2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Acting Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Acting Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and policies? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Acting Prime Minister): Yes. In particular I stand by the Firearms Registry which went live on Saturday and it has so far seen 576 licence holders register 1452 arms items. The register will provide us with a clear picture of guns in this country and will help stop firearms from being transferred into criminal hands. I also stand by the Corrections Amendment Bill which is being read for the first time today both in the House and it seems by the Opposition.David Seymour: Can the Prime Minister please tell the House and New Zealanders how many gang members or holders of illegal firearms have registered their firearms with her new $200 million register in the time she mentioned?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I don't have that figure on me. However the point of this is to ensure we have a clear understanding and knowledge of where firearms are and who owns them with the purpose of ensuring that they do not end up in criminal hands. I do need to just quote the Police Association president when discussing ACT's promise to repeal the register: ACT cannot claim to be the tough on gangs party when they lobby to remove the best opportunity to prevent gangs from arming themselves". David Seymour: Is the Acting Prime Minister aware that spending per person on education has risen 8.4 percent faster than inflation since her Government has been in office and if so can she really say that New Zealanders are getting better value for money in education when fewer kids are going to school and Kiwi kids are doing worse in every international comparison since her Government has been in office? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I'm not going to apologise for being part of a Government that has increased spending in education. We take the education sector and the future of our children seriously. Also I will note that when I'm out and about in my electorate often I have schools pointing out the difference that the investment in property has made pointing out the difference that free lunches in schools have made and pointing out the difference that the amount of funding that we have put towards schools to cover off the need for them to charge donations to families—the difference that that has made. I'm very proud of our investment in education. David Seymour: If the Acting Prime Minister won't apologise for spending more money will she apologise for spending more money only to have fewer kids going to school learning less? It's all there in black and white—will she apologise for that? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I could rattle off some more investments in education if that member would like including the announcement that we made at Budget to make it 20 hours free for two-year-olds for early childhood education and to invest in public transport so that our children who need to catch the bus to school don't have to pay for their transport. Those things make a difference. All of the initiatives I've rattled off: public transport; food in schools; period products in schools even—they make a difference to whether or not kids will show up to the classroom so I do not apologise for that. David Seymour: How is it possible that every time she's challenged for spending more money to get worse results she just lists more examples of spending that haven't got results? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I would refute the premise of that question and say that actually every time that member asks me a question in this House it gives me an opportunity to talk about the importance of our investment and the achievements of this Government. David Seymour: Does she agree with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins when he said "it's not right for households to be tightening their belts if the Government doesn't too." and if she does agree with that statement from the Prime Minister can she see the problem with her constantly standing up and talking about spending and investment without being able to point to a single thing that's actually got better at the end of the day for Kiwis? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Tightening our belts includes not promising New Zealanders tax cuts when they cannot be afforded and where actually there would be a requirement for there to be cuts elsewhere. Our Prime Minister who I agree with always has also made it clear that our focus as a Government is on the bread and butter issues affecting New Zealanders and that was reflected very strongly in all of the investments that we saw at Budget 2023. David Seymour: Would the Acting Prime Minister like just one more chance to tell the people of New Zealand what measurable outcome or final result has actually got better under her Government that spends 25 percent more per person after inflation? Just one measurable thing—not an investment but an actual improvement in the outcome for the money that is being spent on behalf of taxpayers. Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Thank you. I will do better than that—I'll give that member two. Firstly just referring to what was spoken about by our Minister of Housing and the 12000 additional public houses that we now have in this country that comes off the back of inheriting a housing crisis where a Government had left fewer public houses than what had been in place when they first came into Government. Secondly I also just want to refer to a report that came out on incomes this week citing that those on the lowest incomes—our beneficiaries—are over 40 percent better off in terms of their incomes even when inflation is taken into consideration than what they were when we took office. David Seymour: Who advised the Prime Minister to use housing as an example of something that's got better under her Government when the prices are through the roof rents are at record levels and tens of thousands of people are living in motels under her Government? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I certainly don't need that member's advice with regards to what will be in the content of my answer. I'm very proud of what we've achieved in housing. There is much more to do and we are the political party and the Government to do that."