edithatogo/nz-hansard-corpus huggingface dataset:
Bishop ChrisCHRIS BISHOP (National): Thank you Madam Chair. And I take what the Minister of Housing said in relation to infrastructure incentives—I take that seriously. And I suppose my question as follow-up on a related note is in relation to the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act 2020 which as the Minister will know was work started under the previous National-led Government and passed into law two years ago obviously—2020 Act. I've had a lot of feedback from people in the development community local councils and others in the house building game that that Act which I'm pretty sure I'm right in saying it passed the House unanimously has proven—as a few people actually said at the time and their fears have been realised—very complicated and has proven burdensome to implement in practice. Now there were high hopes when that Act was passed and I think we all want to see new innovative forms of the financing of infrastructure to facilitate new housing. So my very simple question to the Minister is: has she received similar reports to what I've received? And is she intending if she hasn't already to kick off a review of the Act through her officials with a view to potential reform; and if not why not?
Davidson MaramaHon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness)): Thank you Madam Chair. Just a quick response to the member in relation to the Homelessness Action Plan. Firstly acknowledging that on this side of the House we've shown that we can play very mature politics when the Ministers neither of us are responsible for what any other member of Parliament says including the co-leader of the Green Party. Now that is a mature response; it's a mature way of doing politics. I am quite clear that that member is highly capable of mature politics at some stage. So from there I'd like to say that I was very clear: there has been progress in the immediate actions of the Homelessness Action Plan. There has been progress and if we want to hear more about it it actually includes for example a local innovation and partnership fund. That's about local initiatives who respond to homelessness. It includes for example pilots to support people leaving acute mental health and addiction patient units. There are many more but I was clear that progress has been made on the actions. Absolutely more needs to be done to truly authentically reach the vision of homelessness being rare brief and non-recurring and I have made no argument—and none of us have made any argument—that that's where we still need to get to. That is still work to be done. That cannot be achieved in 18 months of a Homelessness Action Plan but we are absolutely committed to doing more work to achieve that. Thank you.
Bishop ChrisCHRIS BISHOP (National): Well thank you very much Madam Chair. It was interesting to hear the Associate Minister for Housing (Homelessness) take a call in this debate. It was interesting what she didn't say which was the Green Party's call for economically illiterate rent freezes which I note is a policy that she is happy to write open letters about to the Prime Minister. But the Minister an Associate Minister of Housing in this Government is noticeably silent about and that I suspect is because she knows in her heart of hearts it's a dumb policy. But anyway I do want to ask the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness) given she's here about the Homelessness Action Plan because she spent quite a bit of time in her speech talking about that the 18-month review. And unlike the Minister I have gone and read the Homelessness Action Plan—Hon Dr Megan Woods: For goodness' sake!CHRIS BISHOP: Well the Minister of Housing says Oh for goodness' sake!" But the actual numbers in the Homelessness Action Plan bear no resemblance to the rosy picture painted by the Associate Minister of Housing. I've got the numbers here in front of me. She said "Oh things are getting better and the Homelessness Action Plan shows real progress." Well one of the 11 measures in the Homelessness Action Plan shows improvement—one; one of the 11. Eight are worse. Let's run through them. The number of tenancy tribunal applications is up. The number of distinct clients receiving their first emergency housing special needs grant has continued to rise since 2019. The number of applicants on the public housing register has increased since March 2019. There has been an increase in the proportion of applicants on the housing register who identify as Māori. That is one of the measures. The number of distinct clients granted an emergency housing special needs grant has continued to rise since 2019. The median number of days to house an application from the public housing register has been increasing getting worse. The average number of weeks spent in transitional housing is getting worse. The average number of consecutive weeks spent in emergency housing is getting worse as well. So of the 11 measures in the Government's own Homelessness Action Plan—this was the world-leading revolutionary plan to make life better for the homeless in New Zealand—eight are worse. So my question to the Associate Minister for Housing (Homelessness) is: how can she credibly stand up in Parliament and say that the action plan shows progress when I've just read out at least six or seven measures all of which are getting worse?"
van Velden BrookeBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT): Thank you Madam Chair. More and more New Zealanders are feeling unsafe in New Zealand—unsafe in their communities and unsafe in their homes. I would like to ask the Minister whether she is concerned that the number of tenants in Kāinga Ora homes are feeling more unsafe. More people who are living in Kāinga Ora homes are feeling unsafe than they were in the past. Does the Minister recognise that as a landlord like all other landlords in this country there is a requirement under law to make sure that tenants do not interfere with other tenants' right to quiet enjoyment? And yet people in Kāinga Ora homes are feeling unsafe because of other tenants in their areas because of Kāinga Ora policy that they will not kick out people for repeated antisocial behaviour. So my questions are to the Minister around safety. Does she think it's acceptable that people in Kāinga Ora homes are feeling less safe? Does she believe it's acceptable that there's a policy that is different for the Government as a landlord rather than all other landlords around this country? And will she change the policy or will she ask Kāinga Ora to change its own internal policies to make sure that tenants have a right to a peaceful safe environment if they're in a home?
