3. Question No. 3—FinanceNICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 3—Finance3. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his answer to my question yesterday asking on which date the Prime Minister informed him he would rule out the introduction of a wealth tax that In the lead-up to the final Budget paper going to Cabinet which I believe was on 11 April"; if so has the Prime Minister asked him to develop any proposals for delivering income tax reduction since 11 April 2023?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): In answer to the first part of the question yes. In answer to the second part of the question no. Nicola Willis: Are the rumours correct—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order!Nicola Willis: —the last rumours were correct—that the wealth tax was ruled out for inclusion in this year's Budget but the Prime Minister kept it under active consideration for future Budgets stringing the finance Minister on in the false hope that his big tax dreams may yet come true only to then shatter that hope by way of last week's press release from Lithuania?Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Storytime with Nicola.SPEAKER: Order!Nicola Willis: You strung him along.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Storytime with Nicola.SPEAKER: When you're ready because I'm going to make a ruling.Chris Bishop: Were you going to say that to him too?SPEAKER: Chris Bishop can stand withdraw and apologise. And you are lucky to be staying in the House. Chris Bishop: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: This week there's been a number of questions that have been asked—and answered—with a narrative before they're asked which are bound to receive disorderly behaviour towards. We witnessed that one right there. I'm going to leave it up to the Minister to decide whether he wants to address any part of that make any statement about it or not answer at all.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: If the member and I spent all of our time listening to and believing the rumours that circulate around this building she'd be the Leader of the Opposition by now!Nicola Willis: Does he stand by his statement last week that ultimately the decision was made not to go ahead with a wealth tax "given the significance of the change in difficult and highly uncertain economic conditions" and if so what are the economic conditions in which he believes New Zealand should introduce a wealth tax?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: In answer to the first part of the question yes. Nicola Willis: What are the economic conditions in which he believes New Zealand should introduce a wealth tax?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That is a hypothetical question. What I do know is that the economic conditions that New Zealand is in right now are not the ones where a programme of unfunded tax cuts that would proportionately benefit the wealthiest New Zealanders are a good thing to do as the member would propose.Nicola Willis: Isn't it the case that a wealth tax remains firmly on his table he's just waiting for the economic conditions which will provide him a handy excuse—and this despite the pages and pages of warnings from taxpayer-funded advisers that introducing a wealth tax would completely undermine the innovation and entrepreneurship needed for a strong economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No that has been ruled out by the Prime Minister."