemployment, that\u2019s what he\u2019s saying. Low unemployment, that\u2019s the answer! There\u2019s low unemployment. But we\u2019ve got inflation going out of control\u2014if you can\u2019t get ahead, then that is not the answer. It\u2019s about low unemployment! The reality is that their economic policies have failed. We\u2019re seeing it coming home to roost now. This bill is another example of how they will continue to fail and achieve the wrong purpose. Thank you, Madam Speaker.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022 data-id=\u002274240129d8ac47d5bf0895d25d06cef9\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000548\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002274240129d8ac47d5bf0895d25d06cef9\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Making a remote contribution, I call Anna Lorck\u2014five minutes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022 data-id=\u0022a67858f52e1c4eac99d5c4be25c60f46\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000549\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a67858f52e1c4eac99d5c4be25c60f46\u0022\u003EANNA LORCK (Labour\u2014Tukituki) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker. I\u2019m speaking on the third reading as a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000550\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022\u003EThis Government is on the side of renters, first-home buyers, owner-occupiers, and investors in new builds. Some people say housing costs too much but then oppose every move to fix it. What is disappointing, but not surprising, is that tonight we have continued to hear the same deflating rhetoric from the Opposition, who claim to be business smart and yet are not smart when it comes to the business of investment\u2014because the legislative changes this bill provides are a huge opportunity for property investors in modernising their portfolio. The more supply we have, the better we are at addressing housing shortages. So let\u2019s build and, better still, invest in new for the rental market: grow the rental portfolio.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000551\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s working already, and it\u2019s sending a very strong signal\u2014a message that the Opposition refuses to talk about because members of the National Party don\u2019t want anyone to know about it. One of the best things this bill actually does is encourage investors to build more and more new houses and new homes to rent. If you are planning to invest in housing for the rental market: build new. Build new and help contribute to the housing supply. Because the more we build the more affordable housing becomes for more people. Even if you are a mum or dad investor who has a rental property that you are renting out, and may well have had for more than a decade, here is an opportunity to take advantage of interest deductibility by building new and investing in new, and selling your old one. Be part of fixing the housing crisis by selling your existing rental and having a modern investment by investing in a new build for the rental market.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000552\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224b53c8fa-5ba4-4150-98be-dd23e49cf0bb\u0022\u003ENow, in Camberley, a suburb in the electorate of Tukituki, where I am the local MP, I recently visited a new development of 10 three-bedroom, warm, affordable, dry rentals. All the interest is deductible for this investment, and, also, because it\u2019s a new rental development, if sold after five years, it will not be subject to the brightline test. Affordable rentals are critical in dealing with the housing crisis. This Government recognises that new rentals play an important part: so that families wishing to rent can. When I see these positive investments happening, like they are in Camberley, I know that this legislation is sending the right signals to investors: build new. I commend this bill 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=\u0022578cc5f45eda4799b02dcac3fee63b8a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000553\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022578cc5f45eda4799b02dcac3fee63b8a\u0022\u003EINGRID LEARY (Labour\u2014Taieri):\u003C/span\u003E Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak on what really is a technical bill, but, actually, the debate has turned much more on to inequality and has really highlighted some fundamental differences between this side of the House and the other side of the House. Because what this bill does is it levels the playing field in favour of first-home buyers rather than speculators, and that\u2019s via the interest limitation. And, really, that is one of the most significant things that we can do to close the inequality gap in New Zealand. Now, the other side\u2014National and ACT\u2014are saying that tax cuts will do that. That is utter nonsense. Their tax cuts will benefit the top 2 percent\u2014those who are earning $180,000 or more. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000554\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EWhat we need to do, and what we are doing on this side, is two fundamental streams of work. One is around pivoting the housing market away from speculators, towards first-home buyers, and, secondly, we\u2019re providing targeted support. Now, the benefit to the first-home buyers comes via this bill, and, as we\u2019ve heard, investors can generally outbid first-home buyers, and that is because they have a significant tax advantage. We\u2019ve heard from the Minister how inflation skews that interest advantage even more. Now, Simon Watts has revealed, and, actually, David Bennett as well, the view from the Opposition that housing is a business\u2014they have spoken about that many times this evening\u2014versus this side, where we see housing as a social necessity for all, and shelter as a human right. So what we want to do is make properties less attractive for speculators, but also stimulate investment in new housing, and that is very much what this bill does.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000555\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re also phasing in the interest deductibility changes so that they occur between March 2021 and March 2025 so that they do send a signal\u2014as my colleague Anna Lorck has said\u2014they provide those signals for investors so they can make wise choices with their investments. And really importantly for everyone to remember is that the main home is not affected by these new rules. So even owner-occupier rental situations where somebody is owning their home but renting it out to others as well while they\u2019re in there, they can still claim interest deductibility.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000556\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EIt would be remiss of me not to mention the targeted support. I do this specifically in response to the claims made by Andrew Bayly and Simon Watts around closing the inequality gap, but also to the comments made by Chl\u00F6e Swarbrick. From 1 April, the second pillar of what we\u2019re doing is we are doing very targeted support to help close this gap, and that\u2019s around supported living, jobseeker support, sole parent support, the youth payment, the young parent payment, orphans benefit, Working for Families tax credit, Best Start tax credit, student allowance, superannuitants, and so on\u2014the list goes on. It is all about reducing inequality, and it\u2019s inequality that impacts on some of our hardest workers. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000557\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EI absolutely reject the comments from the Opposition and also from the leader of the ACT Party, David Seymour, that only people who go to university and earn high wages are hard-working. We have seen through the pandemic that some of the hardest-working and most critically important workers are our bus drivers, our cleaners, our mothers, our security guards, and so on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000558\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003ENow, National has said that there\u2019s a housing crisis, but they refuse to take action. They appear to be supporting the highly leveraged speculators, and that\u2019s not surprising given their interest in also providing tax cuts to the highest earners. But doing nothing is actually a really big risk to our economy. The IMF has not only said today that tax cuts would not be appropriate at this time they have also warned repeatedly that the ballooning housing market could trigger a housing slump. And so we have had to tackle this head-on. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000559\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002296f5f6b7-c116-477e-88a9-ea17aa616886\u0022\u003EIn summary, what was actually a technical bill has been worth exploring because we\u2019ve been able to see some fundamental philosophical differences. The other side see housing as a business; we see it as a social priority. National, I think, see the workforce as a hierarchy of contributions from the highest paid to the lowest paid; in Labour, we see that everybody has a contribution to make and everybody should be valued, and that some of those disparities have come about through history and through happenchance. So this is a great bill. It\u2019s a bill that I expected to speak more technically on, but I\u2019m glad we\u2019ve had the opportunity this evening to reveal some of the fundamental differences in the way we view the workforce and the way we view inequality on this side of the House. I commend the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022 data-id=\u00226ec710b226524fe38d1ab61d92695c31\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000560\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226ec710b226524fe38d1ab61d92695c31\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR (National\u2014T\u0101maki):\u003C/span\u003E Oh look, an unexpected pleasure to have to speak on this bill, but there is nothing more exciting in this House, I am sure, particularly for the Labour Party, than to discuss tax because, as we know, the Labour Party loves tax and this bill shows it abundantly\u2014an increase of tax for what they deem to be the highest earners, and I think that\u2019s a really important thing for the public to understand. On this side of the House, and certainly for myself, I\u2019ve got no problem, actually, of people paying their fair share, but the issue is not so much the tax rates, it\u2019s the fact of who the Labour Party decides has to pay their fair share and where they\u2019re going to set that bar.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000561\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EFor those tonight who are thinking, \u201COh, it\u2019s great, those rich people are going to get taxed. That\u2019s all fine.\u201D Of course, the thing is that next week, next month, next year, they might be in the gun\u2014amongst other reasons, of course, because the Government is not taking on very sensible ideas from the National Party, which is that we need to actually address tax bracket creep. So that, for people at home, is that as you begin to earn more\u2014well, not in real terms; of course, any wage rise you\u2019ve got has been completely wiped out, completely wiped out, by inflation, but as your income supposedly increases\u2014you move tax brackets and I think, unfortunately, some Kiwis are going to get a bit of a fright in their back pocket. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000562\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EUnfortunately, the Government has attempted to phrase this as an equity argument, and why I think it\u2019s unfortunate is not because the concept\u2019s a problem, I mean, go equity. You know, there we go\u2014a bit of an endorsement and a bouquet for the Greens and left. Equity\u2019s fine except the problem is that the Labour Party has delivered no equity; things are getting much, much worse. I just intimated at least one of them, which is the fact that inflation is way outpacing growth around wages. And yes, it\u2019s all well and good that unemployment is low. I mean, partly, that\u2019s not really a surprise. We\u2019ve had our country sort of imprisoned and locked down for two years. We have not allowed any migrants in the country. That possibly has an impact. I also think we\u2019ve moved a number of people on to the benefit, but that\u2019s probably a debate for another night. But fundamentally, it\u2019s great these people have got jobs but, as I say, inflation\u2019s eating away at whatever they\u2019re earning. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000563\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThat underlines then probably the second major problem. Actually, I hadn\u2019t quite finished on the equity comment that this tax change, all these tax changes\u2014I see some of them come actually on 1 April, which I thought was some sort of joke, and that\u2019s an incredibly bad pun. But equity is getting worse in this country. It doesn\u2019t matter if you look at child poverty, the fact that we\u2019ve got 26,000-plus people now on the housing register, gang crime, you name it\u2014things are getting worse. And so here again, we have a terrible illustration coming from this Government of talking one thing and delivering the polar opposite. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000564\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003ESo let\u2019s delve a little bit into the rental changes because\u2014well sorry, the taxation changes particular around the brightline test and around the inability now\u2014to stress that\u2014the inability for landlords to take their interest payments on mortgages as an expense. My honourable colleague David Bennett highlighted that. I mean in just about any other circumstances you are taxed not only on income but there\u2019s allowance for what are legitimate expenses\u2014and interest on a mortgage has been a traditional expense. Now we may disagree on that. That\u2019s perfectly fine from the Labour side. But what really got stuck in my throat was the argument that these changes are going to help the rental market. In fact, they went as far to say that they were already making improvements to the rental market. I know I almost had a coronary, which is probably not a good thing to have. Things are getting worse. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000565\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EIf you are a renter in my electorate, and that\u2019s in Auckland, your rent is going up\u2014I think, is it $70 a week? I might actually have the figure wrong; I know it\u2019s no lower than $70. It\u2019s going up and up and up. I have constituent after constituent coming to me, tenants, saying it\u2019s getting almost if not completely impossible. And landlords, to be fair, don\u2019t want to put the rent up but they\u2019re humans, they have to pay their own bills. They are responding to a Government which is making things less equal. I\u2019ve actually mentioned it in the House before, particularly around rentals, particularly around this taxation suggestion, that the more that this Government tries to interfere in the market, they just make things worse. And so here we have more changes, supposedly to make things better. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000566\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EWe heard from one of the speakers tonight, one of the honourable members from the Labour Party, that one of the reasons they think this tax\u2014sorry, it\u2019s not strictly a tax; it\u2019s more that they\u2019re not allowing interest on mortgages to be used as an expense. They think it\u2019s a good thing because that\u2019s going to force landlords to sell the property and then somehow a first-home buyer or a person who is really struggling to purchase is just going to walk on in and buy that house. There\u2019s two practical and fundamental problems with that. Firstly, the other side will probably find they won\u2019t sell. People will just sit on their property. They just won\u2019t rent it out. It just becomes not worth it and, unfortunately, I\u2019m hearing that from a number of landlords: \u201CIt\u2019s just become too expensive, too difficult. I\u2019m just going to sit on the house.\u201D \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000567\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThe second practical problem\u2014and granted it\u2019s probably come from my electorate, and I will acknowledge it\u2019s not a representative demography. You know, T\u0101maki, is by and large, very well-to-do and wealthy if you looked at any of the statistics. But just to use that as an illustration, when Bob and Mary sell that house that they\u2019ve been renting out, it ain\u2019t going to be affordable. That\u2019s something that the Government might want to keep in mind because all that\u2019s going to happen\u2014and I suspect we will see\u2014is more legislation from this left-wing Labour Government to try and force its view on to others. You heard a hint of that from, again, other honourable members who have spoken. They\u2019ve talked about housing as a social necessity: \u201CWe, the Government, will decide what you can do with your house or houses. The greater good of the community deems that we will now dictate to you, including through this little piece of legislation\u201D\u2014well, actually it\u2019s not too little; it\u2019s quite a tome\u2014\u201Dhow you can and cannot operate your house.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000568\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThe final point I would make, and it\u2019s really just a simple and fundamental one and, yes, I think members have rightly expressed tonight that debates around taxation, exciting as they are\u2014Greg O\u2019Connor, I can see it on your face\u2014do highlight the difference between the left and right of politics. The two principles really are, ultimately, on this side of the House we believe that individuals and families can make the best decisions about how they want to spend their money. It\u2019s why we are always trying to seek, ultimately, how we can deliver more money to Kiwis. In fact, I make an erroneous statement. It\u2019s not even \u201Cdeliver\u201D. We just want to allow Kiwis to keep the money they have legitimately earned; keep the Government out of this. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000569\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EBut no, we have a left-wing Labour Government. They believe, they understand, they know how to spend your money better than others. I know that\u2019s a trite statement that always comes out from the right. But you know, the thing is that what comes out of the right is right. It\u2019s sort of a hint in the name, you know, right? You know, another bad pun\u2014that\u2019s two. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000570\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EThe last point I would make\u2014the last point I would make\u2014is that, ultimately\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000571\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002274df9fc6aca64c9bb8883b9c08efdb9d\u0022\u003EGreg O\u2019Connor\u003C/span\u003E: Three strikes, Madam Chair.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000572\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209288a93e94f461581dcdd09bfc19bd6\u0022\u003ESIMON O\u2019CONNOR\u003C/span\u003E:, I\u2019m actually trying to just excite things here in this House tonight as we talk taxation. The ultimate one, ultimately\u2014the last point I would make, and people in New Zealand should never forget this: when any Government, it doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s left or right, goes out and says to you \u201CLook, all these amazing things we\u2019re delivering by these extra taxes.\u201D, that is simply you, the public, being bribed with your own money. Never forget. No Government makes a cent. They tax it off hard-working Kiwis day after day. I\u2019m conscious on this side of the House every time we make a spending promise, every time we spend that money, we have generated that from Kiwis. And so when Jacinda Ardern and others\u2014Grant Robertson\u2014get up and talk about how wonderful they are and doing housing subsidies here and employment things here, and Working for Families there, in themselves they\u2019re great. But New Zealand, you\u2019re only being bribed with your own money, particularly when it comes to the likes of Working for Families, I\u2019m afraid to say. You work hard, you pay all your taxes, which go into the great circus which is Working for Families, and then they spit some of it back at you. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000573\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225b6b1d74-9e5e-42ba-a922-85b0ea7f5ab6\u0022\u003EMaybe I\u2019m a simple man. I am an O\u2019Connor. Looking at Greg O\u2019Connor again\u2014well, maybe we\u2019re simple men. But do you know what? Why take the money off us in the first place? Anyway, with that attempt at somewhat levying, which I suspect was taxing on all concerned, that\u2019s No. 3, I commend\u2014no, I don\u2019t, actually. I\u2019m not going to commend the bill to the House. That\u2019s probably the final point. I don\u2019t know I can condemn the bill, Mr Whip, but I cannot support this bill tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022 data-id=\u00222383b9ed38b847baacc101288b704c5f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000574\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00222383b9ed38b847baacc101288b704c5f\u0022\u003EGREG O\u2019CONNOR (Labour\u2014\u014Ch\u0101riu):\u003C/span\u003E Every family has a branch who\u2019s put on Earth to make the rest of the family look good, and that member has just achieved his goal. Well, I am pleased to say there is no blood there.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000575\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EI have sat and listened to this debate, and I\u2019m sure that those at home will have too, and they\u2019ll be confused because everyone\u2019s been in that family situation where a child is demanding money be spent on a new toy, a new holiday, or a new something. The refrain from the parents is inevitable: \u201CDo you think money grows on trees?\u201D. Listening to the Opposition across the floor I would actually believe, apart from the infantile speech that we just had to put up with, clearly, they do believe that money grows on trees. Because if you sit through this House, through any day, starting at question time, going through the various bills we debate, what you will inevitably hear is demand that this Government does more. Latterly it\u2019s been COVID: give hospitality more money; give tourism more money; give farmers more money. Although at $9.50 this year, probably even Mr Bennett\u2019s probably not going to stand up and say that this year. But so often you\u2019ll hear them stand up and make a speech that says \u201CGive more money.\u201D However, we then come to a piece of legislation like this, which actually tries to address some of those issues, to ensure that we, as a Government\u2014any Government has the means to do what Governments do. It\u2019s security. It\u2019s ensuring that its citizens can go about their business free of interference by those who would stop them, to create that level playing field.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000576\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ENow, this bill, when you look at a piece of legislation, it\u2019s been talked about just another boring piece of tax legislation, it\u2019s actually quite a significant piece of legislation because, certainly since through the 2000s, across two hues of Government, we have seen housing become increasingly unaffordable. Now there are those who will nostalgically look for the good old days, and the good old days are often not as good as people believe they were. It\u2019s often said that pain has no memory. But one thing that was quite clear when we speak to people who did shift around towns, who did move, was that housing, while it was always a significant expenditure, was not something that was beyond the realms of anyone who had, essentially, a job. It was always going to be something that someone could\u2014if all else failed, you had your own house. I had a grandfather-in-law who had lost his house during the depression, and he never got another house again. But through that time he could have afforded a house, it was just the fear of having lost that house was what governed him.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000577\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ESo, this piece of legislation, what does it do? It does two things around housing. One of them, it incentivises people to build more houses. Because if you want to escape the tax that has been so harangued here tonight, there is an easy way around it: invest that money in a new house, because you will actually be able to get the tax deductibility then for up to 20 years. So that\u2019s a pretty good incentive to go out there and build a new house. What that will do is free up those other houses to be built.