Oral Questions for Wednesday 9 March 2022

Questions to Ministers Hon EUGENIE SAGE to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: Does he stand by his statement in October 2021 that "We have ambitions to lift New Zealand's marine protected area so that we get closer to that 30 per cent"; if so, when can New Zealanders expect to see new marine protected areas established to help us reach that target? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement, "The debate is not whether inflation has increased and is impacting people. The debate is what we should do about it"; if so, will she adjust the income tax brackets to account for the last four years of inflation? Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? DAMIEN SMITH to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement that the Government has "no intention" of giving tax cuts; if so, why? Dr EMILY HENDERSON to the Minister of Corrections: Does supporting a person to have a bank account upon release from prison help them to reintegrate into society; if so, how? Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement yesterday that it's a "challenging period for many households"; if so, will he use a portion of his operating allowance in Budget 2022 for tax relief? Dr LIZ CRAIG to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent announcements has he made on New Zealand's COVID-19 response? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Housing: Does she have confidence that Kainga Ora is effectively exercising its obligations as a public sector entity, including delivering value for taxpayers' money? GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has the Government made on keeping New Zealanders safe on our roads? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Has he seen the official advice regarding vaccine certificates which states, "There are also issues around maintaining social licence over the management of the pandemic and social cohesion. Over time, this measure may no longer be justifiable as vaccination rates increase and the public health rationale becomes diminished", and has he received advice from officials on at what point vaccination certificates are no longer justifiable? TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister of Customs: What initiatives are Customs providing to small-to-medium importers? Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What additional costs have been imposed on businesses, if any, as a result of Government decisions since November 2017 for which he is responsible, and what impact, if any, have those additional costs on business had on the cost of living?