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 yesterday that the Government has completed its tax work programme"; if so what potential new taxation measures were discussed in the seven tax reports the Government refused to release as part of the Budget 2023 proactive release?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Yes. The Government is not working on anything new which has not already been clearly signalled. With regards to the seven reports these relate to ongoing work on multinational taxation which the member knows has long been part of the work programme. Due to the nature of the ongoing work and its potential implications on international relations and commercial sensitivity it has been determined that it is not in the public interest to release further details on this for now.Nicola Willis: Has the Government considered proposals to make New Zealand income earners pay more tax?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Obviously we've had a significant amount of discussion about proposals that have been rejected. But I think what the member means is "in addition to that" and the answer is no.Nicola Willis: Has the Minister considered proposals to make New Zealand income earners—PAYE earners—pay more tax?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I've just answered that question. The answer is no.Hon Damien O'Connor: Has the Minister done any work on increasing GST and what the implications of that might be to the New Zealand economy and people?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. But obviously there have been some Governments in the past who said that they weren't going to increase GST and then they promptly did that. Obviously that's not something that we are considering.Nicola Willis: When the Minister says that no he hasn't considered proposals to increase income tax is he telling the House that he has not taken advice on proposals to increase the tax that higherincome earners pay including by shifting thresholds?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I indicated to the member in the answer to the supplementary question before this one the member is referring to things that are in the material that's been released to her—we've had that discussion previously. Beyond that the answer is no.Nicola Willis: Has the Minister taken any official advice on the effects of removing GST from fruit and vegetables?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No.Nicola Willis: Has the Minister taken advice from officials on measures to reduce taxation that would be funded by him restraining his own wasteful spending; or is it in fact the case that the only way he will ever consider any form of tax reduction is by forcing someone else to pay more?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As the member knows because it's been released publicly anything to do with that has to be funded. What I would do if I were the member would be to concentrate on trying to find how she's going to pay for her promises rather than the Perry Mason routine.Nicola Willis: Is it the Minister's position that every dollar appropriated in his Budget is going to its best purpose there is no wasteful or inefficient spending and New Zealanders don't deserve a tax cut?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: My position is that New Zealanders deserve quality public services. They deserve a Government that invests in health and education they deserve a Government that builds State houses and they deserve a Government that lifts children out of poverty. I suggest again to the member that her focus should be working out how she's going to pay for tax cuts because otherwise it's cuts to every one of those public services that people will get from National."