4. Fiscal Strategy—Tax Working Group and Projected SurplusesHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of FinanceFiscal Strategy—Tax Working Group and Projected Surpluses4. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement yesterday that the Tax Working Group review isn't a revenue grab - one option open to the working group is that the recommendations are fiscally neutral"; if so will he give an assurance that any tax package finally approved by the Government will be fiscally neutral?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): In answer to the first part of the question yes; and in answer to the second part of the question as the member notes fiscally neutral recommendations are an option for the Tax Working Group. We will all have to await their report to see if it occurs.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How then in the absence of such an assurance can New Zealanders be confident that he isn't preparing a revenue grab?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: If the member looked at the terms of reference for the Tax Working Group and indeed the policies outlined by the Government he would see that we have committed that any recommendations from that working group that the Government chooses to take up if they are legislated will not come into force until after the 2020 election.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What would be the combined projected surpluses for the next four years as outlined in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update?SPEAKER: No. Does the member want to rephrase the question so it's a supplementary to either the primary or the other questions?Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well speaking to the point of—SPEAKER: No. It's not a point of order.Hon Paul Goldsmith: All right. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If a question is about the Tax Working Group and revenue what is not connected about that—talking about the size of surpluses?SPEAKER: Because the fiscal update is a very specific document one which is from the past and has nothing to do with a tax working group which—it's been made clear to the public—will not be implementing its work for another two years. Does the member want to have another go at having the supplementary question?Hon Paul Goldsmith: Yes yes. To the Speaker—to the Minister. [Interruption] SPEAKER: OK. That's sort of like about 2 all so we'll just let the member ask his question.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well what are the combined projected surpluses expected for the next four years?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member is doing a great job asking these questions for the Opposition but unfortunately he'll have to wait until the Budget for that information.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well how much more money than the $19 billion in surpluses that were recorded in the pre-election fiscal update does he think he needs?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What we need is revenue to enable us to rebuild our health system fix our hospitals fix our schools and make up for the nine years of neglect of that previous Government.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Then why is it that when he had $19 billion in surpluses available to him plus higher than expected revenues plus he's borrowing an extra $10 billion he's unwilling and unable to keep the Government's promise to New Zealanders over reducing costs to GPs?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member will see the full extent of our plan when the Budget comes out. But what I can say to him is that when we have inherited hospitals in New Zealand that require so much work that have mould in the walls where we have early childhood centres who have actually had a real-term decline in their funding it will take time to correct these but we've got the plan to do it."