Waititi RawiriRAWIRI WAITITI (Co-Leader—Te Paati Māori): Thank you Madam Chair. Question: will there be funding for these excellent iwi prototypes like Ka Uruora from July 2023? Are Māori limited to the $780 million Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga funding or can they apply for part of the $3 billion to meet the needs of their houseless whānau? If iwi prototypes like Ka Uruora are successful will they be used for other investment like economic investment for whenua Māori? Māori make up over 50 percent of the waiting list for social housing; how many Māori will be placed in social housing this financial year? How many social houses will be constructed completed and let out this financial year? If the average house price is $850k and the bank requires a 20 percent deposit at interest rates for repayment pegged at 6 percent how many Māori will be able to buy a house? Does the Minister acknowledge that the State subsidisation of market rents of up to $2.6 billion per annum distorts the true state of social housing provision? How many private speculated dwellings are subsidised by the market rent subsidy? Given the Minister's answers to the market rental subsidisation why should this form of speculation not be taxed? Is the Minister aware that Aotearoa is one of the few countries in the OECD that has no capital gains or wealth tax?
van Velden BrookeBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT): Thank you Mr Chair. I'd like to ask the Minister whether she believes it is still acceptable that $30 million was spent from the Land for Housing Programme for the land at Ihumātao and yet there are still no homes at Ihumātao and can the Minister let taxpayers know when we would expect to see the first signs of development at Ihumātao?
Bishop ChrisCHRIS BISHOP (National): Thank very much Mr Chair. There's a range of issues I want to canvass with the Minister of Housing—I see she's supported by her plethora of housing Ministers behind her.I suppose the right starting point is what the Government itself said was the starting point for their housing policy all the way back in 2017 when the Government came to office which was KiwiBuild. It's the programme that dare not speak its name recently but we need to remember that this was the fundamental building block for all of the Government's housing policy. In fact it was going to be—in 2017 at least—the only thing that the Government really campaigned on when it comes to housing. And so here we are in May 2022 and 1300 homes have been built that are KiwiBuild homes: zero in December 2021 zero in January eight in February but zero again last month—in March or at least two months ago. So it's a genuine question and I know that there was the KiwiBuild reset when the current Minister took over from the former Minister but it's a genuine question which is: what is the future of KiwiBuild?Is it still Government policy to continue to roll out KiwiBuild houses and if so how many can we expect in the next 18 months before the next election? And if it's not Government policy to still stand up and support KiwiBuild then wouldn't it be better for the Government to put the programme out of its misery and redeploy some of the resources that are going into KiwiBuild into other things and we can have a debate around what and where that resource should go. But it's a genuine question around what the future of the KiwiBuild policy is because that was meant to be the Government's flagship housing programme.
SpeechCHAIRPERSON (Ian McKelvie): Members our time with the Minister of Tourism has ended. The Minister of Housing is now available for one hour to respond to members' questions.
Annual Review Debate — Tourism
Stanford EricaERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays): Could I ask the Minister what is just a couple of quick-fire questions a quick-fire round. What's his understanding of why tourists from all countries can't come to New Zealand right now?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Tourism): Well we have Australian tourists we have tourists from visa waiver countries and we have countries that you have to have a visa to come into the country. We have not opened the borders at this point in time to tourists from countries that require a visa to come in.
SpeechHon STUART NASH (Minister of Tourism): One thing I would say is that actually what we've done—and I think very successfully—is given taxpayers' money to businesses to allow them to make decisions themselves. In terms of the money I've just alluded to the $49 million that went to the regional tourism organisations I wrote them a letter of expectation around destination management plans and regenerative tourism but it was up to them to determine how they in fact engage with their key stakeholders. In terms of the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment (STAP) there have been a number of reviews done—Deloitte I think have done a couple—the only recommendation that came out of the Auditor-General's report was a recommendation that the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment take a look and determine whether what we wanted to achieve out of STAP in fact had been achieved. What we have got is an organisation a company—I think they're called Angus & Associates I think that's the name—to take a look right across the tourism sector to do an audit to see how well that money was spent and whether we achieved what we were out to achieve and the impact it had. But that's right across the tourism sector. But we certainly will deliver on the Auditor-General's recommendation and we'll take a good hard look to see whether STAP delivered what we intended it to deliver. One thing I will say though when the STAP was put in place we were at the beginning of a global pandemic. We had just closed down the borders. We knew that there were going to be no international tourists that were going to come to this country. We had to act really really fast. There was no playbook keep in mind for how to manage a global pandemic. There are a number of tourism businesses that actually wrote to the Government and said If we do not have some form of support we will close." So Ministers had to act quickly to ensure that money got out the door and we didn't see either the closure of these businesses or what was also mooted which was the sale to international interests."
