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 our recent announcement that Budget 2021 will help deliver on the Government's commitment to a carbon-neutral public sector by 2025. Budget 2021 delivers a total of $67.4 million over four years including a significant boost of $19.5 million to the successful State sector decarbonisation fund and $4.18 million for leasing low-emissions vehicles. These policies will see an additional 76000 tonnes of carbon emissions saved over 10 years. These policies build on the last three Budgets where we made significant investments in New Zealand's low-carbon future.Hon Judith Collins: Why did the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) present as a preferred option to 23 South Island mayors and iwi a document proposing co-ownership of South Island drinking water?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: They did not.Hon Judith Collins: Is the Prime Minister now telling the House that this document here that was presented to 23 mayors and iwi and says Owners are the Canterbury councils and Ngāi Tahu who are responsible for appointing representatives to the JGG."—is that not what it says?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm happy to correct the member. I'm advised that that piece of work was commissioned by Ngāi Tahu. It was prepared by PwC and it is not something that Ngāi Tahu or of course the Government who did not commission it have been pursuing.Hon Judith Collins: So when the Prime Minister is now telling the House that this document is the fault of Ngāi Tahu is she now saying it was not presented by the Department of Internal Affairs at the hui that were being conducted by it?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm actually rejecting the content of the question. I'm advised that it was commissioned by Ngāi Tahu. It's not a question of blame.Hon Judith Collins: Who presented the document to the 23 South Island mayors and iwi?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: It was prepared and commissioned by PwC. It has not been pursued I'm advised by either Ngāi Tahu or indeed by the Government.Hon Grant Robertson: Has she seen reports from Ngāi Tahu to say that the Leader of the Opposition's claims have been deceptive and wrong?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes and I would really just encourage the member to engage directly with Ngāi Tahu on this issue because I understand they've had to correct some of the statements that have been made more than once now. Or simply if the member chooses not to do that feel free to engage directly with local government members particularly in the South Island who have been engaged in these conversations either directly with DIA or alongside Ngāi Tahu. But again I say to the member if the member wishes to have a discussion over the fact that we have billions of dollars that need to be invested into our water infrastructure in the coming decades and how we can best do that to protect the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders and ensure it remains in public ownership which is a bottom line I'm happy to have that debate. The member instead is choosing to turn this into a discussion it is not. David Seymour: Will the Prime Minister rule out joint ownership of water infrastructure in the South Island between Ngāi Tahu and councils as suggested in this document?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Public ownership has always been a bottom line so not only have we ruled that out; Ngāi Tahu have ruled it out.Hon Grant Robertson: Can the Prime Minister confirm reports that the chair of the Ngāi Tahu freshwater group said "The only person proposing a co-ownership model is Judith Collins."?SPEAKER: Order! That is not the Prime Minister's responsibility.Hon Judith Collins: Is the Prime Minister telling the House as she just said before that PwC commissioned this document; in which case who paid for it?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is not what I said. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! I think the member knows that there are—[Interruption] Order! I think the member knows there are ways of pursuing that. Probably the first is to listen to the tape.David Seymour: Will the Prime Minister rule out co-governance of water infrastructure between Ngāi Tahu and councils as also suggested in this document under her Government?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We have been very clear on ownership structure. When it comes to the issue of governance of water services the Government local government—and yes alongside local government there has been good engagement with iwi and local government themselves have been driving that too. Those decisions are yet to be made but we are very clear on ownership.Hon Judith Collins: What does the Prime Minister believe is co-governance of drinking water in the South Island?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Ultimately this has all been driven by the fact that in Havelock North we had people who got extraordinarily sick and some who died as a result of us not having consistent provision around either water regulation making sure that regulations are upheld or that our water infrastructure is sufficient. Currently we have over the next 30 to 40 years $120 billion to $185 billion worth of investment required in infrastructure. What we are starting is a discussion with local government around how we deal with that significant infrastructure gap and investment when currently $1.5 billion or $45 billion over the next 30 years is how much local government is likely to invest. That is the problem we're trying to address and I would welcome the member's engagement on that issue.Hon Judith Collins: Is she concerned that the Government saying that Ngāi Tahu needs to exercise rangatiratanga over drinking water could influence the present High Court case where Ngāi Tahu is claiming full ownership of South Island fresh water?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No.Hon Nanaia Mahuta: Will it surprise the Prime Minister that Ngāi Tahu has consistently advocated for clean safe reliable drinking water as well as improved freshwater outcomes for all New Zealanders in the South Island?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is exactly what they've been advocating for and not just around drinking water. Of course they've been engaging on the freshwater reforms as well. That is something that surely we all can agree on and all have an interest in.Hon Chris Hipkins: Does the current Government continue to honour the co-governance arrangements signed up to by the previous Government for natural resources including for example parks?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes and it's actually been in this House that we've discussed at some length the fact that it was the last Government that engaged in particularly Te Urewera Act of 2014; the Waikato River Authority of 2010 which is an independent statutory body under the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act something I thought that previous Government was proud of; and of course governance around Little Barrier Island and Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority 2014. My point here is that in Government these were areas in which members not only actively engaged; they encouraged and changed the law around. Now that they're in Opposition they appear to be taking their party backwards by decades. I wonder whether every member of that party is entirely comfortable with this significant repositioning.Rawiri Waititi: Has the Prime Minister seen any reports on a water authority for the South Island that gives Ngāi Tahu iwi co-ownership of water as alleged by the Leader of the Opposition?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No because ultimately neither Ngāi Tahu—and they have been very clear on this—are pursuing that and of course we've ruled it out as a bottom line. So they are attributing a position to Ngāi Tahu that they do not hold.Hon Judith Collins: Then why are they suing in the court to own all the fresh water in the South Island?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Ngāi Tahu are rightly raising issues around fresh water and it is up to them—[Interruption]—around freshwater quality—and they have every right to access the court as does any other iwi."