Sitting date: 21 Oct 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 CHRIS BISHOP (Acting Minister of Finance): Yesterday, Stats New Zealand released the latest figures for the Consumers Price Index—the CPI—which showed annual CPI inflation increasing slightly, from 2.7 percent in the June quarter, to 3 percent in September, but remaining within the Reserve Bank's target 1 to 3 percent band.

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

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: This is the fifth 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. Let me remind members that inflation in the four quarters of 2022 was 6.9 percent in the March quarter, then 7.3 percent, then 7.2 percent, and then 7.2 percent in the December quarter. These crippling price increases continue to have an impact on Kiwi families and businesses.

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

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Almost a third of the annual inflation figure was due to food items, including dairy, meat, and fruit and vegetables, which have been impacted by rising global commodity prices. The good news is that domestic price pressures continue to ease. Non-tradeables inflation—that is, for goods and services not exposed to international competition—fell to 3.5 percent, which is the lowest rate since mid-2021. None the less, there are pockets of concern. Local authority rates rose 8.8 percent in the year to September, and that's why we are clear, in Government, in our call for councils to focus on the basics and to keep rates under control.

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

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Economists were expecting the current bump in inflation to peak in the September quarter. Looking ahead, commodity export prices have levelled off, and so food inflation is expected to ease and inflation is expected to fall to somewhere near the mid-point target of 2 percent early next year, easing pressure on households and businesses. Clearly, the Reserve Bank is not concerned about lingering inflation, as it reduced the official cash rate by half a percent earlier this month, and financial markets are fully expecting the bank to make another 25 basis point reduction at the next opportunity in November.

Question No. 2—Prime Minister

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

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: What was the annual rate of inflation one year ago and what is it today?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: What I can tell the member is that it's not 7.3 percent, which is what it was under his Government because he had an 84 percent increase in Government spending, he drove inflation up to 7.3 percent, and then what he ended up doing was actually tripling our debt as well. So thank you very much, Labour.

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

SPEAKER: Yeah, I think I can anticipate that. The Prime Minister might like to answer the question that was actually asked of him.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, our inflation rate is at 3 percent. It was at 7.3 percent under Labour.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. It doesn't get much more straightforward than that. The Prime Minister keeps addressing matters that he doesn't have ministerial responsibility for. He is absolutely responsible for what the rate of inflation is today and what it was one year ago when he was also Prime Minister.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: So I think it was about 2.2 percent, maybe 2.5 percent, depending on exactly what you're talking about. But I'd just say to the member that two of the big drivers of our inflation chucking up to 3 percent—which is well within the band, which is where we need to be; not 7.3 percent like the last lot were at. But if the member feels so strongly about helping the Government, he could do two things. One is he could actually come on board and actually support fast-track because that'll get more renewable electricity built. Actually, he could repeal the oil and gas ban and support that decision because, actually, that would help lower electricity prices. Electricity prices are about 11 percent of the growth we've seen in the last quarter, and, actually, council rates are the other 9 percent. I'd just say to the member, get on board and actually support the council rates caps too, but I haven't heard a single word from you about that, so I look forward to seeing that.

SPEAKER: That's because I don't make comments like that.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Sorry.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: What proportion of current inflation is driven by the increase in Government prices?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I don't have that number with me. What I can say is that isn't it fantastic that this is a Government that, through excellent economic management and getting a grip on Government spending, has been able to lower domestic inflation from 3.7 percent to 3.5 percent? It's definitely not 7.3 percent as it was under a Labour-Greens Government, and if Labour and the Greens really cared about it instead of all the crocodile tears, then what you'd do is support fast track.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Once again, the question was about something that the Prime Minister does have responsibility for, which is the increase in Government prices during his time as Prime Minister over the last year. He doesn't have any responsibility for the other issues that he was raising, which is what was happening previously. He hasn't addressed the bit that he is actually responsible for, which is what proportion of current inflation is driven by the increase in prices being imposed by his Government.

SPEAKER: Well, he did answer that right at the start, and as you know, inflation figures are taken over time and they do indicate a trend. So it's not unusual that people go back in history to report how that trend has followed.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Is he still laser focused on the cost of living; if so, why do basic staples cost more than ever, with bread now 50 percent more expensive than it was just one year ago?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, I appreciate the member, based off this fine document called New Zealand Future Fund, which is a fantastic document—

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

SPEAKER: No, I think—wait on.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: No, I've got to make the point—he's economically illiterate.

SPEAKER: No, that is not an acceptable answer. There was a pretty straight question asked. Give a straight answer.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: What I'd say is there's two big drivers to our slight increase in inflation—that is, electricity up 11 percent and council rates up 9 percent. Actually, council rates being up 9 percent to 12 percent over the last wee while is actually also a contributor to Government fees and charges. And I'd just say to the member, if you want to do something about electricity and lowering electricity prices and electricity inflation, which is three times the level of inflation, support fast-track, come out and give the commitment for a decade that you'll repeal the oil and gas ban, make sure you get to a single position on public-private partnerships—

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The question was about the price of bread. The Prime Minister hasn't addressed the price of bread at all. It's a basic staple. Most New Zealanders eat it every day. It's pretty important to them. I think they want to know why it's gone up by 50 percent in the last year.

