Mark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:6029. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Does he stand by all his statements?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister of Justice): on behalf of theMinister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: Yes.Ron Mark: Does he stand by his statement in 2012 when he said as the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery: “We have to get the science and engineering right on how to progress.”; if so why did he not make that abundantly clear to Fletcher Construction or did it simply not get the memo?Hon AMY ADAMS: Yes.Ron Mark: Does he also stand by his statement that by “centralising management” and giving Fletcher Construction a $1 billion monopoly it would “help reduce the risk of cowboy builders” and how is that looking right now?Hon AMY ADAMS: When the Minister made reference to “cowboy builders” he was referring to builders who would choose to go bankrupt to avoid their obligations and he certainly stands by his statement that we do not need those people in the industry if that is their approach.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I raise this because I know the Minister is standing in for the real Minister but the quote—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am going to give the member the chance to raise his point of order. He does not need to make any other comments. Just refer to the Standing Order that is relevant and I can make a ruling.Ron Mark: The quote I gave was 2010. He could not possibly have made that statement—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Now the member is simply disputing the answer. That is not a point of order. He can carry on with his questions if he wants to.Ron Mark: Does he agree with statements made by Alastair Miles the Canterbury Registered Master Builders Association president that “EQC and EQR were responsible for selecting builders giving them a scope of work and checking the repairs” and “They opened the doors to anyone including painters acting like builders.”?Hon AMY ADAMS: I cannot speak as to whether the Minister is aware of that statement but I would certainly say on behalf of the Minister that the Earthquake Commission was in charge of running the home repair programme. It worked with Fletcher EQR. It had a significant programme in place to ensure the quality of the work. All work is required to be carried out in accordance with the building code and where a very small number of homes are found not to have been done in that way then they will be put right and they will be put right at no cost to the homeowner.Ron Mark: So who is ultimately responsible for the fact that a massive 35 percent of the work inspected by “MBIE” the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment has been found to be non-compliant—35 percent non-compliant? Is it the Irish immigrant workers who are being blamed now—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Just finish the question.Ron Mark: —is it Fletcher Construction or is it the Minister himself who was warned by international experts—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That question is quite long; the Minister can give the answer.Hon AMY ADAMS: I can assure that member that the homeowners certainly will not have any responsibility for putting it right and that the Earthquake Commission and Fletcher EQR have an obligation to ensure that all work carried out under the home repairs programme is compliant with the building code and it will be. I can point out to that member in the House that we are talking about 1.7 percent of repairs of a very successful programme in which 83 percent of homeowners have indicated that they are satisfied or very satisfied. None the less we want all repair work to be compliant. It will be made right and the homeowner will bear no cost.