My
My question is to the Minister of
nearly nine years of a National Government, that all
New Zealanders are getting a fair share of
any
Mr
Mr Speaker, the member sort of raises two questions there. First
I'm pleased to point out to him that New Zealand's economy
is now grown in 24 of the last 25 quarters. It's
forecast to grow a
in 24 of the last 25 quarters. It's
year and last year was the 5th fastest growing economy in the OECD.
So perhaps he could say getting a
fair share of
the economic growth. In relation to whether New
Zealanders are getting
their fair share, I draw his attention to the
Brine Perry report released by MSD
last month which shows
medium incomes after housing
costs increasing from 2011 to 2016
incomes after housing costs
this period while the highest decile increased slightly less
Supplementary question. Supplementary question. Are
these
received a pay rise of less than the rate of inflation over the last year
which year, Mr Speaker, the member refers to because the last calendar
year, our inflation was zero. It's
hard to argue people got
a wage rise less than zero, Mr Speaker. But the
member makes a good point in terms
of always wanting
member makes a good point in terms
Zealanders get ahead. That's why the government is putting in place
the
package which between wage threshold changes, between working for
families and
families and accommodation supplement
families and accommodation families
families and accommodation supplement will mean the average
family will get
supplement will mean the average
something like 1.37 million New Zealand families, and that's
actually helping them with
their incomes and I know
the member's opposed to it. Is it a fair share
for all New Zealanders when the cost
of food, school donations, medical
costs, dental costs
and housing costs all increase faster than
wages did over the last
Speaker, again, I think the member's concerned for
concerned for New Zealanders, that's good. You wonder why you would say
you want a regional fuel tax,
a water tax that would flow through
to milk prices. If you are genuinely
concerned about New Zealanders' cost
of living, you wouldn't want
to add extra taxes that would put up the
cost of goods that they buy
every week. That's the bit I
don't understand. Won't bother with
answering then, Steven. We'll
have the
the supplementary question.
that answer, Mr Speaker, will he rule introducing a royalty on
any commercial users
Speaker, this Government won't be introducing
Speaker, this Government won't be Speaker,
Speaker, this Government won't be introducing a water tax. A water tax
actually talking about doing. People do sometimes pay charges now but we
will not be introducing a water
tax across catchments around
New Zealand and worse
across catchments around New Zealand
that we can't tell you the rate until after a general election
because we're too scared to. .
Supplementary question,
Supplementary question, Mr Speaker. until
Order! Supplementary question. Can in that light of that answer, can he
Order! I'm going to invite the member to start his question without
the interjections from
Mr Bennett. In light of that answer, can he
confirm that his Government asked
the technical advisory panel
to consider a royalty on a commercial
user
consider a royalty on a commercial
kicking the Sandown the road until after
kicking the Sandown the road until
Well, Mr Speaker, in terms of that, it's very clear, I
think the PM has said so today, and I have said so,
we will not be introducing
a water tax on a
basis across New Zealand. And the people that are talking about
introducing a water tax should
tell everybody what level of water
tax they are actually planning on
introducing. They wrote the policy
three years ago, they surely
should have an answer by now. Supplementary
question, Mr Speaker.
Order! You started it. Order! Supplementary question, Grant
Robertson. It's all good. Are people
getting a fair share when the latest
MSD data, otherwise known as the
Perry Report, shows the
percentage of people
of people living in housing stress, where they spend more
of people living in housing stress,
their income on housing costs, is the highest it has been
since records began 30
the highest it has been since
Speaker, I can't confirm that for the member. I'm always suspicious
of his numbers but can I say this, Mr
The member says he's concerned about these things, so is the
Government, that's why we increasing the
accommodation supplement with
people with high housing costs as part
of the families incomes package. That's
why we increasing the working for
families and the tax threshold,
all things that will help reduce
the housing cost of a proportion of
people's income but
the opposition oppose it.
people's income but the opposition oppose it. Can he confirm table C5
and C3 of the 2017 MSD Perry
Report that he didn't seem to be aware of
before that shows that the number of
people in housing stress
is the highest it has been since records
began and how is that a sign of
success for a Government that's been
in for
success for a Government that's been
as soon as we could, as soon as we could, as soon as we had the books
back into surplus,
we have introduced the first increase
in real terms of benefits in 40
years and, of course, that's not
in the Perry Report. The second thing, Mr
Speaker, is we have introduced the
changes to family incomes package in
Budget 2017. Again, not in the
Perry Report which will help those people.
And most importantly, Mr Speaker,
we don't keep loading extra taxes on
that put up the costs of the
food and the petrol and all those things
that people need. And, Mr
Speaker, the member, of course, pretends
he's concerned, but he does the exact
opposite of anybody
who would be concerned.
opposite of anybody who would be concerned. Question No. 6.
My
My question is to the Minister for
reports has he received on the
Mr
Mr Speaker, last week I spoke at the Pip Fruit New Zealand
conference where New Zealand was named as
the world's