1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL 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 actions and policies?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think in her Government's year of delivery that the Government is delivering with KiwiBuild when instead of 10000 houses per year it has so far only built 70?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the member wishes to put on notice a question as I notice that MP Judith Collins does when she usually asks these questions then I would be happy to give the specifics of the exact numbers as they are today.Hon Simon Bridges: With only one supplementary is it already too hard for the Prime Minister?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Raising leadership issues today—bold call Mr Bridges.Hon Simon Bridges: In that last supplementary was it in fact competency not leadership issues I was raising?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again if the member wants the specific numbers I would prefer to be able to give him a level of specificity given obviously he'll know that in construction these numbers change. If he wishes to put them on notice I'm happy to give them.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think the Government is delivering when the economy has slowed to just over 2 percent growth per year compared to 4 percent growth when she came to office?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes because as we've repeatedly said in this House relative to what's happening in the international environment particularly when measured against those countries we tend to compare ourselves to GDP for the December quarter was at 0.6 percent higher than the OECD average at 0.3 percent and Australia at 0.2 percent faster than Canada at 0.1 percent the UK on 0.2 percent the euro area on 0.2 and Japan on 0.5. If the member wishes to only compare New Zealand to China then his Government wouldn't have fared very well either.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think the Government is delivering when it is well behind its promise to provide 1800 extra police?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again we have increased the number of police officers on the beat far higher than the numbers when we came into office. Yes we have set over the course of a term a goal of 1800. We've always been very deliberate in saying that we are striving for the 1800 because we will not compromise the quality of those recruits. [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Order! I'm not sure whether it's the new hearing aids or not but my left ear is working a lot better than it used to and what that now means is that I'm having trouble hearing the Prime Minister because of the racket. I know that people are a bit excited but if they could just settle down and let the Prime Minister finish please. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The agreement between Labour and New Zealand First was very explicit from the very outset because we never wanted to compromise the quality of recruitment over that ambition. Of course 1800 remains our aspiration. Hon Simon Bridges: Is it now the Year of Striving and Not Delivering"? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think the Government is delivering when doctors are on strike for the entire week meaning New Zealanders are missing out on important and lifesaving treatment? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the member wants to talk about transformation in our health system how about 600000 New Zealanders getting cheaper doctors visits because of this Government? Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think her Government is delivering when not a single new road has been started under her Government? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm happy to reflect on the commencement of a number of new roads that will happen under this Government. Of course we have got the Waipapa roundabout - State Highway 1 Loop Road Manawatū Gorge replacement Mount Messenger bypass Matakana link road Battalion Road seal extension in Wānaka completion of Resolution Drive—look I have a number but the thing is under the context of road safety issues I think the issue I'd rather highlight is that between 2013 and 2018 the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads increased by 55 percent and yet that Government did not change their spending plans and put them into road safety. The signals were all there which is why we're investing a record $1.4 billion over three years to upgrade over 1500 kilometres of our most dangerous roads. If that member is only interested in new roads rather than safe roads then I can't help him. David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister stand by her Government's very reasonable policy of issuing a special visa category for victims and the families of victims involved in the Christchurch mosque attacks? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes. David Seymour: Can applicants under the stalled parent category visa hope that the Government will move with the same alacrity any time soon given they've been waiting two years now? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That's an area of policy work for the Minister of Immigration. However I doubt that anyone in this House would disagree that after the terrorist attack on 15 March giving certainty to those directly affected by the attack was the least that this Government could do. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think the Government is delivering value for taxpayers' money when the Department of Corrections under Kelvin Davis has spent $1 million on slushy machines in prisons? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I do think it's right that we be concerned over the health and safety—Hon Chris Hipkins: Obsessed with crushed ice. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —of corrections officers—SPEAKER: Order! Order! I'm going to ask the Leader of the House to be quiet now. Could I ask the Prime Minister to start again. Thank you. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I do think it's right that corrections focus on the health and safety of their corrections officers. For those who are of course wearing stab-proof vests that does present health and safety issues and they have resolved at an operational level the best way in their mind to be able to deal with that. It is an operational decision but do I support them to look after their workers? Yes. Hon Simon Bridges: Is $1 million for six-grand slushy machines good value for taxpayers' money? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again when they were dealing with thousands of staff members they would have assessed all of the options for dealing with the health and well-being of their staff. I'm not the one at that level assessing all of the options and it is not a matter for me as Prime Minister. Do I support them to look after their staff? Yes. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think the Government is delivering when the census has become a shambles with the lowest turnout in 50 years? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again bold call raising that given that that Government was the one that said that Statistics New Zealand should move to one of the most dramatic changes in the census delivery without factoring in the risk and the potential cost that could be involved with that transition and asked Stats New Zealand to reduce their costs by 5 percent. Look yesterday we announced though that we are boosting funding to help deal with the aftermath of the census but also making sure we're well-prepared for Census 2023. I'd also point out that that Statistics New Zealand have done a lot of work to make sure that they do have a reliable data set that can help across housing health and education. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Just making it up. SPEAKER: Mr Brownlee settle."