8. Question No. 8—State ServicesHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of State ServicesQuestion No. 8—State Services8. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of State Services: Does the Government stand by all its statements and actions in respect of the process and appointment of the Chief Technology Officer following today's release by Derek Handley of the Prime Minister's and former Minister's communications with him and his criticism of the Government?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Acting Minister of State Services): As the Prime Minister has said today no one is arguing that this has been a good process; it has not. I also agree with the Prime Minister that we do owe Mr Handley an apology for the fact that Mr Handley went through this process that did not eventually lead to his taking the role. I spoke to Mr Handley just after midday today and offered him that apology.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Why did this Minister not take the opportunity to apologise when she decided not to continue with the role—that more than two weeks ago—given the fact that Ministers engaged in over 29—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. He's finished the question. We don't do givens" after questions.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Around 10 December the decision was made by Minister Hipkins and myself—as the two Ministers that the Prime Minister had asked to deal with this issue after the reallocation of this portfolio—that all communications with Mr Handley would go through Government officials and that is what was done. It was our intention that once we had gathered and collated and compared all the material for release at that point ministerial communication with Mr Handley would resume. Events overtook that and given that situation I rang Mr Handley this afternoon.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just want to provide the opportunity for the Minister. She said "10 December"; I think that was—Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: 10 September.Hon Dr Nick Smith: 10 September—thank you; I think it would be important to correct that. Does she agree with the statement by Derek Handley that "The Government has been anything but open and transparent over the appointment and the subsequent dropping of the chief technology officer role."; and does she accept her share of responsibility for that lack of openness and transparency?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: In regard to the first part of that question no I don't accept that. What I do accept is what the Prime Minister said today: that nobody is arguing that this has been a good process; it has not and that is precisely why Mr Handley has been apologised to.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Is it Government policy for senior State sector appointments to be conducted through Ministers' private email accounts noting that both the Prime Minister and the former Minister conducted communications with Mr Handley including the Prime Minister when specifically asked about the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) role forwarding her private email address?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I reject the premise of that question. The Prime Minister did not communicate with Mr Handley via either text message or her private email address about the CTO role. That is very clear. In fact Derek Handley makes that explicit in the information that he has released today: that there was no direct communication via text message with the Prime Minister over the CTO role. I think that member could go back and consider his own Government with John Key and Murray McCully's use of Gmail for conducting Government business.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Was—Hon Gerry Brownlee: That never happened.Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: I bet it did. I bet it did.SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to ask both the Minister and the Hon Gerry Brownlee to be quiet while Dr Smith asks his question.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Was the Prime Minister correct when she said in respect of Derek Handley and the chief technology role on 24 August "Mr Handley is still in the hunt." when the documents that have been released show that the appointment was approved on 15 August and specifically state that the appointment was made by Cabinet on 20 August?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: On around—the dates between 10 and 12 September are the dates when the Minister for Government Digital Services made the assessment that the role needed to be re-scoped to fit more within the innovation portfolio. So when the Prime Minister made that statement on 24 August she was correct."