5. Question No. 5—Prime MinisterHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 5—Prime Minister5. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements policies and actions?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes.Hon Paula Bennett: Is it appropriate that under the Referendums Framework Bill due to be read on Thursday the only people able to consider the question of a referendum will be Cabinet side-stepping the important democratic process of the whole of Parliament being able to scrutinise the question?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Ultimately in our system Cabinet takes responsibility for decisions such as this. Cabinet will no doubt as it always does listen carefully to advice.Hon Paula Bennett: When previously has Cabinet alone decided the question of a referendum when it hasn't gone to Parliament?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I don't have that information with me but if the member would like to put a question down on notice I'm sure I can answer it for her. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Order! Members have been warned previously that when non-specific questions are placed that sort of response is absolutely appropriate. The two Speakers who preceded me made that very clear and I'm not going to have disorder occurring when such a response happens.Hon Amy Adams: Oh we're still allowed to interject.Hon Paula Bennett: Supplementary. Is—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume her seat. Amy Adams you are a senior member and a retiring member and one who generally behaves very well. Having commentaries on my rulings from you is not helpful.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: A Paula Bennett—sorry a point of order. [Interruption] That's a mistake I shouldn't have made.Hon Gerry Brownlee: It's going to be pretty hard for me to get over too I've got to say. But my point of order is this: in his answer to that question the acting Prime Minister said that Cabinet had always taken responsibility for the questions that were asked in referendums and then was asked the question Well when has it happened before?" and said "I don't know." Well how could the first answer stand if the second one is correct? The reality is it's never happened before.SPEAKER: Well the member is now disputing an answer to a question and he does know that that is not in order.Hon Gerry Brownlee: No; no sir. I'm concerned that you made a statement that it was unreasonable to ask the question that was asked when in fact the question that was asked by the Hon Paula Bennett was a follow-up to the answer given by the acting Prime Minister.SPEAKER: Well I—[Interruption] No the member will resume his seat. I'll apologise for my lack of clarity. I wasn't indicating that the question was inappropriate but that the very noisy response to the answer was inappropriate.Hon Paula Bennett: Is a referendum question being considered by Cabinet and not the Parliament in line with the self-proclaimed most open and transparent Government ever?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister yes.Hon Paula Bennett: Does he believe it is acceptable for Government websites to instruct the public on how to take synthetic drugs given that up to an estimated 80 people have died from these drugs in the last two years?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister I simply don't know what specific instances the member is referring to. Obviously if she has examples of that she probably is about to raise them and we will look into them at that time.Hon Paula Bennett: Would she be concerned then to learn that the Wellington Regional Public Health website gives clear instructions on how people should take synthetic substances and what messages does she think this sends?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: I'm sure the member will be well aware that the Government does not control the many websites of public health authorities or even DHBs. Clearly we can take a look at that. The approach taken by those public health authorities will no doubt be based on their best clinical judgment.Chlöe Swarbrick: Can the Prime Minister confirm whether or not the Opposition's drug law reform spokesperson the Hon Paula Bennett has yet accepted the invitation of a Minister of this Government to be involved in a cross-party group on the cannabis referendum?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: On behalf of the Prime Minister I'm not aware that that invitation has been accepted. If the Opposition was more interested in being constructive than playing politics on this issue that would be helpful for all New Zealanders."