12. Question No. 12—Prime MinisterHon JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 12—Prime Minister12. Hon JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and policies?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): Yes in the context they were given. But can I also just extend congratulations to that member for a fantastic career in Parliament here over the last nine years; he announced obviously his retirement today. I want to say I hope you know you're leaving here with some pretty lasting legislation in place with the net-zero legislation. You should be very very proud about it. That's going to be enduring. It's going to last long after you're gone. I just acknowledge also it's a very sad day for the Green Party actually having lost their last true environmentalist.Hon James Shaw: In response can I just thank the Prime Minister—SPEAKER: The Hon James Shaw may of course make a short response to that—but perhaps not focused on the last bit.Hon James Shaw: No—thank you Mr Speaker. Can I just thank the Prime Minister for his kind words and say in response Good luck." Is his Government reversing New Zealand's commitment which it pushed for and agreed to as last year's conference of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) to protect 70 percent of high-biodiversity areas including seamounts in the South Pacific?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I'm not aware that we've made any change to that yet.Hon James Shaw: Is he concerned about New Zealand's international reputation when organisations like the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition have said that "The New Zealand government may now be the main obstacle to a proposed conservation measure that its own scientists spent the past year developing"?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I disagree with that characterisation. This is a Government that's going to be focused on lowering emissions and making sure we meet our climate change commitments.Hon James Shaw: Does he agree with the previous National Government's Minister for fisheries who said that when the SPRFMO convention was ratified under the John Key National Government that "We need to protect these important fisheries for future generations. Ratification shows our strong commitment to sustainable management and ensures [that] we have an important influence on the work of the SPRFMO." and if so is he concerned that New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling in the Pacific?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: This is going to be a Government that will balance sustainable fishing along with good economic opportunity.Hon James Shaw: How can he justify the proposal by New Zealand to allow bottom trawling in the South Pacific to catch up to three years' worth of total allowable catch in a single season up to 200 percent above annual catch limits when this is far more than the 10 percent annual carry-over allowed under New Zealand's domestic law?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Again as I said before this will be a Government that will balance environmental goals with making sure we maximise commercial opportunities.Hon James Shaw: Does he have confidence in his Minister for Oceans and Fisheries' ability to represent New Zealand's long-term bipartisan positions including those advanced by previous National-led Governments on international fisheries management when the World Wide Fund for Nature have said that "There is a lot of concern about New Zealand resigning from the [international] rules-based order. Historically New Zealand has been seen as a good-faith operator and [then] for a country to turn away from a decision taken by consensus is quite significant"?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Yes."