Mooney JosephJOSEPH MOONEY (National—Southland): Why should New Zealanders trust the Minister of Tourism to spend public money effectively when the Office of the Auditor-General's report released on 31 March 2022 confirmed many of the concerns small operators raised when the $290 million Strategic Tourism Assets Protection Programme's (STAPP's) fund was allocated in 2022 including finding that Ministers handing the money out struggled themselves to define what a strategic asset was some criteria being unclear tens of millions of dollars being given to businesses owned by profit or parent companies when the money was supposed to support struggling businesses ignoring official advice to halt the programme and the Auditor-General concluding that limited documentation meant it was hard to determine value for money or to adequately explain their decisions made?
Court SimonSIMON COURT (ACT): Thank you Mr Chair. The problem that needs to be solved for our tourism industry is how to make it sustainable how to make it enduring and how to make the experience a quality experience but also importantly how is it that New Zealand tourism businesses and operators can remain profitable and deliver the quality experience that we would like them to? I'll point to the issue of the Milford aerodrome and the Milford tourism operators. About 800000 tourists arrived in Milford by road every year prior to 2020 and about 50000 by air who landed at the Milford aerodrome. In 2020 this administration under the Labour-led Government announced a $3 million upgrade for Milford aerodrome because it was regarded as getting to the end of its service life and it needed better facilities including for example a toilet. But what I want to ask the Minister is: why has this project not been delivered to support the tourism industry; where has the money gone Minister that was allocated—the $3 million—for Milford aerodrome which supports the tourism industry? Does the Minister agree with Save Milford Airport representative Mark Quickfall that the Milford Opportunities Project—which is their plan to close Milford Airport to fixed-wing aircraft—is out of step with the market place and the realities of tourism and is quixotic and utopian? Is he prepared to defend the rights of Milford tourism operators to fly into Milford aerodrome against the Milford Opportunities Project plan to close the aerodrome which is supported by the Department of Conservation—Minister?
SpeechHon STUART NASH (Minister of Tourism): I completely refute the assertion that the tourism industry is going to be built on the back of working holiday visa holders. In fact I've been very very clear that the tourism industry will not be built back on the back of cheap labour. You know as I said in my initial answer what we need to do and what the sector recognises is in fact they need to work really hard to build an aspirational career vision for those who want to enter into the sector. The sector themselves recognise the fact that the perception of the sector as a vocation is poor; the sector themselves have said We need to up our game in terms of attracting people into the sector." And I completely buy into that vision and we will do whatever we can to help them along that course.But you know we have to remove the perception that tourism is low wage long hours and precarious—because it should not be and it will not be going forward because it just can't be if we are to deliver on our global promises that we are making to tourists who we're targeting. What I would say in terms of working holiday visas you know the ski season—and Mr Mooney will be able to tell me when the ski season starts in earnest in Queenstown. But you know there are 5000-plus people who have signed up for a working holiday visa. No doubt they are waiting for their ski season to start they are sorting out their affairs and they will get over here.It's like what we have done in terms of working with the ski industry themselves to say: "What do you need to allow you to be able to deliver on the brand experiences that we are going out to global markets with?" They told us what they needed in terms of workers. We worked with the ministry of immigration and we're getting those workers in here exactly in a way that the industry said they needed. So what did I do? We had a conversation with the Minister of Immigration; the Prime Minister herself heard what was needed. The Prime Minister herself when I was there had a conversation with the head of Tourism New Zealand and she actually asked the head of Tourism New Zealand "Can you please work with the immigration department to see what can be done to better target working holiday visa aspirants so they can come over here and enjoy this country?"The thing that we know—the thing that all the research is showing—is actually people do want to come to this country. We're seen as safe. I mean in Auckland my understanding is about 96 percent of people in Auckland have had at least one shot—we're seen as a safe place to come. I have absolutely no doubt that we're going to attract tourists and workers that will be able to deliver on the type of experience that Tourism New Zealand spent the last 18 months building."
