1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in the statements and actions of all his Ministers?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): I have confidence in all of my Ministers.Hon Marama Davidson: Does he agree with comments from the Auditor-General on the fast-track approvals bill that conflicts of interest whether real or perceived can create public concern around the integrity of decision making." and if so has he sought any advice on how to manage conflicts of interest for ministerial decision-makers?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: That is why we'll manage conflicts of interest and that's why we have an independent panel to make assessments around the economic and environmental impacts.Hon Marama Davidson: How many of the companies that Minister Bishop wrote to on 3 April about the fast-track bill are the subject of conflicts of interest that any of his Ministers have declared?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well the Minister did a great job reaching out to 280 organisations many of them iwi-led organisations that actually want to participate in getting things built in this country. What I'd just say to that member is we are going to get things built in this country and we are very very proud of that fast-track legislation.Hon Marama Davidson: Point of order Mr Speaker. There wasn't any addressing of the question at all. I can repeat it if the Prime Minister would prefer.SPEAKER: Well the problem is that the first question was "Does he have confidence in the statements and actions of his Ministers?" and he said "I have confidence in all my Ministers." There really aren't too many more questions that can flow from that so I'm letting it go but I don't think it's reasonable to start pulling up the Prime Minister when the question's actually been answered.Hon Marama Davidson: Speaking to the point of order please for genuine guidance the exact question was "How many of the companies that Minister Bishop"—SPEAKER: No I'm talking about your primary question. So once you've got an answer to the primary question supplementaries should relate to it. Where they don't then I don't have much jurisdiction.Hon Marama Davidson: Thank you. On what date did he become aware—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. The primary question asked was actually a very broad question. It's absolutely legitimate then to probe into the statements and actions of Ministers in the Prime Minister's Government and the only Minister who can answer questions on conflict of interest is the Prime Minister. The supplementary question asked does directly relate to actions taken by Ministers it therefore flows logically from the primary question. It is absolutely within the Prime Minister's responsibility and he hasn't even made any attempt to address it. This is a matter that is of significant interest to the overall integrity of Government and democratic processes and it's not unreasonable to expect that the Prime Minister will make an attempt to answer it.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Speaking to the point of order.SPEAKER: No—I'll call you in a moment.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I give you some help here? I'm sure I can.SPEAKER: Away you go.Rt Hon Winston Peters: With respect there is no company out there with a conflict of interest and if there is it requires the question—Hon Marama Davidson: Point of order.SPEAKER: When a point of order is being taken nobody else speaks.Hon James Shaw: It's not a point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: There is no company out there with a conflict of interest—SPEAKER: Sorry—somebody over there has something to say. Well you're getting your last say tomorrow so we'll just leave it for now.Rawiri Waititi: Point of order.SPEAKER: No we've got a point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: There is no company out there with a conflict of interest and if there is I call to that member then please name them rather than have this innuendo and implied breach of parliamentary—SPEAKER: That's enough because it's actually not a point of order.Hon Marama Davidson: Really not a point of order.SPEAKER: [Interruption] Woah we're getting well out of control here. This hasn't happened to me before.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: You get used to it. Point of order. What was that point of order? Why was it not stopped? Or is it now legitimate for us to stand up raise a point of order and say whatever we like as part of a broader debate?SPEAKER: Well with all due respect an awful lot of people do that but to be honest with you I couldn't hear the first part of it because there was a lot of noise coming from down the back end of the House. So we'll just calm everything down. I think the best way through this would be for the Hon Marama Davidson to ask her question again.Hon Marama Davidson: How many of the companies that Minister Bishop wrote to on 3 April about the fast-track bill are the subject of conflicts of interest that any of his Ministers have declared?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: No projects have been selected yet for the fast-track process. So the question is moot.Hon Marama Davidson: Point of order Mr Speaker. Is there a ruling that understands that the Prime Minister did not address my question for the New Zealand public?SPEAKER: I think it would be appropriate to ask that question again and to just pick up a couple of words that are in the question. Away we go.Hon Marama Davidson: How many of the companies that Minister Bishop wrote to on 3 April about the fast-track bill are the subject of conflicts of interest that any of his Ministers have declared?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well the member is not understanding where we are. The bottom line is that there have been no projects that have been selected yet right? What we're saying very clearly is [Interruption]—would you like the answer? We will make sure that conflicts of any interest are managed well and we'll make sure that we've got an independent expert panel considering all things related to the project. But the member is well ahead of herself because there have been no projects selected at this stage.Hon Marama Davidson: On what date did he become aware that at least one company in contact with his Ministers about applying for fast-track approval had donated to a coalition political party?