2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterNICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. NICOLA WILLIS (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: On what occasions did the Cabinet Office ask Minister Michael Wood whether he'd divested his shares in Auckland Airport and in each instance what commitments if any did the Minister make to the Cabinet Office about any next steps he would take? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Prime Minister): I asked the Cabinet Office to provide a detailed time line of their interactions and following a review of the records I have been advised that on 19 November 2020 9 and 14 December 2020 24 March 2021 30 June 2021 17 December 2021 1 March 2022 28 March 2022 4 May 2022 16 January 2023 6 March 2023 and 27 March 2023 the Cabinet Office sought to confirm whether he had divested the shareholding. Throughout the process Michael Wood confirmed that he was about to or was in the process of divesting the shareholdings. Nicola Willis: How many times did the Cabinet Office ask Michael Wood to divest his shares or whether he had divested his shares and on how many occasions had Minister Wood failed to do so? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: By my count the interaction—there were 12 interactions. Nicola Willis: Does he think it was honest of Michael Wood to on 12 occasions commit to divest his shares but then on 12 occasions fail to do so? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated yesterday I think he should have divested the shares when he first said he was going to. Nicola Willis: Why does Minister Wood retain his position in Cabinet when on 12 occasions he failed to meet his commitment to the Cabinet Office and when there is an ongoing investigation into his conduct with clear evidence that he failed to appropriately manage conflicts of interest? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I have indicated that I don't think Minister Wood had met the relevant expectations and that is the reason he has been stood down as Minister of Transport. Nicola Willis: Why is he still in a Minister when on 12 occasions he misled the Cabinet Office into believing he was divesting his shares but failed on 12 occasions to do so? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Mr Speaker that was the same question that she just asked and the answer is the same. Nicola Willis: If Minister Wood had been clear that he had not sold his shares in Auckland Airport then why didn't the Cabinet Office which the Prime Minister is responsible for ensure that they were noted on the Cabinet Office register of ministerial conflicts of interest until such time as they were sold? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Ultimately that's a decision for the Cabinet Office. I think the first that I was made aware of the shareholding was over the weekend or on Friday which was when my office was made aware of that. In terms of why they didn't signal that I'm somewhat frustrated that when I was doing the reshuffle which the Cabinet Office were consulted on they had not highlighted that as an issue for me. Nicola Willis: Is it good enough for the Prime Minister to be somewhat frustrated" when again and again his Cabinet Ministers and the Cabinet Office appear not to be enforcing the rules of Cabinet as set out in the Cabinet Manual and has the Prime Minister considered simply locking his Ministers in a room for an hour telling them to read it and then to apply it? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In answer to the first part of the question: no it's not acceptable. Nicola Willis: Can he assure New Zealanders that all his Ministers have appropriately declared all conflicts of interest to the Cabinet Office and that those interests have been appropriately managed? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: It is my expectation that Ministers will follow the rules around conflict of interest. Those rules are clear and where there is any evidence that they haven't then I will deal with that. Nicola Willis: Will he now authorise an independent investigation into how it is that on 12 separate occasions Minister Wood told the Cabinet Office he was selling his shares but on 12 separate occasions failed to do so and will the Prime Minister stand Minister Wood down from his ministerial duties for the duration of that investigation? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I don't believe that there is a need to have an investigation on that matter because the facts are clear and they are not contested. David Seymour: Were the communications between Minister Wood and the Cabinet Office written or spoken and if written will he release the correspondence to the public? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: A mixture of both and the Cabinet Office's records of course are subject to the Official Information Act."