Stanford EricaERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays): Thank you Mr Chair. I want to just get the Minister to elaborate on some of his answers just then because it sounds like the tourism industry is going to be 100 percent relying on working holiday visas. There seems to be no other option. And as the Minister has already pointed to only 5000 have been granted. Only 400 or so have actually arrived in the country. And I note that the Minister just said that he hopes more arrive. Well that's very nice but pinning our tourism recovery on the hopes of the Minister probably isn't the best response. What I want to know from the Minister is: what discussions did he have with the Minister of Immigration or the Prime Minister or anyone else in his caucus or in his Cabinet around getting more of those working holiday visa holders here to New Zealand much sooner? We note that in Australia they said that if you come before a certain date you can get all your fees back. In fact they're offering £10 flights to get to Australia from the UK. What are we doing to get people here? Because actually just saying we hope they arrive isn't enough. There are a whole lot of options that we put out—things like allowing them to come if they're a bit older coming to have a second bite at the cherry—a whole range of options to attract more working holidaymakers here but it sounds like what this Minister has done is just said Well let's hope they come." Only 400 have arrived—that's not enough across the whole country; it's certainly not enough for the ski sector. I want to know what discussions the Minister had with the Minister of Immigration around making us a more attractive destination for working holidaymakers."
Mooney JosephJOSEPH MOONEY (National—Southland): Thank you Mr Chair. Minister I understand 5000 working holidaymaker visas have been issued. Is the Minister aware that since that has come into place only 438 working holiday makers have come to New Zealand? We have businesses as of today that are not open because they can't get enough workers. Is the Minister going to do anything to help those businesses today and tomorrow who need to be able to open their doors and who need staff so they can actually have the workforce available when the ski fields open and hopefully we have a lot more tourists?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Tourism): One thing I will say is when I was down in Queenstown last—and as the Minister of Tourism I think I've been to Queenstown either six or seven times so I'm well engaged with the community down there—what we heard and what the Prime Minister herself actually promised and what we are delivering on now is Immigration working with Tourism New Zealand. It's sort of out of the bounds or out of the mandate of Tourism New Zealand but they're working with Tourism New Zealand to promote the working holiday scheme. We are issuing these visas. We want to get people in here as soon as possible. People want to come here as soon as possible. They're not going to arrive today or tomorrow but they will get here hopefully in time for the ski season.One of the things we have done in terms of making sure that the people who come over here to ski get the best possible experience working with the sector themselves—there are a number of visas that were sponsored by Tourism New Zealand that Cabinet has approved for fast tracking so those workers who pretty much spend 50 percent of their time in the Northern Hemisphere 50 percent of their time in the Southern Hemisphere working in the ski industry globally are here and can deliver on that experience for everyone who wants to come over.
SpeechANNUAL REVIEW DEBATEIn CommitteeDebate resumed from 13 April on the Appropriation (2020/21 Confirmation and Validation) Bill.CHAIRPERSON (Ian McKelvie): Members the House is in committee for further consideration of the Appropriation (2020/21 Confirmation and Validation) Bill. This is the debate on the financial position of the Government and the annual reviews of departments Officers of Parliament Crown entities public organisations and State enterprises as reported on by select committees. There are four hours and 31 minutes remaining in this debate. New Zealand Labour has two hours and 34 minutes remaining; New Zealand National has one hour and 23 minutes remaining. The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has 16 minutes remaining. ACT New Zealand has 27 minutes remaining and Te Paati Māori has 10 minutes remaining. Members will recall that Standing Orders 356(2) and 356(3) have been set aside so there are no sector-specific debates. All annual reviews are available for debate but only specific Ministers will be available each day to respond. The Government has indicated that the Minister of Tourism the Minister of Housing the Minister of Agriculture the Minister of Justice the Minister of Immigration and the Minister of Health will be available today. Each debate will be led off by the chairperson or another member of the committee that considered annual reviews most closely related to the Ministers' portfolios. A motion to report progress on a bill must be moved on a call not a point of order—Speaker's ruling 80/1. At the conclusion of the debate questions will be put noting the committee reports on annual reviews and the provisions of the Appropriation (2020/21 Confirmation and Validation) Bill. There is no amendment for debate on these questions.I'll remind members that they're able to participate remotely. If you're on the Zoom and want to take a call please type call" into the chat. You should also use the chat if you wish to raise a point of order.Finally it would be helpful for members to ask multiple questions if they have them of the available Minister during their call. We start with the Minister of Tourism who is available for 30 minutes to respond to members' questions. When the Committee was last considering the bill the question was that the report of the Finance and Expenditure Committee on the annual final statements of the Government for the 2021 financial year be noted."
SpeechI declare the House in committee for further consideration of the Appropriation (2020/21 Confirmation and Validation) Bill.
