Sitting date: 22 July 2025

ORAL QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

Question No. 1—Finance

1. NANCY LU (National) to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the economy?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance): Yesterday, Stats NZ released the latest figures for the Consumers Price Index (CPI). These showed annual CPI inflation increasing slightly to 2.7 percent in the June quarter, remaining within the Reserve Bank's target range of 1 to 3 percent.

Nancy Lu: How does this result compare to past inflation?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: This is the fourth consecutive quarter that annual CPI inflation has been within the Reserve Bank's target range. Prior to that, inflation was above the top of the band for three years. Annual inflation in 2022, for example, went like this: March quarter, 6.9 percent; June quarter, 7.3 percent; September quarter, 7.2 percent; and 7.2 again, in the December quarter. Those were crippling price increases for Kiwi families and businesses.

Nancy Lu: What is driving the bump in annual CPI inflation?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: This is largely due to an increase in global price pressures, including on food, that New Zealand is not immune to. Domestic price pressures, on the other hand, are continuing to ease. There remain some pockets of concern, however. Stats NZ noted that the largest single contributor to annual inflation was local authority rates and payments, which rose 12.2 percent in the year to June. That's why the Government has been clear in its call to councils to focus on the basics and keep rates under control. I'd also reiterate that the CPI is a basket which has many different goods and services in it, and around a third of those actually went down in price over the past year. Stats NZ also notes that the average rate of inflation across the OECD is higher than New Zealand's, at 4 percent.

Nancy Lu: What is the outlook for inflation and interest rates?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: The current uptick in annual CPI inflation is expected to extend into the September quarter of this year but not persist beyond that. In its most recent monetary policy review, the Reserve Bank, in its own words said, "Annual consumers price inflation will likely increase towards the top of the Monetary Policy Committee's 1 to 3 percent target band over mid-2025. However, with spare productive capacity in the economy and declining domestic inflation pressures, headline inflation is expected to remain in the band and return to around 2 percent by early 2026." Markets are expecting the Reserve Bank to continue reducing the official cash rate, including a likely 25 basis point reduction at the next opportunity, in August.

Question No. 2—Child Poverty Reduction

2. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction: Does she agree with the findings of the Below the Income Floor: Modelling Income Adequacy for Low-Income New Zealand Households 2018 – 2026 report; if not, why not?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Child Poverty Reduction): This report highlights the impact the cost of living is having on New Zealand families, which is why our Government is tackling it head on. Despite global economic pressures, we are taking steps to lift families out of hardship by focusing on growing the economy, dealing with the cost of living pressures, and helping families to get ahead. In Budget 2024, we delivered meaningful tax relief, an increased in-work tax credit, and the FamilyBoost childcare rebate. Further initiatives such as Working for Families in Budget 2025 are helping to ease financial pressure for families across the country. I do acknowledge that it is tough for many families right now, which is why we are taking these steps to support them.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Have any Government decisions made life worse for children living in poverty, and, if so, which ones?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: There will be a range of policies that our Government is taking to tackle the cost of living and to grow the economy to support more Kiwis into jobs, and no one single policy should be treated in isolation.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Has she received advice in regards to any decision affecting children living in poverty that it could make life worse for them?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: No, because our Government is tackling a wide range of issues, as I've just outlined, around growing the economy, which, of course, creates job opportunities, reducing the cost of living, which I accept is tough right now for many families. The Minister of Finance has just, very appropriately, outlined the history behind inflation and the Consumers Price Index. I'm very grateful for the fact that it is now under 3 percent, but I accept and acknowledge that for some families, they are still doing it tough, which is why economic growth and turning the corner on the cost of living is so critical.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she agree with the Child Poverty Action Group's report finding that "welfare transfers remain structurally inadequate", and, if so, will she support increasing benefit levels beyond the automatic indexation changes?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: No. In this House, I've said on multiple occasions that our Government's focus is about supporting people into employment so they don't have to rely on benefit payments. This side of the House wants to see more families and more children independent of the welfare system. Over 80,000 people exited the benefit into work in the last quarter, and we're making progress.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she accept that her Government does not have a plan to get unemployment rates to zero percent, and, if so, does she think unemployed people deserve to live in poverty?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Well, I completely disagree with that. As I've just said, despite there being challenging economic times, we've seen over 80,000 people exit the jobseeker benefit into jobs. My colleagues on Sunday just this weekend have announced infrastructure plans for projects that are starting in the next six months—in excess of 20,000 jobs in that. So the jobs are coming, and we are committed to ensuring more people on the jobseeker benefit exit into work.

Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she accept that her Government's decisions are making it worse for people living in poverty, considering the report found that things actually improved between 2018 and 2024, but this Government has reversed this trend, and by 2026, according to the report, more families are expected to be unable to afford the basics such as housing, utilities, and food?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: No, I completely refute that. If you look at where the Government has focused its effort around housing, around incomes, and around food, which are all related to the cost of living pressure, we've got a plan and we're sticking to it.

Question No. 3—Prime Minister

3. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How many families with kids have been receiving the $250 extra a fortnight that he promised them?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, as I said to the member last week, the good news with FamilyBoost, a policy that he and his party did not support, is that we have 62,000 families that have received payments to support them on their early childcare education costs. The changes that the Minister has made to expand the threshold and also the coverage means that there's another 22,000 families and households that can participate in early childhood cost subsidisation.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

SPEAKER: Yeah, I know what you're going to say, but I couldn't hear a word he was saying because I had an enormous amount of noise coming from my left. So it makes it very difficult for me to judge whether or not the question has been answered to your satisfaction.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Well, it could have been a relatively short answer; I only asked him how many families there were.

SPEAKER: That would be your opinion. But it's quite often that Ministers will give a prelude to an answer, and that's not something that's new.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Well, it didn't come anywhere near close to answering it.

SPEAKER: That's your opinion.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: I'll ask it again. How many families with kids have been receiving the $250 extra a fortnight that he promised them?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I'll just say to the member: if he wants to put a specific question on notice, feel free to do so. But the great news here is that this is a Government that supports low and middle income working New Zealanders, the people the Labour Party purported to care about but don't care about anymore.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. How is it in order to refuse to answer a question and then immediately go into attacking the person who asked it? It's a very straightforward question: how many people received the full benefit of a promise that he made them? He could answer it or he could not answer it, but pivoting straight into an attack on the Opposition is just a bit desperate.

SPEAKER: Well, thank you for the observation. Do you have another question?

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he stand by Nicola Willis' statement that the Government has delivered on every promise that they have made in relation to FamilyBoost; if so, why can't he confirm that any families have received the $250 a fortnight that he promised them?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Absolutely. And what FamilyBoost is about for the member—so that he understands it—is that depending upon your income and depending upon your costs, everyone receives their full entitlement. So the full entitlement that each family gets is subject to their income and also their costs. It's a great scheme; I'd encourage the member to support it.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why did he cancel 20 hours a week free early childhood education that all families with young kids could've benefited from, given only 153 families have received the full benefit of his complicated tax rebate replacement?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, in answer to the second leg of the question, I'll just say to the member what I said before, which is that everyone who has applied has received their full entitlement. Their full entitlement is subject to their income level and it's also subject to their costs. As I say, every member receives the full entitlement.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: So is he saying that the reason that the 21,000 families he promised were going to be getting the full benefit of his FamilyBoost childcare tax rebate haven't been getting it, is because it's their fault?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: No. What I said to the member is that we have put two initiatives into place to help support low and middle income working families, which I'm very, very, very proud about. Lifting income tax thresholds is not ideological; it's just common sense in high-inflation environments created by the previous administration. The second thing I'd say is that FamilyBoost is actually there to help low and middle income working New Zealanders. I'd just encourage the member to put aside the petty politics and to get on board and actually help New Zealanders with their cost of living crisis, because I haven't seen any proposals from the member as to what he would do differently.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could the Prime Minister answer this question very slowly: given that this is a sliding scale payment, are those entitled to their full amount on the sliding scale getting their full benefit?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, I want to thank the member for his question, because that's exactly the point that I'm making, which is that everybody who is eligible and then applies for the rebate actually gets their full entitlement. Because it's based off their income, it's based off their costs, and, as a result, 62,000 families have received assistance, and that should be something that I would have thought the member opposite would be supporting.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Well, does he stand by David Seymour's statement, "We've beaten inflation.", given butter is up almost 50 percent; tomatoes 33 percent; lettuce and broccoli 30 percent; steaks up 22 percent; and rates, insurance, electricity, and other household costs continue to rise?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, I find it a little bit ironic being asked that question by that member, don't you think? Because it was his Government that created out-of-control spending, tripled the debt three times, ended up rising up inflation, throwing interest rates through the absolute roof. Then he has the audacity to ask—when inflation now is back within the Reserve Bank band of 1 to 3 percent when it was never in that band while he was Prime Minister—as to what the component parts of it are. I'll just say to the member again: 12.2 percent is what the increase in council rates have been. That has driven an extra 35 basis points into our inflation number, and I'd love to hear the member's position on rates caps.

