Bennett David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Bennett David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:673;Page:19065] 
5. 
DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) 
 to the  
Minister for Communications and Information Technology 
: What progress has the Government made on its election policy to roll out ultra-fast broadband to 75 percent of New Zealanders? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Communications and Information Technology) 
: 
 Last month the Government reached agreements with Telecom New Zealand and Enable Networks through Crown Fibre Holdings to complete the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband complementing the existing partnerships with WEL Networks and Northpower. The Government will partner with Enable Networks to build an ultra-fast broadband network for Christchurch and Rangiora. The Telecom agreement will see a fibre-optic access network built in Auckland the eastern and lower North Island and most of the South Island. In addition Telecom must split off its network arm Chorus into a completely separate company so that all broadband retailers can compete fairly on a level playing field. These arrangements will be truly transformational for New Zealand. 
David Bennett 
: How will the roll-out benefit New Zealand communities? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: These four agreements with Northpower WEL Networks Chorus and Enable Networks mean the Government will reach its goal of bringing ultra-fast broadband to 75 percent of New Zealanders by 2019. The roll-out will start immediately with schools hospitals and 90 percent of businesses to be covered by 2015. Ultra-fast broadband is a key part of the Government’s economic growth agenda. These new networks will provide an economic step change for our country as we leapfrog many of our competitors to become one of the most fibred countries in the world. The competitive access prices that Crown Fibre Holdings has negotiated will ensure that the benefits of fibre are within easy reach of businesses as well as everyday New Zealanders. 
Clare Curran 
: Will funding for broadband for the 303 schools—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I want to be able to hear the question. 
Clare Curran 
: Will funding for broadband for the 303 schools that he mistakenly excluded from both the urban and rural broadband schemes come from the $285 million already awarded to Telecom and Vodafone for the Rural Broadband Initiative; if not where will it come from and how much will it cost? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The member continues to be incorrect in her premise as she is about a number of things to do with broadband initiatives. The $300 million was set aside for the Rural Broadband Initiative. The contract was $285 million which leaves $15 million set aside for the remote coverage areas and for the Rural Broadband Initiative to connect zone 3 schools. That will more than adequately cover the cost of linking the schools to their local cabinets with fibre especially given that the drop costs are funded separately through the Ministry of Education. We had to wait to see the ultra-fast broadband footprint before we could tender to connect these schools and the tender I can tell the member will be going out very shortly. Conspiracy over. 
Clare Curran 
: I seek leave to table two documents. The first is a letter from the Minister to InternetNZ Federated Farmers and the Telecommunications Users Association dated 27 May setting out that 303 schools will be part of a planned procurement activity next year and only— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We have heard sufficient on that. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Clare Curran 
: I seek leave to table a document titled  
Rural 
Broadband Initiative: Final Proposal 
 which spells out that there are no changes proposed— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: What is the source of this document? 
Clare Curran 
: The Ministry of Economic Development website. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Chris Tremain 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will deal with the point of order myself. I apologise to members for taking up this matter but the House does have a dress code. If the member Clare Curran is wearing the top of a sports team—and I can imagine an occasion when the Speaker’s permission might be sought to do that—I would ask her to leave the Chamber and come back dressed consistently with the Standing Orders of the House. [ 
Interruption 
] Does the member wish to raise a point of order? I am happy to hear it. 
Clare Curran 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Could the Speaker please alert me to the relevant Standing Order on the dress code for women? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Speaker has decided that it is not appropriate unless the Speaker’s permission is sought to advertise sports teams in this Chamber. Nothing is allowed to be advertised in this Chamber. If a male member of this House came into the Chamber wearing a soccer top or a rugby top he would be asked to leave. [ 
Interruption 
] I am on my feet. In the interests of fairness across all members of the House the rules should be consistent on either side. What is expected in this House is normal business attire. I am asking the member to leave the Chamber and come back dressed appropriately should she wish. That is all I am asking. It is not a big call. 
Metiria Turei 
: Speaking to the point of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am on my feet and I am waiting for the member to leave the Chamber. I am waiting for the member to leave. This House does have certain dress standards. It would not be acceptable for a male member to be dressed in that way and it is totally unreasonable therefore to discriminate. 
Clare Curran withdrew from the Chamber. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I let the member ask her questions I did not interfere with her right to ask questions but I do insist that the standards of this House be upheld. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I thank you for the ruling you have just made because I think it is the first step towards having some equality in this House. It is I think it is fair to say important to get on the record that it is the first step in having standards for women. We have had in the past Ruth Richardson regularly appear in this House in a tracksuit and that was allowed because I think when the original rules were developed it was not contemplated that there would be women members of Parliament. Mr Speaker I ask you to look very carefully at your ruling on sports attire and advertisements for sporting events and for sports teams. I happen to be wearing at the moment the tie that was used when there was a bipartisan approach to New Zealand becoming the Rugby World Cup host. Are you suggesting that it is inappropriate to advertise that event; if not is it inappropriate to support a rugby team by wearing its tie or as a number of members do wearing the badges of those teams? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I hear the honourable member. It is not an unreasonable point he has raised. I fully accept that there are times when members wear ties and pins of sports teams and I have no objection to that whatsoever. Members I think need to exercise some discretion. I draw members’ attention to Speaker’s ruling 16/8 which states: “The Speaker will take issue with any member who is not dressed in appropriate business attire whether the member is male or female.” Members will note that I did not interfere in the member’s asking of questions. I think that would have been totally unreasonable. I am very happy for the member to come back into the House. It is not that the member has been asked to leave the House for any period of time at all. It is just that I believe that the Speaker needs to be even-handed in the way he treats men and women in respect of their attire. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I wonder given today’s incident whether you could spell out for us what business attire is that we women are expected to comply with. Could we have it elaborated for us? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Very briefly I had not caught up with Speaker’s ruling 16/8 which of course was well after the time that Ruth Richardson and a number of other women used to wear tracksuits in the House. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: All I can say is I was not the Speaker then. I do not think women need a lot of assistance on what is reasonable. All I am asking is for members to be reasonable. I will not be pedantic about this sort of thing at all. There is no doubt that were a male member to come into the House wearing a rugby top or soccer top issue would be taken with that. I am just being even-handed across the House. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I did ask whether you would please make a commitment to spell out for women what business attire for women is because I for one am completely confused as to what constitutes— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have just made it clear to the House that I trust members’ own judgment on that within reason. I do not wish to be pedantic. It does not need me to indicate to women what reasonable business attire is.