Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeOral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 09 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11863. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Questions to MinistersSpending—Defence Force Climate Change and HousingJAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green): To what extent does New Zealand’s 19 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions since his Government took office undermine “peace and erode trust” in the South Pacific region?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) on behalf of thePrime Minister:I take issue with those figures.James Shaw: How much is the Government planning to spend over the next 15 years on responding to the threat to homes and critical infrastructure from rising seas or on the threat to farmers and exporters from more frequent and deeper droughts versus the $20 billion that it is planning to spend on upgrading military equipment?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: One is known so the figure is known; the other is not known so we will get a figure as it is known.James Shaw: How did he find $20 billion for defence but not for housing given that 16 kids a year die in New Zealand as a result of poor quality housing?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: This country spends $2 billion a year on housing assistance not just once but incrementally baseline on baseline on baseline. The member’s suggestion is quite unreasonable.James Shaw: So can he confirm that for $20 billion he could build an additional 44000 homes which would be more than enough to house the 42000 Kiwis who are suffering from severe housing deprivation?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: This country is building 28000 houses a year at the moment. So the member’s solutions I think are very thin and not really looking at the problem that we need to solve or the challenge that we need to solve.James Shaw: If he can plan to spend $20 billion and have a 15-year plan for upgrading military equipment why can he not also do the same for building homes or mitigating the effects of climate change?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The Government does plan for those things.JACINDA ARDERN (Labour): I seek leave to hold over my questions until the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage is available to answer them.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought for that purpose.Is there any objection? There is objection.Creative New Zealand—Funding10.JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) to the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage: What arts organisations will have their support cut or reduced by Creative New Zealand as a result of their funding forecast $11 million drop in funding from the Lottery Grants Board in the last two years?Hon NICKY WAGNER (Minister of Customs) on behalf of theMinister for Arts Culture and Heritage: The Minister is in Christchurch this afternoon attending an arts funding forum. For the past 10 yearsCreative New Zealand’s funding for the arts from both the Lottery Grants Board and the Government has averaged about $43 million a year and 2016-17 is predicted to be similar. The actual Lottery Grants Board figure for 2015-16 and the forecast for 2016-17 will not be finalised until the end of the financial year July 2016.Jacinda Ardern: Did she make a bid in this Budget to plug the anticipated substantial gap in Creative New Zealand’s funding; if not why not?Hon NICKY WAGNER: I am sorry I do not have information on that. However I do know that the Minister was enormously pleased with $11.6 million for the arts approved in Budget 2016.Jacinda Ardern: Why did she tell me at select committee in June last year when Creative New Zealand was facing a $3 million cut that she was working to address the issue when clearly she did nothing then and she has done nothing now?Hon NICKY WAGNER: The funding model has actually worked very well for over 3 decades. During that time lottery funding has fluctuated but in the last 10 years the arts have benefited from $280 million of lottery funding. Interestingly the Lotteries Commission is forecasting long-term growth.Jacinda Ardern: What does she have to say to Court Theatre chief executive Philip Aldridge when he stated that “cuts would have a huge impact on the Christchurch arts scene. Some of the smaller organisations will go to the wall. Everyone is surviving on a knife edge as it is.”?Hon NICKY WAGNER: The Minister is very aware of what is happening in the Christchurch arts scene. But Creative New Zealand makes decisions at arms’ length from the Government and she is advised by it that no decision has been made yet for its budget and funding allocations for 2016-17. Also the amount that is coming through from lotteries is increasing every month.Jacinda Ardern: Can she confirm that her recent advice to arts organisations and supporters over the decline in funding was to tell them to buy a Lotto ticket because “the balls might just roll our way” and is that not completely out of touch when arts organisations have been told to anticipate a 10 percent cut they are facing a loss of staff and a loss of resource and they will struggle to keep their doors open?Hon NICKY WAGNER: No the Minister cannot confirm that. But what she can confirm is that the Lotteries Commission is forecasting increased investment and long-term growth.Budget 2016—Bovine Tuberculosis11.IAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei) to the Minister for Primary Industries: How will Budget 2016 support the eradication of bovine tuberculosis?Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries): Budget 2016 confirms almost $70 million of new funding over the next 4 years to help eradicate bovine tuberculosis. Together with the primary industries sector we have made great progress in tackling this destructive disease. Since 2002 the number of infected cattle herds has reduced by 90 percent and infected deer herds are down by 95 percent. TB has been cleared from wild animals in more than 1.2 million hectares of forest since 2011. This new funding will help achieve the goal of eradicating bovine TB from cattle and deer by 2026.Ian McKelvie: What are the benefits of eradicating TB from New Zealand?Hon NATHAN GUY: The benefits of eradicating TB include helping to protect our livestock production and value and maintaining New Zealand’s reputation in international markets. An independent economic analysis states that the TB plan will provide $11 in benefits for every $1 invested. This includes financial trade and biodiversity benefits. Having a clear target for eradication is welcomed by farmers who have spent many years and millions of dollars fighting this disease.Ian McKelvie: How does this funding differ from previous funding for TB management?Hon NATHAN GUY: This new funding aligns with an amended TB plan which is being reviewed and modernised. The new plan is more targeted. It has a scientific risk-based approach. It is a fundamental shift from containing the disease to active eradication of the disease in livestock and wildlife. That is great news for taxpayers and farmers who contribute around 60 percent of the funding out of their own pockets.Hon Damien O’Connor: Who is going to fund the $4 million shortfall that he has appropriated through this last Budget?Hon NATHAN GUY: Well I have just had an hour and three-quarters in front of the select committee this morning and that question was not even raised by that member. I do not know what he is on about.Hon Trevor Mallard: Did an agency he has responsibility for inject possums with TB release them into the wild and then state that “We probably captured about a quarter of the exposed possums.”; if so does that mean that three-quarters of the deliberately TB-infected possums were not recaptured?Hon NATHAN GUY: That member has been out in the public domain scaremongering. There was a scientific research programme by Landcare Research in the Ōrongorongos. Twelve infected possums were released. My understanding is that 6 months later 12 infected possums were captured and euthanised. Importantly this is scientific evidence that allows us to adopt a new risk-based plan. It is very important that this happens and actually TB is rife in this area.Hon Trevor Mallard: I seek leave to table journal articles which come from scientific journals beyond paywalls that indicate that the scientists were unable to note the rate of secondary infections of possums.Mr SPEAKER: Before I put the leave I just want to know how many journals the member—Hon Trevor Mallard: There are four separate ones.Mr SPEAKER: I am putting the leave in total. Leave is sought to table those four journal articles. Is there any objection? There is none.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Trevor Mallard: One further journal article which—Mr SPEAKER: You are seeking leave to table?Hon Trevor Mallard: Yes. One further one that indicates that the average spread of an infected possum is 6 kilometres a year which indicates that they would be 30 kilometres from the site—Mr SPEAKER: Order! It has been well described. I put the leave. Leave is sought to table that further journal article. Is there any objection? There is none. You will now all be very well informed.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Childhood Obesity—Childhood Obesity Plan12.RIA BOND (NZ First) to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that “New Zealand is now one of the few countries in the OECD to have a target and a comprehensive plan to tackle childhood obesity” regarding the launch of the Childhood Obesity Plan?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes.Ria Bond: Can he confirm that New Zealand previously had a childhood obesity plan launched in 2004 named Healthy Eating - Healthy Action to improve nutrition improve physical activity levels and reduce obesity until his Government cut the funding in 2009 saying it was part of a nanny State agenda?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: It was not really a plan and it was outdated.Ria Bond: Given his answer does he stand by his statement that children in the most deprived areas are three times more likely to be obese; if so can he explain why Mangonui School a decile 3 school in Northland had its Health Promoting Schools funding cut in 2015?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Yes.Ria Bond: Would he agree that it would be a better use of taxpayers’ money to give funding directly to schools to undertake the Health Promoting Schools programme instead of sending a ministry-dictated facilitator to a region as neglected as Northland; if not why not?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I am not quite sure what she is talking about but what I can say is that in terms of Health Promoting Schools there has been a huge uplift in the numbers of decile 1 to 3 schools that are taking part in it. We aim to add another 150 schools to that. We have now added 96 and frankly we are making very good progress on that and it is a very important part of the overall plan.Clayton Mitchell: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If the Minister had difficulty understanding the question could we perhaps repeat the question so he could understand it?Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not a point of order. In fact it is timely for me to remind all members that members’ supplementary questions are meant to be short and concise. There have been a large number of occasions today when members have taken the opportunity to raise two questions within a supplementary question. I may start to be tougher on such things from next week onwards.