2. Provincial Growth Fund—Decision Making and FundingHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) on behalf of the Rt Hon to the Prime MinisterProvincial Growth Fund—Decision Making and Funding2. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) on behalf of the Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Can I begin by congratulating the member and wishing him all the best for his new role as leader of the National Party. And to answer the question yes. Hon Simon Bridges: How many of the projects announced on Friday were projects not already under way or planned under existing Government programmes? [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We've actually been quite open about the fact that predominantly they had been ones that had pitched themselves to the last Government but obviously were not progressed and were not funded. It took this Government to accept that those regions had produced initiatives that were worth progressing and so we're making them happen. Hon Simon Bridges: Which region received the most cash in the initial round of projects announced on Friday? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I think this early on it would be premature to pick a winner of course because it is a $1 billion fund per annum. We have only just started with a little over $60 million worth of investment. We always said that we would highlight for instance Northland the West Coast areas like the Bay of Plenty—wherever there is a lack of investment high levels of unemployment and deprivation. So we've started with those areas and that's included places like Northland. SPEAKER: Order! It was quite a specific question and—Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: And I mentioned Northland twice.SPEAKER: You did mention three regions. I'm going to ask the Prime Minister just to very briefly address the question again. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: In this first initial round there was a dominant feature for Northland as there should be. Hon Simon Bridges: Why is that? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because that region was totally neglected by the last Government. Hon Simon Bridges: How much of the $61.7 million announced last Friday was already appropriated funding from the last Government and how much of it was new money from this Government?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I said in the first answer we've made no secret of the fact that the last Government ignored the pitches that were made by those regions which made a strong business case for investment and were ignored. That's why we decided to progress them. So on the one hand you can't argue that they were reasonable business cases when on the other hand you never funded them. Hon Simon Bridges: So how much of the $61.7 million announced last Friday was already appropriated funding from the last Government and how much of it was new money from this Government?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member is ignoring some of the projects—on the West Coast for instance. The trails down there were initiatives that were promoted by Damien O'Connor and were progressed by this Government. As I said we've acknowledged that the last Government didn't progress predominantly ideas from Northland which is one of the many neglected regions and so a good portion of the $60 million is going to them.Hon Simon Bridges: How much of the $61.7 million announced last Friday was already appropriated funding from the last Government and how much of it was new money from this Government?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The billion-dollar fund that this Government announced on Friday of which we've announced a small portion to kick-start us—SPEAKER: Order! I'm sorry to interrupt the member but the Hon Amy Adams—I think it might be an idea just to leave the Prime Minister to answer the question especially—Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If I can finish it.SPEAKER: The member will get a chance to finish it but her interjection has resulted in the Opposition getting an additional supplementary. I'd want to say to Amy Adams: she's quite a long way away but her voice is dominating at the moment and I would prefer to go back to the answer thank you.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The vast majority were new allocations. Perhaps the member would like to talk to us about the bridges he was meant to have built as well.Hon Simon Bridges: How will the Government's provincial fund compensate the regions for all the backwards-looking policies being enacted such as industrial relations immigration and red-tape restrictions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I have to correct the member. When it comes to issues like the skills gap for our regions this is the one party and Government that collectively have said We will allow a regional skills migrants list to respond to the fact the last Government didn't listen to the problems that they had."Hon Simon Bridges: In light of the Government's big spending initiatives in tertiary education and KiwiBuild with no evaluations why do we now have $3 billion of spending on regional development that we'll never know how big a flop it is until 2023 because Labour have made sure there's no evaluation?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: So on the one hand these were all your ideas; on the other they're going to be a flop. The member needs to make up his mind over whether or not the regional growth fund's a good idea.Hon Simon Bridges: Why is the Prime Minister comfortable with the provincial fund advisory panel being headed by a private political donor to Shane Jones and David Parker the two most important Ministers for this policy?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would make the comment that the only reason the member knows about that is that it was declared it was transparent and we've made it clear that that donation was made. But I think the member discounts the vast experience of every member of that advisory board including the referenced person's background in investment—exactly the kinds of skills we want on that advisory panel.Hon Simon Bridges: So why has the Prime Minister set up a fund that gives the biggest dollop of cash to Winston Peters' home region of Northland is advised by a private political donor to Shane Jones and David Parker has a New Zealand First list candidate on the independent panel—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Question please.Hon Simon Bridges: —and deliberately has no assessment of its effectiveness until 2023?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course we'll be monitoring the effectiveness of our own policy but one comment I would want to make is: is the new leader of the National Party telling Northland that they have no need for investment in infrastructure for their region because that is a disgraceful claim to make?"