10. Marine Species Protection—Cameras on Fishing VesselsSARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill) to the Minister of ConservationMarine Species Protection—Cameras on Fishing Vessels10. SARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill) to the Minister of Conservation: Does she support the Department of Conservation's policy position that cameras on commercial fishing vessels are essential if we are to reverse the decline in marine species like seabirds?Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Minister of Conservation): I agree that cameras are one useful monitoring tool to help protect seabirds and other marine species from bycatch in commercial fishing nets.Sarah Dowie: Does she accept responsibility for the deaths of dolphins and seabirds happening due to her Government deferring deployment of cameras?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: As the member should be well aware there were a number of administrative and technical issues with the deployment of cameras. This Government wants to ensure that cameras work.Sarah Dowie: Is one of the technical difficulties the Hon Shane Jones and his fishing industry connections?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: I am not responsible for any position that New Zealand First holds.Hon Stuart Nash: Has the Minister of Conservation received assurances from the Minister of Fisheries that it's a priority to resolve the problems around implementation for cameras on boats that were created by the previous Government?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Yes and because we talk often I understand the Minister of Fisheries is working hard to resolve the many technical and administrative problems that he inherited from the previous Government.Sarah Dowie: Why is the Government being so sluggish in the implementation of cameras when they have already been introduced in Australia and Pacific nations including Fiji and have made a large difference in behaviours and the reporting of bycatch?SPEAKER: Order! Before the Minister answers I'm going to ask Sarah Dowie—I'll give her a chance to rephrase the question without the pejorative terms.Sarah Dowie: Why is the Government being slow in the implementation of cameras when they have already been introduced in Australia and Pacific nations including Fiji and have made a large difference in behaviours and the reporting of bycatch?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: The implementation of cameras is the responsibility of the Minister of Fisheries.Sarah Dowie: What responsibility does she take most seriously: her duty to save dolphins and seabirds from being killed or appeasing New Zealand First and their interests in the fishing industry?Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That member is coming very close to making serious allegations to which there will be retaliation with proof in this House. That's the second time she's done it and I wouldn't laugh if I was her. Look around at her colleagues and I'll tell you who will be challenged on matters of corruption in this Parliament and they'll be her colleagues. [Interruption] SPEAKER: OK. Order! [Interruption] Order!Hon Gerry Brownlee: Speaking to the point of order.SPEAKER: No. The member will resume his seat until I've dealt with the rabble on my left during that point of order. Members will recall that earlier in this question time the Government was penalised supplementary questions added to the National Party as a result of interjections during a point of order. Members quite often don't like points of order; they often disagree with them. But the absolute rule of this House is they are to be heard in silence. Therefore I will reverse the earlier decision made.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Well Mr Speaker that's an interesting ruling. But firstly the Rt Hon Winston Peters has just stood up and made what is effectively a scurrilous allegation against non-specified persons on this side of the House on the basis that he does not like the question coming from Sarah Dowie. The question from Sarah Dowie simply points to the fact that there must be some disagreement among Government parties when you've had an emphatic position taken by a Green Minister today that she is not responsible for this and quite clearly it was something that the Labour Party would not have been ordinarily opposed to given their long record—SPEAKER: Order! Come to the point of order.Hon Gerry Brownlee: So the simple point is if in fact it is not possible to ask a question about who inside the coalition is not in favour of a particular initiative or has pushed a particular initiative by the Government then that also starts to limit the scrutiny that the Government as a whole has from this House. But I make the point again that the Rt Hon Winston Peters has made a scurrilous allegation against unspecified members of this House he has no substance to back it and he should withdraw.SPEAKER: I will deal with first of all Sarah Dowie's question. I have no doubt that her question was within order but sailed right up to the edge on that question. I don't think there was an implication of corruption in the question. I think members of all parties within Government on occasion take credit for particular directions and decisions that are made and I don't have a problem with members suggesting without improper motives that a particular party has had an influence on Government policy. However I want to say to the Rt Hon Winston Peters that he has made an allegation against an unspecified member of the National Party in a way which is not proper. There are methods of doing that and I think the right honourable gentleman is aware of those. Because he has made a statement which is unparliamentary he will withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If you're going to allow questions which have at their end the insinuation that the Minister being asked is not responsible the Minister in charge of the portfolio—namely fisheries—is not responsible but another party for other reasons is responsible that sir is going to invite disorder in this House and I for one and my colleagues are not going to take that. That's why I sent out a general warning that that's not a proceeding that you would be very wise to follow and I think I am entitled to at least put that inference on it because that was the inference by the sniggering and jeering that they themselves were adopting on their side of the House.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Speaking to the point of order—SPEAKER: No I want to deal with this one first please. Thank you. I was listening very carefully to the question especially given the previous supplementary question and it is for me or the member to infer. We inferred different things and on that basis I would prefer if the right honourable gentleman just left it there.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Just so we're clear you are instructing the House that it is quite acceptable to ask a question of one Minister in the coalition Government about the influence of other parties in the coalition. That's all it was nothing more. Everyone knows what the position of New Zealand First was prior to the election.SPEAKER: Sure. I have ruled to that effect. The real question I've got is whether I should have allowed it to the Minister of Conservation who doesn't have responsibility for the cameras but that's my problem that I could have stopped earlier on. Question No. 11 Mark Patterson.Mark Patterson: Thank you Mr Speaker—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Oh sorry I apologise—I apologise. Can we go right back and we'll have the question again just so everyone remembers what it was.Sarah Dowie: Thank you Mr Speaker. What responsibility does she take most seriously: her duty to save dolphins and seabirds from being killed or appeasing New Zealand First and their interests in the fishing industry?SPEAKER: Order! Order! Having listened really carefully to it I'm now going to rule it out on the basis of their interests". Question No. 11 Mark Patterson.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Do we assume then that you are ruling that New Zealand First has no interest in the fishing industry no interest whatsoever—no care no interest in that as an industry?SPEAKER: Interest has quite a different meaning as that member is aware. He could consult—[Interruption] Order! He could consult with the honourable gentleman to his left as to the meaning of interests.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Whatever my colleague might think is not as relevant as what you think and if you are suggesting sir that in some way talking about the interest that New Zealand First has in this policy has some sort of a pecuniary value to it that's completely unacceptable as well. Quite clearly there was a discussion in Government that led to the Green Party deciding that they would support a particular initiative. We're simply asking: what was it? Was it the Labour Party turning over and looking at a different thing or New Zealand First—SPEAKER: Order! No sorry I've heard enough and if the member had asked only about the influence of New Zealand First the question would have been allowed. When I listened carefully it went further and I've ruled it out."