30812 (2023). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Finance

30812 (2023). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Finance: Does the Minister intend to reduce public spending via expenditure reductions targets to be set for each agency, informed by the increase in back office head count at that agency since 2017, as outlined in the coalition agreement between National and ACT, and what advice, reports, briefings, aide memoires, or any other documents has the Minister, or any member of their Office received during the week of 11 December 2023?

Hon Nicola Willis: Corrected reply: Yes, we do intend to reduce public expenditure via expenditure reductions targets. At our Mini-Budget in December, the Coalition Government started an ongoing Fiscal Sustainability Programme to embed a culture of responsible spending across Government. The first step in this programme is an Initial Baseline Exercise for government agencies designed to find around $1.5 billion per annum in savings. I have written to Ministers asking that their agencies to find sufficient savings as part of the Initial Baseline Exercise which is part of the Budget 2024 process. Individual agency targets were informed by headcount growth since 2017. I also received the following documents from the Treasury during the week of 11 December 2023: 11/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/1967: Improved management of the capital investment pipeline 11/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/1965: EBRD votes on net income reallocation and paid-in capital proposal to support Ukraine 11/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/1985: NZSF Independent Review - Approve Terms of Reference and Appoint Reviewer 11/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2056: International Monetary Fund vote on the Sixteenth General Review of Quotas 12/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2091: Assurance to sign the Statement of Responsibility 12/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2027: Half Year Update - Core Crown Borrowing Programme 2023/24 Update 12/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/1653: Public Trust: Commencement of Early 2024 Appointment Round 13/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2003 Vote Health Budget 2024 Settings 13/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/1960: RNZ and TVNZ: Introductory Performance Report 13/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/1669: New Zealand Green Investment Finance Ltd: Commencement of Early 2024 Appointment Round 13/12/2023 Cabinet Paper T2023/2062: Disestablishment of the Productivity Commission 14/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2017: External Review of MPC Performance 14/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2036: Infrastructure Contracts Disputes Resolution (ICDR) Arrangements and Projects 14/12/2023 Joint Report T2023/2080: Update on the Auckland City Rail Link project, and approval of C8 option 14/12/2023 Aide Memoire T2023/2137: Australian Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2023 14/12/2023 Joint Report T2023/2147: Approach to pay equity 14/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2139: Amendments to the Public Finance Act 1989 on Fiscal Risks 15/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2109: Shareholding Ministers’ Approval in Relation to Parakiore Sport and Recreation Centre 15/12/2023 Joint Report T2023/2125: Options for delivering personal income tax relief 15/12/2023 Joint Report T2023/2157: Finding from the Kāinga Ora Spending, Funding, and Financing Review 15/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2150: Productivity Commission draft Letter of Expectations 15/12/2023 Treasury Report T2023/2117: Outstanding Statements of Indemnity for presentation to the House of Representatives 15/12/2023 Aide Memoire T2023/2151: Aide Memoire: Adjustments to savings in the Mini Budget Cabinet Paper 15/12/2023 Aide Memoire T2023/2160: Supporting advice: Key Direction on the FamilyBoost Tax Credit 15/12/2023 Aide Memoire T2023/2144: Supporting investment in build-to-rent