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Rt Hon Winston Peters: With respect to four matters which are sub judice, but nevertheless may have a connection with respect to Government spending, has there been any connection between those four sub judice cases put before the Serious Fraud Office to trial already or any Government Minister?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: There is no connection in those. I mean, obviously, various political parties at times will have matters that are referred to the Serious Fraud Office. There are avenues available to parliamentarians if they have concerns about Government spending. We've seen that in the past. I think of the Saudi sheep deal as being an excellent example of where parliamentarians, if they have concerns about matters, know what to do.

Hon Paul Goldsmith: Have you spoken directly to the Deputy Prime Minister in the past three days about ways to reassure New Zealanders about the integrity of ministerial decision-making?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I've spoken directly to the Deputy Prime Minister on a number of occasions over the last three days, but I certainly haven't felt the need to do it on that particular topic.

Hon Paul Goldsmith: So is he telling the House that, notwithstanding the Electoral Commission's statement, it's just business as usual for ministerial decision-making around large scale investments?

Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I think the member's making a huge logical leap in his question there. We are getting on with the business of Government. We are positive about the future of New Zealand and we're focused on the issues that matter to New Zealanders.

Question No. 6—Health

6. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of Health: Is he satisfied that the response to the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak was timely and appropriate?

Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): Yes, and it continues to be so. All the decisions we have taken have been informed by science.

Hon Michael Woodhouse: Why is there no screening of passengers arriving from China who transit through another country?

Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: All passengers who come through from another country are being checked as they come through to New Zealand. We track who has been in China in the last 14 days, and if they are permanent residents or New Zealand citizens, then of course they are allowed into New Zealand and they are given advice on where to seek help if they have any symptoms. They are also given advice on health measures. Basic hand hygiene, of course, is one of the critical things in preventing the spread of the virus, as well as making sure that they are in self-isolation for that 14-day period. So those who are not New Zealand citizens, permanent residents, or their immediate family are turned back.

Hon Michael Woodhouse: Is the Minister telling the House that a passenger arriving from China who transits through, say, Seoul or Sydney and arrives at Dunedin or Queenstown international airport is given the information that he just described?

Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: As people come into New Zealand, they are being given the public health information in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and in English. Public health staff are at the border. We are looking to make sure that anyone who has been in China in the last 14 days is in receipt of that information.

Hon Michael Woodhouse: Are passengers arriving from affected areas via cruise ships being screened for the virus?

Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Any passengers arriving on cruise ships are being given the same information as those who arrive at airports.

Hon Michael Woodhouse: Who is correct: the Minister who advises that the screening processes are diligently followed, or the New Zealander who came back from Wuhan and said, "Coming into New Zealand there was nothing. For me it was … like we got off [the] plane and walked through and no one really seemed that concerned."

Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The provision of information at the airports is the thing that we are advised by the medical experts, the science, is the best and most effective thing we can do, because it makes sure that when people have the symptoms—if they have any symptoms—they know where to get help, to call Healthline; they know how to self-isolate effectively; they know how to do hand hygiene, cough hygiene, and other things that prevent the spread of this virus. So we have taken those measures that the clinical experts, the doctors, have recommended. At every point, we have made sure that our decisions have been informed by science.

Question No. 7—Transport

7. PAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai) to the Minister of Transport: In what ways, if any, will the New Zealand Upgrade Programme help futureproof the economy and get our cities moving?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Thank you, Mr Speaker. The New Zealand Upgrade Programme will help futureproof the economy by providing a fully funded pipeline of transport projects over the next decade on top of the ones already funded and being delivered through the National Land Transport Programme. It will help get our cities moving by investing $6.8 billion for roads, rail, public transport, and walking and cycling in our six major growth areas. It's proof positive that we are the Government of infrastructure.

Paul Eagle: What reactions has he seen from the industry to the New Zealand Upgrade Programme?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Civil Contractors New Zealand chief executive Peter Silcock said that the announcements showed the Government was looking at a wide range of projects, including roads, and that this announcement was a welcome one for the country's road builders and civil construction companies. Kirk Hope of Business New Zealand said that this announcement was positive for business. It's fair to say the New Zealand Upgrade has had glowing reviews from industry across the board.

Paul Eagle: What job opportunities will be created because of the package?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The Transport Agency estimates that the package could initially create 800 to 1,000 new jobs directly in our construction industry as the first five projects get under way in the next 12 months—that is, State Highway 1 Papakura to Drury, electrification of the rail line between Papakura and Pukekohe, the third main rail line, Tauranga Northern Link, and the Wellington rail package—and that it's designed to create 7,000 to 9,000 jobs in the wider supply chain. This is based on what happened with similar projects recently, and from NZTA's discussions with the industry. It will also provide opportunities to upskill our workforce. Importantly, the package gives industry the certainty that they've been asking for: a pipeline of work for the next decade, enabling them to invest in their people.

