Question Time 5 November 2024

Miguel, who is another regular, told me that there's a meeting at Shed 6 tomorrow to discuss the future of Wellington's Civic Square. 5:30pm He's an NZ First member. - There's a large hairline crack in the ceiling above the second floor steps (ie beside the black-and-white tiles where the MPs are brigded). - Gary said people should replace fireworks displays with synchronised drone shows. If people want to hear a new song about Parihaka, check out Don's latest album. It's a few years old, but it's pretty tight: the Beths are the backing band. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/31giceths6x9bhy8pl7w2/02-John-Bryce.wav?rlkey=uidlf1nqzc5agzwlha7q530xl&st=kffamf3s&dl=0

1. Chippy to the Prime Omelette C 6, PO 3

Duty free access for 99% of Kiwi exports within ten years. Maybe 98%? ... it was a very high number. The 'real and perceived conflicts of interest' that the opposition have been moaning about are being handled, or so Luxon said. Chippy called out the teflon mode. Didn't make much difference. The Prime Omelette defended Casey Costello's conflicts of interest by attacking Chippy, who apparently has a sister-in-law that's highly placed in the public sector. This was ruled as being over the line, with Chippy citing precedent. The Prime Omelette was made to withdraw and apologise. I wonder if that's a first... 2. Macleod to Willis DM 5, NW 5 Business survey says activity has declined ... 'inflation is within the target band' Then she said that unemployment lags behind growth.

3. Tam to Chhour TP 7, KC 3

This was all about the boot camps. There's a lot of hype around the fact that the coalition is planning to outsource these boot camps to private contractors. Regarding the quality of care, Chhour said that the carers need 'the ability to use minimum force when required.' 'Abuse in State Care for profit' - Gary. 'The children's commissioner and I meet regularly' - Chhour.

4. Edmonds to Willis BE 5, NW 3

FamilyBoost (again!) ... getting tedious. Short version: there hasn't been a mass uptake yet, and most people are receiving less than the $150 per week that Nicola promised during the election. Most people who are currently receiving the payment are receiving less than $30 p.w. The IRD has declined 16% of the applications. That response got quite rowdy. Nicola's been fudging the numbers from the start, which is pretty shit from a Minister of Finance. She always quotes longer-term figures when the rule is that people typically schedule their lives in either weeks or fortnights (depending on how they're paid). 5. Butterick to Stanford MB 6, ES 6 6/10 should be the standard score for a patsy question, but a lot of the ministers are shit even when they're lobbed soft questions by a fellow party member. Anyway, the question was about Make It Count (maths education). 'Giving Kiwis more skills in mathematics' - Erica. The program is targeted at intermediate students, with online and IRL components. 6. Verrall to Costello AV 7, CC 3

Another interminable question about the redacted documents and tobacco lobbyists. Ayesha's comfortably winning these, but it's a pyrrhic victory. 'How did she determine [what to redact]?' - Gary. Brownlee ruled that the opposition had attacked the government, but it was rather hypocritical to pick up on that when the government is constantly punching down and using patsy questions to attack the opposition.

7. Kahurangi Carter to Karen Chhour KC1 6, KC2 4

The battle of the KC's! This questioned revolved around Epuni, which is a juvenile detention facility. Gary says they used to be called borstals. 'It's obscene that this is still happening 40 years after they were first exposed' - Gary's two cents on abuse in state care. Chhour said that an action plan was being implemented, with 80 new operating practices, de-escalation training, and some other things that I didn't write down.

8. Wedd to Upston CW 5, LU 3

More beneficiary bashing, quoting that shaky data about young people being likely to be on the benefit for longer. It ticks me off as a dole bludger that National isn't willing to admit that the reason that there aren't any jobs is because our economy isn't productive.

'We want to make a practical difference in the lives of New Zealanders' - Upston. Ricardo had a supplementary about the work for the dole programs, but didn't get a straight-up answer.

9. Willow-Jean Prime to Karen Chhour WJP 6, KC 4

More boot camps questions. I mean, it sorta looks like the government is outsourcing this so that they're not responsible for the abuses that might take place. 'Once you privatise it, then it's not abuse in state care, is it?' - Gary. 'Giving young people a life jacket' - Chhour, answering a question on safety. 10. Anderson to Grigg MA 5, NG 3

A Middle East trade deal has been reached with the GCC, which is the 9th largest economy in the world and our 7th largest export partner. 51% of all exports will be delivered without tariffs. Dairy, industrial and horticultural products were mentioned as key goods. Then Grigg delivered a big speech that ticked Gary off. Some Treaty thing was mentioned at the very end... didn't catch what it was.

11. Debbie to the Prime Omelette DN 6, PO 3 Luxon opened by talking about the maths program, then Debbie grilled him: Māori being disproportionately affected by benefit sanctions? Answered glibly by somebody that's never been on the dole. Māori suicide rates? 'A cross-party effort.' Takutai Moana (Marine and Coastal Areas)? Luxon said that the government wants to 'go back to what was intended' ... funny, given it was National that introduced the law as part of a coalition with the previous Māori Party. Will he receive the hīkoi later this month? 'My schedule hasn't been confirmed' 12. Webb to Goldie DW 7, PG 3

Is Stephen Rainbow (yes, he's a real guy) qualified to be the Human Rights Commissioner, given that he doesn't have the legal qualifications that are generally required? Goldie said that he had real-world experience, and it wasn't an explicit condition that they be an academic lawyer. The real reason people are pissed off is that he's made some statements that are obviously anti-trans. Personally, I hate it when gay men bash us to improve their own position in society. 'It is not I that has appointed anyone' - Goldie, saying that they were cabinet decisions. Duncan Webb accused the coalition of appointing 'a party stooge' ... that's when QT ended for today.