3. Question No. 3—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 3—Prime Minister3. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern's statements in the House relating to communications with Derek Handley?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Acting Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: Does the Prime Minister consider receiving an email from Derek Handley after the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern texted him her personal email address an unsolicited email?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I have to tell that member that as we travel around the world the Prime Minister myself and my colleagues we are being beset by people who have discovered the new Government in this country and what it stands for. We've got an exodus in reverse happening. In fact there are people who are wanting to join our economy and that conversation that the Prime Minister had with Mr Handley was purely about that. It happens hundreds of times every time I go overseas and possibly for the Prime Minister because of her importance a thousand times more.Hon Simon Bridges: Why did the Prime Minister text Derek Handley her personal email address rather than her work one when Mr Handley's texts clearly show he wanted to contact the Prime Minister in her capacity as Prime Minister about how he could best serve you and New Zealand" and about the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) role?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The member was going fine when he laid out the framework for that question until he said "about the CTO role". That part of the question is demonstrably false and the transcripts show that. So to go back to my primary point the Prime Minister clearly was asked from someone who was interested in re-joining New Zealand's economy "Can I possibly get in contact with you?" and being the friendly honest person she is she sent him her private information. We are doing it all the time. I don't know what he does but then again he probably only gets a call once a month.Hon Simon Bridges: What did the Prime Minister mean when she said to Mr Handley "I'll talk to the team about how we can make use of you and your kind offer."?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Again on hundreds of occasions we are all in this Government being asked by people as to how they can help our economy. We thank them for doing that we thank them for making the offer and we get back to them. There's nothing untoward in that at all. But to try and extrapolate out from that that the Prime Minister knew about the job—the particular job—is again demonstrably false.Hon Simon Bridges: Who did the Prime Minister talk to about Mr Handley's offer?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I have to tell the member that I can't answer that question. However there is going to be a release of all the communications when they've gone through the Official Information Act requirements and any privacy requirements there might be and there'll be no attempt to not disclose everything—unlike an inquiry I know which is almost a month old conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and a famous law firm—SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: —and after one month we don't know—SPEAKER: Order! I realise it does flow from the supplementary question somewhat but we are getting right into areas which are not the Prime Minister's responsibility.Hon Simon Bridges: Who is making the decision about which communications are public or private—across all platforms and between all parties including the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern her Ministers their staff and Derek Handley's communications—relating to the CTO position? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The answer to that is that last Thursday Mr Grant Robertson made very clear the format of that disclosure what the parameters would be and the time lines roughly that we could expect. As to who's making the decision I suppose a number of people are making the decision because we work in tandem to ensure that all information's made available not just that which suits us.Hon Simon Bridges: When the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern was asked in the House whether she had any conversations emails or texts with Derek Handley since becoming Prime Minister—a question that was deliberately broader than communications about the CTO role—why did she omit mentioning nine other text messages between herself and Mr Handley? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I'm glad the member's raised that because he said "about the CTO role". And when one looks at that the facts and what the Prime Minister—Hon David Bennett: Tell the truth.SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. The member will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon David Bennett: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: And the member is on a warning that any repeat will result in a substantial punishment for the National Party. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I am glad that the member has raised that because the real trigger here is the CTO role and communications that didn't relate to that are of no relevance whatsoever. The Prime Minister has confirmed again in New York what she said in this House as well: "When he sent me an email I did not reply. When he mentioned it in a text I did not engage." Mr Handley himself has confirmed that. If Mr Handley is prepared to confirm that why is that Minister throwing doubt on it?Hon Simon Bridges: Is the Prime Minister really trying to tell me that these texts aren't in their totality about Derek Handley asking how he can best serve the Prime Minister of New Zealand his thoughts he wants to put down and about the "number of people who've urged [him] to seriously consider this CTO thing" and the like to which she's replied?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The answer to that—if that member bothered to listen to the last answer that was given to him she says "When he sent me an email I did not reply when he mentioned it." That's the CTO role. "In a text I did not engage." Mr Handley himself has confirmed that and they can put all the prior communications together but it has no meaning until the CTO role was mentioned and then the Prime Minister knew this was not for her to be replying on and she did not.Hon Simon Bridges: Is not the reality that when I asked the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern if she replied she said "not even … an emoji." and in fact what she went back with was her private Gmail address?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Again that member should as a former prosecutorial lawyer—he said he worked for the Crown prosecution although he never held the warrant of course; he's very big on that—SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: But as a well-trained lawyer he would know that chronology of events matter and if you're asking about two days ago and the issue didn't arise until a day after two days ago then any prior information could not possibly be relevant and that's what happened here.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In the course of the Acting Prime Minister's answer he said that all documents and information would be provided. During question time last Thursday the Hon Grant Robertson in answer to three questions on this issue said that he would provide me and the House with the answer in those documents. Those have not yet been provided and I would ask the Speaker as to what is a reasonable time frame for those to be received.SPEAKER: Yes I—well I'll let the Hon Dr Megan Woods reply.Hon Dr Megan Woods: My understanding is that my office has sent through that information to Nick Smith this afternoon.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. One of the answers has been provided. Immediately when Megan Woods provided that information to my office her office contacted me and said that it'd been provided by mistake and that she was to withdraw it. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order!Hon Dr Megan Woods: Speaking to the point of order—SPEAKER: Order! No—in a second. If National Party members are asking me to do something now and if they really want me to do something then they will be quiet.Hon Dr Megan Woods: What Dr Smith is referring to is that a member of my staff in error sent through an attachment. They rang Dr Smith's office and said there was some confidential information in that attachment. The answer in the body of the email was not sent in error—and that was made very clear—to Dr Smith's email. That was a genuine attempt to provide Dr Smith with the information that he asked for in this House and we were committed to giving him.SPEAKER: OK that's the end of the matter."