1. Question No. 1—FinanceDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of FinanceORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Finance1. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the Prime Minister's statement that it's not right for households to be tightening their belts if the Government doesn't too" and will he rule out introducing a new tax on capital while he is the Minister of Finance?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): To the first part of the question I always agree with the Prime Minister. To the second part of the member's question the Government has made a series of commitments on what we would do and what we would not do on tax this term and those are being upheld. The Prime Minister's made clear that there will be no major new taxes in the Budget such as a capital gains tax or wealth tax.David Seymour: Why can't he match Jacinda Ardern's promise not to introduce a capital gains tax while in his current position?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I thank the member for his confidence that I will be returned as the Minister of Finance after the election. There's one more Budget to go in this term.David Seymour: How is it possible that his Government is spending $11 billion or 68 percent more on health and $5 billion or 38 percent more per year on education since 2018 but fewer kids are attending school fewer are getting university entrance (UE) and waiting lists for operations are longer than five years ago?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Among the various suggestions that the member is making there all of them could be challengeable. In particular the member might want to wish away the impacts of COVID on issues like school attendance but actually this Government has work in place to improve that significantly.David Seymour: Why would New Zealanders agree to any new Government implementing a new tax on capital when this Government has increased core Crown expenditure by 60 percent compared with general inflation of 20 percent in the last five years and yet the trains don't work the roads are potholed fewer criminals are in jail fewer kids are attending school and more people are queuing for operations?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member is asking a hypothetical question.David Seymour: Does the Minister of Finance think it's a serious matter that he has increased expenditure by 60 percent and isn't prepared to get up and defend the performance of his Government in simple things like how many kids are attending school how many are passing UE how many operations are getting done how long is the waiting list for hospitals?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member did ask a hypothetical question. I spend a lot of time in this House talking about how proud I am of the record of this Government of the fact that we went through COVID and came out the other end in a better place than most countries around the world with one of the lowest excess mortality rates with our economy 6 percent larger now than it was before COVID with more people in work with record low unemployment and with our net debt levels being among the lowest in the OECD with countries that we compare ourselves with. I am extremely proud of our record Mr Seymour.David Seymour: Does the Minister of Finance believe that unrealised capital gains on assets like houses should be taxed and if not does he agree with David Parker who used exactly that assumption to claim that the wealthy pay half as much tax as middle-income New Zealanders?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I refer the member to my primary answer. The Prime Minister has been clear that the upcoming Budget will not include a wealth tax or a capital gains tax."