Question Time 05 November 2025

Writing from home. Had a call with MSD; confirmed I'm mentally unable to work. Eating banana bread. About to open my second beer of the day. - I realise I probably won't be arrested, but it's not a certainty. Planning the next vigil for 11 November. - 1. Nancy Lu to Nicola NL 5, NW 5

Reports on the economy... unemployment at 5.3% 'shows the effects of an economic downturn [Labour's]' - Nicola. Unemployment rate 'broadly in line with forecasts' Chloe's saying something, but it's inaudible. Brownlee told her off. 'NZ had the most overheated, inflationary economy in the advanced world' - Nicola, quoting something or other. '... the actions of the previous government ...' "" "" "" "" 'This is a time for backing effort, aspiration and job creation' - Nicola. 'This is the prescription New Zealand needs.' 2. Chippy to Pink Skull (acting PM) C 6, PS 5 Chippy tried to move a motion to wait until the Prime Omelette was available, but the coalition overruled him. He was on the tiles, but isn't in the House. Everyone looks bored. Defending their progress as slow but steady. 'There are no shortcuts' - Skull Chippy: double standard? 'We have always treated unemployment as a percentage figure ... 165,000 people ... 5,000 fewer people have lost their jobs' - Skull 'A Government that is good for employment is good for Kiwi families' - Skull 1 in 7 young New Zealanders are unemployed. The Pink Skull drones on and on (and on)... 'A government ... that tries to push people up instead of pulling them down' - Skull 'soft bigotry of low expectations' I pencil in scores for most of the questions partway through. 3. Cheung to Bish CC 6, CB 6 Eden Park. 'Restrictive local planning rules' are ruining it, costing hundreds of millions. $432 million ... this was done under the new RMA. Fast-tracking growth. Eight hour concerts, removal of maximum attendance for conferences.

4. David Wilson to Jonesy DW 5, SJ 4 'Allow science and technology to wash away your unnecessary anxieties' - Jonesy, talking about mining. 'Think about the New Zealanders who will gain those jobs ... think about the royalties' - Jonesy. Sounds like the Hollywood hacks. 'Why do people on the other side of the house undermine investment?' 'Frogs and geckos and unnecessary critters' - Jonesy Brownlee told him off. 'We are able to extract the critical resources' 5. Edmonds to Willis BE 6, NW 5 'This is not the time for broad new taxes and a return to financial mismanagement' - Nicola. 'If you stand for jobs, you should vote for them' - Nicola Brownlee: allow Ministers to answer questions. Started buying the 50ml whisky bottles. I'm enjoying it; took a swig. 'I want to see more workers getting the jobs they deserve ... driving growth and job-creating businesses.' - Nicola 'Will she continue to blame everyone else?' - Barbara 'I won't take responsibility...' - Nicola. 6. Chloe to Skull CS 6, PS 4 Does the PM stand by his actions? 'we need transition fuels' 'it helps people with more affordable energy' - Pink Skull. 'Banning technologies that make life more comfortable' - wow. 'The government is committed to the Paris climate agreement' - PS. 'There's a tone in this member's questions ... that makes people unwilling to be identified ... not going to participate in their doxxing' - PS Nationalist rant - keep making Kiwi cement. 'Soundbites and slogans don't create jobs. It's that simple' - Pink Skull Brownlee: sit down. 7. Willie Jackson to Upston WJ 7, LU 5 Stands by the coalitions jobseeker goals. 'Work brings independence' - Louise. 'Over 83,000' found jobs in the last 12 months. Unemployment at a nine-year high. 'Nowhere near meeting her own targets' - Willie. 'The numbers were always going to get worse before they got better' - Louise. How do you keep young people off the benefit without creating jobs? 'There are jobs available' - Upston. 8. Oriini to Bish OK 5, CB 5 'Upholding Treaty of Waitangi settlements is a core government priority' - Bish. 'Working with a range of iwi ... building houses at some scale' Tama's tie looks cool. 'Real potential' for papakāinga housing. 9. Kieran to Bish KMA 8, CB 5 Driving homeless out of the CBD... 'fully supported' according to Goldie on ZB. Hobos = fewer tourists. Yes, they're driving them out. No, Bishop won't admit it. 'Make the CBD a more desirable place to be ... clean up the CBD' - Bish Nicola looks particularly unhappy, like she'd rather be somewhere else. 10. Campbell to Brown HC 5, SB 5 Fast-tracked hospital wards. 'Getting hospitals built faster' - Simeon. 140 new beds across five hospitals. Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington, Nelson, Hawke's Bay All different types of wards, rather than identical. Constructed off-site. That's also AMPP's plan to fix our housing deficit. Modular construction + 3D printing. He sounds good discussing the construction project, but he sounds like he trips up on most of the medical jargon. 11. Willow-Jean to Erica WJP 6, ES 4 New curriculum. Lots of hot words as always. 'There's nothing political about our maths curriculum' - Erica. Kapa haka and pūrakau in PE curriculum? 'The member hasn't bothered to read it' - Erica. She's not answering the question. It's pretty shit tbh. 'There were people before them who came up with these concepts' - Erica 'We didn't just make this up; there was a guy who thought about it' Brownlee told off Labour's front bench. ERO found kids prefer non-NZ history. By 5, they've already been sucked in by the Beautiful Things... We need to start earlier. 12. Kahurangi to Karen KC1 5, KC2 5 Oranga Tamariki. 'First-ever reduction of harm' - Karen Decrease in physical harm and a reduction of harm by staff in 2024. There was an increase this year, though. 23 extra kids. 10% of all kids in state care were abused and neglected over the last 12 months. 'Take responsibility for your actions' - Karen to the OT "carers." What does she say to the abuse survivors? 'The highest risk of harm is return to home care .. we put support around those ... the people that are responsible for the harm are the people that are caring for those children' - Karen