5. Budget 2017—Tax CutsGRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) to the Minister of FinanceBudget 2017—Tax Cuts5. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) to the Minister of Finance: Why is it a higher priority for him to cut taxes for members of Parliament than it is to invest more money than is in Budget 2017 into health housing or education or to immediately restart contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Finance): It is not. Budget 2017 invests $7 billion over 4 years into sustaining and expanding public services for a growing country. At the same time it invests massively in new infrastructure. It also at the same time brings debt down as a percentage of GDP and at the same time presents a Family Incomes Package that particularly targets low and middle income earners. That is the benefit of having a strong and growing economy as a result of this Government's strong economic plan.Grant Robertson: Is it correct that the top 10 percent of earners will gain $400 million a year from the tax cuts he proposed in Budget 2017?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The tax threshold adjustments in the Budget come in at $14000 of income up to $22000 and then from $48000 up to $52000. I cannot verify the member's shonky maths but I can verify his idea of giving a $3000 baby bonus to someone earning $250000 a year.Grant Robertson: Why is it his priority that members of Parliament get a tax cut that is worth 26 times more than what a person on the minimum wage gets?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The member is wrong. The Government's priority is to lift the incomes of low and middle income New Zealanders which we are doing and actually if you look at the Government's Family Incomes Package across the Working for Families the accommodation supplement and the tax threshold adjustments it is the low and middle income earners who do the best. I know that the other parties have subsequently tried to copy the programme but one thing I do not understand is why the member is so worried about members of Parliament getting a tax threshold adjustment when he does not seem worried about proposals to give them a $3000 baby bonus if they have a baby.Grant Robertson: I seek leave of the House to table a document prepared by the Parliamentary Library dated 25 July 2017 that shows that members of Parliament will receive 26.5 times more in tax cuts than someone on the minimum wage.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that document prepared by the Parliamentary Library. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Grant Robertson: Why is it his priority that the top 10 percent of earners get $400 million a year in tax cuts when our health system housing system and education system are so overstretched?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The member is literally wrong and he can keep running the same talking points but it is interesting that obviously the public of New Zealand is not believing them and that is because the Government is putting an extra $3.9 billion in the health sector this year taking the budget to something like $16.8 billion a year in health. Interestingly I have seen reports of other parties' proposals for health expenditure and the Labour Party is proposing to spend less—less—next year in its campaign than the Government is actually spending in additional health expenditure this year.Grant Robertson: Will he guarantee that if he is in Government next year he will fund health for the full impact of inflation and demographic change as outlined in the Ministry of Health funding model and as provided for in our alternative budget?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I have had a look at the 17-page document that the Labour Party released which incidentally does not mention the economy at all—the thing that actually pays for this stuff—not once in that 17-page document. And actually I had a look at the number that it proposes for health next year and it is less—less—than the Government actually put into the health budget this year. So if I were a member of the New Zealand public I would back this Government because obviously our track record is better than what Labour is proposing.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked a specific question. The Minister did not address that at all. I asked him whether he would guarantee something about next year's Budget; he has not done that.Mr SPEAKER: No because the member in the conclusion of his question then referred to a policy document that indeed the member had released and that gave fairly wide licence for the answer to be given.Grant Robertson: I seek leave of the House to table that excellent policy document to show the Minister that our funding for health—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not prepared to put the leave because I take it that a member as experienced as this member will have made sure that it has been freely available via the media already.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Because it is not published and available in New Zealand I seek leave to table an article headed NZ rides immigration lunacy into per capita recession from MacroBusiness Australia 15 June.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular document. Is there any objection to it being tabled? [Interruption] Order! I have put the leave. Is there any objection? Leave is declined.