1. Todd Barclay—Southland Electorate Office Allegations Prime Minister's InvolvementRt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSTodd Barclay—Southland Electorate Office Allegations Prime Minister's Involvement1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements on the Todd Barclay matter; if so how?Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Prime Minister): Yes. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why did he feel the need to interfere in an employment dispute between another MP and a staffer? Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I have no responsibility for that matter. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why on the Barclay issue was he in constant communication with Glenys Dickson over a long period of time? Mr SPEAKER: Again in so far as there may be prime ministerial responsibility the right honourable Prime Minister. Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I have no comment to make on that but I am surprised that after the member's tour of the regions 8 weeks out from an election this is the biggest issue that he has found. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Supplementary question. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I apologise to the member. I just need less interjection from both sides of the House. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Talking about big issues in places like Gore if he was only peripherally involved why was he in such frequent communication with Glenys Dickson late at night and early in the morning? Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: As I have said I have no comment to make on that but I know that when the member went to Gore he would have found a strong economy looking for skills to do the jobs that need to be done and not nearly enough complaints for the member to feed off. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Talking about meetings in the South and Invercargill where there was no more seating if he is denying this frequency will he release his relevant phone records regarding his communications with Glenys Dickson? Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Again I have no ministerial responsibility for that and I would expect that at some time before the member decides who the next Government is as he alleged today he will probably raise some more important issues. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Talking about the most important issues—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can we have the supplementary question please. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Talking of the most important issues why does he keep changing his story on the Barclay matter? Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I have not. Richard Prosser: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have a point of order. Richard Prosser: Mr Speaker I seek your guidance—and I wonder whether you could contemplate this issue and come back to the House at some point—with regard to the Prime Minister's answers to the Rt Hon Winston Peters' questioning. I am referring you to Speaker's ruling 171/2 which says that Ministers can be questioned only on matters for which they have responsibility. If they have made statements that impinge on those responsibilities they can be questioned on them regardless of the capacity in which the statements are made." I would contend that matters such as this which do clearly impinge on the perception of the integrity of the Prime Minister are matters on which he can be questioned. Mr SPEAKER: I greatly appreciate that point of view raised by the member. We have been over this territory substantially. There has been a range of statements made around this issue by the Prime Minister—perhaps with some ministerial responsibility perhaps as leader of the party perhaps as a former member for this particular electorate. I think the only person who could decide whether he has made any particular comment in regard to this matter as a Minister or as Prime Minister is the Prime Minister and so he has answered."