1. Prime Minister—StatementsHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition—National) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSPrime Minister—Statements1. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her statements?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes in the context in which they were given.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she stand by her statement that we have set a high bar" for spending taxpayers' money; and if so did the fact that eight Ministers flew to the Chathams to open a wharf last week meet that bar?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The Hon Chris Finlayson would be very disappointed to see you relegating the importance of the Chatham Islands. I think you'll find it makes more sense to have a group of Ministers undertaking work at the same time. Each of them undertook their own work while they were there for the opening of the wharf and so it was a productive day for each of them.Hon Simon Bridges: Can she confirm that all eight Ministers voted against the new wharf when National put aside funding for it in the Budget last year? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I think you'll find they voted against giving $400 million to the top 10 percent of earners and would stand by that.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she consider as meeting her high bar the defence Minister's use of Air Force helicopters as a taxi service to take him from Masterton to Waiōuru—a trip that would take just three hours by car?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Every single one of those trips was a part of the work that he does as defence Minister and in fact that particular trip as I understand had additional aerial work attached to it as well. And I'd point out that he's never done anything like take it to a golf game for instance.Hon Simon Bridges: Well has she given the advice to Jenny Salesa that one way to reduce her spending on Crown cars is simply to ring "Ron Air" and get them to pick her up from her place?SPEAKER: That was a question that's been used and ruled out.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she stand by the statement that the Government is committed to a planting programme of "100 million trees a year" and if so how many trees have been planted to date given that 41 million would have needed to be planted already—SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat. I want to remind the Leader of the Opposition that he asks a question. When he asks a question he doesn't add on extra "givens" or anything like that.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would hope the member would know enough to know that planting in the middle of summer is not a good idea.Hon Simon Bridges: Given her statements about her ambitious housing programme how many KiwiBuild houses have been built almost 6 months after taking office?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Actually I have to say one of the priorities has been preparing for winter and some of that is not going to be delivered by KiwiBuild because we won't be able to build homes in time for that cold season. So that's our immediate focus and we'll have more to say on that soon. When it comes to KiwiBuild we'll have announcements that are imminent.Hon Simon Bridges: Given her statements how many KiwiBuild houses have been built almost 6 months after taking office?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I've just said KiwiBuild obviously takes time to ramp up. We've got a goal of 16000 within the first three years but the one thing I'm committed to is making sure we don't have people sleeping on the streets in winter unlike under that Government.Hon Simon Bridges: So when will the first KiwiBuild house that wasn't already planned and funded by the previous Government actually get built?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I said announcements on that will be imminent.Hon Simon Bridges: With all the statements that the Prime Minister's made on Russia last week why did her Government not feel able to take a definitive statement sheeting home responsibility for the Salisbury nerve agent attack to the Kremlin until 41 hours after Theresa May addressed the Commons 40 hours after the United States and Canada issued statements holding Vladimir Putin's Government responsible and 26 hours after the Australian Government made its statement?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is because we were actually first—before. We put out a statement on Tuesday before the UK produced further information. Every partner made a subsequent statement so we put out a subsequent statement too and Theresa May has since then thanked this Government for our support on this issue."