Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:608;Page:5254] 
9.  
DARREN HUGHES (NZ Labour—Otaki) 
 to the  
Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage 
: What has the Government done to assist New Zealand music? 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage) 
: 
 We are assisting the development and growth of all forms of music in New Zealand first of all by supporting New Zealand Music Month which my T-shirt is a symbol of. But we are also working through the New Zealand Music Industry Commission New Zealand On Air Creative New Zealand Te Mangai Paho the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Trade New Zealand and Industry New Zealand and we have funded initiatives like the World Series. 
Darren Hughes 
: Following on from those Government initiatives how has the New Zealand music industry developed in the past 5 years? 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: Five years ago the amount of the New Zealand music played across New Zealand radio was 5.27 percent and sales of New Zealand music albums sat at about 4 percent of total sales. The latest figures from New Zealand On Air and the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand show that airplay is at 15.36 percent for the March 2000 quarter and that sales have increased to 9 percent. We congratulate the New Zealand music industry month initiative the New Zealand radio industry and the New Zealand Music Industry Commission. This Government is supporting New Zealand Music Month which is celebrating its third year this year. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I have just been recalling in my mind as I notice the Minister sporting the particular T-shirt that she is that some months ago there was an outcry in this House from Labour Party members who were very upset at a similar sort of logo being displayed in relation to Mr Keith Locke. I wonder whether for the sake of consistency the Minister might be asked to remove—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have been asked to do many things but nothing like that. 
Metiria Turei 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Although the Minister’s T-shirt is bright and very beautiful and has caused some enjoyment for members of this House I consider that some of the comments made which you may not have heard were very sexist. I respectfully ask that you make some comment concerning the level of sexist reference in issues such as this. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Let me just say that I thought the Hon Judith Tizard handled the comments very well. However I also agree with the member that we have to be careful about some of the comments that are made. A good joke is something that I crave to hear and very rarely do—over-the-top comments I more frequently hear. 
Metiria Turei 
: What if anything is the Government doing to promote local initiatives such as the Dawn Raid Community Trust which promotes education employment and social service opportunities for young Pacific peoples and teaches them about and involves them directly in the music industry? 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: There are a number of initiatives like the Dawn Raid Trust and the arc trust in Dunedin that are working very hard through Creative New Zealand and the Music Industry Commission to support the new music and arts curriculum in schools. They are also being supported through many innovative councils like Manukau City Council. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. While I am happy for the issue of sexist comments to be raised I also wish to raise the issue of sexist behaviour in this House. I draw your attention to this fact. If my colleague Mr Keith Locke were to come into this House with the very same T-shirt he would be ruled out of order and asked to leave this Chamber. I am not asking that you do the same for Judith Tizard but— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will please be seated. That is not a point of order. It is just wasting the time of the House. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I ask you to reconsider that comment in the light of the fact that we have a dress code and that is merely what Mr— 
Government Members 
: Aw! 
Ron Mark 
: In silence! I was thrown out for that yesterday. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member rightly made a comment and I will adhere to it strictly. 
Ron Mark 
: Mr Hide quite rightly was just drawing your attention to the Standing Orders in respect of dress. In the light of the comment made by Metiria Turei who drew attention to sexist comments I feel that Mr Hide’s point of order is perfectly in order. There is a dress code that applies to the men and I now ask you whether by permitting women to come to the House in flamboyant promotional T-shirts that now means that men likewise will be permitted to stand in this Chamber and take part in debate wearing T-shirts. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: While I thoroughly endorse my colleague’s comments I also support the comments made by Rodney Hide. I draw your attention to the fact that we have had a consultation of the male members of this House with regard to dress code but if you recall the question was about whether we were permitted to remove our jackets and not whether we had to wear a collar and tie underneath them. Members have never actually been canvassed on that issue during the time that I have been a member. 
Peter Brown 
: Yes it has. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: That is not how I recall it. I ask you to consider that Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I consulted male members about their dress code which included a collar and tie and a jacket at the beginning of this Parliament and the last Parliament. Those members made the decision by quite a high majority and I accepted that quite clearly. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With respect to the members who have raised the matter they have not actually addressed themselves to the correct Standing Order. The correct Standing Order is Standing Order 109 “Visual aids”. There are a whole lot of Speakers’ rulings on the matter on page 48 of  
Speakers’Rulings 
. However the relevant point is—which will cause both members some embarrassment—that such an aid may be displayed only when the member is speaking to the question before the House and must be removed from the Chamber at the conclusion of the member’s speech. If the two members want to come to the House with an aid of that sort then they are bound by the Standing Orders the same as everyone else is. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I wonder what the people who are here for serious business think. What would their comments be on this continual adolescent behaviour from members opposite? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This week I have received a large number of comments from people outside this House complaining about the use of the point of order procedure. I uphold the right of members to raise points of order. I took seriously the point of order raised by the Hon Richard Prebble as he is a senior member of this House. I will reflect on it in the next little while. 
Dail Jones 
: Bearing in mind the serious nature of this House and the importance of Government members not asking Ministers patsy questions and the need for this Minister to be original— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will come to the question. He should not have a long procession of comments. 
Dail Jones 
: Is the Minister aware that she was asked an identical question on 5 September 2002 namely: “What steps has the Government taken to support the New Zealand music industry” and for how long is this House to be subjected to this Minister having the same question asked of her and this House having to put up with the same answer being given to it at considerable expense? 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: The music industry is a serious industry with great export and great employment potential. That is why this Government the radio industry and the music industry are putting a great deal of money and effort into promoting the New Zealand Music Month. I also point out that all members have been advised of this and I hope that I am doing my job to promote New Zealand industry particularly the music industry. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given her duty as Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage and having particular regard for culture and what that means does she think it is fit for a Minister and herself in particular to come to this House as some sort of walking emblem on a day like this? 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD 
: There is an ancient and honourable tradition of May Day being a day for political social and cultural symbols and I am very happy to participate.