Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
Question No. 3—Prime Minister
3. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government’s statements and actions?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes, particularly the Government’s decision to increase the medicines budget by 43 percent since we took office, enabling Pharmac to make more than 200 medicines available for thousands of people. In addition to the announcement about the funding for Trikafta made at the weekend, Pharmac has also enabled funding for Spinraza for people under the age of 18. Spinraza is the first medicine for spinal muscular atrophy to be funded and has the potential to make a huge difference to the lives of the young people who receive it. Pharmac has also announced today that it is widening free access to the meningococcal B vaccine to include babies and young people living in places like hostels where they are in close contact with other people, and has confirmed it will fund other drugs to treat lung and breast cancer as well as some non-cancerous growths. This shows what a difference Government funding can make. When we came into office, the medicines budget, like other parts of the health system, had been starved of investment despite record population growth. In 2020, we promised that we would increase Pharmac’s budget by $200 million over four years. We’ve not only kept that promise but put in additional funding this year on top of that.
Nicola Willis: Did Cabinet agree on 30 May this year “that the Water Services Entities Bill should not entrench the privatisation provisions in the bill”, and is she satisfied that the Minister responsible for that bill acted in accordance with the Cabinet instructions?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister, yes and yes.
Nicola Willis: Can she explain how the Minister in charge of that bill explicitly endorsing its entrenchment provision in this Parliament after the Cabinet instructed that that provision should not be included in the bill is not a breach of the Cabinet Manual?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister, this matter was covered yesterday. The bill as introduced did not include that; an Opposition Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) to do so did.
Nicola Willis: Is it the Government’s position that it’s fine to contravene Cabinet decisions as long as it’s through voting for another party’s SOP?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No.
Nicola Willis: Well, then why did the Government vote for an SOP that explicitly contravened the instruction given by Cabinet?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister, as has been covered numerous times in the House, the Government has acknowledged a mistake was made; the mistake was corrected. I note that the bill has now been passed without an entrenchment provision in it. I continue to invite the member and her party to commit to not selling off water assets, like they’ve done with other things.
Nicola Willis: Was the decision to vote for this entrenchment provision, described by her as a mistake, an accident, or was it a deliberate decision by the Government, which they now regret?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister, as I have described before, it was a mistake.
Nicola Willis: Was Minister Mahuta correct to blame this situation on the Labour Party members of the Finance and Expenditure Committee—Barbara Edmonds, Ingrid Leary, and Anna Lorck—for being aware of the proposed entrenchment but not telling the Minister how to vote according to Cabinet instructions?
SPEAKER: I’ll just warn members, first of all—reminding that questions are asked in silence.
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister, the member is mischaracterising the comments of the Minister. On behalf of the Prime Minister, I have confidence in the Minister, because today she has shepherded through legislation that will mean New Zealanders will have clean water, more affordable water, and we will take on a problem that members over there have been part of kicking down the road for years and years. I know the member has decided to abandon the people of Karori, but she might want to notice the partially treated waste water notice that’s been issued today for the treatment plant going into the Karori Stream.
Nicola Willis: Why is the Prime Minister proud of a bill that has the support of no other party in Parliament, that confiscates local assets against the will of communities and councils, and that introduces a Byzantine co-governance scheme for which there is no mandate?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I disagree with all of the member’s characterisations, and the reason I am proud of this is that New Zealanders finally have a Government that takes seriously how much they’re going to have to pay for water in the future, the quality of the water that they get, and that those assets are well managed. This is a Government that doesn’t shy away from challenges or kicks the can down the road. The member still can’t tell the House what National would do.
Nicola Willis: In a friendlier spirit, does she agree with Minister Michael Wood, who earlier this year stated that he wishes to see improvements made to New Zealand’s paid parental leave system, and, if so, will she commit to supporting my bill, the Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Shared Leave) Amendment Bill, drawn from the ballot today, which would modernise New Zealanders’ paid parental leave entitlements?
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister, I am yet to have the opportunity to read the member’s bill.