Hon David Seymour: Why was inflation there to beat in the first place?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Because the previous administration, to keep it simple, borrowed more, spent more, taxed more.

SPEAKER: No, no—sorry. I should have been quicker to stand on that, but it would have been—the question itself was probably not out of order, but the beginning of the answer most certainly was.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How many blocks of butter can he buy for the $60 a week he claims to spend on groceries?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, it's a smart-arse question, isn't it? But I will just say to you: that member is supposed to be the leader of the Opposition, and in Opposition you oppose but you also propose. There's no proposals from that side.

SPEAKER: I don't want to stand up in the middle of the Prime Minister's answers, but I would ask him to consider a number of rulings that I've made in the House in recent days about answers. Any further questions?

Question No. 4—Infrastructure

4. DAN BIDOIS (National—Northcote) to the Minister for Infrastructure: What recent announcements has he made about getting infrastructure built in New Zealand?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Minister for Infrastructure): On the weekend, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, and I announced that there will be $6 billion of Government-funded infrastructure projects starting construction—not allocated money, not business cases being developed, but spades in the ground between now and Christmas, creating thousands of jobs across the economy, creating economic growth, and driving productivity. And this is just the start.

Dan Bidois: What projects are starting construction in the next six months?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: There's some crackers on this list. Soon we will turn the sod on the Ōtaki to North of Levin Expressway; the Melling interchange and RiverLink project—a long time coming for the good people of the Hutt Valley; the new Ōmanawa bridge on State Highway 29 in the Bay of Plenty; and $800 million worth of school property projects alone in the next six months—and because of the good work of Erica Stanford and driving down the cost of construction, we can do far more, because of standardised modular designs; a range of important health projects: Auckland City Hospital, Middlemore Hospital, Hawke's Bay Hospital, and a new acute mental health unit at Hutt Valley Hospital; a new state-of-the-art biosecurity facility in Auckland; and the Papakura District Court interim courthouse.

Dan Bidois: What will these projects do for the construction sector?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: The projects getting under way will create thousands of employment opportunities for New Zealanders. Roughly—the numbers vary according to the nature, but for a billion dollars of infrastructure investment, that equates to around 4,500 jobs. So there are thousands of jobs coming, and as I say, this is just the start.

Dan Bidois: What is the difference between "agreeing to a project," and "starting construction"?

SPEAKER: Careful with the answer; take care with the answer.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: New Zealanders can't drive on funding agreements, they can't see doctors with mere appropriations, and they can't go to new schools in endless business cases. What they can do is go to school in new classrooms, and drive on new roads and well-maintained roads. One of the interesting things about the projects that are starting construction in the next six months is that some of the funding was approved many years ago—for example, the Middlemore Hospital recladding was first appropriated in Budget 2018, and seven years later, it is starting; initial funding for State Highway 76 and Brougham Street, which I turned the sod on just last week, was initially approved in 2017; and the new acute mental health unit at Hutt Valley Hospital was appropriated in Budget 2019. This Government has made getting spades in the ground a priority, and we've made delivery a priority. You can't drive on a road that is just funded; you actually have to get building.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: He being a Wellington Minister, in particular, why didn't he mention the infrastructure work for our no-nonsense Cook Strait ferry programme that starts later this year—

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Ha, ha! Because Nicola Willis cancelled it.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: —saving the taxpayer billions of dollars, in stark contrast, sausage roll eater, to the profligate mess we inherited?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, the reason I didn't mention it is that there's so many good things happening around the country when it comes to infrastructure, and of course, when it comes to that great project, I leave the majority of the announcements—and the good news—to the Minister for Rail, who's doing a very good job.

