Sitting date: 14 Aug 2025

ORAL QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

Question No. 1—Pacific Peoples

1. Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister for Pacific Peoples: Does he stand by his statement, "We absolutely have endeavours to get Pasifika people into employment"; if so, why?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI (Minister for Pacific Peoples): Yes, and I acknowledge the current high rates of unemployment, particularly for Pasifika, which is the unfortunate after-effect of a historic period of out-of-control inflation, rapidly rising interest rates, and stagnant growth. That's why our Government is relentlessly focused on growing the economy to support Pasifika and all New Zealanders with better job opportunities, higher wages, and a brighter future.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Is it correct that the current unemployment rate for Pasifika peoples is double what it was at the end of 2023 when his Government came into office?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: The current rate of unemployment for Pasifika is around 12 percent, and it is correct that when we first came into Government it was around 6 percent.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Why did he cut $22 million out of the Tupu Aotearoa Pacific employment and training programme at a time when Pasifika unemployment is more than twice the national average?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: What we're wanting to do with Tupu Aotearoa is collaborate with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), who have similar programmes, and we wanted to enhance the benefits we saw from Tupu Aotearoa in the last financial year, that delivered 2,551 outcomes. We believe we can do a better job in collaboration with MSD.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Is he saying that the $22 million previously allocated to Tupu Aotearoa is now being used by MSD for targeted Pasifika programmes, and, if so, what are they?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: What I'm saying is that the collaboration between what the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) does with Tupu Aotearoa and with what MSD was also doing with young people not in education, employment, or training is giving us a more fine-tuned, focused delivery mechanism.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Why, when officials advised him that "targeted programmes such as Tupu Aotearoa with defined interventions are critical to moving Pacific peoples into employment, education, or training.", did he ignore the advice?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: Because we're able to focus on other MPP-delivered programmes such as the Pacific Business Trust, which supports Pacific businesses to be successful and thrive and which delivered 320 jobs in the last financial year.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Why, at a time of rising unemployment, did he shut down the Tauola Business Fund, which supported Pacific businesses to foster growth and create employment opportunities?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: Because the Pacific Business Trust, as I've described, is already delivering effective and efficient services, plus there are other programmes such as those run by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment—such as Alo Vaka, which is supporting Pacific workers into higher-quality, better-paid jobs with some success.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Why would he make things worse for Pasifika families, when more are struggling to pay the bills and meet the rising cost of living, by cutting back a programme that helped more than 1,300 people into work in the last year alone, given that Pasifika unemployment is more than twice the national average?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: We're looking to a range of endeavours for employment for Pasifika people, which include broader endeavours such as backing infrastructure, backing construction—we've announced the $6 billion pipeline for projects before the end of the year. We're also backing hospitality and tourism. So as a wider suite of all-of-Government endeavours, we're looking to improve employment for Pasifika.

Question No. 2—Foreign Affairs

2. TEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Does he agree with the Prime Minister that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "lost the plot"; if so, why?

Hon TODD McCLAY (Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs): Yes, in the context that the comment was made. The Prime Minister and I, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, talk often on matters of foreign affairs that are important to New Zealand. That's why the Government has committed more than $37 million of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. We've also called for Israel and Hamas to implement a ceasefire, called for Hamas to release hostages, and for all parties to allow for the safe, rapid, and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid. We have also declared Hamas a terrorist organisation.

Teanau Tuiono: Can he confirm media reports that the reason New Zealand is yet to recognise Palestinian statehood, despite commitments from France, the UK, Canada, and Australia, is because ACT Ministers stopped it at Monday's Cabinet meeting?

SPEAKER: Can I just remind the Minister to—well, answer, but just indicate that it's on behalf of the foreign Minister?

Hon TODD McCLAY: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The foreign Minister's overseas; I'm the foreign Minister at the moment.

SPEAKER: That's fine—that's good as gold. As long as we're clear.

Hon TODD McCLAY: I'm not going to talk about what happened in Cabinet, but it is very clear that the Government is united in making sure that we make the decision that's not only right but right for New Zealand. We are going to consider all of the information before us, and we won't be doing—as some members of this Parliament do—grandstanding and rushing to a decision.

