2. Prime Minister—Government Funding Priorities Police Resourcing and KiwiBuildHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterPrime Minister—Government Funding Priorities Police Resourcing and KiwiBuild2. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes as I did yesterday the week before the week before that and I think in fact to probably every question I've been asked by that member.Hon Simon Bridges: Why did her Government consider that nearly a billion dollars for foreign affairs was more important than delivering on their promise on cheaper GP visits for all New Zealanders?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would have hoped for the same reason that that last Government invested significant amounts in overseas aid and development as well. What we faced coming into Government was that the last Government allowed their official development assistance funding to drop to a point where even to keep the status quo required $590 million of investment. We are a Government who is focused on our international responsibilities and we balance that against delivering for New Zealanders as well.SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member I am going to remind him of methods of interjection. While some members might be known universally by their first name it's not appropriate to use it across the House.Hon Simon Bridges: Can the Prime Minister confirm the billion dollars per year for Shane Jones' Provincial Growth Fund will all be new funding and not simply reprioritised from other sources?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We've traversed this many times in the House. Substantively this is new but we have reprioritised. We have prioritised elements of the Budget as well. Overall I think what matters to the people most is the fact that we are actually investing in the regions that have experienced significant neglect over the last nine years and reinvigorating those local economies.Hon Simon Bridges: For clarity can the Prime Minister define substantively new funding"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: One more sleep and the member will see the entire breakdown. But again we are absolutely proud of the huge investment that this coalition Government is making back into our regions and I don't think you'll hear the local mayors making the same complaint that that member is.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can the Prime Minister confirm that some of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's new funding is to address declining trade from this country some of which the previous Government promised not to do but after nine years delivered—failing trade against GDP?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes. This is a Government that's focused on growing prosperity. That includes a focus on trade that includes a focus on research and development and that includes investment in trades education and training—all of those things the last Government did not invest appropriately in.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it still her Government's policy to add 1800 new sworn police officers over the next three years?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: How many of the 1800 new police officers will have powers of arrest themselves and will not require a sworn officer to be with them to do so?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We had this period of education in the House the other day. The member seems to think that authorised officers cannot perform a suite of important roles as officers on the beat. In fact I heard him even having a go at forensic accountants employed by the police when they undertake work on child exploitation human trafficking anti - money-laundering terrorist financing illicit drug trafficking—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to interrupt the Prime Minister and I'm going to ask her to start her list which will be heard in silence. When I can't hear the Prime Minister with the assistance of the mikes and the speakers which are aimed at me I think the level of interjection has got too much. I am reluctant to intervene but the Prime Minister will start that list again.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I was saying I've heard the member criticise even the employment of forensic accountants by the police when they undertake work around child exploitation human trafficking anti - money-laundering terrorist financing illicit drug-trafficking large-scale fraud cyber-hacking and weapons trading. The point I'm making is that authorised officers warranted officers and support staff are the entire suite that we need to have a well-functioning well-resourced police and that's what this Government will deliver.SPEAKER: As a result of the six interjections I heard from my left there will be minus six. That's mitigated by the four that I heard from my right. So the National Party have lost only two.Hon Simon Bridges: Is the Prime Minister trying to tell this House that accountants are the same as cops who can actually arrest people on the beat?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No. What I'm saying is that in this modern day and age police officers can't do their job without that support too.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it still her Government's policy to add 1800 new sworn police officers over the next three years?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I have said yes.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the Prime Minister as to whether the last question from the Leader of the Opposition was the same as the question he asked about five minutes ago?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes but the—SPEAKER: Order! We are going to have some ministerial responsibility and I don't think the Prime Minister is going to claim responsibility for that.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it her Government's policy to plant one billion trees over 10 years as initially said or 500 million as Shane Jones later clarified or has that number fallen even further?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As a total we will plant one billion trees.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it her Government's policy that KiwiBuild houses in Auckland will cost less than $600000 as initially promised or $650000 as Phil Twyford later clarified or has that number increased even further?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As we have clarified in the House yesterday it won't be a mystery to anyone in this House that over the two-year period since we developed KiwiBuild the cost of building houses and supplies has increased. That's why this Government committed to a plan to do something about that so first-home buyers can own their own home rather than the last Government which did nothing.Hon Simon Bridges: How much will a KiwiBuild house in Auckland cost?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As we've said many times before for a one-bedroom home in Auckland and Queenstown the maximum price is $500000 $600000 for two bedrooms and $650000 for three. Outside of Auckland and Queenstown the maximum is $500000 for all houses.Hon Simon Bridges: Is it her Government's policy that superannuitants will not be worse off as a result of removing National's Family Incomes Package and if so why does the winter energy payment not come into force until 1 July meaning superannuitants will be $267 worse off this year?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Because it is one of the most significant changes to our welfare system in a decade. We had every expectation that we'd move to do it as soon as possible. That's why we moved this House into urgency in December to put it through. But we had to heed advice that said if we brought it in any earlier we might risk it falling over. We've done it as quickly as we could.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Nobody is concerned that we have robustness in this House. But when you see 12 members of one party shouting at the top of their mouths that's probably in excess by about 10 and they should be asked to discipline themselves. Show some leadership.SPEAKER: I want to thank the member for his advice to me. I do agree with him that the barracking—and I don't think it can be described in any other way—during that answer was unreasonable. It will not be tolerated going forward. There is no right whatsoever to interject in this House. We have been liberal as Speakers over the years with it normally on the basis that they're infrequent and preferably witty. We're missing out on both of those counts.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Winston used to stand up for old people.SPEAKER: Who was that one?Hon Dr Nick Smith: Mr Speaker I said that Winston used to stand up for old people.SPEAKER: The member will now—for reasons which I'm sure he's aware of—stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I withdraw and apologise."