1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements policies and actions?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes.Hon Paula Bennett: How would she define our relationship with China given her Foreign Minister has made it clear her Government is concerned about Chinese influence in the Pacific?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister words matter. When a very very carefully crafted speech is given what is said is factual; what is not said is malicious inference.Hon Paula Bennett: Does she agree with her Deputy Prime Minister that New Zealand's relationship with China is excellent" and would that remain a fair description if New Zealand exporters were now facing delays when trying to export their goods to China?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister the last time there was a delay was when the former Government was in office where goods were on the wharves whilst they were trying to sort out the melamine scandal at that time. I recall who the Minister was and how hopeless he was in trying to solve it. There are no delays on our ports or Chinese ports at this point in time. In fact if you look at the growth in exports the growth in inter-country travel the growth in expenditure between China and New Zealand it's all gone up in the last year dramatically.Hon Paula Bennett: What recent reports or advice has she received from Government officials regarding delays for New Zealand exports at Chinese ports?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister making an allegation like that impugning that there is a crisis when one does not exist—Hon Gerry Brownlee: It's a question. Try answering it!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Pardon?Hon Gerry Brownlee: It's a question.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well I know "Mr Woodwork Teacher" it's a question—SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat. I want to remind all members in the House that this is regarded by most New Zealanders as a very serious issue and should be treated that way. The level of interjection or the type of interjection is not helpful. I will remind the Deputy Prime Minister while answering to stay within the bounds of the Standing Orders and to apologise for the comment made about another member before the Deputy Prime Minister resumes the answer for the Prime Minister.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I with great delight apologise to all woodwork teachers including Mr Brownlee.SPEAKER: No. The Deputy Prime Minister will now apologise without any qualification.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I apologise without qualification and unreservedly. Can I say that in that question was the allegation or inference that there was some crisis with respect to the product arriving in China. I'm asking the member who asked that question to give us for the first time in a long time of parliamentary questions the facts to back it up because it does not exist.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do ask permission to ask my question again without having to take one. It was very clear it was a short question there was nothing impugned in it and it wasn't answered at all.SPEAKER: It was answered. It was very clearly answered not just what reports but the fact that none existed.Hon Paula Bennett: If as the Prime Minister says she has not sought recent reports or advice how can she unequivocally state that there are no hold-ups of our exports at Chinese ports?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister thank heavens that my mind processes are not so convoluted. We do not start at shadows or go looking for false rabbits up unusual trees. The fact is that no businessman or woman has raised the issue with us. So why would the Prime Minister's job require her to start making inquiries where there's no concern about trade.Hon Shane Jones: Does the Prime Minister stand by her comments on the Air New Zealand flight being turned around?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister most definitely yes because paradoxically two Governments knew nothing about this matter: the New Zealand Government and the Chinese Government. Air New Zealand has admitted that it was a total botch-up and that they turned the plane around without any contact with China whatsoever. They've taken full blame.Hon Paula Bennett: Is she aware that Government officials are actively discussing that exporters experienced delays at Chinese ports?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister that is not information that is presently before us but we would welcome that member providing the background evidence that I hope is the substance of her question but hitherto and now the answer is no.Hon Shane Jones: Does the Prime Minister stand by her remarks pertaining to the five Ministers who apparently have had their visas revoked? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Can I just—can the Prime Minister resume her seat; I'm not sure how we put this. Can I make it absolutely clear that it is the right of any member to ask a supplementary question. It was a very broad opening question and the questioning of a member of the Government's right to ask a supplementary that members don't like is just not acceptable.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There was no case of the Opposition not liking the question; it was just the inference that there had been a suggestion that visas had been revoked. The question that was asked yesterday was "Have they simply had trouble getting visas issued?"Hon Chris Hipkins: Speaking to that point of order Mr Speaker. If you're going to be ruling out on the basis of objection from the other side imputations in questions then actually you'd be knocking out most of the questions being asked by the Opposition on the basis that we don't agree with the premise of them.SPEAKER: And obviously if the Prime Minister hasn't made any such statement then it's up to her to say so. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister the comments that I made were to do with the allegation from the National Party that five Ministers had had their visa applications stopped. That's an accurate summation of the allegation. Now the next question is: have the Chinese failed to process five ministerial applications? And strangely enough—we've got to wait for the punchline—the answer is yes and guess why? Because not one of those five Ministers has made an application for a visa at this point in time. Hon Paula Bennett: Will she now ask official advice on delays at Chinese ports as we had New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in the select committee today saying that they had had phone calls of concern from businesses around exports on Chinese ports?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Can I just say that on behalf of the Prime Minister a comment from NZTE about phone calls which are mistaken and probably originate from—Hon Nathan Guy: Throw them under the bus.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: —base allegations that are not true—and if that Minister's record was put on the line we'd see how inadequate he was. It went on for months you recall—at enormous loss—and when it was all over we'd lost control of our infant formula business. This guy should have been retired a long time ago.SPEAKER: Order! I am going to remind the Deputy Prime Minister—I understand that he shouted at the Prime Minister but I will remind the Deputy Prime Minister that he is speaking for the Prime Minister and answering for her and that might enter the nature of the answers given.Hon Shane Jones: Does the Prime Minister stand by her comments in respect of the statutory process pertaining to Huawei and the delivery of independent information related to security?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister most definitely yes. The legislation under which that decision was made was passed by the then National Party - led Government not supported by the Labour Party or New Zealand First. I cannot recall what the Green Party did but it was a National Party piece of legislation. So here comes the process which post the election was still in place and the Prime Minister is not—nor are any Cabinet Ministers—involved. It is the process set up by the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Act that the National Party put in place. [Interruption] Yes she does."