12. Police—Deputy Commissioner of Police Inquiry into the Appointment ProcessCHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Internal AffairsPolice—Deputy Commissioner of Police Inquiry into the Appointment ProcessSPEAKER: Question No. 12 Chris Bishop. [Interruption] That appears to be—does the member want to ask the question?Chris Bishop: Yes.SPEAKER: Question No. 12 Chris Bishop.Chris Bishop: You hadn't called it—sorry Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: I did call the member. If he was listening he might have heard.12. CHRIS BISHOP (National—Hutt South) to the Minister of Internal Affairs: Is she confident that the Government inquiry into the process around the appointment of the Deputy Police Commissioner will retain public confidence with her as its responsible Minister?Hon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister of Internal Affairs): Yes.Chris Bishop: When Cabinet appointed her to oversee the Government inquiry into the appointment process for a Deputy Commissioner of Police was she aware that the deputy leader of New Zealand First Fletcher Tabuteau regards Wally Haumaha as a member of his whānau and mentioned him in his maiden speech and that Mr Haumaha is the chair of Mr Tabuteau's marae at Waiteti?Hon TRACEY MARTIN: Cabinet did not appoint me as the Minister to appoint the chair. I was appointed and sworn in as the Minister of Internal Affairs who has responsibility for the process—is the responsible Minister for the process—of inquiries under the Inquiries Act.Chris Bishop: When Cabinet authorised her to appoint the member of the Government inquiry into the appointment process for a Deputy Commissioner of Police was she aware that the Rt Hon Winston Peters spoke on Mr Haumaha's and Mr Tabuteau's marae at Waiteti last year to celebrate Mr Haumaha's appointment as assistant commissioner of police alongside police commissioner Mike Bush?Hon TRACEY MARTIN: Again Cabinet did not appoint me. I am the Minister of Internal Affairs and so have responsibilities to bring Cabinet papers forward after Crown Law the Department of Internal Affairs and the Cabinet Office have done appropriate process. So I don't see how I can answer the member's question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I seek leave to make a personal explanation in response to that allegation from that member.SPEAKER: The member seeks to make a personal explanation under the relevant Standing Order. Is there any objection? There is none.Rt Hon Winston Peters: It is true that I was invited to the marae to celebrate the appointment as an assistant commissioner of police of Wallace Haumaha by the then Government of the day—and the National Party who were then the Government—and the Minister of Police as well and there asked by the police to make a speech. I do not think that in any way compromises me. Chris Bishop: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In relation to the member's answers the Cabinet paper that the Minister herself has released on the Department of Internal Affairs' website specifically notes that the Minister is empowered by Cabinet to appoint a member of the inquiry so I'm not sure—SPEAKER: Well the member might be disputing the answer. There are methods of doing that but—Chris Bishop: When Cabinet authorised her to appoint a member of the Government inquiry into the Appointment Process for a Deputy Commissioner of Police was she aware that Tommy Gear a friend of the Rt Hon Winston Peters and uncle to Fletcher Tabuteau is a senior leader on Waiteti Marae alongside Mr Wally Haumaha?SPEAKER: Well I think—[Interruption] Order! Once again we have Ministers and the Leader of the Opposition encouraging each other to make out-of-order comments and it will stop. Hon TRACEY MARTIN: I'm having some difficulty with the questions from the perspective that one I am the Minister of Internal Affairs and so therefore have a statutory responsibility under the Inquiries Act to actually follow due process and take Cabinet papers and so on to the Cabinet. The Cabinet makes the overarching appointment and decision about any chair and also the process of this inquiry is into the appointment processes of the State Services Commission. I'm having difficulty seeing the connection between the questions and my responsibility as a Minister of Internal Affairs.Chris Bishop: For the sake of public confidence in the inquiry into this very important matter wouldn't it be better for any New Zealand First MP and Minister to recuse themselves from any further involvement? Hon TRACEY MARTIN: I am not—as the Minister of Internal Affairs I represent the coalition Government and the Cabinet's decisions. I do not see any conflict that I have in that role with the responsibility I have as the Minister of Internal Affairs to take Cabinet papers forward that have been prepared by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet the Department of Internal Affairs and Crown Law.