3. Question No. 3—FinanceHon BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour—Mana) to the Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 3—Finance3. Hon BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour—Mana) to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?Hon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance): Yes I do in the context in which they were given. I particularly stand by my statement that hard-working New Zealanders deserve tax relief. Given that data today confirms our economy has experienced a double-dip recession I know those hard-working New Zealanders will be appreciative of soon being able to keep more of their money.Hon Barbara Edmonds: On what date did she decide not to progress a pre-Budget funding commitment for Whaikaha as she told Stuff yesterday?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: That's not what I told Stuff yesterday but let me clarify the situation for the member. The Ministry of Disabled People had been invited to submit for cost pressures as part of Budget 2024 as we view the services they provide as critical front-line services and intended to provide them more funding in the Budget and they did so with the Minister. Subsequent to that request I was advised in early March that there was a risk of the disability services—Whaikaha—exceeding its appropriation. Treasury advised me at that time that this could be dealt with through the usual Budget process and obviously yesterday it became clear there are more immediate issues.Hon Barbara Edmonds: Why did the change to disability support happen without warning or consultation with those affected when she made the decision to progress it as a part of a normal Budget process?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Well I can't speak to that because I was not involved in making those decisions.Hon Barbara Edmonds: Does the Minister stand by her comments to Stuff yesterday: On balance … we got to was that we would just make decisions as part of a normal Budget process"?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: That's correct because what I was advised was that Whaikaha had sufficient funding to make it through so long as we made Budget decisions on the time line that we were planning and so long as we did agree to additional funding on that time line. We had been clear that we were providing significant additional funding. We were clear that the decision would be finalised by Cabinet in time for that to give Whaikaha security of funding going forward.Hon Barbara Edmonds: Why did she decide to increase the level of cuts required of Whaikaha to 7.5 percent rather than the 6.5 percent she campaigned on and is requiring of other agencies given she received a briefing from the Minister of disabilities in late 2023?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: I would just assure the member that the ministry for disability services is expected to get vast orders of magnitude more in additional funding for front-line services—vast orders of magnitude more than any small changes they make to ensure their back office is more efficient. We haven't exempted them from the process we are asking all Government agencies to do because we are conscious every dollar that is saved by not spending it on another policy adviser or administrative person consultant or contractor is a dollar that can actually go to support people with disabilities.Hon Barbara Edmonds: Does she stand by her statement that she was "surprised" by this decision and if so is that because the Minister for Disability Issues never alerted her to the situation or does she just not read the paper setting out the rationale for an early decision?Hon NICOLA WILLIS: In answer to the first part of the question yes."