Parliament - Live Stream and Question Time

Questions to Ministers GRANT McCALLUM to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the economy? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: What were the departmental resourcing and clinical capacity factors that Health New Zealand said led to delays in the assessment of Mr Daniel Walker's cancerous lump on his testis, and what, if anything, was being done to address these factors at the time of Mr Walker's referral to Nelson Hospital's urology service in June 2024? STUART SMITH to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made regarding vintage vehicles and motorhomes? Hon PEENI HENARE to the Minister of Health: Has a taskforce been established to review and potentially replace the health system reset plan put forward by Health New Zealand Commissioner Lester Levy; if so, when will it complete its work? MILES ANDERSON to the Minister of Agriculture: What is the Government doing to restore confidence and drive growth in the primary sector? Hon WILLIE JACKSON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister of Immigration: Does she stand by her statement that "We know the importance of family reunification in this Government"; if so, does she think it's fair to deport people who have been born in Aotearoa, separating them from their communities and families? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister for Maori Development: What recent announcements has he made about Maori development? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Minister of Housing: How many social houses were funded through Budget 2024? HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? PAULO GARCIA to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the economy? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What announcements has she made about restoring balance in employment relations? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? TOM RUTHERFORD to the Minister of Justice: How is the Government progressing with its plan to restore stronger consequences for crime? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by all her statements and actions in relation to serious youth offenders and the military-style academies? JAMIE ARBUCKLE to the Minister for Regional Development: What recent announcements has he made regarding steps the Government is taking to support regional development? CARL BATES to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: What recent announcements has she made about increasing visitor numbers to New Zealand? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his statement that being involved in organised crime and peddling drugs is not going to be tolerated in this country, and it's going to be much tougher to do any of those things; if so, why? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? KATIE NIMON to the Minister of Conservation: What recent announcements has he made about conservation?

Questions to Ministers TAKUTA FERRIS to the Minister for Maori Development: Does he believe this Government is upholding its obligations to Maori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi? RYAN HAMILTON to the Minister for Infrastructure: What recent announcements has he made about going for growth in infrastructure? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent announcements has she made about the new traffic light system? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the Salvation Army's State of the Nation 2025 report that "During 2024, access to hardship grants was reducing as Work and Income tightened eligibility for assistance, at the same time as the number of children living in families needing this assistance was increasing"; if not, what are her expectations for how applications for hardship assistance are assessed and granted? Hon WILLIE JACKSON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many people are currently unemployed compared to this time last year? SUZE REDMAYNE to the Minister of Agriculture: What is the Government doing to support the New Zealand red meat sector? LAN PHAM to the Minister for the Environment: Does she expect environmental protection to improve or get worse under her tenure as Minister? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: How many participants in the military-style academy programme have reoffended since participating, and how many are currently in youth justice facilities? JOSEPH MOONEY to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What steps has the Government recently announced to improve competition? Hon PEENI HENARE to the Minister of Health: Is he satisfied with the Government's performance in the health portfolio across the motu? TODD STEPHENSON to the Associate Minister of Justice: What updates can she provide regarding consultation on the rewrite of the Arms Act 1983?

Questions to Ministers TIM VAN DE MOLEN to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the economy? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? ANDY FOSTER to the Minister for Resources: What recent announcements has he made regarding the minerals sector? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all of his Ministers? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the director of the Salvation Army's Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit, who said of their State of the Nation 2025 report, "We can't wish away the increasing levels of poverty and deprivation that this report is highlighting, but we can prioritise addressing the basic needs of people so that our whanau go beyond barely surviving to seeing them thrive"; if so, how does the level of children currently living in benefit-dependent households compare to 2023? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made regarding better transport connections in Christchurch? TAMATHA PAUL to the Minister of Housing: Does he stand by his statement that "We are focused on using every lever at our disposal in the housing market to improve affordability"; if so, how is opting for zero growth of the public housing stock using every lever? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? GREG FLEMING to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made about driving better outcomes for Maori students? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Associate Minister of Housing: Does he stand by his statement that "those people who have a genuine need for a short-term stay in temporary accommodation known as emergency housing have a pathway to do that"; if so, what is his reaction to the finding in the Salvation Army's State of the Nation 2025 report that "there are rising numbers of people who are homeless"? MILES ANDERSON to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about Kainga Ora? Hon PEENI HENARE to the Minister of Health: Does he have confidence in New Zealand's health system?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the cost of living? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister for Infrastructure: What recent milestones have been reached in the new fast-track consenting scheme? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i ana korero me ana mahi katoa? Does he stand by all his statements and actions? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Minister of Housing: Does he agree with Chris Bishop, National spokesperson for Housing's statement on 27 September 2022 that "We will build enough state and social houses so that there is no social housing waitlist"; if so, is the Government on track to eliminate the social housing waitlist? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcements has she made about attracting more global investment to New Zealand? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i ana korero me ana mahi katoa? Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? MARK CAMERON to the Minister for Biosecurity: What recent announcements has he made in his portfolio? Hon PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Immigration: What projections, if any, has she seen on the amount of money expected to be invested through each category of her Active Investor Plus visa for the next three years, and what is the projected cost of these new residents using the public health system over the same three years? DAVID MacLEOD to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about Maori housing? Questions to Members Hon JO LUXTON to the Chairperson of the Health Committee: How many submissions, if any, have been received on the Gene Technology Bill? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee: How many submissions, if any, have been received on the Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Amendment Bill? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee: How many submissions, if any, have been received on the Social Security Amendment Bill?

