12. Biosecurity Management—FundingBARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country) to the Minister for BiosecurityBiosecurity Management—Funding12. BARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country) to the Minister for Biosecurity: Does he stand by all his statements in relation to brown marmorated stink bugs?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister for Biosecurity): Yes in the context they were given. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the member for keeping this important issue in the public arena.Barbara Kuriger: Thank you Minister. Given the Minister's statement that biosecurity was severely underfunded by the previous Government what new funding that had not been already reserved for biosecurity has he requested from Cabinet?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: In spite of us unfortunately facing some big challenges in the areas of biosecurity where a failure of the system has delivered us Mycoplasma bovis and a number of other incursions recently I asked my colleagues for an extra $9.3 million in December for the Mycoplasma bovis response which took pressure off other areas of the Ministry for Primary Industries and the biosecurity response team. I can tell you that we are shifting all the resource we can into these important areas to protect New Zealand from the brown marmorated stink bug and to try and eradicate Mycoplasma bovis.Barbara Kuriger: Supplementary—SPEAKER: I am going to let—because it is a matter of a lot of interest across the House if the member has a point of order she's allowed to have it. She will be allowed to have the next question but as a result of Dr Smith's further interjections when he was asked not to next Tuesday the National Party will start minus two.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. One of the most important rights in this Parliament is freedom of speech and if you as Speaker are going to say that I as a duly elected—and actually soon to be the longest-serving—member in this House am now going to face the Speaker in a partisan way of removing my right to interject one has to ask why one bothers to serve as a member of Parliament in this Parliament.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Mr Speaker—SPEAKER: Mr Peters I know you are the longest-serving member and that member will never at current rates get past it. If the member has a question like that for his own future he can contemplate it.Hon David Parker: Speaking to the point of order sir—SPEAKER: No there's no point of order. Barbara Kuriger supplementary question.Barbara Kuriger: In accordance with the Minister's answer on behalf in the House yesterday can the Minister confirm that the $9.3 million in funding for biosecurity response approved in December 2017 was additional to the $9.3 million reserved for biosecurity incursions by the previous Government?Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: The $9.3 million was a proposal put forward by me. I'm not sure that the last Government put $9.3 million. I'd be really interested to see those figures if I can believe them. Barbara Kuriger: I seek leave to table two briefings received under the Official Information Act from the Minister's office that in August 2017—SPEAKER: Sorry can I just check. Were these received by the member or the ones that have been proactively released by the department and by Treasury?Barbara Kuriger: These have actually been received in my office under—SPEAKER: As a result of your request?Barbara Kuriger: Yes.SPEAKER: The question is that the briefing of the date mentioned by the member be tabled. Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.SPEAKER: Was there another document or just the one?Barbara Kuriger: Those two—I mentioned—SPEAKER: The same date.Barbara Kuriger: No there's two. There's one from 30 October and one from 15 December.Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Point of order.SPEAKER: No I put the leave for the first one. I'll put the leave for the second one. Is there any objection to that one being tabled? There appears to be none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I'm not sure whether I have the ability to seek clarification but is this one of the many proposals put forward by the previous Government that never received funding—SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. I think that member is experienced enough as well to know when he is trifling with the Chair and running a risk going forward.Hon Louise Upston: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I wonder in the interests of balance when a member obviously rises and raises a point of order that is not in the good order of the House whether the Government side should be docked two supplementary questions for next week.SPEAKER: Thank you for the member's suggestion. If the member was doing something that was her responsibility and not mine then I might have contemplated it. I will take the judgments in this area and I will decline to have coaching as I have I think three times today from my right. I will also decline to take coaching from my left in these matters during question time. The member is most welcome as other members are—and have—to seek my advice in these matters either in my office or in writing as members did as recently as yesterday and I will reply to them as quickly as possible if it is in writing.