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000578\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EI note the previous speaker said he will have people who will not rent the house, they\u2019ll just sit and let it sit there. Well, in an environment where that house is not going in, those houses are being farmed or bought for capital gain. If there is no capital gain, why would someone possibly do what the previous speaker suggested and sit in that house where not only is it not going up, it is probably, quite possibly, going down, particularly as it is in many parts of New Zealand now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000579\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EACT New Zealand, they amuse\u2014we had a speaker from ACT speaking on an earlier part of this bill, who talked about how\u2014we were talking about roading and how we should be more like Sweden because Sweden had these magnificent roads where down the middle they had a barrier which prevented the sort of accidents we have in New Zealand. And we should be more like Sweden. I did remind that speaker across the House of the very high taxation rate in Sweden, and that member really didn\u2019t have an answer. Because we could have anything we like if, like Sweden, you do have absolutely free education\u2014not that I\u2019m advocating we go to those levels. But certainly someone has got to pay, which comes back to what I mentioned originally, that those opposite, in a relatively infantile way, obviously believe that money does grow on trees. They can have these things that we demand, that we can have all these things we demand, but no one pays for them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000580\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003ELet\u2019s give everyone a tax cut, which will see most people in this House getting, probably, up to five figure tax deductions, possibly more, while the very people\u2014and what really does rile me, if I can finish on this, we\u2019re the workers, the hard workers, well, in this building, do you know who I believe works the hardest in this building? It\u2019s the people who come when we all go. The cleaners who are likely to come from one of the lowest socioeconomic parts of town, probably won\u2019t own a house, will have one or two cleaning jobs at least, will be here through the night, will go home, get kids off to school, while another partner in the house or other people in the house will go and have jobs. They are the people who, I believe, work and keep this place operating more than, certainly, we do as MPs. But they\u2019re the very people under the sort of tax changes that are being advocated across the room, will get the least.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000581\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002202e74c40-9529-4e15-adc2-c032eadc2205\u0022\u003EThis is an attempt to make our tax system fairer. I think history will be very good to this piece of tax. I think we\u2019ll look back and say that we\u2019ve actually now started to steer our way into a fairer system. New Zealand will become the New Zealand that we like to think it is, but unfortunately, perhaps, it is moving in the wrong direction. This will hopefully move in the right direction, and, therefore, as the last speaker, it\u2019s my pleasure to commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022aed7bf7c64514662917757bd8844b109\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 Taxation (Annual Rates for 2021-22, GST, and Remedial Matters) Bill be now read a third time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 67\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 65; Te Paati M\u0101ori 2.\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\u003EAbstentions 10\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EGreen Party of Aotearoa 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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000582\u0022\u003EBill read a third 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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000583\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u0022540095807d034c3bacf3ab9b206d3555\u0022\u003ETe Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki/Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000584\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022fee90f6c188e475e9f708c367fb29bb2\u0022\u003ESecond Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022 data-id=\u00228c2e184171334112bd741918568fead7\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000585\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00228c2e184171334112bd741918568fead7\u0022\u003EHon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113nei au te t\u0101pae nei ki te aroaro o te Whare te tau\u0101ki \u0101-ture o Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki / Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000586\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E[I present a legislative statement on Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki / Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000587\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220be277c02cb74bb8adfc935a5adb89fe\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000588\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002209ef919cb2804a70b1ab0df38abff8a3\u0022\u003EHon KIRITAPU ALLAN\u003C/span\u003E: E m\u014Dti, Au kia p\u0101nui tuarua i t\u0113nei w\u0101 Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki / Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000589\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EKa nui taku harikoa ki te hoki mai ki te Whare m\u014D te p\u0101nuitanga tuarua o te ture hiranga nei, te pire ka whakat\u016B hararei t\u016Bmatanui e whakanuia ai a Matariki, Te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o Te K\u0101hui o Matariki. E ng\u0101kau whakah\u012B ana i te pire nei i rikarika ana au ki te whakanui i te hararei t\u016Bmatanui tuatahi o te Matariki \u0101 te R\u0101mere te rua tekau m\u0101 wh\u0101 o Pipiri i t\u0113nei tau. Ko te r\u0101 arohia ki a Matariki i te hararei t\u016Bmatanui tuatahi o te motu ka \u0101ta aro, ka \u0101ta whakanuia e te ao M\u0101ori. He r\u0101 ka whai painga ki te huringa tonu o t\u014D t\u0101tou tuakiri \u0101-motu. He takahanga whakamua hiranga t\u0113nei m\u014D Aotearoa, kua noho nei hei iwi ki te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa o te ao hou. Kia hoki ki t\u0101ku i k\u012B ai i te p\u0101nuitanga tuatahi e m\u0101rama ana te pire m\u014D ng\u0101 tikanga whakat\u016B hararei t\u016Bmatanui hou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000590\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EHe tino poto te pire nei, heoi, ko t\u0113tahi huarua \u014Dna kua toaitia kia pire reo rua kua tuhia ki te reo M\u0101ori me te reo P\u0101keh\u0101. Hiranga ana te reo rua o te pire nei ka mutu, e m\u0101rama ana tana whakamihi i ng\u0101 m\u0101tauranga i ahu mai ai a Mataraki, ko te reo o te ao M\u0101ori t\u0113r\u0101. E k\u012B ana te pire ka t\u016B he hararei t\u016Bmatanui motuhake m\u014D Matariki, \u0101, kua takoto mai \u014Dna r\u0101 m\u014D ng\u0101 tau toru tekau ki tua. Kua whakahou an\u014D i \u0113tahi atu ture kia uru atu ki te hararei t\u016Bmatanui o Matariki ki ng\u0101 tikanga o te r\u0101 mahi me te r\u0101 pakihi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000591\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EHe mea nui an\u014D te noho mai o te tau\u0101k\u012B e whakam\u0101rama ana i te hiranga o Matariki ki a ng\u0101i M\u0101ori. Ko t\u0101 te tau\u0101ki hiranga he t\u0101pae tirohanga wh\u0101nui ki a Matariki m\u014D te whakatakoto i \u0113tahi m\u0101t\u0101puna matua e toru kei te p\u016Btake o ng\u0101 mahi whakanui i a Matariki o nehe, ko \u0113nei. Te maharatanga: te whakanui i te hunga kua riro mai i te aranga o Matariki i te tau o mua atu. Te whakanuia i t\u0113nei r\u0101 te huihui tahi ki te wh\u0101nau me ng\u0101 hoa, me te titiro ki anamata, te titiro whakamua ki ng\u0101 painga ka kawea mai \u0101 te tau. He \u0101huatanga matua te tau\u0101k\u012B hiranga o te pire. Kei a ia t\u014Dna wh\u0101roa. Ko ia e tohu ana i te hiahia kia kaua e t\u012Bhore te hararei t\u016Bmatanui motuhake hou ki te m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori, otir\u0101 ki te whakaaro M\u0101ori.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000592\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EKo te noho mai o t\u0113tahi tau\u0101k\u012B hiranga ki te pire e tohutohua o te R\u014Dp\u016B Arataki o Matariki, t\u0113tahi k\u0101hui m\u0101tanga e kopoua i te t\u014Dmuritanga o te rua mano rua tekau anake hei tohutohu i ng\u0101 Minita m\u014D \u0101hea, me p\u0113hea te whakanui i te hararei t\u016Bmatanui o Matariki. Ko te wh\u0101inga o te whakat\u016B r\u014Dp\u016B aratake ko te noho mai o te m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori ki te iho o ng\u0101 whakatau e p\u0101 ana ki te hararei t\u016Bmatanui o Matariki kia tautokohia kia whakatairangatia te noho m\u0101tau me te ng\u0101kau pai ki te ao M\u0101ori. N\u014D rohe k\u0113, n\u014D rohe k\u0113 ng\u0101 mema o te r\u014Dp\u016B kia uru atu ai ng\u0101 m\u0101tauranga o ng\u0101 iwi puta noa i Aotearoa. M\u0101rama ana t\u0101 r\u0101tou k\u012B ake hiranga te w\u0101hi ki ng\u0101 uar\u0101 me ng\u0101 m\u0101t\u0101pono e whakatinana ai a Matariki i te horopaki o te ao hou. Me te nui o ng\u0101 p\u0113hitanga me ng\u0101 tikanga kua whakaritea i te hapori m\u014D te \u0101hua o te whakanui kaupapa i \u0113nei ra. Ka whakaaro ng\u0101 mema ki te hiranga o te whai whakaaro ki te tikanga t\u016Bturu me te aronga nui o Matariki kia whakanuia te kaupapa hiranga nui, hiranga nei. E haere tonu ana te ng\u0101kau whakamihi a te K\u0101wangatanga ki te R\u014Dp\u016B Arataki o Matariki, ki \u014D r\u0101tou tohungatanga me \u0101 r\u0101tau t\u016B p\u016B arahi m\u014D r\u0101tau \u0101ta whakaaro ki te \u0101hua o te whakatinana i te hararei t\u016Bmatanui hou o Matariki. T\u0113nei te mihi ake ki a koutou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000593\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EE hiahia ana au ki te mihi ki te komiti whiriwhiri ki t\u014Dna manukura, a T\u0101mati Coffey m\u014D \u0101 r\u0101tou mahi ki te \u0101ta whakaaro, whakaaroaro i te pire nei. Neke atu i te rua rau ng\u0101 t\u0101paenga whakaaro mai. Tata ana te tautokohia i te katoa te whakanuia o te ahurei m\u014D te hiranga o te m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori me Mataraki ki t\u0113tahi hararei t\u016Bmatanui hou. Kua hokia mai he k\u014Drero m\u014D te pire i te komiti whakawhiri, k\u0101ore he panonitanga kua tonoa o te hunga t\u0101pae whakaaro ki te komiti rere whakanui ana te tautokohia o te pire. Tokomaha e toai i te kupu o te R\u014Dp\u016B Arataki o Matariki, ar\u0101 kia whakatinana te mana o te m\u0101tauranga puta noa i te tukunga whakawhanake i te ture nei, ahu atu ki tua.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000594\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EKo te wh\u0101nuitanga atu o te hunga t\u0101pae whakaaro mai i tautoko i te whakatika o te pire i te korekore o te hararei t\u016Bmatanui e \u0101ta aro ana e \u0101ta whakanui ana i te ao M\u0101ori ka mutu, m\u0101 te hararei nei e whai huarahi ai te Karauna ki te whakaatu atu i tana haere k\u014Dtui ki te Tiriti me tana whakahau kia kaha ake te ng\u0101kau tuwhera ki a Ng\u0101i M\u0101ori me t\u014Dna ao. E kaha an\u014D te tautoko o te hunga t\u0101pae whakaaro mai kia t\u0101pirihia t\u0113tahi atu hararei e whakaanga ai, e hoki ai a mahara e t\u016Bhonohono an\u014D ai te kaimahi. E whakat\u016B an\u014D ng\u0101 t\u0101paenga whakaaro ka mutu, he take matua t\u0113nei m\u014D t\u0101tou katoa i a t\u0101tou ka whakanui i te kaupapa ahurei ka parahia mai e te hararei t\u016Bmatanui o Matariki.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000595\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EKia m\u0101harahara t\u0101tou e kore ng\u0101 iwi katoa o Aotearoa e whakanui i te huringa o te tau me tau hou ko te k\u0101hui o Matariki, ko te aranga o whet\u016B k\u0113 p\u0113r\u0101 i a Puanga, i a Pout\u016Bterangi ka whakaatu i te m\u0101tauranga \u0101-iwi, heke iho i ng\u0101 whakatipuranga. E rite an\u014D te hiranga o aua m\u0101tauranga aua tirohanga, ka mutu, kua kaha m\u0101tou ki te aro ki t\u0113r\u0101 i te ingoa tonu o te pire, te K\u0101hui o Matariki.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000596\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EI a au ka k\u014Drero nei m\u014D te heke iho i te m\u0101tauranga i ng\u0101 whakatipuranga e taukapo ana i te mahana o \u014Dku whakaaro taku ake whet\u016B a Hiwa-i-te-rangi, he taonga i tukua mai ki a m\u0101ua ko tana whaea, t\u0101 m\u0101ua whakatinanatanga o Matariki. Ko ia t\u0101 m\u0101ua haeata i ng\u0101 w\u0101 o te p\u014Duritanga, te whet\u016B rikoriko ka whakairia \u014D m\u0101ua wawata, \u014D m\u0101ua hiahia m\u014D \u014Dna r\u0101 ki tua.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000597\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EKo te iho o te pire ko te ng\u0101kau p\u016Bmau ki te hononga o ng\u0101i M\u0101ori me te Karauna, me te \u0101hua o t\u0101 m\u0101tou tuku, whakamahi, whakatairanga, t\u0101 m\u0101tou tiaki o te m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori i runga i te kauanuanu. E m\u0101rama ana m\u0101tou k\u0101ore e tukua noatia ng\u0101 k\u014Drero m\u014D Matariki me te m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori, kei te m\u0101rama an\u014D m\u0101tou, k\u0101ore e rite i te w\u0101 whakanui ai i Matariki e ng\u0101 iwi. Heoi an\u014D, e te M\u0101ngai o te Whare nei, ko t\u0113nei te pire ka t\u0101paea i konei te pire ki te Whare nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000598\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003E[I move, that Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki / Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill be now read a second time. I am very pleased to return to the House for the second reading of this significant law, the bill that will establish a public holiday to observe Matariki, Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. I am proud of this bill and excited to announce the first date of observation of the Matariki public holiday will be on Friday, 24 June this year. The day for the first observation of the Matariki public holiday was carefully chosen, and will be well celebrated by the M\u0101ori world. It will be a day that will contribute positively to our changing national identity. It is an important step forward as we aim to become a people of the Pacific in the modern world. With reference to what I said at the first reading, the bill is clear about the rules regarding creating a new public holiday.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000599\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EThis bill is very short, however, it has been repeated, with the bill being bilingual, that is, being written in te reo M\u0101ori and English. Its bilingual nature is significant, and its acknowledgment of the M\u0101ori knowledge that underlies Matariki is the language of the M\u0101ori world. The bill states that a specific public holiday will be created for Matariki, and the dates for it have been set for the next 30 years. Some other laws have been updated to include the Matariki public holiday where it affects work days and business days.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000600\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EAnother important thing is the statement explaining the importance of Matariki to M\u0101ori. This important statement provides an overview of the three main themes that form the basis of the observation of Matariki in the past, as follows. Remembrance: the commemoration of those that have passed since the rising of Matariki in the previous year. To celebrate on this day the gathering together of friends and family, and looking to the future, looking forward to the good that can be carried forward to the next year. This important statement is one a core part of the bill. It is wide ranging. It advises of its desire that the new Matariki public holiday should not take away from M\u0101ori knowledge and to M\u0101ori thought. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000601\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EThe inclusion of the important statement was requested by the Matariki Advisory Group, a group of experts which was only appointed at the end of 2020 to advise Ministers on when and how Matariki should be observed. The purpose of establishing an advisory group was so that M\u0101ori knowledge should lie at the core of the decisions related to the Matariki public holiday, to support and elevate our working with good intentions with the M\u0101ori world. The members of the group were from different areas of New Zealand so that knowledge from all areas was included. Their important statements were clear about the place of values and principles in the implementation of Matariki in the context of the modern world. There have been many pressures and rules laid down in the community about how these days should be observed. The members were mindful about the importance of traditional practices regarding the main purpose of Matariki so that this important practice could be observed. The Government continues to acknowledge the Matariki Advisory Group for their expertise, their specialist guidance, their focused thinking about how to realise this new Matariki public holiday. Thank you all once again.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000602\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EI wish to acknowledge the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee and its chair, T\u0101mati Coffey, for their work, focused thinking, and consideration of this bill. There were more than 200 submissions, nearly all of which were supportive about celebrating the uniqueness and importance of M\u0101ori knowledge and the new Matariki public holiday. Reports were relayed back to the select committee that no changes were requested as a result of the submissions received by the committee. They eagerly supported the bill. Many people repeated the words of the Matariki Advisory Group, that we must embody the validity of M\u0101ori knowledge right throughout the development processes of this law, moving forward.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000603\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EThe breadth of the submissions supported that the bill be created due to the absence of a public holiday specifically for the M\u0101ori world and, by the creation of this holiday, the Crown is able to show how it works in partnership regarding the Treaty and its direction of being more open-hearted towards M\u0101ori and the M\u0101ori world. There was also strong support in the submissions that a new holiday was needed for reflection and remembrance and the ability for workers to connect with each other. The submissions also stated that this was an important issue for all of us as we observe this special event having had the way cleared by the creation of the Matariki public holiday. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000604\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EWe are aware that not all tribes in Aotearoa observe the turning of the year with Matariki, but with other stars such as Puanga and Pout\u016Bterangi, which in itself is an example of different tribal knowledge systems that have been passed down over generations. This knowledge is equally valid, and, to that end, we tried to capture this in the name of the bill, by including the term, \u201Ccluster of Matariki\u201D. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000605\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EAs I was talking about the intergenerational transfer of knowledge, my thoughts warmly turned to my own star, Hiwa-i-te-rangi, a gift handed down to her mother and me. Indeed, this is our own realisation of Matariki. She is our ray of sunshine in times of sadness, the glittering star when we can hang our dreams and desires for the days ahead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000606\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a8cab3e3-b023-4ce7-9f4b-2c4137029057\u0022\u003EThe essence of the bill is the steadfast connection between M\u0101ori and the Crown, the character of our sharing, our use of, our promotion, and care of M\u0101ori knowledge, with respect. We understand that not all things about Matariki and M\u0101ori knowledge will be shared freely, and we are also clear that not all tribes observe Matariki at the same time. However, I present this bill to the House.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022 data-id=\u0022a9782ca2a01a4e0493d1c31e26f84e45\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000607\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a9782ca2a01a4e0493d1c31e26f84e45\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Madam Speaker, and it\u2019s a great pleasure to speak on this piece of legislation, Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki/Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. Now, it\u2019s very interesting: the National Party certainly supports the idea of a public holiday to celebrate Matariki. And what you have here in the bill is ensuring that over the next 30-odd years the holiday will be celebrated on the Friday adjacent to the weekend closest to the Tangaroa lunar phase\u2014the point in the lunar month, as the Minister would have explained, where the last quarter moon rises\u2014of the month of Pipiri, in the M\u0101ori calendar the period typically around June and July. So what we\u2019re talking about is an important idea and principle in Te Ao M\u0101ori, the M\u0101ori sort of world view. And, of course, some groups have different views within M\u0101oridom\u2014that this is a time sometimes thought of as the start of a new year. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000608\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo the idea of having a public holiday celebrating that and drawing attention to those ideas and those views, of the M\u0101ori world, we support. The slight issue, however, is that if they were to replace one of our many other public holidays\u2014say, Labour Day would be a good one to start with\u2014so that we weren\u2019t creating additional public holidays but we were reshuffling the public holidays, reflecting the passage of time, then we would support this legislation. But that, of course, is not what this Government is doing, and so we won\u2019t be supporting this legislation. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000609\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EWhy? Because what we have here in this Government, currently, is one that seems to think that the purpose of government, or the role of good government, is just to throw treats, in terms of additional public holidays or various entitlements, out through the passage of law. This is just one of many that they\u2019ve done over the last couple of years. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000610\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo there\u2019s the idea: OK, we\u2019ll pass a law and have an extra public holiday. We have 11 so far this year; also, workers have an entitlement to 20 days\u2019 leave, so 31 days in total. Then, a few months ago, they passed another law, which is to say you can have an extra week of sick leave\u2014up to two weeks. So that\u2019s fine, and then they\u2019ll pass another law, saying that we\u2019ll increase the minimum wage very significantly, from about\u2014it was around $16 when this Government came into power; up, now, past $20, and higher all the time. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000611\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EBut the problem is that the Ministers who stand up here and pass these laws and puff out their chests and say, \u201CHow wonderful we are, and what good people we are\u201D, they\u2019re not the ones who are paying the bill. It\u2019s the private businesses that have to pay for it. So the legislation is passed, and the Minister stands up there and says, \u201CAren\u2019t we wonderful, generous people, because we\u2019re going to give you an extra public holiday.\u201D, but somebody else has to pay for it, and, unfortunately, the reality is that collectively, all these additional costs are not insignificant. They make it more difficult for people to stay in a position to continue to employ other New Zealanders and to keep their businesses alive and competitive.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000612\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226cacfbcdd8654abf882e4a75d36c58e6\u0022\u003EHon Stuart Nash\u003C/span\u003E: What rubbish.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000613\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00227bcc3cc3ef8d46549addbe2b9fe7c09b\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH\u003C/span\u003E: And the Minister says, \u201CWhat rubbish.\u201D Well, of course. What would he care\u2014what would he care? I mean, if you just add on\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000614\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022bbded2ec-ac25-4a73-a380-3f4d87693084\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00229c83013f2e904bba9f30953ebd60cf01\u0022\u003EHon Stuart Nash\u003C/span\u003E: So are you going to roll back the minimum wage, or reduce the number of holidays workers have?