2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes especially the announcement made by finance Minister Grant Robertson earlier today that we are introducing a $12.1 billion package to cushion the impact of COVID-19 to support Kiwis' jobs and of course the domestic economy. Relative to other countries this is a far greater package but we also know that the impact as we have been advised by Treasury is likely to be greater than the experience New Zealand had through the global financial crisis and therefore our focus must be on getting in front of those impacts: supporting businesses jobs and employees against the worst impacts of this pandemic. Hon Simon Bridges: Why are people being denied coronavirus tests when they are displaying symptoms?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I reject the assertion they are. I want to read—Hon Simon Bridges: Well they are.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would like to read from the case notes provided to doctors. Under the case definition it says Note"—this is for clinicians—"that due to the ongoing changing global and domestic situation clinical judgement should apply as to whether someone who doesn't quite meet the current case definition should be tested or not." Any person who a clinician thinks needs a test should get a test.Hon Simon Bridges: So does she deny the email to me from a Wellingtonian and his partner who had all the symptoms and were denied the tests yesterday?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again as I've just said that decision sits with doctors. I will read again: "due to the ongoing changing [environment] clinical judgement should apply as to whether someone who doesn't … meet the … case definition should be tested or not." I cannot be clearer. Any person a doctor believes should be tested can and should be tested. We have the capacity to do up to 1500 tests a day. My understanding is that we have hundreds of tests currently being processed for which we will have the results tomorrow.Hon Simon Bridges: Why doesn't she just guarantee that those who show the clear symptoms will get the testing as Prime Minister of our country?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I've just given you the exact advice that is for doctors. Doctors make those decisions not politicians but what they have been told is that anyone who they believe should be tested should be tested. I cannot be clearer than that. I cannot make those judgments but they can and they should.Hon Simon Bridges: Why is she only suggesting ramping up tests now after the World Health Organization has called for countries to test test test?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member is utterly incorrect. We've had the capacity to test up to a thousand a day for a very long time.Hon Simon Bridges: Is she concerned that a comparable country like Norway has tested 8000 people and we've tested less than 600?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again the member seems to be upset about where our global standing currently is in terms of case profile. We have currently a small number of cases that have been confirmed through testing. But I expect that we will have many hundreds more tests conducted. In fact I understand we have hundreds currently being processed this very day.Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't the reason we only have a dozen confirmed cases and not dozens and dozens and dozens because under her Government since the start of the year we just haven't done many tests?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is an appalling appalling statement to make. The implication that tests are being determined by politics is appalling. Doctors are making the call and they are being told that if they believe they should test they should. I cannot be clearer about the advice that has been provided by the Ministry of Health; it is in black and white—in fact it is in bold.Hon Dr David Clark: Is the Prime Minister aware that Norway currently has 1200 confirmed cases of the virus and is in Europe which has been described as the epicentre of the outbreak?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes. In those cases you would expect therefore that the contact tracing and symptoms would therefore lead to the other testing outcomes that they have. It seems extraordinary to me that the suggestion seems to be that there is disappointment about where we are. Hundreds of tests are being processed today. Very unfortunately we will see—[Interruption] We will see more—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Can I just ask members on both sides—this is a very serious issue and petty calling back and forth from both sides ill behoves the House.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that the reason say Norway has many more confirmed cases is because they have done many many thousands more tests and that's where we needed to be weeks ago.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No I reject that and I again confirm I have just been advised there are 500 tests currently being processed. That capacity has always existed but we have allowed doctors to make that decision not politicians.Hon Simon Bridges: Will she apologise to New Zealanders who have been previously denied a test under her Government last month the month before and as little ago as yesterday?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No one who a doctor believes should be tested should have been denied a test."