1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL 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 policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: How many of the 42 recommendations of the welfare working group report will the Government adopt?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member will know that at the time the announcement was made we immediately acted on the issue of case managers and the discriminatory sanction around the naming of both parents. We also moved on abatement. We are progressing as well and have already started work on 15 other recommendations and have fully acknowledged that there is further work to do on the issue of income adequacy.Hon Simon Bridges: What obligations will exist for parents to pay their fair share of child support now that her Government is scrapping the obligation to name both parents?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The obligation still exists; what we've removed is the sanction that then follows that obligation. Our view is that that is important because it is directly affecting children—on average over $30 a week that families are missing out on—and those are families who are suffering from income-adequacy issues. It's something that we have long flagged that we had an issue with and that we thought was negatively affecting children.Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't an obligation without a penalty entirely meaningless and if as she says it's discriminatory shouldn't she just say that rather than play around with words?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again as I've already said it is impacting negatively on children and so that's why we have taken a child-centred approach. The member will well know that there has been some discussion over time on whether or not enough of a sense of obligation on paying child support exists because it is the State that retains child support payments. So if the member wants to discuss the issue of child support pass-on we can do that but our view is that the penalty—the sanction that exists—is negatively affecting children and impacting on child poverty.Hon Simon Bridges: What advice did her Government receive on how many more women won't name the father given the scrapping of the obligation to name both parents?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I couldn't give him that level of specificity at this time but again we have made a principled decision here that there will often be a range of reasons. As I say the obligation to name still exists but we do not think it's right that as a consequence that sanction then ultimately will impact on children. If the member wants to maintain that those families have that penalty which can be significant for a family on a low income then he is entitled to that opinion.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with the welfare working group's recommendation that the Ministry of Social Development be statutorily accountable to iwi and Māori for achieving well-being outcomes?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes. I mean there's I believe an obligation to make sure that we fulfil the expectations on all citizens as well but of course there are specific expectations as well on the over-representation that we have of Māori within our welfare system and also within Oranga Tamariki and we should not shy away from addressing those directly.Hon Simon Bridges: When then will those statutory accountabilities to iwi and Māori for achieving well-being outcomes in welfare be enacted?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again as I've said there's a number of areas where we're continuing to do ongoing work. Hon Simon Bridges: Oh! SPEAKER: Who made that noise?Hon Simon Bridges: I did.SPEAKER: Last week I remonstrated with a member for making a noise that is not really fit for Parliament and I'd just like the Leader of the Opposition to show some leadership. I did think it was that member again.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Prime Minister as to whether or not the subject raised by the Leader of the Opposition with respect to obligations to Māori was not identical in the last local government bill that they had prepared? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is in fact true. I also recall this very specific obligation again in discussion around Oranga Tamariki and the last Government didn't have that hesitation then in acknowledging that there was work to do with that over-representation of Māori.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with the welfare working group's recommendation to remove obligations on beneficiaries to be drug-free to have any children they have enrolled with a GP and to attend early childhood or primary education?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We haven't made final decisions on some of the recommendations that have been made by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group and there's additional work to be done.Hon Simon Bridges: What does she say to former Green MP Sue Bradford who said her Government's response to the report is virtually useless" and that "I strongly suspect it will take a way more progressive [Government] than this lot to enact serious welfare reform."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'd say she would still be vastly happier having this Government than that last one.Hon Simon Bridges: What has her Government achieved in welfare in its year of delivery other than 13000 more beneficiaries on jobseeker support?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Thank you for the opportunity. We will be employing 170 extra case managers to make sure that those who are seeking work have the support to find work. From 1 May the winter energy payment will be affecting up to a million New Zealanders. Families will receive $700 over those winter months including those families on benefit and Government support and superannuitant couples and $450 over the winter months for singles so they don't decide between turning the heater on and putting food on a table. We also have the ongoing roll-out of the Best Start payment. For the first time we have a near-universal payment for the first year of a child's life and that extends to years two and three for those on low incomes. It is the most significant change to our welfare system in over 10 years. The Families Package: on average $75 a week is going to over 380000 families. It will mean that between 40000 and 70000 children will be lifted out of poverty. It is a $5.4 billion package that was introduced by this Government and continues to be rolled out. Is there more work to do? Yes but I am incredibly proud of what this Government has done already.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Prime Minister with respect to these policies that she's unveiling on the running poll of approve or disapprove is it not a fact that the disapproval ratio is going down and the approval ratio is going up?SPEAKER: Order! Resume your seat. That's not a matter for which the Prime Minister has responsibility.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can I just suggest to you without wishing to contest your ruling but hoping for maybe a more considered judgment that the approval or disapproval of policies is seriously apposite to the Prime Minister and every one of her Cabinet Ministers and colleagues. So it's not unusual for the Prime Minister to be aware of it because any Prime Minister that wasn't aware of it would go the way of the previous one.Hon Chris Hipkins: On a near daily basis the Minister of Finance is asked about the mood of the country when it comes to the economy. Therefore surely the Prime Minister can be asked about the mood of the country when it comes to support for the Government.SPEAKER: Yes I think if I'd really considered it carefully I would have allowed the question. But having ruled it out I'm going to leave it out.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Excuse me sir why did you give that look when I asked for a legitimate point of order when you've just had three from the other side?SPEAKER: Because I was just living in the vain hope that we might be getting on with question time.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. How is it appropriate for you to entertain several pointless points of order from that side and when I react to something the Prime Minister has said I'm the naughty boy in this Parliament?SPEAKER: Do I really need to explain?Hon Members: Yes.SPEAKER: Right. The points of order as I ruled were in fact legitimate. Both those of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Leader of the House were legitimate: they drew to my attention an error in my ruling. The member earlier made a barnyard noise of the sort that would not be accepted in a junior classroom and I remonstrated with him for it.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I made no such noise and it is entirely wrong and unfair for you as a Speaker to say that sort of unprofessional comment.SPEAKER: The member will leave the House.Hon Simon Bridges withdrew from the Chamber."