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000615\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00221ce531dfb6d447dea045a577c19d46eb\u0022\u003EHon PAUL GOLDSMITH\u003C/span\u003E: So what you would say is the Minister seems to imply that adding additional costs on to business by substantially increasing the minimum wage\u2014under the National Party, the minimum wage was increased regularly, but by the volume and increase of the minimum wage\u2014doesn\u2019t have an impact on businesses. That just shows how deluded and out of touch this Government has become\u2014deluded and out of touch. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000616\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo what we have is a Government that genuinely seems to believe how you improve incomes in this country is simply by Government fiat\u2014by legislation. You come into this House, you\u2019re a Minister, you puff out your chest, and you say, \u201CWe\u2019re going to increase wages: by increasing the minimum wage here, by increasing the entitlement to sick leave here, by giving you another public holiday.\u201D But they don\u2019t seem to understand that the only sustainable way\u2014the only sustainable way\u2014to increase incomes in this country is to have a more productive economy that produces things that the rest of the world is prepared to pay for, and never, ever would you hear from Minister Stuart Nash or any of the others any talk about how we are going to focus on improving our international competitiveness as a country. No. You wouldn\u2019t hear that. You wouldn\u2019t hear that at all, and you wouldn\u2019t hear much in the way of improving productivity, and therein lies the problem. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000617\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo we\u2019re not prepared to be party to just these incessant additional costs on to the people, the New Zealanders, who are running the small businesses up and down this country, who have been through the absolute mill through COVID over the last couple of years, struggling to stay alive, stay in business, many of them\u2014and particularly in the hospitality and tourism sector. They look at this, and they say, \u201CWell, heck, yet one more opportunity\u201D\u2014yet one more opportunity\u2014\u201Cto add costs to the business.\u201D And the Minister sort of implies that there\u2019s nothing much involved here. The regulatory impact statement thinks that the cost will be somewhere around $443 million annually. Well, fiddlesticks, I suppose, in the big scheme of things, for this Government. I mean, who cares, $440-odd million\u2014not a big deal\u2014and why is that? Because it\u2019s just another day of production taken out, and then there\u2019s additional wage payments and loss of income. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000618\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ENow, of course, everybody wants more holidays. I can understand that, and I can understand why all the submitters think it\u2019s a good idea. And, like I say, the principle of having a Matariki holiday we agree with, and we\u2019re very happy about that, but what we would have liked to have seen is just some recognition\u2014just a moment\u2019s recognition from this Government\u2014of the difficulties of staying in business and staying afloat, and recognising that now maybe\u2014maybe\u2014this is just not the time for yet more entitlements in this country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000619\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EAnd maybe they could have considered Labour Weekend as a good alternative to remove. I don\u2019t know why we don\u2019t have a \u201CNational Weekend\u201D that I\u2019m aware of. We don\u2019t have an \u201CACT Weekend\u201D, but we have a Labour Weekend, and maybe it\u2019s time in history that it\u2019s moved on, and we replace Labour Weekend with Matariki, and that would be fine. Then we would have been able to support this piece of legislation.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000620\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003EAnd you might say it\u2019s a little thing. One day extra holiday\u2014what difference does it make? But the point that we would make is that this is just one of many things that this Government has done, on a regular basis, coming into this House time and time again, Ministers announcing new things, new entitlements for workers, that they\u2019re not paying for; that private businesses are paying for. Those are the businesses that employ New Zealanders. They\u2019re the businesses that create exports, that create our wealth, and need to be internationally competitive. And they also are the businesses that charge us for things. The cost structure that underlies those businesses is what flows through to the cost of living, and, as every New Zealander knows, the cost of living is going through the roof. Everything is more expensive. And the cost structure that our economy is based on is, actually, relevant in this context. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000621\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002253f86481-33c1-48b2-893b-c11cc0bd673d\u0022\u003ESo that is why we applaud the thinking behind this bill, in terms of creating a public holiday to celebrate Matariki. We look forward to that celebration. We just wish there was as much empathy and as much thinking for the needs of the small and medium sized businesses up and down this country and their ability to stay profitable and in a position to continue to employ New Zealanders. I wish there was as much thought and empathy given to them, so that they could have substituted one of the existing holidays, rather than creating an additional one right here, right now.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022 data-id=\u0022628c513a95474938980b384cd3fdb0c4\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000622\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022628c513a95474938980b384cd3fdb0c4\u0022\u003ET\u0100MATI COFFEY (Labour) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te M\u0101ngai o t\u0113nei Whare. Ng\u0101 mihi nui ki a koe me te Minita hoki m\u014D t\u0113nei pire, te H\u014Dnore Kiritapu Allan, i whakaarohia \u014Dna whakaaro m\u014D t\u0113nei pire, Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki/Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000623\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003E[Warm greetings to you, and the Minister responsible for this bill as well, the Hon Kiritapu Allan, who has shared her thoughts about this bill, Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki/Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000624\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThis is the public holiday of Matariki that we\u2019re talking about, and I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the Minister, Kiritapu Allan, for her commitment to this bill, her commitment to te reo M\u0101ori as well, because that was a stellar effort to my colleague, and the ears of our m\u0101tua t\u016Bpuna [ancestors] will be listening down on you, e te Minita, i t\u0113nei w\u0101 [Minister, at this time].\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000625\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI also want to take a moment just to acknowledge the previous contribution from the Hon Paul Goldsmith, who decided that he\u2019d support it after telling us all of this great stuff about exactly when the date is going to be landed. He understood about the maramataka M\u0101ori. He understood that it had to be taken on a certain date over our Matariki period. That there, in its essence, is part of the evolution of this public holiday: getting our people all around Aotearoa that don\u2019t know about the maramataka, that don\u2019t know how the traditional M\u0101ori new year was celebrated\u2014to be able to actually dig into our roots here, in Aotearoa, and realise that we\u2019ve got m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori that should be uplifted. I commend him on his knowledge and I encourage him to keep learning.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000626\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThis is a learning journey for everybody, not least for us as the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, and I was proud to help shepherd it through our committee process. The submission period opened for six weeks and we got 212 submissions through, of which we listened to 12 oral submissions. We heard from our advisers, who were appointed from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and I want to thank them for their work that they\u2019ve done alongside the committee as well. We also decided to appoint a specialist adviser on this journey to help guide us in this m\u0101tauranga. It\u2019s a new world and, as I said before, we\u2019re all learning as we go. So thank you to Professor Rangi Matamua for the work that he did on the committee as our specialist adviser. We acknowledge you, your m\u0101tauranga that you\u2019ve shared with us, and also your aspiration to make sure that this works, to make sure this is a public holiday that, actually, all of us, as people of the land, of tangata Tiriti, tangata whenua, that we can both enjoy this public holiday together.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000627\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003ESome of the feedback was very varied. We had some people that were incredibly supportive of the bill. We had some people that were very dubious about the bill, too. One of the concerns was, as the previous speaker mentioned, around the cost of what an extra public holiday would mean for certain demographics, for certain businesses. It was very hard to be able to land on exactly what that cost was going to be, such a wide range, actually. The kind of range that was landed on, through our advisers, was anything between a benefit for the country of $25.7 million to a cost to the country of up to $133 million, and somewhere in the middle. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000628\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EYou see it\u2019s really hard to try and put a dollar figure on the benefits of a public holiday because, when you\u2019re talking about it like that, it sounds very financial. Actually, one of our submitters said that trying to identify it through a financial lens actually takes a very P\u0101keh\u0101 perspective on this whole public holiday. What he said, as one of our submitters, was that he wondered whether or not other perspectives, M\u0101ori perspectives, might better incorporate the wellbeing of workers when considering the financial implications. So on that, as I say, it was very hard as a committee to try and understand what exactly the cost-benefit analysis was because there is so much to consider in that space.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000629\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EWe had a big discussion about whether or not we use the name \u201CMatariki\u201D. Matariki is celebrated by some, but not by everybody. There are regional variations around Matariki, and I want to go on record, right here, right now, to say that Matariki is one word for a constellation of stars that we celebrate differently in different parts of New Zealand. Puanga\u2014in different parts, that\u2019s another term for Matariki, and there were many more. But what we decided was that, for clarity and simplicity, we would actually go with this. That was encouraged also by our specialist adviser, by Professor Rangi Matamua, acknowledging that there are regional variations, but actually deciding that we\u2019ll stick with one for now, and, in the bill, we\u2019ll make sure that we let everybody know that there are variations that happen across Aotearoa too.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000630\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThere was some concern that we may be heading down a Christmas tree, Easter bunny kind of route with this public holiday too, that we were going to commercialise the sheesh out of this. I want to just speak to that for a moment. It is a concern. People that want Matariki to be acknowledged want the depth of the public holiday to be recognised, but also don\u2019t want to show up at their local mall and see it plastered all over the windows of their favourite shops, trying to sell off cheap goods, fast clothes, that kind of thing. I want to acknowledge that because it\u2019s something that I share as well. I don\u2019t want to see the complete commercialisation of Matariki, but I acknowledge that through the learning journey there may be some opportunities in there too. Whether it be a Matariki calendar with the M\u0101ori New Year listed on it, if it\u2019s T-shirts to help publicise the event\u2014if it\u2019s things like that, then we don\u2019t mind.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000631\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EBut what we landed on, as a committee, was that we can\u2019t control any of that. Once we put this on the map, we can set it forth with best intentions and we can monitor it over time, but, actually, it will be up to the people to decide which way it goes. But I really hope that our M\u0101ori communities all around Aotearoa help to educate our local non-M\u0101ori communities about the significance of this, and hoping to keep it away from that kind of tacky commercialisation that many of us cringe at as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000632\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EI want to acknowledge our deaf community who came forward and said they wanted to go on record and say that if we\u2019re going to be having festivals, we should make sure that, if they\u2019re big festivals, we\u2019ve got sign language interpreters as well, because they were very concerned that at some of our public holiday events and some of our big major events our deaf community are left out of that conversation because they don\u2019t have access to interpreters. So we discussed that as a committee, we talked about how we could be more inclusive in it, and we heard about the fact that Te Arawhiti is indeed accommodating for that as they plan for the new holiday as well.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000633\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThere were some concerns around resourcing and making sure that, as it rolls out in our education system, we\u2019re saying good things but that there\u2019s actually resources for our teachers to be able to share this m\u0101tauranga as well. We were also assured by the Ministry of Education that that was absolutely part of their considerations; there was a budget allocation last year to be able to help with that. I also note that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have also put out some funding for Matariki events around the country, to bring communities together, to help celebrate what Matariki looks like in your part of Aotearoa. So that fund is currently open, and I encourage people, as they\u2019re listening to this, to think about putting in for some of that funding to be able to celebrate Matariki when it comes around\u2014not just this year, but for the next 30 years that we\u2019ve got to look forward to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000634\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EThere is a lot to say about this bill but I just wanted to finish by thanking all of the officials that have helped us through the submissions process: our clerks of the committee, obviously all of those submitters\u2014all 212 of them\u2014as well as the 12 that submitted to us orally. We thank everybody for their thoughts but this is something that, I think, in years to come, we\u2019ll look over our shoulder and we\u2019ll be incredibly proud of being part of the team that actually helped usher through this bit of m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori into our normal vocabulary, so that people like Paul Goldsmith can actually help to educate all of those Paul Goldsmiths around him about the significance of this event, Matariki. It\u2019s an incredibly special event. Actually, I feel at a loss that when I was growing up as a primary school student I knew nothing about this. The m\u0101tauranga was out there but we\u2019re only just discovering it, and that\u2019s just the start. There\u2019s lots more coming in this space, and I look forward to seeing the progress of this through the House but also the aspiration of what else we can use to help address that kind of bi-cultural relationship in our country.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000635\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00226590faa0-f76b-4386-84f3-9b06296cc772\u0022\u003EFor that reason I support this bill and I commend it to this House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022 data-id=\u002232df7f81c83e488abf6308b46a1d5cd8\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000636\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002232df7f81c83e488abf6308b46a1d5cd8\u0022\u003EHARETE HIPANGO (National):\u003C/span\u003E It\u2019s a reflective moment for me to be able to stand and speak to the second reading of Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. The first reading of this was on 30 September 2021. I pick up from my parliamentary colleague who has just spoken, T\u0101mati Coffey. A key phrase he talked about was \u201Cin years to come\u201D so I\u2019m reflective because it\u2019s significant\u2014the timing of when things are done. This is a bill that undoubtedly will be passed into law. It will be a calendared, marked, indigenous, New Zealand holiday of significance and relevance. However, the significance and relevance, in my submission, is the timing of this being passed into law.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000637\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe timing is about priorities that our country has been confronted with and the hardships that have been imposed on our people, struck down with COVID, the cost implications, not just fiscal but the impact on our communities. It\u2019s known that the National Party does not support this bill, not because of the significance and the cultural relevance of this as a calendared marker within the shaping and history of the nation and where we are striving towards but because of the timing of the impact on our society. It\u2019s all very well for members in the Labour Government to diminish the relevance of the fiscal cost and implications.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000638\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EMy colleague talked about a P\u0101keh\u0101 perspective on this in terms of looking at the cost as it affects our communities. I am a former M\u0101ori business owner, and I know that many small to medium sized enterprise business owners who are M\u0101ori, along with non-M\u0101ori, will carry the fiscal implications of this. We acknowledge and recognise the importance of this as a cultural marker on our calendar. I heard my colleague also mention that he wasn\u2019t aware growing up of what Matariki is. Well, some of us actually were in terms of the communities and those who shaped and influenced us. Where I come from in Whanganui, we celebrate what is called Puanga. Puanga is known as Matariki in other areas, and we have celebrated that without the necessity of a calendared public holiday. We have celebrated that because that is culturally significant and relevant in our lived life and experience, and we haven\u2019t needed legislation to mark this as a significant event in the calendar of our lived experience.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000639\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe National Party does not diminish the importance of Matariki\u2014or, where I come from, in Whanganui, Puanga\u2014and we will continue to know it is Puanga whether it is going to be calendared as Matariki, which it will be. But the concern the National Party has is the timing of this. I believe in the values of the National Party. We espouse and we talk about, essentially, what is mana motuhake\u2014self-responsibility, independence, and I reframe that as collective responsibility. I challenge members in the House to think about whether it is a collective responsibility to impose on our employers, our small to medium sized and even the bigger-business owners, the cost that this will be in a burden upon them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000640\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EWhen our country is going into a period of recovery\u2014and I note that the days for Matariki, Puanga, will be marked off, calendared, 30 years in advance\u2014from COVID; an economic, social, and cultural recovery that will take the next 30 years. It will be my children and my grandchildren who bear the cost of this on our society. Is this really responsible Government? Is this the appropriate timing to be passing something that, yes, is important and feels good\u2014and we acknowledge that\u2014but back home in Whanganui, we celebrated Puanga without the need or necessity for it to be calendared in as a public holiday, without the incursion of cost on people who are in work. And even those of us who are in work and employed, we took time out anyway without that cost being imposed on somebody else\u2014we deemed it a priority to do so without it being calendared as a public holiday.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000641\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EThe National Party, and I personally, support the significance and relevance of Matariki\u2014Puanga\u2014being put into our calendar, but is the timing of this really appropriate? As I said, this is going to pass into law. The numbers are in the House, but for the public who are listening, the National Party does not diminish or demean or belittle the significance of this as a marker for the direction that we as a nation are going\u2014and we need to go together, not separately. I do not tolerate just because I am a member of the National Party and a M\u0101ori member of the National Party that it be suggested, for the slur to be, that this is about racial preferences and divide\u2014I do not tolerate that or accept that as a M\u0101ori or as a M\u0101ori associated with a party that espouses mana motuhake. Does this bill really require what has been a marker for those of us who come from lived experience within M\u0101ori communities to be locked in as a public holiday?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000642\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EIt is going to happen. The National Party is one of pragmatism and priorities and has put it to the Government that Matariki\u2014Puanga\u2014be a holiday in substitution of another party. I submitted that to the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee. Of course, it did not meet with any approval. I submitted that my birthday happens to fall on Labour Day so I was quite prepared to acquiesce and let that one go, but, really, Madam Speaker and everybody listening: timing is everything. This is going on to the calendar. It is a marker. It will be locked in for the next 30 years, but so too will the nation in recovery, and my mind and my heart turns to my children and my grandchildren yet to be born, because they are the ones who are going to endure the consequences of this COVID. They will also celebrate, because it will be locked into law\u2014a Matariki public holiday. But I\u2019ve raised and nurtured my children also to be practical. There are things that they wanted as children that they simply could not have or receive, because of timing and, quite frankly, what could and could not be afforded were issues taken into account.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000643\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022868f3a11-6a23-474f-a25e-6bc1d4c6e93f\u0022\u003EIn conclusion, the National Party cannot commend this bill to the House for the very reasons I\u2019ve indicated. The principle driving Matariki as a public holiday and marker is supported, but the timing of the implications on New Zealanders and our business communities certainly has some bearing on cost. I do not commend this bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022 data-id=\u0022c95fed0b7d1145408df94103bad8b99b\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000644\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c95fed0b7d1145408df94103bad8b99b\u0022\u003EPAUL EAGLE (Labour\u2014Rongotai):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te M\u0101ngai o te Whare. It\u2019s an absolute pleasure to be talking on Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. Can I say it\u2019s a pleasure to be talking on this because I know from a previous role, prior to coming to Parliament, that the then Mayor of Wellington City was certainly keen on making sure that Matariki is part of the city rejuvenation here in Wellington to celebrate an indigenous public holiday based around Matariki. So in talking to Justin Lester, I know that he\u2019s certainly celebrating there in Johnsonville, in North Wellington, saying this is a good thing and, I believe, so are many other people around Aotearoa New Zealand who have been hoping at some stage this Government would look at putting in place another public holiday to celebrate the M\u0101ori New Year. And we\u2019ve seen in many parts of New Zealand, of the country, where different cities and districts have taken up the mantle to really look at our history and how this particular indigenous celebration can be applied locally.