Teanau Tuiono: Does he agree with David Seymour that recognising Palestinian statehood as it currently exists would mean making friends with terrorists; if so, why is the Government spending the next month deciding whether they will make friends with terrorists or not?

Hon TODD McCLAY: I didn't see the comments that the Deputy Prime Minister made, and they may well have been as leader of the ACT Party. But very clearly, what Mr Seymour may have been commenting on is the role that Hamas plays, who are a terrorist organisation who are active in harming people in that area. The member is right: the Government is going to take an appropriate amount of time to make a decision that is not only right but right for New Zealand.

Teanau Tuiono: Why is the Government allowing the resistance of ACT Party Ministers to undermine New Zealand international credibility and reputation, just as they did in the Deputy Prime Minister's letter to the United Nations (UN) Rapporteur on Indigenous Rights?

Hon TODD McCLAY: No, that absolutely is not correct, and I refute it. What the Government won't be doing is grandstanding in this Parliament on an issue that is so important merely for the theatrics of politics. We will be making a decision that's in the best interest for New Zealand and is the right decision, but we're going to ensure we consider all parts of this decision before we rush to any conclusion.

Teanau Tuiono: Does he agree with the Prime Minister that we have been friends with Israel for a long period of time, and is New Zealand still a friend of Israel's, following their actions over the last two years?

Hon TODD McCLAY: New Zealand has a very long history with Israel, as we have many former Israeli citizens that live in this country. However, we are going to consider what is in the best interest of New Zealand and what is the right decision. And I say, again, to all leaders of parties in this House: political grandstanding for the theatrics of getting on television is not in the best interest of New Zealand.

Teanau Tuiono: Does he think words on the international stage will convince the leader who has "lost the plot"; if not, why won't he take further actions, such as sanctioning Israel?

Hon TODD McCLAY: It's interesting he asked what actions New Zealand has taken. New Zealand has issued eight ministerial statements since October 2023 and delivered 29 statements at the UN. In these, we have been clear in our condemnation of Hamas and our calls for hostages to be released; for humanitarian access into Gaza; for all parties, including Israel, to abide by international law; and for a ceasefire in this conflict to be enacted.

Question No. 3—Finance

3. CATHERINE WEDD (National—Tukituki) to the Minister of Finance: What reports has she seen on COVID-19 and the economy?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Acting Minister of Finance): Oh, I haven't been able to stop reading Treasury's long-term insights briefing.

Tom Rutherford: What'd it say?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: It's a great read. It highlights the dangers of excessive Government spending. It also highlights the importance of promoting fiscal discipline through transparency and accountability. The Treasury briefing states that "during the COVID-19 period, the previous Government suspended its fiscal rules in the May 2020 Budget and established the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) to fund the fiscal response." The suspension of normal fiscal rules resulted in significant expenditure occurring outside of operating allowances framework. Subsequent reviews found that this reduced the ability for the Government to monitor the quality of the spend of New Zealanders' hard-earned money, and that the transparency of expenditure should have been better.

Catherine Wedd: What reports has she seen about people taking responsibility for the COVID19 spend?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: I did see a report yesterday that key decision makers during the COVID-19 have refused an invitation to participate in public hearings on phase two of the royal commission of inquiry into COVID-19. Sadly, the COVID-19 inquiry has cancelled its second week of public hearings, which I think will be upsetting for some New Zealanders.

Catherine Wedd: Why is it important for those who made decisions on COVID-19 spend to attend public hearings?

Hon Kieran McAnulty: Point of order.

SPEAKER: A point of order, the Hon Kieran McAnulty.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: Mr Speaker—[Interruption]

SPEAKER: Hang on. Excuse me, Megan Woods, there is a point of order being taken by your shadow Leader of the House.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: Sir, the primary and subsequent supplementary were related to reports that the Minister has seen. The third supplementary is asking his opinion on why things should happen that aren't related to the reports.