SPEAKER: Well, I think an answer that points to drivers of the price increase does address the question.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why have rents increased by 2.6 percent over the last year, according to the Consumers Price Index figures released yesterday, when he said his $3 billion tax cut for landlords was going to lower rents?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yeah, there's a story of two tailson rents. One is, actually, for new rents prices have lowered, and for existing rents, prices have gone up slightly.

Hon David Seymour: Can the Prime Minister confirm that inflation has been managed within the 1 to 3 percent target band for the last five quarters, after years of being out of control; if so, what steps has the Government taken that have helped make that possible?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, good economic management from this coalition Government; a senior team that actually understands economics and can deal with numbers, unlike what we've seen in the great New Zealand Future Fund documental pamphlet.

Hon Kieran McAnulty: Point of order, Mr Speaker. On at least three occasions, sir, you have told the Prime Minister that he's not to talk about the policies of other parties during question time; and in this instance, it's in response to a question from his own side.

SPEAKER: Yes, and—speaking to the point of order?

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon: Point of order. I mean, this is an Opposition that's been there two years, sir, and this is their first economic policy—

SPEAKER: No, no—order! That's not a point of order. You were pretty quick off your feet—two people off their feet on that point of order. I have stamped on that prior. It is not appropriate for the Government to use questions to attack the Opposition. It never has been.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How many New Zealanders are currently on a jobseeker benefit today, and how does that compare with one year ago?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: About 217,000. But what was incredibly tragic was that in a period of low unemployment—about 3.2 percent—60,000 more people got consigned to benefits and jobseeker benefits; it increased by 50 percent. The last Government had no interest in connecting people into work and training—

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order. Mr Speaker, once again, the question was about a period in which the Prime Minister is responsible. He was Prime Minister for almost the entirety of the last two years. I was asking him to compare unemployment today to one year ago. I wasn't asking him about historical unemployment numbers; I was asking him how has unemployment increased over the last year.

SPEAKER: That is true, but it's not inappropriate for a Minister to refer to a situation that they inherited at some point, when there is a change of Government; that is in Speakers' Rulings.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister did not inherit the unemployment rate a year ago; he had been Prime Minister for almost a year at that point. The question was about what has happened in the last year.

SPEAKER: Well, that might be true, but he's talking to a trend. The Prime Minister might like to elucidate, that gets closer to the specifics of the answer required.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, we're turning things around, and you've got to start with the brutal facts of your reality. The reality was that we started with a 3.2 percent unemployment rate and 60,000 more people on the jobseeker benefit—up 50 percent under the last Government. What is this Government doing? We're making sure that young people are connected to employment, work, or further training. That's why you've seen the work that we've done on 18- to 19-year-olds being a parental responsibility. That's why you've seen the work that we've been doing on traffic lights and obligations that people have to look for work.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he stand by his claim from five months ago, that "Unemployment is just almost peaking and about to come down."; if so, how does he explain the fact that it has continued to increase and is now at its highest number, in terms of job seekers, since 2012?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yeah. Look, economists forecast that we're peaking about now. We expect that that will start to trend down, as the economy is growing. But here's how it happened: I mean, basically, if you increase Government spending by 84 percent—and a lot of it wasteful, including the $66 billion on—

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Not only is he not responsible for the issues that he's raising, but they're not relevant to the question that was asked. If he's going to attack the Opposition, he'll at least need to have some attempt to make it relevant to the question that was asked.

SPEAKER: With all due respect [Interruption]. Just a minute, everyone. You took things right back to 2012, so for the Prime Minister to reference matters that might have occurred between 2012 and 2025, it becomes somewhat reasonable.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Why should New Zealanders believe him now when he confidently predicted unemployment had peaked, yet it's still going up; he said, over a year ago, that the economy had "turned the corner", when it's shrunk since then; he said his Government was going to increase infrastructure investment, but instead has cut it by $2.9 billion, putting thousands of people out of work?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, I can tell the member that we are a Government that is getting spending gripped up. We do not increase Government spending by 84 percent. We have inflation down from 7.3 percent to 3 percent. We've had eight interest rate cuts, not 12 interest rate rises. We have a projection for the next two years that we'll grow faster than Australia. There are 240,000 jobs being created, while our Minister for Social Development and Employment is doing a great job getting our people ready for that. Importantly, we're going to get people back into work. But it's interesting, a day after their first policy launch and not a single question on this.

Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister is very helpfully promoting Labour's latest policy release. I seek leave to table it.

SPEAKER: Surprisingly, you will find that I already know that it's publicly available.

