1. Government Financial Position—Spending CommitmentsHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterWEDNESDAY 2 MAY 2018The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.Prayers.ORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSGovernment Financial Position—Spending Commitments1. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes. And to save time for question No. 2: yes again. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order!Hon Simon Bridges: Can she confirm that her Government's policy to slow debt reduction has freed up more than $10 billion for extra Government spending by increasing borrowing?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I know there's hot anticipation for our Budget but I would ask the member to wait until 17 May.Hon Simon Bridges: So was Grant Robertson wrong when he said that he's got $10 billion free from increased borrowing?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As the member will well know that was at the half-yearly update. What we've been clearly consistent about is for instance that we will be sticking to our Budget responsibility rules particularly as it relates to our debt track.Hon Simon Bridges: Can she confirm that yesterday the finance Minister announced a further $1.4 billion of tax increases and spending cuts to free up more room for new spending on top of that $10 billion in extra borrowing?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Actually the figure that we spent the most time talking about was the $700 million in reprioritisation and it is fair to say that this is a Government that also was much more focused on chasing tax dodgers and uncollected tax from multinationals which the last Government wasn't interested in.Hon Simon Bridges: So will the Prime Minister answer the question: is it $1.4 billion of tax increases and spending cuts that have been freed up with the announcement by the finance Minister?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker I refute the premise of the question. He's framing these as spending cuts and I refute that.Hon Simon Bridges: Will she commit to delivering on her promise of a universal $10 reduction in GP fees on 1 July given the substantial amount of funding she's got available to her?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Even with that reprioritisation we've still been left with a massive social deficit particularly in the area of healthcare and the member will see on Budget day what we're doing to start rebuilding key services for New Zealanders.Hon Simon Bridges: When will she deliver on her promise of a universal $10 reduction in GP fees?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course on Budget day the member will see exactly what we're doing to reduce the 44 percent increase in GP costs that New Zealanders faced under that Government.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it still her policy to widen access to very low-cost GP visits to 600000 extra New Zealanders on 1 July including senior citizens and people in social housing just as National campaigned on at the election?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again that's something that will be revealed on Budget day. What I do note is that New Zealanders particularly older New Zealanders might want to take heed of what the Leader of the Opposition has said: that the winter energy payment for instance under National would be gone and so their energy poverty and their inability to heat their home would be gone on their watch.SPEAKER: Order! I'm just going to ask Mr Robertson to allow the Prime Minister to answer the question on her own. One at a time thank you.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with her health Minister's statement that We will deliver the promises we make." or does she agree with the statement in the very same interview on the weekend: "We're going to have to phase some of these initiatives; there is no doubt about that."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The Minister of Health is absolutely committed to making GP visits cheaper and we have to because that last Government let them creep up by 44 percent. So I find it a little bit rich to be lectured by that member when it got out of control while he was in Government.Hon Simon Bridges: Why does Shane Jones get a roundabout built just down the road through his provincial growth fund but New Zealand families miss out on her promise to reduce GP fees across the board?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Shall we talk about Tauranga? But ultimately there's this assumption here that somehow—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: A point of order the Rt Hon Gerry Brownlee. Sorry the "Hon" Gerry Brownlee.Hon Gerry Brownlee: If you keep saying it often enough Mr Speaker it might stick. The point I want to make is that it can't possibly be a start to an answer about a roundabout in Whangarei or a GP fee to begin that answer by saying "Shall we talk about Tauranga?"SPEAKER: Well clearly it can be because it was. [Interruption] Order! I think there's been a long tradition in this House that when there have been highly political personalised questions the responses will come back and be of the same nature. The Prime Minister will finish the answer.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Look I am happy to withdraw that part of the answer because ultimately the reason that that proposal was made was because it was unsafe and a death trap. To answer the second part of the member's question when it comes to supporting New Zealanders on low and middle incomes the first 100 days were used by this Government to put in the most substantial reforms in a decade to lift the incomes of those very families we're now being criticised of not supporting.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it true that the $10 GP fee has been scaled back in order to provide free dental care for all SuperGold card holders?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm not going to engage in a highly speculative discussion about the Budget. The member will just have to wait. Look as a previous member of the Opposition I understand how frustrating this can be.Hon Simon Bridges: Well will the Budget include free dental care for all SuperGold card holders?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Look I will save the member his supplementaries. I will not answer questions that relate to Budget 2018. The member will just have to wait."