2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterRt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes and in particular I stand by this Government's recent actions to begin restoring law and order and cracking down on crime by removing taxpayer funding for section 27 reports to further discount sentences and by chucking out Labour's prison reduction target. New Zealanders voted for a Government that's going to restore law and order deal with victims over criminals and that's what we're going to get on and do.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Who's correct when it comes to the proposed Government legislation on Treaty principles: the Prime Minister when he said Well we've never been open-minded we've always said there's no intention no commitment no support for it beyond first reading" or David Seymour who said "But ultimately the bit I don't believe is he won't change his mind"?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well we have a coalition agreement that says we're going to support a bill through to first reading and that's no commitment beyond that.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Is David Seymour correct that he's lost his nerve on the Treaty principles bill?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I reject the member's assertion but what I'd say is that member should be the one that is nervous because when Kieran McAnulty starts shaving off that beard he needs to be ready to go and as I would have said as we observed over summer who was the de facto leader of the Labour Party? Michael Wood.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Is it acceptable for one of his Ministers to tell the media that the Prime Minister has lost his nerve and he doesn't believe the Prime Minister is being truthful with the public?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well I reject that member's assertion in that question. What I'd say to you is that we are a coalition Government. We are a coalition Government we have different views and different perspectives and we are aligned on the things that matter which is getting things done cleaning up after your Government's mess. So that's what we're going to get on and do. Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Was Newshub incorrect when they quoted David Seymour as saying "ultimately the bit I don't believe is he won't change his mind if the public really wants it"?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well I can tell you David Seymour is doing a great job. He's going to make sure that we get our kids back in school. He's got special delegation getting kids back into school which is something that this Government and you as education Minister didn't care about.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. I accept that my questions are relatively political in nature but the Prime Minister hasn't addressed any of them.SPEAKER: Well I think you've answered your own question or assertion. They're political in nature. But if the Prime Minister would like to make a further comment on that previous question? No he's all good.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: If any Minister other than David Seymour was to claim publicly that the Prime Minister had lost his nerve and wasn't being truthful with the public would they still be a Minister?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I support all of my Ministers. They're doing a fantastic job—they're doing a fantastic job. The only member in this whole House who should be nervous is the person answering the questions.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: If David Seymour doesn't believe the public should be able to trust the word of the Prime Minister why should the public?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: We have a coalition agreement; it's crystal clear. We're going to support a bill to first reading and there is no commitment beyond that.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he agree then with the Rt Hon Winston Peters about David Seymour: "Well it's disgraceful that somebody is so desperate." and "This petty childish schoolboy behaviour just won't do."?Rt Hon Winston Peters: Point of order Mr Speaker. This is a matter of chronology. That questioner did not say when that statement was made and therefore the Prime Minister could not be responsible for that—get a life and learn how this process works.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. It's immaterial when Winston Peters said that. I didn't ask him whether he agreed with the Deputy Prime Minister; I asked him whether he agreed with the Rt Hon Winston Peters who I still believe is Winston Peters even if he has a different job.SPEAKER: Well you'd better ask the question again.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Happily Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: But I'll tell you what try and keep it contemporary because going back in history is not good for us.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he agree with the Rt Hon—well it might not be good for the Government Mr Speaker. Does he agree with the Rt Hon Winston Peters about David Seymour: "Well it's disgraceful that somebody is so desperate."; "This petty childish schoolboy behaviour just won't do."?Rt Hon Winston Peters: Point of order Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister is responsible for those obligations and duties that he has undertaken from the day he first took the job on and not a day earlier and in this case this question should be ruled out.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. Unless the Speaker was to rule out that any statements made by anyone other than a Minister were not the Prime Minister's responsibility we couldn't ask him whether he agreed with anything and actually nor could many of the Government's patsy questions be allowed by that criteria either.SPEAKER: We've just had a ruling that makes it very clear that the Prime Minister is responsible for things that relate to his Government or her Government and there is a point that if the statement relates to a time when the current Prime Minister was not Prime Minister then that might be the case. But I actually think—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point—SPEAKER: Hold on hang on wait on—I don't want to have to stand up on you. I think this is a question that the Prime Minister is probably capable of answering.Hon Chris Bishop: Speaking to the point of order Mr Speaker. Clearly Ministers can be asked about whether or not they agree with statements made by other members or indeed any members of the public but it's useful for the House to know exactly what time period the member is being asked to reflect upon. It may well be that Mr Peters' comment was talking about the childish behaviour of the Labour Party for example but we don't know because the Leader of the Opposition hasn't given a time period.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. I'd ask you to reflect on the ruling that you have just indicated and consider that in light of question No. 1 which was a Government question to the Minister of Finance that was all about a period in which she was not a Minister and yet she was quoting liberally from a document about something that she did not have responsibility for at the time. If you are ruling that the only thing Ministers can be asked about is stuff that has happened since the election then the entirety of question No. 1 was out of order.Hon Chris Bishop: Speaking to the point of order—SPEAKER: No I don't need further on this.Hon Chris Bishop: It was about the BIM. SPEAKER: I'll come to you if I need to believe me. Firstly on question No. 1 that question related entirely to reports that the Minister has seen. That's perfectly legitimate and then if you look at all of the supps that came—and I listened to them carefully and you'll recall that I did cut one of them off—they were all about the answers given by the Minister and they related to current figures. So that's that dealt with. I better hear from Mr Bishop—Hon Chris Bishop: No no.SPEAKER: Oh you're over it? OK. That's—Hon David Seymour: Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Oh the Hon David Seymour. Hon David Seymour: Thank you Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: Is this a point of order or what?Hon David Seymour: I think I might be able to assist with it yes.SPEAKER: No well I don't want your assistance. You're either taking a new point of order or not.Hon David Seymour: Oh look your loss Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: I've got a very long memory. So could we have the question one more time and I think it would be useful to put context around that.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does he agree with the Rt Hon Winston Peters about David Seymour: "Well it's disgraceful that somebody is so desperate."; "This petty childish schoolboy behaviour just won't do"?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: What I'm going to say to you is that this is a coalition Government of three parties. We have different views from time to time and that's actually quite OK. It's quite healthy and it's quite constructive and unlike that previous Government that was all about control and spin and management I have not heard—in the whole time since he's become Leader of the Opposition we haven't had one question on the economy not one on health not one on education not one on housing not one on infrastructure."