Hon Chris Bishop: In relation to unemployment—

SPEAKER: Wait on, wait on.

Hon Chris Bishop: Can the Prime Minister confirm that unemployment now is lower than was projected in the 2023 Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yes, I can, and what I can also confirm is that we've taken 21,000 people off welfare and into work. The efforts of the Minister for Social Development and all of that team—they're doing an excellent job making sure we're getting people connected to work training: the case management efforts, the obligations, the traffic light system, the 18- to 19-year-olds; all designed to get people to work.

Question No. 3—Children

SPEAKER: Question No. 3—Laura McClure. [Interruption] Just wait for the quiet to occur over here.

3. LAURA McCLURE (ACT) to the Minister for Children: What is the Government doing to improve outcomes and actions?

Hon KAREN CHHOUR (Minister for Children): Since coming into office, we have focused the children's system on what matters: the safety and wellbeing of children. That is why I set four priorities for Oranga Tamariki: ensuring the safety of children and young people; supporting caregivers; addressing youth offending; and improving complaint management and practice. This focus is now seeing results. Today, I am pleased to announce we have not only achieved but surpassed the Government target of a 15 percent reduction in serious and persistent youth offending. We have done this more than four years ahead of the deadline, keeping communities safe by supporting young people to make better choices but also holding them to account when necessary.

Laura McClure: What is the Minister doing to support caregivers?

Hon KAREN CHHOUR: We have significantly improved the support Oranga Tamariki offers to caregivers. We have increased the guidance and training that caregivers can receive and also established a caregiver panel as a way of receiving direct insight into caregiver experiences. This will play a key role in shaping the caregiver work programme and ensuring continuous improvement. Multiple and unplanned care arrangements have been associated with negative outcomes for children, and that's why it's great to see that, in the last year, 86 percent of children in out-of-home placements have had stable living arrangements with two or fewer caregivers.

Laura McClure: What is the Minister doing to support front-line social workers?

Hon KAREN CHHOUR: We have had a real focus on supporting our front-line social workers through professionalisation of the workforce. Oranga Tamariki has faced a sharp increase in reports of concern recently—up 44 percent overall. However, the front-line workforce has responded incredibly well to the increased demand and largely maintained the levels of service and timeliness. I want to thank the social workers who work every day to improve the lives of our children and young people. I'm impressed and inspired by your work.

Laura McClure: What is the Minister doing to improve the standards in Oranga Tamariki residences?

Hon KAREN CHHOUR: We have had a real focus on lifting the standards within our care and protection in youth justice residences. In response to recent reviews, including the abuse in care inquiry, we have legislation progressing through the House this afternoon that will see changes to improve the safety for children and staff by repealing the ability to undertake strip searches of children and young people, allowing universal searches on entry to secure youth justice residences, and requiring search plans to be made with children and young people in all residences. Staff in residences tell me they have noticed a real difference. They feel empowered to do their job and have confidence that, when they escalate concerns, they will be acted on, not ignored.

Laura McClure: How is Oranga Tamariki improving its relationships with partners and providers?

Hon KAREN CHHOUR: We know that Oranga Tamariki cannot achieve everything on its own. Oranga Tamariki have been engaging with providers on a new commissioning and investment plan. While this plan is implemented, Oranga Tamariki will be extending most contracts due to end this year through to March 2027. This will provide stability and certainty for the provider sector and minimise disruption to services. Last week, I was at the Mokopuna Ora conference hosted by Waikato-Tainui. The Mokopuna Ora initiative has seen 98 percent of children that they engage with successfully remain out of State care. This is an example of what we can achieve when we all work together and focus on fixing what matters.

Question No. 4—Finance

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

Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Acting Minister of Finance): Yes, including my statement that I put more effort into my Uber Eats order than that member put into her policy brain fart yesterday.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: Why did she say last month that "We've got inflation under control" when inflation has increased over the last four quarters and is now at 3 percent?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, I said that last month because three years ago inflation was 7.3 percent and now it's 3 percent.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: What does she say to Sarah, who told Stuff, in relation to rising prices, "Everywhere—food, petrol, electricity and gas, the list could go on. Basic commodities are now becoming luxury items."?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, I would say to Sarah what I say to people who ask me similar questions, which is that we acknowledge that times are tough and we acknowledge that for some everyday food staples like bread and cheese and butter—as has famously been debated—things are a bit higher than they were a few years ago. However, when you look at things in the round, inflation is back with the 1-3 percent target band. Ultimately, the ultimate measure of affordability in the economy is whether wages are rising faster than inflation, which they are. The Government's plan is to build a more productive economy so that wages rise faster than inflation over time so that people can get ahead. We acknowledge that inflation was a problem three years ago. We acknowledge that inflation is now back within the band; we need to keep it there. Most importantly, we need to make the kind of productivity enhancing investments in infrastructure and planning reform that will allow growth to continue and wages to continue to rise.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: Are doctors, teachers, nurses, allied care workers, ACC workers getting ahead; if so, why are they striking on Thursday?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well, I'm not going to enter the bargaining between the people that the member has pointed to. However, what I would say is that the Government is engaging in good faith with those unions, with representatives of those unions. We encourage them to meet us and settle so that people who are in our hospital system can get the care that they need, and kids can go to school and get taught by our brilliant teachers with an excellent new curriculum—or a curriculum that is coming—and a structured literacy approach that is already paying massive dividends for our young kids.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: Why won't he listen to teachers who are saying they are getting a pay cut and are striking on Thursday?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Teachers are not getting a pay cut. They've been made a reasonable offer. Not only that, the Government has said that we will pay the teacher registration fees, which is quite an annual impost on teachers that the Government is now meeting for them. Most particularly, I would point to the investments in Budget 2025—

Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan: For the political ideology, not for teachers.

SPEAKER: OK.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: For a long period of time—

SPEAKER: Just a minute. Some of those interjections aren't particularly helpful. It's clearly an important matter. One, because it's been asked in a question in the House. Two, because we know that there is considerable concern by a number of New Zealanders. So the answers for the rest of this answer will be heard in silence. Start again.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: I was just going to make the point, Mr Speaker, which is that something that I think many members in the House will have heard for a long period of time, in relation to education, is that we need to do more for learning support. The Government agrees, which is why in Budget 2025, we made the single largest investment in learning support in a generation of over $700 million for a range of incredibly important initiatives to provide better support for kids who need it most. The teacher unions have often said that is what they want for education. The Government is delivering.

Hon Barbara Edmonds: Will she and the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, front the teachers strike on Thursday, given she promised there would be no cut to front-line services?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: The Government will be at the bargaining table, which is where they should be. [Interruption] Well, it's a bit difficult to settle a pay negotiation unless there are two sides at the bargaining table. We encourage the unions to enter the bargaining table in good faith. But also, the Opposition needs to realise—as the unions should do—there is no magic money tree in this economy. [Interruption] I encourage the Labour members to go fiscal literacy school; they need it.

Question No. 5—Prime Minister

5. CHLÖE SWARBRICK (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i ngā kōrero me ngā mahi katoa a tōna Kāwanatanga?

[Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?]

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes.

Chlöe Swarbrick: When is the last time that the Prime Minister directly talked to a teacher, nurse, or firefighter about their pay and conditions?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Friday.

Chlöe Swarbrick: And what, exactly, did that worker have to say about this Government's, in real terms, under-inflation pay offers for those workers?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: What they did is they told me how well structured literacy and structured numeracy is working, which is fantastic, and how much they appreciate that. They also said they appreciate the $750 million investment in learning support. With respect to their union, they made a comment that maybe they're not representing their members as well as they could be.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Does it pay better to be a landlord or a nurse under the rules of the economy that this Government has set up?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I reject the characterisation in that question. I don't know what she's trying to get to. Probably teaching.

Chlöe Swarbrick: Do nurses have safe working conditions?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Look, the member could help by actually getting her union friends to come to the bargaining table. That's what is needed here. The reality is that we have kids who have missed a hell of a lot of school. We're two weeks away from NCEA exams. We've got 6,000 patients who are going to be disrupted, after Labour ran the wait-list up 30 times. And we've actually got parents who are being mucked around—

Chlöe Swarbrick: Point of order. I asked a very simple question with one leg, which was regarding this Government's resourcing of two particular entities—whether his Government had given more support and resourcing to landlords or nurses. He did not address the question.

SPEAKER: No, that was not the question. Your question was "Are nurses working in a safe environment?"—or some other such as that—and I think the response was reasonable in that regard. Is there another supp'?

Chlöe Swarbrick: What does the Prime Minister have to say to workers and delegates who can prove that they have turned up to the bargaining table while the Government negotiators sometimes don't turn up, in the instance of Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and otherwise do not have the mandate to unlock the resources necessary for decent pay and conditions?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: We're ready to meet with the unions any time. How about they cancel the strike and we meet on Thursday?

Hon Erica Stanford: Can the Prime Minister confirm that over 500 primary principals have settled with the Primary Principals Collective Bargaining Union (PPCBU) because they bargained in good faith, with openness and transparency, and that more principals are leaving the New Zealand Educational Institute and joining the PPCBU for that very reason?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I can, and I thought they did a very good deal. They got a very good deal for their members, closing out the negotiation last Friday. They got a 2.5 percent increase immediately. They get a 2.1 percent increase in October. Within 12 months, they're up 4.7 percent. We're not backdating settlements, so every week that goes by, members are missing out from the unions by not settling and not being able to come with good-faith bargaining. The other thing they did very well was that they made very clear what their priorities and what they're trade-offs were, and it was a very constructive negotiation. I think they got a good deal for their members, and I think all parties were satisfied.

