Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 07 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17557. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Leader of the Opposition) to thePrime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes which is a lot more than Trevor Mallard can say.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order!Hon David Cunliffe: Does the Prime Minister stand by his statement that “We have a lot to be proud of.” and if so does he include in that list his handling of Judith Collins’ massive and undeclared conflicts of interest a Minister who thought it was acceptable to call the police about an ongoing prosecution and revelations of ministerial “cash for access” programmes being run out of his Government?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes the first part of the question I do stand by. There is a lot to be proud of—so much to be proud of that Shane Jones left Labour for a National-led Government.Hon David Cunliffe: I guess he will have to ask the diplomats whether they agree with him.Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon David Cunliffe: Is he proud to lead a Government that prioritises giving millions to big businesses like RioTinto does deals with companies like Skycity and Chorus but tells New Zealanders like the Pike River families that he has no moral obligation to help them?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: In relation to the last part of the question I really think it is a disgrace actually that that member would say that with all the things that this Government has done in relation to Pike River including funding to go up the drift which is in excess of about $9 million. I have personally been to the West Coast on numerous occasions. To play games actually with those families who have gone through an enormous amount shows how low that member is getting as Leader of the Opposition.Hon David Cunliffe: While the Minister is on his high horse he can go and find MrWhittall and bring him back.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I call the Hon David Cunliffe to ask a supplementary question.Hon David Cunliffe: Is he proud to lead a Government where a senior Minister Maurice Williamson believed that it was acceptable to improperly interfere in a police investigation into domestic violence againstDonghua Liu?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: What I am proud to do is lead a Government that has standards. If a Minister does not meet those standards then they pay a price. But you see if I was part of a Government that campaigned against secret trusts and the very first step I took was to establish one to set up what must be explosive conflicts of interest and not to declare them it is no wonder New Zealanders have such a low view of David Cunliffe.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The level of interjection now coming from my right is unacceptable.Hon David Cunliffe: Do the Prime Minister’s high standards include the standards and values of his Minister Judith Collins who misled him and the public about her involvement inOravida attacked a press gallery journalist and made veiled threats against others and wants to drain every swamp but her own?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The first thing is the Leader of the Opposition needs to get a better question writer.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order.Grant Robertson: I appreciate it was a political question but that was not actually an answer as such from the Prime Minister. He needs to at least attempt to address—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I need no assistance at all. The Prime Minister was asked a question that was very politically loaded. I allowed it to go forward. I certainly did not rule it out. The Prime Minister has chosen to answer it by addressing it in the way that he has. That is satisfactory to me.Hon David Cunliffe: As the Prime Minister so obviously cannot defend the Minister of Justice why does he not do what all New Zealanders expect as the inevitable and let her go?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Far from that the Minister enjoys my full confidence. I think that as a Minister in a number of portfolios for the last 5½ years she has done an outstanding job. What she has not done is set up a secret trust to hide donors. What she has not done is had the hypocrisy of being part of a Government that campaigns against trusts and then takes money from people—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That answer is sufficient. [Interruption] Order! The Hon Gerry Brownlee—please tone it down a little.Hon David Cunliffe: If the Minister believes in high standards does he believe that paying for access to Government Ministers including the Prime Minister whether it is through a so-called charity golf game or undisclosed attendance at the Antoine’s dinners whether it is throughOravida or the systematic abuse of the Cabinet club which contravenes theCabinet Manual—does the Minister think that those are the standards that New Zealanders have a right to expect of him or his Government?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: If you will bear with me for a moment because this is a slightly longer answer but let me start with theCabinet Manual. Paragraph 2.54 makes it quite clear around what a Minister can and cannot do. They certainly cannot take additional remuneration unless I sign off on that and only one Minister so far has done that and that was Maurice Williamson. Paragraph 2.94 makes it quite clear that Ministers can go to fund-raising functions for their own electorate or for any other member of Parliament. If they are paid for that they are meant to donate that. They can also—theCabinet Manual makes quite clear—be at events where people pay political donations. They can talk about their portfolios interests and all of those things. That is because they fundamentally go in their capacity as an MP or a member of the party. But let me—if you will bear with me just for a second on these points—say that I am aware of a couple of interesting situations. I am aware of a situation where a market stand was established where a fee of $1250 plus GST was paid—Grant Robertson: Point of order Mr Speaker.