1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterWEDNESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2018The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.Prayers.ORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes particularly my statement today that the coalition Government has agreed to lift the refugee quota from 1000 to 1500 this term.Hon Simon Bridges: Is she concerned that Westpac's index of consumer confidence is at a six-year low?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: This is a Government working hard to lift economic indicators across all categories. I will note an expectation as well that as a result of the investment in the Families Package—$5.5 billion—our expectation is that we will see stimulus and an increase in consumer spending as a result of that. Given it came in in June I expect it's only a matter of time before we see that coming through.Hon Simon Bridges: How can she say that when the survey itself says and I quote Families package … has presumably been outweighed by other concerns such as rising petrol prices and cooling housing markets."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: It is still early days. Obviously it has only recently been implemented. It is also a package that ramps up over time particularly the Best Start element of the payment. Relative to some of the increase in costs that families have been experiencing of course we've been working hard to also address issues like housing affordability. The member will know that as measured by our child poverty statistics housing affordability has a considerable impact on the overall incomes and discretionary incomes of families.Hon Simon Bridges: To what extent has her plan to increase petrol prices reduced consumer confidence?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Look we absolutely acknowledge that as the excise has increased—as with the last Government who increased excise a number of times—that of course does have an impact at the pump. We acknowledge that but we are utilising that increase in order to invest back in areas where consumers have asked us to invest to make sure that their roads are safe—in the case of the East Coast to make sure that they are properly sealed and serviced—that their very most basic of needs are met and of course to also invest in public transport. We are losing productivity in Auckland because our roads are clogged. That's why we are making such a huge investment in that city as well.Hon Simon Bridges: So to the question I asked: to what extent has her plan to increase petrol prices reduced consumer confidence?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I acknowledge the impact on consumers but I also acknowledge the benefit.Hon Simon Bridges: In light of the comment by Westpac that I've already quoted—that the Government's Families Package appears to have been outweighed by other concerns in most consumers' minds—is it fair to say her Government is giving with one hand but taking a bit more with the other?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No I don't think that's fair. When you look the fact is that well over 300000 families will—by the time the package has been implemented—receive on average $75 a week. When I compare that for instance to the boost of roughly around the $20 mark that that last Government claimed was going to make the biggest impact you could imagine—for them to then belittle $75 on average says to me that they do not understand how significant that boost is for families. I know it's having a significant impact because I get letters about it every single week.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Talking about petrol costs and their effect who was on television on Sunday night in a protest about money not being spent on the road north of Tauranga for the last nine years?SPEAKER: Order! Order! The Prime Minister does not have responsibility for who appears on television.Hon Simon Bridges: How can the Prime Minister say things are getting so much better when under her Government in the last quarter the cost of living according to Statistics New Zealand is rising higher than wages according to the quarterly employment survey?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: This is a Government who is so vested in demonstrating the impact that our policies will have that we have at least been willing to hold ourselves to account for instance on the outcome of the household income surveys by embedding in legislation child poverty indicators and that Government was never ever—ever—willing to hold itself to account on the tangible difference that we make on a range of measures to household incomes particularly with children in poverty. That is how committed we are.Hon Simon Bridges: Won't she face it that the cost of living in terms of the highest petrol prices ever in New Zealand rent increases per week of $15 more and many other costs besides are going up at the moment faster and higher than wages?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: In the 11 months that we have been in office we have already started building affordable homes. We have made sure that rentals are going to be warm and dry. We have put $5.5 billion back into low and middle income earners' back pockets by saying that those top income earners did not need a tax cut. We have been redirecting the incomes to New Zealanders who needed it the most and that is how we have been addressing the cost of living.Hon Simon Bridges: What does she say it means when the confidence that New Zealanders have in the Government's ability to manage the economy is at a six-year low and business confidence is at a decade low—particularly given the incredibly strong economy that she inherited?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I've actually spoken on this a number of times. We do have a situation where the confidence levels are exactly the inverse of what some of the economic indicators are demonstrating to us. We have an economic plan that moves away from simply trading on houses and relying on population growth and volatile commodities—as that last Government did—to instead investing in the productive economy adding value to our exports and expanding the number of export markets for our exporters. We have a plan for the future that will give us a sustainable inclusive economy and I am proud of it."