Question Time: 10.4.2024

Saw Marc Daalder and the mohawk photographer guy (forgot his name!) on the steps. My quest to get a new camera hasn't progressed very far; need to talk to Pippa. - 'The Prime Omelette' - Gary's idea for what to call the PM. - 1. Chippy to the Prime Omelette Spruiking new attendance targets for schools. Suicide prevention office; Chippy dug in, playing up the havoc regarding that decision and whether the Ministers had been briefed. 'The functions of the suicide prevention office will remain' - Luxon. 'A government that can walk and chew gum' - Luxon. Then Chippy raised an interesting idea: will public service cuts result in more illicit drugs arriving in New Zealand? CH 7, CL 5. - 2. Stuart Smith to Nicola Willis tax question... yawn. Why are there cops in the House? They've been there the last two days. Nicola used a patsy question to attack the opposition and got off scot-free. 'Imagine if workers paid the same tax (ie 0) as the landed gentry?' - Gary. SS 5, NW 5. - 3. Chloe to The Prime Omelette Biogenic methance, part 2. 'We are determined to update the science base on methane' - Omelette. What updates? 'Science denier' - Marama. I'm starting to agree with her. CS 6/10, CL 5/10 - 4. Edmonds to Willis 'Cabinet will be asked to approve the Budget package' - Nikki. Public service cuts question... 'Leaving her colleagues to face the consequences of her actions?' - Barbara. I think that's what she said. 'He takes so long to stand up' - Gary on Gerry. 'political questions get political answers' - Chris Bishop, during a point of order. BE 6/10, NW 4/10 - 5. Cameron to Hoggard 'Freshwater farm plans could be paused' - Hoggard. 'More shit in our rivers' - Gary. 'The current system is rigid' - Hoggard. MC 5/10, AH 6/10. - 6. TPM to Tama Potaka 'Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death among our people' - Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. Tama might kōrero Māori, but he's spouting the same bs as his Party. I thought Mariameno summarised the various grievances very well. TPM 8/10, TP 6/10. - 7. Kirkpatrick to Reti Shorter wait times for elective treatment. 'How?' - Gary. 'This target is not meant to be easy to achieve' - Reti. 'Waving a magic wand' - Gary. DK 5/10, SM 6/10. - 8. Leary to Doocey An administrative muck-up... the question was intended for the Minister for Mental Health, but was instead addressed to the Associate Minister of Health on the order paper. 'Grow the mental health and suicide workforce' - Doocey. He went on to say that he'd been told by officials that the suicide prevention workforce would expand from 5.5 FTE to 6.5 FTE, though he wasn't clear on whether the suicide prevention office was going to be disbanded or not. I thought he answered very honestly and thoroughly. 'I wasn't sufficiently briefed' - imagine if they all said that. IL 6/10, MD 8/10. - 9. Ricardo to Louise Upston A bombshell. The Greens are calling into question the Government statistic that people will be on the benefit for 24 years. According to Ricardo, that's only true for 0.5% of beneficiaries (or people... it wasn't clear which number was intended). Think tank evidence from people that are choosing to ignore the Welfare Expert Advisory Group recommendations from 2019. 'Which part of the question did she answer?' - Gary. 'Whether it's one year or 24 years, it's not good enough' - Upston. 'Admit your mistake' - Marama. I saw her interview on the Hui with the same scarf... I thought that was slightly more fleshed-out than me interviewing my desk, but not all that much. My question: what about people that are caring for the whānau while on the benefit, or people that are volunteering for charities and other non-commercial activities?? How will those people be affected by lowering the number of beneficiaries? RM 8/10, LU 4/10 - 10. Brewer to Goldsmith 4.4% of the population are victims of violent crimes. 'What a nothing answer' - Gary. 'How are they going to stop attacks? I think that they're going to cause more violence' - Gary. 'Restore real consequences of crime' - Goldsmith. CB 5/10, PG 4/10. - 11. Radhakrishnan to Simmonds I tuned out during this sequence. Unlike Doocey, she stuck to her guns and refused to answer questions about whether Cabinet was briefed about the cuts to the disability sector that have been on the news recently. She said that it fell within the 2% remit where she was able to be aware of the issues without having to inform the other ministers. 'Does the minister think she can bend time?' - Peeni. PR 6/10, PS 4/10. - 12. Bidois to Stanford 'It is a priority of this government to have a world-leading curriculum' - Erica. Boring. 'Issues with the New Zealand history curriculum ... high-level, vague' - Erica. DB 5/10, ES 5/10.