Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
ORAL QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS
Question No. 1—Prime Minister
1. CHLÖE SWARBRICK (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government’s statements and actions?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes, and especially our action to support Kiwis with the cost of living. From tomorrow, 3.5 million individuals will keep more of what they earn. We are adjusting tax brackets and eligibility for the independent earner tax credit after years of inflation dragging Kiwis into higher and higher tax brackets. We’re boosting Working for Families payments by up to $50 a fortnight, and that comes on top of our other changes to support Kiwis with the cost of living crisis. Whether that’s abolishing the Auckland regional fuel tax or introducing FamilyBoost to support families with the cost of childcare, we are putting the squeezed middle and low and middle income working New Zealanders at the heart of this Government.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Does he stand by the commitment made by Christopher Luxon in the 2023 general election leaders’ debate to halve child poverty by 2028?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yes, we’re going to work incredibly hard to lower child poverty across the country.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Why, then, did his Government quietly weaken child poverty targets last month, allowing approximately 23,000 more children to be pushed into hardship?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: We are determined to rebuild this economy so that we can grow the prosperity and wealth of all families and take children out of poverty.
Chlöe Swarbrick: How is it fair that his tax cut package—which he keeps saying will benefit low and middle income earners, while analysis in fact shows that 64 percent of the benefit goes to the top 40 percent of households—will see children and families struggling the most get nothing because they’re on benefits?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Ninety-four percent of households across New Zealand are going to get tax relief; 83 percent of individuals in this country are going to get tax relief. What we have done is not ideologically difficult. Centre left and centre right Governments do this all around the world, of adjusting tax thresholds. That’s why we would hope that the Greens and Labour would support this adjustment.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Is he saying that children deserve to live in poverty if their parents’ income comes from benefits?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: No, we’re not saying that, but we are lifting tax thresholds so that families get to keep more of what they earn and support their own children.
Chlöe Swarbrick: Did he read the section of the royal commission into abuse in care report which says, “Child protection is also an economic and political issue rather than just the behaviour of individuals. Research shows a clear relationship between poverty and care system contact.”; and, if so, why is he choosing to allow for more children to live in poverty under his Government?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I have read the report, and that’s why this Government is working incredibly hard to rebuild the economy, to kill inflation, and to lower the cost of living, so that actually we can make this country more prosperous. That’s what it’s about.