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000645\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EI know, from visiting many schools and stories from other members of Parliament\u2014colleagues who have been into a range of places, where they have certainly come back saying that the depth of understanding now about Matariki is certainly impressive, to say the least. They\u2019ve certainly looked at what the meaning is, how it impacts locally, but how special it is to New Zealand. And so I\u2019m really pleased to see that this year, on 24 June, we\u2019ll have our first Matariki public holiday. As I said, different people have had a different understanding, but ultimately\u2014and can I just acknowledge at this stage the Minister, the Hon Kiritapu Allan, for bringing it to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000646\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EI had the pleasure of accepting the petitions on her behalf at Te Papa from Action Station. I think it was from Lewis Holden as well, and there were thousands of people who had put their names to this, saying that we certainly want to build that greater national understanding and put a value on the M\u0101ori language, culture, and heritage. And in talking to the people who handed it over to me at Te Papa, they said to me, \u201CDo you think this will have some impact?\u201D Often we accept petitions and sometimes we just don\u2019t know. But it was also, I think for me, pleasing to keep in touch with Laura and others who\u2019ve been part of building this, I guess, movement around making sure that this public holiday was put in place. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000647\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003EBut the good news is always when you can say to them that it\u2019s actually going to happen. So can I just also acknowledge the Matariki Advisory Group and their work. They certainly took a different approach in terms of determining the dates, because it will shift to align to the maramataka, the M\u0101ori lunar calendar, for each year, but it will always be on a Friday. And in doing just a small bit of research and being on the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, it\u2019s good to be part of some of the submissions and listening to the feedback, which was positive. And look, we\u2019ve heard from the previous speaker around the cost, but I think it\u2019s one of those times, and particularly with what\u2019s going on in the global context, that this is an appropriate timing for some good news and the fact that it will be a significant milestone for the Parliament: only the fifth piece of dual language legislation in our history. And so I think that\u2019s symbolic in itself and signifies the work that\u2019s been undertaken in terms of making sure that this will be passed in time for that celebration on 24 June. Good words have been said already, and I want to 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=\u0022c3b4e219f75e4fa0be3fd1fa626b6b63\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000648\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022c3b4e219f75e4fa0be3fd1fa626b6b63\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, before I take the next call, which I understand is going to be a remote contribution, the only way I can call a member who wishes to make a remote contribution is if they indicate in the chat function of the hybrid Parliament functions. So if there were a member who would like to take a call\u2014I call Teanau Tuiono.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u0022644c8a7805be4adeab520e2bf90e7aa3\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000649\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022644c8a7805be4adeab520e2bf90e7aa3\u0022\u003ETEANAU TUIONO (Green) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E Ten\u0101 koe e te M\u0101ngai, otir\u0101 t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa e te Whare. I whakaaro me t\u012Bmata au i taku k\u014Drero i t\u0113nei p\u014D e p\u0113nei ana te haere. E mihi ana ki a r\u0101tou m\u0101 ki a r\u0101ua m\u0101 ki a T\u0101 Wira Gardiner r\u0101ua ko Kahurangi June Jackson i hinga ki roto ki t\u0113nei wiki i t\u0113nei r\u0101. Ko t\u014D m\u0101tou nei ng\u0101kau n\u0101 m\u0101tou ng\u0101 K\u0101k\u0101riki kei te taha o \u014D r\u0101tou nei wh\u0101nau i t\u0113nei w\u0101 i te mea m\u014Dhio t\u0101tou n\u014D te ao M\u0101ori he tipua r\u0101tou, he toki, he m\u0101tanga, e ng\u0101kaunui ana o t\u0101tou nei wh\u0101nau M\u0101ori kua noho taiwhenua, ahakoa noho t\u0101one, n\u014D reira me mihi atu ki a r\u0101ua me \u014D r\u0101ua wh\u0101nau e noho pani ana ki t\u0113nei o ng\u0101 r\u0101, otir\u0101 ki te H\u014Dnore Willie Jackson i t\u0113nei w\u0101 ko t\u0113r\u0101 t\u014Dna m\u0101m\u0101 i hinga i k\u014D ake nei, e mihi ana. E mihi ana ki runga i ng\u0101 whakaaro o Matariki, kia tae ki t\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 k\u014Drero i rangona wh\u0101nuihia ki roto i ng\u0101 tangihanga ko r\u0101tou m\u0101 kua whet\u016Brangihia, ko r\u0101tou m\u0101 kua whet\u016Brangihia, kua whet\u016Brangihia r\u0101ua i t\u0113nei wiki. I whet\u016Brangihia e piri ana ki te k\u0101hui o Matariki me te whakaaro an\u014D ko t\u0113tahi o ng\u0101 whet\u016B ko Pohutukawa. I te w\u0101 o Pohutukawa ko t\u014Dna aronga m\u014D te hunga k\u0101tahi an\u014D kua rere atu ki roto i te tau.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000650\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI a au e haere ki ng\u0101 hui Matariki i te motu ki roto i ng\u0101 hekenga ng\u0101 toru tekau ng\u0101 tau, i whakat\u016Bria t\u0113tahi hui ahurei. I te t\u012Bmatanga o ng\u0101 whakaritenga Matariki kia maumahara r\u0101tou m\u0101 kua wehe atu, kua maumaharara o r\u0101tou n\u0101 i waiho ake mai ng\u0101 maramara m\u0101tauranga, ng\u0101 maramara wheako, he aha ai? Hei kohikohinga whakaaro, he kohikohing\u0101 manaakitanga, maumarahatanga ki a t\u0101tou ng\u0101 morehu e noho pani nei i t\u0113nei w\u0101. N\u014D reira, ko t\u0113r\u0101 t\u0113tahi o ng\u0101 w\u0101hanga ki roto i te Matariki e taea e t\u0101tou, t\u0101tou o t\u0101tou nei hapori, otir\u0101 o t\u0101tou katoa i roto ki Aotearoa nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000651\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003ETe ruku ki roto i te taketaketanga o t\u0113nei m\u0101tauranga i ahu mai o t\u0101tou nei tikanga M\u0101ori, \u0101e ko t\u0113nei Pire e piri ana ki a Matariki, te k\u0101hui whet\u016B o Matariki, ka noho matua mai i \u0113tahi iwi hei tohu i te taka o w\u0101, he tohu nui hoki a Matariki ki o t\u0101tou tuakana, m\u0101tou mai e noho ana ki ng\u0101 airani, \u0101, ng\u0101 tu\u0101kana rere i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa m\u014D te taka o te w\u0101. Ko \u0113tahi o \u0101 r\u0101tou kupu m\u014D te k\u0101hui, ko Mataliki, ko \u0113tahi ko Matali\u2018i, ko \u0113tahi ko Matari\u2018i, ko Makali\u2018i an\u014D hoki.  \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000652\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003ETautoko katoa ko \u0113tahi an\u014D k\u014Drero i puta m\u014D t\u0113r\u0101 w\u0101 o te tau me t\u0113r\u0101 w\u0101hi o te rangi, \u0101, m\u014D t\u0101tou nei wh\u0101nau e noho ana ki ng\u0101 rekereke o te maunga t\u012Bt\u014Dhea ki Taranaki ko Puanga, i te mea m\u0113n\u0101 ka noho koe ki t\u0113tahi maunga, ko te Puanga, ko t\u0113r\u0101 te whet\u016B e kitea koe, p\u0113r\u0101 ki \u014D t\u0101tou nei whanauka ki Ng\u0101i Tahu, ko Puaka t\u0113r\u0101 e karangahia. M\u0113n\u0101 ka noho koe ki w\u0101hi k\u0113 atu n\u0101 te taiao i whakaritea ki a koutou. Haere he tikanga ki a t\u0113n\u0101 iwi ki a t\u0113n\u0101 iwi i te w\u0101 o Matariki ko \u0113tahi ko ng\u0101 \u0101huatanga e p\u0101 ana ki t\u014Dna t\u012Bmatanga, ki t\u014Dna roa, ko te rerenga o te r\u0101, ko te mata o te marama, \u0101, ko ng\u0101 marama ko te taiao te takiw\u0101 me te takoto o te whenua. N\u014D reira he piringa an\u014D t\u0113nei, ehara i te mea he hararei noa. N\u014D reira he piringa an\u014D ki te taiao he oranga an\u014D t\u0113r\u0101 m\u014D t\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000653\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EKua whakaritea k\u0113tia ng\u0101 r\u0101 aro ki a Matariki m\u014D ng\u0101 tau toru tekau tuatahi kia pai ai te taka mai o te hararei t\u016Bmatanui te Paraire e taka rawa ana ki te marama o Tangaroa, n\u014D reira, o t\u0101tou nei m\u0101tau e m\u014Dhio e p\u0113hea e haere ana ng\u0101 mata o te marama. Ko Tangaroa ko te marama ki roto i te marama o Pipiri e mahuta ake ai a Tangaroa. N\u014D reira, ko te raupapa e whakarite ana a te R\u014Dp\u016B Arataki o Matariki t\u0113nei i whakatau n\u014D reira katoa i te mea he m\u0101tauranga taketake, he m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori tohaina ki a t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000654\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EKo t\u0113nei pire, \u0101e, kei te whakat\u016B he hararei t\u016Bmatanui. E k\u012B ana te pire ka t\u016B t\u0113tahi hararei t\u016Bmatamui m\u014D Matariki, heoi ko te mea hiranga katoa ko te poua hohonutia o ng\u0101 k\u014Drero o te pire ki te m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori. K\u0101ore t\u0101tou i t\u0113tahi hararei e p\u0113r\u0101 ana. He pire, he hararei e piri ana ki te whenua i ahu mai t\u0113nei whenua n\u014D reira ko t\u0113nei tana mana motuhake, n\u014D reira i k\u014Drerohia e au i mua engari n\u0101 m\u0101tou n\u014D te waimarie i arahina m\u0101tou e te R\u014Dp\u016B Arataki o Matariki, n\u014D reira me mihi an\u014D hoki ki a T\u0101kuta Rangi Matamua i te mea koia t\u014D m\u0101tou m\u0101tanga m\u014D m\u0101tou nei e noho ana ki roto i te Komiti Whiriwhiri Take M\u0101ori n\u0101na noa i haut\u016B t\u0113r\u0101 komiti i mua te tuhi o t\u0113nei o ng\u0101 pire, heoi, i noho tahi ia ki a m\u0101tou i te w\u0101 e piri ana ng\u0101 kaupapa katoa m\u014D Matariki ki roto i ng\u0101 matapaki k\u014Drero.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000655\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI waenga i ng\u0101 kait\u0101pae k\u014Drero, he wh\u0101nui, he wh\u0101roa te tautoko o te pire, ng\u0101 k\u014Drero hoki i whakaritea te R\u014Dp\u016B Arataki o Matariki e mau tonu ai te tapu o ng\u0101 m\u0101tauranga M\u0101ori i te roa o te tukanga nei. E whakaaro ana ng\u0101 kait\u0101pae ka ea e te pire nei te korenga o t\u0113tahi hararei t\u016Bmatanui m\u0101na nei te whakam\u0101nawa nei i t\u014D t\u0101tou nei ao M\u0101ori. M\u0101 konei hoki e whai huarahi ai ki te whakatinana i te mea nei te whakahoanga o te Tiriti me te akiaki an\u014D kia whai w\u0101hi nui ai te iwi M\u0101ori kia \u0101ta whakakanohitia nuitia ai. Kia kaha te k\u014Drerotia o te hononga o te whakanuitanga o Matariki ki te taiao, t\u0113r\u0101 t\u0113tahi o ng\u0101 aronga nui n\u0101 m\u0101tou o ng\u0101 K\u0101k\u0101riki i te mea i kite m\u0101tou m\u0113n\u0101 ka ora an\u014D te m\u0101tauranga ki roto i a Aotearoa nei, m\u014D t\u0101tou katoa, he oranga an\u014D t\u0113r\u0101 m\u014D te taiao.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000656\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, i rangona aku nei taringa i t\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 k\u014Drero i tau i w\u0101 ki te Komiti Whiriwhiri Take M\u0101ori, heoi, e ai ki \u0113tahi atu o ng\u0101 kait\u0101pae ko te whai rauemi a t\u0113tahi \u0101huatanga matua e whai whakanui ai kia toka ai te hararei t\u016Bmatanui o Matariki ki te ahurea. Me tiro t\u0101tou ki t\u0113r\u0101 ki roto i ng\u0101 kura katoa, ki roto i te marau, auraki mai, r\u016Bmaki M\u0101ori mai. N\u014D reira ko m\u0101tou nei e hiahiatia, m\u0101tou ng\u0101 K\u0101k\u0101riki kia tiro i t\u0113tahi \u0101huatanga kia puta mai i te T\u0101huhu o Te M\u0101tauranga, ng\u0101 rauemi me \u0113tahi h\u014Dtaka an\u014D kia h\u0101pai atu i ng\u0101 p\u016Bkenga o ng\u0101 pouako ki roto i ng\u0101 kura i te mea, m\u0101 runga i te whakaako i te rawa o \u0113nei k\u014Drero, te h\u014Dhonutanga o \u0113nei k\u014Drero ko t\u0113nei mea e piri ana t\u0101tou ki a t\u0101tou an\u014D ki roto i ng\u0101 \u0101huatanga o Matariki. N\u014D reira, ko te taha o te rauemi he mea nui. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000657\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EHe mea e hikaka ana te whakaaro ki roto i \u014D t\u0101tou ng\u0101kau \u014D t\u0101tou nei tamariki mokopuna, n\u014D reira, kia kaha te T\u0101huhu o Te M\u0101tauranga ki te toha atu ng\u0101 rawa, ki te toha atu ng\u0101 rauemi ki \u014D t\u0101tou nei pouako, ki \u014D t\u0101tou nei kura. I tautoko au i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero o Te Tiamana i k\u014Drero mai ia m\u014D t\u014D t\u0101tou nei hapori turi i k\u014Drerohia mai, he mea tika te k\u014Drero, e toru ng\u0101 reo o Aotearoa nei: ko te reo P\u0101keh\u0101, ko te reo M\u0101ori me te reo tohu o te turi, n\u014D reira e tautoko ana m\u0101tou ng\u0101 K\u0101k\u0101riki kia whai w\u0101hi an\u014D r\u0101tou ki roto i ng\u0101 tahua p\u016Btea kia \u0101hei r\u0101tou m\u0113n\u0101 ka haere r\u0101tou ki t\u0113tahi hui e h\u0101pai ana ng\u0101 \u0101huatanga o Matariki ka taea e r\u0101tou te m\u0101rama ana ng\u0101 k\u014Drero. N\u014D reira tautoko ana m\u0101tou ki t\u0113r\u0101, t\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 whakatau m\u014D \u014D t\u0101tou nei hapori turi, \u014D t\u0101tou nei wh\u0101nau turi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000658\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EKo t\u0113tahi \u0101wangawanga nui i puta ko te whakap\u016Bteatanga\u2014me p\u0113nei ana ki? I te mea he m\u0101harahara an\u014D t\u0113r\u0101 n\u014Dku nei kia kaua e Makit\u0101nara ko t\u0101tou nei Matariki, kia kaua Rua T\u0101ra Toa, Te Warewhare t\u014D t\u0101tou nei hararei Matariki, kia mau tonu ki tonu ki t\u014Dna taketaketanga, kia mau tonu ki t\u014Dna ki te ia o t\u014Dna h\u014Dhonutanga ki tana piringa ki te taiao, te taiao ki te tangata, te tangata ki te wh\u0101nau, te wh\u0101nau ki te hapori, te hapori ki te iwi, otir\u0101 ki a t\u0101tou katoa. N\u014D reira, i rangona i aku nei taringa t\u0113r\u0101 o ng\u0101 \u0101wangawanga he \u0101wangawanga an\u014D t\u0113r\u0101 an\u014D hoki nei, heoi ko te mea nui i a t\u0101tou e whakarite rautaki ana m\u014D t\u0113nei kaupapa me \u0101ta whakaarohia t\u0101tou ki roto i ng\u0101 kaupapa here ka puta mai i te ture me \u014Dna waeture an\u014D hoki.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000659\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira, t\u0113r\u0101 noa iho t\u014D m\u0101tou nei k\u014Drero heoi an\u014D, me hoki atu an\u014D ki te tuatahi o t\u0101tou nei k\u014Drero e mihi ana ki a r\u0101tou m\u0101 kua hinga atu, e mihi atu au ki a r\u0101tou m\u0101 kua whet\u016Brangahihia, r\u0101tou an\u014D, kua piri an\u014D ki te k\u0101hui o Matariki. Ko te t\u016Bmanako ka rapu an\u014D t\u0101tou \u014D r\u0101tau n\u0101 maramara matauranga o r\u0101tou nei maramara wheako an\u014D kia mau tonu t\u0101tou ki a r\u0101tou, t\u0113r\u0101 an\u014D te takoha mai o ng\u0101 ahurea o Matariki ki a t\u0101tou an\u014D, te piringa o te hunga mate ki a t\u0101tou, te hunga ora otir\u0101 \u0101hei koutou\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000660\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E[I thought I would begin my speech tonight in this way. I would like to acknowledge Sir Wira Gardiner and Dame June Jackson who have passed on this week and today. The hearts of the Greens are with their families at this time, because we in the M\u0101ori world know that they were legends, champions, experts and also committed to M\u0101ori, whether they lived rurally or in towns, so I must acknowledge them and their bereaved families on this day, as well as acknowledging the Hon Willie Jackson, as this was his mother who recently passed. I acknowledge them, in the language of Matariki, by using one of the phrases widely heard at funerals, they have all become stars in the heavens, they have all become stars in the heavens, both of them have become stars in the heavens this week. They have become stars connected to the Matariki cluster in the knowledge that one of those stars is Pohutukawa. At the time of Pohutukawa its focus is those who have died that year.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000661\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EAs I have been going to Matariki gatherings around the country over the last 30 years, a cultural gathering was set up. At the beginning of the observation of Matariki it was as a remembrance of those who have passed, and for the things they left behind, the gems of knowledge and experience, and why? As a collection of ideas, of generosity, and memories, of those of us who remain, orphaned, today. Therefore, this is something within Matariki that we can all do, in our communities, and throughout New Zealand.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000662\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003ETo dive into this ancient knowledge which comes from our M\u0101ori conventions, yes, this bill adheres to Matariki, the Matariki cluster which primarily, for some tribes, is a sign of the passing of time. It is also an important sign to our relatives who live in the islands\u2014that is, our Pacific relatives. Some of their names for the cluster are Mataliki, Matali\u2018i, Matari\u2018i and Makali\u2018i.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000663\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI support everything that was said about the time of year and the place in the sky and, for our kin who reside at the base of the barren mountain, of Taranaki, it is Puanga, rather, that signals the passing of time, because if you live near a mountain range that is the star you will see, just like it is for our relatives of Ng\u0101i Tahu, it is called Puaka. If you live in another place your environment will determine this for you. Each tribe has its own practices relating to the time of Matariki, when it rises, for how long, the path of the sun, the phase of the moon, the months, the environment, the location, and the lay of the land. Therefore, this is a relationship, not just a holiday. It is a relationship with the environment, and that benefits us all.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000664\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EThe days of observance of Matariki for the first 30 years have already been set so that we can solidify there is a public holiday that will fall on a Friday in the phase of Tangaroa, according to the moon-phase experts. The Tangaroa phase in the month of June which signals the correct time. Therefore, this series has been decided upon by the Matariki Advisory Group, rightly so, as it is ancient knowledge, it is M\u0101ori knowledge that has been shared with us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000665\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EThis bill, yes, it establishes a public holiday. The bill states that a public holiday will take place, but the most important thing is the connection of the content of the bill to M\u0101ori knowledge. We have no holiday like it. It is a bill, a holiday that connects to a place from where this land arose, and that is its unique feature, therefore. I spoke earlier about how we were fortunate to be guided by the Mataraki Advisory Group, so I should acknowledge again Dr Rangi Matamua. He was our expert, for us of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee. It was he who guided that committee prior to the writing of this bill, however, he sat with us as we tied together all the aspects of Matariki in our discussions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000666\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EIn the submissions, there was broad support for the bill, and the content created by the Matariki Advisory Group has stayed true to the sacred nature of M\u0101ori knowledge for the whole length of the process. The submitters thought the bill satisfies the need for a public holiday that venerates the M\u0101ori world. Also, this provides a pathway to manifest the Tiriti partnership and to encourage engagement by M\u0101ori and for them to be able to play a leading role. We should keep talking about the connection of the celebration of Matariki to the environment. That is one of the Greens\u2019 main focus points, because if M\u0101ori knowledge thrives in New Zealand, it will also benefit the environment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000667\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI am also cognisant of issues around resourcing brought to the attention of M\u0101ori Affairs Committee by the submitters and that this should be a priority in order for the Matariki public holiday to be firmly established in our culture. We should implement this in all schools, in the curriculum, in both mainstream and immersion M\u0101ori schools. Therefore, what we of the Greens would like to see is the Ministry of Education producing these things, resources, and more programmes to support the skills of the teachers in the schools, because by teaching the value and depth of these stories we will enable us to connect to each other through Matariki. Therefore, resources are an important part.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000668\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EThis is a source of enthusiasm in our hearts and those of our children and grandchildren, so, I encourage the Ministry of Education to share resource material with our teachers and our schools. I support the position of the chair who talked to us about the deaf community. What he said was correct; there are three languages in New Zealand: English, M\u0101ori, and sign language. Therefore, we the Greens support that they should have access to funding so that if they go to a gathering supporting aspects of Matariki they will be able to understand what is going on. Therefore, we agree with that, that decision about our deaf community, our deaf family.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000669\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EOne big concern that arose was the potential commodification\u2014how should I put it? There is a concern that our Matariki holiday turns into another McDonald\u2019s, the $2 Shop, or The Warehouse. It should rather hold firm to its origins, to the depth of its connection to the environment, the environment to the person, the person to the family, the family to the community and the community to the nation, to all of us. Therefore, I heard that concern, and there were other similar concerns, however, the main thing as we were establishing a strategy for this issue was to carefully consider the policies emanating from the law and its regulations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000670\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003ESo that is all we have to say, however I should return to the start of our speech and acknowledge those who have passed, those who have become stars in the heavens, once again connected to, and close to Matariki. Hopefully, we will be able to rediscover their educational and experiential gems so that we hold on to them. That, again, is the gift of the culture of Matariki to all of us, the relationship of the dead to us, the living, and the ability\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=\u0022fc597971d8af43e99f550234043facff\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000671\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00224a25943b-cb3b-49c3-bd10-74316fae17f1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022fc597971d8af43e99f550234043facff\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean)\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=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022 data-id=\u00226cdd8bdd9dcc48f49d95d8214734772d\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000672\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00226cdd8bdd9dcc48f49d95d8214734772d\u0022\u003ECHRIS BAILLIE (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E I rise on behalf of ACT to speak to the Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. It\u2019s a purpose of the bill to establish an annual public holiday to acknowledge Matariki, and we think it\u2019s a great idea to celebrate Matariki. It\u2019s a great, significant event, and an occasion that certainly deserves its own special day. The use of the stars in migration of M\u0101ori to New Zealand is of great significance and really should be taught in school history classes.