1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterCHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. CHRISTOPHER LUXON (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. Tomorrow the first round of the expanded Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry Fund will go live and is focused on working with medium to large energy-using businesses to reduce carbon emissions by switching from coal and fossil gas and being more energy efficient. This plan will unlock private investments support businesses to reduce their costs and improve productivity and reduce emissions. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels will help shield New Zealanders from the volatility of international price hikes while reducing transport and energy bills. This policy is estimated to support projects that will make up around one-sixth of our total emissions reductions required between 2022 and 2025 and over a quarter of our emissions reductions required between 2025 and 2030—I think you'll agree; an excellent programme. Christopher Luxon: Why has the Government still not passed firearms prohibition orders legislation despite the police calling for these powers more than five years ago?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Just for clarity these are the firearms prohibition orders that the National Party first floated in 2014; at the time Anne Tolley said that that work was due to be finished by the end of the year. I believe in 2016 Judith Collins said Firearm Prohibition Orders: the development of a regime is well advanced."—2016. We currently have it at select committee and so it is due back here in August. If after eight years of consideration the National Party are ready to support the bill I look forward to them doing it when it comes back to the House.Christopher Luxon: Does she believe that firearms prohibition orders (FPOs) would have helped police prevent the current escalation in gang shootings?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I can't quite answer on behalf of the member why his party—when in Government—chose not to put forward firearms prohibition orders. We have. It is before select committee. It comes back in August. If this is a commitment from the National Party to expedite it through its final stages I willingly accept their support.Christopher Luxon: Does she agree with Police Association president Chris Cayhill who said that FPOs without—Hon Members: Cahill.SPEAKER: Order! Order! I'll get the member to start again. I'll take it as a genuine attempt to help with pronunciation. CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Does she agree with Police Association president Chris Cahill who said that FPOs without warrantless search powers would be "useless" and will the Government include these powers in their FPO bill?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: They have warrantless search powers and they have used them obviously in the last month. I think they've said even in the last week there's been if I recall until 27 May four warrantless searches executed as part of specifically the tensions that we've recently seen in one week alongside six warranted searches. What I also know is that Chris Cahill said on 26 May of this year "We think in the medium-to-long term a gun register will have the most impact on reducing the availability of firearms to criminals" a policy the National Party did not support. Christopher Luxon: Will she commit to passing the FPO bill—as soon as possible once it's brought back to the House—under urgency and if not why not?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the member is now since having given consideration to this bill and not having passed it in 2014 or 2016—that after eight years of consideration you now want it to go through urgency we would welcome your support. Obviously it has gone through the normal select committee process; it comes back in August. If the member is proposing urgency for the second and third reading we would welcome it.Christopher Luxon: Was her police Minister correct when she said "I reject the premise that gang tensions have increased under this Government's watch"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member is rejecting the implication that Labour policy has directly increased gang tensions and I support that. There is nothing that the member could point to that the Government has done when in fact we have increased the penalties for firearms; we have removed prohibited weapons to the tune of 60000 of them; we've seen more asset seizures; we've increased the number of police; and we have doubled the organised crime unit and yet under that party police numbers decreased. So that is why you cannot point to this Government's actions as having increased tension but they are certainly responding to it. Christopher Luxon: Why does she have confidence in her police Minister?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because we have the highest police numbers on record having inherited a period where under the last National Party Government we saw police numbers in one period decline by 300. Because as I've said we've doubled the organised crime unit and we now have a retail unit to specifically respond to the needs of retailers and that is because we have record police numbers and are committed to 480 to match one police officer to the population to make sure that we keep up those numbers. We also have additional legislation on criminal seizures of assets for organised crime. We have finally after much dawdling on the other side of the House seen the progress of FPOs; we are creating a gun register which the National Party have not supported; and we increased the penalties for firearms which the National Party did not support.Christopher Luxon: Will the Minister of Police still be the Minister of Police after her next reshuffle?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I have confidence in the Minister and I have said that for all of the reasons that I have outlined. What I don't have confidence in is that the member opposite will stick to his word when all of the evidence demonstrates that under National the police lose money and people."