2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterHon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes in particular I stand by this Government's investments into training and upskilling our people as part of our recovery. Already we have seen 2469 placements through our expansion of Flexi-wage to support more people into work; 135200 learners have been supported by the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund since July 2020 including 65440 apprenticeships; 2547 rangatahi supported to overcome barriers to employment educational training through He Poutama Rangatahi. Not only are we equipping our workforce with the skills they need to excel we're also creating jobs. This Government has committed a record $57.3 billion in infrastructure over the next five years as part of supporting our economic recovery from COVID-19.Hon Judith Collins: Does she still believe as she stated in January 2020 that New roads in Auckland will help unlock the chronic gridlock the city faces." and if so what is her Government's higher priority: addressing chronic gridlock or a cycle bridge tourist attraction?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: To answer the first part of the member's question yes.Hon Judith Collins: What is the estimate she has been given for how many cyclists will use the bridge each day?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My recollection is it's in the order of 3000. We know at this point in time that of course we do not have the ability to connect the CBD and the North Shore through alternative modes of transport. I note that previous members of the National Party have supported creating that link; I notice the National Party has now changed its position.Hon Judith Collins: What advice has she received on the risk of structural issues in the current Auckland Harbour Bridge that are posed by heavy freight - moving trucks?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The only reason we've put forward the alternative to what was originally proposed as SkyPath was because of advice that it was not possible to pursue that project. That was based off the advice of engineers. Our view has been therefore that an alternative needed to be found. I note that the member again has backed future investment in additional harbour crossings that rely on tunnels. That of course does not solve the issue therefore of how we add additional modes to enable people to move around our city. So this is a solution to that. I'd be interested in whether or not that means the member is now abandoning the idea of there being any cycle or walking connection between the North Shore and the central city.David Seymour: Would the Prime Minister continue to support the Waitematā Harbour cycleway if the cost per cyclist per day was over 10 bucks a crossing?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again what we're supporting here is the ability for people to use multiple modes of transportation across Auckland city. And the idea that currently we don't have any ability for walking or cycling there has generally been good support for creating an option there. We now have discounted the ability to do that through an attachment to the harbour bridge in the form of SkyPath; engineers have said that's not going to be possible. The question is does that mean we therefore abandon the idea of linking the two sections of the city? My view is that we need to give people options. We're in an environment now where public transport but also the ability to walk and cycle should be something that we're able to facilitate. At the moment this is the best option we have to do that.David Seymour: Does that mean that her Government is committed to building the cycleway across the Waitematā at any cost; and if not what's the limit?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again at this stage we have estimates but they are just that over the likely uptake: 3000 possible cyclists 2000 possible pedestrians. But I don't think we should limit ourselves on what future usage would be when I expect that Aucklanders will increasingly as we make it safer for people to cycle around the city take up those opportunities.Hon Julie Anne Genter: Can she confirm that the only reason a new bridge is needed and that high cost needs to be spent is because of a desire to keep five peak hour lanes reserved entirely for cars rather than four?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I reject the premise of that question because the assumption therefore is made that we could take out just one lane. The issue that has been raised with us is that from the New Zealand Transport Agency's perspective they are concerned about the safety issues with only allocating one and the view is that if you were to do it you would need to allocate two. Of course that raises other issues. Our view is creating a dedicated ability for people to move safely across the harbour is a better long-term option.Hon Judith Collins: How will a cycle and walking bridge affect the structural integrity of the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge which estimates show will not be able to continue to take freight for another 40 years?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The assumption the member is making is that it's somehow structurally the same thing to allow a truck over as it is to somehow build an entire structure in addition to the harbour bridge and I don't think it's fair to make that assumption. Hon Judith Collins: No no the existing bridge.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is my point. The assumption therefore is that a truck moving over the harbour bridge is the same structurally in terms of impact as attaching the SkyPath to the bridge. I'm not an engineer but I do place a lot of weight on the advice that we've received. If we're told it is not a structurally sound decision to make then we need to look at an alternative. The suggestion has not been that that means the harbour bridge itself is unsafe.Hon Judith Collins: So who is proposing SkyPath if it's not that Government's previous Minister; certainly not us?SPEAKER: I think there was a question there at the beginning.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I think the member seems to almost have answered her own question. Of course we have supported SkyPath. The advice that we have from engineers is that that is not a project that we can continue to safely pursue. The question I put back to the member is: we've taken our position—SPEAKER: Order! Order! I think the Prime Minister knows that she answers the questions.Hon Judith Collins: Will hundreds of thousands of South Aucklanders face more or less chronic gridlock due to her decision to reduce funding on the widening of State Highway 1 and Mill Road?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Our view is that we can continue to provide transport options to an area that is high growth. We've an additional train station to that area and at the same time our expectations around housing growth remain too. The issue that we have to factor in all of these decisions is: how do we ensure that we both have the capacity in terms of housing but also provide multimode transport options and not allow ourselves to simply say that if you design new housing areas the only option for transport is cars. We need to provide alternatives.Hon Michael Wood: Can she confirm that the New Zealand Upgrade Programme makes $2.7 billion worth of investment in transport projects in South Auckland—exactly the same as was confirmed at the beginning of the programme?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes I can confirm that.Hon Judith Collins: What advice has she received about how many tradespeople are going to be travelling on the cycleway with their tools?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The suggestion there that somehow the harbour bridge is simply disappearing is ridiculous.Hon Judith Collins: You'll be falling into the foam. You'll be falling into the ocean.SPEAKER: Order! Order! I think the Leader of the Opposition knows that I won't be."