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000673\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EBut we oppose this bill because businesses simply can\u2019t afford it, especially at this time. The cost of creating a twelfth public holiday is estimated to be around $450 million, and we believe if the Government wants to indulge in this sort of luxury of another holiday, it needs to identify another day to be removed from the calendar. We\u2019ve got 11 to choose from\u2014that\u2019s over two working weeks. Add four weeks annual leave\u2014that\u2019s over six weeks\u2014bereavement leave, family leave, and maternity leave. Sick leave has just doubled, at a cost of almost $2 billion to businesses. This Government even made businesses pay employees four weeks\u2019 pay if they chose not to get vaccinated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000674\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EEven the most union-loving lefty must admit that owning and running a business is tough. But I know they don\u2019t actually understand, because we\u2019ve got a Government totally devoid of business experience, who think business owners are like Grant Robertson and have a never-ending supply of money. I had to laugh when I was listening, in the debate on the last bill, to Greg O\u2019Connor lecturing this side of the House about how money doesn\u2019t grow on trees. I just shook my head.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000675\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EThey believe all employees want to work hard and business owners are just nasty, self-serving people, and anyone who actually manages to be successful got there by treading on their employees\u2014just after profit. It\u2019s a shame, but, as a nation, we simply can\u2019t afford to have more holidays. The fact is that the vast majority of business owners get no leave at all. Most businesses across the country\u2014if they\u2019re still operating\u2014are already fragile from the effects of COVID-19. That\u2019s not to mention the many impositions this Government has inflicted on business in the last few years, impositions that have had very little thought on the effect they would have on the success of a business\u2014success that is necessary to employ and look after employees.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000676\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EThe relentless minimum wage increases show that this Government just doesn\u2019t understand how business works and that they only listen to their advisers when it suits their agenda. They are career politicians who have never had to worry about whether they\u2019ll have enough money in the bank to pay their staff, never had to borrow money off family and friends to pay the bills to keep operating, and never had the feeling of whether it\u2019s worth it to keep going when you keep getting kicked when you\u2019re already down. The response from a Labour backbencher that if a business can\u2019t survive seven weeks without an income, they probably shouldn\u2019t be in business really sums it up for me.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000677\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EI received a letter yesterday from a refrigeration company that I deal with, and I\u2019ll just read the first paragraph. It says, \u201CThis letter is to advise you that there will be an increase on our hourly service rates, our vehicle fee charge, and our call out rate to be put into effect on 1 April 2022. This increase is due to inflation, minimum wage increases, and the cost of fuel over the last year.\u201D That same letter would be going out to hundreds of hospitality and other businesses. It\u2019s real.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000678\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EA hospitality owner told me over the weekend that they needed another worker. They interviewed a 17-year-old high school student, a year 13 student who lived at home and wanted to earn some money to go to university. However, they needed some training, needed someone else working alongside them for a short time to get the experience, and it just wasn\u2019t worth the risk to that owner of that hospitality business. For another dollar, they said no and employed someone with a little bit of experience. The unintended consequences of this sort of legislation on young people, disadvantaged people, and disabled people is huge.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000679\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EIn 2018, seventy-one thousand people were on the minimum wage. Last year, 160,000 people were on the minimum wage. This isn\u2019t a good thing for hard-working New Zealanders. It just means that those with experience, those who have shown loyalty, and those who have made an effort in their work are not getting the increases that they would have got if businesses just can\u2019t afford it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000680\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EWith any pay rise, leave entitlement, or other changes in employee conditions, we must look at productivity to make sure we can pay for it. We constantly compare ourselves with other countries when it comes to the minimum wage, conditions, and leave provisions, but we constantly ignore productivity\u2014the most important factor that enables these countries to provide different conditions to their employees. Paying people more while expecting no extra productivity is just naive. People who work hard should be paid more. Unfortunately, Labour, the Public Service Association, and the Council of Trade Unions don\u2019t agree. Productivity seems like a dirty word.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000681\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EBusiness owners are asking \u201CWhere will it end?\u201D, and then today we hear the Government introduce the so called Fair Pay Agreements Bill. The absolute lunacy of this bill will be debated later, but, for the sake of hard-working employees, ACT will repeal it in 18 months\u2019 time. I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll hear that an extra public holiday will actually be beneficial to businesses\u2014again, from those who have never owned a business: the same people who tried to convince us that more sick days increases productivity. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment disagree, but we know that they\u2019re only listened to if they agree with the agenda.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000682\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EThe Government has tried to convince the public that businesses were looked after during COVID, and the daily spin surrounding the COVID business support has been masterful. Businesses are struggling and going under\u2014the stress is huge\u2014and through no fault of their own. A Government that genuinely cared would take a breath; think about families, employers, and employees; put their ideologies aside; and help this country to recover from the tumultuous last two years, and this sort of nonsense is doing the opposite.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000683\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EACT will always support the employer because, if their business isn\u2019t successful, it\u2019s the employees that will suffer. We know they need tax and regulatory relief, and we\u2019ll fight on their behalf for more sensible, sustainable economic policies so that they can grow their businesses and employ more New Zealanders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000684\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223e43c957-a2f1-43cf-baf7-5b77358e038b\u0022\u003EACT appreciates the significance of Matariki\u2014not just for M\u0101ori but for all people of New Zealand who have studied and observed it at schools and in their communities throughout the country for a number of years. It is part of the curriculum. We appreciate the importance of everyone learning about and acknowledging the new year, the various reasons for the celebration, and, especially, its use as a navigational tool for the migration of M\u0101ori to this beautiful country. But New Zealand businesses cannot afford this extra holiday, and ACT opposes this bill. Thank you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022 data-id=\u0022d23583aabac64b4faa545df5067049df\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000685\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022d23583aabac64b4faa545df5067049df\u0022\u003ESHANAN HALBERT (Labour\u2014Northcote) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E E te M\u0101ngai o te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 rawa atu ki a koe. He mihi ki ng\u0101 rangi, he mihi ki ng\u0101 whenua, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou katoa, he mihi ng\u0101 whet\u016B o Matariki. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 koutou, t\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000686\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003E[Mr Speaker, warm greetings to you. Greetings to the skies, greetings to the lands, greetings to you, and greetings to the stars of Matariki. Greetings, greetings, greetings, one and all.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000687\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EMr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to speak this evening on Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki/Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. The Matariki bill is in front of us this evening at this second reading, and it\u2019s been an honour to be a part of our M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, who have heard the oral submissions, heard from communities, heard from M\u0101ori, heard from business owners about their aspirations for this particular kaupapa, what Matariki can bring, and the economic benefits of Matariki too. I want to reflect on my time, and I take the point from the chair of our M\u0101ori Affairs committee, T\u0101mati Coffey. He acknowledged that there was once upon a time where all of us, even being M\u0101ori, didn\u2019t know the knowledge, the m\u0101tauranga, of Matariki.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000688\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EIn fact, I go back to part of my career in communications and marketing and working for an organisation who picked up Matariki as a kaupapa. Te Wananga o Aotearoa is a tertiary organisation, but plays a role in educating and inspiring Aotearoa, not just M\u0101ori\u2014educating all of Aotearoa New Zealand, in particular a large number of P\u0101keh\u0101 in our country who are passionate about culture and passionate about culture in our country. Matariki, in this sense, starts to feel like a bit of a natural step in some instances. I go back to a piece of work with, back then, Dr Rangi Matamua, with Paraone Gloyne, and the work that they did to start to talk about te iwa o Matariki, the nine stars, as opposed to what we understood as the seven at that particular time. We worked with kura, with schools, with tamariki, with businesses to communicate our knowledge around Matariki: the stories of nine stars, the names of each star. I acknowledge Minister Kiritapu Allan, who spoke of her daughter earlier on, who is named after the wishing star, Hiwa-i-te-rangi. Beautiful.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000689\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EThroughout that project, we learnt a lot, and then that morphed into a partnership with Te Kaunihera o T\u0101maki Makaurau / Auckland Council, who launched a large Matariki festival, both for cultural reasons and educational reasons, but to bring economic benefits to the city of T\u0101maki-makau-rau. They set up a number of events\u2014and can I acknowledge Anahera Higgins and Ataahua Papa, incredible people who started the journey to share the stories of Matariki, to share a festival across New Zealand\u2019s largest city, and to bring all of Aotearoa out to celebrate this particular event, just like we do at New Year\u2019s.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000690\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EI go back to reflecting on the last speaker, Chris Baillie, who doesn\u2019t think there\u2019s any economic benefits to such events, such activation, to bringing all of New Zealand together out and about, particularly at this time, post - COVID-19, when businesses desperately need a reason for people to come out of their homes, to build their confidence, to spend their money, to feel good, and to have something to celebrate. What better than a kaupapa of Matariki, which is about starting fresh, resetting, starting the new year together, and wishing about what are our future aspirations? That is what Matariki brings for all of us.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000691\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EI want to go back to some of the research that I did and some of the information that we heard from businesses, and just to put on record the important facts about Matariki, this public holiday that we\u2019re proposing and at our second reading of. It is expected to have a net benefit of $25.7 million and a net cost of $133 million, and this calculation is based on estimated economic benefits of between $310.4 million and $496.1 million and estimated costs of around $443.4 million. Now, I\u2019m no mathematician, albeit I\u2019ve worked in marketing communications\u2014some would call that business\u2014but that tells me that there definitely are economic benefits. I\u2019ve spoken to businesses, to hospitality owners, to tourism operators in T\u0101maki-makau-rau. They know that Matariki as a public holiday will enhance their business, because it will get people out and about, spending the money that they desperately need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000692\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00229c069cdb-968c-4f11-b126-92f9c655148b\u0022\u003EI\u2019m excited about this bill, not just because of the opportunity to continue to educate and inspire Aotearoa, but I see it as another opportunity to reactivate T\u0101maki-makau-rau, to bring our people out to celebrate, to share the economic benefits that this presents. And so without further ado, I commend this bill to the House. T\u0113n\u0101 tatou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022 data-id=\u0022a37a11ba7a7b43d68814009d7810ea0f\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000693\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a37a11ba7a7b43d68814009d7810ea0f\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\u003C/span\u003E: The next call is a split call. I call Joseph Mooney.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022 data-id=\u002252a3f4b6b5684fa494766575b7d7c994\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000694\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u002252a3f4b6b5684fa494766575b7d7c994\u0022\u003EJOSEPH MOONEY (National\u2014Southland):\u003C/span\u003E I rise as the member of Parliament for Southland to speak on Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. The National Party supports Matariki and a Matariki holiday. But as other speakers before me have said, there is a time and a place for the Matariki holiday, for it to come into law. And we have put forward our view, very clearly, that if it is to come in now, it needs to replace another public holiday. This country already has 11 public holidays, and at this point in history, there is a huge amount of pressure already on New Zealand businesses and the people they employ, and we need to make sure we take the pressure off them so that they can continue to trade and to operate.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000695\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EI\u2019ll speak very briefly, in turn, on Matariki because it\u2019s quite a special thing. The appearance of the seven stars of Matariki in midwinter marks the start of the M\u0101ori New Year. Matariki can be translated as Matariki: tiny eyes; or Mata Ariki: eyes of God. The Matariki stars can be seen all over the world, and also known as the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, and Subaru. According to one legend, the stars show a mother and her six daughters, with the mother\u2014Matariki\u2014in the centre. Matariki is not a constellation, but a star cluster. A star cluster is where the stars are situated near each other in space, whereas a constellation is a collection of stars that only appear to be close to each other from our view here on Earth. Matariki is one of the closest star clusters to Earth, a mere 444.2 light years away. While only seven of the stars are clearly visible to us, the star cluster actually consists of more than 1,000 stars. Traditionally, Matariki was used to determine the coming season\u2019s crop here in New Zealand, Aotearoa. A warmer season, and therefore more productive crop yield, was indicated by how bright the stars were. The rich tradition of Matariki provides an ideal opportunity to explore the ways that people pass on and sustain aspects of their culture and heritage.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000696\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EAs I said, the National Party welcomes a publicly observed Matariki holiday. We oppose imposing a potentially $450 million burden on our businesses, and particularly on our small businesses. Many small business submitters expressed their concern about the cost an additional public holiday might present to businesses that are already facing increased minimum wage, additional sick leave, and the ongoing effects of COVID-19. New Zealand is a nation of small and micro businesses, including the self-employed. There are approximately 530,000 small businesses in New Zealand, representing 97 percent of all firms. They account for almost one-third of all employment and contribute over one-quarter of New Zealand\u2019s gross domestic product.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000697\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003ENew Zealand has a higher percentage of small and micro businesses than other countries. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has noted that the recovery of New Zealand\u2019s small businesses post-COVID-19 is vital to the sustainability and growth of the economy, and to the wellbeing of thousands of small business owners and the people that they employ. And I would note that the people they employ are the people who put food on the table for their children.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000698\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EI have been around and spoken to many, many small businesses in my electorate\u2014and I\u2019m sure colleagues in this House have done the same\u2014and I\u2019ve heard stories, for example, of many business owners I\u2019ve spoken to where they have fought incredibly hard over the last two years to keep the doors open and keep their people in jobs. I have talked to business owners who have taken out mortgages on their family home, taken out second mortgages\u2014and in some cases, even third mortgages\u2014just to keep their staff employed; keep their business operating in the hope that they will have a future. We should not be placing more burden on these small businesses now, at a time when they are doing everything they can do survive and keep their people employed. That is why this Matariki bill coming in as an additional public holiday is the wrong step at the wrong time\u2014despite noting that we do support Matariki and what it represents wholeheartedly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000699\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003ESo we need to note that there has been a number of cost projections, which vary quite significantly. It\u2019s estimated that the net effect on the economy is somewhere between $25.7 million in the positive and $133 million in the negative. This calculation\u2019s based on estimated economic benefits of between $310.4 million and $496.1 million, and estimated costs of around $443.4 million\u2014in other words, almost half a billion dollars.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000700\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00222170b5bd-171f-4d9f-bfa6-cab72178f108\u0022\u003EWe\u2019re advised that the additional costs of implementation are likely to be similar to those of New Zealand\u2019s existing public holidays. So we need to note there are 11 existing public holidays, placing costs already on our small businesses in particular. Quite simply, the proposal to create a new holiday will add more stress and strain to small businesses who are already dealing with inflation that\u2019s at three-decade-highs before we\u2019re even headed into a period with Ukraine and Russia added to our inflationary impact. I cannot commend this bill 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=\u00227b3fa278978c4a7aa809dc93259b1898\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000701\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227b3fa278978c4a7aa809dc93259b1898\u0022\u003EDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader\u2014Te Paati M\u0101ori) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E T\u0113n\u0101 koe e te P\u012Bka. T\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou e te Whare. It\u2019s a pleasure to speak to the second reading of Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill. Te Paati M\u0101ori is, of course, proud to support this bill. We acknowledge the leadership of our people, including Dr Rangi Matamua, who have offered their time. Many have offered their time, energy, and m\u0101tauranga to advance this kaupapa. We have spoken with and been met by many kura, many kaiako, many mokopuna who are already celebrating this and asking us to support this call. It is long overdue. And it is long overdue that the Crown officially recognises our indigenous New Year traditions in Aotearoa. It is long overdue that we have, in fact, an indigenous public holiday. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000702\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EAs Rawiri said in our first reading contribution, Matariki did not mark the new year for all hap\u016B and iwi in Aotearoa, and we maintain many traditions across the country. Rawiri acknowledged, also, the tradition of his people, Autahi, while my people of Taranaki and Whanganui and others acknowledge Puanga. Puanga, for people of Taranaki especially, is about the recognition of lost ones who have passed beyond the veil during the year gone. Puanga also acknowledges the environment and ecosystems of our land and our water. It would traditionally be a signal of time for our people to get their crops in order and to hunker down for winter. It now also is a time for planting and sowing the soil for preparing for the coming year and for strategising and planning as a people. It represents change that is needed in Aotearoa, especially now we have left what was the new old norm to go to a new norm. According to a whakatau\u0101k\u012B, \u201CE rua tau ruru, e rua tau wehe, e rua tau mutu, e rua tau kai.\u201D\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000703\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003E[Two years of wind and storm, two years when food is scarce, two years when crops fail, two years of abundant food.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000704\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EIn recent years, we\u2019ve seen the strong revitalisation of our Puanga traditions across Taranaki and beyond. Parihaka now hosts an annual Puanga Kai Rau festival, which celebrates our land, our people, our uniqueness. This serves to strengthen our collective bounds as a people and honour our whakapapa and our t\u016Bpuna. The passage of this bill will enable the continued growth and revitalisation of our many traditions across Aotearoa, and we acknowledge the submission of Dr Matamua, who confirmed that this is not about celebrating Matariki to the exclusion of our other traditions. We also acknowledge all those who submitted on the bill. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000705\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00227a76db18-baa4-41c1-b366-89e2c753a1e7\u0022\u003EThis should be only the first step. We should see this moment in time as an opportunity to reindigenise the way we live in Aotearoa. We have seen a recent widespread restoration in the use and understanding of maramataka. Now we should affirm our maramataka as the foundation for the way we do things: holidays, calendars, ways of working, ways of how we look after each other. We know that the maramataka is intrinsically derived from this whenua, from this climate, from these ecosystems here in the Pacific. The Gregorian calendar has no such relevance for all of us at all. Shifting away from that just makes sense. It\u2019s actually what the next generation are already doing; we\u2019re just catching up. Recognising Puanga and Matariki makes sense. Let\u2019s not make any delay. For Te Paati M\u0101ori, we say, \u201CLet\u2019s get it done.\u201D 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=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022 data-id=\u0022e86a3242fd9741b493f5a95c0dedcd9a\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000706\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e86a3242fd9741b493f5a95c0dedcd9a\u0022\u003EWILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour\u2014Northland) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E E te M\u0101ngai o te Whare, t\u0113n\u0101 koe. T\u0113n\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa. E rongo atu ana koutou i ahau? \u0100e? Ka pai. T\u0113n\u0101 koutou. Aroha mai koutou. Ko t\u0113nei taku w\u0101 tuatahi ki te k\u014Drero i runga i te rorohiko mai i t\u014Dku k\u0101inga i Te Tai Tokerau ahakoa kua tahi marama t\u0101tou e mahi ana i t\u0113nei momo rauemi, n\u0101 te mea e noho haumaru ana t\u014Dku wh\u0101nau i Te Tai Tokerau nei.