1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon JUDITH COLLINS (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. 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 I stand by the further drop in the unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent. The figures released today show not only a drop in our overall unemployment rate and an increase in employment but an increase in women's employment with an additional 14000 more women in work compared to last quarter—not just a number. This builds on our March benefit quarterly statistics which showed a record number of people have come off benefit with nearly 33000 entering paid work. These numbers are evidence that our economic plan is working and that the Government's employment investments are making a real difference in the lives of New Zealanders including the expansion of the Flexi-wage to support more people into work which has already had 1600 placements in its first six weeks; our Apprenticeship Boost scheme to help employers retain apprentices which has already benefited over 22000 apprentices; and our free trades training which has benefited 106000. I could well go on.Hon Judith Collins: Was her health Minister correct when he said yesterday that there are two vetoes in the proposed health restructuring; if so what are those two vetoes?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I don't believe that I would agree with the characterisation of—Chris Bishop: He said it.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I do not agree with the characterisation the member has continuously put to this House. As we have said in answers yesterday of course the intention is that a Government would set health priorities; that Health New Zealand alongside the Māori Health Authority would then establish national health plans to ensure the delivery of those priorities. Without having that equal footing in approving the way those health plans would work you essentially just maintain the status quo which is the idea of consultation and we are trying to move beyond that.Hon Judith Collins: So is there a veto power or not?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I've said yes there is a requirement that we reach agreement between Health New Zealand and the Māori Health Authority on the delivery of those health priorities. Again just in the same way that Kōhanga Reo determines how they deliver their services and Whānau Ora determines how they deliver theirs. This is a response to the fact that our system as it stands has not worked well. It does not remove the ability of the Government of the day to set health priorities but this will we hope enhance the way that we deliver those services on behalf of all New Zealanders including our Treaty partner.Hon Judith Collins: So what mechanism is she putting in place or has she put in place to deal with a situation where the Māori Health Authority wishes to veto a decision of the national health agency—or whatever name it's called—when there is no agreement? What's she going to do about the veto power?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I would point out that this is in relation to decisions that will affect Māori health provision so I think this idea that somehow it's completely detached or devoid from the delivery of actual services—there will be issues where of course we have said that the Māori Health Authority will be involved in direct commissioning so you'll have those priorities set nationally. There might be specific services that they will commission. However there will be other areas where you are providing a service across the board—say it might be national cancer screening—where we will be doing general population and we do need to ensure that the Māori Health Authority is having a view and a say in the delivery of those services for Māori because we haven't done that to date and we haven't reached Māori as a result to date. So some of the things we're working through is if we do reach an impasse—which I frankly don't believe we often will—we have mechanisms to resolve those issues. That's part of the work that our transition agencies continue to do.Hon Judith Collins: So if she's so concerned about using the term veto" then why is it in the health Cabinet paper that her Minister took to Cabinet and why did he say yesterday there are two vetoes?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My question is why can the member not say the word "partnership"?Hon Judith Collins: What commitments has she made to iwi and the Labour Māori caucus on fresh water and resource management changes?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Simply that we'll try and work together to resolve an issue that has sat on the table and languished and that her previous Government was unable to resolve and that we have undertaken that we'll keep up the dialogue to see if we can work through it.Hon Judith Collins: So when will she start the dialogue with every other New Zealander on these very important issues?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I would push back on this idea that we haven't had good robust debate around water use in New Zealand over a number of years. I remember it being a particular subject of interest in an election not so long ago called 2017. Not all of our ideas were at that time successful but that debate has long been held in New Zealand. It is not new and everyone has a voice in it.Hon Judith Collins: So when is she going to tell the New Zealand public exactly what commitment she has advised Cabinet about when she made that commitment to the Labour Māori caucus and the collective referred to in her Government's Cabinet paper?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Sorry I'm not entirely clear on the member's question. Could you please re-ask?Hon Judith Collins: Yes. So when is she going to tell the New Zealand public exactly what is the commitment that she made to the Labour Māori caucus and the collective referred to in her Government's Cabinet paper on the meeting around fresh water and resource management control?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Exactly what I said in my first answer: that this issue has been before us for a number of years. No one has been able to resolve it. In fact some haven't attempted to. Our commitment is to work together. I say publicly what I say privately.Rawiri Waititi: Point of order. I'm wondering why two Pākehā women are talking about Māori issues when they're not talking to Māori themselves. There's a room full of us.SPEAKER: Well the one thing that I'm not going to take responsibility for is the member's wondering.Hon Judith Collins: Will she rule out transferring full or partial governance of the foreshore and seabed to Māori while she is Prime Minister?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We commit to upholding the legislation that's already in place.SPEAKER: Question No. 2 Barbara Edmonds.BARBARA EDMONDS (Labour—Mana): Thank you Mr Speaker.Hon Aupito William Sio: Bring back Simon Bridges.BARBARA EDMONDS: To the Minister of Finance—SPEAKER: Order! Barbara Edmonds.BARBARA EDMONDS: To the Minister of Finance: what recent reports has he seen—SPEAKER: No sorry I am going to interrupt. I am going to require the Hon Aupito William Sio to withdraw and apologise.Hon Aupito William Sio: I withdraw and apologise."