9. Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill—StatementsHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of JusticeElectoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill—Statements9. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by all of his statements on the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill and the potential chilling effect it will have on the expression of dissenting views?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Yes. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he stand by his statement—and I quote—I have been stunned at those with letters after their name occupying senior academic positions scaremongering on this bill. They are all wrong." and if so does he apply the same to the youth members of the Labour Party Green Party National Party and ACT Party who yesterday universally came out in opposition to his bill describing it as both nasty and terrible? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: To the first part of the question yes. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Could he answer the second part of my question—that is does he apply the same to the youth members of the Labour Party Green Party National Party and ACT Party who have universally opposed his bill describing it as both nasty and terrible?Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister has no responsibility whatsoever for the parties being recited here. That member has been here long enough and he should know that. SPEAKER: And he—[Interruption] No I don't need the member's assistance. The member has been asked an opinion about a potential chilling effect and my view is that he has already answered questions in the House as to some of the evidence to the select committee and he can be asked whether he agrees with other people's opinions on the legislation of which he has charge. Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I do not agree with the people to whom the comments were attributed by that member just now. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he stand by his statements on his bill in Parliament last night that the Bill of Rights was—and I quote—"a pretty nasty device" and "There wasn't anything particularly noble about [it]" and is that why this Government takes such a cavalier approach to protecting free speech and our parliamentary democracy? SPEAKER: The member will answer those parts which are in order. Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Yes. I'll just say that that member has a very well-established track record of taking things out of context but I stand by my comments last night that the historical context of the 1688 Bill of Rights does not do favours to that legal document. It was an attack on the Catholics of England at the time to limit their status and position in their community. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he stand by his statements on the bill in Parliament last night that the Bill of Rights was—and I quote directly—"a pretty nasty device" and "There wasn't anything particularly noble about [it]" given the fact that it is the founding principle of free elections of MPs free speech of MPs and Parliament's exclusive right to pass laws and impose taxes? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: All those principles are incredibly important and highly valued; just as the principles contained in the Magna Carta requiring open trials the right to hear your accuser and all those sorts of things but bearing in mind that the Magna Carta was a document to entrench the power of aristocrats at the expense of peasants and poor people. We should continue to take the true historical context of these founding documents into account and we should not be afraid to criticise the historical relevance of those documents."