Parker David: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParker David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 25 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4794. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Does he stand by all his answers to written and oral questions regarding the multi-milliondollar payment to the Al-Khalaf Group and the model farm in the desert?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister of Local Government) on behalf of theMinister of Foreign Affairs: Yes within the context in which they were given.Hon David Parker: Given that the Minister claims the previously undisclosed $4 million initial payment to Al Khalaf was justified to settle his $20 million to $30 million legal claim did he receive any legal advice from Crown Law or his own ministry as to whether Al Khalaf had any legitimate claim?Hon PAULA BENNETT: It is my understanding that that was a contract for services and I cannot answer the question on legal advice because I do not have it with me.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption] My question—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am just going to call the member. I have been waiting for the noise to settle down on my left. The Hon David Parker a point of order.Hon David Parker: My question is not what the legal advice is; my question is whether he received any legal advice as to whether the claim was legitimate.Mr SPEAKER: And I heard the answer. The answer from the Minister answering on behalf of the Minister was “I cannot answer that.” Further supplementary questions?Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister is answering on behalf of the Minister. She should be in a position to answer that question. It is germane and central to the issue.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member may hope so but on this occasion as I have said I think last week at a time when another member is answering on behalf of a Minister I would actually prefer that if they do not have the information they are upfront in saying that rather than trying to stumble with a guess that then proves to be inaccurate. If a Minister has come to this question and has not got the answer and says “I have not got that information.” that addresses the question.Hon PAULA BENNETT: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I may have an answer here that might help further if that is of interest to the House.Mr SPEAKER: Well I think on that basis the best way forward is that I will invite the Hon David Parker to repeat the question.Hon David Parker: Thank you Mr Speaker. Given that the Minister claims that the previously undisclosed $4 million initial payment to Al Khalaf was justified to settle Mr Khalaf’s $20 million to $30 million legal claim did he the Minister receive legal advice from Crown Law or his own ministry as to whether Al Khalaf had any legitimate claim?Hon PAULA BENNETT: The answer I have here on behalf of the Minister is that I am advised that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s legal division provided advice on issues relating to the food security partnership but I cannot answer further on what the member asked.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That does not address my question at all.Mr SPEAKER: Order! No. It does not answer the question to the member’s satisfaction—that is accepted—but it certainly addresses the question.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: No. I am going to give the member—[Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat. I have ruled quite categorically that that question has been addressed. Taking further points of order relitigating that leads to disorder. It means that I have to deal with that far more substantially. If the member has further supplementary questions he is welcome to raise them or equally [Interruption]—I had not quite finished—if the member wants to raise fresh points of order that are genuinely fresh points of order that is also acceptable.Hon David Parker: Is it not the real reason that the Minister has refused to answer oral questions written questions and select committee questions on this very issue that he never got that legal advice but to concede it amounts to an admission that he misled his Cabinet colleagues?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I refute all of the question from the member.Hon David Parker: Is the reason the Minister is now talking about general trade risks rather than Mr Al Khalaf’s legal claim that in truth these payments were to advance the free-trade agreement and trading with Saudi Arabia?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Certainly the truth that I have seen is a mess that was left by Labour which this Government has had to pick up and actually fix so that we are in a position where we can discuss trade with that partner.Hon David Parker: Is it not the real reason that he continues to pretend the $4 million payment to Al Khalaf was to settle the non-existent legal claim because otherwise it is even more obvious that the multimillion-dollar payment was a facilitation payment which in other jurisdictions is called a bribe?Hon PAULA BENNETT: The assertions from the member are wrong and incorrect. What the Minister of Foreign Affairs has done is exactly what this country would expect of him which is to step up in the best interests of New Zealand and actually fix a mistake that was put in place by a previous Government.Hon David Parker: Was the Minister surprised that the select committee chair this morning allowed him to make his self-justifying pre-written assertions about his past conduct and then ruled Opposition questions about the past out of order and blocked Opposition members getting to the bottom of this matter?Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is a very marginal question. The essence of it is was the Minister surprised by such alleged action? I will allow the Minister to address that.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You seem to be casting aspersions on my question—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am very inclined to deal with it in the way that I have the option of doing. That was a question that was not according to the Standing Orders. It was full of allegation imputation etc. throughout that question. I decided to be generous to the member and allow the Minister to address it and we should continue with that but if that is going to be an issue I would not have much hesitation of ruling it out in the first place.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You obviously were not at the select committee because there was nothing in my question that is contentious.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I was definitely not at the select committee. [Interruption] Order! Now I will invite the Minister to complete the answer.Hon PAULA BENNETT: Thank you Mr Speaker. I am seldom surprised these days at the inane questions that come from the Opposition whether it be in a select committee or in this House.