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 her statement in the House on 22 July On 1 April we created the Infrastructure Reference Group. On 17 May we received over 1900 potential projects; that was then provided to Ministers. We worked through a shortlist of 800. On 29 June very quickly they were signed off and on 1 July they started to be rolled out"; if so why hasn't her Government released the full list of projects?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes I note my very next sentence after the quote the member used provides the answer to the second part of her question: "We've already had hundreds of millions of dollars' worth announced. Some we continue with due diligence but we are moving as swiftly as we can." Hon Judith Collins: If these projects have been signed off why has the construction sector not been informed of the full list of projects?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I have just said where there are projects that we have not yet announced publicly that is because we are still in some cases undertaking due diligence. In some cases that will mean that applicants have been advised of the outcome but I'm not willing to compromise the Crown's negotiating position as we work through some of those projects and equally I'm not willing just to satisfy the member to pre-emptively announce projects when we owe it to of course taxpayers to go through a process properly. I think on this we've got the balance right.Hon Judith Collins: If as the Prime Minister says she's protecting the Crown's negotiating position and there is still due diligence being made then why did she announce that they were signed off?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because of course we wouldn't want officials going into a process negotiating a project that we haven't had Ministers agree to.Hon Judith Collins: How was the Government able to issue a press release detailing how much funding was allocated for projects by region and an estimate of jobs if the Government had not confirmed the details of these shovel-ready projects?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because in-principle decisions were made and then that gave the mandate to officials to go into the negotiating position or to finalise details of those individual projects. Again though despite that the speed at which we have been moving on this area I think means that we should be congratulating Crown infrastructure partners the Provincial Development Unit (PDU)—those who have predominantly been involved in moving very very quickly to strike that balance between investing in infrastructure in our local communities but also doing it in a very managed way. We would not be making this more than $2 billion investment in these projects were it not for COVID-19 but the fact that they have enabled us to respond so quickly and communities have benefited from that I think deserves congratulations to them.Hon Judith Collins: How is it possible to issue a press release detailing exactly how much funding was allocated for projects by region if as the Prime Minister has said those projects and the prices of them still need to be negotiated?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: For the same reason that of a $3 billion contingency we put aside $2.6 billion into infrastructure projects but allowed a $400 million contingency. We have been able to create brackets of funding to demonstrate where that likely investment is going to go but we still have needed to complete due diligence. I remind the member that actually last week in the House when she asked me the same question at that point we had announced funding of roughly $750 million and at that time I believe it was 50 projects that had been announced. Now we're over halfway there with announcements and spending of over $1 billion. So if the member wishes to ask me again I'm sure I'll have another update for her in the House next week again.Hon Judith Collins: Why is the Government drip-feeding projects via ministerial visit and press release instead of releasing the full list of projects and delivering certainty for the construction sector as her Deputy Prime Minister has confirmed last week in the Wellington Chamber of Commerce?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Obviously I would not characterise the process and the due diligence we are going through in the cynical way that the member has. I would remind the member we would not making these announcements were it not for COVID19 and that it's my expectation that the vast majority of projects will likely be announced by the time this House rises or shared directly with applicants by the time this House rises. I would be very surprised if that member's list of the $80 billion worth of cuts she intends to make will be announced by then.Hon Judith Collins: Well then if the Prime Minister is going to accuse me of being cynical on this was her Deputy Prime Minister also cynical last week when he said that the list of shovel-ready projects should be released?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I have worked through the timing of what we are doing and the process of what we are doing. I remind the member that the point I was making is that these projects exist because of COVID—no other reason.Rt Hon Winston Peters: So could I ask the Prime Minister: is the process that Ministers look at the projects the PDU does the serious hard work they put together the fiscals and then it goes to tender and if there's a successful one we're off and running—and that's what the Deputy Prime Minister was saying?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Obviously the Deputy Prime Minister will be well placed to give the context of that statement but I stand by the process that we as a Government are going through with these projects and the speed at which we are moving which given the scale of what we are trying to do but also the impact on communities I think we are to commend the Public Service for the work that's been done.Hon Judith Collins: Were the projects she announced in Taranaki on Thursday signed off by Cabinet on 29 June and if so why did it take a month for them to be announced?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I have mentioned a number of times once the in-principle decision has been made by Ministers there is still additional detail to go through. The reception that I received and heard from those on the ground in Taranaki demonstrated to me that they were very pleased with the process that they had gone through that they felt engaged in the process and that the community would benefit from the outcome.Hon Judith Collins: Did that process also include when the Prime Minister would be in Taranaki to make those announcements?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I reiterate: these projects only exist because of COVID. Now the member and her party either supports infrastructure investment or will continue to claim that this is political when it is not."