Goff Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Goff Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:672;Page:18465] 
1. 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: In light of his comment that “borrowing $300 million a week is unaffordable and is holding the economy back” how much on average has his Government borrowed each week during the current financial year? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 The Government’s bond programme for this year was recently extended to $20 billion. That is more than is required for the year but the Debt Management Office is front-loading some of the borrowing to take advantage of favourable market conditions. On a weekly basis that averages out to new debt of $380 million a week. That sort of increase in debt is absolutely unaffordable and I am glad the member now sees that. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: If borrowing $380 million a week is as he just said absolutely unaffordable how can he afford to spend $44 million a week—or $2.5 billion a year—on giving tax cuts to the wealthiest 10 percent of our country? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: If we were that would be unaffordable but we are not. The Government has made a number of tax changes since coming into Government but taken as a whole National’s tax changes are in fact reducing the Government’s deficit compared with the situation we inherited in 2008. Without these changes the deficit next year would be almost $1 billion worse. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Will his cuts to home care which hurt frail elderly people trying to live independently in their own homes significantly reduce that $380 million of borrowing a week? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I can say that the Government has been working very hard to take the rough edges off the recession. It is one of the reasons why we had run such a large deficit. I also say that when members opposite see the Budget next week they will realise what great progress the Government is making in getting the country back into surplus so that we have to borrow less. I look forward to Labour producing its alternative budget which will show us having a debt profile that is similar to Greece I would have thought. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a specific question. It was relatively short it was to the point and it had to do with home-care spending and the effect of that on the amount of borrowing. There was a lovely general statement about the Budget and about the Opposition but certainly— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I accept the basic thrust of what the member is saying. The dilemma I have as Speaker is that when members incorporate into a question a supposed statement of fact instead of asking for the information when members insert a statement into the question as was inserted into that question about some alleged cuts to some programme or other it gives the Minister answering a lot more leeway. If the question asks a straight question then it gives a Minister less leeway. I can be of far more assistance to members if they do not insert statements into questions. If it is a primary question then it has been validated. A supplementary question has not been validated so a Minister has a fair bit of licence in those circumstances. But I will be listening very carefully because the Prime Minister I accept was on the edges of that one. I do want to hear questions that ask questions rather than insert statements. The facts should be in the primary question and then the supplementary questions should respond to the answers given by the Ministers. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Have cuts of up to 80 percent to adult and community education and pushing up the fees on parents for early childhood education significantly reduced his $380 million borrowing each week? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: All savings that the Government makes helps in the current financial position we are in. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: If all savings help the Government’s position has the Prime Minister considered not installing the $1000 seat warmers in his BMWs and has he considered requiring that his Minister of Foreign Affairs take a $4000 commercial flight and not a $75000 air force flight? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: In terms of the use of the air force by the Minister of Foreign Affairs from time to time that will make sense because of the diary that he runs. But I have said to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that when it comes to jumping out of planes there will be none of that. We do not want that. Phil Goff tried that stunt and there was nothing in it for the taxpayer. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise to the honourable Leader of the Opposition. I say to colleagues that we must be able to hear what is going on. I accept there is a fair bit of passion in some of these questions and answers but we want to be able to hear them. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Does the Prime Minister agree that the flight to Vanuatu cost the taxpayer $71000 more than it needed to but the flight to do the parachute jump cost nothing because it was on a routine Special Air Service parachute jump? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: That is a bit rich coming from Labour. That was a routine flight with Phil Goff as Minister of Defence. Well all I can say to the member is that he should not do that sort of stunt now because I tell you what: if the parachute was packed by the Labour Party caucus it would be a very interesting jump. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: It’s only jealousy Mr Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
] When the seals stop performing I will ask my question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am on my feet and the House will come to order. The House has had a bit of fun but it is time to settle down. When I am on my feet there will be silence or members will be leaving. The honourable Leader of the Opposition knows that he should not make statements like that but then I accept the provocation as well. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: How can New Zealand afford to borrow to pay for his $2.5 billion tax cuts for the wealthiest 10 percent each year but not afford to invest in the Cullen superannuation fund which this year produced a rate of return of over 23 percent on average over 8 percent and has reduced his deficit by some billions of dollars? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: All I can say is thank goodness Phil Goff is not the Minister of Finance because this table quite clearly shows— 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think it is clear to you that that did not even begin to address my question. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I meant what I said about the House coming to order. I realise there is a lot of disorder in the House and if I happen to pick on the wrong person to leave it will be a bit unfortunate. But I will not tolerate more of this. I think it would be more helpful for an answer not to start in the way it did and I invite the right honourable Prime Minister to answer the question. 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: When the Government introduced its tax cuts which were across the board it made a number of changes. It increased taxes in certain parts and reduced them in others. That showed that by 2014 the deficit will have reduced by over a billion dollars. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave for the Prime Minister to table the official document from which he was quoting in the previous supplementary answer. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Was the Prime Minister quoting from an official document or from material prepared for his answer? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I was. I am more than happy to table it but it has been tabled before. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Are members satisfied that it has already been tabled? 
Hon Members 
: No. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member should table the document. [ 
Interruption 
] The Prime Minister indicated that the document had been tabled before but a request has been made for the Prime Minister to table the document he was quoting from if it was an official document. I am asking that that be done. 
Document laid on the Table of the House.