Moroney Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMoroney Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 27 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:11366. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.SUE MORONEY (Labour)to theMinister of Women’s Affairs: Has she requested or received any briefings from Ministry officials on the Equal Pay Act case which commenced this week in the Employment Court?Hon JO GOODHEW (Minister of Women’s Affairs):No. Although the Equal Pay Act does not fall within my ministerial responsibilities I do regularly receive briefings from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs on how we can continue to reduce the gender pay gap which has been steadily declining and is now at its lowest level since 2001 when this measure started being used. I would caution the member because this case is still before the courts.Sue Moroney: Well does she think it is fair that the woman taking the case rest home caregiver Kristine Bartlett is paid just $14.46 an hour after 20 years’ experience as a caregiver and does that represent equal pay to her?Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. As the Minister said this case is before the courts so it is inappropriate to be asking these questions in that level of detail.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I accept that this is a difficult one because it is before the courts. As the question was asked I would have thought it was still a question that is in order and the Minister can rise and answer as she sees fit.Hon JO GOODHEW: I believe that for me to answer the question asked I would be in fact contravening sub judice because it would call on me to make an opinion on something that is currently being discussed in court.Hon Trevor Mallard: Well that’s disagreeing with you Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: No it is not.Sue Moroney: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I did not actually ask the Minister to make a ruling on this; I asked her—Mr SPEAKER: No no. [Interruption ] Order! You asked the Minister whether it is fair and the Minister has said she does not want to comment on that whilst the case is now before the court. Has the member got further supplementary questions?Sue Moroney: Could she tell the country why the Government declined the invitation to appear in court as an intervener in Kristine Bartlett’s equal pay case?Hon JO GOODHEW: I have no knowledge of that. I am not the Minister with any responsibility for that whatsoever. [Interruption ]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Your own member is trying to call for a supplementary question.Sue Moroney: Is the Minister telling the country that as the Minister of Women’s Affairs she has no responsibility for the Equal Pay Act?Hon JO GOODHEW: The Equal Pay Act is within the domain of the Minister of Labour.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am asking you whether you would give more consideration and perhaps report to the House on what has just happened here. You had a Minister get up and plead the sub judice rule and you went along with it. I am not rushing to judgment here but I would think that is far too wide an interpretation of that legislation to bar a person a Minister not before the court on the basis of the sub judice rule. I would just like some further consideration of that.Mr SPEAKER: I will give the matter further consideration because the member asking the question of course has a legal background. But this particular question was accepted as in order because it simply asked whether the Minister had requested or received reports. Supplementary questions since then have been in my mind close or marginal but have been accepted by me as Speaker and the Minister has chosen to address them by saying that because the matter is before the court she did not want to give an opinion.Sue Moroney: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am seeking your advice. The Minister has said that she does not have responsibility for the Equal Pay Act yet responsibility for pay and employment equity was removed from the Department of Labour and placed with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs back in 2010. I cannot see how the Minister can plead that she does not have responsibility for the Equal Pay Act.Mr SPEAKER: The Minister rose and said that the Equal Pay Act does not come under her responsibilities and I heard an interjection from the Minister of Labour saying: “Ask me. It comes under mine.” I would have thought that was fairly clear.