1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterCHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that we have a responsibility to do our very best as a Government through trying times to ensure that we are lifting the outcomes" and "This has been our focus the entire time we've been in office"? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes and whilst there is more to do I remain very proud of what we have achieved across our time in office. On our COVID response we've the lowest rate of COVID cases hospitalisations and deaths in the OECD. On our economic response we've record low unemployment and GDP is up. We have more than 175000 people who have taken up our free apprenticeships and targeted trades training and our Apprenticeship Boost subsidy has helped employers keep on more than 40000 apprentices. We've made the largest increase to benefits in a generation and lifted incomes through our Families Package. Our income support changes since 2017 mean more than 100000 families are on average $175 a week better off. All nine child poverty indicators have improved under Labour and 66500 children have been lifted out of poverty since our time in office. More than 200000 children receive free healthy lunches in schools. I could go on but on this side of the House I stand by our statement. We are focused on lifting the wellbeing and the economic wellbeing of New Zealanders unlike that member who is focused on removing the top tax bracket for those on $180000 or more. Christopher Luxon: Can she explain how the Te Huia train from Auckland to Hamilton currently costing $280 for every passenger is a good outcome for the $100 million of taxpayers' money spent on it to date? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Whereas in contrast to our investment in rail and in alternative transport options I notice on that side of the House in the words I believe of Matt Doocey "We want to make roads great again." I notice as well that the member when it comes to the challenge of climate change wants to rely almost solely on the emissions trading scheme (ETS). Now if he were to do that that could lead to $1.30 extra on petrol prices and according to the Climate Change Commission would mean that one in 10 farms would be converted to pine forests. If that member's sole goal when it comes to all focus on climate change is nothing but letting the ETS do the heavy lifting I can tell you that he's going to have a hard time with rural New Zealand and every New Zealander who will feel it solely at the pump. Christopher Luxon: Did the $51 million spent on the cancelled bike bridge deliver a good outcome for taxpayers? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again this is where we have been focused on making sure that we are seeing mode shift in New Zealand. Now again here we have an opportunity to link up significant transport projects including rail to the airport with the third harbour crossing which if I recall the member's party used to support. That was part of the shift that we've made in our decision making. On this side of the House we're willing to make bold infrastructure decisions. On that side we see the continued delay and that is the reason we inherited such a lack of investment in New Zealand's infrastructure. Hon Chris Hipkins: Does she agree with the statement that one of the most important things we can do to address climate change is to build more roads as asserted on breakfast television this morning by the Leader of the Opposition? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I do share a concern that the member has that that seems to be the only plan that the member across the aisle has. I guess the issue that I have is that on the one hand the National Party purports to support the zero carbon legislation and yet have voted against almost every single action that has been taken to make sure that we do that. Unless we invest in this transition New Zealanders will bear the brunt of future energy shocks New Zealand will bear the brunt of severe weather events and primary producers will bear the brunt as exporters. This is not an option—we must move. Christopher Luxon: Is she aware that the famed bike bridge was in fact cancelled despite us spending $51 million of taxpayers' money on it? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If I recall the previous MP for Auckland Central one Nikki Kaye was not the only person who supported the link across the harbour bridge and in fact there were other National Party MPs who did as well. The fact is that unfortunately that proposal was no longer possible for structural reasons. When we of course heard of that information we made sure that we had alternative investment plans so that we could continue the much-needed mode shift that Aucklanders are seeking.SPEAKER: Order! Order! Before I take any more supplementary questions the noise from my left is too loud. There are at least three members who I've had to call to order and have kept on interjecting after I've called them to order. If that occurs again I will regard it as grossly disorderly.Hon Michael Wood: Thank you. Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Government has brought forward planning for an alternative Waitematā harbour crossing from the 2040s with options to be consulted on later this year?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I can and as I reflected in my earlier answer this is part of an integrated approach to significant transport plans in Auckland. Auckland has suffered the consequences of a lack of investment in major infrastructure projects; we suffer the consequences and impacts on productivity. Previously the National Party had been in favour of expediting the third harbour crossing. It is disappointing to hear that they are now panning those plans.Christopher Luxon: Why despite job vacancies being at an all-time high are 60000 more Kiwis stuck on the job seeker benefit compared to when she took office and is that an acceptable outcome when it's costing taxpayers $1.6 billion more every year?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course if you want to compare apples and apples then you always look at the rate of people on a main benefit as a proportion of population and in that regard where we are is comparable to the time when the National Government was in office in the global financial crisis. And many would argue the shock of COVID has been far greater than it was at that time. We are also seeing record departures from our main benefits as well and that is because unlike the National Party when they were in office we have taken an active case-management approach to support people into work. We have Mana in Mahi we have the Apprenticeship Boost we have He Poutama Rangatahi—all programmes to support those who may be on Government support particularly our young people into work.Christopher Luxon: Can she explain how spending on education has increased by $6 billion a year but there has been no improvement in literacy or numeracy outcomes for Kiwi kids?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: This is where I would again put to the member—you cannot have it both ways. The member thinks that there is no issue with inequity in this country—no issue with inequity—and yet education and health are areas where we time and time again see the impact of disparities in our society playing out in our education system in our outcomes. Yes we have spent more because the last Government didn't build new classrooms didn't grow our teacher roll and didn't make sure we were dealing with population growth. And what we are still catching up on is the fact that there was not enough focus on equity to improve outcomes across all of our populations: Māori Pacific children with disabilities—and that is what we continue to repair.Christopher Luxon: Does she believe delivering just 1300 out of a promised 100000 KiwiBuild homes after almost five years of trying is a good outcome for spending more than a billion dollars of taxpayers' money?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: National built a hundred houses over nine years. I will not be lectured by a party that instead of building public houses sold them and pulled them down. Over 8000 public housing places have been created under this Government—more than any Government since the 1970s. And still we know there is more to do. That member's answer seems to be simply the Resource Management Act reform—and we're doing that too.Christopher Luxon: Does she accept that Kiwis struggling with the cost of living crisis have a right to be angry at her Government's shocking record of spending more of their money but delivering worse outcomes?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: In 2020 as a percentage of GDP we spent less than National did in 2009. In 2021 we spent less as a percentage of GDP than National did in 2010. We've taken on a similar amount of debt to respond to COVID-19 as National did in its first five years. If the member's so interested in outcomes I am happy to have that debate toe to toe—we had children living in cars; we had a mental health crisis; we had an under-investment and no investment in hospital infrastructure classrooms and all of the things that determine the outcomes for our children in this country. In five years we have turned around those stats and we will continue to do so. But when we go from no investment to investment I would happily debate outcomes on every single term."