2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Prime Minister: Does the Government intend to implement all of its policies?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes especially the Government's decision to put a greater emphasis on primary healthcare and ensure fairer access to healthcare for all New Zealanders through establishing Health New Zealand a new Māori health authority and a new public health agency. The forms will mean that for the first time we'll have a truly national health system and the kind of treatment people get will not be determined by where they live.David Seymour: Does she stand by the statement in the New Zealand Government's submission on the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples dated March 2021 that Aotearoa New Zealand is committed to being among the first states to create a plan to implement the Declaration."; if so what parts of the He Puapua report will be included in this plan?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm going to respond to the second half of the member's question. As we have repeatedly said over the last few days and indeed the last week He Puapua was a document that was produced by a group of individuals presented to the Government but has not gone to a Cabinet has not gone to a Cabinet committee is not a Government programme and nor has it been endorsed by the Government. I'd make a general statement though if I may to the member: the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was signed by the then National Government in 2010. In 2014 four years later a Cabinet minute records that the then Cabinet which included the now Leader of the Opposition announced that they would finally set a declaration roadmap to actually implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. There was a short stocktake on that implementation and sadly nothing further happened. You cannot simply sign up to a document and not do anything about it. We have started a process. It is fair to say it has some way to go.David Seymour: Can the Prime Minister now answer the first part of my question: does she stand by the statement in the New Zealand Government's submission on the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples dated March 2021 that "Aotearoa New Zealand is committed to being among the first states to create a plan to implement the Declaration."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We're working on implementing something that we signed up to over a decade ago. The fact that that would make New Zealand amongst the first isn't because we have an aspiration to be the first; it's just a sad state of play that currently there aren't many declaration plans in place. There was a visit if I recall not so long ago where we were implored as a signatory to the declaration to actually start some work on it. I would hope that the member would agree that we do have some obligation to follow through on the signing of it as National did 10 years ago.David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister agree with the submission on the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples dated March 2021 when it says "Māori wards and Māori health authorities are examples of initiatives which are consistent with the declaration." and if so what other initiatives from the declaration does the Government have under way?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Actually what I would say is that a Māori health authority is actually consistent with the Treaty of Waitangi and our role as a partner to the Treaty of Waitangi. It also if I may is actually in keeping with the principle that I'd hope all New Zealanders would hold that if something isn't working fix it. Our health system is not working for Māori. They are dying younger than other New Zealanders and so we are fixing it. Now you can put whatever rationale for that action that you would like on the table. Mine is fairness and equity.David Seymour: Was she aware that the Minister for Māori Development met with the chair of the Declaration Working Group on 7 April and if so what discussions has she had about this meeting?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes I am aware of that and I would expect given we received a report from that group that that's only in keeping with really just courtesy to make sure that we update the group on our intended work programme going forward. The paper—Hon Judith Collins: Why's it taken two years? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I will not take criticism over the time line given it's been 10 years since the National Party signed up to it. To the member's question I imagine one of the things discussed would be the next step for us because obviously—we'd be the first to admit—there were some delays since that report was received for anything happening in part: (a) COVID and (b) the election.David Seymour: Is the Prime Minister confident the Government's been acting in an open and transparent manner in relation to the He Puapua report and if so why did the Ombudsman have to become involved in an Official Information Act request to release it?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: To answer the latter half of the question the reason that Te Puni Kōkiri made the argument about not releasing the report was because of a concern that it would be misconstrued as Government policy. I rest my case.David Seymour: Is the Prime Minister saying that her Government cannot release reports taxpayers pay for because the people who pay for it might not properly understand it?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Absolutely not.Hon Judith Collins: If she believes it is a courtesy to update the authors of the report when did she think she might have the courtesy to update the New Zealand public that have paid for it?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: At the time that it had been considered by Cabinet. We have of course a process of proactive release once a report has been considered by Cabinet. This report was released before it was even considered by Cabinet a convention multiple Governments across multiple parties have always maintained.David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister agree with Professor Jack Vowles of Victoria University who says "If the government is serious about He Puapua it will explain its own position more fully and if it wishes to pursue that agenda or significant parts of it it should set up the framework for a further constitutional debate to which all New Zealanders can contribute."?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That was what He Puapua was intended to start and I have to say the groundwork for us being able to have a decent conversation about these issues has not been well established by the debate I have seen from members of this House.David Seymour: Is it the Government's position that New Zealand deserves a debate or that the release of its documents should be supressed because poor little taxpayers might misconstrue it?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member is completely mischaracterising my statement—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course our reports that are considered by Cabinet are proactively released it is part of how we behave as a Government. This report had not been considered by Cabinet. There was no ability therefore for us to put formally our positions on the report thus the argument that was in the absence of that it could be misconstrued as Government policy. And I have to say the member has proven that assertion to be completely correct."