Urgent Debates Declined — Disability Commissioner—Report on Support for Disabled People and Whānau during Omicron
SpeechURGENT DEBATES DECLINEDDisability Commissioner—Report on Support for Disabled People and Whānau during OmicronSPEAKER: I have received a letter from Jan Logie seeking to debate under Standing Order 399 the release of the Disability Commissioner's report inquiring into the support of disabled people and whānau during Omicron. This is a particular case of recent occurrence for which there is ministerial responsibility. The release of a report may warrant an urgent debate but this must be exceptional especially when working through a report's recommendations will take some time—Speaker's ruling 208/6. The Government's COVID response and the recommendations of this report cover several ministerial portfolios an important one of which is health and I note that members will have a chance to question the Minister during the annual review debate this evening. The release of this report does not warrant the setting aside of the business of the House today. The application is declined.
SpeechPETITIONS PAPERS SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS AND INTRODUCTION OF BILLSSPEAKER: No bills have been introduced. Petitions have been delivered to the Clerk for presentation.CLERK: Petition of 350 Aotearoa requesting that the House ban the expansion and installation of all new fossil-fuel boilers in schools in the wider state sectorpetition of Robert Forsythe requesting that the House pass legislation allowing free transport to all school studentspetition of Joe Miller on behalf of Grey Power Otago requesting that the House pass legislation requiring the main arterial route through Dunedin to remain as a one-way system in line with the recommendation of Waka Kotahipetition of Julia Lee requesting that the House of Representatives pass legislation to create non-transferrable paid parental leave for fathers or for an alternative nominated support person in special circumstances.SPEAKER: Those petitions stand referred to the Petitions Committee. A paper has been delivered for presentation.CLERK: Report of the Attorney-General under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 on the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill.SPEAKER: I present the 2022/23 Draft Annual Plan of the Control on Auditor-General. Those papers are published under the authority of the House. Select committee reports have been delivered for presentation.CLERK: Report of the Economic Development Science and Innovation Committee on the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Billreport of the Education and Workforce Committee on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2)report of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee on the briefing on the situation in Ukraine and Russiareport of the Justice Committee on the Remuneration Authority Legislation Billreports of the Petitions Committee on thepetition of Ari Kerssens: Increase taxi subsidy for the Total Mobility schemepetition of Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand: Leave no-one behind - Campaign to address digital exclusionpetition of Malkiat Singh: Grant partners of New Zealanders on general visitor visa permission to enter NZreports of the Regulations Review Committee on thecomplaint about the Fisheries (South Island Customary Fishing) Regulations 1999 (SR1999/342) and certain Declarations of Mātaitai Reservesexamination of COVID-19 orders presented between 31 March and 8 April 2022.SPEAKER: The bills are set down for second reading the briefing is set down for consideration and the reports of the Regulations Review Committee are set down for consideration.
Amended Answers to Oral Questions — Question No. 10 to Minister 9 February
SpeechAMENDED ANSWERS TO ORAL QUESTIONSQuestion No. 10 to Minister 9 FebruaryHon POTO WILLIAMS (Minister of Police): Thank you Mr Speaker. I seek leave to make a personal explanation to correct an answer to an oral question.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that process taking place? There appears to be none.Hon POTO WILLIAMS: In response to question No. 10 on 9 February I answered that 60000 military-style weapons also known as E category firearms had been removed from circulation as part of the firearms buyback." It was actually 60000 prohibited firearms that were removed of which 15037 were classified as E category firearms."
Obituaries — Ian Brooks
List Member Elected
SpeechOBITUARIESIan BrooksSPEAKER: I regret to inform the House of the death on 20 April 2022 of Ian Brooks who represented the former Marlborough electorate from 1970 to 1975. He chaired the Education Committee from 1973 to 1975.I desire on behalf of this House to express our sense of the loss we have sustained and our sympathy with the relatives of the late former member. I now ask members to stand with me and observe a period of silence as a mark of respect to his memory.Members stood as a mark of respect.
SpeechMEMBERS SWORNThe Speaker administered the Oath of Allegiance to Lemauga Lydia Sosene who then took her seat in the House.LEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour): Ko ahau ko Lemauga Lydia Sosene e oati ana ka noho pūmau taku pono ki a Kuini Irahāpeti te Tuarua me tōna kāhui whakaheke e ai ki te ture. Ko Te Atua nei hoki taku pou.[I Lemauga Lydia Sosene swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Her heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.]O a'u o Lemauga Lydia Sosene. Ou te tauto atu o le a ou faamaoni ma ou tuuina atu ma le moni lo'u loto atoatoa i le tautuaina o lana afioga i le Tupu Tamaitai o Elisapeta le Lua faapea ona suli uma ma i latou uma o ē suitulaga ina ia tusa ai ma le tulafono. Le Alii e ia e fesoasoani mai ia te a'u.
SpeechLIST MEMBER ELECTEDSPEAKER: Members I have received from the Electoral Commission a return declaring Lemauga Lydia Sosene to be elected a member of Parliament to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Louisa Wall from her list seat.
