5. Question No. 5—Prime MinisterHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 5—Prime Minister5. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Is her Government the most open and transparent Government New Zealand has ever had?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): This Government has certainly worked hard to be open and transparent and we have done for instance a number of things to improve transparency like for the first time introducing a policy for the proactive release of ministerial diaries and Cabinet papers. We've responded to record numbers of Official Information Act requests (OIAs) with Government agencies completing responses to 19829 OIAs just between July and December 2019 compared to 14000 roughly in 2017 for the same period. We've responded to a record number of written question requests answering 103117 so far this term compared to 41000 last term. In addition just through COVID-19 obviously we've tried to make sure that daily we've been available. I've done personally over 30 press conferences. The Epidemic Response Committee was set up in the absence of Parliament to allow questioning and the Opposition to have a voice and apply accountability. We released 317 documents on Friday as part of a proactive release to provide COVID material. This is alongside reporting like weekly reporting from Treasury on the fiscals weekly reporting now on benefit numbers through COVID-19 as well.Hon Paula Bennett: Did a leaked email from her office on Friday say that I would like to sign off and see all written responses. Do not put Minister up for interviews on this." and if so is that working hard to be open and transparent?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member is quoting from an email from a member of my staff so I feel I should just clarify that when she quotes "I" that wasn't a reference to myself. I'm only saying that because of course it is not my expectation I receive those personal requests personally. We have received some feedback that the time of day of that release was an issue. We have given a commitment that we'll look to provide that kind of information now in the mornings and that we will signal in advance when that information is being provided to try and ease for instance the gallery's coverage of what was a large amount of information that we did want to make sure that we provided for the purposes of transparency.Hon Paula Bennett: Did the Prime Minister see the memo before it went out?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No I only saw the email in preparation for question time anticipating that the member would ask me questions about it.Hon Paula Bennett: So if all communications have to go through the Prime Minister then why didn't this memo?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Obviously it was a reference to coordinating responses to a large amount of information which is not unlike what the member did when they were in Government also. But also you'll note that I was not the first person to speak on these documents. Actually Dr Clark was and Minister Shaw also commented on the proactive release.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Did the Prime Minister get any communication—because this is about communication—of thanks from Mr Bridges or Paula Bennett for insisting upon the 10 people at funerals rule so that the National Party MPs couldn't meet and roll their leaders?SPEAKER: I think there's just far too much irony in that question.Hon Paula Bennett: If as she says it is about lining up communications then why did the leaked memo say "There's no real need to defend. Because the public have confidence in what has been achieved … Instead we can dismiss."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is not language that I would use. Again to come back to the substance of the issue what we're debating here is actually the release of 317 documents and if the member would like to ask me any questions about any of those documents I'd be happy to oblige.Hon Paula Bennett: Does she have confidence in the senior adviser that wrote the memo and does she stand by the statements that he quite clearly made in the memo that "There's no real need to defend. Because the public have confidence in what has been achieved … Instead we can dismiss."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: To answer that question: yes I do have confidence in that member.Hon Paula Bennett: Is her office's belief that "we can dismiss" the reason officials are no longer allowed to provide an assessment of the regulatory impact of her Government's legislation?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I refute the basis of that question.Hon Members: It's true.Hon Grant Robertson: That's just not correct at all.SPEAKER: Order! Order! Just be very careful about the use of that word.Hon Grant Robertson: With respect to the primary question has the Prime Minister seen the letter from Dr Ashley Bloomfield the Director-General of Health dated 7 May 2020 to the Hon Simon Bridges which corrects the factual inaccuracies that Mr Bridges presented to Dr Bloomfield at the committee and has she heard whether or not Dr Bloomfield has had an apology from Mr Bridges?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I have heard reports of that exchange.Hon Paula Bennett: Is there a regulatory impact statement for today's COVID legislation and why was that legislation if we're working with the most open and transparent Government only given to the Opposition less than 24 hours ago when the Government has had weeks to work on it?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That member has that legislation because we provided an exposure draft for the Opposition. Equally we're providing it to others who have an interest in this area because these are extraordinary times—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Can the people just stop shouting the Prime Minister down—the two senior members of the Opposition.Hon Paula Bennett: I'm not shouting her down sir—I'm not shouting her down; I've got an opinion.SPEAKER: You were.Hon Paula Bennett: It's called a debating chamber.SPEAKER: Stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Paula Bennett: I withdraw and apologise for arguing with you.SPEAKER: Stand withdraw and apologise without any reflection on the Chair.Hon Paula Bennett: I withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I am very happy to answer the member's question though. There is no expectation or assertion here from the Government to do anything other than try and be open around pieces of legislation that we're having to work at great pace on. There is no politics in a pandemic response. But there is an issue around of course timing. As the member is well aware there just hasn't been the same time usually available for the full drafting of legislation and process that we would usually want. We've tried to mitigate that through of course the select committee process the member has been a part of and through providing documents and advice to the Opposition as quickly as we're able to.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Why then did Cabinet decide not to have a one-day select committee on the bill that's being moved through urgency today as recommended to Cabinet?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Ultimately it is about trying to get input on the bill in a meaningful way. The determination was we would try and do that through an exposure draft because an afternoon at the select committee may not have been able to provide that space for meaningful feedback and we are still seeking to do that through alternative means. I think the point is that effort is being put in here to do what we can in the time we have available but the member would do well to remember this is a pandemic and we are working very hard under the circumstances we have.Hon David Parker: Is the Prime Minister also aware that the reason why that one-day select committee didn't proceed was that that would've left a one-day gap between the earlier stage 2 start which we've managed to bring forward by a day but which would've left an enforcement gap had the bill not been passed.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That equally was a factor. But actually also members did discuss that we did want input from those who had significant interest and expertise in these legal matters and we felt by directly providing an exposure draft that would give us the ability to try and do that as well.Hon Chris Hipkins: Has the Prime Minister been advised that following the Christchurch earthquakes Parliament passed legislation without regulatory impact analysis that also had an impact on people's human rights and their property rights?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes and I know the member who has asked the question knows how difficult it is to balance speed but whilst also allowing due process and we have tried to do our best."