1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterRt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes. And in particular I stand by the Government's phone away for the day" policy which is so popular with parents and students and schools—and with great feedback from people like the Hornby High School head boy Khush Patel who said the ban "has helped students focus more academically". Cameron Stone the principal of Stratford High School in the mighty Whanganui electorate—he said "It's an awesome overwhelming success for us." I have to say I am proud to lead a Government that makes the changes that we need to ensure our kids are well set up for a great future because we're getting our country back on track. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Wait on—just wait on. It's worth noting that when you watch this replay on TV the person speaking is clearly audible with a bit of mumble in the background so most of that is denying the House an answer as opposed to the general public.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. I suspect there would have been a little less noise had half of the Government benches not been looking at their phones during the Prime Minister's answer.SPEAKER: Well that's an interesting point but not a point of order.Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Point of order Mr Speaker. If the House didn't hear it I'm happy to repeat it.SPEAKER: Thank you for your generous offer. I'm not interested in hearing it again so can we please have the supplementary from the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: What will the average weekly cost be to families due to the Government's decision to no longer fund half-price public transport for people under the age of 25?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: It depends on their circumstances but if the member would like to put the question in writing we'll get him a proper answer.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why isn't he aware that using the National Party's own tax cut calculator someone in their early 20s that takes the bus each day and earns the average wage could be worse off by more than $70 a fortnight as a result of that change?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well look I thank the member for their concern about that constituent but what I'd say is that help is on the way because we are going to deliver low and middle income tax relief to hard-working Kiwis. These are the people that the Labour Party used to care about but have long forgotten.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Is he aware that parents will now need to pay more to get their under-13s to school as a result of that change while his Government is also threatening to cut the school lunch programme that could see those same parents $33 a week per child worse off?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I'd just say to that member again help is on the way to low and middle income New Zealanders doing it tough in a cost of living crisis created by that member's previous Government.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the Prime Minister as to whether people in Auckland would be catching the bus each day if light rail had been built as Labour promised?SPEAKER: That's one of those interventions that is interesting but not worthy of a question.Rt Hon Christopher Luxon: That's an excellent question. Can I answer that question?SPEAKER: Well unless you've got responsibility for the failure of a previous policy I don't think so.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Will the $2.9 billion of tax cuts for landlords result in lower rents given Trade Me reporting that rents have surged 8.3 percent since last year?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: This Government is committed to putting downward pressure on rents and we are bringing the brightline test back from 10 to two years; we're making sure we restore interest deductibility and we get the balance of laws right between tenants and landlords. But what I'd say to that member is we are not going to see a $170 per week increase in rents as we saw under his administration.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: So will rents decrease as a result of this Government's tax cuts for landlords?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: The series of actions we're taking in the rental market will put downward pressure on rents.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: What does he think best reflects his promised laser-like commitment to tackling the cost of living: higher public transport costs his Government's new drivers tax higher costs for prescriptions higher rents higher fuel prices higher rates lower pay increases or higher unemployment?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well I can tell you there is a series of things that this Government is doing to focus on lowering the cost of living and lowering inflation. We've got the Reserve Bank focused on a single target of fighting inflation we've actually made sure we've introduced our Family Boost policy to give families that are struggling with childcare costs some support and subsidy and we're making sure that we're going to give tax relief in this Budget for low and middle income working New Zealanders. We're serious about lowering inflation and isn't it good that inflation hit 4 percent—the lowest it's been for three years—we're on our way."