3. Deputy Prime Minister—StatementsHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister—Statements3. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Deputy Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister): Yes I most certainly do.Hon Paula Bennett: Does he stand by his media statement put out as Rt Hon Winston Peters Deputy Prime Minister released on 26 March 2018?SPEAKER: Order! As I indicated yesterday after looking at that statement the content of that statement is not a responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister. That question is ruled out.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. A simple question—why did he style himself as such?SPEAKER: Does the member want to ask that question?Hon Gerry Brownlee: No it does go to the heart of order though doesn't it because if we now have to discern whether or not the Rt Hon Winston Peters is acting as the Deputy Prime Minister or as the leader of New Zealand First regardless of what he puts on his letterhead then of course he can obfuscate any time he likes by just choosing one hat over the other and that's unacceptable.SPEAKER: I want to thank the member for his advice. I am going to refer him to oral question No. 1 back on 5 December where I received some very good advice from the then shadow Leader of the House one Simon Bridges who I think it's fair to say twice implored me—and I accepted and agreed with his advice—to rule out matters when the Deputy Prime Minister was asked questions as Deputy Prime Minister that were not the responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister. In that case I think it was Mr Ball asking about rail and Mr Bridges very clearly and eloquently pointed out that that was not the responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister and I ruled the questions out.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I thank you for that clarification. The bit that is perhaps not clear is the difference between asking a supplementary question in the House and a question about a release put out in the public.SPEAKER: Well as I think I fairly clearly indicated to the member yesterday while the release was headed Deputy Prime Minister" actually there was nothing in the release whatsoever that was with the responsibility of the Deputy Prime Minister. As I indicated I will take leadership from the then shadow Leader of the House as to what's relevant and what's not.Hon Paula Bennett: Why did the Deputy Prime Minister put out a statement on Monday under the heading of "Deputy Prime Minister" when now we are informed that he has no responsibility for the content?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I think with precision I was seeking to help out my friend Mr Mitchell and make sure he was on the straight and narrow.Hon Paula Bennett: So what does he mean then by saying that Mr Mitchell needs to be on the straight and narrow?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Ah yes well given how wide the parameters of behaviour are in that party I know that's a great stricture but what I'm really trying to ensure is that he gets the correct story before he wantonly goes public with it.Hon Paula Bennett: So the question is then: what is the correct story when he was approached by a member of the Deputy Prime Minister's party who informed him that he had been sent by a Minister; so is the correct story that he was sent by one of your Ministers?SPEAKER: No I can deal with that very very easily. The responsibility for the member of the party is not that of the Deputy Prime Minister and responsibility for the Minister is not either. That is the responsibility of the Prime Minister but there is no ministerial responsibility for the actions of backbench members of Parliament.Hon Paula Bennett: What was the underlying point that he refers to frequently and what is the message that Mr Mark needed to get on Saturday afternoon?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The underlying point would have been that this was about a conversation to do with the Provincial Growth Fund; that because of the previous Government having thrown Warkworth and Wellsford against their wishes into the super-city they could not qualify; but that because we are an open-minded party it would not pre-empt us trying to see our way through it in the future to help the people from Warkworth. [Interruption] But it's what I'm saying and it's a fact.Hon Paula Bennett: Does he still believe that "transparency and openness" is the middle name of this Government as he's said previously when both Minister Tracey Martin and MP Jenny Marcroft avoid media questions?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: No no the member cannot answer it because he—I don't care if he wants to. The member cannot answer it because that is not an area that he has any ministerial responsibility for. Hon Paula Bennett: Supplementary—SPEAKER: Sorry I'm just going to ask Mr Goldsmith I think who made that interjection to stand withdraw and apologise. Was it Mr Goldsmith? Hon Paul Goldsmith: I withdraw and apologise. SPEAKER: Thank you. Hon Paula Bennett: In respect of his previous response as part of then that funding going through is it a condition that Mr Mitchell not be involved in that restoration project? Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Oh quite the contrary. We welcome any efforts that Mr Mitchell has to make his life more meaningful given that he's a backbencher and I know this project to have been around since Peter Wilkinson was there in 1975. That's how long it's taken National to respond to a vital issue. So here we are in 2018 and I can see why they're accessing the Provincial Growth Fund to try after 50 years to do something for the people of Warkworth. SPEAKER: Well I think we now see the problem that we have when we get outside the areas of strict responsibility."