Question No. 5—Finance

5. Hon BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour—Mana) to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS (Minister of Finance): In context, yes.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: Does she stand by her statement they had delivered on "every promise that we [had] made in relation to FamilyBoost", and, if so, how many families have received the full $150?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Yes. What the National Party campaigned on in Opposition was that we would deliver a FamilyBoost childcare rebate scheme according to eligibility criteria relating to household income and the amount of early childhood fees that a family paid each week. We have delivered the scheme exactly according to the eligibility criteria we outlined in our campaign. In fact, more recently we have gone further and made the scheme more generous so that now families can get up to 40 percent rebates on their early childhood fees and families on higher incomes are now eligible for the scheme. If that member wants to rob more than 60,000 families of cost of living relief, I'd suggest to her that she's out of touch.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: Why did she promise 21,000 families $150 a fortnight when only 153 families have received it?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Well, I'm afraid that this is the boy who cried wolf because I did not make that promise. What I said—and I've gone and checked the transcript—is that, at the time that I was asked by journalists at our initial briefing on FamilyBoost how many families we thought would get the maximum entitlement, I said: "I can confirm that based on official modelling, around 21,000 families would be entitled to that payment." Now, the point is this: first of all, I based that statement on the modelling that had been provided to me in good faith by IRD and, second of all, there is a difference that I encourage the member to contemplate between a maximum payment and a full payment. And I can confirm this to this House: every family who has applied for FamilyBoost has received their full entitlement based on the eligibility criteria.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: Why did she promise that 130,000 families would receive FamilyBoost when less than half have actually received it?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: I find it troubling when I'm misrepresented in this House. I did not say that. I said up to 130,000 families could benefit. You know what? We've got lots of years in office left to go, so I'm confident that might happen.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: How many families have received the full $250 that was promised?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: Every single family who has applied for FamilyBoost has got the full entitlement to which they are eligible. But the thing is this: there are families out there who haven't applied for their FamilyBoost rebate, who aren't aware that they can get up to 40 percent of their early childhood fees back in a cash payment straight into their bank account. So I say to every family in New Zealand with kids in early childhood education: get online and apply. Our Government wants you to have that money in your bank account; Barbara Edmonds and Chris Hipkins would take it from you.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: How does 153 families fully benefiting from FamilyBoost compare to the 40,000 children who would have benefited from 20 hours free extension that her Government cancelled?

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: I find this curious. We have, opposite us, a group of people who claim to be in touch with those who are struggling with the cost of living and, yet, at the same time, they are dismissing the relevance of payments of $50 a week, $100 a week, $20 a week. They're saying that that is not relevant to a working family, that the fact that 60,000 families have received cash rebates through the FamilyBoost scheme is not relevant, and that we should only focus on those who've got $150 a fortnight. I'd put to the members of this House that that is simply out of touch with the reality of working people, which is that every dollar counts. And second, I'd say this: you claim people would have benefited from a scheme that you didn't fund and you couldn't deliver—

SPEAKER: No, that's enough.

Hon NICOLA WILLIS: That's Labour to a T.

SPEAKER: That's quite enough.

Question No. 6—Health

6. TODD STEPHENSON (ACT) to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about Pharmac?

Hon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Health): Yesterday, I had an excellent visit hosted by Pharmac, where I delivered the latest letter of expectations for that organisation, asking it to continue modernising and innovating to deliver the medicines and medical technology that Kiwis need. For many New Zealanders, funding for pharmaceuticals is life or death; or the difference between a life of pain and suffering, or living freely. Since my first letter of expectations, I think Pharmac has made very good progress. However, as the new letter states, there is still a lot more improvement to be done over at Pharmac.

Todd Stephenson: Can the Minister please outline what progress has been made since his last letter of expectations?

Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: Very proudly—and I think that the staff and the people who've worked very hard at Pharmac, including their chair, Paula Bennett, and their board, deserve a lot of thanks for the really heroic work that they've done: $604 million of additional taxpayer money put into buying medicines by the Government means that an additional 200,000 New Zealanders benefit. However, the process of assessing and procuring those medicines to make sure they get maximum value for that taxpayer money is very hard work. They've also changed the way that they operate, being much more prepared to listen and change. For example, you may have seen with hormone replacement patches and with insulin pumps, they've actually been prepared to go back and revisit their original decision. I think that shows that they are really changing their culture. They've undertaken quite a serious and in-depth cultural review, and I think the organisation's been very honest with itself, and now are about to welcome a new chief executive after a global search: Natalie McMurtry, who is coming from Alberta.

Todd Stephenson: What challenges has he set out in his new letter of expectations?

Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: Despite some excellent improvements and high performance from Pharmac, there are still continued challenges which I've asked them to address. One of them is faster assessments. The assessment speed for new medicines has been lower, perhaps because there's been so much more funding and new medicines to assess. None the less, they need to go faster. They need to become better at assessing the impact of new medicines and technologies on the whole of society in order that they can seek greater uplifts in their budget, where medicines can actually save the health system and the society money by investing in better medicines and technologies. Their culture must continue to improve and they must finally get to a point of clarity on their responsibility for devices—a matter on which I'm working with the Minister of Health, Simeon Brown.

Question No. 7—Health

7. RYAN HAMILTON (National—Hamilton East) to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has the Government made about strengthening New Zealand's domestically trained doctor workforce?