SPEAKER: Yeah, that's quite correct. And I would have moved on that had you not been quite so quick out of the blocks.

Tim van de Molen: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The supplementary question, though, followed directly from the answer given to the previous supplementary, and so it is in order, in that instance, for it to be able to flow. Although it was not directly linked to the primary question, it was directly linked to the answer of the supplementary.

SPEAKER: No. I've just ruled that it was out, so we're not going back over an argument about that. Is there another supplementary?

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: He keeps failing his auditions for Leader of the House.

SPEAKER: OK—look, another comment like that and it will also be an early end to the week for you as well.

Catherine Wedd: Is there anything else in the reports on the COVID-19—[Interruption]

SPEAKER: Stop—too much comment. Start again.

Catherine Wedd: Is there anything else in the reports on the COVID-19 spend the Minister would like to comment on? [Interruption]

Hon Dr Megan Woods: Is there anything on how many of your donors took the wage subsidy?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Are you listening to this? Is that in order? That's a direct allegation of corruption.

SPEAKER: Well, then you do something about that through the proper channels. But the reality is that the rule has always been that if a political question is asked, there will be a political response to it. That was, without doubt, a very clear political question, and I'm sure that the answer is going to be along the same lines.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: It's about straight as it comes, Mr Speaker—straight as a die. The report, as we've canvassed in the House this week, makes it clear that the Government engaged in an extremely large spending programme in response to COVID-19. Some of it was related to the pandemic that was befalling the country and, indeed, the world at the time, but much of it was unrelated, and New Zealanders are bearing the price for that still today.

Catherine Wedd: Have other countries held public hearings with decision makers?

SPEAKER: Well, this will be an incredibly brief answer, I'm sure.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Yes.

SPEAKER: Good.

Question No. 4—Housing

4. Hon KIERAN McANULTY (Labour) to the Minister of Housing: How many social houses funded in the 2024 and 2025 Budgets have been built?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Minister of Housing): Forty-five.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: How does that measure up to Nicola Willis' signed pledge to a net increase of 1,000 social houses in Auckland every year?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, they're completely different numbers, in the sense that—the question was, "How many social houses that were funded in Budget 2024 and 2025 have been built so far?". That funding starts on 1 July 2025, which has just been, it's about eight weeks ago. Forty-five of those houses have been built, but the funding goes until 30 June 2027, so there's a couple of years. The question the member just asked is about the commitment to build 1,000 homes in Auckland per year over a three-year period, which we're making good progress on.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: How is 45 houses good progress on the signed pledge to build a net increase of 1,000 social houses in Auckland a year?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, firstly, there's a long way to go until November 2026, for starters, and the second point is that many houses have been built in Auckland over the last 18 to 19 months.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: How can he credibly dismiss leaders in the construction sector who link the Government cancelling Kāinga Ora projects and insufficient funding for social houses to the 18,000 jobs lost in construction since this Government took office?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, Kāinga Ora, and the community housing sector more broadly, is about 5 to 7 percent of the construction market, so it's on the margins of the construction sector. I'm not denying it makes a difference, but 93 percent of the residential construction market is the private sector—it's not the community housing sector and Kāinga Ora. Kāinga Ora has built around 2,500 net new homes over the last year. They've got a build programme over the next couple of years of around 2,000 gross homes, and of course you've got around 2,000 community houses on top of that—and that's not even counting Māori housing, which there is quite a lot of additional support going into, which my good colleague Hon Tama Potaka has made announcements about, and many of those projects will be starting construction in the next year or so as well.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: How can he deny making things worse when 18,000 construction jobs have been lost, the Government has only contributed 45 new social houses, and homelessness in parts of the country has increased by over 90 percent.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, there's 45 new social houses built from the Budget 2024 funding that the member asked about, but the actual funding is 2,000 over the next two years, additional community housing funded programmes, on top of Kāinga Ora's existing build programme. As I pointed out to the member a couple of supplementaries ago, the community housing programme and Kāinga Ora is around 5 to 7 percent of the residential construction market. The biggest thing we can do to get residential construction going again is to get inflation down and get interest rates down so that we can get confidence back into the market. Now, the good news is there's some green shoots of change coming through, and I'd invite the member to look at the announcement by Simplicity Living just this morning of 500 new build-to-rent houses in Queenstown, which is a housing market that desperately needs it. They're making the investment, and it's great to see.

