11. Conservation—Minister's Statements and Electronic Monitoring of Fishing VesselsHon MAGGIE BARRY (National—North Shore) to the Minister of ConservationConservation—Minister's Statements and Electronic Monitoring of Fishing VesselsHon MAGGIE BARRY (National—North Shore): Thank you Mr Speaker. To Eugenie Sage the Minister of Conservation does she stand by her statement in the House Under this Government we will have a Minister of Conservation and an Associate Minister for the Environment who believes in nature and in safeguarding the values of our species here in Aotearoa" and if so how?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It's a longstanding tradition in this House to read the question as it is on the sheet. In the nine years I've been here I've never heard anyone named in a question.Mr SPEAKER: I think what we'll do is we'll do the excusing as we've done on a number of occasions for people who haven't had much recent experience in asking primary questions and we'll ask Maggie Barry to start again.11. Hon MAGGIE BARRY (National—North Shore) to the Minister of Conservation: Does she stand by her statement in the House "Under this Government we will have a Minister of Conservation and an Associate Minister for the Environment who believes in nature and in safeguarding the values of our species here in Aotearoa"; if so how?Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Minister of Conservation): E Te Māngai o Te Whare tēnā koe. Yes by implementing policy that recognises that nature is at the heart of New Zealand's success and by adequately resourcing the Department of Conservation to better safeguard our indigenous plants and wildlife and their habitats.Hon Maggie Barry: So did the Minister specifically advocate for endangered marine species such as Maui and Hector's dolphins in the Government's decision announced on Friday to defer the roll-out of electronic observation on commercial fishing vessels?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: The delay in the roll-out of the integrated electronic monitoring will allow the Department of Conservation to better identify how that monitoring can be used because there are significant problems with the camera resolution: it is unable to adequately identify some of the by-catch species.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister was asked a very straight factual question: did she advocate? She didn't go anywhere near that.Mr SPEAKER: Well I thought she did.Jami-Lee Ross: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I appeal to you: you ruled that we lost a question earlier when one of our side interjected before a Minister started speaking; Mr Jones did exactly that.Mr SPEAKER: No. Mr Jones interjected after. He interjected I think three times but all of them were after Ms Sage started her answer or at least after the question was finished. Back to Maggie Barry.Hon Maggie Barry: Does the Minister agree with Christine Rose the chair of Maui and Hector's Dolphin Defenders NZ that "the decision was fatally flawed a massive disappointment and a huge setback for conservation. Electronic [observation] coverage is essential" and "the new Labour Government has shown itself … to be no friend of science or conservation"?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: No I don't agree. Hon Maggie Barry: I didn't hear that. Mr SPEAKER: She said no she doesn't. Hon Maggie Barry: Electronic surveillance on fishing boats is widely believed to improve outcomes for threatened marine species—Mr SPEAKER: Question please.Hon Maggie Barry: —so does the Minister of Conservation agree with the decision to defer its roll-out and put further creatures at risk? Hon EUGENIE SAGE: If the member had listened to my previous answer she would be aware that there are deficiencies in the integrated electronic monitoring that the former Government was proposing to roll out and the delay allows some of those defects to be addressed.Clayton Mitchell: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. A member made a comment to another member saying that we're in some pocket I think. We take offence to that and I would ask her to withdraw and apologise. Mr SPEAKER: Who made that comment?Clayton Mitchell: Paula Bennett.Hon Paula Bennett: Bit of banter.Mr SPEAKER: Well I think the member is tempting me to have a bit of banter back. The member will withdraw and apologise. Hon Paula Bennett: Oh you want it to get that sterile around here? I withdraw.Hon Members: And?Hon Paula Bennett: Withdraw and apologise with vigour. Mr SPEAKER: No the member will withdraw and apologise unreservedly.Hon Paula Bennett: I shall withdraw and apologise. Mr SPEAKER: Thank you."