Category: Oral Questions

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government’s statements and actions?

Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Finance: What steps, if any, will he take to ensure the Government’s economic response to the current COVID-19 outbreak does not increase house prices?

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Finance: How much of the $56.5 billion authorised by the Imprest Supply (Second for 2020/21) Act 2020 was appropriated in the Supplementary Estimates of Appropriations 2020/21, and what sum is being sought by the Government through the Imprest Supply (Second for 2021/22) Bill?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her answers relating to pre-departure testing in oral question No. 3 on 7 September?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by his Government’s preparations in education for COVID-related restrictions, and is he confident that Kiwi schoolkids can receive the best education possible through COVID-related restrictions?

Hon TODD McCLAY to the Minister of Finance: Will he provide additional targeted support to businesses in Auckland that could be facing further weeks of lockdown, as well as to those businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, in other parts of the country who continue to lose money as a result of the Government’s new level 2 restrictions?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Have any of the planning and delivery groups listed on the Ministry of Health website as giving strategic advice and guidance for COVID-19 vaccines given advice on using Novavax as a booster vaccine dose to the current Pfizer vaccine, and what is the Government’s current policy on deploying booster doses for the COVID-19 vaccine programme?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government’s statements and actions?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: What was he referring to in the House yesterday when he said that there were some DHB preparations that could have been done “a little better”, and what things, if any, could have been done a little better at Middlemore Hospital?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Minister of Health: Is he satisfied with the response at Middlemore Hospital following the identification of a COVID-19 positive patient?

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Finance: Will he commit to criteria for undertaking spending under the authority of the second Imprest Supply Bill for 2021/22; if so, what will those criteria be?

Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Why did the Government prohibit residential rent increases last year in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, and will it do the same this year?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: When did he first receive advice on the new requirement for essential workers crossing the Auckland border to have had a test in the last seven days, and is he satisfied with the planning done for an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government’s statements and actions?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: When he reportedly admitted recently there were gaps in hospital preparations for the Delta outbreak, what were those gaps?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that “with Covid raging outside our borders, and new more transmissible strains emerging, we have had to both make continual improvements to strengthen our border while continuing to plan and prepare for managing any resurgence in the most effective way possible”?

JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Is he confident that Government policies are ensuring working people are safe and supported during the current COVID-19 outbreak?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister of Finance: Does he have confidence in the administration and timeliness of the COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government’s statements and actions?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Has the Director-General of Health exempted, under clause 9 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Point-of-care Tests) Order 2021, any point-of-care tests from the prohibitions in that order, and what is current Government policy on rapid COVID-19 tests?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement, “A small handful are not due their day 12 test—but I would caution the member that those are the contacts we know about”; if so, how many contacts are still awaiting a test result now?

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: What did she mean yesterday when she said, “When the outbreak started, we saw, of course, as you may expect, some demand lift”, and does she accept that prior to the current outbreak, eligible people wanted to get vaccines but were not able to secure appointments?

Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister of Finance: How does the new requirement to reapply for the COVID-19 Wage Subsidy every fortnight help businesses and employees?

Hon JAMES SHAW to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement regarding people in hardship that “what we want to do is ensure that the current forms of support we have are adequate”; if so, will the Government take action in response to the Salvation Army’s observation that despite actions taken so far, “critical food insecurity issues for people and whānau persist”?

Hon TODD McCLAY to the Minister of Finance: Does he believe that the current COVID-related financial support for struggling businesses is adequate, and how many businesses, if any, does he expect to close permanently as a result of level 3 and level 4 lockdown restrictions?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: How many COVID-positive people are awaiting transfer to quarantine facilities, if any, and is he satisfied that the Government’s MIQ facilities were appropriately prepared for the Delta variant arriving in New Zealand?

