11. Question No. 11—FinanceDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 11—Finance11. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Finance: Will Budget 2021 cut taxes for middle-income New Zealanders?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Budget 2021 will continue the Government's investments to secure the economic recovery and improve the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. In terms of specific policy areas that may or may not be in the Budget the member will have to wait just eight more sleeps. However what I can say to the member is that we will not be adopting ACT's plans because they would require enormous cuts to public services like the winter energy payment that would hurt the most vulnerable in our society. However—SPEAKER: Order! I think the Minister has answered the question.David Seymour: Is the Minister saying to New Zealanders that if they wait eight more sleeps they might discover the Budget will relieve them of the taxes he charges?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I said in my primary answer the member will have to wait to see the details of the Budget. However I can tell the member that we will not be adopting ACT's alternative budget that has been released because that would hurt the most vulnerable in our society and would diminish public services. But I do congratulate the member on repackaging his manifesto as an alternative budget and entrenching his position as the real Leader of the Opposition.David Seymour: When the Minister said that ACT's alternative budget would cut public services could he point to one example he used to form that opinion?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Well I mentioned the winter energy payment in my comments but the example I would say is that if the member wants to change the balance of income that the Government gets it will be unable to deliver the quality public services that New Zealanders rely on.Andrew Bayly: Will Budget 2021 impose more costs on small businesses?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: This Government is very proud of its record of supporting small businesses. All the way through COVID-19 small businesses received support from the Government including the creation of the Small Business Cashflow (Loan) Scheme. I would invite the member to reflect on the fact that possibly for the first time in history in the surveys done by Mind Your Own Business during the 2020 period the Labour Party got more support from small businesses than the National Party did.David Seymour: Did the Minister use winter energy payments as an example in his previous answer because he was aware when he gave the answer that ACT's alternative budget cuts middle-income taxes by $1200 to $2200 while making no reductions to public services such as police health education transport fire—SPEAKER: Order! Any one of those 15 questions.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. The reason I did that was because I have real concerns as to whether or not ACT's alternative budget adds up driven by the graph on page 8 where the member's just got his numbers plain wrong.David Seymour: Does the Minister really think that arguing about a graph is a substitute for giving New Zealanders no hope of tax relief while prices rise and he freezes the wages of the public sector?Hon Chris Hipkins: Ask Paul Goldsmith.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Most of that question is wrong but what I do think is that accuracy in these documents is important and if the member wants any advice on that I suggest he contacts Paul Goldsmith.David Seymour: Does the Minister understand that while I'm asking the questions he's answering to the people of New Zealand and some of them would like to know if he's likely to cut their taxes?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I said to the member we have a longstanding tradition in this Parliament where the Budget is given on Budget day and in the period leading up to that time people are welcome to speculate. What I have said is this Government recognises the importance of investing in public services of looking after the vulnerable and there ain't no way his plan adds up to that.David Seymour: So that's a no.SPEAKER: Well no there's no—Hon Grant Robertson: Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: Order!Hon Grant Robertson: That's not a question.SPEAKER: Order! That's not a question.David Seymour: Point of order. Mr Speaker I seek clarification. I thought the point of supplementary questions was to clarify previous answers and it's been very difficult to understand what the Minister's trying to say. I just wanted to make it simple for him.Hon Simon Bridges: Point of order.SPEAKER: Well let me deal with the first one first. I know the member's not that keen on being here but! There might have been a slight inflection at the end of the member's question but it didn't mean it was in the interrogative. Simon Bridges—point of order.Hon Simon Bridges: Oh that's all right.SPEAKER: No?