PoO scribes recall reading that under National’s tax plan – announced to win hearts, minds and votes before the 2023 election – a household earning $120,000 a year with no children would receive up to $100 a fortnight while an “average” household with children would get up to $250 a fortnight.
Sad to report, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon gets very scratchy when asked how many of those average householders have received up to $250 a fortnight.
His tetchy responses to questioning suggest the answer is not many.
Hansard recorded this exchange at Question Time in Parliament yesterday:
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How many families with kids have been receiving the $250 extra a fortnight that he promised them?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, as I said to the member last week, the good news with FamilyBoost, a policy that he and his party did not support, is that we have 62,000 families that have received payments to support them on their early childcare education costs. The changes that the Minister has made to expand the threshold and also the coverage means that there’s another 22,000 families and households that can participate in early childhood cost subsidisation.
A simple question calling for one simple number has been addressed perhaps. But it has not been answered.
Hipkins (presumably because he has a good idea of how politically embarrassing the number might be) gave it another go.
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: I’ll ask it again. How many families with kids have been receiving the $250 extra a fortnight that he promised them?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I’ll just say to the member: if he wants to put a specific question on notice, feel free to do so. But the great news here is that this is a Government that supports low and middle income working New Zealanders, the people the Labour Party purported to care about but don’t care about anymore.
The point of order from Hipkins was inevitable.
It’s a very straightforward question: how many people received the full benefit of a promise that he made them? He could answer it or he could not answer it, but pivoting straight into an attack on the Opposition is just a bit desperate.
He was invited to put another question and Hipkins gave it another shot:
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he stand by Nicola Willis’ statement that the Government has delivered on every promise that they have made in relation to FamilyBoost; if so, why can’t he confirm that any families have received the $250 a fortnight that he promised them?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Absolutely. And what FamilyBoost is about for the member—so that he understands it—is that depending upon your income and depending upon your costs, everyone receives their full entitlement. So the full entitlement that each family gets is subject to their income and also their costs. It’s a great scheme; I’d encourage the member to support it.
Yet again, Luxon failed to confirm that any families had received the $250 a fortnight he had promised them?
The thrust and parry continued until Hipkins landed a blow that could have resulted in his being charged with assault and buttery:
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How many blocks of butter can he buy for the $60 a week he claims to spend on groceries?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, it’s a smart-arse question, isn’t it? But I will just say to you: that member is supposed to be the leader of the Opposition, and in Opposition you oppose but you also propose. There’s no proposals from that side.
The PM should consult the latest poll results.
The figures should not comfort him.
Nor is he likely to win back the support he is losing by ducking and diving when asked simple questions.
Yes, Labour is determined to try to embarrass him.
He embarrasses himself with ripostes that provide a measure of his irritability.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
His tetchy responses to questioning suggest the answer is not many.
Hansard recorded this exchange at Question Time in Parliament yesterday:
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How many families with kids have been receiving the $250 extra a fortnight that he promised them?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, as I said to the member last week, the good news with FamilyBoost, a policy that he and his party did not support, is that we have 62,000 families that have received payments to support them on their early childcare education costs. The changes that the Minister has made to expand the threshold and also the coverage means that there’s another 22,000 families and households that can participate in early childhood cost subsidisation.
A simple question calling for one simple number has been addressed perhaps. But it has not been answered.
Hipkins (presumably because he has a good idea of how politically embarrassing the number might be) gave it another go.
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: I’ll ask it again. How many families with kids have been receiving the $250 extra a fortnight that he promised them?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I’ll just say to the member: if he wants to put a specific question on notice, feel free to do so. But the great news here is that this is a Government that supports low and middle income working New Zealanders, the people the Labour Party purported to care about but don’t care about anymore.
The point of order from Hipkins was inevitable.
It’s a very straightforward question: how many people received the full benefit of a promise that he made them? He could answer it or he could not answer it, but pivoting straight into an attack on the Opposition is just a bit desperate.
He was invited to put another question and Hipkins gave it another shot:
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he stand by Nicola Willis’ statement that the Government has delivered on every promise that they have made in relation to FamilyBoost; if so, why can’t he confirm that any families have received the $250 a fortnight that he promised them?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Absolutely. And what FamilyBoost is about for the member—so that he understands it—is that depending upon your income and depending upon your costs, everyone receives their full entitlement. So the full entitlement that each family gets is subject to their income and also their costs. It’s a great scheme; I’d encourage the member to support it.
Yet again, Luxon failed to confirm that any families had received the $250 a fortnight he had promised them?
The thrust and parry continued until Hipkins landed a blow that could have resulted in his being charged with assault and buttery:
Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: How many blocks of butter can he buy for the $60 a week he claims to spend on groceries?
Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well, it’s a smart-arse question, isn’t it? But I will just say to you: that member is supposed to be the leader of the Opposition, and in Opposition you oppose but you also propose. There’s no proposals from that side.
The PM should consult the latest poll results.
The figures should not comfort him.
Nor is he likely to win back the support he is losing by ducking and diving when asked simple questions.
Yes, Labour is determined to try to embarrass him.
He embarrasses himself with ripostes that provide a measure of his irritability.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
2 comments:
Flagging support? All the mid term (slump) polls show Luxons government a clear winner.
Aren't breaking views columnists able to read the paper and report the many successes by Luxon and his ministers?
Numeracy and literacy results are up significantly, attendance is improving, and now ncea (responsible for dismal NZ male school results) is getting a long overdue overhaul!
Bludgers' Bookkeeping
$250/fortnight = 4 packs of ciggies + 2 crates of p*ss
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