1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterCHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): Yes particularly my decision to wish the member a very happy birthday! But I particularly stand by the Government's decision to introduce a new offence to prosecute ram raids: a new Youth Court pathway enabling 12- to 13-year-olds to be brought before the Youth Court for ram-raiding. We're also extending the successful circuit breaker intervention programme which has worked for nearly 75 percent of the young people referred to it. The measures introduced to date to combat youth offending have been working for most kids but we recognise that we need more tools in the tool box to respond to the worst repeat offenders. Nobody wants to see any child or young person locked up and that's why these changes are part of a continuum of work focused on prevention protection and accountability that breaks the cycle.Christopher Luxon: When does he expect inflation to return to 3 percent like in the US and Canada?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There are a range of forecasts but if you look at the Government agencies most of them would be forecasting that in the second half of next year.Christopher Luxon: Does he agree his rampant spending of an extra billion dollars of spending each and every week has contributed to inflation in New Zealand now being higher than all the major Asia-Pacific economies including the US Canada Australia Singapore China and Japan?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Actually if the member looks at the current Government's spending and the spending over the forecast period Government spending as a proportion of GDP is declining—and actually the most recent Government spending numbers indicate that Government spending is down.Christopher Luxon: Does he think spending $200 million on a light rail business case $1.7 billion on consultants or $51 million on a cancelled bike bridge are actually good value for money or are they just more examples of wasteful spending driving up inflation?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Well if we just take one of those figures—the spending on consultants that the member has just mentioned—I would note that those consultants work on a range of different projects many of which the National Party are arguing we should do more of.Christopher Luxon: Why with the country in a recession and inflation at record highs did he waste months designing a wealth tax when he should have been designing an economic growth plan?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Government has an economic growth plan. I note for example the work that we have done to increase our international trade including one of the most successful track records of any New Zealand Government in entering trade agreements around the world. Unlike the members opposite we don't just talk a big game on trade; we actually deliver results.Christopher Luxon: Why has this fantastic economic growth plan led to New Zealand being the only country in a recession in the Asia-Pacific region?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The economy is 6 percent bigger than it was before the global pandemic. Members can take quarter-by-quarter figures if they want to but if you look at the totality of the period since COVID-19 our economic performance rates pretty well compared to the other economies that we would typically compare ourselves to.Christopher Luxon: Why are we the only country in the Asia-Pacific region in a recession then?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: If you look at the most recent quarterly figures for economic growth it factors in the severe effects of the cyclone. Without the cyclone we would not be in recession.Christopher Luxon: Wouldn't it have been better instead of spending millions of dollars and thousands of hours in the bureaucracy developing a wealth tax for that resource to actually have been focused on stopping wasteful spending so that Kiwis can get to keep more of what they earn?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I note once again that when the member talks about wasteful spending he fails to acknowledge what the increase in Government spending has been driven by—by population growth; by increased wages for our teachers our doctors and our nurses; and by the introduction of programmes that New Zealanders rely on. And I note that he still isn't indicating how the National Party is going to make its promises add up. They keep promising to spend more money and cut money at the same time. It's no wonder Nicola Willis fails to produce an alternative fiscal plan—because she simply can't make it add up.Christopher Luxon: Why haven't we seen an 80 percent improvement in education or an 80 percent improvement in health or infrastructure or roading given an 80 percent increase in Government spending?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: That is a ridiculous suggestion. The population has grown. Costs have increased. Teachers' salaries have increased. The run-down nature of the education system that we've inherited has required a significant investment to bring it back up to a 21st century standard. Are we focused on improving educational outcomes? Yes we are. Are we concerned about the disruption that our education system has experienced over the last three years? Yes we are particularly concerned about that. Has that had an impact on kids' engagement and kids' learning? Yes it has. Do we need to do more in those areas? Yes we do. Are we doing more in those areas? Yes we are.Christopher Luxon: Why is it that he thinks the success of a Government should be measured on how much is spent rather than the results that are achieved?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I don't.Christopher Luxon: Why is it that when the books are looking dodgy his Government's only response is to whack Kiwis with new taxes instead of reining in wasteful spending?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I utterly reject the member's question. The Government has been very focused on balancing the books. We have to recognise that we've been dealing with some of the most challenging economic circumstances any Government has faced since the Great Depression and we have managed to support New Zealanders through that very successfully. Is it a difficult economic environment at the moment? Yes it is. Will we see New Zealanders through that? Yes we will.