3. Question No. 3—Prime MinisterRt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 3—Prime Minister3. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes I do. In particular I stand by my statement from the weekend where I said I haven't met a single young Kiwi whose ambition creativity and spark would be best served by a life on a benefit." That is why I'm very proud to stand by this Government's actions to address the legacy of welfare dependency that the previous Labour Government was all too happy to grow. And before I take any more questions can I just acknowledge Grant Robertson's announcement of his retirement today. I thank him for his service in this place in Parliament and also in Government and wish him well for the future.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Is Louise Upston correct that changes to benefit indexation will save the Government $669.5 million through to 2027-28?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well it depends very strongly on what the forecast projections are going forward. As you know in your previous Government there was a period where actually inflation was running well ahead of wage increases. As a result that's why we've moved it back to make sure we index benefits to inflation so that people are protected from their purchasing power being eroded by inflation.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. I asked him whether the Minister was correct or not or whether he agreed with the Minister or not. He has given a whole lot of other information but he hasn't actually answered whether or not he agrees with the Minister.SPEAKER: Well I thought he reasonably did but ask the question again at no cost to your supplementary list.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Thank you. Is Louise Upston correct that changes to benefit indexation will save the Government $669.5 million through to 2027-28?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: It all depends on the forecast going forward. But what I'd say to you is indexing benefits going forward indexing benefits to inflation—that's the right way to go.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Was Cabinet made aware of the fact that a disabled Kiwi on the supported living payment would lose $2300 a year by 2028 thanks to changes to benefit indexations; if not why not?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: We're making sure that benefits are adjusted by the amount of inflation so that the purchasing power of those beneficiaries is not eroded. That is the way we're managing it going forward and we think that's the right approach.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. That didn't answer the question—didn't come close to addressing it.SPEAKER: Now I disagree with you because I think while you ask a question you can't guarantee what the answer is. But if the question was—sorry I was told not to get into explaining these things so I won't explain it. I'll just say ask it again and we'll probably get the same answer that would be quite acceptable.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Was Cabinet made aware of the fact that a disabled Kiwi on the supported living payment would lose $2300 a year by 2028 thanks to changes to benefit indexations; if not why not?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: They're not losing anything. We're adjusting benefits and indexing benefits to inflation so that the purchasing power of a beneficiary maintains irrespective of what happens with inflation.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: If people aren't going to lose anything because of their changes to benefit indexations how is the Government saving $669.5 million?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: They're not losing anything because we're adjusting benefits by the amount of inflation.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why did he state at his press conference yesterday that someone undergoing cancer treatment could be forced to work 10 hours a week?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: What I'd say to you is we are determined to make sure that people who are on a jobseeker benefit are upholding their obligations. There is a case by case basis. There will be valid reasons why people may or may not meet their obligations. But people who are on a health ticket under the jobseeker benefit actually also want to work in many cases. We are supporting people into work.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: What's the total estimated cost of the coalition agreement to restore mortgage interest deductibility for rental properties including the backdating that they have agreed to?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: That information will be available in the Budget in May.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: What does it say about his Government's priorities that their first major financial decisions involve backdating tax breaks for landlords increasing Government revenue from people smoking and cutting benefits for the lowest-income New Zealanders?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well I'll tell you what we're not going to do: we're not going to do what that Government did which was to increase the number of people on the jobseeker benefit by 70000 people—increased it by 58 percent took the number of sanctions and obligations down by 57 percent. We care about young people on a benefit. We want to get people from welfare into work. On that basis that would exclude the deputy leader of the Labour Party from running for the leader of the Labour Party one day down the road.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Point of order Mr Speaker. I know that the Opposition is having difficulty reorganising itself but every member from that front bench over there shouting is surely not the way to image this Parliament. We don't mind objection—we welcome it—but that sort of screaming mindless leadership mess is not what Parliament should look like.SPEAKER: Well you might say that but I was actually also looking over this side because the Prime Minister was speaking and there was a considerable amount of support for what he was saying loudly coming from that side. So I think it's one all."