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000707\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EN\u014D reira ka t\u012Bmata ake taku k\u014Drero m\u0101nawatia a Matariki. Kua roa ahau e ako e p\u0101 ana ki te m\u0101ramataka M\u0101ori, e p\u0101 ana ki a Matariki. I te wh\u0101 tau kua pahure ake nei i haere ahau ki t\u0113tahi w\u0101nanga ki roto i Whang\u0101rei-terenga-paraoa ki te whakarongo ki ng\u0101 k\u014Drero a te t\u0101kuta a Dr Rangi Matamua i k\u014Drero ia m\u014D Matariki, i k\u014Drero ia e p\u0101 ana ki ng\u0101 tohu o te w\u0101 me te m\u0101ramataka M\u0101ori. I taua w\u0101 k\u0101tahi an\u014D taku p\u0101p\u0101 i hinga i ako ahau ng\u0101 k\u014Drero e p\u0101 ana ki Te Waka o Rangi, ar\u0101 ko te tupuna o Taramainuku e pupuri ana i ng\u0101 wairua o ng\u0101 mea o te tau kua pahure ake nei, \u0101, n\u014D reira i runga i t\u0113n\u0101 k\u014Drero, e mihi ana ki ng\u0101 mate huhua o te w\u0101. Matariki tohu mate. Ko t\u0113tahi ko T\u0101 Wira Gardiner, ko t\u0113tahi ko Kahurangi June Jackson. N\u014D reira e mihi ana ki te hunga kua whet\u016Brangitia.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000708\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI runga i t\u0113n\u0101 ka hoki ki a t\u0101tou te hunga ora. E mihi ana ki te Minita, te H\u014Dnore Kiritapu Allan. E mihi ana ki a ia me tana p\u0113pi, a Hiwa-i-te-Rangi. I rongo i ng\u0101 k\u014Drero e p\u0101 ana ki a Hiwa-i-te-Rangi i t\u0113nei p\u014D. Ko Hiwa-i-te-Rangi tetahi o ng\u0101 whet\u016B o te k\u0101hui Matariki. N\u014D reira, te hunga ki a r\u0101tou, t\u0101tou te hunga ora ki a t\u0101tou. Te p\u0113pi, ko t\u0101tou p\u0113pi a Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, ka nui te mihi ki a t\u0101tou i t\u0113nei p\u014D.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000709\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EE hiahia ana ahau ki te mihi hoki ki te Rop\u016B o Matariki, a te R\u014Dp\u016B ar\u0101 Te M\u0101ori Advisory Group me ng\u0101 mema i runga i t\u0113n\u0101, ko Rangi Matamua t\u0113tahi, t\u0113tahi n\u014D roto o Te Tai Tokerau te matua Rereata Makiha a matua Hoturoa Kerr, Victoria Campbell, Pauline Harris, Ruakere Hond me Jack Thatcher hoki. E mihi ana ki a r\u0101tou katoa. N\u014D ng\u0101 t\u014Dpito o te motu r\u0101tou, ko ng\u0101 k\u014Drero, \u014D r\u0101tou m\u0101tauranga i mau mai ki te t\u0113pu ki te whiriwhiri i ng\u0101 take e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei pire, e mihi ana ki a r\u0101tou.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000710\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EMe ng\u0101 mema o te Komiti Whiriwhiri Take M\u0101ori, ki a koe T\u0101mati te heamana o t\u0113r\u0101 komiti me ng\u0101 mema katoa i noho ki te whiriwhiri i ng\u0101 take e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei pire e mihi kau ana ki a koutou me ng\u0101 t\u0101ngata i pono e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei pire. Ka tino nui taku hari me taku koa te kite i t\u0113nei pire i roto i te Whare P\u0101remata.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000711\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EKo te mea nui ki ahau ko te m\u0101tauranga kei roto i t\u0113nei mea te k\u0101hui o Matariki, \u0101e e tika ana ng\u0101 k\u014Drero ko Puanga i roto i Tai Tokerau te tohu o te tau hou M\u0101ori, me k\u012B, te w\u0101 o \u014Cturu, o Pipiri engari kei reira hoki ng\u0101 k\u014Drero e p\u0101 ana ki Matariki i te w\u0101 i te takiw\u0101 o ng\u0101 marama o Tangaroa i te marama o Pipiri, n\u014D reira ko ng\u0101 m\u0101tauranga e p\u0101 ana ki te maramataka, hono ana ki te whenua, ki te moana, ki ng\u0101 mate me ng\u0101 hiahia m\u014D te tau e heke mai nei. \u0100e, tika ana te k\u014Drero o Debbie e p\u0101 ana ki te rerek\u0113tanga o te whakanui i te tau hou i te t\u012Bmatatanga o te tau i roto i te raumati n\u0101 te mea e ai ki te maramataka me ng\u0101 mahi te rautaki o te tau ko te mahi kaha i roto i te m\u0101ra i taua w\u0101, ka tupu ng\u0101 kai kia hauhake \u0101 te w\u0101 i mua tata i Matariki, \u0101, n\u014D reira he mahi nui tonu i mua o te aroaro kia ako i \u0113r\u0101 m\u0101tauranga katoa hei whai m\u0101 t\u0101tou katoa.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000712\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EKua poto te w\u0101 ki ahau ki te k\u014Drero e p\u0101 ana ki t\u0113nei i t\u0113nei p\u014D engari ko te p\u0101nuitanga tuarua t\u0113nei m\u014D t\u0113nei pire e tautoko ana ahau pau te kaha. I mua i te otinga o taku k\u014Drero e mihi ana ki t\u0113tahi tokorua i roto i Te Tai Tokerau kua homai ki a ahau me t\u014Dku wh\u0101nau \u014D r\u0101ua m\u0101tauranga e p\u0101 ana ki te maramataka ar\u0101, ko Rueben Taipari Porter, ko Heeni Hoterene. N\u014D reira e mihi kau ana ki a r\u0101ua m\u014D te m\u0101tauranga kua wh\u0101ngai ki a m\u0101tou i te k\u0101inga nei. Ka kaha tonu t\u0101tou ki te whakanui i te k\u0101hui Matariki, Puanga hoki. Ng\u0101 mihi.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000713\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003E[Can you hear me? Yes? Good. Greetings. Apologies, everyone. This is the first time I have spoken remotely from my home in Northland, although we have been using these resources for a month. I am with my family keeping safe at home in Northland.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000714\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003ESo I will begin my speech welcoming Matariki. I have been learning about the M\u0101ori calendar as it relates to Matariki for a long time. Four years ago I attended a seminar in Whang\u0101rei-terenga-paraoa to listen to Dr Rangi Matamua talking about Matariki. He talked about the current signs and the M\u0101ori calendar. At that time, my father had just passed, and I learned about Te Waka o Rangi, and the ancestor Taramainuku who bears the spirits of those who died in the previous year, and so, on the basis of that I acknowledge the many dead at this time. Matariki: a time to remember the dead. One of whom is Sir Wira Gardiner and another, Dame June Jackson. Therefore I acknowledge those who have become stars in the heavens.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000715\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EWith that, I now return to us, the living. I greet the Minister, the Hon Kiritapu Allan, and I greet her baby, Hiwa-i-te-Rangi. I heard the stories of Hiwa-i-te-Rangi this evening. Hiwa-i-te-Rangi is one of the stars of the Matariki cluster. Therefore, let the dead be with the dead, and the living with the living. The baby, our baby, Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, warm greetings to one and all this evening.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000716\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI would like to acknowledge the M\u0101ori Advisory Group and the members thereof. Rangi Matamua was one; one from Northland was Rereata Makiha\u2014Hoturoa Kerr, Victoria Campbell, Pauline Harris, Ruakere Hond, and also Jack Thatcher. I acknowledge all of them. They came from all corners of the land so that the stories and their knowledge could be brought to the table in the discussions regarding this bill. I thank them.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000717\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EAnd the members of the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee, to you T\u0101mati, the chair of that committee, and to all the members who sat and discussed the issues related to this bill, I sincerely thank you and the people who were genuine about this bill. I am very happy indeed to see this bill in the House of Parliament.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000718\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EThe important thing for me is the M\u0101ori knowledge about the Matariki cluster. Yes, it is true that in Northland Puanga is the sign of the M\u0101ori New Year, that is, at the time of \u014Cturu, but there are as well the stories regarding Matariki at around the time of Tangaroa in the month of June. Therefore, the knowledge about the lunar calendar connects to the land, to the sea, to the dead and the desires for the following year. Yes, what Debbie said was correct about the difference in observing the new year at the beginning of the year in summer, because according to the lunar calendar there is much to do in the garden at that time\u2014plants are grown to be harvested later, just before Matariki. And so, there is still a lot for us to learn about all this knowledge so that we can follow it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000719\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221ebd1031-ea10-4c3d-bb56-2cd99528ae91\u0022\u003EI have a very short time to talk about this tonight but I support, without reservation, the second reading of this bill. Before I finish speaking I would like to acknowledge a Northland couple who have shared their knowledge about the lunar calendar with me and my family, they are Rueben Taipari Porter and Heeni Hoterene. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us at home. We must stay strong in observing Matariki as well as Puanga. Thank you.]\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022 data-id=\u00227379c6d5aaf44ba09046c80badd34d8c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000720\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227379c6d5aaf44ba09046c80badd34d8c\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY (National\u2014Port Waikato):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. That speech stopped abruptly, so excuse me if I was a bit slow jumping up there. This\u2014\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000721\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022217f4585-f6ef-408d-9318-8a6b8506920b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d49809135c6e4331978b28707031d5ab\u0022\u003EPaul Eagle\u003C/span\u003E: You weren\u2019t listening. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000722\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u002298a1ab8ca0dd42ff91c7f83c2854c23a\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY\u003C/span\u003E: Oh, I was listening very carefully to the member on the other side there. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000723\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EWhat I\u2019m just going to enjoy talking about is the second reading of this bill, and, of course, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anyone in New Zealand or even, indeed, in this House who would not like to have another public holiday. So there\u2019s pretty uniform support for this bill in terms of the significance of Matariki\u2014particularly to M\u0101ori but also to all New Zealanders\u2014and it\u2019s been very useful listening to the contributions tonight. I thought some of the contributions have been very thoughtful in, particularly, providing a perspective on the importance of Matariki. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000724\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo the big issue, of course, is why do we have to have this new, additional public holiday\u2014our 12th public holiday? Effectively, we already have 31 days of holidays in New Zealand, of four weeks\u2019 leave plus the 11 public holidays, and, of course, here we are, going to pass a bill which says, \u201CLet\u2019s have another one.\u201D Our strong view was that we understand the significance of Matariki and agree with the principles of that. But we were just very, very keen, particularly at a time when people are struggling, people are losing their businesses, the staff working in those businesses have been under a lot of stress\u2014and we\u2019re in a situation where we\u2019re going to impose additional costs on, particularly, the businesses and business owners at a time when they are struggling. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000725\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EOur strong proposition, as we\u2019ve heard tonight, is that, yes, we should do Matariki, but we should replace another holiday. Of course, the Hon Judith Collins suggested Labour Day, which many of us thought was a good recommendation. So, effectively, we\u2019d end up with a net sum gain, but move to a situation where we move away from Labour Day, which probably has very little relevance now, to one that does have significant relevance to many people who live in New Zealand. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000726\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo it\u2019s just the issue around the cost. I\u2019ve heard some of the contributions talking about it and we\u2019ve heard the figures. Nearly half a billion dollars\u2014$450 million - odd\u2014this is going to incur. I heard one of the contributions from a Labour member earlier talking about \u201CHey, there are some significant upsides because it\u2019s going to lead to other increases.\u201D, and no doubt there\u2019ll be tourism, there\u2019ll be mental health issues, and all that sort of stuff that it will support. It\u2019s useful in terms of having time off\u2014I understand that\u2014but the reality is that the people that pay for this and who do not necessarily get the benefit are the business owners. They are the people who are going to be writing out the cheque to pay for their staff to have another day off. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000727\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo if the benefit was to accrue back to the same people, then I\u2019d accept the argument, but it doesn\u2019t. The argument is that the cost to this accrues to only one category of person or individual or business owner, and that is the big issue about it. When you\u2019re talking about $450 million of additional cost at a time when the Government has already imposed an estimated $2.8 billion of additional cost through things like minimum wage increases and all the other allowances they\u2019ve done, we just keep building cost, where now it puts the score\u2014particularly for small businesses\u2014well over $3 billion of additional cost that someone\u2019s got to write out a cheque for. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000728\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EIf it was the Government writing out the cheque for it, that\u2019s a different point. But this is not. This is a Government who does not respect business owners and thinks they\u2019re all good for it and that they should pay for anything and that they can pay for it. That\u2019s not the reality, unfortunately, and this is another half a billion dollars of cost that\u2019s going on small-business owners. We support the holiday\u2014that is not the issue. What we are saying is that we should be replacing this for another holiday and allow people to enjoy and celebrate what\u2019s important now\u2014particularly and especially with regard to Matariki\u2014but actually remove some of the other legislation that\u2019s less important. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000729\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003ESo look, I just think the debate around this has been canvassed tonight. I don\u2019t want to talk much more about it. I know the first scheduled date is Friday, 24 June, and the big issue is: why is it always on a Friday? Of course, again, the contribution around that is that it makes it nice for a long weekend, but, again, in the scope of trying to look after and support the key powerhouse of the New Zealand economy, which is small businesses, is that the best thing? Is that the best thing for New Zealand and for New Zealand businesses, because, after all, they are the people that employ most of the people in New Zealand: 97 percent of employees are employed by small businesses. So, again, we just need to be mindful about how we protect our small business base because, as I said, they are the powerhouse. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000730\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003EI think the Government should have been more cognisant and open to the idea of replacement. I note that the officials put up a number of recommendations, none of which the Government took up, and so here we are tonight. This bill will, obviously, go through. We will celebrate Matariki, but it\u2019s a mistake, and it should have replaced another public holiday. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000731\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221cd33f16-add4-4363-a2d4-f457841a5c4c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022f92e55c10b394f98bf1f1a3ae929f853\u0022\u003EGlen Bennett\u003C/span\u003E: Which one? \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000732\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022859e13f9-33bb-41bb-b2f0-d848eaf25407\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225ed4cb7aaa1b41c5a8cff8263f26842d\u0022\u003EANDREW BAYLY\u003C/span\u003E: Labour Day. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022 data-id=\u0022cee3a079e2d740a0bdb3da00aa75de11\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000733\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022cee3a079e2d740a0bdb3da00aa75de11\u0022\u003EJO LUXTON (Labour\u2014Rangitata) (remote):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Look, I\u2019m really pleased to take a call on this bill, Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki/Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday Bill, in its second reading. I\u2019d like to commend the Minister, and I\u2019d like to acknowledge the select committee and all of those that submitted to the select committee. I just wanted to touch on a comment that Mr Bayly made around Labour Day and getting rid of Labour Day. It just speaks to the way that the National Party feel about our hard-working New Zealanders out there when Labour Day actually commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day. New Zealand was the first country in 1840 to claim that right so it\u2019s actually very relevant and very important to our history as a country. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000734\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003ESo coming back to this piece of legislation though, I note that the M\u0101ori Affairs Committee have reported this bill back to the House, recommended by majority that it pass without amendment. We\u2019ve heard that it will establish a new public holiday here in Aotearoa, celebrates Matariki, and it is the start of the M\u0101ori New Year, and it has become a time of celebration actually not only for M\u0101ori but for many people around New Zealand. It\u2019s going to be the fifth bill that we have in New Zealand to be a dual language in both te reo M\u0101ori and English, which again is another thing that we should celebrate as a country. We heard that it\u2019s going to be observed annually on the dates set out in the current bill for the next 30 years, with the first date being 24 June in 2022.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000735\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s the first such public holiday that\u2019s going to distinctly recognise and celebrate Te Ao M\u0101ori, and it\u2019s something that we, as a nation, we can share together. It comes at the perfect time of year: June-July. It\u2019s winter; it\u2019s cold. You know, people often need a bit of a break, time to recharge, or simply be with family and friends. It is actually often a quieter time for businesses and tourism and hospitality, and I know that in my electorate here, I think Mount Hutt and \u014Cpuke hot pools will be quite thankful that we are having a public holiday at that time of the year because that will be a peak for them and the fact that it\u2019s going to be an extended\u2014or on a Friday, that will create a long weekend and will certainly encourage people in the electorate to spend their money, which I think will be very welcome by those sectors.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000736\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EWithin the select committee, though, there were other options that were discussed, such as replacing another holiday, and we\u2019ve heard members opposite talk about replacing Labour Day, which maybe they\u2019re trying to make a bit of a funny pun, I guess, because of the name, but actually it is really significant to our workers here in a New Zealand. It is part of our history. So I don\u2019t see the sense in replacing that. You know, it\u2019s far more relevant than something like Boxing Day, for example. So there were other options that were discussed, as I said, about perhaps having it on Monday, replacing a different public holiday. But my understanding is that the committee supported the initial proposal in the bill, with the holiday being determined by the maramataka and falling on a Friday. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000737\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EWe heard Mr Bayly talk about \u201CWhy a Friday? Why a Friday, for goodness\u2019 sake? You know, it\u2019s just another cost. Think about this.\u201D Well, I just wanted to remind Mr Bayly that it was the National Party that Mondayised public holidays, so when a public holiday might fall on a Saturday or Sunday it moved to a weekday, which therefore incurred a cost to employers also, so his point is a bit moot there, I think. As for Friday versus Monday observance, the committee was advised that the cost to the employer would be similar and so would the social and cultural benefits. But one of the points about having a public holiday on a Friday is, if you think that the majority of our public holidays are actually on a Monday, what it would mean is that for those who don\u2019t perhaps ordinarily work on Mondays, they would be able to partake in a public holiday on a Friday and enjoy that. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000738\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u002226b88bf1-f634-40e7-8019-e75cc483ace7\u0022\u003EWe\u2019ve heard that we have 11 public holidays currently. If we compare ourselves to other OECD countries, there\u2019s at least 18 others that have more than us and 12 that have fewer, so we\u2019re actually mid to low range when you think about it in that respect. I\u2019m really proud of this bill and I\u2019m proud that we have a public holiday that is unique to us, that celebrates Te Ao M\u0101ori, that all New Zealanders can celebrate Matariki and learn more about it, because that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about. It\u2019s about learning more about things that are special and traditional and specific to our culture here in New Zealand and our M\u0101ori culture in particular. It\u2019s an opportunity for us to enjoy time with our loved ones and something that we\u2019re all in particular need of, particularly after the last couple of years, is being able to spend time with each other, family and friends, and making the opportunity when it comes around, and Matariki will be the perfect opportunity and time of year to do that. So, I commend this bill to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022bca65254504741cc9a8233fafd3753fa\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 Te Pire m\u014D te Hararei T\u016Bmatanui o te K\u0101hui o Matariki/Te K\u0101hui o Matariki Public Holiday 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 2.\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000739\u0022\u003EBill read a second time.\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022HpsHansard\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000740\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsProceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u0022e89bf2a9baf447cb8117f25f2d23a89b\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 ORDERS\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000741\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00220c7146add2bc438aac76de1ddcb79e11\u0022\u003EApproval\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022 data-id=\u0022a26d2507c1f74051a90067e29d3a8f34\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000742\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022a26d2507c1f74051a90067e29d3a8f34\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response):\u003C/span\u003E I seek leave to revise the wording of Government notice of motion No. 2 to correct the title in one order by inserting the word \u201Crequirements\u201D after \u201Cself-isolation\u201D in the order COVID-19 Public Health Response (Self-Isolation and Permitted Work) Order 2022 (SL 2022/46). Just to explain what I\u2019m seeking leave for, it was discovered earlier today that there was a typographical error in one of the titles of the orders to be approved by the House, and so this leave is simply correcting the title of the order in the motion before I move the motion.