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No sunshine! Sit down!Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Prime Minister will resume his seat. [Interruption] Order! If members on my right want to stay for the full question time I expect some cooperation. [Interruption] Order! A point of order has been raised. It will be heard in silence.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I have actually got two points of order. The first of those is that for a considerable time after you were on your feet the Prime Minister continued to talk barrack and completely ignore your rulings and—Mr SPEAKER: And your second point?Grant Robertson: I hope that you will rule on both these points of order thank you. The second point is that the Prime Minister’s answer was very long was straying into highly irrelevant matters. He had dealt with the question. If he wants to do a speech he should do one in the general debate.Mr SPEAKER: No I do not need assistance. [Interruption] Order! As to the first point of order the Prime Minister should resume his seat immediately when I stand. I said that to him so I consider that matter closed but it had better not happen again. On the second point of order when I considered the allegations in the question I allowed a reasonable amount of licence in the answer given by the Prime Minister. I do accept the point that at this stage it had gone on for long enough and I do not expect that answer to now be continued further.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member asked me a very loaded political question. As part of that I gave him the very straightCabinet Manual advice that is there for everybody. On the basis of the very political question that was asked I think I am quite entitled to point out that there are other examples that have taken place and I do not think I was given the chance to answer my question. The reason that Mr Robertson got on his feet was that he knew I was about to point that out.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have heard enough. The Prime Minister gave a factual answer referring to theCabinet Manual. I accept that. He then added quite a lot of political content and I allowed that. I consider the answer has gone on for long enough.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Supplementary question.Grant Robertson: To the rescue Gerry!Mr SPEAKER: Order! All members have a right to ask a supplementary question.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Has he seen any reports of interesting and innovative fund-raising methods deployed by political parties? [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no prime ministerial responsibility for other parties. [Interruption]Hon Gerry Brownlee: Point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I just want to clarify before I take the point of order that the member is not in any way attempting to relitigate a ruling I have given because if that was happening I would be tempted to ask the member to leave. If it is a point of order I will hear it but it better not be—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There is always that temptation but what I am simply saying is that I asked the question whether the Prime Minister has received any reports.Mr SPEAKER: It is a matter of prime ministerial responsibility. It asked about any reports but then you went on Mr Brownlee about other parties’ innovative means of fund-raising or words to that effect. I ruled instantly that I did not consider that that had prime ministerial responsibility.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order. It will be heard in silence.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I seek leave to table a report that shows that a market place was established where $1250 was paid for an opportunity to meet one-on-one in a short meeting with your choice of MP. That was at the Labour Party conference last year—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been satisfactorily explained. It is in the House’s hands when I put the leave as to whether members want that document tabled.Grant Robertson: What’s the source?Mr SPEAKER: The member is asking what the source is. That is a reasonable question.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Labour Party website. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! My patience is fast running out with members on the right-hand side of this House. If the source is the Labour Party website then that is freely available to all members and I will not be putting—[Interruption] Order!Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Point of order.Mr SPEAKER: Again can you just clarify whether this is a fresh point of order?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It is a fresh one—yes. I seek leave to table a document that shows people had paid $500 to attend a lunch—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Again I want the source of the document.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well I am not sure of the source but I am sure I can get it for you—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Dr Russel Norman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order. [Interruption] Order! The noise is coming relatively equally from both sides. On this occasion I will not be ejecting any member. But I have points of order raised. I call for silence; I expect silence.Dr Russel Norman: Mr Brownlee asked a supplementary question and you ruled it out of order. Then you said to Mr Brownlee that if he disputes your ruling you will be tempted to throw him out. He did dispute your ruling and you in—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No. What I took from the second point he raised was that he sought clarification rather than to dispute. That is the way I ruled it.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: From the source Scoop I seek to table—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. Scoop is available to all members and if this sort of nonsense continues from the Prime Minister to restore order again I will have no choice but to ask the Prime Minister to leave the Chamber.