2. Prime Minister—Confidence in MinistersHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterPrime Minister—Confidence in Ministers2. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in all her Ministers?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: How can she have confidence in the Rt Hon Winston Peters when his statement on Tuesday last week on the Russian nerve agent attack carefully avoided any mention of the Russian Government and also didn't mention the proposed free-trade deal with Russia?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I stated in the House yesterday we were one of the earliest countries to come out to condemn the use of that nerve agent before even the UK came out with further advice and evidence which was following. We have since been updated of course given all of the evidence that then emerged and have the exact same position as our partners the UK the US France and Germany.Hon Simon Bridges: Could she really have confidence in the Rt Hon Winston Peters when he goes on TV and says things like there's no evidence" Russia was involved in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 and "We have a lot of allegations but we do not have the facts laid out clearly on whether Russia interfered with the 2016 US election." when there's a wealth of evidence to support both?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I pointed out yesterday in that same interview he pointed out that the missile certainly was Russian and that there is an international investigation going on into the downing of that plane as we speak. The point that I would make is if we are so out of step with our international partners why did Theresa May thank us for our statement and for the solidarity that we've shown? To continually misrepresent New Zealand's position does us a disservice.Hon Simon Bridges: Who directed the amendment of the statement issued last Friday evening clarifying the Government's position on the Salisbury attack so that the version subsequently posted on the Beehive website reduced its word count from 214 to 197 words by removing all the quotes directly attributed to the Prime Minister? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I notice again the obsession with word count abounds. That statement always had on the top of the header that it was a joint statement by myself as Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it her policy that Ministers can continue to meet with Russian diplomats in the wake of the events in Salisbury?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As we have made clear Salisbury has changed things. We have continued what has been the suspension of the free-trade talks which were enacted in 2014—they have not resumed—and we have said it is too early to say if or when they would given the situation we are now in. I would ask the member: does he take a different view than this Government on Russia because we have been very clear. [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Can I suggest first of all to the Prime Minister that she shouldn't even in that form ask the Opposition questions because she's likely to get the response that she did. But can I also say to the Leader of the Opposition that this is a matter of international affairs and is something which is of a lot of concern to a lot of people and constant chirping from both members on his bench during the answer is not helpful either.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Would you prefer that I address the question again? [Interruption] SPEAKER: If the Prime Minister—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: No. I've had "Go on." from the member's leader so I'm just about to rule that the Prime Minister can answer it again. Does the member have a different view?Hon Gerry Brownlee: Yes but—whatever.SPEAKER: Well can I ask the Opposition between the leader and the shadow Leader of the House: whose advice should I take?Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well of course the leader of the National Party calls the shots for us. My point was about the fact that firstly it is not for the Speaker to determine the importance of a question—which you just did. For you to then determine because it's important that you should take a different attitude to the way it's answered I think is inappropriate. Now whether the Prime Minister answers again or not is a different matter entirely.SPEAKER: I want to thank the—the Hon Gerry Brownlee. I nearly repeated my mistake. I want to thank the Hon Gerry Brownlee for his view but it has been a long tradition in this House that matters of international affairs where nuance around diplomacy are important are treated with more respect than a run-of-the-mill political question and that's why I did ask to have less interjection both during the question and afterwards from the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy. The Prime Minister—replying to the question again.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My understanding is that no member of this Government has met with any representatives from Russia since Salisbury and the insinuation that he's made suggests that that's not the case.Hon Simon Bridges: How can she have confidence in trade Minister David Parker when he failed to convince the US Government that New Zealand deserves an exemption from US steel tariffs so that she had to resort to the rarely used step for a Prime Minister of personally writing to the President seeking the exemption herself?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the suggestion from the Leader of the Opposition is that we shouldn't do everything we can as a Government to stand up for New Zealand exporters frankly I'm shocked by that.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she support the Hon Shane Jones in his call for the chair of the board of Air New Zealand to resign?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I expressed yesterday there will be many New Zealanders who will have sympathy with the opinion that was expressed. I've made similar statements around regional access in the past. However as I've said today calling for the resignation of the chair was a step too far and I've shared that with Minister Jones.Hon Simon Bridges: Well didn't he do it in his ministerial capacity as a Cabinet Minister with collective responsibility?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: He has no ministerial responsibility for Air New Zealand.Hon Simon Bridges: Will she discipline the Hon Shane Jones for threatening the chief executive the chair and indeed the board of a publicly listed New Zealand company?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I've shared my view with Minister Jones but just as this isn't a sacking offence for Air New Zealand it's not a sacking offence for Shane Jones either.Hon Simon Bridges: Well is her Government boosting business confidence in New Zealand by floating the possibility the Government will make entire sectors like oil and gas disappear; attacking business leaders by name; and instigating wholesale reviews creating a lot of uncertainty into infrastructure like electricity and ports?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Most of that question was incorrect."