Parliament - Live Stream and Question Time

Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her Government’s policy that they will “strengthen New Zealand’s democracy by increasing public participation, openness, and transparency around official information”?

Hon PAULA BENNETT to the Deputy Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?

Dr DEBORAH RUSSELL to the Minister of Finance: What advice has the Government received on capital spending pressures?

Hon STEVEN JOYCE to the Minister of Finance: What are the estimates of the operating expenditure impacts on the Government, by year over the next four years, of implementing the policies contained in the coalition agreement between Labour and New Zealand First?

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What reports has he received on the effects on New Zealand of Australia’s major political, economic, and strategic relationships?

Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration: When was she first informed about a $75 million budget blow-out on the proposed Metro Sports Facility, and what steps is she taking to get this project back on track?

Hon AMY ADAMS to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does he stand by all his statements on paid parental leave?

Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN to the Minister of Health: What measureable outcomes, if any, will his policies deliver?

PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN to the Minister for Children: What reports has she received on the safety of children in care?

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: Does he agree that the best measure of the success of the Labour-led Government in increasing housing supply is to ensure that more houses are built on their watch than would otherwise have been built; if not, what is the best measure?

Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Education: How can he stand by his statement, “We will make sure they [tertiary providers] will get the information they need in a timely way” when, five weeks before his free fees policy takes effect, those providers still have no idea of the mechanism for how it works?

GARETH HUGHES to the Minister for Climate Change: Why did he announce that New Zealand would aim to be carbon-neutral by 2050 at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn?

Question Time for 16 November 2017.

TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the forecast for the New Zealand economy?

Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government’s policies?

Hon STEVEN JOYCE to the Minister of Finance: Can he confirm core Crown net debt was $59.5 billion at 30 June 2017, and that it is his intention as Minister of Finance to increase net debt to $67.6 billion by 2022, as laid out in Labour’s pre-election Fiscal Plan?

JO LUXTON to the Minister of Education: Is he confident that schools will be able to recruit enough teachers next year to fully staff classrooms, particularly in Auckland?

Hon NIKKI KAYE to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by his statement that National Standards “will be gone very quickly”; if so, why?

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Minister of Transport: Is he satisfied that cancelling the East-West Link Road of National Significance will be beneficial to transport in Auckland?

MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Minister for Women: What is the most recent data she’s received on the gender pay gap?

Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: When does he think that decisions on significant initiatives under the Regional Development (Provincial Growth) Fund will start being made, and when will the first of these projects physically start?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Social Development: What are the exemptions in section 70A of the Social Security Act 1964 that mean sanctions aren’t imposed on sole parents who don’t name the other parent?

GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Justice: Has he seen any evidence that victimisations of serious crime are increasing?

Hon MAGGIE BARRY to the Minister of Conservation: Does she stand by her statement in the House, “Under this Government, we will have a Minister of Conservation and an Associate Minister for the Environment who believes in nature and in safeguarding the values of our species here in Aotearoa”; if so, how?

WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Is the Government committed to restoring the right to bargain collectively in the film and television industry?

Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by the statement made on her behalf in the House on Thursday, 9 November that the Government “will make decisions on appropriate targets in due course”?

Hon PAULA BENNETT to the Minister for Women: Does she stand by her statement regarding quotas for women on boards that “I think that there’s evidence that it’s effective, and if we can’t achieve it otherwise, then I think that we should be exploring it”; if so, why?

KIRITAPU ALLAN to the Minister of Finance: When does he plan to restart contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund?

Hon STEVEN JOYCE to the Minister of Finance: What is the cost to date and the expected total cost, including EQC costs, to the Government of the relief and reconstruction efforts following the Kaikōura earthquake one year ago today?

Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: Has he received any reports on the benefit of market access to economic growth in the regions?

JENNY MARCROFT to the Minister for Children: What information has she received about the number of young people being held in Police cells?

Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN to the Minister of Health: What quantifiable health service improvements, if any, will his policies deliver?

Hon NIKKI KAYE to the Minister of Education: Will National Standards be scrapped within the next 12 months, and will he guarantee that any new replacement system will be in place for all schools prior to removing National Standards?

GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: What steps has he taken to improve the quality of rental properties?

Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister for Education: Does he stand by all of his statements?

