1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterCHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): Yes in particular this Government's decision to scrap the $5 prescription co-payment meaning that an estimated 3 million New Zealanders will no longer have to worry about the cost of collecting their medication. More than 135000 adults didn't collect their prescription because of cost in the last financial year. We know that this is a particular issue for low-income families and it does on occasion result in avoidable hospitalisation. This policy will make a difference.Christopher Luxon: Does he think it's a good use of taxpayer money to lecture Kiwis about taking shorter showers and unplugging appliances on the very same day that interest rates were hiked for the 12th time in a row?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I do recall as a brand new member of Parliament back in 2009 being summonsed to a launch held by the Hon Gerry Brownlee no doubt advised by Chris Bishop launching the Energy Spot campaign that did exactly what the member is now complaining about.Hon Gerry Brownlee: That one was brilliant.Christopher Luxon: Yeah exactly. That was a good one. Will the finding money in weird places" campaign look at wasteful Government spending—maybe like the $3 million being spent on advertising telling Kiwis to take shorter showers use steam cookers and unplug their appliances?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I do believe the "finding money in weird places" is going to be the title of National's alternative fiscal plan when they do finally work out how it is that they're going to pay for all the promises that they're making.Christopher Luxon: Well in that spirit has he actually asked his Ministers to look for taxpayer money in other weird places—maybe like the $30 billion for light rail or the hundreds of millions of dollars he personally wasted on a failed polytechnic megamerger?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In terms of the cost of light rail of course the overall cost of light rail has not yet been determined and it has not been budgeted for. With regard to the polytech system I make no apology for putting extra money into vocational education and training to clean up the mess that was left behind by the last National Government where our polytechs were going broke.Christopher Luxon: How much can a typical family save by taking shorter showers and unplugging appliances and how does that compare to the extra $760 a fortnight they're now paying for their mortgage thanks to his Government's addiction to spending?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In terms of the latter part of the member's question one of the reasons that we have been very clearly focused in this year's Budget on making sure that we get the books back into balance—that we continue to manage the economy responsibly so that inflation does continue to track down—is that we do want to see interest rates coming down over the medium term as well. I note that the member and his party still aren't being upfront with New Zealanders about the effect of their proposed tax policy which would be to keep inflation higher for longer and interest rates higher for longer.Christopher Luxon: Does he agree with Megan Woods that "small steps can add up to savings that make a real difference" and if so why has his Government refused to take any steps—big or small—to reduce wasteful spending to take the pressure off inflation and interest rates?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Small steps can make a big difference—just ask the member sitting beside him who has been taking all sorts of small steps! The Government has been very focused on taking the pressure off inflation and I do quote the Reserve Bank Governor who said that the Government is "being more a friend than a foe to monetary policy when it comes to reducing inflation."Christopher Luxon: Why did he increase spending by another $19 billion at the Budget which Treasury the Reserve Bank and all the major bank economists say will lead to inflation and interest rates being higher for longer?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: That is not what they are saying. In fact I'll quote the Reserve Bank: "We totally understand the challenges that society's going through and the Government spending/investment that's needed. It's net contractionary through the forecast period." If the member is going to quote the Reserve Bank he should at least try and do it accurately.Christopher Luxon: Has he been following his own Government's excellent advice by taking shorter showers and unplugging the appliances or is it that he just tells Kiwis that to distract them from his Government's economic mismanagement and addiction to spending?Hon Grant Robertson: He's so tight he'd always do that!Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Minister of Finance is suggesting that I'm so tight that I always do that! But I think the point remains: it is valid to encourage New Zealanders to think about the decisions they take on a day-to-day basis and what that can do for their energy demand and it's just as valid to do it now as it was when Gerry Brownlee was doing it."