4. Question No. 4—FinanceHon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 4—Finance4. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (National—Tauranga) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by all his statements and actions on public spending?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Yes in their context. In particular I stand by the Government's announcement of the targeted COVID support payment to help businesses who are most directly affected by the Omicron outbreak. The first payments for this scheme went out yesterday with a total of $166 million paid out to over 33000 businesses. We've seen in recent times that demand bounces back strongly once concerns about the spread of COVID-19 have eased. The COVID support payment is a good example of the role of public spending in making sure that the supply side of the economy is supported through the effects of the pandemic and is better able to meet consumer demand when economic activity does bounce back. Hon Simon Bridges: Does he accept that according to the OECD he has spent more public money during the pandemic as a proportion of GDP than any other Government in the Western World bar the United States and with $6 billion of new spending coming in Budget 2022 when is enough?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I do accept that New Zealand has responded strongly to a one-in-one-hundred-year global economic shock to support New Zealanders' lives and livelihoods. I also accept that members of the Opposition have often called for us to spend even more in those particular areas. I also accept that the OECD has remarked upon the fact that New Zealand continues to have a very strong fiscal strategy including one of the lowest levels of debt in the OECD. Hon Simon Bridges: Does he accept what Adam Creighton wrote in The Australian newspaper last week: New Zealand cocooned away from the world for almost two years to keep Covid-19 at bay increased its public debt between 2019 and this year by the equivalent of 24.5 percent of its annual economic output more than any other advanced nation" and if so why does he feel the need to double down on this mountain of debt and spending with $6 billion in Budget 2022? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. Hon Simon Bridges: Does he accept that his forecast $6 billion in operating allowances or new spending in Budget 2022 will be the highest new spend in a Budget ever in New Zealand? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What I accept is that the Government faced with nine years of neglect by the National Government of the health system has to invest in a one-off way to create what is a significant operating allowance. That money is required to make sure that New Zealanders get the health services that they deserve. The question the member has to answer is: "What would he cut?" Will it be health will it be education will it be housing?Hon Simon Bridges: Well in light of that about health spending in his statement at another question time that "a big chunk" of his $6 billion will go on a health restructure how can this be a good idea—let alone value for money—when one of the biggest DHBs the Waitematā DHB has recently stated that there is a major and likely risk of "disruption to the delivery of safe and effective patient care due to the uncertainty and distraction created by those health reforms"? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: What we have seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is the New Zealand health system step up and make sure that we look after the lives of New Zealanders. Equally it has also highlighted the enormous inequities in our health system—the fact that Māori have much poorer outcomes than non-Māori; the fact that we have a postcode-style health system that that member's party entrenched by underfunding health for nine years. On this side of the House we are extremely proud of the fact that we take health funding seriously."