4. Question No. 4—FinanceHon BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour—Mana) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 4—Finance4. Hon BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour—Mana) to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her commitment to deliver meaningful tax cuts for New Zealanders; if so will she guarantee that every New Zealander will be better off under her Budget?Hon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance): In answer to the first part of the question yes. In answer to the second part many factors affect New Zealanders' wellbeing not just a Government Budget which the member seems to imply is the only way New Zealanders can be better off. I can tell the member however that we will be putting in more money to improve health services in this Budget. We will be putting in more money to improve education and we will be putting in more money to strengthen law and order. Better public services and tax relief for hard-working Kiwis will help improve people's wellbeing and help them get ahead. But there is a catch. New Zealanders who commit violent crime—they'll be worse off under our Budget.Hon Barbara Edmonds: How will the additional 12000 New Zealanders who are now unemployed according to today's unemployment figures benefit from the tax cuts and be better off in Budget 2024?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: All New Zealanders benefit from a strong economy and we as a Government are embarking on a significant project to rebuild an economy that has been drastically weakened by a period of prolonged very high inflation that has eroded people's real incomes and purchasing power that has led to a significant increase in interest rates that is in turn leading to four of the past five quarters having been in recession and very challenging economic conditions. That is the reality we are faced with. It is difficult for many New Zealanders. Our job is to get on with delivering the plan to rebuild our economy and that is what our Budget will do.Hon Barbara Edmonds: Will the increasing number of New Zealanders who are struggling with increases in insurance premiums and higher rates that are significantly outstripping inflation be better off in Budget 2024?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: This is a novel new policy from the Labour Party today. They're going to be subsidising everyone's insurance bill I see.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: It is an out of order answer.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: It was a completely legitimate question and the Minister should actually answer it.SPEAKER: Yeah and I think without referring to another party's policy would be a good idea.Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Well Mr Speaker it is the position of our Government that the best thing that we can do is allow people to keep more of their own money so that they can make choices about how they spend that money.Hon Barbara Edmonds: Will she be the only New Zealander better off by saving her own job ahead of the jobs of front-line workers?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: Well you've got to say—just a minute. You've got to say—in the line of your requests about answers that question probably is the opposite mirror image of it. But if the Minister wants to come in she may; otherwise it's not necessary.Hon NICOLA WILLIS: I'm surprised by that question. I've actually been giving the Opposition member the benefit of the doubt. That question was well beneath her and I'm not going to honour it with an answer.Hon Barbara Edmonds: Does she understand that a Minister of Finance—she is responsible for the choices she makes that are causing these deteriorating economic conditions?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: I fully and solemnly understand the responsibility we in this Government have for the choices we make. And I would point that member to the colleagues either side of her on that front bench who actively chose not to adjust tax thresholds even while inflation ate away at people's incomes who actively chose to pour fuel on the inflation fire while a cost of living crisis surged who actively chose to spend money on a TVNZ and RNZ merger when New Zealanders couldn't pay for their groceries. Take responsibility for your own choices as a party and I'll take responsibility for mine every day of the week. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Are we ready?