SpeechTUESDAY 3 MAY 2022The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.KARAKIA/PRAYERSASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): Almighty God we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests we acknowledge the Queen and pray for guidance in our deliberations that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom justice mercy and humility for the welfare and peace and New Zealand. Amen.
Wednesday 14 December 2022 - Volume 765
Secondary Legislation Confirmation Bill — Third Reading
VoteA party vote was called for on the question That the Secondary Legislation Confirmation Bill be now read a third time.Ayes 109New Zealand Labour 64; New Zealand National 33; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati Māori 2.Noes 10ACT New Zealand 10.Motion agreed to.Bill read a third time.
Secondary Legislation Confirmation Bill — Second Reading
VoteA party vote was called for on the question That the Secondary Legislation Confirmation Bill be now read a second time.Ayes 109New Zealand Labour 64; New Zealand National 33; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati Māori 2.Noes 10ACT New Zealand 10.Motion agreed to.Bill read a second time.
VoteA party vote was called for on the question That the Therapeutic Products Bill be now read a first time.Ayes 117New Zealand Labour 64; New Zealand National 33; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; ACT New Zealand 10.Noes 2Te Paati Māori 2.Motion agreed to.Bill read a first time.SPEAKER: The question is That the Therapeutic Products Bill be considered by the Health Committee.Motion agreed to.Bill referred to the Health Committee.
Therapeutic Products Bill — First Reading
12. Question No. 12—HealthTANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North) to the Associate Minister of HealthQuestion No. 12—Health12. TANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North) to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress has been made towards a smokefree New Zealand?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Associate Minister of Health): I'm pleased to say that yesterday this House passed the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill into law. This will see three changes to tobacco in New Zealand: we will reduce the amount of nicotine that is allowed in smoked tobacco products the number of retailers that sell tobacco will decrease and we will ensure tobacco is not sold to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.Tangi Utikere: What impact is this bill likely to have?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Changes in this bill will result in thousands of people living longer healthier lives. An entire generation will be smokefree which will save thousands of lives and the health system will be better off for not needing to treat illnesses caused by smoking—such as numerous types of cancer heart attacks strokes and amputations—saving an estimated $5 billion in health expenditure. We have been making great strides towards a smokefree future with our smoking rates now down to 8 percent. However without this bill it would have taken decades for Māori to reach the 5 percent goal originally set by the Māori Affairs Committee.Tangi Utikere: What feedback has she received on this announcement?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: The feedback has been positive. The Cancer Society of New Zealand described this legislation as bold and brave" with tobacco being the most harmful consumer product in history. We have seen firsthand the devastating impact it has on individuals and their whānau. Selah Hart CEO of Hāpai Te Hauora spoke to BBC News about this world-leading step to addressing the underlying issue of tobacco. And Catherine Manning regional manager of Takiri Mai Te Ata Regional Stop Smoking Service said we can now finally protect our mokopuna and noted the importance of engagement with communities through this transition. These community organisations such as Takiri Mai Te Ata are essential in providing stop smoking programmes which we continue to support through funding from Budget 2021 to scale up services alongside health promotion.Tangi Utikere: So how will this bill help our community?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: The measures in this bill aim to create equitable outcomes to make sure that Māori and Pasifika also reach our smokefree goal and share in a better future. The measures will close the life expectancy gap for Māori women by 25 percent and 10 percent for Māori men. As we look forward to the summer holidays we all want more time with our whānau we want time with our families and friends to live long healthy lives. We want more summers and Christmases together. For anyone seeking to make a change and quit smoking in 2023 I encourage you to contact Quitline on 0800 778 778. Kia kaha."
