1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes especially the hard work that's being done to make sure that as we transition into a new alert level in New Zealand we are opening up the economy and getting as many New Zealanders as we can back into the workplace but that we are doing so as safely as possible. Many members will have seen reporting overnight as we have seen in recent days of some countries that have been free of COVID-19 cases—in some cases up to a month free—who are seeing cases now emerge. We do need to make sure that we protect the hard-earned gains of all New Zealanders—all 5 million of them—by making sure that we act cautiously but that we keep moving forward.Hon Simon Bridges: How much debt is her Government willing to take on in response to COVID-19?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I of course won't get ahead of the Budget which the member only needs to make it through one more day before he will see some of Treasury's work in that regard. But I will just reflect again as I did yesterday in this House: virtually no country in the world will get away scot-free from the economic impacts of what will be one of the largest shocks to the global economy in our lifetimes. What we're working hard to do is soften that blow make sure we're positioned to support New Zealand businesses make sure we're positioned to support their employees and get us back into the position of rebuilding as fast as possible.Hon Simon Bridges: Will the Budget show Government debt rising by $100 billion over the coming years?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again the member can use up all his questions if he would like making speculative statements but I'll keep giving the same answer. But again what I would also point out is that that member's Government went through a significant economic shock once before as well. This one is rivalling that. This is a one-in-100-year event. What we have made very very clear though is that we will not take an approach of cuts and austerity when New Zealanders know that we saved for a rainy day we got debt down for a rainy day and that rainy day has arrived.Hon Simon Bridges: Who is suggesting as she has cuts and austerity and is she simply scaremongering with no foundation?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with Cameron Bagrie that the increase in Government debt is a liability with interest on the next generation our kids. They are going to have to pay it back. Spending needs to be reprioritised KiwiBuild needs to be redirected"—SPEAKER: Order! Order!Hon Simon Bridges: —"we need a pragmatic plan that is not an ideologically driven one."?SPEAKER: Order! I just want to make it clear that there's not an unlimited use of quotes. Members can use short quotes in order to justify a question but not a long quote which in itself included several questions if the Prime Minister was to respond to them.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I actually saw other statements made by Mr Bagrie suggesting that actually this is the time when we should equally make sure that we are investing make sure that we are supporting our economy and our recovery and was not making overly simplistic statements or claims about debt and the role it plays in a recovery.Hon Grant Robertson: On the subject of the comments of Mr Cameron Bagrie has the Prime Minister seen Mr Bagrie's comments from this morning where he said New Zealand has got lower levels of Government debt than the rest of the OECD and so we're in relatively good shape in taking debt to 50 percent—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Again—I mean I know I've interrupted the Minister more quickly than I did the Leader of the Opposition. He should have taken the lesson—one of those quotes.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'll take the quote around lower levels of Government debt and agree with Mr Bagrie. We've always said that we have come into this situation in a better position than most including the UK Australia and the United States. That goes both for low debt and that also goes for low unemployment. This next period of time is going to be painful for every country around the world but New Zealand is positioned to fare well through that storm.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Has the Prime Minister got any reports on how an adult—or for that matter an MP—would take so long to work out that this economic blizzard is going to be against the next generation?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We are all too aware of the impact of dramatic economic shocks on those who will be following after us. There are many politicians on this side of the House who were not only here as decision makers or observers of the 1980s; there are many of us who grew up under it and remember it well.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that an extra $100 billion in debt is equivalent to around $50000 for every New Zealand household and will have to be paid back over time?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member will know that we are a Government who is very wise to the impact of spending decisions. That is why we actually focused on making sure that whilst we invested in our people we also got debt down relative to where it was left by the last Government. But the member also I've noticed has proposed significant amounts of spending and if the member now sounds like he is also proposing that there should be no debt that suggests to me that he is potentially suggesting cuts to other services.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with economist Cameron Bagrie that in tomorrow's Budget "We are going to need a plan not a spend-up—not throwing money around like confetti"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I absolutely agree that we need a plan for the future that means that we are investing in our people; that we are creating jobs jobs jobs; and that we're looking after the wellbeing of every New Zealander. The Budget tomorrow will be the beginning of a longer-term project by this Government to make sure that we respond that we recover and that we rebuild together.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with tax specialist Geof Nightingale that "The short reality is we are going to have an enormous blowout in our debt."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again if the member is promoting for instance his own spending plans—particularly recently some of the projects that he's announced—the member would also be looking at options around borrowing. The point that we are making is that it must be investment that is focused on growing jobs and growing the economy. That is how we stimulate the economy. That is how we get growth in the economy. That is how we recover. If the member has an alternative plan I'd be very interested in hearing it.Hon Simon Bridges: What is the Government's plan to manage debt in order to reduce the burden on future taxpayers?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Jobs jobs jobs.Hon Simon Bridges: What's the plan on those jobs?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member only needs to wait another 24 hours but the member also only need look at our response to date. We moved even before we were in a stage of lockdown to put in place a wage subsidy scheme to make sure that New Zealanders retained their attachment to their employer. That has benefited over one million New Zealanders. We put in place stimulus into the economy in the form of a winter energy payment increase that has already gone into the back pockets of those who have the smallest—Hon Simon Bridges: That's got nothing to do with jobs.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —incomes and that—the member doesn't see the connection to stimulating the economy; I cannot help him with that. But if you want to make sure that you see money flowing you give it to those on the lowest incomes.Hon Simon Bridges: Will the Government outline a plan even a long-term one to return to surplus in tomorrow's Budget?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again the member well knows that for that form of forecasting he'll have to wait for the Budget."