Question No. 6—Transport

6. RYAN HAMILTON (National—Hamilton East) to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made on the next steps for the Government's Roads of National Significance programme?

Hon Damien O'Connor: How many times?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Minister of Transport): Well, many times, because there are many roads.

Hon Damien O'Connor: How many times have you announced this?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Many times, Mr O'Connor. I was pleased to confirm—[Interruption]

SPEAKER: Wait. Sorry. That response from the Minister was probably acceptable, given the speed with which there was an interjection on him before he had even started, but we'll just settle things down.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: I was pleased to confirm, yesterday, that a combined funding of nearly $1.2 billion will see the Government's roads of national significance programme move to the next phase of development. This is about building a long-term pipeline of transport infrastructure investment to address our deficit and deliver jobs and growth. The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) board has now endorsed investment cases for all of the roads of national significance and has approved funding for the key next steps. This is a very important part of building a transport pipeline that I hope we can all get behind.

Ryan Hamilton: What specific investment cases have been endorsed by the NZTA board?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: The NZTA board has now endorsed investment cases for all of the roads of national significance—most recently, in August, sections two and three of the Northland Expressway; the East-West Link, a critical project for congestion between State Highway 1 and State Highway 20; Hamilton Southern Links, which will unlock 17,000 new houses; Petone to Grenada and the Cross Valley Link, which is very important for Wellington; State Highway 1 Wellington improvements, which includes a second Mount Victoria and second Terrace tunnel, which we're thinking about naming the Julie Anne Genter Memorial Tunnel; and the Hope Bypass.

SPEAKER: That was an unnecessary reference to another member of the House but one that the House might choose to hold you to.

Ryan Hamilton: What will the $1.2 billion of funding to progress the RONS, or roads of national significance, go towards?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Of this combined funding of $1.2 billion, $675 million is for consenting, design, route protection, site investigations, and some early works, and $515 million is for property acquisition, to get under way on these projects. Some people seem to think you can just turn up and build a road tomorrow. You can't. There's actually a whole bunch of stuff that has to happen.

Hon Member: Oh, really?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Yeah, well, you guys didn't build any, so don't come at me about building roads. Some of this work is very important before we can actually start construction, and, of course, it helps build the pipeline for the future.

Ryan Hamilton: What projects are in construction already?

Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Construction's under way on Takitimu Northern Link Stage 1, which used to be called the Tauranga Northern Link; phase one of State Highway 29, Tauriko West, the Ōmanawa bridge replacement; and, of course, Ōtaki to north of Levin. Construction is due to begin on the Hawke's Bay Expressway in November. Procurement on the Northland Expressway section one is progressing, with a preferred bidder due to be confirmed in 2026, and recently we had consents granted for Cambridge to Piarere, which is the extension to the Waikato Expressway. Takitimu Northern Link Stage 2 has had a fast-track panel appointed, and Mill Road Stage 1 and Belfast to Pegasus and the Woodend Bypass are currently working through their fast-track applications.

Question No. 7—Workplace Relations and Safety

7. CAMILLA BELICH (Labour) on behalf of Hon JAN TINETTI (Labour) to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her statement that "the coalition Government is delivering for workers across the board", and in what way is recent and upcoming strike action a reflection of that delivery, if at all?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN (Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety): Yes, I do stand by my statement in the context in which it was made. This Government is delivering for all workers, both in the public and private sectors. In my own portfolio, I am focused on getting the workplace relations laws right to ensure workers have access to more and better jobs. I'm not responsible for any union's decision to strike, but I will say that the Government is concerned about any impact strikes may have on patients, kids' education, and working parents. These are tough economic times, and we need to acknowledge that any Government spending, including the money to fund public sector salaries, comes from the taxes of other working Kiwis.

Camilla Belich: Why do nurses have to strike in order to highlight that patients are at risk due to unsafe staffing levels?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: Nurses don't have to strike. What I would encourage them to do is to get back around the bargaining table because it's not possible to have a conversation in a strike.

Camilla Belich: Why do firefighters have to strike in order to highlight that communities are at risk due to unsafe equipment and fire trucks?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: Once again—I feel like I might say this ad nauseam—nobody needs to strike. In order to have a negotiation for a bargaining proposition, two parties need to sit around a bargaining table.

Camilla Belich: Are more than 36,000 nurses, 11,500 healthcare workers, and over 40,000 teachers all striking for political reasons?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: I can't speak to why a particular union might take that action. However, what I would encourage them to do, once again, is to get around the bargaining table, because you know who loses out in a strike? It's the patients. It's the 6,000 patients who are waiting for their surgeries, for their diagnoses. Those people will not find it fair that they have to cancel their appointments because unions decided to go on strike. In the interest of the fairness for those patients, I would ask the union to get back around the negotiating and bargaining table; that's how you have a conversation.

