9. Question No. 9—JusticeHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of JusticeQuestion No. 9—Justice 9. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by all his actions and statements in respect of electoral and referendum law?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Yes.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he agree with the statement by Labour during the last Government that the topic and wording of referendum questions are so important that they should be subject to cross-party discussions as well as a bill—SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I'm going to interrupt the member and ask him to go back and—in fact it's so far out that I'm going to rule the question out and he can start again with a new supplementary.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Is the reason Cabinet and not Parliament will determine what referendum questions are held that Cabinet is behind closed doors and secret whereas Parliament's processes are open transparent and enable full public submissions to be heard?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No. There is full transparency and openness. That member has now spent the best part of the last 10 days under a complete misapprehension about the conventions and rules around referendum setting. So for example in the referendum on the flag change process under the previous Government that question was set by Cabinet which approved the legislation that went to the select committee. No change was made by the select committee and it was sent back to Parliament. There are two other pieces of legislation that deal with setting referendum questions. The Citizens Initiated Referenda Act provides for the question to be set by the Clerk of the House and the Referenda (Postal Voting) Act of 2000 provides for the referendum question to be set by Cabinet or at least by Order in Council.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Will the Minister commit to the same process Labour demanded of the previous Government on the flag referendum where there were cross-party discussions on both the topic and the questions and a full parliamentary process?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I have already said that the question for the referendum relating to legalisation of cannabis will be a yes/no question. The most substantial part of the question is the draft bill that accompanies it and I have written to the leader of every party in Parliament inviting them to be part of a cross-party group to determine the content of that legislation. Oddly enough I have heard public comments from the National Party that they don't wish to participate in that cross-party group so I don't know what they're complaining about.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Is the Government arguing that a cross-party group discussion on an issue is a substitute for a bill going before Parliament and a full select committee process; if so why do we bother having a Parliament?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Sadly once again the member is deeply confused. There is a bill that is currently before Parliament being debated in its first reading called the Referendums Framework Bill. It will go through all the stages of Parliament with total scrutiny by the select committee committee of the whole House and any member will be able to speak upon it. Then there is—as part of preparing the referendum question for the question on the legalisation of cannabis—a draft bill that will not go through Parliament but it will be a draft bill that will be publicised as part of the referendum question. I have invited every leader of each party in this House to provide a member—I'm happy to consider more than one member if it helps—to participate in a process to determine the content of that bill. That is the opportunity for that member and his party to participate in the process of determining the substantial part of the question in the referendum on the legalisation of cannabis.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Will he categorically rule out using his referendums bill's powers for Cabinet to trigger a poll on abortion at election 2020 as advocated by the Deputy Prime Minister?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I have no plans to organise any referendum other than the one on cannabis that has been mandated by Cabinet. But Cabinet is also aware—and the reason why we're having the Referendums Framework Bill—that there is a possibility there will be another referendum which will be part of the End of Life Choice Bill. No other referendum has been mandated or contemplated or anticipated by Cabinet.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was whether the Minister would categorically rule out the proposal put by the Deputy Prime Minister—SPEAKER: The member will resume his seat. He's been here a very long time and he knows that yes/no answers cannot be required.Hon Simon Bridges: Is the Minister angry" with the Rt Hon Winston Peters on the question of a referendum on abortion as stated—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat when I stand. Question number 10 Chris Bishop. Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: The member is meant to ask something about ministerial responsibility.Hon Simon Bridges: Yeah I am.SPEAKER: He didn't come close. He's taking a point of order on my ruling now; unless he can quote me a Speakers' ruling or a Standing Order he is trifling with the Chair.Hon Simon Bridges: Well I can't do that."