11. Question No. 11—Ethnic CommunitiesHon JENNY SALESA (Labour—Panmure-Ōtāhuhu) to the Minister for Ethnic CommunitiesQuestion No. 11—Ethnic Communities11. Hon JENNY SALESA (Labour—Panmure-Ōtāhuhu) to the Minister for Ethnic Communities: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?Hon MELISSA LEE (Minister for Ethnic Communities): Thank you Mr Speaker. Yes in the context they were made and undertaken.Hon Jenny Salesa: Does she stand by her statement that—and I quote—More than a quarter of our population in 10 years' time will be from ethnic communities." and if so how does she reconcile that with the proposal to reduce the number of permanent staff at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities by 14 percent?Hon MELISSA LEE: There are currently about 22 percent of New Zealanders who actually belong to ethnic communities. However you know at a time when New Zealand is facing a cost of living crisis agencies have been asked to identify where they can make savings or make changes in order to deliver savings. Decisions related to staffing numbers at ministry are operational and Budget sensitive.Hon Jenny Salesa: Does she stand by her statement that the Ministry for Ethnic Communities has a budget analogous to—and I quote—"the smell of an oily rag" and if so how does she justify that with the ministry staff reducing by 14 percent?Hon MELISSA LEE: I'm not so sure if the member is actually correct in suggesting that there is actually a 14 percent cut because anything that is related to staffing numbers is actually for the ministry to answer as it is operational. In terms of the ministry operating on the smell of an oily rag the member should know as the former Minister—Hon Jenny Salesa: Point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Point of order the Hon Jenny Salesa.Hon Jenny Salesa: Speakers' ruling 182—SPEAKER: Hang on wait—slow down. Everyone wants to listen.Hon Jenny Salesa: Speakers' ruling 182/3 states that Ministers have to answer on operational matters.SPEAKER: Well just a minute—I'll just have a quick look at that. That's one I'm not terribly familiar with. [Seeks advice from Clerk] Yep OK so ministries can't answer to the House; only a Minister can so can I suggest that we have the question again with that in mind and then the Speakers' ruling might apply.Hon Jenny Salesa: Does she stand by her statement that the Ministry for Ethnic Communities has a budget analogous to—and I quote—"the smell of an oily rag" and if so how does she justify the ministry staff reducing by 14 percent?SPEAKER: Yeah but that's the problem. She doesn't have to justify that; it's not her responsibility. There must be another way of asking that question.Hon Jenny Salesa: How can she justify given that she made a statement that said the ministry is operating under the smell of an oily rag the cuts to the ministry?SPEAKER: Well it's the same problem but I'll see what you can say.Hon MELISSA LEE: Thank you Mr Speaker. There are no cuts currently. Everything in relation to staffing numbers that the ministry are currently consulting is just that—consulting—and the decisions will be made as part of the Budget process.Hon Jenny Salesa: Will she commit to no cuts to the Ethnic Communities Development Fund—ECDF?Hon MELISSA LEE: Thank you Mr Speaker. As I said the decisions on the actual funding or staffing numbers it is actually Budget sensitive and the decisions are for the ministry to answer. Having said that the ministry does an amazing job. As the member who actually asked the question— who was a former Minister—will well know it is a very small ministry who works very hard to support the work of the ethnic communities and the Ethnic Communities Development Fund does amazing work to provide for the ethnic communities.Hon Jenny Salesa: Does she agree with her coalition partner the Hon David Seymour when he stated—and I quote—"I very seldom find someone that can point to anything concrete that they've done." when talking about the Ministry for Ethnic Communities; if so are these cuts a step towards abolishing the Ministry for Ethnic Communities?Hon MELISSA LEE: I don't have responsibility for Mr Seymour's comments. However I feel that the Ministry for Ethnic Communities does an amazing job and I support them 100 percent."