9. Question No. 9—TourismHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of TourismQuestion No. 9—Tourism9. Hon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of Tourism: What advice if any has he received on the forecast benefit of a trans-Tasman travel bubble on tourism businesses in New Zealand and by what date does he expect a trans-Tasman bubble to be in place?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Tourism): For the first part of the question I have received advice on trans-Tasman travel. For example the Treasury has provided advice that Australians contributed about $2.6 billion to the New Zealand economy but then New Zealanders also spent $2.3 billion in Australia. I've also received advice that there has been a surge in domestic tourism and for the month of January 2021 the last month that we have the data domestic tourism spend was up by 24 percent from January 2020 with a monthly spend of about $1.16 billion but in some areas like Queenstown for example the domestic spend was up by 71 percent to $60 million compared to January the previous year. I've also received advice that the Government's provided a $400 million tourism recovery package and an estimated $1.8 billion in wage subsidy payments to support jobs and businesses in the tourism industry. To the second part of the question we've always maintained that we would commence a safe travel bubble with Australia when it is safe to do so. Opening the trans-Tasman bubble involves balancing the opportunities with the risks of an outbreak.Hon Simon Bridges: You said next year!SPEAKER: Order! Mr Bridges I won't require you to apologise but please keep me out of the debate.Hon Todd McClay: Why did he say to a West Coast community meeting as quoted in the media Until we get 70 percent herd immunity with the vaccine then the borders are not going to open at all not even with Australia and this wouldn't happen until January of next year if you're lucky"?Hon STUART NASH: I did not say that at all. In fact you can ask my colleague the Hon Damien O'Connor who was there. I have always been very very clear that in terms of opening our borders to international tourists we are probably not going to see them in our country until next year. However—and I've always been very clear about this—the Government is working incredibly hard on a trans-Tasman bubble.Hon Todd McClay: What is his response to Auckland Airport's CEO Adrian Littlewood who said in regard to a travel bubble between Australia and Singapore that there was and I quote "Real risk that we as a country will be left behind while the rest of the world gets on." in respect of tourism?Hon STUART NASH: That's Mr Littlewood's opinion.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What about Max Bradford?SPEAKER: Order! Order! That's not kind to either of them.Hon Todd McClay: What is his response to Queenstown mayor Jim Boult in respect of a trans-Tasman bubble who said yesterday and I quote "Right now businesses are looking down a black hole. There's no light at the end of it. If they know a date in which they are likely to get going again they can talk to their bank they can talk to their lawyers and find a way to scrape through"?Hon STUART NASH: I'm aware there are a number of businesses that are doing it really tough in Queenstown—I've always acknowledged that. I also acknowledge that Queenstown at this point in time is a bit of a two-speed economy. You've got some areas like infrastructure like construction that are doing quite well. You've got about 3.9 percent unemployment in Queenstown. But I'm also aware and I've also acknowledged that a number of businesses that have really struggled to morph from a pure focus on international to more the domestic market are struggling. But as mentioned domestic spend in Queenstown for January was up by over 70 percent.Hon Todd McClay: Has he asked for advice on the number of tourism business closures and job losses that would occur if New Zealand was to stay closed to Australian visitors until January of next year as he stated in a public meeting and in particular—SPEAKER: Order! Order! I just want to make absolutely clear: we've had an assurance from a Minister that he did not make a statement. I'm just making clear that this is a different statement and not the same statement? You've had a clear assurance from a Minister on the subject.Hon TODD McCLAY: You stopped me Mr Speaker before I said as reported in the media.SPEAKER: Well I think—all right continue.Hon TODD McCLAY: —as reported in the media—and in particular that domestic tourism spend would have to increase by 72 percent just to draw even with the loss of international spending?Hon STUART NASH: One thing I would say is I am always very clear when I talk about tourism going forward that we will not see tour buses with British German Chinese and Japanese tourists up and down our motorways this year. However I am always very clear to say the Government is working incredibly hard to open up a trans-Tasman bubble with Australia and I stand by that. If in fact that was what was said in the media I was absolutely misquoted and I refute that.Hon Grant Robertson: Which approach does the member think would be better overall for the tourism industry: one where a Government sticks to a plan of an elimination strategy that's seen domestic tourism able to operate at almost normal—and even above—levels or an approach that would have seen flip-flops on whether the border should be open or closed depending on who the leader of the Opposition was?SPEAKER: Order! Question No. 10—Shanan Halbert.Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just want to know why you removed two supplementary questions from National's allocation during that last question.SPEAKER: No I took one from the National Party allocation and the reason was there was an interjection while a member was asking a supplementary question.Chris Bishop: What was the interjection?SPEAKER: I think it could be described as a guffaw that came from the direction of the member.Chris Bishop: Well Mr Speaker in the process of Mr McClay asking that question a loud voice from the back bench of the Labour Party yelled out something very unparliamentary and there was absolutely no consequence for that.SPEAKER: Well actually there was. The member's team got an extra question. Is the member finished now?"