Mark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10971. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of thePrime Minister: Yes.Ron Mark: How does he stand by his 2012 statement that says “we’re a relatively cheap and easy place to set up a company but it’s obviously important that we preserve our international reputation.” when gunrunners and money launderers continue to register New Zealand companies and trusts?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Of course the Prime Minister stands by his statement. There are actually probably quite a few New Zealanders whose backgrounds may be questionable who are quite legally able to register companies in New Zealand.Ron Mark: Is Dunedin-based Incom Trustees Ltd and its sole New Zealand director Nicolaas Francken preserving our international reputation by helping to hide the assets of indicted gambling billionaire Calvin Ayre?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I have no idea. But in respect of New Zealand’s international reputation there is no evidence for the assertions of the Opposition that New Zealand’s reputation for tax policy and transparency is in question; it is not. We have one of the tightest set of tax rules around foreigners in the developed world and we are consistently rated very highly on transparency. But we are always keen to improve it where it is required.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am aware of the rulings in respect of the documents—Mr SPEAKER: Can I just have the point of order please.Ron Mark: To assist the Government could I seek leave to table the New Zealand First research on Incom Trustees Limited and Calvin Ayre which we conducted this morning?Mr SPEAKER: No. I am not prepared to put the leave and I ask the member to have a look at Speaker’s ruling 165/1. I did allow it yesterday. I had a look at the material that was subsequently tabled; I do not think it informed the House in any significant way at all. Speaker’s ruling 165/1 states: “The document must be from an authentic source. It is not acceptable in this House to seek to table members’ own views of the facts or documents annotated to substantiate those views … documents prepared in parties’ own research units or documents prepared by members are not material envisaged by [Standing Order 377].”Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. To assist the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to understand Mr Ayre and the—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Ron Mark: Can I seek leave to table a newspaper report?Mr SPEAKER: No the member cannot.Ron Mark: What does it mean for our international reputation when the Government of Macedonia is trying to liquidate another Nicolaas Francken New Zealand company Guardian Fiduciary Services Limited a company with links to convicted money launderers and fraudsters?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I think their advice is that if there are any tax issues or transparency issues on which the Macedonian Government wants assistance then the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is ready willing and able to provide the information that is required. The only issue ahead of us is whether that should be done automatically and whether some of that information should be on some kind of public register or publicly available. But there is no question mark over New Zealand’s reputation.Ron Mark: What investigations has the Prime Minister made in the 24 hours since we asked him for assurance that foreign-owned companies here are not involved in gunrunning people smuggling money laundering or financing terrorism?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Any such investigations would be carried out by the appropriate authority rather than by the Prime Minister and if there are taxation issues that will be IRD. If Interpol raises issues with the New Zealand Police they will be fully compliant with any requests but it is not necessarily the obligation of our authorities to be policing Macedonian activities.