11. Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill—EffectHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of JusticeElectoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill—Effect11. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of Justice: Does he agree with the statement by the Attorney-General that his Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill will have a chilling effect on the expression of dissenting views by MPs?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): I agree with the full effect of the Attorney-General's advice which is that although the bill has the potential to have a chilling effect nevertheless any encroachment on rights in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act is justified under that legislation because it upholds the fundamental constitutional objective of preserving proportional party representation in Parliament. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he agree with his ministerial colleague Eugenie Sage that voting for his bill is like swallowing a dead rat; if so what particular aspects of his bill have the characteristics of a dead rat? SPEAKER: I am going to let the question go. I think strictly I shouldn't because it's not related other than mentioning the same bill. But I'm sure in the spirit of things the Minister would like to answer it. Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I am not familiar with the experience or feeling literally or metaphorically of swallowing a dead rat and I therefore can comment no further. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he agree with his officials in their departmental disclosure statement on his bill that it compromises New Zealand's commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; if so how can New Zealand promote these abroad when we are breaching them at home? SPEAKER: No I'm now not going to—I think the member got a warning in my response to the previous—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Point of order Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: No I am going to finish ruling. Hon Dr Nick Smith: But you should consider a submission from myself please Mr Speaker—point of order. SPEAKER: I will consider a submission. Hon Dr Nick Smith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The original quote that was in my primary question came from the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act assessment by the Attorney-General. That same report makes reference to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. SPEAKER: Thank you. Having heard the member state that if he had drafted his primary question in such a way as to include reference to that document rather than reference to the Attorney-General's view in part of that document—if he'd referred to the document at all he would have a decent argument. I'm going to let the member try—I'm not going to rule it out but I am going to ask the member to ask a question which comes within the relevance rules. Hon Dr Nick Smith: Certainly. Does he agree with his officials who share the concerns of the Attorney-General about the bill having a chilling effect on MPs' free speech and their further concern that it compromises New Zealand's commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and how is it going to be possible for New Zealand to promote those important conventions overseas when officials are saying that we're breaching them at home? Hon ANDREW LITTLE: In response to the first of those three questions I refer the member to my first answer today which is that although the Attorney-General acknowledges the potential for a chilling effect he goes on to say that the bill meets the justified limitations part of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act because it upholds what he describes as the significant constitutional objective of preserving party parliamentary proportional representation.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Would the Minister be surprised to learn that it was Nick Smith who led the charge in the National Party caucus for a unanimous expulsion vote against National MP Maurice Williamson?SPEAKER: Order! No I'm not going to allow the question. The Minister has no responsibility for that. [Interruption] Order! I'm just sort of counting each way. It's even at the moment and it's going to stop.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Why would this Minister want to promote a piece of legislation that has a chilling effect on free speech and isn't this just symptomatic of a wider and rising concern in New Zealand that free speech in this country is being compromised?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I stand firmly behind the principle of ensuring that the voters of this country have their collective vote respected by this House and not undermined by the whim and will of individual MPs who take an elitist view that somehow when they get here they can do what they like and that the significant constitutional objective of preserving proportional parliamentary representation is absolutely vital.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is he aware that opposition to this bill from the National Party is because it is seeking to start a new party from within its ranks—as admitted by the Hon Mark Mitchell from Rodney last Wednesday twice inside the House and outside?SPEAKER: No responsibility.