5. Question No. 5—FinanceNICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 5—Finance5. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement last week in relation to management of Government finances that tough choices will be required"; if so what tough choices is he considering if any? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I stand by my full statement that "We are however not immune to what happens overseas which will put pressure on the Government's books. We will continue to responsibly manage our finances and that means tough choices will be required as we tread a pathway back to surplus." To answer the second part of the member's question the tough choices are those required to balance properly funding the services that matter most to New Zealanders like health and education and housing while returning to surplus whilst also keeping debt under control. Nicola Willis: Is it correct that inflation while making things much more expensive for New Zealanders is also helping fuel a record Government tax take and will he consider adjusting tax brackets to adjust for this perverse result? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It is true that inflation has some contribution to that. What also has a contribution to that is a record number of New Zealanders in work so they are also contributing to the tax space. We've also seen company profits at a very very high level and we've also seen our economy cope well with COVID and therefore our revenue through things like GST has also been up. Nicola Willis: What does he consider is more important: spending hundreds of millions of dollars merging TVNZ and RNZ or delivering income tax relief for New Zealanders hit by the cost of living crisis? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member once again fails the "walk and chew gum at the same time" test of politics. It is completely possible for a Government to invest in things like making sure that New Zealanders hear themselves and see themselves in a modern media environment while also upholding public services while also making sure we keep debt under control while also returning us to surplus. The member's priority might be tax cuts for the wealthiest New Zealanders but it's not ours. Nicola Willis: Will he adjust to the deepening cost of living crisis by reducing the amount of spending the Government does on consultants which hit a record-breaking $1.2 billion just last year? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I said in answer to the first question we will continue to balance investing in public services making sure we bring debt under control and returning ourselves to surplus. Nicola Willis: Will he respond to a deepening cost of living crisis by calling a halt to the explosive growth in the number of management communication and administrative roles in the Public Service? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We've covered this ground before because that includes the people who communicated with New Zealanders about COVID-19 right through the pandemic making sure that people knew how to stay safe. If the National Party doesn't think that's important now that's entirely up to them. What we've also done to support people through a cost of living crisis as the member said at the start of her question is actually lift the incomes of low and middle income New Zealanders through increasing benefits in 2020 2021 and 2022; increase the family tax credit; increase childcare assistance; make sure that the minimum wage lifts—every single one of those things where a Government can actually take action to support people in a cost of living crisis National opposed. Nicola Willis: Why can't he take action to deliver tax relief for working Kiwis when he can afford $2.1 million for a Freemans Bay office for 350 three waters advisers $51 million for advice on an Auckland Harbour cycle bridge and $370 million to merge TVNZ and RNZ? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I'll give you an idea of just how out of touch the National Party is when it comes to tax cuts: even Don Brash thinks tax cuts are a bad idea right now."