Brownlee Gerry; Peters WinstonPoint of Order—Supplementary QuestionsHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Recognising that it is completely at the discretion of the Speaker as to how many supplementary questions might be offered to the Opposition parties in their scrutiny of the Government on any given day—mindful also that we are having a meeting at 4.30 today to try and get some agreement about an orderly process for next week in the House—I'm seeking advice on whether or not it is possible for me to seek leave for there to be three supplementaries granted on questions 10 and 12 today. SPEAKER: No. The member will resume his seat. I am prepared to allow the unusual arrangement of the National Party using three of their supplementaries from tomorrow today if they wish to do that but I do also want to warn the member that the implicit threat in his request—the implicit threat in his request—meant that I wouldn't put his original leave.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I simply asked was it within the power of Parliament to grant leave for such a request.SPEAKER: And the answer is it would be yes but it's not going to be granted because there will be an objection. Right. Does the member want to seek leave in terms of taking three from tomorrow?Hon Gerry Brownlee: No.SPEAKER: No you don't. OK question number—Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I've just been sitting contemplating this matter Mr Speaker. I fully understand why you took the supplementaries from the Opposition and it is absolutely at your discretion and I certainly wouldn't wish to challenge that. I do think that it's challenging—having sat on that side of the House for nine years it is challenging when the Opposition loses a significant number of supplementary questions for them to do the job which they do have to do which is to hold the Government to account. Ministers spend time preparing to come down to answer questions. It's disappointing for us when we don't get a chance to answer the Opposition's questions and I wonder whether we might be able to consider some alternative sanctions if you like than taking away the Opposition's supplementary questions in cases like that because I'm not sure that the broader public interest of the Opposition doing their job to hold the Government to account is served well when question time effectively gets significantly truncated.SPEAKER: Well I'm willing to consider at some stage suggestions as to alternative methods but I do recall the last comment made by Mr Brownlee which resulted in the last set of questions being withdrawn and that was that as far as he was concerned it was worth it.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It may help the House in light of what has been said by Mr Hipkins—if the motion was put it would not be opposed. That's my belief. So Mr Brownlee should be invited to do that. After all I haven't had a question for seven weeks.Hon Simon Bridges: Cos you're doing nothing.SPEAKER: Order! That doesn't help either Mr Bridges. I think I've made it clear originally that in fact if leave was sought it would be opposed Mr Peters by me. Thank you.