Chris Bishop: Has he received any advocacy from the member of Parliament for Rongotai about the necessity of bringing forward a second Mount Victoria tunnel as part of the New Zealand Upgrade?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well, the member for Rongotai is a very active advocate on behalf of his constituents, and what he tells me is that the people who live in his electorate are overwhelmingly happy that they have a Government that's committed $6.5 billion of multimodal transport investments to Wellington after nine years when the former Government—the only thing that they did was fail to impose a giant concrete flyover at the Basin Reserve.

Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.

SPEAKER: I don't think I need a point of order. I think the member will now address the question.

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The member for Rongotai is a very active advocate on behalf of his constituents, and he wants to see all of the components of the Let's Get Wellington Moving package moved forward as fast as possible, and they will be.

David Seymour: If the New Zealand Upgrade Programme is so meritorious, why didn't the Government announce it two years ago when it took power?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Because we have rebalanced the transport policy by spending. We've made a $4 billion investment in rail, we are doing 70 percent more maintenance of the State highway network, we're investing $1.4 billion in safety upgrades on 3,300 kilometres of State highways and local roads, and after the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, we are spending more than $7 billion more on transport infrastructure than the former Government did—$7 billion more.

David Seymour: Sorry, could the Minister explain how doing any of that prevented him from announcing the New Zealand Upgrade Programme two years ago?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Because it was necessary, after nine years of neglect, to address the deficit of transport infrastructure that we inherited. We had to rebalance the transport policy. We have, and, thanks to Grant Robertson's careful financial management, we're now in a position to bring forward and fund projects that that party promised in a press release but never funded.

Question No. 8—Social Development

SPEAKER: Question No. 8, the Hon Louise Upston. Question No. 9, Chris Bishop.

Hon Louise Upston: I didn't hear you, sorry.

SPEAKER: Well, I will go back to the member, but it's up to her to listen.

8. Hon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development: Does she stand by her statement that "the Government's plan to get people off the benefit and into work is starting to pay off"?

Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development): Yes. I stand by the 42,834 cancellations into work that have occurred since July, following our investment into 170 extra front-line case managers to support people into work. There have been 6,703 cancellations into work in the last month alone—an increase of 27.9 percent from this time last year—and the highest number of exits into work for the month of January in the last five years. We have more New Zealanders in work than ever before, and the weekly average wage is up $80 since we took office. Sixteen thousand Ministry of Social Development (MSD) clients have been supported towards employment through upskilling and training in 2019. This Government is committed to supporting people into sustainable work, and these figures show that we are making real progress.

Hon Louise Upston: Does she accept that Labour has overseen the three lowest ever quarters for the number of people moving off benefit and into work?

Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As I've already stated, what we've seen is actually an increase in the number of people exiting benefit for work. Quite often in this House, the member likes to refer to the raw figures, but even if we look at the proportion of working-age New Zealanders on benefit, at the moment it's 10.5 percent, compared to December 2014, where it was 11.2 percent.

Hon Louise Upston: Does she believe that the Government's plan is paying off for the 27,000 more New Zealanders on job seeker support since Labour took office?

Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Do I think that we've got more to do? Absolutely, but, as I said, this Government is focused on supporting New Zealanders into upskilling and training and into employment. That is why we have invested in programmes like Mana in Mahi. We recognise, and particularly I, when I go across the country, that many of the jobs that are advertised within our MSD office require a level of skill—skill that wasn't invested in by the previous Government—so many of the people that come through our offices aren't necessarily equipped with the qualifications, skills, or experience to take up the roles. We're committed to making sure that they have those skills, that they have those qualifications, and that they're supported into the jobs that are available.

Hon Louise Upston: If your plan is paying off, why has the proportion of people who go back on to benefit 16 weeks after completing an intervention increased every year under your Government?

Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: That's an interesting question, because under the previous Government I was highly critical of the fact that they were not actually measuring whether or not the employment that they were putting people into was sustainable or not, and under them, we saw a large number of people who did exit benefit for work back on benefit within the next 18 months. Just recently, actually, I was given advice—because we are starting to look at sustainable employment—that just over the last three months, sustainable employment places have gone up month on month. So I'm really glad that as a Government we are actually measuring things that count, unlike the previous Government.

Hon Louise Upston: How many more people will go on to the dole before you admit that your welfare—

SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! The member is going to start the question again. I've let her run twice with out-of-order questions. This time, she's not going to bring me into it.

Hon Louise Upston: How many more people will go on to the dole before the Minister admits that her welfare plans aren't paying off and considers taking some advice from National about how to give people opportunities to get ahead?

Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I'm very confident with the plan that we have in place on this side of the House. We recognise that it is about the welfare system but also about the investment that we put into education and other areas as well. Also, I would like to say on the record that if that member ever asks me a question again in this House about a thing called the dole—which does not exist—I will refuse to answer the question.