Question No. 5—Science, Innovation and Technology

5. SCOTT WILLIS (Green) to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: How many jobs, if any, have been lost in the science sector since the formation of this Government?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI (Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology): The Government is in the process of reforming our science sector to better support a growing economy and provide higher paying jobs for New Zealanders. As part of this, we are disestablishing Callaghan Innovation, which has resulted in a reduction of 134 roles. Approximately, a further 350 have been disestablished as we reform the primary research organisations. This includes technical and support staff. Despite these changes, I am encouraged by data from the biennial Stats New Zealand Research and Development Survey that show the broader New Zealand science sector has actually grown from around 28,200 roles in 2022 to around 30,600 roles in 2024.

Scott Willis: Would he consider highly skilled scientists abundant and easy to come by, or are they positions that we should be actively trying to keep in Aotearoa?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: I would consider highly skilled scientists to be important to the science, innovation, and technology system, and what we're doing is providing them with certainty and other opportunities.

Scott Willis: Does he think that scientists who have just lost their jobs following the closure of Callaghan Innovation will stay in Aotearoa, or will they find opportunities overseas?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: I think that scientists who have been disestablished through part of the reforms will have a skillset that will be able to be applied in other parts of the science sector, as we saw at that presentation that was made here in Parliament last night with the two scientists that moved from Scion out into private to commercialise their product.

Scott Willis: Does he think that his Government rushing to axe the jobs of around 500 scientists and researchers across various agencies, many of whom have been forced to uproot their lives and go offshore where their skills are valued, is encouraging talent to come to New Zealand?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: I think reforming the science system to be more efficient with clearer strategic direction will be what will encourage scientists from offshore to come and work in New Zealand.

Scott Willis: Can he see any long-term implications of allowing many of our top scientists with unique and critical skills to leave Aotearoa, including a National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research scientist who left for Germany after being "unable to survive in a place that doesn't value public good science?"

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: I refute that last allegation. We do value public good science, and I can see those skills being deployed elsewhere in the wider science system.

Scott Willis: Has he made any progress on clarifying what research will be deprioritised given his cut to science funding?

Hon Dr SHANE RETI: Those are discussions that the Prime Minister's Science, Innovation and Technology Advisory Council are working through.

Question No. 6—Health

6. SAM UFFINDELL (National—Tauranga) to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about health infrastructure?

Hon SIMEON BROWN (Minister of Health): Yesterday, I was in the sunny Bay of Plenty to open Tauranga Hospital's new, expanded intensive care unit and high dependency unit (HDU), completing a $21 million upgrade to boost critical care capacity in the region. This project increases ICU and HDU capacity, refurbishes the coronary care unit with room to expand capacity, and adds three negative pressure rooms for infection control. These improvements will ease pressure on the emergency department, reduce wait times, and improve access to specialist cardiac care—all part of our plan to put patients first.

Sam Uffindell: How will the new ICU and HDU benefit the people of Tauranga?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: The new ICU and HDU provide more space and dedicated facilities for critically ill patients. Previously, critical care services were limited by having only 20 beds across one floor, which often struggled to meet demand. Now, intensive care and high dependency capacity has increased from 10 to 16 beds on a dedicated floor, while a coronary care unit is on its own floor with room to expand to 20 beds in the future. This futureproofs the hospital to ensure that the people of Tauranga have access to timely, quality healthcare.

Sam Uffindell: How will the new expansion of critical care capacity help achieve the Government's health targets?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: That's a very good question. Expanding critical care capacity will improve patient flow from the emergency department for unplanned admissions and it will reduce the need to delay planned surgeries. This will ease pressure on the emergency department while ensuring that people receive the elective surgeries they need, both of which are essential to meeting our Government's health targets for having shorter stays in emergency departments and faster elective treatment.

