Little Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLittle Andrew: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:8160. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.ANDREW LITTLE (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all of his Ministers?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister): Yes. They are competent and hard-working Ministers.Andrew Little: Why does he have confidence in the Minister for Building and Housing given he used ministry funds to host meetings designed to promote Parmjeet Parmar’s candidacy in a possible by-election?Hon BILL ENGLISH: That is absolutely ridiculous. The Government makes—[Interruption] The Government has a HomeStart policy that will help thousands of young New Zealanders into their first home and of course local MPs are turning up to promote the policy. We cannot help it if Labour is worried that Labour would lose a by-election in Mt Roskill.Andrew Little: Why did a ministerial staffer in Nick Smith’s office say in an email: “Parmjeet Parmar has also expressed a strong interest in hosting a road show as she is keen to raise a local profile in Mt Roskill in case of a by-election.”?Hon BILL ENGLISH: The National-led Government is in the fortunate position that its backbenchers like our policies. They know what they are and they want to promote them. I know that is not the case in the Labour Party but it is the case over here.Andrew Little: Why does he have confidence in the Minister of Education when her officials intervened to change a damning independent report on education for toddlers and babies from the Education Review Office?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Of course there is confidence in the Minister of Education who has done more than most Ministers of Education to focus on delivering the promises of public education to those who need it most and has the total backing of the Government in that respect. The member’s other allegations are just wrong.Andrew Little: Why will the Government not release to taxpayers a taxpayer-funded New Zealand Trade and Enterprise report about sheep that were flown using taxpayer funds to die in a taxpayer-funded corner of the Saudi desert?Hon BILL ENGLISH: As I understand it the key information in the report is commercially sensitive. There is no aspect—[Interruption] The circumstances to which the member is referring have been thoroughly investigated by the Auditor-General and Cabinet is quite happy with the nature of those arrangements. [Interruption]Andrew Little: Well their heads are somewhere. Why are New Zealand taxpayers funding secret research reports for the private benefit of Saudi sheikhs?Hon Members: Sheeps?Mr SPEAKER: Order! The question has been asked; it will now be answered.Hon BILL ENGLISH: Maybe secret sheikhs and the sixth sheep. I do not know what the member is referring to.Andrew Little: So what steps will he now take to address the widespread and growing perception amongst New Zealanders that his Government is just corrupt? [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: I did not hear the last word but—the Hon Bill English.Hon BILL ENGLISH: That is simply not true. This Government is more open and more transparent than any previous Government. More of its official proceedings are published more quickly; more data is more open to anyone. The Government is fully transparent.