3. Question No. 3—FinanceHon AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 3—Finance3. Hon AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement in relation to the Government's Tax Working Group report: I'm sure there are things in there that we will be able to accept and adopt"? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Yes I stand by my full quotes in that article. Hon Amy Adams: Having previously refused to commit to a tax-neutral package is having a capital gains tax on KiwiSaver schemes that leaves the average income earner worse off than they otherwise would have been at retirement one of the things he plans to adopt? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I reject the premise in that question. Hon Amy Adams: Is imposing a capital gains tax on the family home if deductions are made for its use as a home office something he plans to adopt despite having told New Zealanders their family home would be exempt? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We haven't made any final decisions on those matters. I would note that currently there are deduction rules around the use of parts of your family home as an office so the member is probably going down a path she doesn't want to in that area. Hon Amy Adams: Is imposing a capital gains tax on 160000 lifestyle blocks despite them being people's family homes something he's planning to adopt? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We have not made any final decisions on those matters but I would note that the rules around the question of what defines a family home and the land around it are actually currently in operation and were in operation under the previous Government as well. Hon Amy Adams: So having said that he plans to adopt some of the recommendations in the Government's Tax Working Group report doesn't he think that the 2.9 million New Zealanders with KiwiSaver accounts the 500000 small-business owners the 160000 lifestyle block owners the 120000 family bach owners and the 50000 farm owners who are right now staring down the barrel of a capital gains tax deserve to know exactly what it is that he plans to adopt? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That's precisely the process that the Government is going through to work through all of those recommendations and I think New Zealanders respect and understand that this is a Government that doesn't hide away from difficult issues and that faces up to the big challenges of our time. What I would say to the member specifically in respect of KiwiSaver is I also don't believe that New Zealanders will have forgotten the $2.6 billion gutting of KiwiSaver balances caused by that Government when the member tax credit was cut by her Government and the employer contribution tax exemption was removed—$2.6 billion taken away from KiwiSaver. We're proud of KiwiSaver on this side of the House. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Just for the clarity of the Government and the public's understanding does he regard—Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was entirely superfluous. SPEAKER: Sorry? Hon Simon Bridges: That was entirely superfluous from the Deputy Prime Minister. SPEAKER: That might be your opinion. The Rt Hon Winston Peters will start his question again. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Minister for the purpose of public understanding does he regard the brightline test introduced by the National Party as being a capital gains tax? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well it's not—SPEAKER: Order! The member can answer the question with the deletion of the reference to the Opposition. Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I'm not the only person who believes that and in fact interestingly there has been a lot of commentary recently about the place of the family home and whether or not a big family home should be exempted. The brightline test exempts the family home. It's an interesting thing isn't it?"