Smith NickHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): There are three points that I would like to make in respect of Part 2 of this bill and I want to particularly draw the Minister's attention—CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): We're on clauses 1 and 2. Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Oh I'm sorry. My humble apologies to the Chair. I had to absent myself quickly from the Chamber—Hon Grant Robertson: It's a shambles over there! Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Mr Robertson I'd be happy to provide an explanation of where I was.Hon Grant Robertson: I really don't want to know.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Well actually I'll tell you exactly what it was. The Minister in the chair the Hon Chris Hipkins has invited our side of the Chamber to engage on important issues around a major State sector reform. The State Services Commissioner said the only time that he could meet with me was this afternoon—at the same time as the Minister in the chair is wanting us to debate a State sector bill. Now actually it's a bit like the fiasco that occurred over education. It actually does make it quite hard but I'm only moaning about those matters because members opposite wanted to raise them.In respect of the title and commencement of this bill I am interested to know from the Minister why it is urgent for these new standards to apply. A question that I put to the Minister on the earlier parts was that we have this controversy raging around the appointment of the Chief Technology Officer—that has resulted in the resignation of a Minister. Now here's the really interesting part that's relevant to this bill and that is the open question that the Minister did not respond to on the debate on the earlier part as to whether the new codes of conduct and ethics that are being applied will in fact apply to the Chief Technology Officer. Now given there is serious doubt—serious doubt—about whether the Chief Technology Officer will be appointed by 31 October or not is the reason that the Government wants this bill coming into effect in relatively short notice—and that's more than just a few weeks away—because the Government wants to install some ethics and some standards around the Chief Technology Officer given that this is one of the more dodgy things that I think this Parliament has seen in some time around the extent of the public sector?We know it's a very unusual appointment. It's unusual in the sense that unlike an appointment of any of our major public servants that's managed by the State Services Commission the Cabinet paper for the appointment of the Chief Technology Officer directly went around that process. So my question is: is the timing in the commencement clause clause 2 in this bill related to that? Or if not why is the Government so keen to get this provision in place? Could it be that there is some other thing going on? And I'd love the Minister in the chair to comment. Is there some inquiry under the Inquiries Act that the State Services Commissioner has got his eye on initiating that there is an urgency with the deadline of 31 October—just six weeks away—when the Minister is wanting these additional powers to be able to bypass the Privacy Act around an issue of an inquiry?Hon Grant Robertson: We just want to help Simon Bridges with his inquiry.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: We would just like—and I notice that Grant Robertson is intervening. I'd love to know as to whether there is some sort of inquiry—Hon Grant Robertson: There's only one inquiry going on in this building—right over there. Hon Dr NICK SMITH: —that the Government has in mind. I'd love to know from the member opposite: who is it? Mr Robertson has just asserted that it's from over our side of the House. Does he have information on it? We know the Government knows. We know parts of the Government know. And why not just disclose that so that we can get through that? Hon Members: Ha ha!Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Members opposite think it's quite funny. Actually it goes to the heart of Government if the Speaker's office or some other public servant has leaked that information and I'd love to know. I'll tell you something: I'm absolutely confident that it is not a member of our caucus team. We've not gone down the road of ripping our guts apart as I saw with Grant Robertson when he knifed Andrew Little and when they knifed the other three Leaders of the Opposition. That's not what we do on our side of the House.