Camilla Belich: Does she understand that patients are already facing delays in getting their operations, does she understand that there are already problems to do with staffing in the teaching workforce, and does she appreciate that the reason that they're taking strike action is in order to make things better for patients and students?

Hon BROOKE VAN VELDEN: I understand a great many things, but one thing that I understand—that that member seems not to—is that in order to have a conversation with two parties negotiating, both parties need to be around a negotiating table.

Question No. 8—Education

SPEAKER: Question No. 8, Carl Bates.

CARL BATES (National—Whanganui): Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education and asks—

SPEAKER: Stop—just hold on a minute. There's sort of a general murmur all around the House, so we'll just, quietly, start again.

8. CARL BATES (National—Whanganui) to the Minister of Education: What announcements has she made regarding supporting students with higher and complex needs?

Hon ERICA STANFORD (Minister of Education): Strengthening learning support for students with additional needs has been a priority of mine since day one. That's why we delivered the largest boost in learning support in a generation and are expanding the special school network. Now, this Government has released the extended New Zealand Curriculum, a resource that provides support for students with high and complex needs, typically Ongoing Resourcing Scheme - verified children, and it outlines learning in literacy and numeracy. This is the first time in our history that anything like this has been provided, and it'll support around 12,000 students with high and complex additional needs from term 1 next year. Specialist teachers are already receiving high quality professional learning and development (PLD)to support the extended curriculum and provide students with the education that they deserve.

Carl Bates: How is she backing specialist teachers to support these students?

Hon ERICA STANFORD: Previously, teachers working with these students with high and complex needs have needed to adapt the existing curriculum to the needs of those students and create their own resources. The extended New Zealand Curriculum will reduce the burden on teachers by providing them with the tools that they need to support their students with additional needs. So far, we've delivered over $4 million in PLD for teachers to support students with complex needs using the Expanded New Zealand Curriculum, and nearly 3,000 teachers and countless students have benefited already. And it's just the beginning.

Carl Bates: Why has she made these changes?

Hon ERICA STANFORD: Strengthening learning support is one of my six education priorities and the Expanded New Zealand Curriculum is an important part of that because we value the progress that all students are making in the curriculum, and this initiative is inclusion in action. An example of this in action is the adaption of structured literacy to make literacy accessible to children with high and complex needs. For children who aren't able to use their voice, reading and writing might just be their superpower. Structured literacy is even more important in these contexts, and students are using their adaption technologies or pointing to answers on a screen to show they're learning.

Carl Bates: What feedback has she received on this announcement?

Hon ERICA STANFORD: Well, Maureen Poulter, president of the Special Education Principals' Association New Zealand, or SEPAnz, has described the New Zealand expanded curriculum as "an historic moment for complex learners". And she said on behalf of SEPAnz, "This targeted investment in the capability of the specialist workforce is a powerful statement of the commitment to equity and to honouring the right of all students to access high quality, effective instruction. Thank you for your commitment and the Government's commitment to these structural and professional changes." This Government is delivering for our highest needs students like no Government before.

Question No. 9—Prime Minister

9. Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i ngā kōrero me ngā mahi katoa a tōna Kāwanatanga?

[Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?]

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes.

Hon Marama Davidson: Does the Prime Minister think that thousands of workers are striking on Thursday because they want to disrupt the lives of the patients and children that they care for every day; or are they striking because his Government has chosen not to provide them with better pay and working conditions?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, I think it's a terrible tragedy that it's going to impact kids who have missed out on a lot of schooling, kids who are about to go into NCEA exams; I think about the parents being mucked around, and I think about the 6,000 patients that are missing out on their surgeries because a Labour - Greens Government increased the wait-list by 30 times. But this is a politically motivated move by unions; it's unwarranted, it's unfair, and they should just get back to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith.

Hon Marama Davidson: Do nurses have safe working conditions?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yes, and we value all the contributions of our workers—our public sector employees. But, look, I'd just say to the members, push your unions to get back to the table. Let's not talk about Palestine as the No. 1 issue when you come to meet a Minister; actually care about educational outcomes and attendance. Isn't it fantastic the progress we've made on getting our kids to school, making sure we teach them on structured literacy, structured numeracy, the NCEA refresh, so we get our kids set up for the future? We're making tremendous progress on education so our kids can get high-paying jobs down the road.

SPEAKER: The line of questioning is going to stop if the barracking that accompanies it continues.

Hon Marama Davidson: How are nurses and teachers meant to shoulder rising costs, like household power bills, which have actually gone up 11.4 percent in the last year, when their pay hasn't increased anywhere near as fast as inflation?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, that's why I'd encourage the member to get in behind and support Fast-track, because there's 25 renewable energy projects that will increase electricity generation in this country by 40 percent. That's why I would encourage the member and her party to actually support the repeal of the oil and gas ban for another decade so that we can get the thermal capacity that we need to be able to put downward pressure on electricity prices.

