Question Time 31.07.2024

Changed my mind and braved the shit weather. Today was full of drama! First up, David Seymour tabled documents between him and the ACT Party whip in which they they reckon people have been given a 'green light to racial harassment in this Parliament' 1. Nimon to Bishop KN 6, CB 5 Tax relief question. Bishop answering on behalf of the Minister of Finance. 'Kiwi workers can keep more of what they earn' - Bishop. Mostly waffle ... pretty boring. 2. CANCELLED This was a shocker. Following the controversy about Hana's laptop, Brownlee made a ruling that party logos can't be displayed in the House. ACT staunchly refused to remove their pin lapels, stating a ruling that Mallard had made during Jacinda's tenure. Todd Stephenson, the MP in question, eventually relented, but Brownlee was fed up and refused to let him ask the question.

3. Chippy to the Prime Omelette CH 8, CL 5 Health NZ questions regarding dodgy advice that might have been given to the Omelette and Dr. Reti. The Omelette mostly deflected or ducked the questions. 'The financial performance and monitoring has been incredibly poor' - Omelette.

Overseas doctors: Chippy claimed that the Government has frozen relocation costs for overseas physicians. 4. Rawiri to the Prime Omelette RW 7, CL 5 'Our Government is serious' about cutting red tape - Omelette. 'The Government's job is definitely to protect property rights' Rawiri then launched a series of questions regarding the Marine and Coastal Area Act. Here's one: if nobody 'owns' the Foreshore and Seabed, then why is the Government allowed to profit from resource extraction? 'The Government has no plans to rewrite the Treaty of Waitangi' - Omelette 5. Avocado Princess to the Prime Omelette AP 6, CL 4 'The Auckland Regional Fuel Tax has been fully passed onto motorists' - Omelette. Palestine: 'we have been calling for a ceasefire ... $17 million of humanitarian aid'

ICJ: 'they're different situations' - the Omelette's view of Ukraine vs. Palestine. 'How are they different?' - AP. 6. Woods to Simmonds MW 7, PS 4 Climate budget. Simmonds said that the Climate Change Commission's report was based on 'old data' What replacement policies would the Government introduce? Very vague... 'We are investing in low-emissions transport' - Chloe cracked up at that!. 'We are on track' - Simmonds. Yeah, right. 'We are not going to let the lights go off in New Zealand' - Simmonds, justifying the use of gas and coal. 7. Campbell to Bishop HC 5, CB 7 Housing growth policies. 'Our aim is to flood the market' - Bishop 8. Verrall to Reti AV 6, SR 5 Way over my head. All about the sacking of the Health NZ board. 9. Rutherford to Goldsmith TR 4, PG 5 'Restore real consequences for crime ... a government that is taking public safety and victims seriously' - Goldsmith. Gang laws. Same bs as always, including a dig at the Greens regarding a statement that some MP made regarding people preferring to meet a patched gang member in a dark alley rather than a policeman. 10. Carter to Upston KC 6, LU 3 More drama about the ACT lapel pins. Chhour wasn't allowed to answer, leaving Upston to answer on her behalf. Total waste of a question. 'Empty words' - Chloe. I felt similarly. 11. Russell to Simmonds DR 6, PS 4 Tertiary sector. Very technical. Russell accused Simmonds of costing the taxpayer $53 million regarding Te Pūkenga and the difficulties that they're facing. Breach of Crown Entities Act? Russell accused her of leaning on the board chair. 'Put her out of her misery and fire her' - Russell on Simmonds. 12. Bidois to Doocey DB 5, MD 5 A new Mental Health and Addictions Innovation fund. I think it was $10 million or some other piddling number. Open to NGO's and other community organisations; the mechanism is matching funds of up to $1 million, so long as they meet these requirements: Scalable Increases access to treatment A workforce outside the already subsidised mental health workforce. 'This Government is committed to getting money out of Wellington' - Doocey. That doesn't bode well for Wellingtonians lol.