Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 24 October 2013. Volume:694;Page:14273. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.DARIEN FENTON (Labour) to theMinister of Labour: Does he stand by all his statements on health and safety?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Labour): Pretty much yes.Darien Fenton: Why did the Minister say publicly in relation to forest safety that “The Government is taking steps to address the issues that are having an impact.” when he has failed miserably to adequately staff its health and safety inspectorate?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Because it is true. We have got an improved code of practice that is bedding in and we have got a strong enforcement approach that we have started where every logging contract operation in the country is being visited. And there are investigations with the possibility of prosecutions being undertaken as we speak.Hon Shane Jones: When he publicly stated recently that he did not care and that Labour should get a life was it his intention to tell Maryanne Butler-Finlay widow of the most recent forestry victim and mother of twins to also get a life?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Those comments were in relation to a procedural matter of David Shearer’s that had nothing to do with forestry so I think the member should get a life and actually treat these sorts of issues with some respect in this House.Hon Shane Jones: Given his advice to me to get a life what does he have in store for widowKarinaMcHardy who after losing her husband in a forestry job in 2011 said that the new code would not make a difference and that “I don’t think the ministry is going to do anything … they always say they are going to do something.” or will he tell her as well to get a life?Mr SPEAKER: As far as there is ministerial responsibility I call the Hon Simon Bridges.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Firstly let me repeat that I never made that statement in relation to anything to do with forestry. Let me also make very clear that we have a series of initiatives going on—much more in fact than Labour did in its 9 years. I have already made it very clear about the code. I have already made clear that we are beefing up the health and safety system with an additional $30 million per annum starting fromthe end of this year. I have also made it clear that we are literally going to every single forestry operation in this country at the moment—in some cases stopping work and in some cases looking to prosecute.Darien Fenton: You haven’t got enough inspectors.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: As I have already said in relation to the interjection we are beefing up the inspectorate with additional capability.Hon Shane Jones: Given that the widows and families have warned that forest owners’ conduct is leading to unsafe conditions and that owners should be accountable why is he not taking ownership showing leadership and fulfilling his statutory responsibilities or is he intending to tell them all to get a life?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I am showing ownership of this issue. That is in fact why I do not want a Government-led inquiry because actually the time of inquiries is over and what we need now is action. That is why as I have said we have a series of initiatives. We are doing things. The forestry industry has made it quite clear that it wants to hold its own kind of review and inquiry. I support that. I think it should also take some ownership for this issue as I have said publicly.Hon Shane Jones: When he told the media recently that he knows that the forestry companies which he has just referred to are animated about this issue did he give any thought as to what he might do and say to animate the blighted lives of the orphans and widows left behind?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Yes and that is why as I say I am overseeing a regime that unlike when that member was a Minister is ensuring that—Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question I asked was directed to a remark made publicly about forestry companies. It had absolutely nothing to do with 2007-08—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member asked a type of question that I think all members want to be very cautious of asking—when they are dragging in people who have suffered very unfortunate fatalities in their families. Having said that I did not rule the question out of order. It certainly gives the Minister relatively wide licence to answer it and I ask the Minister whether he wants to—Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is the duty of us as parliamentarians to hold Ministers to account and I find objectionable your admonishment that it was an improper question.Mr SPEAKER: The member has every right to find objectionable a comment I made. I have allowed the Minister if he has further comments to make on that answer—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Not only does he have every right to raise that objection because you do not know whether or not he sought permission to raise it but you had no right to say what you did. I think you should actually apologise to him.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Again I think the member has got the right to make that point. I just think that when members raise circumstances like that which involve families that are already coping with enough of a tragedy they need to be very careful in raising those points. I certainly did not rule the question out of order but in answering the question it does give a great deal of licence to a Minister to answer it. He was using that. The member then rose to his feet taking a point of order to say that the answer was not satisfactory to him. I do not agree with that.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: I am happy to give the answer Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: If the Minster wants to continue with his answer he is welcome to.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: My answer is that unlike what happened under the last Labour Government I have made sure that every single forestry operation in this country is being visited with a view to holding investigations where there areunacceptable practices. As I say those investigations may well lead to prosecutions and have already led to some of those companies being stopped in their tracks and having business stopped.