5. Question No. 5—FinanceNICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 5—Finance5. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement that obviously New Zealanders are currently facing significant increases in their cost of living"?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): For the House's benefit the context of that quote was a question from the media at a post-Cabinet press conference on 16 May regarding a possible extension of the half-price public transport fares that the Government had announced in March. Since that time the Government has announced a targeted and temporary cost of living payment extended the fuel excise and road-user charges—Chris Bishop: Ha! It's not targeted!Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: —More targeted than the member's tax cuts; I'd say that—cuts and half-price fares for public transport and moved to boost competition in the grocery sector by banning covenants and implementing the Commerce Commission's recommendations in that sector. This is all in addition to the previously announced income support changes on 1 April and the winter energy payment coming in on 1 May. I continue to stand by my statement that New Zealanders are currently facing increases in the cost of living and that's why we're moving to support them through this period of high inflation instead of waiting all the way until Budget 2024 before doing anything—which I think is now the member's policy.Nicola Willis: Does he stand by his statement that the cost of living payment is a targeted package of support and did he envisage that would include London investment bankers and French backpackers?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I stand by my statements in that regard and I would note that if the member's really concerned about targeting then she would be incredibly concerned about a policy that would give somebody earning $250000 a year $125 a week. Imagine the waste that that would entail—oh no that's the National Party's policy.Nicola Willis: How can he justify characterising the cost of living payment as targeted when 800000 people have been missed while dead people overseas residents possibly prisoners have been sent taxpayers' cash?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As was traversed in the House yesterday we always knew that there would be people who would not get the payment until they filed a tax return. As we stand today we have 1.4 million or so New Zealanders who have received this payment. These are people earning less than $70000 who once upon a time the National Party claimed to care about. What they're now focused on is tax cuts for the most wealthy New Zealanders.Matt Doocey: You don't care. You don't care. You don't care any more.SPEAKER: Order! Does the member realise his offence? I mean I know the member's been around for a while and he's spent time as a whip and he should know by now—you know has the member been here about six years nearly?—that one does not bring me into the debate as he did three times during that question. I mean probably I could get him on boring and repetitive interjections. He will stand—Marja Lubeck: Ha ha!SPEAKER: Who did that? That member will stand withdraw and apologise.Marja Lubeck: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: And now Mr Doocey will.Matt Doocey: Withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: Has the member finished?Nicola Willis: Does he stand by his statement that "As a result of both the winter energy payment and the cost of living payment 81 percent of working-age New Zealanders are being given temporary support to deal with cost of living pressures." and how does he reconcile that with the revelation that only 1.3 million New Zealanders have received a cost of living payment?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It's an interesting situation where the member thinks that something that's actually in a Cabinet paper is somehow or other a revelation. We always knew that there would be people who would not get the payment until they filed their return. I know that those earning under $70000 in New Zealand need the support of the Government to be able to get through this period of inflation. The Government is standing by those New Zealanders unlike the National Party who want to give tax cuts to the most wealthy New Zealanders.Nicola Willis: When he promised his cost of living payment and promoted it by saying there was a wider group of New Zealanders who needed some support why didn't he let New Zealanders know that that group would be so wide as to include London yo-pros French backpackers and dead people?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well as we've already articulated this is a policy targeted at those earning less than $70000 a year. The member opposite has a policy that would see someone earning $250000 a year getting $125 a week while someone on the minimum wage gets $2 per week. If the member wants to know what's wasteful and untargeted it's her policy.Nicola Willis: How can he characterise the payment as targeted when according to analysis by his own officials close to a quarter of the payments would go to households with incomes in the top 30 percent and that's before we count the overseas residents who may number in the thousands?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I can recall vividly in this House the member asking questions about families where people earned $60000 for one partner in the couple $60000 for the other and banging the desk and she told us "What are you doing for those people?" Now we're doing something for them and the National Party don't like it. That's because their focus is the wealthiest New Zealanders getting the biggest tax cuts. On this side of the House we've stepped up to do something for those people.Nicola Willis: What responsibility if any does he take for failures with the cost of living payment which has sent taxpayer money both offshore and into the grave?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I take responsibility for the fact that we have stepped up to support New Zealanders who are earning less than $70000 a year. That member previously stood up here and told the Government to do something about that. Well now we've done it and she doesn't like it because we haven't adopted her policy of giving the most wealthy New Zealanders the greatest benefit. I stand proudly on our record of supporting low and middle income New Zealanders. The National Party is in favour of supporting the highest income earners."