3. Government Financial Position—Business Confidence and Job Ad NumbersHon STEVEN JOYCE (National) to the Minister of FinanceGovernment Financial Position—Business Confidence and Job Ad Numbers3. Hon STEVEN JOYCE (National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by the accuracy of all his answers to oral questions to date?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): Yes incorporating any clarifications I have made.Hon Steven Joyce: When the latest consumer confidence reports from ANZ-Roy Morgan and Westpac McDermott Miller both show consumer confidence going down in the final quarter of 2017 will he correct his answer from yesterday when he stated consumer confidence is up?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I will check that and if necessary that is what I will do. What I do know is that the McDermott Miller survey does show that employees are feeling optimistic—Hon Steven Joyce: No consumer confidence—consumer confidence.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No no but you quoted the survey Mr Joyce so I'm just letting you know that in that survey employees are feeling optimistic about their future.Hon Steven Joyce: When Statistics New Zealand reported economic growth for the 2014 2015 and 2016 calendar years at 3.6 percent 3.5 percent and 4 percent respectively will he now correct his answer from yesterday when he stated economic growth was going to lift to an average of 3 percent?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That was in relation to forecasts that were made by Treasury—Hon Steven Joyce: Lifting it?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That was in relation to forecasts made by Treasury.Hon Steven Joyce: When the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) quarterly survey of business opinion shows businesses' outlook for their own activity at exactly the same level in September 2017 as it was in December 2016 but then declined in December 2017 will he now correct for the second time his answer yesterday when he stated and I quote I can confirm that business confidence in its own activity has increased in recent surveys. It has gone down over a period of time beginning as I said yesterday a trend that started in December 2016"?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: There are two surveys that've been the subject of debate in the House here. One of them is the ANZ survey. Businesses' outlook about their own prospects in the ANZ survey increased between November and December. The other answer I gave was in relation to the downward trend in the NZIER quarterly survey of business opinion own activity measure where there has been a downward trend from December 2016.Hon Steven Joyce: Does the Minister stand by his answer on 15 November last year that he relied on official reports not bank economists' reports to substantiate his comment and I quote "it will be possible for us to meet our goals within our Budget responsibility rules"?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Yes that was the advice from Treasury and that is the advice that appeared in the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) and the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU).Tamati Coffey: Does he stand by his answers relating to the health of the economy?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I do in particular the answers relating to Standard & Poor's description of the New Zealand economy under this Government being wealthy and resilient. Further evidence of this can be seen in today's ANZ Job Ads report for January which sees a 3.1 percent month on month seasonally adjusted increase—the highest monthly lift in three years. On this side of the House we are very positive and optimistic about the New Zealand economy.Hon Steven Joyce: Given that he stood in his previous answer to me by his answer on 15 November 2017 how does he explain the fact that the official reports from Treasury that he cited and provided in an Official Information Act request subsequent to that date were not actually written at the time he answered the question in the House?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That advice was the advice that was coming through. It was formalised in the HYEFU and BPS.Hon Steven Joyce: Does he consider in light of all those answers that one simple way of boosting consumer and business confidence would be for the finance Minister to answer questions more accurately and reassure New Zealanders he knows what he's actually talking about?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: All of us in Parliament as we begin a new term are learning our jobs. There will be errors and mistakes from time to time. The important thing is making sure that you're humble about it that you understand the new role that you're undertaking and you don't attempt to undermine your leader.Hon James Shaw: Does the Minister stand by his statement that there's no $11.6 billion hole in the Government's finances?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Oh I most definitely do stand by that statement. And in fact I understand that there is still now only one living human being who believes that that statement is correct and he's on his way out.Hon James Shaw: Supplementary.SPEAKER: Before I do I will indicate to the National Party for planning purposes that they've got two of their supplementaries back as a result of an interjection from my right then. Thank you Mr Mark.Hon James Shaw: Would the Minister agree that the assertion of an $11.6 billion hole could only come from someone whose talent in economics if he has any is with the truth?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I believe a statement like that would primarily come from his—Hon Steven Joyce: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I take offence to that particular statement from the member and ask that he withdraw and apologise.Hon James Shaw: I withdraw and apologise.Hon Steven Joyce: I also seek leave to table my academic record with seven successfully sat economic papers and invite the member to do the same.Hon Grant Robertson: Point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: No I—the member will resume his seat. That member's academic record has caused me problems in the past. And my understanding is that it has already been tabled—I might even have done it myself. We will now leave it because it's already been tabled.Hon Grant Robertson: I seek leave of the House for there to be a further debate on Mr Joyce's academic record. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! I'm not going to take the member seriously."