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 his statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): Yes particularly the changes that came into effect on 1 April that mean that 1.4 million New Zealanders are receiving a little bit of extra help with the cost of living. Christopher Luxon: How does he reconcile his statement from February that We ended last year with strong economic growth." with the fact that the economy actually shrank at the end of last year? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Obviously the numbers have been updated since I made that comment. Christopher Luxon: Why has New Zealand just recorded its largest current account deficit on record? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Clearly the current account deficit has been a challenge for New Zealand over a longer period of time—Hon Grant Robertson: Decades. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Decades in fact. I recall when we were sitting over there asking questions of the Government of the day over here on a similar issue around the current account deficit. It has been a challenge for New Zealand for some time but clearly global economic conditions are having an impact. Christopher Luxon: If it's all global factors then why have Kiwi exports grown at less than half the rate of Australia's over the last two years? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There are a range of things that have an impact on New Zealand's exports. One of the things I'm very proud of about this Government is the work that we've done around trade and for example the number of our exports covered by trade agreements that have been entered into by this Government has increased significantly. I think we've got a pretty proud track record when it comes to improving the trading conditions for New Zealand exporters. Christopher Luxon: What steps is he taking to turn the current account deficit around given warnings Standard & Poor's is considering a credit rating downgrade if the current account deficit and the economy doesn't recover? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Well I think the member should have listened to my last question. I'm very proud of the track record of this Government when it comes to improving the conditions for our exporters. Unlike members on the other side who talk a big game when it comes to trade this Government actually delivers. Christopher Luxon: Why then has Australia hit peak inflation later and then retreated faster than New Zealand? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: New Zealand and Australian economies—whilst there are many similarities there's also many differences to it. When inflation was lower in Australia they were decrying the fact that the Australians weren't going to have the level of inflation that we had and then their inflation peaked at a higher level than New Zealand's. Hon Member: Well where was the answer in that? Christopher Luxon: Yeah. How are Kiwis supposed to get ahead when under his Government food prices have increased by 26 percent so a $200 grocery shop now costs more than $250? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I acknowledge that New Zealand families are finding it tough and that inflation is biting into household budgets. That is the reason that we put cost of living front and centre of the Government's priorities. Christopher Luxon: Hasn't his Government's decision to increase spending by $1 billion a week ensured inflation has remained higher for longer crushing Kiwis with a prolonged cost of living crisis? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Oh there he goes again. He's saying that teachers don't deserve a pay rise nurses don't deserve a pay rise and police officers don't deserve a pay rise and that we shouldn't expand our health services to keep up with population growth. I note that in almost every policy announcement that he's made so far he wants to spend more money on something but he doesn't seem to be very clear about exactly how much more he wants to spend. Christopher Luxon: Does he take any responsibility for rising interest rates that mean a family re-fixing a $400000 mortgage fixed just two years ago is now on the hook for $300 extra a week in interest? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I do note that rising interest rates bite into household incomes. That is one of the reasons why the Government is very focused on the cost of living. Clearly high levels of inflation are having an impact on interest rates. David Seymour: Does he stand by Carmel Sepuloni's statement made on his behalf last week relating to the email that got Stuart Nash fired in two hours: "Ministers have to sign off Official Information Act requests and that Minister at the time made the decision that it wasn't within scope." and if so what was the purpose of his office being involved in responding to that Official Information Act (OIA) request? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In answer to the last part of the question my office wasn't involved; my predecessor's office was involved in that particular request. In answer to the first part of the question yes I expect all Ministers when they are signing off OIA requests to take responsibility for what they are signing.David Seymour: Point of order. Surely the Prime Minister's office is continuous throughout the Government rather than changed each time there's a new person in it.SPEAKER: That had at least two legs to it and the Prime Minister did address at least one of them.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Speaking to that point.SPEAKER: In what way?Hon Michael Woodhouse: Well you're absolutely right but having addressed the second leg of the question the answer does have to be within the Standing Orders and indeed consistent with your ruling of a couple of weeks ago.SPEAKER: My original ruling stands.David Seymour: How will any new rules for lobbyists work if Ministers just refuse to release official information for two years even when the Prime Minister's office knew all about it?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The rules around increased transparency around lobbying are something that I hope we can reach a greater degree of bipartisan consensus about. There has not been support across the House for increased transparency around lobbying in the past. It would appear that there is now and therefore I think we can make a lot of progress on it.David Seymour: Will the Prime Minister confirm today that he will join other leaders in a cross-party effort to amend the Official Information Act by adding penalties for deliberate breaches of it like 72 other countries have as I wrote to him and requested just today?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I'm happy to read the member's letter and come back to him in due course.David Seymour: Will the Prime Minister confirm that he will work with other parties to add penalties for deliberate frustration of the Official Information Act or not?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: That's not something that the Government has made decisions on. In terms of our work around the Official Information Act our priority has been to increase compliance with the Official Information Act and the record will show that timeliness of OIA responses has improved under this Government proactive publishing of Official Information Act requests has improved under this Government and proactive release of information has improved—in fact been put in place—under this Government and continues to improve. The proactive release of ministerial diaries something the previous Government never did has been put in place under this Government. I think our track record is a good one.David Seymour: Is the problem that his Government is guilty of not complying with the OIA such as when Minister Kiri Allan texted Labour MPs asking them not to email Ministers in case it became discoverable under the OIA and then ran special sessions to help people get around it; and is that not the reason why he's talking about lobbying because the real smoking gun is his own office's interference with and non-compliance in the Official Information Act?Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No."