Question Time for 16 August 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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