MATT DOOCEY to the Minister of Health: How does he reconcile Dr Susanna Every-Palmer’s research that one year after the first lockdown, levels of psychological distress remained elevated, even though there were no lockdown restrictions in place, with his comment that “Wellbeing dipped slightly during March-April 2020’s Alert Level 4, but quickly recovered as alert levels decreased”, and does he now recognise that higher levels of mental distress have continued to be felt in the community as a result of COVID-19?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement from yesterday, “Of course, our goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible”; if so, has her goal changed from April, when she said, “I support the fact that we have been later in the pecking order”?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement regarding an alert level change in Auckland that “we need to be confident we don’t have Delta circulating undetected in the community, and we need to be confident any cases we may have are contained and isolated”; if so, is this the same for the South Island?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: How did this Government prepare DHBs for a Delta variant outbreak from when Delta was first detected in New Zealand five months ago, and which DHBs, if any, had low PPE inventory eight days before the current Delta outbreak was discovered?

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Finance: Is he satisfied that all initiatives funded from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund are for COVID-19 response and recovery and that, had the COVID-19 outbreak not occurred last year, they would not have been funded?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Is he satisfied with the speed of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out and decisions relating to the roll-out made by the Government to this point?

Hon JAMES SHAW to the Minister of Finance: Will the Government make further funding available from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to support people in hardship; if so, in what form?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statements from earlier this year in relation to COVID-19 vaccines, “We absolutely accepted we wouldn’t be the first rolling out, because the equation in New Zealand is so different” and “I support the fact we have been later in the pecking order”?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that “with Covid raging outside our borders, and new more transmissible strains emerging, we have had to both make continual improvements to strengthen our border while continuing to plan and prepare for managing any resurgence in the most effective way possible.”?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: How many people per day have had a planned inpatient procedure delayed during the current lockdown, if any, and how many of these were for cancer surgery?

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Finance: What is the estimated direct cost to the Crown of the change in COVID-19 alert levels since 18 August 2021, and how does that compare with the unallocated portion of the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: How many doses, by month, of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are yet to be delivered, and are reports correct that the New Zealand Government asked for vaccine shipments from Pfizer to be delayed beyond September 2021?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Is he satisfied with the operation of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Alert Level Requirements) Order (No 9) 2021?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

HELEN WHITE to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?

RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does her Government’s commitment to “overhauling the welfare system” include ensuring low-income communities are supported to deal with the effects and costs of climate change; if not, why not?

ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Finance: Has he reassessed any of his spending plans, since Statistics NZ reported inflation is 3.3 percent, and most banks are now predicting swift increases in interest rates over the next year?

ANAHILA KANONGATA’A-SUISUIKI to the Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has she made about support for Community Housing Providers?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Will the Government administer 8,016,768 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the week of 21 November 2021 as set out in the Ministry of Health’s “Original cumulative vaccinations model”, and does he have confidence in the vaccine roll-out?

ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How is the Government delivering more pathways into mahi for job seekers?

BARBARA KURIGER to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Will she apologise to Genesis Energy for her statement that Genesis made a “commercial decision” when it came to how much generation to have online on Monday night, and what are the terms of reference, if any, for the review she has instructed the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to undertake?

IBRAHIM OMER to the Associate Minister of Education: What recent progress has she seen in education on implementing Recommendation 36 of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019?

RAWIRI WAITITI to the Minister of Housing: Does she have confidence in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development?

MARJA LUBECK to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has he made on the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway?

DAMIEN SMITH to the Minister for Racing: Is he satisfied with the operations of the TAB?

TIM VAN DE MOLEN to the Minister for Building and Construction: Does she stand by all of her statements and actions?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government’s statements and actions?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by the statement that “This Government will foster a more open and democratic society. It will strengthen transparency around official information”?

Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Which of the new health indicators he announced last week directly measures waiting times for cancer management, if any, and how many people with a primary diagnosis of cancer have currently been waiting more than four months for management?

Dr ANAE NERU LEAVASA to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent announcements has he made on the roll-out of New Zealand’s vaccination programme?

ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Revenue: What reassessment, if any, has he made on the merits of removing interest deductibility from rental income now that public consultation has closed, and what is his response to Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, who said the proposal risked making the housing affordability situation worse?