Sam Uffindell: What other recent health infrastructure announcements has the Government made?

Hon SIMEON BROWN: Well, good news: our Government is delivering major health infrastructure projects to provide timely, quality healthcare for all New Zealanders. Construction has recently begun on the new acute mental health unit at Hutt Valley Hospital, and in Budget 2025, we gave the people of Nelson certainty that their hospital redevelopment is moving ahead. Upgrades will also soon be under way at Middlemore Hospital, which have been long delayed, despite being funded in 2018. Our Government is not only focused on funding projects but also on delivering them. These projects are all about increasing capacity, reducing wait times, and putting patients first.

Question No. 7—Workplace Relations and Safety

7. CAMILLA BELICH (Labour) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Will she formally consider the report to be published by the People's Select Committee on Pay Equity next January; if not, why not?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety): Kiwis are welcome to take part in the people's pay equity select committee if they wish. However, it is not a formal parliamentary process and therefore there is no statutory obligation to formally consider the report. This Government is not planning on making further changes to the pay equity legislation. And any aspiring Government of the future who does promise to make changes would also need to be upfront about how they would fund it.

Camilla Belich: Does she agree with the human rights—

SPEAKER: Just a moment. You need to wait until your team are all ready to listen to you.

Camilla Belich: Does she agree with the Human Rights Commission in their submission to the People's Select Committee when they stated, "The 2025 amendments undermine previous progress to address systemic undervaluation of female-dominated occupations and are inconsistent with the human rights dimensions of Te Tiriti and our internation human rights obligations"?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: No, I do not, for two basic reasons: the acting Attorney-General considered the bill and decided that it appears to be consistent with the rights and freedoms affirmed in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and that any limits on rights were reasonable and justifiable. I'm also confident the new pay equity system meets our international obligations.

Camilla Belich: Is she concerned, then, that the Pay Equity Coalition Aotearoa have asked the United Nations (UN) to investigate the Government's changes to pay equity?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: No, I'm not concerned by that at all. Anybody, as far as I'm aware, can make any claim or representation to the UN, but ultimately, it's up to the UN whether or not they take that on board.

Camilla Belich: Will she then commit to reversing her changes if the United Nations finds that the Government has breached their international obligations?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: I can't possibly agree to a hypothetical that that member has alluded to. What I would say is I'm very confident that we do meet our international obligations.

Laura McClure: What recent reports has she seen on pay equity?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: I've seen many reports on pay equity, but there was one interesting one from this week from a left-leaning commentator named Chris Trotter. When he was talking about political parties and pay equity, he said, "The price of this rock-solid commitment, however, is more and higher taxes. It is simply not possible now to avoid the issue."—

SPEAKER: No, no, sorry. You can't use a Government question to lay an attack against the Opposition, which is clearly where that's going. So I'd suggest that either Laura McClure ask a different question or, more preferably, the answer takes a different tack.

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: All right, I can give it another go.

SPEAKER: Not along the same lines.

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: OK. I have seen many reports on pay equity and I've seen a very interesting one from this week which alludes to the fact that anybody who wishes to have the old system back would also need to know how to fund it.

Camilla Belich: How does she respond to Tony McCombs, grandson of the first female MP Elizabeth McCombs, when he told the People's Select Committee that if she were here, she would "rise with righteous rage and ask, 'How dare you? How dare you erase progress with the stroke of a pen? How dare you undo a century of struggle in a single vote? How dare you silence the voices of working women and call it reform?' "?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: Look, how I'd respond to that is twofold. Firstly, we have not touched equal pay. We have changed the pay equity system, which is about valuing different jobs against each other. Secondly, to that point, I would say to that man who is talking about women that I am a woman that stands for women in this Parliament, and he does not speak for all women.

SPEAKER: Question 8, Dr Hamish Campbell. [Interruption] We need to just let everyone settle. [Interruption] Sorry, far too much noise going on across the House. Question 8, Dr Hamish Campbell.

