8. Question No. 8—Prime MinisterDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Acting Prime MinisterQuestion No. 8—Prime Minister8. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and policies?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Acting Prime Minister): Yes especially the Government's decision to introduce Matariki as a public holiday. This was celebrated across the country on Friday and as the Prime Minister said at the dawn service this is a moment in time that New Zealanders should be proud of. The Prime Minister went on to say Many of us did not grow up with or learn the traditions of Matariki but we now have that chance. A chance to see our own children learn more about this period a chance to learn from them and a chance to create our own Matariki moments." I join with New Zealanders in welcoming this new public holiday.David Seymour: Does he agree with Chris Hipkins' statement on Q+A this weekend in relation to last year's Auckland lockdown that "There were probably some areas we could have moved more quickly to step down some restrictions. That lockdown in Auckland at the end of 2021 I think nerves were pretty frayed by the end of that. And we should acknowledge that."; if so will he apologise to Aucklanders for locking them down longer than necessary?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That is not what Mr Hipkins said and it is not what Mr Hipkins meant. I've sat around the Cabinet table with Mr Hipkins and other Ministers and every single decision that we made about COVID-19 came with costs. The costs we wanted to avoid were the thousands of New Zealanders who would have died had we not made sure that we looked after them.David Seymour: Did the Acting Prime Minister just say that Chris Hipkins did not make that exact quote on Q+A this weekend just been?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The characterisation the member gave of that statement in the second part of his question was that the Government should apologise for locking down Aucklanders unnecessarily. That is not what Mr Hipkins said or what Mr Hipkins meant. On this side of the House we face the difficult and challenging decision time after time as to how to best protect New Zealanders from a global pandemic. We worked hard to support Aucklanders and others through that period of time and I am extremely proud of the way the Government handled that.SPEAKER: Before I ask the member I'm just going to ask Mr Court to turn his volume down and also to remember who he's addressing when he says "you".David Seymour: Thank you for that intervention Mr Speaker. If a Government Minister has accepted they made a mistake—which I could tell the Minister as an Aucklander came at enormous cost to us—why can't he just accept—Hon Judith Collins: Oh that member wasn't even there.David Seymour: —responsibility and say sorry? Or was Elton John right—SPEAKER: Whose interjection was that?Hon Judith Collins: Oh sorry. That was me.SPEAKER: Well the member will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Judith Collins: I withdraw and apologise. Thank you.SPEAKER: Start again Mr Seymour.David Seymour: Thank you Mr Speaker. If a Government Minister has admitted the Government in hindsight made a mistake at great cost to us Aucklanders why can't his Government own up fess up take responsibility and just say sorry? Or was Elton John right—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Order! The member's finished his question—David Seymour: He said "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word."Hon Grant Robertson: I know the member has—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will resume his seat he's finished questions for now.David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I've got a right to ask questions on behalf of New Zealanders.SPEAKER: Yes—David Seymour: Are you seriously saying—SPEAKER: Yes and what I'm saying—the Member will resume his seat—is that when he chips me when I make a ruling he loses his supplementaries. That is my discretion and I'll stay with it. He can have them back tomorrow.David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: David Seymour supp—point of order.David Seymour: Supplementary question yes.SPEAKER: No no. Point of order.David Seymour: Oh OK. Did you just say that we get all of those supplementaries back tomorrow?SPEAKER: You will get the ones that you lost today back tomorrow.David Seymour: Supplementary point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: A supplementary point of order—I don't know if there is such a thing.David Seymour: How many did we just lose?SPEAKER: Every one that you would have taken."