Hon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Health): Great news: yesterday, the Government announced that a new medical school will be established at the University of Waikato. This is more than just a new medical school, it is a bold investment in the future of our health system. With a strong focus on training doctors for primary care and rural communities, we will grow the workforce where it's needed most. This is exactly the kind of forward-thinking, practical solution that New Zealanders elected us to deliver, and we're delivering it.

Ryan Hamilton: What impact will the new medical school have on doctorate training in New Zealand?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: This is a transformational step. From 2028, the Waikato medical school will train 120 new doctors every year, adding to our homegrown workforce. It uses a new graduate-entry model that brings in people with real-world experience and a broad range of backgrounds, the kind of experience that our system will benefit from. This is about building a pipeline of capable, community-minded Kiwi doctors who are ready to serve and deliver the access to timely, quality healthcare that New Zealanders deserve.

Hon Louise Upston: How will the new Waikato medical school impact the rural health workforce?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: I thank the member for her question. For too long, a focus on regional New Zealand has been left behind. This Government is changing that, by ensuring we have a third medical school, focusing on rural medicine. By supporting the establishment of a medical school based in the heart of the Waikato and focusing the model on rural and primary care, we're directly addressing the healthcare needs of our rural communities. That is because we know that when people train in place, they stay in place. This is a great step forward for rural communities.

Ryan Hamilton: What other steps is the Government taking to increasing our health workforce?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: Well, this is just one announcement as part of our Government's wider plan to rebuild our health workforce after six years of neglect. On top of the Waikato medical school, 100 additional medical training places have been added over the term of this Government across the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. We're also cutting red tape so international doctors can work here more easily. While others talked, we're delivering. This is a Government that backs our health professionals and is serious about getting our health system back on track.

Question No. 8—Commerce and Consumer Affairs

8. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: Does he stand by his statement that "Having better competition means that we can bring down the cost of living for Kiwis"; if so, what is he doing, if anything, that reduces the cost of living?

Hon SCOTT SIMPSON (Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs): Yes. Boosting competition is a central part of the Government's plan for economic growth. Stronger competition helps lower the cost of living and improves living standards for all New Zealanders. That's why I'm advancing a comprehensive review of our competition framework, including the first major overhaul of the Commerce Act in over 20 years. Getting these foundations right is essential to driving competition in our economy.

Arena Williams: Why does his finance Minister talk tough on banks, while he changes the law at their request to ensure that they don't have to pay hundreds of millions in debts owed to their customers?

Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: As has previously been answered in this House, in questions related to this matter, that is not the intent of the legislation that currently is before the Finance and Expenditure Committee. That legislation seeks only to give the courts a discretion to come to a fair and equitable decision relating to that litigation.

Arena Williams: Is he telling the House that he is not letting Aussie banks off the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars of debt, owed to 150,000 Kiwis who would be in line for some help with their mortgages and loans?

Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: There is no suggestion that the litigation that the member refers to will not proceed. What the legislation seeks to do currently before the Finance and Expenditure Committee—it seeks to give the courts an opportunity to come to a fair and equitable decision about those matters that are before them.

Arena Williams: Has his tough talk on competition helped with the cost of living, when the price of butter is up almost 50 percent in the last 12 months, and Kiwis are currently paying more than $8.60 per block?

Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: This is an obvious and appropriate opportunity for me to highlight the great work that the finance Minister, Nicola Willis, is doing in regard to supermarkets. But the member will know that I am conflicted on matters relating to groceries and supermarkets, and so I will defer answers on those matters to the Hon Nicola Willis.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why is the Minister taking responsibility for a 2015 banking law which the Labour Party supported?

Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: That's a very good question. It's a matter of taking responsibility for an action that should have been corrected by a previous administration that simply failed to do it.

Arena Williams: Has his tough talk on electricity competition helped with the cost of living, when electricity prices are up 8 percent?

Hon Scott Simpson: One of the pieces of legislation that this coalition Government has passed is the Customer and Product Data Act earlier this year. It was finally passed in March of this year. Now, that is a piece of legislation that enables for what is often referred to as open banking. Now, banking is the first sector that will ultimately be disrupted by new, smart, intelligent, exciting fintech companies that are going to bring a range of new tools and abilities for New Zealand consumers to interact on banking in a way that they haven't previously been able to do. Now, in relation to electricity, I've already indicated that the next sector that will be considered under that open-data legislation will be the electricity sector.

Arena Williams: Does he accept that the rising cost of living, and his inaction, despite talk like that, has driven 47,000 New Zealanders to leave our shores last year?

Hon SCOTT SIMPSON: No.

Question No. 9—Prime Minister

9. RAWIRI WAITITI (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori ) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes.