Question No. 8—Mental Health

8. Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL (National—Ilam) to the Minister for Mental Health: What recent announcements has he made in relation to a promotion campaign for better mental wellbeing for New Zealanders?

Hon MATT DOOCEY (Minister for Mental Health): Oh, look, good question, Mr Speaker.

SPEAKER: Thank you very much for informing me of that.

Hon MATT DOOCEY: It's important he's in the front row for that important question. As the Minister for Mental Health, one of my top priorities is strengthening the focus on prevention and early intervention. On the weekend, I launched the Top Up campaign, a national promotion initiative encouraging Kiwis to take everyday actions to support their mental health. The campaign utilises the evidence-based Five Ways to Wellbeing and aims to make mental wellbeing part of daily life for everyone. Whether you're on the farm, in the office, at school, or at home with the kids, better mental health is something we all have a stake in.

Dr Hamish Campbell: What evidence supports the approach taken in the Top Up campaign?

Hon MATT DOOCEY: The Government is not just focused on ensuring the right support is in place to treat mental health issues but we're focused strongly on preventing Kiwis from getting to that point. The Top Up campaign is built on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, which are supported by extensive international and local research. Those actions have been shown to improve mental wellbeing, aid recovery from distress, and help manage long-term mental health challenges. This is about evidence-based, common-sense tools, and proven techniques that anyone can use to top up their mental wellbeing.

Dr Hamish Campbell: What support is being provided to communities through the campaign?

Hon MATT DOOCEY: Well, mental health is not just the treatment of mental illness but the promotion of mental wellbeing. To complement the promotion campaign, the Mental Health Foundation will run community grants offering up to $250,000 annually for two years. This will fund grassroots wellbeing initiatives, empowering local solutions at the community level. This campaign is about helping Kiwis make those preventative actions part of the everyday life and continues to reduce stigma around mental health issues.

Dr Hamish Campbell: How will the Top Up campaign be delivered and how many people will it reach?

Hon MATT DOOCEY: The Top Up campaign directly contributes to one of the Government's mental health targets, that 25 percent of the mental health ring-fence funding is spent on prevention and early intervention. The Top Up campaign aims to reach up to 2.6 million Kiwis annually through a wide range of multimedia channels. There is a dedicated website, topupwellbeing.nz. I'd encourage all Kiwis, including members of this House, to check out the website and see what actions they can take to keep their mental meter topped up.

Question No. 9—Commerce and Consumer Affairs (Grocery Sector)

9. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) to the Acting Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (Grocery Sector): Does she agree with Nicola Willis, who said in 2023 that "National will take action to get food prices under control once more"; if so, why are food prices still going up under her watch?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Associate Minister of Finance) on behalf of the Acting Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (Grocery Sector): Yes. This quote is from a statement about rampant food price inflation seen under the previous Government, in which inflation in the year to June 2023 for food hit 12.3 percent. In answer to the second part of the question, food price inflation has been much lower under this Government. The Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation is also down. Work is well under way to address specific competition issues in the grocery sector, and I'll have more to say about that this quarter.

Arena Williams: Does that provide any comfort for struggling families when food prices are growing faster than incomes?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Overall, wages are rising faster than inflation, but we acknowledge that it's a tough time for many people. However, life is better in terms of food now than it was two years ago in June 2023, when food prices were rising at 12.3 percent; in the September '23 quarter, when food prices were rising at 8.8 percent; take another random quarter, for example: in December '22, when food price inflation was 10.7 percent; oh, just another random quarter: March 2023, 11.3 percent; compared to the year to December 2024, for example, when food price inflation was 1.3 percent.

Arena Williams: Is she concerned that many families cannot afford rising grocery prices, including the price of butter, which is up almost 50 percent; cheese up 30 percent; and mince now costing up to $22 a kilo?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Yes, I am concerned about families who are doing it tough, which is why this Government is working so hard to lift growth and rebuild the productive part of the economy. Because the ultimate way to get the cost of living under control for Kiwi families is to raise wages and grow the economy so that all New Zealanders have more opportunities, both income and in other aspects of their lives.

