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 particularly in regard to the way this Government has responded promptly to the challenges presented through COVID-19 whether it's the work that's going through the House today to give roughly $3 billion worth of tax refunds back to business particularly small businesses to support them or it's our mental health response where we've supported and funded apps and other mechanisms like telehealth services that are available through isolation. We have looked at and responded quickly to every element of pain that COVID-19 has caused New Zealand.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that every day New Zealand remains in level 3 means more businesses failing and more jobs lost?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I accept that any day that we move prematurely into a different alert level poses a risk to New Zealand's economy and a risk to New Zealanders' health.Hon Simon Bridges: Quite the reverse.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If we move too soon—and this is supported by Treasury—we risk yo-yoing between levels and that would be damaging to our economy and to our people. I had a conversation just today with Prime Minister Scott Morrison. We talked about that exact thing—the need for all of us to move with caution.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with Prime Minister Scott Morrison who in the last 24 hours has stated that he sees New Zealand's approach as involving much more extreme economic measures" and that's why he's not going to do that?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Two points to make: actually where we are now there are some real similarities in the levels that we are at now. Second point: New Zealand has always responded to what is happening here with our population and our cases and that hasn't been comparable at those times with Australia. And thirdly Prime Minister Morrison often has had to give those responses because people have compared the results in New Zealand and Australia often favourably around the approach that New Zealand has taken.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Prime Minister as a matter of policy formation what intellectual credibility would she give to the view that you can smash the curve whilst leaving businesses unaffected?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I think you can see around the world that there are economic impacts to successfully taking on COVID-19—Hon Simon Bridges: Nobody said that.Hon Todd McClay: Who said that? Whose view is that?Rt Hon Winston Peters: What a hypocrite.SPEAKER: Order! No. The right honourable gentleman knows that that expression should not be levelled at any other member. He will withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We can see around the world there are economic consequences to an effective response to COVID-19 but there are also economic consequences if you don't get it right. You stay in lockdown for longer; the impact on business and jobs is much harsher. Our approach has always been: go hard go early get it right the first time. The other thing is I've seen the commentary from the likes of Sir Peter Gluckman at the Epidemic Response Committee today. He shared the exact same cautious approach that we have been taking. No one wants to risk the gains that we have made. No one wants a second wave of infection.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree that New Zealand has taken a more extreme approach economically than Australia?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I've challenged the characterisation that the member's made at different times of Australia and New Zealand in the House. But I've also pointed out that we have had a different experience of COVID-19 in New Zealand and we have a different population. I would have thought the member would like us to follow our own path on behalf of our own people rather than just replicating what others have done because it hasn't necessarily been a successful template in all parts of the world. Hon Simon Bridges: Why does she keep telling us she's the best in the world?SPEAKER: Order! Order! She's the cat's mother. Hon Simon Bridges: Why doesn't Cabinet continuously review the need to remain in level 3 instead of arbitrarily waiting two weeks to make the decision?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because as epidemiologists and scientists and health professionals have continually told us there are cycles of infection—that if you don't allow a cycle of infection then you're less likely to see whether or not you still have transmission of COVID-19 and whether or not we can safely move. I do want to give some caution to the member opposite. He was the one when we went into lockdown level 4 that agreed we would not want to move at a pace that would mean that we would damage New Zealand's health and economy. He appears now to be advocating that we move with haste. No one in the world at the moment is risking their economy or health by moving more rapidly than the science or the evidence or the officials suggest.Hon Simon Bridges: What did she say to the 160 workers at Farmers who today have been made redundant because her Government has shut their stores down for at least seven weeks?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would say to any worker who is affected currently by COVID-19 that first we've put in place $10 billion worth of support so far to try and keep those workers in their jobs. Secondly the approach we've taken has always been to speed up the opportunity for us to reopen the economy as soon as possible. But the third point is I will not risk their health—I will not risk their family's health—by moving before we are sure that we can confidently do so.Hon Simon Bridges: What does she say to the managing director of Farmers David Norman who says the longer the New Zealand stores are locked down the more job losses there will be?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: All the way along we have known and appreciated the huge impact of an effective response to COVID-19. That's why we've never wanted to be in lockdown longer than we needed to. It's also why we put in place a 12-week wage subsidy that is worth over $10 billion to support employers large and small to keep their employees connected to their work. And our hope is that if we continue to see success we will be able to move through the alert levels and get people back into work. Seventy-five percent of economic activity has returned now though.David Seymour: Can the Prime Minister tell the House succinctly how her Government will balance health and economic considerations in the decision to move from level 3 to level 2 and when?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The economic goal has to be reducing as much as possible the amount of time spent in the most restricted levels. The best way to do that is to ensure that you have confidence in your health response that you do not have community transmission and that you do not risk yo-yoing back from one level to another. Treasury scenarios demonstrate to us the economic impact of doing that which is why they supported the decision that we made to have an extra few days at level 4 as we did to try and lock in the gains that we have made.Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't it entirely misleading to say that 75 percent of economic activity is up and running when even Treasury acknowledges that's not so—that it's theoretical—and the reality of that productively will be much lower?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That's Treasury's estimate. If you wish to challenge that I suggest you do that directly with Treasury.Hon Simon Bridges: Why does she think the Farmers stores in Australia are able to remain open for longer and will be able to open again this week meaning there will be fewer job losses in Australia than New Zealand?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I do think it's too soon to make any comparisons around the relative impact of the difference between indeed State approaches let alone the approach of Australia versus New Zealand as a whole. I think we should allow New Zealand and Australia to let this run its course and see then the full economic and health impacts. But I don't apologise for taking an approach that's specific to New Zealand to the cases we had here and to our own population.Hon Grant Robertson: In light of that last supplementary question can the Prime Minister confirm reports in the Australian media that as at 17 April only an extra 1.7 percent of workers had gone on to New Zealand's job seeker benefit while in Australia the number was 3.8 percent?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I can confirm that which is why I do believe it's important that we allow a bit more time before we start making any crude comparisons like that. I don't think it's helpful necessarily for the member opposite to be talking down the work that we are all doing to try and gear ourselves back up as quickly and safely as possible.Hon Simon Bridges: What does she say to the man from Lower Hutt who messaged me last night saying "I'm now on the wage subsidy which came to $420 in the hand a week. We have a mortgage and six children. I was earning over 50k in an industry which I've been in for 25 years. Tonight we fed our children a pumpkin for dinner. Power bill mortgage insurance school fees—and it's gone. Tomorrow we're having porridge for dinner. When can we get back to level 2 so we can get back to earning our salaries?"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Obviously that is an employee who very unfortunately is either working in retail or hospitality areas where there is high risk still. What we want to do is make sure that when we're in a position to open up those parts of the economy we can do it for good and we don't keep yo-yoing between the different levels. If that is an individual where we can provide any additional support through our social services I would really encourage him to make sure that they are in touch with their relevant MP to make sure that they are getting all that they are entitled to."