9. Question No. 9—Regional Economic DevelopmentCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentQuestion No. 9—Regional Economic Development9. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: Why did officials from the Provincial Development Unit spend $1.03 million in the 2018/19 year on travel accommodation meals and other expenses and how many launch events for Provincial Growth Fund projects did this spending relate to? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Minister for Regional Economic Development: The member's question is factually incorrect by $366000. In total $844631 was spent on these expenses in the 2018-19 year; $187389 on accommodation meals and incidentals. Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. What about the second leg of the question which was about launch events for the Provincial Growth Fund projects? Hon Chris Hipkins: Mr Speaker if there are two legs to a question and the premise upon which the second leg of the question is the first leg of the question and the Minister has said that the first leg of the question is wrong then he can't really answer the second part of the question. SPEAKER: I—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Speaking to the point of order—SPEAKER: No. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: The member's winning at the moment. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Oh OK then. SPEAKER: I don't accept the submission of the Leader of the House. The fact that the first part is not absolutely accurate does not rule out the second part. If the answer is something less than the first part the second part can stand even if there is an assumption in there that it all relates to launch events which itself I don't think has been authenticated. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Minister these events are not parked up in Sydenham or Fendalton or dare I say it Remuera and Epsom; they are out in the real world from Kaitāia to Invercargill where we have people—Hon Paul Goldsmith: It's not real? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: —placed all over the country and despite that on the ground—I know you haven't been out and about in Epsom. You wouldn't know what a hammer looks like or a shovel or for that matter what a business looks like. He has no business experience at all—at all. But my point is that in this year 52 funding announcements were set around these events—52. Chris Bishop: How did a unit of just over 100 people manage to rack up spending on flights and dinners and hotels of a million dollars in just a year? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Minister again the member's got his figures wrong. The figures are $844000. So that's not a million dollars. But I know that his only background experience is selling tobacco so what would he know about a real business. Snapchat that. [Interruption] Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption] SPEAKER: Hang on hang on. I want some settling and I want to think about that one but while I'm thinking about it I'll hear from Mr Brownlee.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Mr Speaker at the moment the Deputy Prime Minister is speaking on behalf of the Minister who has a delegation for regional development. The Minister for Regional Economic Development has answered written questions providing the numbers that are being used by my colleague Mr Bishop in this question and were provided to the Clerk's Office in authentication of the primary question. Are we to take it now that the Minister answering for the Minister is saying the Minister himself was wrong all along?SPEAKER: On that particular question there's clearly a matter of debate and there may be an inaccuracy or people might be using different definitions and I'd remind the member that the Deputy Prime Minister who is currently acting to answer this can occasionally work things around to a different way of defining things or pick up figures in different ways—he has some experience in it. But if there's a clear error then I would expect either the Minister answering the question or on the next occasion he comes to the House the Minister in charge to deal with it. Having said that while Mr Brownlee was on his feet having called a point of order the Deputy Prime Minister continued and I think made an unbecoming reference to a member and he will stand withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I withdraw and apologise. Can I answer the question? [Interruption] Can I answer the question Mr Speaker?SPEAKER: Hang on. I'm just trying to work my way back—yes there was an interruption so yes.Hon Paula Bennett: He keeps being personally abusive.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Oh listen to this.SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. I made a ruling—all right?—and my ruling was the member was interrupted by a point of order. I don't expect my ruling to be criticised by the member from her chair.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I certainly was not questioning your ruling in one way or the other. I was making the point that all the Minister does when answering is be personally abusive because he doesn't have answers. But that's not questioning you sir.SPEAKER: That's still not a point of order.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Thank you Mr Speaker. Back to sanity. The costs of the Provincial Growth Fund's development travel unit and accommodation are reflective of a dynamic programme which engages with the provinces and the regions and does not leave them to rot stagnate and decay. Now here's the challenge: in contrast 20 Cabinet Ministers in last year's Cabinet spent $1.2 million—that's 20 Cabinet Ministers—116 officials in the last year of comparison spent $844000. Now the travel costs are the lowest admin rate possibly in the Western World's democratic history—0.028 percent for a $3 billion programme. Stop being so mealy-mouthed. Chris Bishop: What steps if any is he taking to rein in the travel activities of the Provincial Development Unit?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Minister frugality and thrift is our middle name and we spend all of our time telling our officials not to waste money as they were wont to do under a prior administration.Chris Bishop: How many staff attended the event to mark the reopening of the Napier to Wairoa rail line in June last year which so far has had the grand total of three trains run down it?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Minister that the member wanted to have an answer to that question given there have been so many—that is scores and scores of events—as to how many turned up to this one event was an endeavour not seeking an answer but just to showboat in Parliament. However what I can say is there were literally hundreds and hundreds—dare I say it thousands—lining the railways from Wairoa to Napier as it was reopened. I know that because I've seen all the photographs and all the pictures. And then of course you've got all the local government politicians and mayors mainly whom are National saying it's a fantastic and very sound idea. Chris Bishop: Why are the hundreds of people who apparently lined the route to welcome the reopening of the line not using the $6.2 million line that has just been reopened?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Minister when you have a circumstance where the prior Government let a railway line cease operations on the basis that they wouldn't spend one cent to fix it up and when a Government comes along later with all that atrophied business and all that development commerce having been delayed it takes a while to get things back going again. But he will not find one local body politician or mayor from Wairoa or Napier—nor the whole Hawke's Bay for that matter—who is not on this Government's side in the case of that railway line. But if the National Party's view is that it should be closed why don't they say so?Chris Bishop: Does he think New Zealanders would find it galling that officials have spent $1 million on travel and expenses at a time of huge economic uncertainty?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Minister having proven that that was false in the first place when he said the word galling" I wasn't too certain whether he meant Gauloises because that's a French cigarette and he would have been selling that in his past life as well.Chris Bishop: Why does he continue to insist that my figures are wrong when questions for written answer Nos 1906 and 1900 clearly state that travel meals and incidentals add together to $1.03 million?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The member just put his finger on the problem. He didn't say "meals"; he said "travel". Now come on. He said countless times "travel" and now—of course he's not of a very athletic business mind—he's got caught out."