2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterHon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes—particularly the Government's very recent announcement to move Wellington to alert level 2 given the recent visit to Wellington by an individual who has since tested positive for COVID-19. Events like this are why we have the alert level framework which allows us to change alert levels to better respond to possible outbreaks of COVID-19 and ensure we mitigate the potential effects of COVID-19. This builds on the precautionary approach we've taken to COVID-19 to date and helps us to continue with our elimination strategy which is ultimately the best response for health and our economy. Hon Judith Collins: Did Cabinet make the decision to have a mental health stocktake as announced by Andrew Little yesterday? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As the member will have heard the Minister say he's been canvassing a range of options to ensure that the decisions that were made as part of Budget 2019 have been rolled out as we expect. The member will recall that yesterday I traversed some of those announcements and I think it's helpful to remind the member that of the $1.9 billion that was announced in that Budget we were very clear that the primary focus of those spending decisions was about building the fence at the top of the cliff. We wanted to make sure that we were very early on creating alternative and early access for those who need it. As the member will have already heard me say yesterday 10000 sessions a month are being provided as a result. On the issue of capital roll-out $233 million was part of Budget 2019 on capital projects. Across those capital projects they have now been allocated by and large by the Government. But again building facilities—as the member well knows—does take longer than 18 months. Hon Judith Collins: Point of order Mr Speaker. I specifically asked did Cabinet make the decision and got everything except that. SPEAKER: No I thought it was addressed right at the beginning of the—Hon Judith Collins: Was the answer yes or no? Nicola Willis: Is that a second supplementary? SPEAKER: Well the member can ask again if she wishes—Hon Judith Collins: All right I will then. SPEAKER: —but can I just make one suggestion: that it will be easier for everyone to hear if the member behind her just winds it back a bit. Hon Judith Collins: When was she informed of the decision to have a mental health stocktake as announced by Andrew Little? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The decision of a Minister to look across the spending profile of his portfolio is one that he can take and as I have said the Minister has been talking openly about those areas where investment has absolutely met our expectations but also around the $233 million where it has taken some time to design and build because of course we started from scratch. That member's Government had no such plan to ensure that we had adequate and dignified acute mental health care. But if the member interprets decent mental health care in this country to be what we solely do at crisis then obviously the member has not been talking to the sector about what needs to change. Hon Judith Collins: So did she find out from the media as well? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No. Hon Judith Collins: Does she believe her Government has acted urgently to roll out its 2017 Speech from the Throne commitment to have free mental health services for all under-25-year-olds when four years on there's only still a pilot in place? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Two parts to my answer here: firstly we have committed to rolling out additional services across our school-based services so that's our way of making sure that no matter where you are in the country our young people are able to access that form of primary mental health care. So we've been expanding those services over time. The reason for that is research tells us that a first manifestation of the need for care sometimes will come through those school-based health services. The second thing that we've been doing is making sure that we're supporting the likes of Youthline and also through our primary mental health care roll-out we have been supporting youth-specific youth services. Seventeen so far have been contracted across 15 DHBs with over 60 contracted full-time equivalents and over—as I've said previously—10000 services delivered as part of that roll-out. The member is talking about one particular project and that is Piki and that is something that has been supported by the Green Party. That's been in this particular region—again looking at the results of that to determine whether or not that ongoing roll-out the impact that that will have for young people. But I totally reject the idea that we haven't changed up the service provision for young people. Hon Judith Collins: When she said that the key test for Budget 2019 was Will someone in the very early stages of mental health issues be able to get the help they need?" does she think her Government has met that test with just five extra beds being added and some patients having to sleep on the floor?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I would actually just go back to my quote there: $1.9 billion—a significant proportion of that was about developing primary mental health care. We now in over 200 sites across 16 DHBs and covering an enrolled population of 1.4 million people with 360 fulltime-equivalents have delivered 120000 sessions of primary mental health care that did not exist before that Budget. Building the fence at the top of the cliff was the focus there. If the member thinks that continuing to allow people to fall into crisis is the way to build a mental health system that we can be proud of then I'd say that unfortunately we have very different visions. At the same time yes we need to rebuild acute services. Currently we have a new build of the adult mental health facility in Waikato in Lakes in Mid-Central; refurbishment in Tai Rāwhiti and in Waitematā. That includes approved Crown funding committed of $233 million.Hon Grant Robertson: Why was it necessary for the Government to commit $1.9 billion to mental health in Budget 2019?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because of the lack of investment under the last Government. That funding was dedicated towards the impacts of addiction. It was dedicated towards the mental health impacts and consequences of homelessness of there being a lack of forensic mental health care in prisons. We inherited for instance a new prison build that was a mega-prison without any concern for whether or not we were dealing with the forensic mental health issues that exist within it. And in addition we are starting to front end those services with primary mental health which just had not been considered before that.Hon Judith Collins: What does she say to professor of wellbeing Arthur Grimes who observed that when she addressed family members of suicide victims on the Parliament forecourt and told them "When I speak about this issue I speak not as a politician but as a human being." it was in Professor Grimes' words "marketing over substance"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No one with personal experience of suicide in their family or friend network would ever describe the way they feel about that issue in that way and I imagine every single person in this House has a story. But speaking to what we have done as a Government 74 Māori initiatives have been funded through the Māori Suicide Prevention Community Fund; 18 Pacific initiatives have been funded through the Pacific Suicide Prevention Community Fund. We've enhanced a suicide prevention information service for whānau. We've worked hard with DHBs to provide funding for dedicated suicide postvention because it was something that was raised with us—that there was not enough support for those who had experience of suicide in their whānau. And of course we're doing what we can to learn from the past with the Coronial Suspected Suicide Data Sharing Service and of course we've set up the Suicide Prevention Office. That's all been since a Budget in 2019. No one denies there's more to do but we have done a significant amount.Hon Judith Collins: Why did Cabinet sign off a car regulation of 105 grams per kilometre by 2025 after the Ministry of Transport advised such a level would be counterproductive and would lead to people holding on to older dirtier and unsafe vehicles longer?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My recollection of the advice that we received from our officials around the Clean Car Standard—which I note the member is only just now commenting on with a press statement today; it was announced some time ago—was that we needed to couple together the standard with also an incentives regime so that we encouraged a switch in car and vehicle use and choice at the point of purchase. And so that's why we made the decision after receiving advice from officials that would introduce the Clean Car Discount which works hand in hand with the Clean Car Standard.Hon Judith Collins: Is it correct that under her policies someone who imports a typical ute in 2025 will have to pay $3000 for the car tax and another $9000 on top of that under the car regulation—that's $12000 in total on top of the cost?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member misunderstands the way that the Clean Car Standard applies. So it allows over a dealership for them to make decisions around importation that means that if they are importing higher-emissions vehicles if they are at the same time importing lower-emissions vehicles then they can avoid the fees framework. And so that is the way the standard works and I imagine that for many dealerships given that this is something that is in place in almost every other country bar Russia and I believe Australia this will not be unusual to many operators because it is in place in most countries we compare ourselves to."