Arena Williams: Does the Minister believe that cheese, butter, and mince are luxury food items reserved only for New Zealanders who are wealthy and sorted?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Absolutely not. They're the staple for many families, including my own.

Arena Williams: When will the Minister take responsibility for doing nothing on grocery prices while things are getting worse, not better, for Kiwis still struggling at the checkout?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: I reject the assertion in the member's question. The Government has an extensive work programme under way around grocery competition and, as I said in answer to the primary question, I'll have more to say about that in the next few weeks.

Question No. 10—Resources

10. Dr DAVID WILSON (NZ First) to the Minister for Resources: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand resources sector?

Hon SHANE JONES (Minister for Resources): As the Minister for Resources, I see green shoots rising from the ashes of wood. It was reported in The Press, veritable organisation of the fourth estate, a surge of mining is taking place in the West Coast, hundreds of high-paying jobs hitherto unseen, major infrastructure investments, three mining operations snuffed out over the last recent period of time until the arrival of our Government and my good self, over 500 direct and indirect jobs, increased exports, and suitable level of political leadership and promotion sadly unable to move the two aged characters fighting yesterday's culture wars, perched 200 metres in a coal cart, otherwise known as a night cart, in the West Coast.

Dr David Wilson: What reports has he seen on New Zealand's attractiveness as an investment destination for resource extraction?

SPEAKER: Just before the Minister starts answering, can you just move the microphone just a little bit. Believe it or not, you're hard to hear!

Hon SHANE JONES: It's nice to see at the end of the week, humour has returned to the House! New Zealand has been ranked in a recent survey, where we are now 12th out of 82 jurisdictions for investment appeal; 36 percent improvement after having languished for a long period of time, as a consequence of bitterness and demonisation. We are now regarded as a better destination than Western Australia. Sadly, there are residual voices, luddite-like, who seek to undermine this project. They will be unsuccessful. Where there are ongoing issues pertaining to the accelerated allocation of consents for the fast track, the Minister and I will be dealing with that in short order.

Dr David Wilson: What other reports has he seen on new investment in the resources sector?

Hon SHANE JONES: Earlier this year, our Prime Minister convened an investment summit. Not long after that summit, Rua Gold continued to expand its drilling programme, an increase they achieved of 300,000 gold equivalent ounces; Oceania posting a quarterly net profit of $118 million now that lizards have been sent where they belong; Santana Minerals raising $65 million; Westland Mineral Sands, a market leader, recently applied for a resource consent which I presume they are guaranteed to get; Tega, consent for its proposed Barrytown operation, not that far from Blackball, a place where a brass bust of myself has been contemplated.

Dr David Wilson: Why is growing the resources sector critical for New Zealanders?

Hon SHANE JONES: Jobs, jobs, mahi, labour—not of the party type, but of the physical exertion type. Exports, the only way that we can fight our way out of our economic challenges, for every mining job, 1.6 jobs in addition are created. Building, engineering, investment is coming. In September, watch this space for great, important investment announcements. And because parts of the South Island, much to my surprise, were formally joined to Australia, the place is riddled with minerals potential. We are a Government that will unlock that strength and potential, and no fanatical green creed will deter us.

Question No. 11—Small Business and Manufacturing

11. TIM VAN DE MOLEN (National—Waikato) to the Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing: What is the Government doing to support small businesses?

Hon CHRIS PENK (Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing): This Government backs small businesses because when they succeed, they can create more jobs, pay higher wages, and help grow the economy. I'm pleased to report that the Regional Business Partner Network, the Government's primary tool for supporting businesses on the front line, engaged with a record number of businesses last year. Comprising business chambers and Business Mentors New Zealand, the network supported nearly 4,500 businesses to grow and succeed.

Tim van de Molen: How is the Government supporting businesses with artificial intelligence (AI)?