SIMON O'CONNOR to the Minister of Corrections: Does he stand by the comments reported that he is looking at ways to exit a deal under which the Government is to build a 1,500 bed facility at Waikeria; if so, how does he intend to accommodate the forecast increase in prisoners?

WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Trade and Export Growth: How has the Government protected the rights of New Zealanders in international trade negotiations?

Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: What will the specific measurable targets be, if any, that she will used to hold her Government to account?

TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: What is the latest estimate of shortfall in housing and how has he responded to it?

Hon STEVEN JOYCE to the Minister of Finance: Can he confirm it is his intention as Minister of Finance to ensure core Crown expenses do not exceed $81.9 billion in 2017/18, $86.1 billion in 2018/19, $88.2 billion in 2019/20, $91.8 billion in 2020/21, and $96.1 billion in 2021/22, as specified in the Labour Party’s pre-election Fiscal Plan?

DARROCH BALL to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: What advice has he received on the benefits of the Regional Development (Provincial Growth) Fund?

Hon NIKKI KAYE to the Minister of Education: Will he be repealing the legislation that covers partnership schools within the next six months and how many schools does he expect to close or be converted to another type of school?

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Minister of Transport: On what date is the Board of Inquiry due to deliver its draft decision on the East-West Link Road of National Significance?

JO LUXTON to the Minister of Education: What is the Government doing to reduce the cost of fees and provide more assistance with living costs for tertiary students?

Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: How successful will his new $1 billion annual Regional Development (Provincial Growth) Fund be?

JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Conservation: What action is she taking to restore the Department of Conservation’s advocacy role to protect our wildlife and its habitats, and why?

Hon GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister for Land Information: Does she stand by all of the Government’s policies in relation to her portfolio?

RAYMOND HUO to the Minister of Justice: What announcement has he made recently on Teina Pora’s compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment?

Hon NATHAN GUY to the Minister of Agriculture: Does he stand by all of his Government’s policies in relation to the primary sector?

Question Time for 17 August 2017.

JAMES SHAW to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his policies?

JONATHAN YOUNG to the Minister of Finance: How is the Government ensuring New Zealanders share in the benefits of a growing economy?

GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Finance: Is Brian Fallow wrong when he says in reference to labour productivity, “zero growth over four years in what has to be foundation of any sustainable gains in living standards is not encouraging. Nor is it a record the Government can boast about”; if so, is the Treasury also wrong given they are the source of the labour productivity data?

MAUREEN PUGH to the Minister of Justice: How has the Government’s justice agenda helped to hold offenders to account, reduce the number of victims of crime, reduce offending, and ensuring our laws are fit for purpose?

PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister for Building and Construction: What percentage of renters are able to afford to buy a home, according to the latest Housing Affordability Measure Report?

RON MARK to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he believe that infrastructure is vital for regional New Zealand’s economic development?

SIMON O'CONNOR to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that First Specialist Assessments have risen by 148,000 over the last nine years, and what other improvements have been made to the health services over this time?

JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does she stand by the former Minister’s reported statement that oil exploration was a long-term game and New Zealand had to press on?

CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Housing: How many motels has the Government purchased for the purpose of emergency housing and how many other motels, if any, are they intending to purchase?

MATT DOOCEY to the Minister for Building and Construction: What level of support has been provided to first-home buyers under the Government’s KiwiSaver HomeStart scheme in its second year, and how many New Zealanders have been assisted into homeownership?

Dr DAVID CLARK to the Minister of Health: Did he authorise the Director Service Commissioning at the Ministry of Health to write to DHBs seeking confirmation that they would not pay their mental health workers additional amounts for providing mental health services “at the minimum wage rates of care and support workers”; and does he support the prohibition of such payments and the cessation of payments if they have already begun?

MELISSA LEE to the Associate Minister of Education: What recent announcements has he made in relation to increasing capacity at Auckland schools?

JACINDA ARDERN to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his Government’s previous support of “evidence-based investment practices”; if so, does the Government intend to send young people charged with serious offences to a military camp, despite the Prime Minister’s Science Advisor saying boot camps don’t reduce reoffending?

JAMES SHAW to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his policies?

NUK KORAKO to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the prospects for the New Zealand economy?

GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement, “the long-term problem of New Zealand productivity is yet to be solved, but we’re actually heading in the right direction”; if so, what is Treasury’s estimate of labour productivity growth in the year to March 2017 according to the July 2017 Monthly Economic Indicators report?

