1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterRt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes and especially today's announcement that the Government will fund $24 million to Gumboot Friday enabling them to deliver counselling sessions to more than 15000 young people. I do want to thank the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand the Rt Hon Winston Peters for his tireless advocacy for securing this funding—[Interruption] that's right—ensuring that Kiwis with mental health challenges can access support earlier. We know community organisations like Gumboot Friday can do so much more to solve the big societal challenges we have in New Zealand and we're going to keep devolving to the grassroots to get better results for every single New Zealander when it comes to mental health. This is a Government that's walking the walk not just talking the talk.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: If the purpose of scrapping First Home Grants as his Government announced today is to increase social housing why is the Government spending less on new social housing places than it's saving by scrapping the grants?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well as I discussed with that member yesterday we're going to increase the amount of social housing in New Zealand and we're not afraid to make tough choices. The choice that we're making is to invest in 1500 new social housing places for Kiwi families and that will mean that some of those families are out of Labour's motels.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why did the announcement by Chris Bishop today indicate that the Government will be spending $105 million less on new social housing places than it will be saving by scrapping the First Home Grants?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Look I'd just say to that member that we are determined to build more houses in this country. We have more supply needed in the social housing piece we have more supply of rental properties needed and more houses that need to be built. I'm very proud of this Government actually spending and investing money to make sure we get 1500 more places in social housing. It's important.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order. Both of those questions were quite specific questions about the difference between two numbers—the amount of money they've announced today that they're spending on new social housing places and the amount of money Chris Bishop announced that he was saving by scrapping the First Home Grants scheme. The Prime Minister has addressed something that's entirely different but he hasn't addressed the question.SPEAKER: Well I don't think it's entirely different. The question is about social housing.Hon Chris Bishop: Is it correct that the announcement made today regarding money for social housing places continues on into the out-years so it is correct to say that every single dollar saved by discontinuing First Home Grants funds social housing?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Absolutely and I want to thank the member for his leadership in this space and making sure we actually get more houses built.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Is it correct that the Government's $2.9 billion tax breaks for landlords would pay for up to 580000 First Home Grants?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well I want to say to that member that we got exactly the same advice that he received when he was Prime Minister and he was in Government and that was that interest deductibility would put downward pressure on rents. We are serious in this Government that we want to make sure we expand the rental supply of houses and so we're restoring interest deductibility we're pulling back the brightline test and we're balancing up the tenancy laws.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How much does he expect the average renter to save as a result of the $2.9 billion in interest deductibility changes that the Government has introduced?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well that will depend but what I would say is that it's important that we put the policy ideas—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. How can it possibly be acceptable for the Prime Minister to not answer a question and then go on to talk about something else? Saying Well that will depend" and then talking about something entirely different isn't addressing the question.SPEAKER: Well I think you'll find if you have a look at the telecast later the Prime Minister had barely said two more words past the previous statement but I think the Prime Minister may like to think about what you've just raised and continue with his answer.Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well I was going to have a fulsome answer but I didn't get a chance to do it before the point of order. But I mean the point I'd say to the member is that it does depend because it does depend on what people are actually paying today and what we've got to do is put the conditions in place. So actually unwinding interest deductibility lowering the brightline test making sure that we get the balance right are good things—it will put downward pressure on rents. We got the same advice that the member got and it said that dealing with interest deductibility would actually put downward pressure on rents.Hon David Seymour: How would the Prime Minister characterise the policy settings and circumstances of the housing supply in New Zealand when it was sworn in and what does the Government plan to do about that situation?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I thank the member for their question because we inherited a situation where house prices had gone up 50 percent rental prices had gone up $180 per week and the social housing register had quadrupled. That was after six years. Well you had your go and they didn't actually achieve any outcomes.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Has the number of building consents for new houses issued increased or decreased since he became Prime Minister?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: They'll have gone down because of the economic cycle because of the market but I would say to you that this is a Government that is going to open up more greenfields. And I just encourage the member: why doesn't he support our fast-track legislation? Because we based it on inspired thinking from David Parker who would make a great leader of the Labour Party one day but he had inspired thinking and we've built on it and I encourage the Labour Party to support our fast-track regulations legislation.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How is it that his Government is prioritising $2.9 billion in tax breaks for landlords whilst cutting a scheme that ensures that a number of New Zealanders can actually buy their first home?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Again I just say to the member: we are a Government that is not afraid to make tough choices. We have inherited a fiscal situation left behind by the previous Government. What I don't understand is how the masterminds that brought us KiwiBuild ended up increasing house prices 15 percent added $180 to average weekly rents and four times more people on the social house waiting list. I thought the Labour Party cared about low and middle income working New Zealanders.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If house prices were going up by a massive 50-plus percent wouldn't a saver seeking to buying a house have to be saving that way as well and does he know anybody who can do that including anybody in the Labour Party who can do that over there?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Not that I'm aware of—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order. First of all what was the question? But second of all how is the Prime Minister in any way responsible for the views of the Labour Party?SPEAKER: The first point I'd make is that if you're asking what the question was you can't possibly have a view about the rest of it but as it happens I didn't actually hear the question either.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Thanks for the chance to clarify it. If savings were going up by a massive 50-plus percent wouldn't it mean that a person aspiring to buy their first home would have to be saving at that level as well—that's 50-plus percent—and does he know anybody in this House that can do that at that speed including anybody in the Labour Party sitting over there with all their bright ideas?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Absolutely not. But what I can tell you is that we have a Government here that is absolutely determined to deal with our housing crisis. The Labour Government had six years to deal with it and failed to achieve anything.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order. First of all the question was clearly out of order and second of all allowing the Prime Minister to then use a completely out of order question to attack the Opposition flouts your previous rulings in a number of different ways.SPEAKER: Well there are two points that I'd make. The first is that the question asked "Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions?" and so that does open a question up quite widely eventually not only to the Opposition asking the question but to Parliament itself. And the second point is that while you say it's out of order I did hear the Rt Hon Winston Peters reference bright ideas of the Labour Party and I don't think it was a political attack. Now you might disagree with me. You may disagree with me—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: Sorry where's the call?Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: It's a point of order. SPEAKER: Ah point of order.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: If the Deputy Prime Minister is allowed to ask the Prime Minister questions about the financial capability of Labour members are we allowed to ask the Prime Minister questions about the financial capability of National Party backbenchers for example? That is a pertinent topic this week.SPEAKER: That's a very good point—a very good point. And I think the Prime Minister clearly had no responsibility for any of the financial capability of anybody in this House and on that basis perhaps I should have been a bit quicker to rule it out—[Interruption] I beg your pardon? Are you going to stand up and take a point or just chip from the side?Hon Damien O'Connor: Point of order. I just think that the Prime Minister does have responsibility for the backbenchers on his side of the House.SPEAKER: With all due respect he doesn't have responsibility for their financial prowess at all but he's very good at picking them. Can we now move on to question No. 2."