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000743\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00220aa1005e9270436d8d1094dde03cb231\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\u003C/span\u003E: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000744\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00223478e413424b4de69a64a9a0148e2376\u0022\u003EHon CHRIS HIPKINS\u003C/span\u003E: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I move, That this House approve the following orders made under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020: \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000745\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework and Other Matters) Amendment Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000746\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework and Other Matters) Amendment Order 2022 Amendment Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000747\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order (No 2) 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000748\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine and Maritime Border) Amendment Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000749\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Amendment Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000750\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Self-Isolation Requirements and Permitted Work) Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000751\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order 2021 Amendment Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000752\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine and Other Matters) Amendment Order 2021 Amendment Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000753\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Amendment Order 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000754\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Amendment Order (No 2) 2022\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000755\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ECOVID-19 Public Health Response (Testing for COVID-19) Order 2022.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000756\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThis is a regular fixture for the House at the moment as we deal with a global pandemic and as we particularly enter a phase of the global pandemic where things have been moving and changing at a fairly steady clip. Under the COVID-19 public health legislation, the Government is able to move quickly in order to put in place and in order to remove certain restrictions, certain rules, and certain processes that are required for our management of the COVID-19 response.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000757\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThis motion today approves 11 orders that have come into force on various dates between 3 February and 2 March this year. Though none of these orders are more than two months old, it is worthy to note that some of them have already been amended or replaced. A significant number of the provisions in the orders that we\u2019re confirming today are actually now obsolete, which I think shows how nimble and flexible and responsive our overall response to managing COVID-19 has been and how it will continue to be.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000758\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EWe are moving pretty rapidly through the post-peak plan, and life is starting to return to something that feels a lot more normal. So aspects of the response that are covered in the orders today include changes around the rules for face coverings\u2014those still largely remain in place; reductions in period of isolation and quarantine\u2014most of those have now been superseded; changes in some of the rules for people who are self-isolating\u2014some of those do continue in place; the loosening of some travel restrictions\u2014in fact, there has been a much, much more liberal loosening of travel restrictions since those orders were put in place; and the lifting of the requirement to self-isolate or for managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) for some travellers arriving in the country\u2014and I would note that, in fact, again there\u2019s been a significant extension of that since those orders were put in place.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000759\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003ESo the great majority of the amendments that these orders brought about were to ease restrictions as part of our managed transition, as we wound back many of the restrictions and many of the aspects of our COVID-19 response. There are some other significant ones still to come before the House, including removing vaccine pass requirements, removing vaccine mandates, and the changes that we\u2019ve made to the traffic light system. Those will be covered in a subsequent motion; they\u2019ve yet to be reviewed by the Regulations Review Committee.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000760\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EI do want to acknowledge the work of the Regulations Review Committee in very conscientiously going through all of the orders that I have made under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act and identifying a range of very useful questions, some of substance, some of style, but all of them, I think, underpinning that the committee has not in any way regarded this as a rubber stamp exercise. It has been a very important part of our continual review and improvement cycle. Often issues that have been identified by the Regulations Review Committee have been picked up on the next iteration of the orders in question. These orders have regularly been amended, regularly been updated, and are regularly changing; so the suggestions and the feedback from the Regulations Review Committee have often been incorporated.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000761\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe committee was particularly concerned, for example\u2014just to highlight a few of the examples, but to highlight one\u2014that a provision that was designed to mean that you wouldn\u2019t necessarily need to turf someone out of an MIQ facility in the middle of the night could result in people having to stay at an MIQ facility for longer than they might otherwise be required to, and that wasn\u2019t the intention of the order. The intention of the order was simply to make sure that, if somebody had nowhere else to go, they were able to stay there, because under the old order they would have had to be turfed out. So what we had to do was make sure that we got the balance right there, between saying, \u201CYep, you can stay if you need to stay for a bit longer, but you\u2019re under no obligation to do that.\u201D So, I think, with the exchange that we had with the committee, we were able to actually provide even better clarity in the next iteration of the order, which, of course, is now superseded because no one\u2019s going into MIQ now in the way that they were before. So I think that is a really good example of how the committee was able to contribute constructively to the process in order to keep improving these orders.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000762\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe orders\u2014I do want to again acknowledge that they were often drafted and put in place with a sense of urgency because they were responding to a particular situation, a particular series of events, and so there has been ongoing, regular improvement as the opportunity has allowed.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000763\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EIn regard to the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Self-isolation Requirements and Permitted Work) Order of 2022, the committee was concerned that people who had to go into quarantine because they were unable to self-isolate in appropriate surroundings might face greater restrictions than they would if they were in self-isolation. We were able to explain that this may reflect the wider public health circumstances of why the person needed to go into MIQ facilities in the first place, and there are provisions there that allow for them to leave early, as that is required. The good news is that most of that, as I said, is now redundant, because we\u2019ve moved to a new phase where the use of MIQ now has significantly diminished and, in fact, for most of those in MIQ\u2014and there\u2019s very, very few\u2014it is because they are in a particular category. So, for those who are interested in MIQ, as of today it\u2019s a couple of hundred people; mostly refugees, people who are coming from other parts of the world where they need a place to land when they get into the country, effectively\u2014that is who MIQ are accommodating in their facilities at the moment.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000764\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EThe Regulations Review Committee, I think in their diligent scrutiny, looked right at the detail of some of the orders, including, I\u2019m told, a detailed discussion of what \u201Ccontactless delivery\u201D actually is. I can say that the Cabinet committee had very similar conversation as we\u2019ve unfolded our COVID-19 response over the last two years. So I welcome those kinds of conversations.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000765\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EIn May\u2014so we\u2019re not far away from May now\u2014it will be two years since the House passed the bill that became the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act of 2020. The powers given by that Act have given the Government the ability to move quickly to respond to the challenges that COVID-19 has brought about, and we\u2019ve continued to evolve as the response to the virus has needed to evolve. It has been a big part of us being able to come through the global pandemic in a very strong position. We\u2019ve got a strong economy, we have record low unemployment levels, and we are now in a very strong position to accelerate our recovery from COVID-19. It has been the orders made under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act that have put us in that position.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000766\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003EBut I also want to acknowledge, given that\u2014I\u2019m hoping\u2014there may not be many more of these motions in the House, that there have been some really difficult trade-offs that have been involved in the response. There have been limitations on people\u2019s rights and freedoms\u2014there\u2019s been no question about that. For many people, that\u2019s resulted in some hardship. So I want to acknowledge that, and I also want to acknowledge that I think everyone is feeling a degree of relief that we are getting to the point where our restrictions are much fewer than they have been for much of the response. We are returning to something that is much more normal. I look forward to continuing along that particular path.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022 data-id=\u0022e9b0ca5a29334ab387b223bafa920f0e\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000767\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022e9b0ca5a29334ab387b223bafa920f0e\u0022\u003ECHRIS PENK (National\u2014Kaipara ki Mahurangi):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and it\u2019s a pleasure to speak to these COVID-19 orders and the examination thereof. I wear a couple of different hats, so to speak. One is that I am the chair of the Regulations Review Committee. I am grateful to the Minister for his engagement with us throughout. He\u2019s been kind enough to acknowledge the committee in his remarks tonight, characterising our diligence as not seeing ourselves merely as a rubber stamp, and that\u2019s true enough, but I do also think that, because it takes two to tango, it\u2019s only fair to acknowledge that we\u2019ve had a really good quality of interaction with the Minister in his response to the points that we\u2019ve been making. So it has been, actually, an enjoyable task, believe it or not, which says something probably quite sad about the members of the committee. But, nevertheless, we have enjoyed our work, and we\u2019ve been well supported in that work by the legislative counsel, as well as the committee staff more generally. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000768\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ESo, while it\u2019s tempting to view these debates, at 9.30 at night in this case, as being almost a moot point\u2014from the perspective both of the Regulations Review Committee, in the sense that we make recommendations and the House will confirm the orders even if we were to recommend otherwise, potentially, and from a National Party perspective, if I were to adopt that hat for the moment, in that we\u2019re a minority in this Parliament\u2014but, nevertheless, these are important accountability mechanisms. I guess, the other one to acknowledge\u2014and the Minister\u2019s alluded to this in his own remarks\u2014is the temporal restriction on the usefulness of the exercise; that is to say, a number of the orders have actually already been revoked, or are in the process of being revoked or, effectively, overtaken by events. So here we are, discussing and debating, but I think it\u2019s still worthwhile, because, as the Regulations Review Committee is a creature of Parliament, and Parliament itself now is sitting to consider these motions, it\u2019s an opportunity for us to provide some accountability for the executive, in the person of the Minister for COVID-19 Response in this case. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000769\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ESo I don\u2019t intend, obviously, to attempt to cover all the detail. I\u2019d rather take the approach, actually, as the Minister did, of providing a couple of examples, by way of illustration, of the approach that we took throughout our consideration of these orders\u2014which, as he\u2019s quite rightly noted, actually only cover the span of a couple of months, but, nevertheless, a high volume of secondary legislation in that time, for obvious real-world reasons, namely the evolution of the pandemic and its response at that time. One of the issues that we looked at, for a start\u2014and I take you back to early February, which seems so long ago\u2014there was an order providing, and I\u2019ll use shorthand, \u201CProtection Framework and Other Matters\u201D. Well, that\u2019s not very descriptive, is it? Anyway, it\u2019s the first one, so \u201Cstart at the very beginning, a very good place to start,\u201D as they say. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000770\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00221dbd2811-8e58-4ffb-848d-31c0eaa9690a\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022d577cc12e19a4403944053683f529a6f\u0022\u003EHon Chris Hipkins\u003C/span\u003E: You need to sing it.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000771\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022daf27ee9fdcc4f299fe152085d452b30\u0022\u003ECHRIS PENK\u003C/span\u003E: Ha, ha! There\u2019ll be no Mary Poppins in the House tonight, Mr Hipkins. \u201CDefinition of a medical-grade face covering\u201D\u2014so that was extending the application of that rule to younger people, and from a National Party perspective we had views on the anomalies that we said were created in terms of the way that that played out, for example, on sports fields\u2014school versus club. But, nevertheless, the committee had no concerns about the order. The rule, we thought, was well expressed and was not problematic from the point of view of the appropriateness of the order or the way that it was made\u2014as distinct from the policy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000772\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EThe next one I actually found quite interesting. It was an amendment order to an amendment order. It said it was to come into force at 11.58 p.m. that day, and that\u2019s kind of a funny time; 11.59 p.m. we\u2019re all very familiar with, because, of course, it\u2019s ambiguous to say \u201Cmidnight\u201D on a particular day; it might be the start or the end of the day. And in the military, the 24-hour time, the last minute of the day is 2359, and the first minute of the following day is 0001, so there\u2019s a minute that\u2019s 120 seconds, because, of course, you don\u2019t want the confusion, again, of all the zeros. Anyway, so this is 11.58, and the specific reason for that was to do with sequencing in relation to other orders coming into effect, and the relevant one at 11.59\u2014so this one had to get in ahead. I found that interesting, anyway. I\u2019ve spent, now, more than a minute discussing that, so it would be disproportionate for me to continue.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000773\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ETalking about the language used in relation to premises used for a private function in this particular order\u2014just by way of example, a bit of flavour if you will\u2014the amendment was needed to clarify that the order applied to premises whether or not they\u2019d been hired. Logical enough, I suppose, to apply restrictions regardless of the way that a venue was coming to be used, from a public health perspective come to the same thing.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000774\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EThe other one, in relation to this first tranche, which was 2 to 14 February, received on 14 February\u2014what could be more romantic than a COVID-19 order on Valentine\u2019s Day? But the purpose of the order was quite expansive; it was talking about not only avoiding adverse effects of the outbreak but also ensuring continuity of services. The scope of the purpose of the order was a theme to which we returned in relation to some other orders which were a bit narrower in the way that they stated their particular intentions. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000775\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EMoving ahead now\u2014we\u2019re in mid-February if you\u2019re following along, Mr Speaker, on your Order Paper or indeed on your calendar\u2014we had an extension of a deadline date for student workers in the health and disability sector to receive a booster. This is an example of an order that had a liberalising effect, as restrictions began to be removed. While the National Party had mixed feelings at times about the regime as a whole, nevertheless in these orders we saw a move away from restrictions in a way with which we agreed and approved. I should actually point out before going any further, having left it almost to the end, that National will be supporting the confirmation of the orders by the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000776\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003ESimilarly, the reduction of the period of time in which a person needed to remain in isolation, or quarantine, down from 10 days to seven days\u2014again a sensible move in the context of what was happening at that time. Minister Hipkins already talked about the need for flexibility in relation to when a person would leave a managed isolated quarantine facility\u2014not wanting to have them arbitrarily detained for longer, or by way of unintended consequence, given that the intent we accepted in the committee was to allow an orderly departure and not have someone thrown out on to the street at midnight, not to put too fine a point on it. So this was an example of an engagement with the Minister, by way of letters of course, and it happens over a period of time, but the response was along the lines that the Minister stood by his interpretation, I guess, in terms of the way that order could be interpreted. We were satisfied that that point had been noted and understood, and as the Minister has already said, sometimes these things would flow through to subsequent orders\u2014a lesson having been learnt, as opposed to necessarily meaning that the order would be amended on the spot, or let alone struck down. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000777\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EA couple of other ones, if I may, Mr Speaker, in my remaining time. The order that was presented in now late-February regarding requirements for close contacts that was talking about\u2014and we did have a few concerns with that one\u2014requiring that close contacts have the ability to stay in touch with the Government. For those who are not able to do that\u2014whether it\u2019s a limitation of IT, or perhaps mobile phone coverage, or internet access\u2014we thought that it wasn\u2019t reasonable to state, in mandatory terms, that a person must stay in contact with the Government agency if they were not physically able to do so. So we made that point, and I think, again, we got a pretty fair hearing from the Minister; and at the point that we\u2019d had that interaction, in fact, that order was revoked and had been replaced in any case. So that was, I suppose at that point, a moot point but nevertheless illustrated the kind of serious attention to detail with which the committee was approaching its task.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000778\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EMoving quickly through now my remaining minute, we did talk about the purpose of orders quite considerably, because, with such great powers being given to the executive, it was important at least to be able to constrain his powers by saying at least that the detail of the order should match its purpose. And, in a particular case regarding self-isolation requirements and permitted work, we pointed out that the purpose appeared to be relaxing restrictions, so it couldn\u2019t fairly be said to fit under a purpose that was merely about preventing an outbreak. Of course, an order that imposes any restrictions at all is preventing an outbreak relative to not having the order at all, but nevertheless we thought that it would be helpful to have a more expansive purpose, and so we got there in the end. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000779\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f96cdca1-b63c-4602-b2b3-276f58ebb518\u0022\u003EDiscussions about navigability and accessibility of orders I won\u2019t trouble the House with, but suffice to say that we, obviously, had a pretty detailed look at all the detail, including even being so precise about what contactless delivery means\u2014whether it\u2019s just physical distancing to be maintained or specifying a 2-metre limit, which is, of course, much more quantifiable, measurable, and enforceable. So, anyway, Mr Speaker, I hope that\u2019s given you a good insight into our work in examining the orders, and as I\u2019ve said we do in fact support these orders in the House tonight.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022 data-id=\u00227206ddeea98b493ea407d6a8ea995c33\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000780\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227206ddeea98b493ea407d6a8ea995c33\u0022\u003ETEANAU TUIONO (Green):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker, and also thank you to the previous speakers as well. I\u2019m like the last speaker, Chris Penk: I wear a bunch of hats. I\u2019ve literally got one on my head right now! Thank you for the detail that you went through with the Regulations Review Committee. Going through that detail, I think, is really important, as is acknowledging how fast things are moving. Things are moving very, very, very quickly. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000781\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EMy understanding with these orders is that they were predominantly made during the period of phase one and two of the Omicron outbreak, as case numbers initially grew slowly while contact tracing was able to limit the spread. They also cover the beginning of phase three, as numbers increased quickly and contact tracing and isolation requirements subsequently changed as well. As I flicked through them, I noted that the main issues that were covered were self-isolation requirements for contacts at various points of the outbreak, and border controls, isolation, and testing requirements for incoming travellers. The Minister and the member before both picked those things up.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000782\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003ESome of the orders\u2014there\u2019s a few of them, and I do appreciate that they have moved quickly. I\u2019m just looking at a couple of them here, like the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework and Other Matters) Amendment Order 2022\u2014that\u2019s such a long, long name\u2014which was an order made to strengthen the rules around masks and face coverings to make it mandatory for a mask to cover both the mouth and nose and have straps that go around the ear or head and extending the mask mandates to children under 12. For some of those ones, we\u2019re here to confirm it, but, actually, the deadline has been and gone because things have been moving so quickly, such as the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Order (No 2) 2022\u2014another long order name\u2014\u201CSL something or other\u201D. This was to change the deadline from 15 February to 25 February to get a booster shot for someone who is in the health and disability sector. