3. Question No. 3—Prime MinisterDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 3—Prime Minister3. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): Yes. David Seymour: Can he assure the House that his Government never discussed using fear to scare New Zealanders into complying with COVID19 restrictions and if so would he be comfortable with a journalist having all the former COVID19 Minister's internal communications just like journalist Isabel Oakeshott has former British health secretary Matt Hancock's? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think it's an absolutely ridiculous question. It was never discussed in any of the ministerial meetings that I was part of or in any of the conversations that I had around our COVID19 response. David Seymour: Will he then ask the former COVID19 Minister to publicly release all of his texts WhatsApp messages emails memos and other internal communications about COVID-19 to ensure New Zealanders that they did not discuss using fear to get New Zealanders to comply with COVID19 restrictions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I can assure the member that the former Minister for COVID19 response like all Government Ministers will comply with their obligations under the Official Information Act. David Seymour: Does he agree with the statement in the transport general policy statement that many New Zealanders will need to adjust their behaviours in a variety of ways." and if so can he say which New Zealanders need to adjust which behaviours? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: There is no question that we need to get serious about reducing our carbon emissions and that is going to involve New Zealanders all thinking about how to reduce their own carbon emissions. David Seymour: Was his transport Minister Michael Wood's strongly promoting that general policy statement at 7 a.m. yesterday morning then jamming it hard into reverse and backing down on the policy by 3 p.m. an example of a "New Zealander adjusting his behaviour in a variety of ways"? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I reject the premise of the member's question. Hon Michael Wood: Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Government has not in fact issued a Government policy statement on transport nor has Cabinet in fact considered one at this stage? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The member is absolutely correct. David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister stand by the Minister of Education's statement to Morning Report in September that he would—she would—absolutely not make tests easier to help students pass them or the new Minister of Education's statement today asking "Is testing the best way to find out what our young people know? I would actually argue that not for every young person that is the case … I know that that is not the best way to find out what our young people know."—which statement does the Prime Minister stand by? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Oh I think the member is unduly simplifying both of the statements in question. There is no question that the former Minister of Education was absolutely committed to ensuring that we were raising standards when it came to issues around literacy and numeracy—a goal I know the current Minister of Education absolutely shares. David Seymour: Does he agree with former education Minister Chris Hipkins who said that the Government's education policy was to "ensure our young people continue to have access to a world-class education"; if so does allowing students to use spellcheck because 66 percent of them failed a writing test fit with this Government's aspirational vision of a world-class education? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: If the member had listened to my previous answer rather than sticking to his script he would know the answer to that question. David Seymour: I don't think the Prime Minister wants it. Which action does he most stand by: the Human Rights Commission's campaign Give Nothing to Racism or Creative New Zealand giving $107000 to support somebody who says that they want to kill James Cook his descendants and "white men like him" with a pig-hunting knife because they too "might be thieves"? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: That's a message—that's a question for Creative New Zealand who make those decisions independently of Government. David Seymour: Is he aware that the Government appointed the Creative New Zealand board who decided to fund that production and if he is why shouldn't the Government appoint board members committed to giving nothing to racism too? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I am absolutely aware that the Government appointed that board as all previous Governments did as well. It doesn't mean that every Government endorses every decision that's taken in the name of art."