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in his Minister of Immigration; if so, why?

BARBARA KURIGER to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm the details of the $100 million social investment fund for mental health, and how will it help provide earlier intervention and improve services for New Zealanders suffering from mental health issues?

CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Housing: Does she agree with the Salvation Army that the Government needs to increase the number of social houses it builds by 20 times to meet demand?

SARAH DOWIE to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made that will enable more young people to succeed in the education system?

TRACEY MARTIN to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all her comments on education affordability; if so, how?

Dr DAVID CLARK to the Minister of Health: Does he agree with the New Zealand Medical Association’s president that “district health boards were grossly underfunded” and that “there’s just not enough money in the system, no matter how you cut your cloth, you just can’t do what’s required of you when there is not enough money going in”?

ALASTAIR SCOTT to the Minister for Primary Industries: What reports has he received on the economic and environmental benefits of the Waimea Community Dam?

MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Minister for Social Housing: Why has Housing New Zealand built only 125 more houses than it has demolished across New Zealand since June 2009?

RON MARK to the Minister of Immigration: Does he stand by all his statements on immigration fraud?

MELISSA LEE to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the outlook for New Zealand’s economy?

PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Transport: Does he think Aucklanders should have the opportunity to contribute to the cost of the city’s transport projects, or does he think taxpayers throughout New Zealand should pay all the costs of Auckland’s growth?

JAMES SHAW to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he support the mining of 50 million tonnes of seabed in the South Taranaki Bight where blue whales feed?

CHRIS HIPKINS to the Minister of Education: Is she satisfied that after 9 years of a National Government that all children and young people are receiving all the support that they need to succeed in education?

BARBARA KURIGER to the Minister for the Environment: How will the Government’s changes to the National Policy Statement on Fresh Water, to be gazetted today, improve the recreational and ecological health of our lakes, rivers, and aquifers?

Dr DAVID CLARK to the Minister of Health: Why did he say yesterday in the House, “I do not need to check with DHBs around that”, when asked if he was sure about his claim that every other district health board is currently “managing to deliver the operations that are needed”?

JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Transport: Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s reported statement that there is no need for a fuel tax to pay for Auckland’s transport?

RON MARK to the Minister of Transport: How much was originally funded by the New Zealand Transport Agency to complete the Brynderwyn Hills Road improvements; and how much is it now?

ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister for Primary Industries: What reports has he received on horticulture’s contribution to New Zealand’s economic and social wellbeing?

Hon DAVID PARKER to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in Hon Dr Nick Smith?

BRETT HUDSON to the Minister for Communications: What progress can he report on the rollout of the Ultrafast Broadband and Rural Broadband Initiatives?

KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI to the Minister of Finance: What progress is the Government making on the $32.5 billion infrastructure programme over the next four years identified in Budget 2017?

KELVIN DAVIS to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment: Does he believe it is a sign of success that after nine years of this Government the wage gap between Māori and Pākehā now sits at $213 a week?

JAMES SHAW to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his policies?

Dr PARMJEET PARMAR to the Minister for Women: What reports has she received about the progress of women in New Zealand?

GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Finance: Is he satisfied that after nearly nine years of a National Government, that all New Zealanders are getting a fair share of any economic growth?

TODD MULLER to the Minister for Primary Industries: What recent reports has he received on the “bright” outlook for the horticulture sector?

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements on the Todd Barclay matter; if so, how does he credibly do that?

PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Transport: Why is the Government prepared to wait up to 30 years before funding light rail to Auckland Airport?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister for Social Development: What recent reports has she received regarding reductions in the number of people receiving a benefit?

CATHERINE DELAHUNTY to the Minister for the Environment: Can he confirm that yesterday’s announcement of grants to clean up rivers and lakes was actually first promised in 2014 and it’s taken him three years to do it?

JOANNE HAYES to the Associate Minister of Education: What recent announcements has the Government made on the progress of the Christchurch Schools Rebuild Programme?

JENNY SALESA to the Minister of Health: Does he take any responsibility after nine years of a National-led Government for delivering a health system where in just four weeks more than 700 elective surgeries in Auckland have been postponed, leading to clinicians saying “it’s not a sustainable system”?