Hague Kevin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHague Kevin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 11 December 2013. Volume:695;Page:15483. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.KEVIN HAGUE (Green) to thePrime Minister: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister): Yes because they are a group of competent hard-working and energetic Ministers who are delivering a stronger economy a safer community better public education cleaner water more support for the most vulnerable and a massive rebuild in Christchurch.Kevin Hague: Is he confident that his Ministers are delivering the results that matter for New Zealanders given that one in four children is living in poverty unemployment is as high today as when the recession ended 4 years ago more kids than ever are going to hospital with preventable diseases New Zealand is plummeting down the education rankings over 60 percent of rivers are unsafe to swim in greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise the ultra-fast broadband roll-out is in crisis and the asset sales have been a costly disaster?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I appreciate that the Greens have a different view of progress than the National Party. That is their view of progress is that anything that looks like another job for another person is pollution and should be stopped. They are very consistent about that. We however do believe we have made progress. There are 53000 more jobs in the New Zealand economy than last year and the Greens I think probably opposed every decision that was related to those new jobs. I just want to say to those New Zealanders benefiting from those 53000 jobs that we are right behind you and the Greens are trying to stop you. Those people will decide how to vote next year.Kevin Hague: Well then who does he rate as his best-performing Minister? Would it be the Minister of Finance who managed to turn $6 billion worth of public assets into $4 billion of cash losing money for everyone along the way except for brokers lawyers and admen; the Minister of Education who has overseen a record drop in our kids’ international achievement ranking; would it be the Minister for Economic Development whose Skycity deal was described by the Auditor-General as “poorly planned and executed”; or could it be the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery who seems to spend most of his time losing court cases to Cantabrians who just want a fair—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! Bring the question to a close please.Kevin Hague: Well I will just—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Bring the question to a conclusion.Kevin Hague: Or alternatively is it the Minister for Social Development who cares so much about child poverty that she cannot bear to know how many children are suffering?Hon BILL ENGLISH: As I said before we might have a different view of Ministers’ progress. Certainly all those Ministers have made fantastic progress in their portfolios. If the Prime Minister was here though and if he was asked to say who was the most competent he would probably say it was the Minister of Finance but the Minister for Social Development says she is better.Kevin Hague: Does the Prime Minister have confidence in his own ability to choose able Ministers given that this year he has had to sack Ministers from two of his support parties; and is it not true that to lose one support party Minister may be regarded as a misfortune but to lose both looks very much like carelessness?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I think most New Zealanders are familiar with the idea that the Prime Minister is not uncomfortable with discussing his pretty special capacities to carry out most political tasks including selecting his Ministers and that is why he remains today the most popular Prime Minister—consistently—whom New Zealand has ever had. [Interruption]Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know this is coming late in the piece for this year but I wonder whether you could consider the propriety of people clapping like that every time some Minister vaguely tries to answer a question. [Interruption] No no—Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is a point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: You will not see it in other respectable Western Parliaments. It is a habit that is creeping in from one side of the House. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member has asked me to consider that matter and I will.