Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 12 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16557. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First)to the Prime Minister: Were all his answers to questions relating to the Hon Judith Collins and Oravida checked to ensure they were true; if not why not?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):Yes. It is the standard practice of my office to ensure that reasonable steps are taken to check proposed answers to both written and oral questions I might give this House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: When Judith Collins had secret meetings with a Chinese border official her policy adviser and the Chinese managing director of her husband’s company Oravida and a New Zealand diplomat and New Zealand consul; did not merely stop for a cup of tea on the way to the airport but had lunch and dinner with the company; as the Minister of Justice and the Minister for ACC held meetings on trade matters well outside her portfolios; and facilitated access for products obtained by Oravida from Sanford a company owned in part by the National Party president’s family how can he now not sack her?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: As I said earlier I think that Judith Collins has been an outstanding Minister. I think that she has got a big contribution to make for New Zealand. I think that in this particular case she put herself in the place of being accused of a perception of having a conflict of interest. I think that that is unwise but I am sure that the Minister has learnt from that.Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can he say “transparency is a good thing. As Prime Minister I have led that charge.” when page 5 of the Judith Collins Cabinet travel report was blanked out entirely when the travel report was released to me?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am not responsible for the blanking out of that. That comes from her office. But here is the important point: that looks awfully like the number of donors that we know gave David Cunliffe—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon Winston Peters: What about the number of donors in the Waitematā club if that is an issue?Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not sure where the question is. If the member wants to ask a supplementary question—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I am asking a supplementary question but he decided to put that issue on to the last answer.Mr SPEAKER: And I heard that.Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can he say as Prime Minister “transparency is a good thing. As Prime Minister I have led that charge.” when he refuses to release the Cabinet advice on this matter when that advice was never checked against the Chinese translation when he totally misled questioners when he claimed the advice was checked against the Chinese translation and when the Minister herself has so grossly failed to tell the truth over the real extent and import of her meetings involving Oravida?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I refute many of the assertions in that question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think I am entitled to some accountability in this House and so is the country. I have asked a serious question.Mr SPEAKER: The difficulty was that the question was excessively long and the Prime Minister has chosen to answer it the way he has just saying he does not agree with the assertions. If the member wants specific answers he should ask a specific question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I will give you an example. When he admitted last night—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Could the member just come to his question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I am raising a point of order and it is this.Mr SPEAKER: And would he come to his point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can he say he does not agree with the assertions when at the beginning of the week he said that the translation was checked and last night he said to the public on TV that it was not?Mr SPEAKER: Because the member started his question with the words “How can he say” and then went on with a whole lot of things. The Prime Minister got to his feet and said he did not agree with the assertions. That is an answer.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. No I did not begin it in that way. I began with his quote so how can he dispute that?Mr SPEAKER: I have ruled that the question has been addressed.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I know what your ruling is. With respect—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. My patience with the member will not last much longer. If the member wants to leave the Chamber I can ask him to do so. If he wants to conclude his questions he should move to his supplementary question otherwise we will immediately go to the next question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: How can he say “transparency is a good thing. As Prime Minister I have led that charge.” when he refuses to release the Cabinet advice the advice was never checked against the Chinese translation then he claimed that it was and the Minister has so grossly failed to tell the truth over the full extent and import of her meetings?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Because I stand by the view that transparency is a good thing. Successive Governments have followed the same position that advice from the Cabinet Office is not released.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that he sacked Richard Worth as a precedent over a clear conflict of interest much less than this one what has the Minister of Justice got on the Prime Minister that he will not sack her in circumstances and for reasons far more serious than he has used to sack others?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member needs to pay attention. Richard Worth was not sacked for that. If he goes back and looks at the records in 2009 when there was a potential conflict of interest I took the same approach and said that I thought the Minister was being very unwise.