1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's policies and statements?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: On behalf of the Prime Minister yes and especially this week.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why is it her Government's policy to allow foreign investors to buy large tracts of land in New Zealand?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: That is not the case which was the—Hon Louise Upston: Unfettered—unfettered.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: That was not the case. Let me finish because in this case we are informed unlike that member over there shouting out before the answer has even reached four words. The reality of the matter is that unlike the previous administration which had no controls at all we specifically relate this to investors in forestry where there is added value in the growth of exports and jobs in this country.SPEAKER: Before we have the next supplementary I don't know if there's something infectious about the seat that Mr Ball is sitting in but if he could turn his volume down please.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Did her Ministers not grant a standing consent to Pan Pac Forest Products to make up to 25 transactions covering 20000 hectares of land in the next three years?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Yes but you'll remember that the National Party gave numerous consents when they were in office to Pan Pac including allowing their owner Oji Oceania to buy Carter Holt Harvey in 2014 for $1 billion.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Is the Prime Minister aware of Winston Peters' statement from 2017: Last year 465000 hectares of land was sold to foreigners. We in New Zealand First are going to stop land sales to foreigners."?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: In this case we have stopped the sales of 440000.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why is it OK for foreign investors to buy farmland to convert to forestry but not OK for foreigners to buy farmland to farm or to convert to horticulture or vineyards?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister again that is fake news and scaremongering. There's been no such undertaking but there is some marginal land in this country that would be more appropriate in forestry. The National Party used to know that in the old days; why don't they know that today? But here's the point: 460000 hectares was the sale that was happening under their Government and now just because of a 20000-hectare thing he's complaining. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Is he saying that forestry is the only industry that can benefit from foreign investment?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Again on behalf of the Prime Minister of course we wouldn't make such an absurd suggestion.Hon Dr David Clark: Is the Prime Minister aware that this consent will support hundreds of jobs including in the high-value forestry area and that—no that's enough actually; is the Prime Minister aware of that excellent job support that will come from this initiative?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister I want to thank that member for putting his finger on the reason why this is a wise decision. But more importantly this is a company that's in this country for the long haul; not here today and gone tomorrow on a policy of speculation.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why was her Minister's decision to pre-approve purchases of up to 25000 hectares of land by Pan Pac kept secret until after last weekend the weekend of New Zealand First's annual conference?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister whilst it is true that New Zealand First is a very compelling force in the politics of this country that is somewhat inflating their importance.Hon Paul Goldsmith: What advice has she received on the consequences for rural communities and jobs if farms are converted to forestry on a large scale?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister the scaremongering done by 50 Shades of Green is just scaremongering. The reality is that we need a combination of rural employment and rural enterprise and rural exports and this is a very sound investment on behalf of forestry in this country—added value exports and hundreds and hundreds and thousands of jobs.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Where was the answer?SPEAKER: Well the question was "What advice?" I think there was a hell of a lot of advice just—Hon Member: Repeated.SPEAKER: —repeated. It didn't say "From whom was advice received?" If the member wants a specific answer he should ask a specific question.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Regarding her statement yesterday that the DHL export barometer showed some 50 percent of Kiwi exporters experienced an increase in exports over the past year why then does she think growth is still running at 0.5 percent per person?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: On behalf of the Prime Minister this has been enormously illuminating—that all of a sudden one political editor in this country has discovered income per capita. For the nine years they were there it was a foreign country but all of a sudden it's their only defence because they know when it comes to GDP growth this country is a world leader not matched by the USA not matched by Australia Japan the whole of the EU but we are way up in front as the IMF recently reported and that's why our opponents have resorted to a different measurement—because they can't win on the former measurement."