Questions to Ministers HUHANA LYNDON to the Associate Minister of Health: Does she stand by her statement that "Nicotine is incredibly addictive"; if so, what evidence-based actions, if any, has she taken to support people to quit nicotine? JENNY MARCROFT to the Minister of Customs: What updates can she provide about the New Zealand Customs Service's efforts to improve services using technology? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? MIKE BUTTERICK to the Minister of Transport: What reaction has he seen to the announcement yesterday that the previous Government's speed limit reductions are being reversed by 1 July 2025? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What recent reports has she seen about the processing of citizenship applications? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister of Finance: When did she ask for advice on the purpose and performance of State-owned enterprises, and what does she intend to do with any assets she deems to be underperforming? HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE to the Minister for Maori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti: Does he agree with the Prime Minister that Crown-Maori relations are "probably worse" under the coalition Government? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Associate Minister of Housing: Does he stand by his answer to oral question No. 9 yesterday that "those people who have a genuine need for a short-term stay in temporary accommodation known as emergency housing have a pathway to do that"; if not, why not? SUZE REDMAYNE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What reports has she seen on employment in New Zealand? KAHURANGI CARTER to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does she accept that she has ministerial responsibility for advocating on disability issues? PAULO GARCIA to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about emergency housing? Hon PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Immigration: Did she direct her officials to ensure Pacific labour-sending countries were consulted before the changes to the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme were announced in August last year?

Questions to Ministers CAMERON BREWER to the Minister for Economic Growth: What are her priorities for the economic growth portfolio? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? MIKE BUTTERICK to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made regarding speed limits? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What responsibility, if any, does she have for economic growth, and does the current recession reflect on her execution of that responsibility? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon PEENI HENARE to the Minister of Health: Is he committed to equitable healthcare for all New Zealanders; if not, why not? CARL BATES to the Minister of Education: What actions has the Government taken to lift achievement in literacy and numeracy as part of its plan to teach the basics brilliantly? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Associate Minister of Housing: Does he agree with Andrew Crisp, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, who said that "both the register and people that apply does not represent effectively ... severe housing deprivation"; if so, is he confident that the need for emergency housing has reduced? NANCY LU to the Minister for Trade and Investment: What recent announcements has the Government made about boosting economic growth? CUSHLA TANGAERE-MANUEL to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: How many additional tourists are projected to visit New Zealand as a result of the digital nomads policy, and what, if any, is the estimated amount of economic benefit from this policy? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction: Does she accept that children living in material hardship are more likely to do poorer in school due to a lack of food; if so, why did the Government remove food insecurity from the Child Poverty Related Indicators?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by her statement that "This Government is absolutely and deliberately focused on supporting people into employment, and the way we measure our success is to have 50,000 fewer people on the jobseeker benefit by 2030"; if so, does HYEFU 2024's jobseeker forecast of a 36,000 increase by 2026 since she took office mean this target is on or off track? DANA KIRKPATRICK to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made on Government finances? ANDY FOSTER to the Minister for Regional Development: What updates can he provide to New Zealanders on actions the Government has taken to restore prosperity to the regions? GRANT McCALLUM to the Minister of Transport: What reports has he seen on State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? PAULO GARCIA to the Minister for Mental Health: What recent announcement has he made regarding faster access to mental health and suicide prevention support through the Government's Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by cuts to community provider contracts; if so, why? TODD STEPHENSON to the Minister for Regulation: What recent announcements has he made regarding regulatory sector reviews? JAMES MEAGER to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What recent proposal has the Government announced regarding credit and debit card fees?

Questions to Ministers LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What recent announcements has she made in her workplace relations and safety portfolio? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? RYAN HAMILTON to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made on Government finances? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? KATIE NIMON to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: What progress has been made in meeting the commitment in the Government's Quarter Four Action Plan to "Passing the Fast-track Approvals Bill to speed up delivery of regional and national projects of significance"? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? TIM COSTLEY to the Minister of Health: What recent statements has the Government made on keeping emergency departments safe this summer? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his refusal to be interviewed on cuts to information technology in hospitals on the ground that it is an operational matter; if so, can he guarantee that hospital care and data will be safe? TOM RUTHERFORD to the Minister of Local Government: What recent announcements has he made about getting councils back to basics? LAN PHAM to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? TANGI UTIKERE to the Minister for Rail: Does he stand by his statement regarding any new Cook Strait ferries that "Rail-enabled ferries is part of our considerations, yes, and that is a no-brainer"; if so, will he guarantee that the new ferries will be rail-enabled?

Questions to Ministers Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all the Government's statements and actions? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister of Finance: When will the next Budget Policy Statement be released? TANGI UTIKERE to the Minister for Rail: Does he stand by his statement regarding the new Cook Strait ferries that "It will be, and can be, rail-enabled"; if so, is he confident that he can deliver them for less than the $551 million that was under contract with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard? DAVID MacLEOD to the Minister of Justice: What actions is the Government taking to make stalking an illegal and jailable offence? HUHANA LYNDON to the Minister for Maori Development: What measures, if any, has the Government taken to ensure the financial sustainability of Whakaata Maori, and have these measures been adequate? HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE to the Minister of Police: Does he accept the findings of the New Zealand Police in their Understanding Policing Delivery report that Maori men are stopped, tasered, and prosecuted by the Police at disproportionately higher rates than any other group as a result of structural racism? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Agriculture: What reports has he seen on export revenue forecasts for the primary sector? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: To what extent does she accept responsibility for the outcomes of Oranga Tamariki's actions in relation to community provider funding cuts and military-style academies? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Prime Minister: What update can he provide on the coalition Government's progress? CAMILLA BELICH to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her statement that the Government is "delivering for all workers"; if so, how is reintroducing pay deductions for partial strikes delivering for workers? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What steps has the Government recently taken to enhance competition and boost economic productivity? TAMATHA PAUL to the Minister for Children: What changes, if any, will she consider making to ensure that tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa are safe?