8. Question No. 8—Prime MinisterDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 8—Prime Minister8. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and policies?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes particularly the Government's decision to implement the winter energy payment which will help over 1 million families to heat their homes over winter. Between 1 May and 1 October this year families with children will get an extra $31.82 a week and single people with no dependent children will get a boost of $20.46 a week. This payment will help older New Zealanders and many of our low and middle income families to cover some of the costs which can peak during the colder seasons. The winter energy payment provides support alongside a suite of income increases that took effect on 1 April including increases to main benefits New Zealand superannuation Working for Families and the minimum wage. We've taken a range of actions to lift Kiwis' incomes that together will ease the pressure for many families.David Seymour: Does she stand by her statement ruling out introducing a wealth tax on 14 October 2020 when she said I won't allow it to happen as Prime Minister" and if so what was the policy logic behind that statement?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I've said many times I stand by all the statements that I have made and in fact we have done exactly what we said we would do which is implement the tax policy we campaigned on which is the introduction of a top tax rate for those earning over $180000—on income earned over $180000. We made very clear at that time our view that that would create a fairer system. It did not put us out of kilt with other jurisdictions. In fact as a percentage of GDP the amount that is taken via tax is very similar to during the period that National were in office. I also stand by my ruling out the wealth tax policy that was put to me in 2020 for all the reasons I gave at the time. It was simply not our policy and is still not our policy.David Seymour: Is she prepared to tell Parliament today that she will not introduce a wealth tax as Prime Minister?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That's exactly what I said in 2020 and I have stood by that statement. We have already implemented our tax policy. The debate we are having at the moment is whether or not the National Party should they ever become Government with the support for instance of ACT would remove that top tax rate which would mean the wealthiest New Zealanders would receive a substantial tax cut whereas those New Zealanders who are on lower incomes would get a grand sum of $2 per week. We can only assume that at the same time they would get rid of—if they were supported by the ACT Party—a number of other Government supports that we have put in place to ensure that low and middle income earners feel an ease against the cost of living pressures they've experienced.David Seymour: Does she stand by her Minister for Māori Development's statement on Q+A that "Democracy has changed." and if so can she explain what Willie Jackson might have meant when he said that?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I've not seen the entirety of the interview that the member is referencing but as the Minister of Justice has already stated in this House we're very clear around ensuring that people have greater access to their democracy in New Zealand. Over many years we've seen improvements to our system that have ensured that we have a much more diverse Parliament. That diversity is reflected here in this House and I understand the leader of the National Party spoke today about the diversity that he hopes to see come into this Parliament as a result of his newly selected candidate in Tauranga who I notice he said "would bring new diversity"—David Seymour: Point of order.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —as a result of his candidate being "highly educated."SPEAKER: Part of the problem is I have a point of order and I'll hear the point of order. I'm going to find it slightly hard to rule on it because of the noise that was occurring at the latter part of the Prime Minister's comments. I will also say to the Prime Minister that when I stand up she should sit down.David Seymour: Mr Speaker I'm trying to ask questions and get information about the Government from the Prime Minister. It's clearly unnecessary and unparliamentary for her to be attacking another political party the whole time.SPEAKER: Well as I said before there's a bit of discretion around donkey drops. When they come from the Opposition I think there's more room for the Prime Minister to respond in a wider manner than it is—[Interruption] Who made that noise? Which of the two members on my left made that noise? Well stand up withdraw and apologise.Chris Penk: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: Take your mask off first.Chris Penk: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: Has the Prime Minister finished? David Seymour.David Seymour: Mr Speaker I wonder if you could just humour us all and explain what you mean by "donkey drops"? I asked about a Minister—SPEAKER: Oh sorry. A donkey drop is an old-fashioned expression about sometimes in cricket like a lollipop an easy throw something that can be dispatched to the boundary and that's what's been delivered on occasions in this House by both the Government and the Opposition.David Seymour: Mr Speaker I'm sorry how does it help the order of this House for you to describe a serious question about a Minister of the Crown describing the nature of democracy as—what did you say—a whole lot of insults towards the question? How does that help you doing your job?SPEAKER: No no I'm not attempting to insult the member at all. All I'm indicating to the member is that his question ended up being quite wide and therefore there's an ability to have a wider response to it. And I'll also say that when there is loud interjection the ability of the Prime Minister to respond to that is something which is quite clearly allowed in the Speaker's rulings. So if the members don't want that sort of response they should be careful with the degree the volume—and frankly the lack of wittiness—of their interjections.David Seymour: Mr Speaker I agree I was a victim of loud and unwitty interjections. I wonder if you'd like to give the ACT Party some additional supplementaries?SPEAKER: Well the member with that point of order is almost certainly being disorderly and I'll contemplate how many I'll remove. David Seymour: Well Mr Speaker I hope you don't trespass me—supplementary question. SPEAKER: Well the member does know that my rights within here are pretty much absolute.David Seymour: Mr Speaker that's untrue; you have to follow the Standing Orders like all of us. SPEAKER: That is absolutely right and if the member reads the Standing Orders he will know that I am responsible for order; deciding what's disorderly; and especially deciding what's grossly disorderly which includes members who are deliberately being disorderly as the member was.David Seymour: Thank you Mr Speaker. Given the Prime Minister has said her Government is committed to inclusive democracy in her earlier answer to a supplementary question some minutes back why did the Government decide to consult only select Māori groups about its plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and does she believe all New Zealanders have an equal interest in the future of their country's constitution?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I absolutely agree that all New Zealanders will have an interest and should have a stake in whether we are upholding the obligations we signed up to under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The member is wrong to presuppose or try and imply that all New Zealanders will not be consulted—they will be that is part of the process."