1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. 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.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with Labour leader Jacinda Ardern's statement that there will be no nationwide strikes under her Government?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That statement was given during a very fine election debate as I recall with the then National leader.Hon Member: Which one?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That was Dr Bill English and I have to say—Hon Member: Promoted him.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Oh I have promoted him—SPEAKER: Order! Order! I know it's the Christmas season but I think if the question can be answered directly that would be preferable.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Well relatively speaking he deserved that lift in status. I think to answer the question that was of course an answer to fair pay agreements. I gave the confirmation then and I give it again now: there will be no strike action around fair pay agreements.Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't it the case that there have been more strikes under her Government than at any time since she was a child at primary school?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the member is referring to the fact that we are operating under the exact same law—Hon Grant Robertson: That's right. No different—no different.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —in terms of employment law that we did under that Government—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Now Grant Robertson is mainly responsible for that and he is to be quiet. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Shall I complete it?SPEAKER: Well I could hardly hear a thing because of the exchange between Mr Bridges and Mr Robertson so I'm going to ask the Prime Minister to repeat her answer.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I was saying the exact same law of course has continued to be in force during the course of the strike action we have seen whilst being in Government. The only thing I will take responsibility for is coming into office at a time of dereliction and neglect under that last Government where there has not been investment in our health services our education services and we are the ones fixing it.Hon Simon Bridges: Given that why does she believe Air New Zealand engineers and ground staff are striking for three days just before Christmas affecting tens and tens of thousands of Kiwis at this special time of year?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That kind of action usually occurs when there is a pay and conditions dispute between employers and employees. Obviously we as the Government have no direct role in that dispute. However I am concerned enough by the disruption that would likely be caused that I have contacted both parties directly and conveyed my very strong hope that we will see some resolution and I understand that they are in mediation as we speak. Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't the reason for the strike that her Government's pro-union stance and union laws have emboldened unions—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! I am going to ask the Leader of the Opposition to ask this question again and there will be some extra questions as a result of the whingeing and moaning from my right. Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't the reason for the strike that her Government's pro-union stance and union laws have emboldened unions in every single field in New Zealand including aviation?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.Hon Simon Bridges: Will the fair pay regime coming in help bring down the level of strikes?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: There is no ability to strike under fair pay agreements. Hon Simon Bridges: Are there too many strikes in New Zealand today?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I acknowledge that the strike action that we experienced with the nurses was a negotiation that that Government failed to resolve and this one did.Hon Simon Bridges: Are there too many strikes in New Zealand today?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: There has been too much neglect and it is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that us coming into action midway through a failed negotiation with the nurses—with teachers we have put on the table more in one offer than that last Government put in nine years in office. We are dealing with years of discontent because of that Opposition party's lack of investment in core services.Hon Simon Bridges: Are there too many strikes in New Zealand today?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: There has been too much lack of investment and we are fixing it. Hon Simon Bridges: Is she concerned that the people who made representations on behalf of Karel Sroubek may have associations with her Government?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No. As I mentioned in the House yesterday and probably repeatedly last week of course what will be in public interest is whether or not any representations were directly involving members of Parliament. As I conveyed to this House on many occasions the Minister in charge has confirmed that no MP made any representations directly to him and I have also mentioned that I knew nothing of this case personally until it was in the paper. Hon Simon Bridges: How will it look if members of her Government are close to those who made representations on behalf of Karel Sroubek?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Look of course what's in the public interest here is if any members of Parliament made direct representations or had knowledge of those representations and the Minister has ruled out any MP or Minister—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Listen to the question. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —conversing with him directly over this case. Of course that's important because he's the one who made this decision. Hon Simon Bridges: When will the Opposition get the representations? Will it be in 10 days under the Official Information Act or more proactively?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Obviously an Official Information Act request is in—that's the process that the Minister's currently dealing with—and I see that the member has questions on notice today as well. Hon Simon Bridges: Is she going to move what appears to be a Government-wide Official Information Act dump day from 21 December to Christmas given everyone may still be here next Friday due to the Air New Zealand strikes? SPEAKER: Well—oh I will allow it but if the member follows the advice given to me from Mr Brownlee I would have ruled it out. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I expect Ministers to uphold the requirements set upon them by the Official Information Act.