Oral Questions for Thursday 30 June 2022

Questions to Ministers JO LUXTON to the Minister of Education: What further COVID-19 support is the Government providing schools this winter? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with Westpac that "Consumer confidence has plummeted, as household budgets have been squeezed by higher mortgage rates and increases in living costs", and when does he expect wage growth to catch up with price increases? TERISA NGOBI to the Minister for Disability Issues: What progress has the Government made in the delivery of the new Ministry for Disabled People? BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he consider that New Zealand is a worse country for young working New Zealanders struggling to pay bills than it was a year ago; if not, does he acknowledge that rents, mortgages, petrol, and grocery prices have increased from a year ago? ERICA STANFORD to the Minister of Immigration: Does he believe Government immigration policy over the last two years has put New Zealand in a competitive position to be an attractive destination for migrant nurses; if so, why have more than 800 beds in the aged-care sector been closed because of a lack of nurses? NAISI CHEN to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: What reports has he seen on developments in the New Zealand space sector? Hon TODD McCLAY to the Minister for Trade and Export Growth: Will he advise the Prime Minister to instruct our free trade agreement negotiators to keep talking if the offer from the European Union for dairy and meat exporters is not commercially meaningful for New Zealand, rather than conclude the agreement in Brussels this week? IBRAHIM OMER to the Minister for Veterans: What recent policy framework announcement has been made in support of New Zealand veterans affected by mental health and wellbeing issues? MARK CAMERON to the Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity): Can he confirm that the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity exposure draft contains specific requirements in relation to significant natural areas on Maori land; if so, will these requirements allow more development to take place on Maori land than non-Maori land? RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister for Emergency Management: What recent announcements has he made about helping to keep families and communities in Aotearoa New Zealand safer from natural disasters? Hon EUGENIE SAGE to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Does she consider that her statement earlier this month that deep sea mining "has caused some division between member States of Pacific nation Governments and NGO organisations within their own countries" is now out of date in light of Palau, Samoa, and Fiji announcing the Alliance Against Deep Sea Mining at the United Nations Oceans Conference; if not, why not? CHRIS PENK to the Minister of Justice: Does she stand by all her actions and statements?