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000783\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EI appreciate how fast things are moving, and we do need to be nimble. It\u2019s great to see that the Parliament has seen that we can make our response as quick as possible and as nimble as possible. I do worry, though, sometimes\u2014particularly within the context of the announcements made last week\u2014whether we, in moving so fast, have missed the opportunity to actually take a pause to really ground ourselves on those sorts of issues and those sorts of voices that we should be listening to. For me, there\u2019s been a lot of noise. There\u2019s been a lot of banging on the business drum, and folks outside on the Parliament lawn were loud. We could hear all those issues. But then we couldn\u2019t hear the voices of some of the other communities. I worry about the speed of things and the shifting of focus away from immunocompromised and disabled wh\u0101nau and what this means for M\u0101ori and Pasifika leaders, and\u2014as a parent myself\u2014what this means for parents and teachers. And I know that people have been reflecting on how it feels like we\u2019re going back to normal, but the pandemic isn\u2019t over\u2014we\u2019ve had a number of deaths today, as well as over the past week as well\u2014and I think it\u2019s really important for us to continue to hold on to that. Yes, we need to be nimble. Yes, we need to be quick. Yes, we need to adapt to the situation as best as we can. But we also need to remain grounded in the fact that this pandemic is actually not over.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000784\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EFor me, that throws up a whole lot of issues\u2014and I expect these will come up somehow, somewhere, and will probably show its way at the Regulations Review Committee in some way around what we do around clean air standards for adequate ventilation and air filtration, because that\u2019s going to become a bigger issue. What are we going to do about what that means for schools and what does it mean for public buildings? Access around making sure that teachers and staff at all the schools get access to N95 masks as well. As I\u2019d been talking to friends of mine about the impacts of long COVID\u2014I mean, what does that mean, particularly when it impacts our rangatahi, when it impacts our children as well\u2014then, I think making sure that we hold on to those things that have gotten us through. And sure, things have moved\u2014and I was just thinking about the traffic light system and the system we had before, and the importance of kind of acknowledging that this pandemic is not over. We\u2019re in this particular Omicron wave at the moment, but who knows what the next wave is going to look like? It could be more severe\u2014so making sure that we hold on to those lessons, hold on to those details as well, and of course making sure that we have that equity in vaccine roll-out for boosters and for kids, particularly for M\u0101ori in rural areas, for our tamariki M\u0101ori. And I noted a couple of weeks ago the high levels of hospitalisation of Pasifika as well. And then, what does it all mean for workers as well around workplace health and safety, and those kinds of things?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000785\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003ESo, yes, acknowledging the nimbleness and the speed at which we can do things\u2014and that\u2019s a great thing in being able to have that flexibility\u2014but hey, let\u2019s continue to be grounded and to filter out the noise and listen and focus on those voices that we need to be listening to: the voices of immunocompromised wh\u0101nau, disabled wh\u0101nau. What does it mean for M\u0101ori and Pasifika communities? What does it mean for school communities? What does it mean for parents, who are navigating all of this stuff with our parents at school? And then, of course, what does that mean for our young tamariki in early childhood education settings as well?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000786\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00223d42e8cf-544e-415d-892b-f4ef8014d80f\u0022\u003EOn that, we will be supporting these orders, but also a reminder to all of us, I think, that let\u2019s continue to stay grounded and to recognise actually this is not over, that people are in hospital, and that people are dying. And let\u2019s continue to reach out to each other and to really hold on to that whole idea of being a team of 5 million. And so, on that, I commend these orders to the House. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022 data-id=\u00227f7cc1a8f9c4431890400b9a025a736c\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000787\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022489d736b-2629-4bc7-8d38-6319c7797a33\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u00227f7cc1a8f9c4431890400b9a025a736c\u0022\u003EMARK CAMERON (ACT):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. Look, I apologise, my colleague has been waylaid. ACT won\u2019t be supporting this piece of legislation. I think it\u2019s clearly obvious the world is moving on, and, yeah, look, I have got nothing further to say on that matter. But, yeah, so we won\u2019t be supporting this piece of legislation. Thank you very much.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca id=\u0022425051ed05c64bcabbfa8766dac1f2c5\u0022 name=\u0022division\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EA party vote was called for on the question, That this House approve the following orders made under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020: COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework and Other Matters) Amendment Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework and Other Matters) Amendment Order 2022 Amendment Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order (No 2) 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine and Maritime Border) Amendment Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Amendment Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Self-Isolation Requirements and Permitted Work) Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order 2021 Amendment Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine and Other Matters) Amendment Order 2021 Amendment Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Amendment Order 2022, COVID-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Amendment Order (No 2) 2022, and COVID-19 Public Health Response (Testing for COVID-19) Order 2022.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EAyes 110\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENew Zealand Labour 65; New Zealand National 33; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati M\u0101ori 2.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003ENoes 10\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EACT New Zealand 10.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp class=\u0022HpsDivision\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsItem\u0022\u003EMotion as amended agreed to.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000788\u0022\u003EOrders approved.\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000789\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubjectHeading\u0022 id=\u00225b33b9a6d9bf42769162721f756f6fb7\u0022\u003ENatural Hazards Insurance Bill\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000790\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsSubproceedingHeading\u0022 id=\u00222b7f80422b9348eeb56bab1d3975c744\u0022\u003EFirst Reading\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022 data-id=\u0022ccd92beb473848bf9db09dca891e7148\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000791\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022ccd92beb473848bf9db09dca891e7148\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission):\u003C/span\u003E I present a legislative statement on the Natural Hazards Insurance Bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000792\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022f9a94bf3-a948-4410-8413-403a7454114b\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00225076b02c2e57418b96dad344b11c2fc5\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\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=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000793\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u0022db2eb5dba67d4c2ebcf12d19f527aff3\u0022\u003EHon Dr DAVID CLARK\u003C/span\u003E: I move, That the Natural Hazards Insurance Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Finance and Expenditure Committee to consider the bill.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000794\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003ENew Zealand has the world\u2019s second-highest natural disaster costs in the world as a proportion of GDP. It\u2019s one of the reasons we\u2019re called \u201Cthe Shaky Isles\u201D. On the flip side, our natural hazards insurance scheme supports us to have one of the world\u2019s highest rates of residential property insurance. For a multitude of reasons, it\u2019s crucial New Zealanders can continue to get affordable insurance cover, and their compensation paid when it\u2019s due, as quickly as possible. Insurance is fundamental to helping communities recover after an event. Compensating policy owners for the damage caused by a natural hazard means they can repair their home and move on with their lives.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000795\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EAfter the Canterbury earthquakes, this wasn\u2019t always the case. So we have taken the time to learn from the Canterbury experience to ensure no one needs to be traumatised again by the claims process. The Natural Hazards Insurance Bill builds on the important lessons we\u2019ve learned during the past decade. It streamlines the current Earthquake Commission Act and incorporates many of the recommendations from Dame Silvia Cartwright\u2019s public inquiry into the Earthquake Commission (EQC). I want to, at this point, put on record my thanks to Dame Silvia for her very comprehensive report and well-considered recommendations, which have provided a fantastic platform for futureproofing the scheme. Dame Silvia made 70 recommendations in her inquiry. I\u2019m proud to say that 49 of these have been completed or are close to completion, including 10 recommendations being completed by the passage of this bill itself.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000796\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003ETwo inquiry recommendations were to change the name of the Act and the scheme\u2019s administering organisation to recognise natural hazards insurance being not just about damage caused by earthquakes. The name \u201CNatural Hazards Insurance Bill\u201D acknowledges the scheme also covers damage caused by landslips, volcanic eruptions, hydrothermal activity, and tsunami. Therefore, I would also like to introduce the House to Toka T\u016B Ake - Natural Hazards Commission. The Earthquake Commission has changed significantly from the small, 22-person organisation it was in September 2010. It has now evolved into a modern, forward-looking, and resilient organisation. The recommendations made by the public inquiry have been embraced by the staff, none more so than identifying a name for itself to better reflect its role and place in New Zealand. Toka T\u016B Ake represents the foundation from which we stand strong and revive together.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000797\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EThe people of Canterbury told the public inquiry of difficulties they had working with EQC. We don\u2019t want this to happen again; so the bill proposes a code of conduct defining the rights of claimants. The code will be published as part of the statement of performance expectations, and claimants will be able to have their issues heard.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000798\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EThe inquiry also recommended a dispute resolution service be available to claimants when they were unable to reach an agreement with Toka T\u016B Ake. The bill requires Toka T\u016B Ake to participate in dispute resolution as an alternative to the court action many Cantabrians felt forced to take. We don\u2019t want claimants feeling they need to pay to resolve issues they have. Many features of the current scheme are not changing, such as cover being attached to private fire insurance policies. EQC will remain a Crown entity, and the Crown will guarantee the scheme. Toka T\u016B Ake will continue to have a strong role in education, in research, and information regarding natural hazards.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000799\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003ESo what are we proposing to change, in the bill? The bill introduces a range of measures to update the financial governance of the commission to reflect modern practice and to require at least a five-yearly review of the scheme\u2019s key financial and risk management settings. Many of those living in mixed- and multi-use buildings across Canterbury\u2014and, again, in Wellington, following the Kaik\u014Dura earthquake\u2014had a difficult time resolving multiple insurance claims for damage in their building or complex. The bill proposes rules that are clearer and easier to determine the amount of compensation to be paid. Changes proposed will make it easier for people with retaining walls, bridges, and culverts to understand what compensation they could receive if these are damaged. There\u2019ll be caps of $50,000 per dwelling for retaining walls and $25,000 per dwelling for bridges and culverts. This allows people to purchase further cover if, for example, their property has considerable retaining walls.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000800\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EThe bill clarifies regulations relating to repairing buildings and land following a landslip or other land damage. It also sets a date for the increased EQC cap of $300,000 to come into effect. Increasing the EQC cap should lead to reduced premiums for many New Zealanders as the Crown absorbs liability and risk from private insurers. This change means the Government, through EQC, will formally take on a greater portion of risk, although as the AMI example in Canterbury shows us, the Crown is often on the hook either way. I\u2019d expect to see insurers reflect reduced risk in their pricing for residential property insurance purchased by New Zealanders after October 2022.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000801\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EThe bill proposes the Act come into force on the latter of 1 December 2023 or 12 months after Royal assent. And that ensures there is at least a 12-month gap between enactment and entry into force. The bill also provides for the Governor-General to be able to, by Order in Council, defer commencement.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000802\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EIn closing, I do want to acknowledge the work that\u2019s gone into this\u2014particularly with officials at both the EQC and Treasury, working together constructively, agreeing many things, disagreeing other things, and seeking clarification from the responsible Minister. A huge amount of effort has gone into getting the technical detail right, to looking at how claims have been settled customarily, to ensure that the rules are clarified to the extent possible, to ensure that the process can be as simple as possible for those who are trying to recover in the face of a significant natural event. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000803\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u00225bbd9f26-fdb0-4b85-a836-0fc46e1bba3c\u0022\u003EI recommend the bill to the committee and look forward to them working on it and working through the detail to ensure that this scheme continues to work for New Zealanders in the future. It gives me great pleasure to commend the Natural Hazards Insurance Bill to the House.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ca name=\u0022member\u0022 data-type=\u0022article\u0022 data-memberid=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022 data-id=\u0022603f5b0ecbe543d8a3299294c29d8f28\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000804\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsByToc\u0022 id=\u0022603f5b0ecbe543d8a3299294c29d8f28\u0022\u003EHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National):\u003C/span\u003E Thank you, Mr Speaker. This is a very timely bill, and one that I think the National Party will enjoy working through with the select committee process. It has enormous advantages in it for New Zealanders. While it\u2019s true that, in 2010, the Earthquake Commission (EQC) was a bit of a sleeper\u2014that no one had ever really thought we\u2019d ever face the problems that it faced, both in September of 2010 and then February of 2011\u2014that is no particular excuse for them not being ready for those sorts of events in the future. But the Minister said there were 22 people working for EQC in September. It\u2019s grown by four. My recollection is that they told us 18, but whatever, it was a very small group of people. It had been quite an easy task for them to operate, over the 17 years the Act had run, without any particular consideration of the need for change.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000805\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThe organisation did swell by quite a few\u2014to, I think, over 1,800 people eventually working for it in a relatively short period of time. When any organisation has that sort of growth over a matter of months, there is inevitably going to be some problems. I think it\u2019s worth remembering, though, that the total number of claims that were dealt with as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes was in excess of 700,000\u2014spread across land claims, building claims, and personal property. I think their decision that was made, eventually, to remove personal property\u2014so, in other words, breakages that you get around the house, etc.\u2014from the EQC coverage was the right thing at that time.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000806\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EWhat has always been difficult has been the issue of land claim and the extent to which there should be coverage on the built property as well; then, of course, the breadth of which coverage should be administered or available, depending on the type of natural disaster that might have been experienced by someone. It is a very good scheme and well worth holding on to\u2014quite unique in the world\u2014and the only scheme, that I\u2019m aware of, that actually does cover land damage. While there is a problem with how you might define that, it is enormously valuable. One of the things that I think it\u2019d be worth the Finance and Expenditure Committee teasing out a bit further, notwithstanding the fact that officials have clearly done quite a job among themselves in debating these issues, will be whether or not those amounts, those caps, for retaining walls and for bridges, etc., are sufficient.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000807\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EIf one were to take a city like Wellington, many dwellings cannot exist without their retaining walls, and those retaining walls might be both forward and back of the property, or to one side\u2014whatever it might be. If the property cannot be repaired without the retaining wall being repaired, I think there\u2019s a real question about how much should be embodied in the whole of that cap coverage. No one will ever get this totally right, and it would be a good idea if we could have enough time at the select committee to go through all of the circumstances that people have had to deal with in the extraordinary events of Christchurch.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000808\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s worth noting, too, that of that large number of claims\u2014that very large number of claims\u2014over 160,000 of them were repaired through the EQC process. So they were houses that were damaged up to the then cap of $100,000. Yes, there were circumstances in that that were difficult for some people, but the vast majority managed to get their lives back together relatively smoothly. One thing I\u2019ve always said is that EQC can\u2019t go away, nor can the natural hazards arrangements that will come after this. They\u2019re there permanently, and those claims don\u2019t shut. And that, I think, has been a cause of quite a bit of difficulty for successive Governments as they\u2019ve dealt with those particular issues. But I think it\u2019s important that that remains one of the open aspects of this type of coverage. EQC was one of the biggest purchasers of reinsurance of any company in the world. It\u2019s something that perhaps we struggle to get our heads around. We\u2019re only covering 5 million people. We\u2019re covering the dwellings that exist across the country that number only in the few million. But, none the less, because they were one big buyer, they were able to buy very, very well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000809\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThe argument always against raising the cap from initially $100,000, then to the $150,000, and then to the $300,000, as proposed in this bill, was that it would mean that the Government agency was subsidising the private sector\u2014the private insurer who picks up the balance of that. That is the sort of nonsense argument that Treasury needed to be completely debunked on. The reality is that the cost of that insurance is the cost of that insurance, no matter who buys it. It\u2019s arguably more expensive for private companies to buy smaller chunks to cover that first $300,000; so I personally welcome that new figure. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000810\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EBut I do offer this caution: in 1992, when the legislation first came into the House for the 1993 Act, $100,000 would pretty much replace, quite easily, the average home in New Zealand. That is not the case with the $300,000 proposed in this. When you look at the cost of building these days, you look at the cost of the average home, and you look at the price of new builds, then you know that we\u2019re possibly not even at the halfway point with that particular figure. So it will be interesting to hear through that committee process from officials as to how they\u2019ve managed to come to that figure and justify that figure. Remember too that the reason that the EQC was structured the way it was in 1993 was because the insurers of the day had decided they weren\u2019t going to cover New Zealand for earthquakes any longer. That, I think, is an ever present threat. But, even with the huge costs that have been met by insurance as a result of Canterbury and Kaik\u014Dura and other smaller tremors around the country and other events around the country, the reality is that it remains a very good market for insurers because of that deep penetration that we have in our market.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000811\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s worth noting that, when there was the proposal for the Government to buy out properties that were so badly damaged they were difficult to repair, if at all, or couldn\u2019t be repaired and where the land was so badly damaged it couldn\u2019t be built on again, the expectation was that up to\u2014working on international figures\u201415 percent of households might be uninsured. In the event, it was under 2 percent\u2014quite an extraordinary thing. That indicates that New Zealanders do value their properties, and it reinforces the obligation that falls on a Government to ensure that there is a structure in place that will give people the sort of surety that they need.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000812\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022e6b4dc55-3561-49a8-a871-ae005354ef90\u0022\u003EThe questions that will come into play here will be that question I raised before\u2014the question of: is the coverage amount enough for the retaining walls and bridges and other ancillary structures around a home that might actually be the reason why the home is able to be built in the first place. Then, of course, that big discussion about the level of coverage at the current rate looking to be less than 50 percent of the cost of a new house. But, none the less, all of that might be quite reasonable. We look forward to the select committee process and participating fully to get a better bill, a better legislative arrangement in place for New Zealanders wanting to protect their assets.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000813\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsBy\u0022 id=\u00226946e346eb994b7b8bb9bfad309378d7\u0022\u003EASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ian McKelvie)\u003C/span\u003E: Members, the time has come for me to leave the Chair. The House is adjourned until 2 p.m. next sitting day.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000814\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EDebate interrupted.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp id=\u0022id20220329037d47495d0844eaaf1a03fa354fdb54000815\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022HpsNormal\u0022 id=\u0022a6c42c44-3622-4c9c-98b8-793fb5ec15cc\u0022\u003EThe House adjourned at 10.02 p.m.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n    \u003C/div\u003E\n  \u003C/body\u003E\n\u003C/html\u003E"