Rawiri Waititi: Does the Prime Minister agree that the SuperGold card is vital for ensuring the wellbeing and the dignity of senior citizens, especially in regional and rural communities, where public transport and essential services are already limited?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I'm very proud of the work that we've done to support our seniors across New Zealand, and I want to thank the New Zealand First party, in particular. As you saw at the last Budget, there is a rates rebate for 60,000 gold card holders that need support with their rates payments. I think that's a good initiative to help people in a tough time and a cost of living crisis.

Rawiri Waititi: Has the Government received any advice on whether the regulatory principles in the bill could be used to justify removing or weakening SuperGold card benefits on the principle that every person is equal before the law?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Not that I'm aware of, but again, I think the member may be mixing the drinks a little. The Regulatory Standards Bill is really about ensuring we have better-quality regulations so we don't add compliance costs and therefore drive up inflation, which makes the cost of living difficult for people.

Rawiri Waititi: Cheers! Does the Regulatory Standards Bill principle that every person is equal before the law mean that everyone gets a gold card or that senior citizens get theirs taken away?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Look, as has been discussed before, this is a bill with a narrow focus on improving the quality of regulation. That will benefit both Māori and non-Māori and all New Zealanders in due course.

Rawiri Waititi: Can you answer this very slowly: what assurances, if any, can the Prime Minister give to the Rt Hon Winston Peters that his gold card entitlements would not be restricted or removed by the passing of the Regulatory Standards Bill?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Speaking with the greatest respect, that question should not be approved, because the Prime Minister is not responsible for giving me assurances, and if I have to rely upon that questioner for support, my party would be truly desperate.

SPEAKER: The Minister is quite right. I had thought that the latter part of the question may have related to ministerial responsibility. So without a penalty, Rawiri Waititi, have another crack.

Rawiri Waititi: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Speaker.

SPEAKER: Well, I've just ruled on it.

Rawiri Waititi: Oh, you've ruled on it. OK. What assurances, if any, can the Prime Minister give to senior citizens that their gold card entitlements will not be restricted or removed by the passing of the Regulatory Standards Bill?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, I think senior citizens can actually see this as a Government that's helping them on fixed incomes. As I said, a rates rebate expansion to 60,000 gold card members is important. It's also a Government that has delivered up to $130 a couple in extra super payments as a result of us getting incomes growing faster than costs.

Question No. 10—Health

10. JENNY MARCROFT (NZ First) to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent reports has she seen about smoking in New Zealand?

Hon CASEY COSTELLO (Associate Minister of Health): A recent article by emeritus professor Robert Beaglehole, founder and chair of Action for Smokefree 2025 states that, "New Zealand is on the cusp of making history – soon to be … the first truly smokefree nations." We should be celebrating this. It's easy to forget that before 2018 we were way off course. We're not anymore, with vaping playing a role in well over 200,000 people quitting smoking since then. On this side of the House, we're focused on continuing to deliver what we know works and what has worked to get people off cigarettes—clear, supported, reduced harm pathways away from smoking.

Jenny Marcroft: What do we know about current smokers?

Hon CASEY COSTELLO: Since New Zealand adopted the smokefree targets 14 years ago one demographic has been particularly challenging: older smokers. It is no surprise that the highest rates of daily smoking are among those [Interruption] aged between 45 and 64. These people are long-term addicted smokers. We also know that Māori and Pasifika smoking rates remain higher than those for other demographics. However, we're also seeing substantial decline in daily smoking for those groups with quit rates accelerating particularly since 2018. We know this is a serious matter. For the first five years of smokefree from 2011 the number of smokers actually increased for Māori. In the last five years, the number of Māori smokers has more than halved.

Jenny Marcroft: Supplementary.

Rt Hon Winston Peters: Labour Government my backside.

JENNY MARCROFT: Does knowing who's smoking help to target cessation efforts?

SPEAKER: No, hang on. Too much noise during that question, and quite frankly too much interjection during the answers given the nature of the question. Jenny Marcroft.

JENNY MARCROFT: Mr Speaker, thank you. Does knowing who's smoking help to target cessation efforts?

Hon CASEY COSTELLO: Absolutely it does. There has been significant focus in the past on young smokers and we've had phenomenal success. When the New Zealand Health Survey started, there were 119,000 smokers between the ages of 15 and 24; last year there was just 19,000. For under17s, we already have a smokefree generation; their smoking rates are 0.6 percent, and we should celebrate that. Now, we need to refocus our efforts on older smokers, on Māori, and on Pasifika. They're the groups that need the most support and they're the ones that need to be provided with reduced harm options to suit their needs.

