Mark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 12 March 2015. Volume:703;Page:2201. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.RON MARK (NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of thePrime Minister: Yes.Ron Mark: Given that the Prime Minister said “last week we were looking through the various policies we want to announce—so they were finalised I suppose last week.” on what date and at what time then was the decision taken to double-lane the eight Northland bridges not listed in the draft Northland regional land transport plan 2015-21?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I cannot give exactly that detail other than to say it was before it was announced. But it is certainly the Government’s plan to campaign on what it plans to do for Northland. The issue for New Zealand First is whether or not it is for or against the bridges being double-laned.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My colleague Tracey Martin yesterday asked this very question. It has been 24 hours since that question was put. We would have thought that by this stage the Prime Minister’s office might be able to give you that answer—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I refer the member to the primary question he has asked: “Does the Prime Minister stand by all his statements?”. Then he asked a supplementary question that said: “On what particular date and at what time was this decision made?”. The Minister is quite at liberty to say when he rises to answer that question that he does not have that information with him.Ron Mark: Since the 3 NewsReid Research Services poll of 5 March 2015 what is the cumulative value of policy pledges made by Ministers to Northland?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I think that National Party policy is the one that has been announced because we are campaigning to get an MP into Parliament who represents Northland not one who represents Southland.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! This is a point of order.Ron Mark: The question was nothing to do about what the National Party is campaigning to do; it was about the value of—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is now making exactly the same point as he made just before. If he asks a very general primary question such as “Does the Prime Minister stand by all his statements?” and then he moves on to ask quite specific supplementary questions about a cumulative dollar value he cannot expect the Minister to have that information with him. Does the member wish to ask further supplementary questions or shall we move to question No. 2?Ron Mark: Further to the Prime Minister’s points of order yesterday are the pledges he is making to the people of Northland being made in his capacity as the Prime Minister or as the leader of a very nervous National Party?Hon BILL ENGLISH: There is no responsibility for the Prime Minister’s role as leader of the National Party but I can say that they are promises made out of respect for the voters of Northland who need to know what they are voting for not what they are voting against. Part of the plan is to get an MP who will service Northland not a new New Zealand First MP from Invercargill which is what that member is campaigning for.Ron Mark: Then how many Ministers have visited Northland since 5 March and what specific ministerial duties have they been performing whilst they are up there?Hon BILL ENGLISH: If the member spent more time up there and not trying to elect an MP from Southland for Northland he would know. There have been quite a few ministerial visits because the Government does a lot in Northland and it plans to do a lot more. And we believe that Northland voters deserve to see what the plan is.