Curran ClareCLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South): I want to change the topic of conversation somewhat and improve the quality of the debate. My comments relate to Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet and also Vote Ombudsmen. I want to address issues with regard to ethical behaviours integrity and transparency of government which I would hope that anybody listening to this debate today would consider to be rather important.I want to highlight what I believe is the insincerity and deceit of this Government between its statements and its actions. People do believe and they expect that Governments should behave in predictable open and transparent ways. When it comes to blockage of access to information the demonising of whistleblowers the neglect in ensuring that the privacy rights of citizens are in step with community expectations and of course the lack of value and investment in public interest media—these are all symptoms of a democracy in decline.I want to refer to the transcript in the Estimates for Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet. Andrew Kibblewhite the chief executive of the department said that the Cabinet Office was busy working on implementing the refreshed Cabinet Manual which the Prime Minister launched last night." He referred to the principles in the manual representing "the best of our system of executive Government: robust decision-making processes respect for the law integrity effectiveness and efficiency openness and accountability."With reference to respect for the law when you look at the very top of our Government there are questions around the respect for the law regarding our own Prime Minister in relation to the Todd Barclay debacle where at its best the answers that have been given to the public and to this very Parliament can be described as being economical with the truth and at its very worst as having the potential to be lying to the people of New Zealand and assisting with an illegal cover-up.This is extremely serious and it is something that the people of New Zealand do take seriously. And with regard to—The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Chester Borrows): I just want to warn the member that she needs to be very careful that what she is speaking to is this report and the assertions that she might make may well fall outside of the bounds of what is allowable in the House.CLARE CURRAN: Thank you Mr Chair. Well I am addressing an updated Cabinet Manual that was referred to in the Estimates discussion at a select committee which went right to the way that the integrity of government can be measured and upheld. So it is a valid area for debate and it is valid that members in this House can raise these matters. What we are hearing consistently in answers from the Prime Minister to oral questions is that "I have no responsibility for that as the Prime Minister." or "I've given all the answers I'm going to give on that." and other such answers which in my view at least—and in the view of this part of the House—shows a decline in integrity and a decline in standards that should be considered very worrying.In the time I have left I want to acknowledge the role that the Office of the Ombudsmen plays the integrity of the Ombudsman Peter Boshier and the work that he is doing on trying to get the huge backlog of complaints on the refusal to release information by this Government—to get those complaints through and to get that information released. This is a critical area where the effectiveness of Government can be measured. If people are going to vote in this election they have to be assured that the Government does have integrity.Votes agreed to."