King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:672;Page:18699] 
6. 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: What advice did he receive from the most recent food bank he visited about the current cost of living? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 I receive advice about the current cost of living from a range of sources but primarily from Statistics New Zealand whose food price index last week showed that over the last 6 months food prices on average have gone up only 0.9 percent. In terms of advice about those presenting at food banks I receive information from the Minister of Social Development who visits food banks regularly and even worked in one very recently. She advises that people use food banks for a range of reasons with a major reason being a loss of employment. 
Hon Annette King 
: Which food bank did he visit recently if he did visit one; and what date was that visit? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I have not been to one recently. 
Hon Annette King 
: Have any organisers of food banks told him that the reason for the 30 percent increase in people in work receiving food parcels is that they are making poor life choices; or is it that the cost of living has risen faster than their wages? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I cannot recall a direct conversation with a food bank organiser and therefore I cannot characterise either. I have met people who run social services and who run food banks but I am not sure I would say they are absolutely food bank organisers. 
Hon Annette King 
: Has he now watched the  
Campbell Live 
 story that I raised in a question to him last week; or has he read the comments made about the rising cost of living and how it is affecting people like Anya who says they are getting more and more worried about how they can manage with the rising cost of living—she works part-time and her husband works full-time for $48000 a year; her wages cover childcare with about $30 a week to spare and she says it would take only a car repair bill or a dentist bill to cause real problems; and why has the tax switch not cushioned her family from the harsh financial pressures they face? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No I have not seen the TV programme. I go back to the point I made earlier: Statistics New Zealand advises that the food price index has gone up 0.9 percent for the last 6 months. If one were to contrast that with Labour’s last 6 months in office one would see that it went up between 6 and 7 percent—I think they call that about eight or nine times more. Interestingly enough—and this is quite a fascinating fact for the House—over the last 6 months the price of vegetables has actually gone down 15 percent. One could argue there is no need to take GST off vegetables; it has already happened. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I call the Hon Annette King. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon Annette King 
: It’s a laughing matter for the Prime Minister. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise. The House will come to order. No members want an early shower. The House will come to order. 
Hon Annette King 
: If the tax switch has worked as he keeps asserting why are there a growing number of commentators including Fran O’Sullivan and Jon Johansson saying that it has not worked there was a billion dollar gamble and the Government’s economic management is failing? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Because I take the advice of Treasury over Jon Johansson.