8. Question No. 8—COVID-19 ResponseCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 8—COVID-19 Response8. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What did he mean when he said on 17 November 2020 Without going into detail I think we're in a very good place to ensure that as vaccines start to come to market New Zealand will be at the front of the queue to be getting vaccines"; and why has New Zealand not yet started to vaccinate workers at the border?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): What I meant was that without going into detail I think we were in a very good place to ensure that as vaccines started to come to the market New Zealand would be at the front of the queue for getting the vaccines. With regard to the second part of the question our advance purchase agreements are for the first doses of vaccines to be arriving in New Zealand by the end of the first quarter. The first quarter has not finished as yet and so we've not taken delivery of our first doses of vaccines. We will be among the first countries using a regular vaccine approval process to be administering vaccines. We are not using emergency approval processes like the countries that are doing vaccines early.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Like Australia.Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: They're not vaccinating. God read a newspaper.SPEAKER: Order! Can I just say I think that was started by a member on my left it was exacerbated by members on my right. None of you actually breached any Speakers' rulings but it clearly put off the member asking the question. So we'll just get on with the question.Chris Bishop: I was just waiting for the Prime Minister to finish the exasperation.SPEAKER: Order! She had finished there was a clear gap and the member seemed to be put off. I was trying to help the member.Chris Bishop: Trust me Mr Speaker she doesn't put me off.SPEAKER: Order! Order! We'll now have the supplementary question without the commentary.Chris Bishop: How can he say New Zealand is at the front of the queue to use his words when Western Australia has announced they are receiving 10000 Pfizer vaccines on 22 February and starting the roll-out of their front-line border workers straight after that?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: They've not yet received the vaccines.Andrew Bayly: In two weeks' time!SPEAKER: Order! Mr Bayly can you stop it.Kieran McAnulty: Don't put him off!SPEAKER: Who said that? No wait the member will withdraw and apologise.Kieran McAnulty: I withdraw and apologise.Chris Bishop: When he said yesterday "The first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2021" does the contract with Pfizer oblige them to deliver by the end of the first quarter and if so how many?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The advance purchase agreement I think from memory has us getting about 226000 doses in the first quarter. The indications that we have had from Pfizer is that they're confident they'll be able to do that.Chris Bishop: Is New Zealand included in the shipment of 10000 vaccines going to Western Australia by 22 February?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: If there are 10000 vaccines going to Western Australia they'll be going to Western Australia. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order!Chris Bishop: That's a no. Did the Government offer to pay more in exchange for earlier delivery of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines and if not why not?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: My understanding is that that's never been part of the discussion."