Dr LIZ CRAIG to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about funding for health research?

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Transport: Does this Government intend to proceed with the “separate structure for walking and cycling alongside the Auckland Harbour Bridge” as proposed; if not, when will he formally cancel it?

Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Transport: Is his top priority in the Transport portfolio reducing carbon emissions; if so, what steps is he taking to achieve this?

ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister for Māori Development: What recent reports, if any, has he seen on the Government’s Māori Housing Network programme?

BARBARA KURIGER to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Is it correct that she was first informed of a New Zealand-wide power emergency when 1 News called her just before 8.30pm, and when was her office first informed of Monday’s power emergency?

Dr TRACEY McLELLAN to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcement has she made about vaping?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy?

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government’s statements and actions?

WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made on the redevelopment of Bay of Islands Hospital?

GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What advice has she received, if any, about the effects of climate change-related events on New Zealand’s Overseas Development Assistance programmes?

ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Finance: What advice, if any, has he received on the economic impacts of recent higher energy prices and the economic consequences of power outages?

RACHEL BROOKING to the Minister of Tourism: How is the Government supporting tourism infrastructure projects?

CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Why were unvaccinated workers at the Port of Tauranga allowed to have contact with the Rio de la Plata container ship before crew members on the ship had COVID-19 test results returned, and what steps, if any, is he taking to increase vaccination rates for port workers?

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her statements and policies?

BARBARA KURIGER to the Minister of Energy and Resources: Does she have confidence in the ability of the New Zealand electricity system to deliver security of supply; if not, why not?

MARJA LUBECK to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcement has he made about improving public transport for West Aucklanders?

TEANAU TUIONO to the Minister for Pacific Peoples: What messages, if any, has he received from the Pacific community in Aotearoa relating to the impacts of climate change?

JO LUXTON to the Minister of Conservation: What recent announcements has she made regarding Jobs for Nature projects in Canterbury?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.

Source: New Zealand Parliament – Oral Questions and Answers

MARJA LUBECK to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What reports has she seen on how New Zealand’s electricity sector is responding to electricity outages caused by Cyclone Gabrielle?

Hon EUGENIE SAGE to the Minister of Forestry: What estimates, if any, has he seen of the costs of damage caused by forestry slash in Tairāwhiti from Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle?

NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he think New Zealanders are being fairly taxed, and is he satisfied that the Government has delivered value for the $53 billion increase in annual spending since 2017?

DAN ROSEWARNE to the Minister of Defence: What contributions has the New Zealand Defence Force made to the response to Cyclone Gabrielle?

BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Minister for Building and Construction: How many houses does she estimate will need repairs or rebuilding because of Cyclone Gabrielle and flooding in Auckland, and has she requested that the Critical Materials Taskforce review the building and construction sector’s capacity to meet demand in light of the recent weather events?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does she stand by all her statements and agree with those made by Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand?

LEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE to the Minister for the Environment: What actions is he taking in response to Cyclone Gabrielle?

RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Has she seen reports that Aotearoa’s most low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by climate events, such as flooding; if so, what steps is her Government taking to support those on the lowest incomes to recover from recent weather events?

Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Police: Does he agree with the Prime Minister, who said, “There’s been no substantiation to the allegations that people on checkpoints had had guns pulled on them. If anyone wants to report that that happened they should do so to the police”, and is he aware an incident was reported to police by the victims?

CAMILLA BELICH to the Minister of Education: What resources is the Government putting into schools so they can meet attendance and engagement targets?

CHRIS PENK to the Minister for Courts: Does he have confidence that the court system is delivering timely justice for all Kiwis; if so, why has the number of days to dispose of a serious criminal case in the District Court increased by 55 percent since 2017?

Dr TRACEY McLELLAN to the Minister of Health: What recent announcement has she made about the future of New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccination programme?

Answers to these questions are delivered from 2pm (New Zealand time) on the day of tabling. The answers can be accessed in text form, once Hansard is finalised, by clicking here.