5. Economic Growth—Wage Growth Commercial Water User Charge and Housing CostsGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) to the Minister of FinanceEconomic Growth—Wage Growth Commercial Water User Charge and Housing Costs5. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) to the Minister of Finance: Is he satisfied that after nearly 9 years of a National Government that all New Zealanders are getting a fair share of any economic growth?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Finance): The member sort of raises two questions there. The first one is around any economic growth" and I am pleased to point out to him that New Zealand's economy has now grown in 24 of the last 25 quarters. It is forecast to grow a further 3.7 percent this year and last year it was the fifth fastest growing economy in the OECD. So perhaps he could say: "… getting a fair share of the economic growth?". In relation to whether New Zealanders are getting their fair share I draw his attention to the Bryan Perry report released by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) last month which shows median incomes after housing costs increasing from 2011 to 2016 by 16 percent in real terms or 3.2 percent per annum. The lowest decile increased 19.6 percent over this period while the highest decile increased slightly less at 19.1 percent.Grant Robertson: Are the 67 percent of wage and salary earners who received a pay rise of less than the rate of inflation over the last year getting their fair share?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: It depends on which year the member refers to because in the last calendar year our inflation was zero so it is hard to argue that people got a wage rise less than zero. But the member makes a good point in terms of always wanting to help New Zealanders get ahead. That is why the Government is putting in place the $2 billion a year Family Incomes Package which through wage threshold changes Working for Families and the accommodation supplement will mean that the average family something like 1.37 million New Zealand families will get around $26 a week and that is actually helping them with their incomes and I know that the member is opposed to it.Grant Robertson: Is it a fair share for all New Zealanders when the cost of food school donations medical costs dental costs and housing costs all increased faster than wages did over the last year?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Again I think the member is concerned for New Zealanders and that is good but then you would wonder why he would then say that you would want to have a regional fuel tax or why you would want to have a water tax which would flow through into milk prices. If you are genuinely concerned about New Zealanders' cost of living you would not want to add extra taxes that would put up the costs of goods that they buy every week. That is the bit I do not understand. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! We will just have the supplementary question.Grant Robertson: In light of that answer will he rule out introducing a royalty on any commercial users of water?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: This Government will not be introducing a water tax—a water tax that these people opposite are actually talking about doing. People do sometimes pay charges now but we will not be introducing a water tax across catchments around New Zealand—and worse than that telling people that we cannot tell you the rate until after a general election because we are too scared to. [Interruption]Grant Robertson: In light of that answer can he confirm—Hon Simon Bridges: He hasn't got a clue.Grant Robertson: Shh Simon! Shh! You will be interested.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am going to invite the member to start his question again without the interjections from Mr Bennett.Grant Robertson: In light of that answer can he confirm that his Government asked the technical advisory panel to consider a royalty on a commercial user of water and is that not just kicking the can down the road until after the election?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well in terms of that it is very clear—and I think the Prime Minister has said so today and I have said so—that we will not be introducing a water tax on a catchment-by-catchment basis across New Zealand. And the people who are talking about introducing a water tax should tell everybody what level of water tax they are actually planning on introducing. They wrote the policy 3 years ago; they surely should have an answer by now. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order!Grant Robertson: Ah it is all good. Are people getting a fair share when the latest MSD data otherwise known as the Perry report shows that the percentage of people living in housing stress—i.e. where they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs—is the highest it has been since records began 30 years ago?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I cannot confirm that for the member. I am always suspicious of his numbers. But can I say this—again in relation to the matter—the member says he is concerned about these things; so is the Government. That is why we are increasing the accommodation supplement for people with high housing costs as part of the Family Incomes Package that is why we are increasing Working for Families and that is why we are shifting the tax thresholds—all things that will help reduce the housing costs as a proportion of people's incomes but the Opposition oppose it.Grant Robertson: Can he confirm that tables C.5 and C.3 of the 2017 MSD Perry report which he did not seem to be aware of before show that the number of people living in housing stress is the highest it has been since records began and how is that a sign of success for a Government that has been in for 9 years?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I have two things for the member. Firstly as soon as we could—as soon as we could—as soon as we had the books back into surplus we introduced the first increase in real terms of benefits in 40 years and of course that is not in the Perry report. The second thing is we have introduced the changes the Family Incomes Package in Budget 2017—again not in the Perry report—which will help those people. Most importantly we do not keep loading on extra taxes that put up the costs of the food and the petrol and all those things that people need. The member of course pretends he is concerned but he does the exact opposite of anybody who would be concerned."