3. Refugees—QuotaJAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime MinisterRefugees—Quota3. JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's policies?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Prime Minister): Yes particularly those that the Greens voted for when in Budget 2017 the Government lifted the incomes from 1 April next year of the lowest-income households in New Zealand. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before I call James Shaw members have a right once the question has been asked to hear the answer. I had difficulty hearing that answer simply because of the interjection that was coming from directly to my left. I require substantially more cooperation.James Shaw: Does he stand by his Government's decision to accept merely a quarter as many refugees per capita as countries like Australia Canada and Sweden?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: We stand by the additional refugees that have been taken in over and above the quota of 750—250 per year—taking us up to 1000. We also stand by the process by which we deal with refugees which is to commit considerable resource I think worth around about $100000 per year per refugee to make sure that they can attain the language and employment skills that will enable them to be participants in the New Zealand community.James Shaw: Can he confirm that his Government cut the number of refugees New Zealand takes from Africa and the Middle East when it is precisely those people who are in the most precarious and needy situation?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: There will be a range of opinions about the relative need among refugees but the Government did respond to the very large number of refugees from Syria by opting to take several hundred more of them over the next few years.James Shaw: Is he aware of other countries that have recently changed their rules to cut down the number of Muslim refugees and migrants and does he support their approaches?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: No I am not aware of that.James Shaw: What does he say to Yibeth Morales Ayala a former refugee from Colombia who pleaded with the Government to increase the quota to help people like her be reunited with their families?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I would say to her that the Government has recently increased the quota in response to the problems in Syria; that it has now embarked with mainly the Churches on a community sponsorship programme for refugees with the pilot starting just within a month or two; and that we have committed through building new facilities and through extensive support for refugees to making sure they can succeed in New Zealand. James Shaw: What would he say to Bishop Justin Duckworth who has called on the Government to show leadership on refugees and said that Kiwis have the capacity and the willingness to do so much more"?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: As I just said we are now working or immigration officials are working with the Churches with whom I discussed this matter in the last couple of months on a community sponsorship programme that enables those Kiwis who are interested in welcoming refugees and supporting them in a sustainable manner to see whether that is a way that we can increase the numbers.James Shaw: On World Refugee Day will he do the right thing and offer a helping hand to families who are fleeing war and persecution by welcoming at least 2000 refugees per year to New Zealand?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: We are currently gearing up to deal with the increased numbers that are coming in now and getting the community sponsorship programme started. We are not about to announce very large increases in the refugee intake."