Jenny Marcroft: What updates does she have on possible regulatory changes to smoking and vaping?

Hon CASEY COSTELLO: A smokefree technical advisory group has been established by the Ministry of Health to discuss what further opportunities there are for changes to the smokefree regulatory framework, what more we can do to support people to quit and stay smokefree, and what more can be done to prevent young people from taking up vaping and we will report back in September of this year. Of note, engagement with these stakeholders won't end with this group. We are committed to getting the settings right. That is why Government departments and officials, such as Customs and the Ministry of Health, proactively and regularly meet with industry stakeholders, including even the tobacco companies—as they have done multiple times in the past, including previous Labour Governments—for input and advice on developing policies and legislation that impact them. This is a basis for good lawmaking.

Question No. 11—Universities

11 SHANAN HALBERT (Labour) to the Minister for Universities: Does he stand by all his statements and actions regarding the Waikato medical school?

Hon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Health) on behalf of the Minister for Universities: In the context in which the statements were made, yes. This Government is committed to building a stronger health workforce, especially in our GP clinics and rural communities, where the need is greatest. We've backed the Waikato medical school with serious investment and a clear plan to deliver a long-term pipeline of doctors; 120 more trained every year from 2028. It's a forward-looking decision that supports our health system, strengthens the economy, boosts regional New Zealand, and gives more Kiwis a pathway into medicine. We're getting on with it and we're delivering.

Shanan Halbert: Will the Government commit to funding all of the medical student places at all medical schools in the county, including those currently funded at Otago and Auckland, and the additional 120 expected from 2028?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: As we announced yesterday, we are delivering a third medical school and, on top of that, we are also investing in additional places at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. We have increased the number of doctor training places by 100 over the term of this Government, and this will increase it by another 120 from 2028.

Shanan Halbert: So is it correct, then, that the Minister is deliberately not committing to fund all medical students from 2028?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: Well, we've announced a new medical school and we've announced that we will be increasing the number of medical training places from 2028 to ensure that we are increasing—I think it's going to over 750 doctor training places being allocated every year, from 2028. That is a significant increase in investment by this Government into medical training under this Government.

Shanan Halbert: Can he guarantee that clinical placements for Waikato medical school students will be new placements and not taken from Otago or Auckland universities?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: It is critically important to ensure that we have the clinical placements to go alongside the increased number of doctor training places, and that is all part of the business case which has been approved by Cabinet yesterday, to ensure we are investing not only in the increased training in the universities but also in the clinical placements, and the Tertiary Education Commission and the universities will work closely with Health New Zealand to make sure that we are delivering the clinical placements required for this record investment in more doctor training places across New Zealand.

Shanan Halbert: Why, given serious questions around conflicts of interest and the rejection of Otago's proposal, hasn't the Government released the business case already?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: As the Minister of Health said yesterday, the decision was made by Cabinet yesterday and officials have been instructed to prepare all of the material for proactive release very shortly, and I hope that would be done by the end of the week.

Question No. 12—Universities

12. FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ (Green) to the Minister for Universities: Does he stand by his announcement about the establishment of a new medical school and that it will "build a stronger, more diverse workforce"; if so, why?

Hon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Health) on behalf of the Minister for Universities: In the context in which the statement was made, yes. This new medical school is designed as a graduate entry programme, which helps attract students from a broader range of backgrounds and experiences. That's how we build a stronger, more diverse workforce, one that better reflects the communities it serves, especially in rural and regional New Zealand. It's a forward-looking decision backed by serious investment, focused on delivering better access to care to put patients first. As I said in my last primary answer, we're getting on with it and we're delivering.

Francisco Hernandez: Is the Minister certain that the Waikato medical school will deliver more graduate doctors faster than alternative proposals from Auckland and Otago universities, and, if not, why not?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: Well, as we've been incredibly clear on this side of the House, we need to be training more doctors, and we need to ensure that we are investing both in our existing medical schools as well as investing in the Waikato medical school proposal, which the business case and the cost-benefit analysis has shown is the best of those options. So we are doing both. It's not one or the other; it is both. On this side of the House, we are increasing the number of doctor training spaces at the University of Otago, at the University of Auckland, and we're investing in the University of Waikato. This is a great day for New Zealand.

Francisco Hernandez: Why did the Minister reject the alternative proposals from Otago and Auckland universities, which would have seen twice as many doctors trained each year, years before the new medical school is stood up, and without the nearly quarter of a billion dollars in establishment costs?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: Well, the proposal was subject to a cost-benefit analysis, and the analysis showed this had the best benefits in terms of training the doctors needed for New Zealand's future. This Government is not just investing in this proposal; we are also investing in the University of Otago and in the University of Auckland because we know we need to be training more doctors for the long-term benefit of the healthcare of New Zealanders. That is what we're doing and we're proud to be doing it.

