Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16711] 
9.  
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Why has she decided that no new appointments will be made to Cabinet following the resignation of John Tamihere from his ministerial portfolios? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Deputy Prime Minister) 
 on behalf of the 
 Prime Minister 
: Because the Prime Minister deemed it inappropriate at this time. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Can the Prime Minister assure the House that there has been no backroom deal to allow John Tamihere back into Cabinet following the completion of the White inquiry an inquiry that has no proper powers to call for witnesses or evidence and that will not address Mr Tamihere’s chief misdemeanour in misleading the Prime Minister Parliament and the public of New Zealand when he took a golden handshake after saying he would not take it? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The latter matter has been dealt with by Mr Tamihere’s resignation from Cabinet. I have every faith in the independence of Mr Douglas White and would encourage the member to make available to Mr White any evidence he may have. 
Rodney Hide 
: In considering the member’s rehabilitation to Cabinet did the Prime Minister or her deputy vet and approve his personal explanation to the House last week? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Not as far as I am aware. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Will all the matters raised in Mr Tamihere’s statement to the House last week be subject to inquiry by Mr Douglas White QC? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I think so. I cannot recollect the exact content of the statement at this point. There is of course one area that is a matter of inquiry by the Serious Fraud Office. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Which of the following is correct: Mr Tamihere’s somewhat boastful article in the  
Herald on Sunday 
 where he stated “my ministerial portfolios were well geared” that he was just about to launch a series of youth expos up and down New Zealand as Minister of Youth Affairs that as Minister for Small Business he had 19 policy recommendations on behalf of small business that on behalf of Statistics New Zealand he was about to spend millions of extra dollars of resources and that as Associate Minister of Maori Affairs he had superb programmes ready to roll—he was just proud of being Minister for Land Information—or the Prime Minister’s assessment that Mr Tamihere was doing nothing that could not actually be done by other Ministers who are presumably busy; and if it is the second option how many of the 25 Ministers could she dismiss without them being missed? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There are three questions there— 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: No—two Mr Speaker. There are just two. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am sorry; I made a mistake. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I am happy to try to answer however many questions there were. I see no conflict between those two statements. The member who asked the question has been the most effective parliamentary MP for the ACT party but he will not be missed when he goes. 
Rodney Hide 
: Effective but not to be missed. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well I am one of those who will miss Mr Prebble when he goes too. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Will the Prime Minister assure the House that all the matters raised in Mr Tamihere’s statement to the House last week will be investigated by Mr Douglas White QC? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Except for as far as I am aware one area that is now properly a matter for the Serious Fraud Office. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Perhaps the Minister could just indicate that that being the case— 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Mr Speaker that is as complete an answer as I can give. As far as I am aware on the basis of my recollection of the statement there is one area surrounding the accusations that have been made that is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We know that and we do not dispute that. But there are a number of other things that Mr Tamihere brought up in that statement that we thought were—we will say at this point—interesting. We would just like to know that the Queen’s Counsel who is investigating this matter will in fact have Mr Tamihere’s statement placed in front of him so that he is able to verify as truthful all the claims made in that statement. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think that perhaps the Minister could comment to me that when he gave his answer he said “Except for” that— 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Mr Speaker it is very much for Mr Tamihere to make the statement in the House available to Mr Douglas White. I think I would like to seek advice from the Clerk before suggesting in any way that a statement made in this House should be referred by somebody else to an inquiry.