1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterWEDNESDAY 29 MAY 2019The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.Karakia.ORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she stand by the statement of the Deputy Prime Minister yesterday in regard to Budget details released to the media that every figure released by National was utterly fake?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My recollection from the question yesterday was that the Deputy Prime Minister was referring to the statements made within the press statement from the National Party—and he in fact had it as a prop as I recall—and that some of the assumptions that were made by the Leader of the Opposition were indeed inaccurate.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she stand by the statement of the Deputy Prime Minister that every figure released by National was utterly fake?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again what I'm conveying here is that in my recollection the Deputy Prime Minister was referring to the totality of the press statement. Actually this doesn't need to be a matter of dispute. Yesterday in the House we acknowledged some of what was released by the National Party—some of the numbers were correct; some of them were incorrect. Ultimately the real Budget comes out tomorrow so there's just one more day to wait.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she stand by her statement that some of the figures are right?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes I do and I just said it about 10 seconds ago.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Does the Prime Minister stand by her statement that some of the figures were right but not the ones that were on Simon Bridges' press release yesterday—which was pointed out to him?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: There were as I've said statements made in that press statement that were inaccurate.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she have confidence in her Treasury?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: Has she or her office met with Gabriel Makhlouf or the senior leadership team of Treasury in the last 24 hours?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No. Hon Simon Bridges: When was she told that—oh does she need to correct that? Does she need to correct it? SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. He will ask a supplementary question and he will ask it through me and he will refer to the Prime Minister in the proper way not the way he did—which my mother always told me was very rude. Hon Simon Bridges: When was she told that Treasury and her Minister of Finance would be reporting alleged hacking to the police? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is an inaccurate statement. I'm happy to give a time line of events. My understanding is that roughly at about 6 p.m. last night the Secretary to the Treasury received information that led him to refer the matter to the police that roughly an hour later after that decision was taken and that action was taken he then briefed the Minister of Finance. Just to add further clarity to the member's last question and my answer: when the Minister of Finance was briefed I understand that some members of my office were present in that briefing. Again though to correct the statement made by the member we had no involvement in the decision and were only informed after the fact. I was then contacted after that discussion roughly at about 7.20 p.m. Hon Simon Bridges: Which members of her office were in the briefing? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I believe that may have been my deputy chief of staff and my chief press secretary. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she have confidence in her Minister of Finance who has made false accusations? SPEAKER: Order! No the member's going to rephrase the question. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that Grant Robertson said last night that the material the National Party had obtained is a result of a systematic hack"? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes I've seen the statement made by the Secretary to the Treasury which was then reiterated in the statement made by the Minister of Finance. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept Grant Robertson said last night that the material the National Party had obtained "is a result of a systematic hack"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is not the whole statement that was made. What I think we need to make sure is absolutely clear here is that no one has made a direct accusation to the National Party. It is now the subject of a police investigation and it is not for us therefore—it would be inappropriate—to make an accusation against the National Party. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that Grant Robertson said last night that the material the National Party had obtained "is a result of a systematic hack"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again the Minister of Finance reiterated the information that was put out last night by the Secretary to the Treasury. Hon Grant Robertson: Can the Prime Minister confirm that last night the Minister of Finance said the following: "We have contacted the National Party tonight to request that they do not release any further material given that the Treasury said they have sufficient evidence that indicates the material is a result of a systematic hack and is now subject to a police investigation."? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes I can. That is the full statement that was made. Again I do want to highlight that ultimately though it is a judgment call for the National Party and their leader as to what they do with the information that they hold. Hon Simon Bridges: If those accusations are proven to be false—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Can the two members down the end of the House in the opposite corners just keep their mouths shut. Hon Simon Bridges: If the accusation that the information obtained by the National Party was as a result of a hack proves to be false will she stand her Minister of Finance down? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I actually refer the member to the statements that were made by the Secretary to the Treasury where he stated it clearly this morning—no accusation against the National Party has been made. The statement that was made for instance by the Secretary to the Treasury this morning was: "The material that was released yesterday came from the same area that was attacked in our systems". It's a statement of fact. It is not an accusation against the National Party. Now we need to let the police investigation run its course.Hon Simon Bridges: If the allegation that the National Party's material was the result of a "systematic hack" is false will she stand her Minister of Finance down?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I do not agree with the assertion that's being drawn by the member around that statement."