Francisco Hernandez: Can Waikato University still afford the new school without extra Government funding if the big philanthropist backers don't eventuate, and, if not, will the Government rule out further funding?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: On behalf of the Minister for Universities, the Tertiary Education Commission has provided advice which shows that Waikato University is in a very strong financial position. There has been very strong, rigorous testing around the philanthropic support. And we have been very clear about our funding: that the Government, on behalf of taxpayers, is investing in the Waikato medical school. I just say to members opposite, this is a great day for New Zealand: a third medical school, more doctors being trained. Just say yes. Get on the side of the positive news this is for our country, rather than keeping on complaining. [Interruption]

SPEAKER: Just wait for a bit of courtesy from the House.

Francisco Hernandez: Why is the Government progressing a project that they were advised would raise the risk profile of Waikato University from medium to high even before Waikato University increased their share of the costs from $100 million to $150 million?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: On behalf of the Minister for Universities, we're investing in this proposal because it has passed the cost-benefit analysis, because it is about making sure we have a third option for medical training in New Zealand—a postgraduate model based on what we see in Australia, where postgraduate students are able to study medicine, people who've had other careers can study medicine and enter the workforce. It's an exciting proposal and I encourage members on the other side of the House to get on board and share the excitement.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: In the context of a cultural-benefit analysis, how many numbers are dedicated in that to Māori and Māori women doctors in your rural programme, where many of our Māori communities reside?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: On behalf of the Minister for Universities, that mission criteria will obviously be developed, but the intent is to ensure that a wide range of New Zealanders are able to apply. Postgraduate students will be able to apply, and they will be assessed. The aim of this new medical school is to encourage people from rural and regional New Zealand to put their names forward to apply through the admission so they can bring their experience to train to be a doctor and then to work in place and to train in place so they stay in place in regional New Zealand where we need those doctors to be working.

Francisco Hernandez: If the goal is to create a more diverse workforce, as the Minister affirmed in his previous answers, does he agree with Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley's decision that there would not be a programme similar to the Māori and Pacific admissions scheme that they have in Auckland?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: On behalf of the Minister for Universities, what we want to see is we want to see the opportunity for all New Zealanders who meet the admission criteria to be able to take up the opportunity. We are backing this proposal because it increases the number of doctors being trained in New Zealand, it attracts people from regional New Zealand, and provides them an opportunity to train to be a doctor to then be able to train in place so they stay in place, serving those regional communities where we know we need more doctors.

Hon Nicola Willis: Can the Minister also confirm that those who are concerned with equity of access to medical training might consider that more people will be able to afford the living costs associated with their education if they are living in Hamilton and attending medical school in Hamilton?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: On behalf of the Minister for Universities, absolutely. The focus of this programme is to provide another choice, another option, for people to be able to become medically trained. I'd also say to members opposite who are worried about the ability to access medicine, what we need is more doctors, and so we need to be training more doctors so we're able to actually have the access to the healthcare professionals that we need as a country.

Hon Mark Patterson: Has the Minister seen any feedback from stakeholders, like Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network, commenting on this proposal?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: On behalf of the Minister for Universities, yes, I have. I've seen significant feedback from organisations, such as the one he just mentioned, welcoming this Government's investment in a third medical school and the opportunity this provides for people from rural and regional New Zealand to be able to enter as postgraduates into this programme to study for four years rather than six and to be able to train in place and stay in place serving their communities. I welcome the members opposite to get on board and get excited about this opportunity.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: Supplementary!

SPEAKER: Time for oral question—sorry, wait on. Was there a supplementary?

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: Thank you. May I?

SPEAKER: Yes.

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: The advice from the Iwi Māori Partnership Boards, Minister, which I'm hoping you know that—what was their response to what you're calling a great idea, particularly in regard to Iwi Māori Partnership Boards?

SPEAKER: I'd invite the Minister to give a very calm answer to the question.

Hon SIMEON BROWN: Look, on behalf of the Minister for Universities, I've seen a wide range of stakeholders provide support for this proposal, and I note that many of our regional and rural communities have high degrees of deprivation and people who require increased health needs, and they will benefit from this programme, which invests in training in those communities so they can access the healthcare that they need.

SPEAKER: The time for oral questions has expired. Members will take 30 seconds to leave the House quickly and without conversation on the way.

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