2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterRt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. 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 and in particular our commitment to deliver tax relief for hard-working New Zealanders in stark contrast to that member who's embarking on yet another campaign to raise taxes because it seems that no matter the circumstances the solution offered by that member's party is always more tax—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. Following the precedent set by David Seymour the statement the Prime Minister has just made is incorrect. I therefore ask that he desist from making it.SPEAKER: That's right. The Prime Minister can withdraw that part but continue with his answer.Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I withdraw and apologise. What I'd say to you very clearly is that member's policy is to increase taxes. We know what the economic agenda of the Labour Party is: it's spend more borrow more tax more. That's something—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. That is also incorrect.SPEAKER: Look—[Interruption]Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: If it's good enough for David Seymour it's got to be good—SPEAKER: Yeah I know and I'm trying to come up with a wise ruling. Give me a minute! It's well known that the Government can't use the questions opportunity to attack Opposition policy. That's not how it works. So an answer that leaves that out I think is not beyond the bounds of the Prime Minister's capability to address the House.Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Look yes I am incredibly proud of our commitment to deliver tax relief to hard-working low and middle income working New Zealanders unlike the other side.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: On what date did he first become aware that his Government had cut entitlements to disability support services and respite care?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well that's just not true. There has been no reduction in the funding in the disabilities budget compared to what the previous Government funded in the year before and further we have made a commitment to increase funding this year and as we go through a Budget process there will be further increases as well.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Did Penny Simmonds request a pre-Budget commitment to boost disability support funding to Whaikaha?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: As I said we've been working to the previous Government's budget. There has been an overspend and an overrun. There has been more money put into the ministry for this year and there will also be more money put into the Budget 2024 process as well.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. The question was very specific as to whether or not a pre-Budget commitment had been sought and the Prime Minister hasn't addressed that.SPEAKER: Well I think he did when he said that they have a Budget process and were working to the—pre-Budget working to the previous Government's budget. I think that's a reasonable addressing of the question.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Did Penny Simmonds or her office advise his office of the changes to entitlements to disability support services and respite care prior to Whaikaha's announcement on 18 March; if so when did they advise him?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well what I'd say firstly in response to that is that the Minister and the ministry have actually apologised for the anxiety that they caused through what was a poor communication of changes to the policy settings. We also have ensured that any future front-line changes to policy settings in the ministry of disabled services will actually be brought before Cabinet as well.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. The question was whether the Prime Minister or his office was told about it before the announcement was made and again the Prime Minister hasn't come even close to addressing it.SPEAKER: Well it's one of those questions that's got a yes or no answer—hasn't it?—which you can't ask essentially in this House.Hon Willow-Jean Prime: No it was on what date".SPEAKER: Hang on.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: It was also on what date he was asked. I mean some indication addressing the question—he's talked about what the Government are doing going forward not actually what the question was about which was whether or not he knew about it before the announcement was made.SPEAKER: I think the Prime Minister could elucidate a bit on that.Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Look as I've said before the ministry made changes to the policy settings. They were poorly communicated and that did not go through Cabinet. That is why it caused unnecessary anxiety and confusion for which we apologise. The Minister and the ministry have subsequently apologised for that.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister has indicated the decision didn't go through Cabinet. He hasn't indicated whether or not he knew about if before it was announced.SPEAKER: Well given that the agenda of Cabinet—the member more than many others in this House would know—is set by the Prime Minister I would assume that you've got the answer that you need.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. Prime Ministers don't receive only information that goes to Cabinet; they receive information on decisions Ministers are making every day. I'm asking the Prime Minister whether he knew about this decision before it was announced. It shouldn't be a difficult question.SPEAKER: That's a fair question. Given that's the nature of it the Prime Minister could answer that.Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I was unaware of that and it did not go through Cabinet.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he agree with Penny Simmonds' decision to reduce entitlements for disability support respite care insulin pumps and glucose monitors for disability communities; if not why not?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well what I'd say is very important to the community: they need to know we have been working to the previous Government's budget. We are putting more money in this year to make sure that any cost overruns are actually being able to be managed and importantly there is further increases in the budget coming in Budget 2024. What I've also ensured is that any future changes to front-line services are actually brought forward to Cabinet and importantly we also need to make sure that there is ongoing money but also an ongoing review to make sure that that money is being spent appropriately and that it actually gets to people who are disabled and actually need those core support services.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: What does it say about his confidence in his Minister that he is now stopping her from making any decisions in this portfolio without taking them to Cabinet first?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I have complete confidence in the Minister. By her own admission and that of her ministry she's apologised for the confusion and the anxiety—that those changes were poorly communicated and poorly consulted on—but we've made changes to the process going forward and that's a good thing."