Question No. 9—Transport

9. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by his reported comment on 10 July 2019 in relation to 12 roading projects that "If we were to do what the Business Advisory Council was saying, it would mean spending a great deal of money, more than $12 billion, on projects that have very low economic value," and what role did he play in the selection of the transport projects in the Government's New Zealand Upgrade Programme?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Yes, in the context it was made. As the member knows, I think, these projects have been re-evaluated to align with our Government policy statement on land transport, which includes value for money as a priority. Our State highway projects have been futureproofed to include dedicated walking and cycling paths, and with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) looking to managed lanes dedicated to freight, high-occupancy vehicles, and public transport. To the second part of the question, I worked closely with the Minister of Finance, relying on NZTA's advice on the selection of multimodal transport projects for the Upgrade Programme, which will speed up travel times, ease congestion, make our roads safer, and give people real transport choices.

Chris Bishop: Does he still think New Zealand has over-invested in roads and motorways for decades?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I stand by the full quotation, not the one that has been so selectively misrepresented by the National Party. What I said was that New Zealand has in the past under-invested in roads at the expense of other parts of the transport system, particularly public transport. I stand by that, and our Government is dedicated to a balanced, modern transport policy that serves the whole country and all transport modes.

SPEAKER: Sorry, I am just going to interrupt. I think the member might have misspoken right at the beginning of his quotation, and it might be good to tidy it up now.

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The full quote was that New Zealand has in the past over-invested in roads at the expense of other parts of the transport system.

Chris Bishop: Why did the Canterbury region receive only 2.3 percent of the $6.8 billion transport component of the Upgrade Programme?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: So I would note that there has been substantial transport investment in Canterbury in the last few years. An entire new motorway network has been constructed. I would also say that, under this Government, the South Island is getting $3.4 billion of transport spending—another $249 million—because of the Upgrade Programme. This Government is spending more on transport than the former Government did in the South Island.

Chris Bishop: Has he received any correspondence from Julie Anne Genter in her capacity as transport spokesperson for the Green Party or, indeed, the Associate Minister of Transport in relation to the transport component of the Upgrade Programme?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I have received correspondence from the Associate Minister, and I'm pleased to say that both our coalition and confidence and supply partners have been fully involved in the design and development of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme and they fully support it.

Hon Chris Hipkins: How many of the 12 roading projects mentioned in the primary question were fully planned, consented, and fully funded when he became the Minister?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well, it's a very short answer: there were none that were fully planned, designated, consented, or funded—zero.

Hon Shane Jones: Can he confirm that the four-lane stretch of highway from Whangārei to Marsden Point reflects the very strong collaborative relationship he has with his associate transport Minister?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I can confirm that. The associate transport Minister made very strong and clear representations on behalf of the people of Northland. That particular stretch of road—neglected for years under the former Government—is one of the most dangerous and busy stretches of that highway, of State Highway 1, and the response from the people of the North has been very, very positive.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Is he aware if any funding was allocated to progress SkyPath on Auckland's Harbour Bridge after Auckland Central MP, Nikki Kaye, said in 2016 she really wants the project to happen?

Simon O'Connor: Four years ago you weren't born.

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: In spite of the enthusiasm—

SPEAKER: Order! Order! Who was that? Who made the interjection then as to the date of my birth—the totally inaccurate one?

Simon O'Connor: Oh yes.

SPEAKER: Well, Mr O'Connor will stand, withdraw, and apologise.

Simon O'Connor: I withdraw and apologise.

SPEAKER: Thank you. Where were we with that? I think we've had the question; we'll now have the reply.

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: In spite of the enthusiasm of the Auckland Central member of Parliament, the transport Minister at the time, Simon Bridges, did not put any funding towards SkyPath at all. But luckily for Ms Kaye, this Government has guaranteed funding not only for SkyPath but for the 3-kilometre shared path connecting the SkyPath to Northcote and Takapuna.

Hon Julie Anne Genter: How much funding in the New Zealand Upgrade package is earmarked for clean transport like rail, public transport, walking, and cycling, and did the previous Government fund any of it?

Hon Gerry Brownlee: That's from a Minister who's a close personal associate.

SPEAKER: Order! Order! I'm going to remind members for the last time—including the member sitting next to the shadow Leader of the House—that they do not interject during the asking of questions.

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The New Zealand Upgrade will deliver approximately $1.6 billion of funding for new clean transport projects; none of which had funding set aside under the previous Government. This includes $370 million for extending rail electrification to Pukekohe; $315 million to build the third southern rail line in Auckland; and more than $100 million to deliver faster, more frequent bus services in Christchurch and Queenstown.

Hon James Shaw: Is it true that the New Zealand Upgrade will deliver as many kilometres of safe separated cycleways as new State highways?

Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Yes. The New Zealand Upgrade will see 99 kilometres of safe separated walking and cycling facilities rolled out across the country so that people feel safe walking and cycling with their kids.

Question No. 10—Health