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 policies and actions?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes particularly action to hold a market study into fuel prices which has confirmed that the market is broken and margins have doubled since 2008 and confirms the Prime Minister's statement that New Zealanders are being fleeced at the petrol pump. We don't want to pre-empt the next bit of work but the Government will act quickly on the final report to ensure New Zealanders do not continue to pay more than they should for fuel after a decade of inaction. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she stand by her statement that Kiwis are being fleeced at the petrol pump; if so does she accept that her Government has legislated for 24c in petrol tax increases since coming into office? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: In answer to the first part of the question yes and I do wonder why it is that the Leader of the Opposition has decided to line up with the fuel companies against New Zealanders. Hon Simon Bridges: How can she say that Kiwis are being fleeced by petrol companies when her Government has legislated for 24c of petrol tax increases since coming into office and according to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment petrol company margins have increased by just 0.1c in that time? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister I can say that because that is the import of the Commerce Commission's report. I would note in terms of the rest of the member's question that the average increase under National for the fuel excise duty was 5.76 percent and the average proposed increase from this Government is 5.6 percent. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that 0.1c for petrol companies is a world away from 24c in more taxes from her Government? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I accept what the Commerce Commission has said today. The import of what they are saying is that New Zealanders have been fleeced and I repeat: I cannot understand why the National Party wants to get on the side of fuel companies against the interests of New Zealanders. But given that they got such an easy ride under National perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. Hon Simon Bridges: Would petrol prices be more like $2 rather than $2.20 if it wasn't for all her taxes? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The member opposite knows that every cent of the fuel excise duty goes to the cost of transport in this country just as it did under his Government and just as it does under this Government. I repeat again: I thought the National Party believed in competition but it seems they just want to back the fuel companies.Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't the reality that that additional petrol tax revenue is quite simply sitting in the bank because her Government isn't spending it?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Absolutely not. On this side of the House just as previous Governments have done we have increased fuel excise duty because that's what we need to do to pay for the transport needs of New Zealand. Every cent of that goes there. What the member should be focusing on is how he can support Kiwis to make sure that petrol companies give them a fair go. I'm shocked he doesn't want New Zealanders to have a fair go.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she think her Minister of Corrections the Hon Kelvin Davis has done all he could to ensure that the man accused of murdering 51 people in the Christchurch terror attacks was unable to send out his extremist views by letter?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The chief executive of the Department of Corrections has been absolutely clear that this was not handled well and that she does not have confidence in that process. The Minister is now putting the matter right; that is the focus for the Government.Hon Simon Bridges: Can she confirm the current law states corrections officials can read and withhold mail so that no shortcomings of law are actually apparent?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: We've been very clear that these letters indeed should have been stopped. That doesn't mean that the law is perfect. The law does need to be relooked at. It does need to ensure that not only does it focus on individuals but also on the impact of publishing to a wider audience and it predates the overall use of email and the internet—all of those things can see the law upgraded but nothing takes away from the fact that this should not have happened.Hon Simon Bridges: How can the New Zealand public have confidence in corrections and the Minister following the decision to release convicted murderer Jason Reihana from prison nine years before the end of his non-parole period and without advising the family members of his two victims that he was released so that they had to find out by seeing him for themselves?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Obviously the member knows that the decision was one for the Parole Board not for the Minister or indeed for the Government. In terms of the wider matters around the circumstances of that release clearly that was not handled well at all by the police or corrections but I would add that it is not new for there to be issues with corrections. Need I reference Philip John Smith and Brazil or Serco or fight clubs all of which happened under the previous Government? We are getting on with fixing the issues in corrections.David Seymour: Does the Prime Minister accept the finding of this morning's Commerce Commission draft report on petrol prices that of the $2.20 for a litre of 91 34c is taken by petrol companies?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I don't have that particular bit of paper in front of me right now but I think all New Zealanders will understand that the report that has been provided by the Commerce Commission today is very clear that New Zealanders are not getting a fair go at the pump and the Government is going to make sure we address that.David Seymour: How much does this Government think that the petrol companies' 34c share on $2.20 per litre of petrol could reduce without putting out of business the companies that store transport and retail petrol?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise to me that Mr Seymour is backing the petrol companies against the best interests of New Zealanders but on this side of the House we have now finally got the information we need to give New Zealanders a fair go and that's what we'll do.David Seymour: Point of order.SPEAKER: I don't think I need a point of order; the Minister will have another go at answering.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Could he repeat the question.SPEAKER: Repeat the question.David Seymour: How much does this Government think that the petrol companies' 34c share of $2.20 per litre of 91 could be reduced without putting out of business those companies that store transport and retail petrol?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Those are matters that will be decided as we go through looking at the Commerce Commission's report. What I know is that that report has been clear that people right across New Zealand are not getting a fair deal. If we compare ourselves to the rest of the world we're not getting a fair deal. We have to act on that. I am absolutely bemused as to why the Opposition—who I thought believed in competition—are now saying that they don't actually want to sort that out.Hon Simon Bridges: So what is the Government going to do now it's got this report to stop in her words the fleecing"; and when can we expect to see those actions?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As was announced today by the Commerce Commission this is the interim report. We will wait for the final report to come. But I'll tell you what: we will act on it rather than the nine years of inaction we saw over there. What's been confirmed today is that the Opposition wants to back big petrol companies against New Zealanders. This is a very clear fight Mr Bridges.Hon Chris Hipkins: Would it be possible for a future Government to increase spending on road building and cut the revenue to pay for them by cutting fuel taxes at the same time?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That is indeed a very good question because as I stated earlier all of the money that is collected in fuel excise duty goes to transport and it is incumbent on any political party to be able to say how they will pay for their roads if they're not prepared to increase fuel excise duty.Hon Simon Bridges: Given the answer to my last question about waiting for a further report is this a case from the Government that talk is cheap but petrol prices won't be for a very very long time?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No what this is a case of is a Government that's actually (a) given the Commerce Commission powers to do this (b) got the report and (c) is going to act on it. It's not a case of nine years of giving petrol companies an easy ride which is what we saw from his Government.Hon Simon Bridges: So when will something happen?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: As soon as we get the final report which will be a lot quicker than the nine years of do-nothing from the member opposite?Hon Simon Bridges: What will this working group cost?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: This is not a working group; it's the Commerce Commission."