9. Question No. 9—Prime MinisterDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 9—Prime Minister9. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes. I stand particularly by this Government's economic response to the pandemic including $14 billion that we've paid to support New Zealanders to make sure that they stay in employment in particular 1.8 million workers through the wage subsidy scheme. I also stand by our unemployment rate which fell to 4.9 percent in the December quarter well below the OECD average; the record high number of jobs in construction; our small business loan scheme which has benefited 103000 businesses so far; and I want to make special mention of the Minister of Finance as Standard & Poor's recognised yesterday the work that's been done by this Government in the wake of the most significant health and economic crisis of our lifetime.David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister stand by making Matariki a public holiday?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes.David Seymour: Did the Government understand it could cost employers $448 million every year to make Matariki a public holiday or did the Government know and just not care?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I certainly reject the premise of the last part of the member's question. Of course we constantly weigh up the impact of policies on business owners on small-business owners. We also take into account—[Interruption]—if I may—the full advice that we receive from officials which the member will understand because he received it in written form. We were provided with a range in terms of potential economic impact and in the written answer to the member's question from the Minister he also received a note that this is only a rough estimate." It comes with a range of caveats. The estimate does not take into account any potential economic benefits of a new public holiday which could include productivity gains arising from the extra rest afforded by the public holiday increased retail and hospitality demand and increased tourism demand.David Seymour: Does she stand by her Government's policy of restricting any more Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme workers coming from COVID-free countries where people are desperate for income while New Zealand fruit rots on the ground due to a lack of workers?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I have to say the member's suggestion that somehow we have specifically targeted RSE workers—we have border closures. And in fact relative to other areas of need we have made specific provision to bring in a quota of RSE workers to support the horticultural sector. We've done that at a time when working in close collaboration with the sector to assess the peak times in which they'll need that workforce and to support that workforce to come into New Zealand.David Seymour: Does she stand by her Government's actions to tackle gangs through Operation Tauwhiro?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I support the operational decisions made by the police in the work they do on our gangs and I also am very proud of the fact that as a Government we increased front-line policing to the point that police can make a meaningful contribution to tackling organised crime with a dedicated police workforce.David Seymour: Did the Prime Minister not know that Tauwhiro is te reo Māori for "to tend or care for" or does she actually believe that violent criminals who sell P need to be tended and cared for?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: What I listen to is the evidence about what is going to make a difference. If we want to make a difference to the young people who join gangs in New Zealand we have to demonstrate that there are alternatives for them that they can find a place to grow their potential without joining criminal organisations and I support programmes that are evidence-based in order to prevent that from happening.David Seymour: Does she stand by the Government's policy of rushing changes to the Local Government Act in relation to Māori wards through Parliament?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I stand by supporting local councils who are elected by their communities to make decisions including on whether or not they support establishing Māori wards. What I do not support is a provision specifically for Māori wards and not general seats that allows just a small percentage of electors to overturn a democratic decision.David Seymour: How will that rushed action in relation to Māori wards help with terrible statistics in Māori homeownership rates educational attainment or poverty?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I think the member is conflating the idea of having democracy that represents all of its communities with somehow being the singular thing that will make a difference across every pervasive issue that we as a House must address. But while we're at it I actually do think that all of these things collectively make a difference. We do have to make sure that our local government and our central government are representative of all New Zealanders and at local government we are recognising as councillors are that a poor job has been done to date."