Key John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Key John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:655;Page:4572] 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: If we want to see an ad hoc approach to this debate we should look across at the Leader of the Opposition who is rapidly turning into the “Phil-who-cried-wolf”. Let me tell members why. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I wonder whether you can anticipate what my point of order might be with regard to— 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: Let’s have a contest. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is a point of order. I might say to the honourable member though that it should not be a quiz time in which to question the Speaker. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: You know that members of Parliament have to be referred to by their full name. Yesterday you told us about your desire to protect the dignity of the House. I think you would have to argue that the Prime Minister not by insinuation but directly used a phrase about an honourable member that was not correct. I wanted to make this intervention because I was surprised that you had not corrected him on that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Forgive me but I did not hear the comment. I would ask the Prime Minister to withdraw it though if he made an unparliamentary comment. 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: To withdraw it? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I would like the Prime Minister to withdraw it yes. 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: Certainly I withdraw it. I should have said the “Philip-Goff-who-cried-wolf”. The reason why I said that is that the Leader of the Opposition has been running around telling people that in fact there have been 2800— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
] I am just waiting for it to be quiet so I can have my point of order heard in silence. I do not mind how long it takes. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am waiting for the member to make his point of order. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: As you know members of Parliament must withdraw and apologise if requested to do so and if they qualify the comment in any way then they must withdraw from the Chamber. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat. I asked the Prime Minister to withdraw his comment because I did not hear it. I asked him to withdraw the comment; I did not ask him to apologise. He withdrew his statement and I am satisfied by that. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: That is not what I was saying. My point of order referred to the fact that once members have withdrawn a comment they are not meant to relitigate or refer to what you have asked them to do. No sooner had the Prime Minister withdrawn his comment than he straight away qualified what he had said by saying “I should have said” and then he repeated the other phrase in a slightly modified form. In fact the member concerned is not known as Philip Goff in the Chamber so the Prime Minister compounded the original transgression. The second point is that previously when members have not withdrawn fully and left it at that you have asked them to leave the Chamber. That was not the case on this occasion—not that I think he should leave the Chamber. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: Darren Hughes was quite right on his first point of order and you correctly asked the Prime Minister to withdraw his comment. But it is getting a bit prissy for this Parliament to suggest that members cannot say “Phil-Goff-who-cried-wolf”. If that is going to be ruled out of order my goodness what can we say and just how sensitive is the Leader of the Opposition? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thank the honourable members. I accept the point from the Hon Darren Hughes and I say to the Prime Minister that the name the honourable Leader of the Opposition goes by is the Hon Phil Goff and that name should be used. Has the Prime Minister finished his answer? The Prime Minister was interrupted by a point of order. 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: If anyone is guilty of making ad hoc statements it is the Leader of the Opposition. He has been running around saying that in the building sector 2800 apprentices have been laid off. He is right but that was for the 14 months to March this year and for 9 of those 14 months Labour was in Government.