Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 26 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:4016. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
5. 
KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) 
 to the  
Minister of Commerce 
: What steps is the Government taking to help maintain New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted place to do business? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS (Minister of Commerce) 
: 
 This week the Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment Bill had its first reading. The bill seeks to strengthen aspects of the rules applying to the governance registration and reorganisation of companies and limited partnerships. The reforms will help maintain New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted place to do business and will promote investor confidence and participation in New Zealand’s capital markets. The bill seeks to strike the right balance between deterring the actions that threaten the integrity of a company registration system and maintaining the ease of business for New Zealand companies. I look forward to the select committee’s thoughts on the bill. 
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 
: What other issues does the bill seek to address? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: The bill will require each company registered in New Zealand to have a resident agent if there is no director living in New Zealand or an approved jurisdiction. It will give new powers to the Registrar of Companies to investigate and deal with non-compliance with the Companies Act. This includes the power to flag companies on the register that are under investigation. These are but some of the changes in the bill. I welcome the support of all parties across the House in progressing at least the first reading of this bill and I welcome the select committee’s views on all of these matters. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Would another step to maintain New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted place to do business be to stand down a Minister who solicits and receives at least $80000 in donations in plain envelopes and fails to declare them? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: The bill has got nothing to do with ministerial responsibility. 
Grant Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The bill was the subject of the supplementary question. The primary question was a general question about steps to maintain New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted place to do business. I think the question from Mr Mallard was definitely in order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I accept the member’s point of order. It is certainly consistent with the primary question. I guess the Minister’s answer though is indicating that he as a Minister has no responsibility for whether other Ministers are stood down or not. I believe that is what he was saying and that is a fair answer I think. But I fully accept the question as being in order. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Would it help New Zealand to be seen as a trusted place to do business if Ministers had sufficient capacity to remember when they receive $80000 in plain envelopes and/or paper bags? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: I do not know whether he is referring to—I will not go—the bill as drafted has absolutely nothing to do with whatever that member is talking about. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I say to the Minister that sadly the question has got nothing to do with a bill. The question asked what steps the Government is taking to help maintain New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted place to do business. The Minister may have intended—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! The Minister may have intended that answer to that question to allow him to talk about a bill but supplementary questions are not constrained. They are constrained only in so far as this primary question states what it states. The question asked is in order. It is hypothetical but it cannot be ignored because the question is in order given that primary question. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Should I put it again? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is this a point of order? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Oh no no I am just offering to put it again in case the Minister— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! No I think the Minister can recollect the question. 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: I recollect there was a hypothetical question and there are many things that affect New Zealand’s reputation. One of the best things we can do to affect New Zealand’s international reputation as a good place to do business is to continue the prudent economic management that this Government started about 4 years ago and is continuing to do so. 
Grant Robertson 
: In light of his desire to maintain New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted place to do business is he satisfied that the Hon John Banks has the required ethical standards to be his Associate Minister of Commerce? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: I do not appoint Associate Ministers. 
Grant Robertson 
: In light of his desire to maintain New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted place to do business is it his intention to withdraw the delegations of the Associate Minister of Commerce John Banks in light of the revelations that he solicited donations from Skycity Kim Dotcom and a third party and then signed a donation return that could not recall those donations? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: These reflections reflect pretty badly on the questioner. I have no responsibility for the delegations or any of the roles. That is at the will of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You know and I know that that Minister signed those delegations— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: —not the Prime Minister. It is just not true. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! No order! The member is now questioning the answer. The Speaker has to take the Minister’s answer as it stands. I cannot question whether or not Ministers are giving correct answers; I can only assess whether or not they have provided an answer and the Minister has certainly provided an answer. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Did he sign the delegation for John Banks as an Associate Minister? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: Yes; the member is correct that this Minister does sign those delegations in consultation with the Prime Minister.