5. Economic Programme—Superannuation Rates and Winter Energy PaymentHon STEVEN JOYCE (National) to the Minister of FinanceEconomic Programme—Superannuation Rates and Winter Energy Payment5. Hon STEVEN JOYCE (National) to the Minister of Finance: Is it his intention that in the year commencing 1 April 2018 each superannuitant couple will receive $681 less in New Zealand superannuation payments than they otherwise would under the law as it currently stands?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): It is this Government's intention to repeal the tax cuts that have been legislated but have not come into force which would have led to the changes in New Zealand super payments. But I have good news for the member: the Government's Winter Energy Payment which is part of the Families Package will provide a significant boost to superannuitants' incomes and the details of that will be announced tomorrow.Hon Steven Joyce: Why does he believe New Zealand super payments shouldn't be increased and instead make superannuitants visit Work and Income and fill out another form for an additional cash payment for just five months of the year?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It's not a matter of what I believe in that regard. Superannuation payments are indexed to the average wage. But I have further good news for the member because this Government's excellent plan for lifting wages will mean that in the future no doubt superannuation payments will increase enormously.Hon Steven Joyce: Does this plan of the Government's to increase wages mean that it will within a year increase wages by more than is lost in the $1060 that average wage earners are losing as a result of his plans to change the tax package currently under law?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As I've said many times to the member average wage earners are not losing that because they never had it and if that member had been really serious about it he would've made it come into force while he was in Government not on 1 April.Hon Steven Joyce: Is it his expectation as Minister of Finance that all coalition partners including New Zealand First will vote for his bill tomorrow which takes away $681 a year in superannuation payments from superannuitant couples?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: All the parties in this coalition Government are committed to lifting the incomes of New Zealanders and to making sure that we actually get some fairness. This Government has different priorities than the last Government. We actually believe that we should support families we actually believe that we should make sure that the lives of working New Zealanders improve and that's what our package will do.Hon Steven Joyce: How does he tell a working New Zealander that he's improving their lives when on 1 April next year they're going to not get the $1060 that would have improved their lives and instead paternalistic finance Minister Grant Robertson is going to determine—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Order! The member lost that one.Hon Steven Joyce: Is it his intention that this Winter Energy Payment that he intends to introduce tomorrow will be universal and that superannuitants who go to for example the Gold Coast for their winter will still be eligible to receive a Winter Energy Payment as if they'd stayed in New Zealand?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: It's just one more sleep for the member until he gets all the details of this but I can assure him that the rules that apply around payments to superannuitants won't be changing other than the fact that they will be eligible for a payment that will offset the increase of cost of living and will make sure that they can stay warm in winter—something this Government is proud of.Hon Steven Joyce: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It's a fairly straightforward question as it was actually a specific example of somebody headed off overseas during winter and I just—Mr SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat. It was a straightforward question and it had an answer. It was probably put in condescending terms and maybe not appropriately but it was clear: the member will know tomorrow.