Hon Marama Davidson: How are our teachers and healthcare workers meant to feed their whānau when pay offers continue to lag behind growing inflation while fruit and vegetable prices have increased by 7.4 percent in the last year?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, that's just not true. I'd just encourage the member to encourage her friends in the unions to get them to get back to the bargaining table. That's where this can be worked out.

Hon Marama Davidson: Why is he passing the blame for the current state of industrial relations on to our teachers and healthcare workers, and the numerous sectors that have had to take industrial action this year, instead of taking responsibility for his Government's inadequate offers?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I'd just say, we value all public sector employees—our teachers, our nurses, our doctors. This is an issue about unions: unions not choosing to get to the table with good faith bargaining; unions not wanting to take new offers out to their members; unions wanting to go on strike when there's a teacher-only day and Labour Day on Monday. We've just come out of school holidays, and they want to do it two weeks before the next exam period. This is about unions who choose not to go to binding arbitration when the Minister offers to both Health New Zealand's CEO and the senior doctors' union to go to binding arbitration. They refuse. They're not serious.

Question No. 10—Prime Minister

10. DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (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.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Does the Prime Minister accept that Māori customary rights to the foreshore and seabed existed before the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and, therefore, cannot be lawfully granted or extinguished by Crown legislation?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yes, we do—in answer to the first part of the question—but we are striking the right balance between recognising Māori customary rights and also the legitimate interests of all New Zealanders by just bringing the legislation back to what was intended back in 2011.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: Is the Prime Minister opposing iwi and hapū customary title over the foreshore and seabed because it limits his Government's ability to approve seabed mining, bottom trawling, and deep-sea oil drilling?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: No—because we want to ensure that it's interpreted and applied as the Parliament intended.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer: If the Crown is claiming that no one owns the foreshore and seabed, why is it granting foreign companies the right to gain consent to, and to profit from, seabed mining and deep-sea oil drilling?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: We're a Government that is actually trying to make sure that we get the marine and coastal area (MACA) legislation back to what it was intended to do in 2011, which balances the customary rights of Māori and the interests—the legitimate interests—of all New Zealanders. That's what we're doing here.

Hon David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister find it curious that a member would sit in this House, but question its right to make laws?

SPEAKER: Well, the Prime Minister may make a very brief comment.

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I assume all members are honourable.

Tākuta Ferris: Does he believe the Government's track record on stewardship of our coastal and marine environment instils faith in the New Zealand public?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Sorry, I missed the question. Could you repeat it, please?

Tākuta Ferris: Āe. Does he believe the Government's track record on stewardship of our coastal and marine environments instils faith in the New Zealand public?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yes, and I'm very proud of the work that we have done across this House on improving protection for the Hauraki Gulf, in particular.

Tākuta Ferris: Does he think the closure, the ban on scalloping, the ban on crayfishing north of Auckland, and the state of the southern blue cod fishery demonstrates good Government stewardship of the coastal and marine environment?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I have great confidence in our excellent Minister of fisheries, who balances all of those considerations.

Tākuta Ferris: Does he believe the Government's track record on the stewardship of our harbours and rivers instils faith in the New Zealand public?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yes, and I also believe that they see that the improvement in Māori literacy rates for new entrants is also giving them great trust in what this Government is doing, as well.

Tākuta Ferris: Does the fact that two-thirds of rivers and half of groundwater bores are contaminated by E. coli, nitrogen, and other contaminants, while two-thirds of lakes are in poor or very poor condition demonstrates good Government stewardship?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: We want to make sure that we protect our natural environment but also this Government is unapologetically focused on economic growth, as well—as well as also lifting the immunisation rates for young Māori under the age of two.

Tākuta Ferris: Who should New Zealanders trust more to look after our coastlines, based on their track record of stewardship: te iwi Māori or New Zealand Governments?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: This is a Government that's actually making sure we advance New Zealand economically and we protect our environment, and we'll continue to do that.

Tākuta Ferris: Does he believe his Government's current MACA amendment bill actions are helping to bring iwi Treaty settlements to a close, or drawing them out even longer?

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: It's not about Treaty settlements. This is about striking the right balance between the recognition of Māori customary rights and also the legitimate interests of all New Zealanders. In having had a lowering of the threshold under the courts, we're bringing this back to what Parliament intended in 2011. It's pretty simple.

Question No. 11—Science, Innovation and Technology

11. REUBEN DAVIDSON (Labour—Christchurch East) to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: Does he stand by all of the Government's decisions regarding the game development sector; if so, why?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment) on behalf of the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: Yes, I stand by the support that this Government is providing for our high-tech, high-performing game development sector, particularly our recently announced funding increase for early-stage game development from 2026, which more than doubles the support they currently receive. As a result of the industry's hard work, talent, and creativity and the Government's continued support, the game development sector has seen strong growth, with a 38 percent increase in pre-tax income over the last financial year and a 29 percent increase in employment.

