Bennett David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bennett David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2012. Volume:685;Page:6109. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: What measures has the Government taken to support families through the global financial crisis? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance) 
: 
 Over the past 4 years the Government has introduced a balanced economic programme to help protect New Zealanders from the sharpest edge of recession. This has ensured we are getting the Government’s books back in order and building a more competitive economy at the same time as improving our support programmes for families. Despite running large deficits we have retained Working for Families and maintained its value maintained universal New Zealand superannuation maintained most other welfare programmes maintained interest-free student loans and maintained the value of these with regular adjustments. 
David Bennett 
: How much will the Government invest this year in programmes that support New Zealand families? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: In addition to the large-scale welfare programmes paying benefits the Government will spend around $4.5 billion this financial year across a range of programmes that specifically support families. This is up from $3.7 billion in 2008—an increase of $800 million over the last 4 years. This includes $1.4 billion in early childhood education subsidies $2.1 billion for the family tax credit $570 million for the in-work tax credit and a number of other miscellaneous expenditures adding up to $250 million to support children in other ways. 
David Bennett 
: As part of its wider programme to support New Zealand families how much does the Government invest each year in paid parental leave? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Order! I want to hear the answer. It is a fair question. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Despite one of the more significant recessions in a generation the Government has maintained the current provision of 14 weeks’ paid parental leave which in the year to June 2012 will cost $156 million. As I have pointed out this is just one small part of the $4.5 billion of support targeted at New Zealand families. The annual cost is likely to rise to $176 million by 2015-16. These figures are based on existing entitlements before tax with an estimated 3 percent increase in the average ordinary-time weekly wage each year. 
David Bennett 
: What reports has he seen of alternative approaches to paid parental leave and what impact would they have on the Government’s finances? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: As I have pointed out the top priority for the Government has been to increase the value of the Working for Families payments because that affects over 400000 families. On 1 April this year Working for Families was increased by— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I thought it was fair to give the Minister of Finance time but he was asked what reports he had received. He is well into his answer and he has got nowhere near answering the question that he was directly asked. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member has actually raised quite an interesting point I must concede because if I heard the question correctly it asked what reports the Minister had received on paid parental leave. The Minister has proceeded to talk so far about Working for Families which is a totally different issue. Just in case the Minister did not hear the question I invite David Bennett to repeat his question. 
David Bennett 
: What reports has he seen of alternative approaches to paid parental leave and what impact would they have on the Government’s finances? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Well that is a much better question! The Government’s alternative to increasing paid parental leave as proposed by the Opposition has been to make a higher priority of increasing the value of Working for Families payments. These affect around 400000 families and on 1 April this year they were increased by 5 percent. I have seen propositions to double paid parental leave from 14 to 26 weeks. When fully implemented this would cost another $150 million per year and it is not our highest priority. 
Hon David Parker 
: Does the Minister accept that his tax cuts went disproportionately to the highest income earners and that for middle and low income earners—over half of all New Zealanders—earnings have not kept pace with the cost of living? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: No I do not accept that and I am surprised if the member is worrying about it that he is advocating policies like printing money which around the world advantage the highest earners. So I do not know why he is advocating that policy.