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I'm not aware of that but I know that we will manage conflicts of interest incredibly well with this process.Hon Marama Davidson: Did Minister Jones disclose donations of $50000 to New Zealand First from entities with a connection to Kings Quarry before—Rt Hon Winston Peters: Point of order. Surely we're not going to have this process where someone so ignorant of our electoral law thinks they can come to this Parliament when disclosures required to the Electoral Commission and to every other legal body and get away with that allegation? SPEAKER: Look—Rt Hon Winston Peters: No Mr Speaker with the greatest respect they don't know what they're doing here. SPEAKER: Well sorry I just want to say this: a point of order needs to be a point of order. It can't be a point of political rebuttal. So that's the last of those we'll have today. Point of order the Hon Chris Bishop.Hon Chris Bishop: As I think the member Marama Davidson knows the Prime Minister is not responsible for electoral law donations made by political parties. Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Speaking to that point of order Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister is absolutely responsible for conflicts of interest that flow from that. Where members are making decisions that relate to parties who have made donations to their campaigns any conflict of interest that flows from that is absolutely the responsibility of the Prime Minister. SPEAKER: And I think the Prime Minister has answered by saying that those conflicts where they occur will be properly managed. I don't think he can say much more than that to the House. Hon Marama Davidson you have another supplementary.Hon Marama Davidson: Mr Speaker I hadn't got to the end of that question so I will repeat that question because it wasn't answered. SPEAKER: Hang on I think—actually that's fair enough. You were interrupted. Carry on.Hon Marama Davidson: Thank you. Did Minister Jones disclose donations of $50000 to New Zealand First from entities with a connection to Kings Quarry before Minister Bishop wrote to Kings Quarry inviting them to apply for the fast-track process?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I don't know how to be any more clear with the member but there are no projects that have been approved under the fast-track provisions at this stage. All that has happened is a form letter has gone out to a series of organisations making them aware of the process and the application process. Hon David Seymour: Does receiving one of 280 letters saying that there will be a fast-track process to get more stuff finally built in New Zealand actually entitle anyone to any kind of consent to build anything?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: No.Hon Marama Davidson: Mr Speaker if I can again—point of order please on that previous question. SPEAKER: You can give it a go but it better be a point of order.Hon Marama Davidson: Yes. Thank you Mr Speaker. The question was: "Did Minister Jones disclose donations?" and that was not at all addressed by the Prime Minister. SPEAKER: Well I would assume that you know about the donation because it was disclosed. So there's no point for me to rule on here.Hon Marama Davidson: Thank you Mr Speaker. Will he commit to providing an opportunity—SPEAKER: Hang on. Point of order the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Mr Speaker there are two processes here that may be being confused. Ministers still have to declare political donations relevant to their responsibilities to the Cabinet Office under the conflict of interest process. That is a different process to an electoral return declaration and once again the Prime Minister is responsible for that and there are different time frames associated with that. For example donations that may not yet have been declared in an electoral return still need to be declared to the Cabinet Office if a Minister is making a decision about a related entity. So therefore that question is both within order and also something the Prime Minister should be expected to answer.SPEAKER: Then ask the question again.Hon Marama Davidson: Thank you. Did Minister Jones disclose to Cabinet donations of $50000 to New Zealand First from entities with a connection to Kings Quarry before Minister Bishop wrote to Kings Quarry inviting them to apply for the fast-track process?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well in response to the later part of that question—I'll answer that leg—I've said very clearly no projects have been confirmed. All that has happened is a form letter has been sent out to a series of organisations—many of them iwi-led organisations—a range of corporates that actually want to participate in fast-track legislation. But the bigger point is very simple here: we are going to get things built in this country and we are not apologising for that. We believe in fast-track legislation because we want modern reliable infrastructure in this country so we can become more productive; we can get a higher standard of living.Hon Marama Davidson: Will he commit to providing an opportunity for public scrutiny of projects before the bill is set down for third reading to ensure transparency in light of the real risk of conflicts of interest?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Again projects haven't been determined yet. We have a clear process that involves an expert panel that will weigh up the economic considerations the environmental considerations and Ministers will make decisions. And won't that be great? Because we'll finally get some stuff built in this country.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Supplementary question—supplementary question.SPEAKER: Supplementary question the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does the Prime Minister agree with Chris Bishop that—Rt Hon Winston Peters: She was last? Because on that side they were last not us. That side got the last question; why isn't it over here?SPEAKER: Your side got the last answer.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Does the Prime Minister agree with Chris Bishop that Shane Jones should have been sacked when he usurped an independent regulator to benefit a donor—a donor who is now the director of one of the companies invited to participate in the fast-track consenting process? Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: I'll say to that member as well: we have a fast-track process which we are incredibly proud about. We will manage any future perceived real conflicts of interest—don't worry about that. We'll make sure we have a strong expert panel that can deliver the economic environmental considerations. We are going to get things done unlike that member's last Government who just talked and talked and didn't do a thing.Rt Hon Winston Peters: In the fast-tracking process which is of such great interest today has the Prime Minister and his Cabinet found it of use that there was a precedent of 19 fast-track projects under the former Government?Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON: Well I think David Parker potential future leader of the Labour Party along with Phil Twyford as his deputy actually put a good thing in place—and we've taken that and we've built on it and we're making it work."