Hon CHRIS PENK: Small business owners sometimes raise with me that they are uncertain about how best to adopt AI. To address this, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has upskilled business mentors and growth advisers in the Regional Business Partner Network to guide business owners on using AI to boost efficiency. Training the trainers, in other words. In other words, the Government has today announced an increase in funding to Business Mentors New Zealand by $350,000 per year for the next two years. This will enable them to support an additional 750 businesses annually, giving more business owners access to the wealth of knowledge and guidance that this service provides.

Tim van de Molen: What else is the Government doing to support these businesses?

Hon CHRIS PENK: We need to enable a lift in productivity for small businesses in the 21st century, and that means building New Zealand's digital business infrastructure. One key tool is the New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), a unique digital identifier for every business. It streamlines interactions by automatically populating core information, saving time and boosting productivity. Over a million businesses are now registered, with projected economic benefits of $550 million. We are exploring ways to increase the use of the New Zealand Business Number.

Tim van de Molen: How is eInvoicing progressing and what impact will greater uptake have on the economy?

Hon CHRIS PENK: These are not quite sufficient to contemplate a brass bust being made of me, but nevertheless, I hope the House will be interested to know that eInvoicing is taking off, with over 52,000 businesses registered and more than 350,000 eInvoices issued last year, a 479 percent increase in the last financial year. Smoother, faster, and safer eInvoicing means businesses spend less time on administration, get paid sooner—including by Government—and face lower fraud risk. The Government's backing this; by the end of this year, all agencies processing more than 2,000 domestic invoices annually will have eInvoicing systems in place.

Question No. 12—Internal Affairs

12. LEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour—Māngere) to the Minister of Internal Affairs: Does she stand by her statement that online casino-type gaming providers should not have to make community returns because that would create "a perverse incentive to increase gambling activity in order to increase revenue for these organisations"; if not, why not?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN (Minister of Internal Affairs): Yes, I do stand by my statement. When community groups are reliant on funding from the proceeds of gambling, there is an incentive to increase gambling in order to increase revenue for those organisations. The advice I receive from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is that this makes it harder to reduce gambling, because community organisations are dependent on the funding that they receive from gambling. I am open to a requirement for online casinos to make community returns, but I ask the member to at least recognise that there is a trade-off between minimising gambling harm and promising community groups funding from the proceeds of gambling.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene: Does she agree with Bowls New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Mark Cameron that "What the Government is planning here is, effectively, to provide more opportunities for gambling, but then take away that revenue stream giving back to the community."?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: I am not taking away any funding from sports clubs, and there is no evidence that the regulation of online casinos will reduce the funding available through class 4 societies, Lotto, or the TAB. The intention of the Online Casino Gambling Bill is to reduce gambling harm, not to provide funding sources for sports clubs.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene: Why did she not consult with the community and sporting organisations prior to introducing the Online Casino Gambling Bill, given Richard Reid of Capital Football's statement that "For something with such huge implications, it defies belief that the sporting community has not been consulted"?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: To that question, I am meeting with representatives from the sports clubs next week. There are many stakeholders interested in the Online Casino Gambling Bill, and I need to balance their interests. I also note that the decision to not require community returns was made by Cabinet over a year ago, and is just being raised as a concern with me now. But I would also note that the DIA, in their advice to me when we were considering these matters, suggested to me that while community funding contributions can be a significant good for communities, they also make it harder to change gambling policy over time. I want to focus on minimising gambling harm, and that means getting that right. If we need to change the laws later to minimise further gambling harm, that could be a trade-off that needs to be considered.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene: Will she write to the select committee, asking for more time to allow sporting groups and community organisations to have their say on the Online Casino Gambling Bill?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: No, I will not, because I have faith in that member and in all other members of the Governance and Administration Committee that they can do their work on time and within the month supplied by this Parliament.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene: Was the Minister for Sport and Recreation, Mark Mitchell, wrong when he agreed that sporting organisations' concerns that they would lose funding were justified?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: I haven't seen those particular comments from the Minister for sport, but I understand where his concern is coming from. I believe that there is a concern in the community that I'm touching the funding that is currently available, and that is not the case. I have not seen any evidence that the funding from class 4 societies, the TAB, and Lotto will be affected by the regulation of an online gambling market.

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