8. Question No. 8—FinanceNICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of FinanceQuestion No. 8—Finance8. NICOLA WILLIS (National) to the Associate Minister of Finance: Does he stand by the entirety of his press statement on 26 August confirming $11.7 million in funding for Green School New Zealand and on what evidence did he base each of the claims made in that statement?SPEAKER: Hang on. I just want to warn the member—I mean we're a long way away from the next Parliament but it's pretty important. In both the last question and this question she's reading questions which are slightly different from those on the Order Paper but we'll go with it.Hon JAMES SHAW (Associate Minister of Finance): Yes I stand by my statement based on reports provided to me by the Infrastructure Industry Reference Group (IRG). That being said understanding the depth of feeling in the community about this funding were I to make this decision again I would come to a different conclusion.Nicola Willis: Is a contract in place for the Government's deal with the Green School and has he taken any legal advice about his options for unwinding his mistake?Hon JAMES SHAW: Well Ministers cannot get involved in the contracting between the Crown and the various projects.Nicola Willis: Did the Minister get involved in making clear his expectation that the Green School should achieve legal registration as a school prior to receiving taxpayer money and if not why not?Hon JAMES SHAW: I don't believe I did.Nicola Willis: Did he meet with anyone involved in the Green School prior to or during the application process for shovel-ready funding and if so who?Hon JAMES SHAW: On 18 May the Mayor of New Plymouth Neil Holdom came to see me in my office and introduced me to the people who've started the Green School. He was quite keen that we support the project.Nicola Willis: Does he agree with Minister Hipkins that the Green Party had advocated quite strongly" for the Green School and if so why did he reject the Minister's advice that the funding should not go ahead?Hon JAMES SHAW: It wasn't the Green Party; it was me because it was a ministerial decision and not one that was shared with caucus because of course as a Budget-confidential decision Ministers are unable to share that outside of their offices. So I would say it's not accurate to say that the Green Party advocated for it but I did personally.Nicola Willis: Did any Ministers other than Minister Hipkins raise questions or concerns with him about the conditions for this taxpayer funding to the Green School and if so what steps did he take to address those concerns?Hon JAMES SHAW: I'm not aware of specific points that were raised. There was a very iterative process over a number of months of the whole IRG process and many projects came and went during the course of that time.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Minister as to whether he wished he could draw upon the experience of the Transmission Gully contract fiscals which means we're going to spend far more money trying to finish it than we've spent thus far because of the National Party's gross mistakes.Hon JAMES SHAW: I think the member would be aware that the Green Party has had a long-held scepticism of major public-private partnerships particularly the one around Transmission Gully. Given his experience in Government he would be aware of that.Rt Hon Winston Peters: You've made a clown of yourself mate. You were clowns.Hon Gerry Brownlee: The Government's too soft—too soft.SPEAKER: Order! I think it's fair to say that I'm neither and I will ask the Deputy Prime Minister to withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I apologise and withdraw for the insinuation that you were a clown sir. I didn't meant it in any way shape or form.SPEAKER: Now because we have another member here who has added embellishments to his withdrawals and apologies and suffered for it I'm going to give the Deputy Prime Minister a requirement to withdraw and apologise without the embellishment.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: Thank you."