10. Question No. 10—Foreign AffairsHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of Foreign AffairsQuestion No. 10—Foreign Affairs10. Hon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Has he made a decision whether New Zealand will sign up to the United Nations global compact for migration?Hon DAVID PARKER (Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs): On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs the member continues to display a fundamental misunderstanding of the diplomatic processes that apply. There is no document to be signed; there is a vote. Hon Todd McClay: Why has the Government not yet been able to make a decision given he has had the draft text of the UN compact since July? Hon DAVID PARKER: On behalf of the Minister because we are carefully checking all of the facts including the irresponsible and incorrect assertions that this somehow curbs the sovereignty of countries that vote for the compact. Hon Todd McClay: Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs confirm that the Government have been negotiating the compact since February they've had the draft text since July adopted it in Morocco last week and are actually just keeping Kiwis in the dark until after Parliament has lifted for the summer recess? Hon DAVID PARKER: On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs no. I can confirm that the gymnastics of the Opposition who signed up to the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants on—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Stop telling lies.Hon DAVID PARKER: —19 September 2016—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will resume his seat. Mr Brownlee will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker it should be something that you would pick up if someone is putting a gross mistruth to the Parliament.SPEAKER: The member will now stand withdraw and apologise again.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Because it seems the rules are changing could you advise the House what we do if a Minister stands up and says something that is grossly untrue?SPEAKER: If the member is convinced that a Minister said something that is grossly untrue and it is a deliberate act he writes me a letter. The member has been here since 1996; he knows that and is being disorderly in asking the question.Hon DAVID PARKER: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In the circumstances sir I seek leave to table the resolution adopted by the general assembly on 19 September 2016 which is titled the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants which the National Party in Government voted in favour of.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Todd McClay: Was the Prime Minister correct on NewstalkZB this morning when she said that it's Winston Peters who would be making the decision to sign the UN compact later this week and not Cabinet?Hon DAVID PARKER: I have seen the transcript of that interview and that is an improper characterisation of it. [Interruption] It's an incorrect characterisation of it. Can I further—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will resume his seat. I'm going to let the Minister answer the question but I don't want him to in any way imply that it was a deliberate misquoting of the Prime Minister because if that was the case that would also be a breach of privilege and the Minister can't do that by implication. So I'd ask the Minister to just take care with his words.Hon Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It's very clear in past Speakers' rulings that where there is an assertion in a question a Minister is absolutely at liberty to reject the assertion which is what the Minister did. I don't think he said that the member had been deliberately misleading. He said it was a mischaracterisation. He is challenging the assertion; that is absolutely a legitimate thing for a Minister to do.SPEAKER: The Leader of the House does have a good point but I think in the circumstances of today I'll just ask people to take care.Hon DAVID PARKER: Further sir I would say that if New Zealand does take the decision which is likely to be made by the end of the week to vote in favour of the resolution I'm advised that the countries likely to vote in favour of the resolution are on that sheet [Holds sheet] and the countries in the world likely to vote against it on that [Holds sheet]. The National Party is very lonely in their populist gymnastics.Dr Duncan Webb: Would supporting the compact bind the New Zealand Government on future immigration policy or otherwise limit the sovereignty of the current and future Governments?Hon DAVID PARKER: On behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs because of the falsehoods that have been spread about this compact the Government has sought legal advice on its effect to be absolutely sure that supporting the compact would in no way restrict or limit New Zealand's sovereignty including our ability to set our migration policies. So the answer to the question is no.Hon Todd McClay: Does he agree with the statement that the Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters made to media that the problem with these non-binding agreements is over time they become binding; and if so will he inform his Cabinet colleagues of his long-held position on UN agreements?SPEAKER: I'm going to remind the member that he is I think speaking as Winston Peters at the moment.Hon DAVID PARKER: Thank you Mr Speaker—that gives me considerable latitude. The first point to make would be that I'm sure that the Minister of Foreign Affairs was speaking in respect of treaties. This is not a treaty. The second point I would make is that the reversal by the National Party on its earlier position is desperate opportunist flip-flop which appears to show that the National Party takeover by Judith Collins is just about complete.SPEAKER: Question No. 11—Kiritapu Allan.Hon Member: Is that in order?KIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour): My question is—SPEAKER: Sorry would the member resume her seat. There are questions about whether that was in order or not. It was I think a reasonable response to a pretty aggressive political question.