11. Question No. 11—ChildrenKAREN CHHOUR (ACT) to the Minister for ChildrenQuestion No. 11—Children11. KAREN CHHOUR (ACT) to the Minister for Children: Does he stand by his statement that when a child is identified or apprehended by Police for offending behaviour information will be shared with Oranga Tamariki within 24 hours with an agreed plan on how to deal with and support the young person confirmed in 48 hours"; if so how does he expect this to be delivered while Oranga Tamariki faces more than 500 vacancies?Hon KELVIN DAVIS (Minister for Children): The circuit-breaker intervention the Government announced last week responds directly to the needs of the areas where the programme is being piloted. We also made sure to focus on areas where we knew this could be rolled out quickly and effectively. During the development of this initiative Police and Oranga Tamariki (OT) worked together to make sure they had the staff and resources to deliver support for families.Karen Chhour: Does the Minister truly believe it is feasible for Oranga Tamariki Police education health social development iwi Māori community organisations and whānau all to cooperate and confirm a plan within 48 hours as he announced; and if he pulls this off will it be the most efficient Government operation ever?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: It's already happening in South Auckland.Karen Chhour: Does the Minister have full confidence in this initiative considering that multiple reviews including the Independent Children's Monitor could not guarantee OT was meeting national care standards with cases of staff at breaking point; and how many action plans are currently being made for young offenders within 48 hours if any?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: As I said it's already happening in South Auckland. I invite the member to go and visit Kotahi te Whakaaro and she can see for herself.David Seymour: Point of order. The second leg of the question—the first wasn't addressed at all but the second leg was about how many and there have been previous questions about whether it's happening. This question was designed to drill deeper and find out how many. The Minister didn't address that—the number of action plans being put in place—at all.SPEAKER: The question was definitely addressed. The member has further supplementaries—she can explore that.Karen Chhour: What advice if any has the Minister received on the feasibility of this policy nationwide?Hon KELVIN DAVIS: As I said it's already happening based on Kotahi te Whakaaro in South Auckland. The advice I received actually was from when I went to visit and I spoke with all of the agencies and the NGOs who were sitting around the table describing how effective it has been. That's the best form of advice you can get."
6. Question No. 6—EducationANGELA ROBERTS (Labour) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 6—Education6. ANGELA ROBERTS (Labour) to the Minister of Education: What support has the Government contributed to help schools to provide learning environments for their students that are warm dry and fit for purpose?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): Since 2018 this Government has committed $3.8 billion of new capital spending to improve school property. This has included funding for the National Education Growth Plan to build new schools and classrooms for our growing population the National School Redevelopment Programme to address the poor condition of some of our school buildings that we inherited and the School Investment Programme which provided funding to nearly every State school to bring forward and complete much-needed property projects. To put this into perspective over $5.7 billion has been spent on school property between 2018 and 2020 compared to just $2.9 billion in the preceding five years.Angela Roberts: What has been delivered in terms of additional student places from the spending?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Thirty thousand and sixty-eight additional student places have been delivered through the building of new schools and new classrooms to the year ending on 30 September 2022. Another 12968 places are currently under construction and there are a further 51564 places that are being planned or designed at the moment.Angela Roberts: What has been delivered in terms of school redevelopments from this spending?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The level of school redevelopment work up and down the country also continues to increase. Over 70 major redevelopment projects worth over $528 million have been completed since 2019—nearly half of those completed in the last year. Another 51 major projects worth $632 million are currently in construction providing much-needed upgrades to our existing school infrastructure.Angela Roberts: What other support has the Government provided?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We've provided funding to improve the internal environments of over 600 State and State-integrated schools that are in small or remote areas. The school investment package was a one-off capital injection to most State schools that helped them to accelerate upgrade and improvement works. Four thousand four hundred and ninety-nine projects have been completed or are in delivery at over 2000 schools across New Zealand. The state of the school property portfolio we inherited five years ago was nothing short of disgraceful. We have been taking work and delivering results in improving it.
4. Question No. 4—Oceans and FisheriesHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and FisheriesQuestion No. 4—Oceans and Fisheries4. Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Does he agree with the Minister of Conservation that New Zealand supports a global protection target of 30 percent of land and sea areas by 2030; if so what progress if any has the Government made toward achieving this in the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana since October 2020?Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister for Oceans and Fisheries): Yes and New Zealand led by the Minister of Conservation is active in negotiations currently under way in Montreal at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to support this target. In respect of the Hauraki Gulf extensive engagement on our proposals has concluded and decisions by Cabinet are imminent.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he have any early Christmas gifts and good tidings for the dolphins seabirds fish and marine life of the Hauraki Gulf about protecting them from the impacts of commercial and recreational fishing?Hon DAVID PARKER: Trawling for bad news though the member may be I think she's probably floundering to find it and I am pleased to say that there's lots of good news on the way.Hon Eugenie Sage: When does he expect to be able to make any announcements on the 19 marine protection areas proposed for the Hauraki Gulf in the Government's Revitalising the Gulf report when he told this House in March that those decisions were expected later this year?Hon DAVID PARKER: Well indeed I've actually got a paper at Cabinet committee tomorrow morning on those very issues and am expecting public announcements to be made early in the new year.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he accept the finding in the MartinJenkins Ltd report that commercial fishing in the proposed protection areas accounts for just 1 to 3 percent of the total greenweight of fish caught commercially across all quota-management areas that include the Gulf; if so will he be more ambitious and seriously consider phasing out bottom trawling across all of the Gulf?Hon DAVID PARKER: Bottom trawling is already prohibited in a large part of the Gulf. Trawling is proposed to be further limited to some narrower trawl corridors which we are consulting upon. In respect of the data that the member mentioned in her question I don't deny it.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he agree with Forest & Bird's description of bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf as being the equivalent of driving a bulldozer through the Waitakere Ranges to pick mushrooms; if not why not?Hon DAVID PARKER: No because there are no mushrooms at sea.Hon Eugenie Sage: Does he agree that to align with the targets under discussion in Montreal New Zealand should be protecting at least 30 percent of our own globally significant marine area by 2030; if so how does he think we are tracking towards that goal?Hon DAVID PARKER: Yes and I think this Government's going to make significant progress in the not too distant future.
