2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: What was the content of the text message she received from Richie Hardcore about Karel Sroubek?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: On behalf of the Prime Minister an unsolicited message from Richie Hardcore expressing his opinion on the Karel Sroubek decision was received after the decision was made and seeing as I got about 50000 communications in the last year it is not in the public interest to release the contents of all of those messages.Hon Simon Bridges: Will she not release the precise content?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: There is no requirement for the Prime Minister to release any information that came in confidentially—Hon Dr Nick Smith: The most open transparent Government!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: —and we don't need a dictate from Nick Smith about openness and transparency. If he was talking about a lack of integrity and dishonesty yes I'd listen to him but when it comes to talking about—SPEAKER: Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat. I want to remind the Deputy Prime Minister that he is answering for the Prime Minister. He has reflected on the integrity of a member in a way which is not in keeping with her normal kind approach. He will stand withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Quite right Mr Speaker. I apologise.SPEAKER: And withdraw.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: And obviously withdraw.Hon Simon Bridges: When she said earlier today that the text was from Richie Hardcore stating he knew the individual in question"—that is Sroubek—can she elaborate on that and why she thinks Richie Hardcore would send her such a text?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister a number of texts—SPEAKER: No I am going to ask the Leader of the Opposition to rephrase at least the second part of it because it goes to the state of mind of an individual for whom she has no ministerial responsibility.Hon Simon Bridges: When she said earlier today the text message was from Richie Hardcore stating he "knew the individual in question"—that is Sroubek—can she elaborate on that?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister a simple message which if pronounced properly is quite capable of being understood.Hon Simon Bridges: What does that mean?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: That means he expressed an opinion in a text supporting a decision that had been made prior to when he sent the text and prior to any idea from the Prime Minister's point of view that this was going to be an expression that she would receive. I would believe that there would be many many other people who expressed opinions on all sorts of matters. To construct that as being in some way engaged in persuading the decision maker is utter poppycock.Hon Simon Bridges: Can she elaborate when her chief press secretary said yesterday that the text was "commending the Sroubeck decision" on what was meant by that and why she thinks Richie Hardcore would commend her?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf the Prime Minister frequently acting as a Prime Minister and being the Prime Minister messages are received which are really a comment on what fellow Ministers have done but nevertheless the communication goes to the Prime Minister who is seen to be the No. 1 Minister of the land. It's not complicated. In this case a very simple text arrived saying that this person agreed with the decision—a decision of course which at that point in time had already been made and well before the Prime Minister ever knew of the communication—and then no reply was sent back from the Prime Minister. To impute some sort of malicious malignant engagement which has been the last two weeks of their line of questioning shows you what a bunch of Philadelphia lawyers they are.Hon Simon Bridges: Given that the Prime Minister's happy to discuss so much of the detail of the text why doesn't she just release its precise words?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister there's no way this Government is going to infringe upon the privacy rights of all manner of people that communicate just to satisfy a political leader in such desperate trouble to get attention.Hon Simon Bridges: So to confirm was the text a thank-you text?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The reality is that the text wasn't a thank-you text at all.Hon Simon Bridges: Well you just said it was.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: No no don't say "Yes it was." No it wasn't. On behalf of the Prime Minister it wasn't. What it said was that in short it appreciated that that person perceived the decision to be the right one. But then of course countless emails and texts came in saying the reverse none of which in any way had any shape of influence on the original decision which has to be the point that that member needs to get home before any other conclusion can be arrived at.Hon Simon Bridges: Has the Deputy Prime Minister seen the precise words of the text?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister I cannot possibly comment on the widespread research of the Deputy Prime Minister.Hon Simon Bridges: What date was the text received on?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister I don't have that information at this point in time but I do know it was subsequent to the decision being made.Hon Simon Bridges: When can we see submissions on the Sroubek deportation file by Richie Hardcore?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister not making this the final conclusion but whenever has there been a case of such submissions being made privately to a Minister or anyone else and becoming immediately public property? We're not going to infringe upon people's human rights and rights of freedom and privacy just to satisfy a recalcitrant malignant line of questioning based on nothing so much as a rumour.Hon Simon Bridges: When did she notify her chief press secretary or any member of her staff of the text she had received from her friend Richie Hardcore?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister that question cannot be answered today—not that there may not be an answer to it but because it was not significant. Like so many communications there was no reason to rush off and tell anybody. That's why there was no reply from the Prime Minister because being flat out working 18 hours a day and getting all these tens and tens of thousands of communications such a thing could be construed as a mere bagatelle.Hon Simon Bridges: Why did her chief press secretary go to the press gallery after 6 p.m. yesterday to advise journalists of the text received by her from her friend Richie Hardcore?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Because the press secretary being the responsible person that he is realised the perverse misinterpretations that were being put around this country and he sought to forestall those roadblock them down with honesty and that's what he's done.Hon Simon Bridges: Why was it only yesterday the text was disclosed given questions were raised about Richie Hardcore's role as far back as 7 November in this House?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister where this decision was concerned Richie Hardcore had no role at all—end of story.Hon Simon Bridges: How can we know that when we won't see the precise words of the text?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister who's renowned for her honesty take our word for it.Hon Simon Bridges: In regard to her chief press secretary was she—that is the Prime Minister—hoping the press gallery would not pick up on the matter given it was after 6 p.m. yesterday? [Interruption]Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister it was foreseeable that some in the press gallery as is their wont to do believe in fake news and will pick up on it. But I have noticed that all questions and investigations today where that member is concerned have been challenging his conclusions to such a pathetic piece of material evidence. SPEAKER: I didn't want to interrupt members but I have given some additional questions to the National Party as a result of the interjections while that question was being asked.Hon Simon Bridges: How many texts has she received from Richie Hardcore since she became Prime Minister?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister I'm unable to answer that question. That member will have to put it down in written form and on notice and he's got a couple of days to do it.Hon Simon Bridges: What is her understanding about why Richie Hardcore would text her about his friend?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister this is becoming more and more an obtuse line of questioning. The fact of the matter is probably 50000-plus people have communicated with the Prime Minister's office and the Prime Minister in the last year—maybe much more than that. But here's the point: which part of the question concerns Mr Bridges any evidence of any wrongdoing at all?Hon Simon Bridges: Have 50000 people got the Prime Minister's cellphone number?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well about 50000 have got mine. I think probably about 100000 have got hers.Hon Simon Bridges: Is Richie Hardcore a close friend of hers?SPEAKER: Order! That is not a matter for prime ministerial responsibility."