Ardern Jacinda: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeArdern Jacinda: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3454. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) to the Minister for Social Development: Does she stand by her statement in December last year in relation to child poverty that the Government is “working on a comprehensive plan” and it is “shaping up to be a really big piece of work”; if so will that big piece of work be in Budget 2015?Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development): Yes and the member will have to wait until tomorrow.Jacinda Ardern: How many times have Ministers met to discuss the child poverty plans in the 2015 Budget given that in December she claimed that they were meeting weekly?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Heaps.Jacinda Ardern: Given she has called children living in hardship “a priority” on what date did Cabinet consider what she referred to as a “comprehensive plan for this year’s Budget.”?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: The member will have to wait until tomorrow.Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked nothing about the content of the announcement. This was a question around process. I asked—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The way forward I think is that I will allow the member to ask the question again. The member can ask that question again.Jacinda Ardern: Given she has called children living in hardship “a priority” on what date did Cabinet consider what she referred to as her “comprehensive plan for this year’s Budget.”?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: The member will have to wait until Budget 2015 is announced.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Well which one?Chris Hipkins: I’ll let Jacinda go first.Mr SPEAKER: OK.Jacinda Ardern: It is the same point of order that I raised initially. The question to the Minister—Mr SPEAKER: No—[Interruption] Order! No it was not—it was not. The question also included “Given … [it is] ‘a priority’ ” and the Minister has then taken the opportunity to refer to that part in the answer and has decided that that is something that can wait to be announced tomorrow in the Budget.Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My reference to it being a priority was simply to highlight the fact that you would assume she would know the date if it is so important.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is the point. As soon as the member puts that into the question it gives the Minister the chance to address that part of the question.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Speakers’ rulings and Standing Orders provide only one out for Ministers and that is to say that giving an answer is not in the public interest. The Budget does not actually provide an out. If the Ministers are indicating that it is not in the public interest they should say so. But simply saying: “Wait until a certain date.” is not an answer.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have been in this House on many occasions in the week leading up to the Budget and many Ministers of Finance—I can think of one called Dr Michael Cullen—on many occasions to many questions asked by the Opposition said: “You will have to wait until the Budget is delivered.”Jacinda Ardern: Which Ministers have been meeting weekly with the Prime Minister who she stated 6 months ago was the one “ … leading a big piece of work right across Government aimed to address those thousands and thousands of children who are experiencing hardship.”?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Without doubt all members of this Government’s Cabinet and caucus are focused on getting the very best outcomes for New Zealand’s children.Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Again it was a very explicit question. The question was about which Ministers were meeting weekly on the piece of work—Mr SPEAKER: Order! And the answerthat I heard in addressing the question was: “All Ministers.”Jacinda Ardern: Will the families of the hundreds and thousands of children living in poverty feel tomorrow like the priority she called them or is she a member of a Government more inclined to spend money on a flag than on children?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Instead of making speeches can I say to the member that she will have to wait until tomorrow.