Rurawhe AdrianSPEAKER: Kāti rā tēnā rā tātou katoa. E tika ana kia tū ake kia whakahokia te reo mihi ka tuku mai ki ahau i roto i tōku tūranga o tēnei Whare nō reira ka mihi atu ki a koutou.[Well then greetings one and all. It is appropriate that I stand and reply to the kind words expressed concerning me in my role in this House so thank you to you all.]I'm going to have a very short speech. What I'd like to do is acknowledge everyone that has said some fairly kind things to me in the position that I hold—thank you very much. I do want to thank all of the party leaders and whips for their cooperation in the time that I've been Speaker; it's been much appreciated. In particular the members of the Business Committee—I want to acknowledge them.The Office of the Speaker has a very close relationship with the Office of the Clerk and it's really important that I acknowledge all of the staff in the Office of the Clerk: from committee clerks—all of the staff that do a lot of things that quite frankly make the Speaker look good and so I'd like to acknowledge that. One member of the Office of the Clerk though I will mention is the Speaker's Assistant Mr Roland Todd—an institution of knowledge for a new Speaker coming into the role an extraordinary amount of institutional knowledge of the role of Speaker and he was very kind to share that with me so I'd like to thank him. I'd like to thank all of my staff in the Office of the Speaker and my electorate office and thank—as all speakers today have thanked—all of the employees that make this place a better place for us to work. And so I'll leave it there.Nō reira taku mihi atu anō ki a tātou i runga i te tukunga iho o rātou mā te wāhi ngaro Matua Tama Wairua Tapu me ngā Anahera Pono Māngai e tautoko mai āia nei āke nei āe.[My thanks once again to one and all under the guidance from above from the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit the Faithful Angels and the Mouthpiece who uphold us now and for evermore.]Motion agreed to.SPEAKER (Rt Hon Adrian Rurawhe): The House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. on Tuesday 14 February 2023.The House adjourned at 5.02 p.m.
Hipkins ChrisThird ReadingHon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House): I move That the Secondary Legislation Confirmation Bill be now read a third time.
Collins JudithHon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura): Unaccustomed as I am to speaking on these matters I'm particularly enjoying being the chair of the Regulations Review Committee and I find the work very interesting.Hon Chris Hipkins: Once more with sincerity. Hon JUDITH COLLINS: No I actually do Mr Hipkins. And I suggest that perhaps other people should put the same diligence into their work. In the spirit of Christmas I'd like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Christmas. For those of you who don't believe in Christmas I wish you the best as well and hope that everyone has a great break and comes back in the new year just as friendly and perky as I am.I'd like to obviously acknowledge the wonderful staff that work with us in the Regulations Review Committee and obviously acknowledge my predecessor Chris Penk and my deputy chair Rachel over there. She's sure to be promoted in the dying days of the current Government but not for long. And what we have though is this is actually a process bill. I mean basically regulations have to either come back to the House to get confirmed or else they fail.There is one part of this bill that the National Party does not agree with and that is actually the ute tax. And it is there carefully hidden as some sort of clean vehicle discount scheme charge utterly disingenuous—utterly disingenuous. What it actually is is a tax; it's the ute tax". And the other thing is how can this possibly be a levy when it's a charge made not for anything that's actually being done but it's actually a tax on people who need to buy a vehicle which at the moment is going to emit carbon dioxide above the particular clean car levels. Now that's actually everybody who owns a ute because I who have a huge interest in cars and love them immensely—Chris Bishop: Oh do you?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I do actually. I absolutely love cars. Fortunately by the way in their ute tax they did actually give an exemption for those of us who also have classic cars in our collections so that is a good thing. But this is actually a tax. So it is something which really should never have come through as a levy.We are however going to support obviously this piece of legislation—not all the ins and outs of it; certainly not the ute tax; certainly not that absolute ridiculous tax that was put on every tradesperson in New Zealand who has a ute every farmer in New Zealand who has a ute and every would-be tradesperson and farmer in New Zealand who has a ute. It is absolutely disgraceful. But this is a process thing and obviously everything has to come back to the House as secondary legislation for confirmation. And on that basis we will support it."