Christopher Luxon: Prime Minister on the Corrections funding mix up, the OECD report, and MPs drawing dual salaries

The Prime Minister has admitted the Government got mixed up in its corrections funding announcement yesterday. 

There was confusion from Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell over how many beds in total Waikeria Prison would have, with an additional 810 beds. 

Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that he spoke to Mitchell about the mix up straight afterwards, and a clarification was sent out very quickly.  

But, Luxon said, the bottom line is the Government's serious about restoring law and order and the $1.9 billion will help to do that. 

He disputes some part of yesterday’s OECD report into New Zealand’s economy, including its call for a capital gains tax, telling Hosking that they’re not doing that. 

Luxon did agree with some aspects of the report, including improving the education system and increasing competition and deregulation, as well as the work to be done on foreign investment.  

While the Fast Track Bill would help on that front, the Government also plans to build its National Infrastructure Agency to attract foreign funding and financing for infrastructure, Luxon telling Hosking that public-private partnerships are a key way to pull investments forward. 

The OECD report also criticised markets in New Zealand being controlled by a few key players.

Luxon said the Government would be working hard on improving competition and removing red tape, pointing as an example to the recent change in building product regulations which will allow Australian-approved products to be used here, which he said would push down building costs. 

Finally, he said that he would not accept one of his MPs simultaneously drawing salaries as an MP and a local councillor, as NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle is doing.  

Arbuckle has kept his job as a Marlborough district councillor despite being elected to Parliament last year. Luxon said NZ First leader Winston Peters was responsible for his own MPs but “if it was a National Party person, it wouldn’t be acceptable to me”.

He did not directly answer a question over whether he would address that with Peters directly. 

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