Reuben Davidson: Why didn't he increase the game development sector rebate given a recently published review found that raising the cap would ensure New Zealand remains globally competitive while continuing to benefit from the revenue, jobs, and innovation they generate?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: As I said in my answer to the primary question, the sector is doing incredibly well, including a 29 percent increase in the number of people employed, and the decision was to focus the increased funding—$2.75 million—for the Centre of Digital Excellence.

Reuben Davidson: How many game development jobs will end up overseas as a result of the decision not to increase the funding cap when 200 Kiwis a day are already leaving the country to find work overseas?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Well, I'm not sure that that member has been listening, but we have seen a 29 percent increase in employment in the game development sector. We are performing better than Australia and actually have a better scheme than Australia, so why would they go when they get a better offer here?

Reuben Davidson: What's more important to the Government: keeping well-paid, high-tech jobs in a growing sector in New Zealand, or giving hundreds of millions of dollars in tax cuts to tobacco companies?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Our Government is really, really proud to back our high-performing game development sector. They're doing incredibly well. They're doing better here than they are in Australia, and our Government backs growth, we back exports, and we back the sector.

Reuben Davidson: If the Government is proud, and if the Government is interested in economic growth, why won't he do all he can to create jobs and wealth here in New Zealand and increase the game development sector rebate?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: As I said, we have doubled the amount of funding for the Centre of Digital Excellence, which is about early-stage game development. That is where we saw the opportunity to provide additional support. The sector is really incredibly positive about the work our Government is doing, and I am surprised as to where that member is getting his intel from, because it's clearly wrong.

Reuben Davidson: Does he agree with the Prime Minister that young New Zealanders struggling to find work should move for jobs that don't exist, or will he commit to investing in a growing high-tech sector to generate well-paid and innovative jobs for the future?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I'm not sure that member has his ears on, because I have said that employment has grown 29 percent in the last year. The industry has earned $513 million in 2024 and is projected to surpass $750 million this year. It's great news, the sector is in great heart, and we're supporting them.

Question No. 12—Vocational Education

Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL (National—Ilam): My question is to the Minister—[Interruption]

SPEAKER: Hold on, Dr Campbell. The House will just gather itself. Questions are heard in silence.

12. Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL (National—Ilam) to the Minister for Vocational Education: What recent announcements has she made about vocational education?

Hon PENNY SIMMONDS (Minister for Vocational Education): This Government has delivered on its promise to disestablish Te Pūkenga and rebuild a vocational education system that works for New Zealanders. We're restoring regional decision-making to our polytechnics and putting industry back in the driver's seat for work-based learning. With the passing of the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Training System) Amendment Bill, 10 regional polytechnics will be stood up by 1 January 2026, with four to be considered early next year, and eight industry skills boards will also be established on 1 January 2026. This reform is a key part of our Going for Growth agenda, rebuilding a system that delivers real skills for real jobs, supports businesses, and strengthens the pipeline of talent that keeps our economy moving. It's about ensuring vocational education drives productivity and prosperity.

Dr Hamish Campbell: What does this mean for industry training?

Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: It means industry is back where it belongs, in the driver's seat of industry training. Through our reforms, eight new industry skills boards will take charge of standard setting, qualifications development, and the endorsement and moderation of delivery of industry training. This ensures apprenticeships and on-the-job training are practical, relevant, and directly linked to skills that employers need. This reform supports our Going for Growth agenda, empowering industry to train for the future, boost productivity, and drive stronger economic performance.

SPEAKER: They're very long answers.

Dr Hamish Campbell: What does this mean for the regions?

Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: It means regions are back in control of their polytechnics. Under Te Pūkenga, decisions about training and education were made from the centre, disconnected from local needs. Our reforms restore regional control, with polytechnics empowered to respond to the skills and industries that are important to their communities. It means local employers can be confident that their polytech graduates are job ready, learners can study and train close to home, and communities benefit from a stronger, more sustainable regional workforce. This is about putting regions back in charge and unlocking the full potential of local economies, ensuring skills, jobs, and investment flow to support this Government's Going for growth agenda.

SPEAKER: Good. Now we'll have a very concise answer to what I presume is the last supplementary.

Dr Hamish Campbell: Excellent. What does this mean for the learner?

Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: It means learners can be confident that they will have access to qualifications that are industry designed and regionally relevant to give them the best opportunity to gain employment. These reforms give learners stronger pathways from study to work, greater confidence in their qualifications, and better support from stable, accountable providers—all part of this Government's Going for Growth agenda to deliver real skills for real jobs.

Shanan Halbert: Does she agree with Civil Contractors New Zealand's chief executive Alan Pollard, who said about her reforms, "It is not about training but about cutting costs."; if not, why not?

Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: I'm delighted to say that Alan Pollard has been very keen to be involved in the reforms and has made himself available to be a board member of the infrastructure industry skills board to help drive these reforms.

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