1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime MinisterDEPUTY SPEAKER: The House comes to oral questions and the first is in the name of the Hon Gerry Brownlee.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National): Thank you Madam Speaker. Nice to see you in the Chair.DEPUTY SPEAKER: It feels good!1. Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her explanation in Parliament yesterday of the rationale for the Government's proposed regime for charging some people who return to New Zealand part of the cost of their managed isolation and is the proposed regime an example of good public policy?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes. This is a policy decision which has invited a mixed response across the political spectrum and for only the second time in this Government the agree to disagree" provisions of the coalition agreement have been invoked which reflects how important this policy is to the political parties and dare I say it the New Zealand people.Hon Gerry Brownlee: What is the public policy justification for managed isolation charges applying to people who visit New Zealand for only a short period but not charging people who decide to return home long term having previously chosen to live in another country?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister that is one of the matters which despite the law being introduced which is the base for it has yet to be clearly articulated or enunciated. That's a work in progress and it means that just like the National Party whose previous leader and the third leader in the last four years has said that he was utterly opposed and the National Party was opposed to any charging regime—just five weeks ago. That's what that means. It's still a work in progress Mr Smith.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Does that mean that her Government will be passing legislation next week not knowing what it's going to do?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: No. On behalf of the Prime Minister the Government knows entirely what it needs to do in terms of establishing—Hon Dr Nick Smith: He just said the opposite!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well I'll get a cartoon to go with it Mr Smith if you'll just be patient.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well Madam Speaker you know he's been out there sitting on the front bench out of his seat. That's against the Standing Orders as you well know. He's moved from the back where he belongs to the front—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just answer the question.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: —and he's misusing his position. Right?DEPUTY SPEAKER: Answer the question.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well that's in the Standing Orders as well. But back to my point: the Government is establishing the legislative regime and then it becomes triggered by of course the regulations which are yet to be written. That's what it means.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Can she confirm that costs of managed isolation out to the 31 December this year are budgeted to be $479 million taking the annualised costs close to $1 billion and if so does she think that a 2 percent contribution from that fraction of returnees is fair to the New Zealand taxpayer?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister that was the position that the Opposition took just five weeks ago. It is the case at the present time that there are governing parties that have differing views and we're just being honest and direct with the population out there. The people who will prevail on this issue no doubt will be those who are here to write the law post - 19 September.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Madam Speaker—Tim van de Molen: Won't be that member!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I'll be here long after you're gone son.DEPUTY SPEAKER: First of all there was a question being asked. So interruptions are not to be made and then that invokes a response which doesn't help the order of the House.Hon Gerry Brownlee: If the Government's policy advice was that only $125 million of the $479 million could be collected in border charges is it good public policy to reject $125 million in income for less than $10 million in income?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Look on behalf of the Prime Minister that is the issue which has had variance within the coalition Government and dare I say it the support party the Greens. It happens to be the circumstance now that we find that the last leader and present leader of the National Party agree with a charging regime and as I say long term I can see this issue will be decided post the 2020 election. But I want to say with respect to the National Party's latest stance where it fits with New Zealand First that it puts me in mind of Winston Churchill's famous comment: "The trouble with being on the side of right is you keep so much dubious company."DEPUTY SPEAKER: I just say to the member who's resuming his seat that that actually puts me in mind of Speaker's ruling 159/4 from Speaker Wilson that the Prime Minister is not responsible for the decisions of another party and can address questions as long as she does not address the other parties' attitude on it.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Will the Government release today or before the House debates the bill all of the Crown Law advice and other legal advice that is alleged to warn against managed isolation charges?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister I would like to answer that question but I think that would be more rightly placed with the Minister handling this namely my colleague the Hon Megan Woods. In the meantime if the member had given me more notice I would have come down with the answer.Hon Gerry Brownlee: When the Prime Minister negotiated the managed isolation payment scheme with Winston Peters did she find that he was—and I quote him—"a lamb in Parliament and a lion in the electorate" and is that why New Zealand First has now rolled over their boat for this?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister it's above my dignity to try and even answer that stupid question."