Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 30 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2673. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
12. 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: When did he first find out about the changes to the tax credit for children such as paper boys and paper girls? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 In all its detail last Monday at Cabinet but changes to a number of tax credits including this one have been through the overall Budget process.  
Grant Robertson 
: Is he telling the House that the first time Cabinet or a Cabinet committee considered changes to the tax system was just a few days before the Budget or is he saying that he just did not read his Cabinet papers or any other Budget papers before last Monday? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No. 
Grant Robertson 
: Did either Peter Dunne or Bill English inform him before the meeting of Cabinet last Monday that the tax changes in the Budget would remove the tax credit for paper boys and paper girls? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I do not specifically remember them using the terms paper boys or paper girls but what they did say is that it would remove the tax status for those who earn $2340 from PAYE income. The reason they explained that— 
Grant Robertson 
: Why did you say Monday? Was that on Monday? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Do not act like a buffoon. The reason that they said that was that this was brought in in 1978 when people were paper based and small employers did not want to have to go through all of the hassle of having to record very small employees. What ended up happening in those situations was that the situation has now turned around. We have electronic systems the cost of filing for this was about 20 percent for every person and the Inland Revenue Department costs were over and above that so the thing was not worth it. Only half the people took it and the people who largely took it came from well-off backgrounds because their families had an accountant to do it. What the Government actually has done is say to all of the babysitters out there: “Hey good news! Now when you get paid your—I don’t know—100 bucks more than that on Saturday night for your babysitting or 50 bucks guess what you don’t have to pay tax on it.” That is what the Government has done. Under Labour babysitters had to pay tax on Saturday nights. 
Grant Robertson 
: What has changed about his view on taking income away from children since 2008 when according to the  
Manawatu Standard 
 he borrowed money from a Palmerston North student to play a video game and said: “Make sure I pay you back. I don’t want to take any pocket money.”? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: We gave all of the babysitters and cash workers who earn under $2340 a tax-free status. We did not do what Labour did in the 1980s when it brought in resident withholding tax and charged it to paper boys. I pay my debts. I remember with the Labour Party it took about 9 months to get it to pay back the credit card. 
Grant Robertson 
: Given his lack of knowledge of these changes and the debacle over class sizes which of the following best describes his approach as Prime Minister to managing the Budget process: one a spectator at a Blues Super 15 game; two a disinterested bystander at a car accident; or three an audience member at a free-form jazz concert? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: None of the above. Someone who has to come to the House on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and answer questions from buffoons like him. 
Grant Robertson 
: I am going to be seeking leave to table a document. I know that we do not normally table news articles but this is from some time ago. It is from 16 August 2008 from the  
Manawatu Standard 
— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No no no. We do not—the member will resume his seat. We do not seek leave to table press clippings even though occasionally they may have some entertainment value. That is not the purpose of tabling documents. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We did not all quite hear but I can see that it says— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No order! The member will resume his seat. Order! We have had enough of that.