Jones Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeJones Shane: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 20 February 2014. Volume:696;Page:16188. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.Hon SHANE JONES (Labour) to theMinister of Commerce: Was he aware of alleged cash payments being made to buyers from Countdown Supermarkets in return for the preferential treatment of suppliers prior to 19 February 2014?Hon CRAIG FOSS (Minister of Commerce): If the member is referring to the allegations he raised in the House yesterday no but this allegation and those that the member raised involving blackmail extortion and retrospective payments should be taken to the appropriate authority.Hon Shane Jones: Given the grave allegations regarding the Australian-owned supermarket Countdown that were detailed in a sworn affidavit broadcast onCampbell Live last night will he now apologise for saying I was grandstanding making inflammatory allegations and had not backed up my statements regarding the behaviour of this particular supermarket?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Absolutely not. The member made serious inflammatory allegations of blackmail—which is in fact covered under the Crimes Act—extortion and retrospective payments. To make a retrospective payment a member would have to have some kind of time machine.Hon Shane Jones: Does he think that his performance—in particular that recent response—is standing up on behalf of Kiwi workers and firms against the Woolworths empire and does he think that Kiwis still have confidence in him as a Minister?Hon CRAIG FOSS: The Commerce Act is in place for the protection of Kiwi families Kiwi buyers Kiwi suppliers and Kiwi businesses. The Commerce Commission administers the Commerce Act. If any member gets in the way of that process or prejudices its outcome there may be an unintended outcome as far as that process is concerned as it moves through the Commerce Commission. I am very cautious of trying to let the Commerce Commission do what it is prescribed to do.Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In the midst of that supernumerary response there was nothing as to whether—Mr SPEAKER: Order! There was a relatively lengthy question asked as well. No on this occasion the Minister has addressed the question—maybe not to the member’s satisfaction. He has further supplementary questions.Hon Shane Jones: Is he prepared to promote tough restrictions on how supermarket chains including Countdown use their market power including giving the competition watchdog greater oversight?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Currently I think that under the existing Commerce Act the Commerce Commission has good oversight and tools to investigate such matters. I can confirm that the Commerce Commission has launched a formal investigation into the supermarket sector of New Zealand.Hon Shane Jones: Given that he told the House that he keeps a watchful eye on what is happening in Australia will the Minister confirm to the House that he has read digested and is prepared to call for work to be done on the code just entered into inAustralia to deal with its supermarket giants’ suppliers which was agreed to by the Australian Minister for Small Business—not the small Minister?Hon CRAIG FOSS: That member who hides behind parliamentary petticoats when he makes accusations—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Is this a point of order?Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was related to a statement he made about—Mr SPEAKER: Order! What is the point of order?Hon Shane Jones: —how much he is watchful across Australia. That was not addressed in terms of the code just introduced—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon Shane Jones: —in terms of Australian commerce policy.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member also had a sly dig at the Minister when he asked the question. The Minister has started his answer; I want to hear it.Hon CRAIG FOSS: The member is incorrect. The Australian code between the supermarkets has been accepted by the Australian Minister. It is going through the policy process at which stage at the end it may form part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s administration. It is not yet fully in play as far as law is concerned. Of course we are keeping a watching brief on all developments in Australia including the “root and branch” review of all competition matters.Hon Shane Jones: I seek leave of the House to table a copy of an article outlining the code given that the man is ignorant of it.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I need the source of the article. If it is a newspaper article I am not even prepared to put leave. What is it?Hon Shane Jones: The article comes from a newspaper not commonly available in Parliament called the Australian.Mr SPEAKER: No it is available if members want to search for it.