Parker David: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParker David: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 December 2014. Volume:702;Page:1331. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour)to the Minister of Police: Does he know whether or not the allegations in Matt Nippert’s 31 August 2014 article in the Sunday Star-Times that Cameron Slater and Carrick Graham were paid to undermine the Serious Fraud Office are correct?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister of Police):Although I have absolutely no ministerial responsibility for the allegations the answer is no.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That question was addressed to the Minister as the Minister responsible for the Serious Fraud Office so I do not understand why he can deny responsibility for answering.Mr SPEAKER: When I saw this question on the sheet I have got to say I thought it was a very marginal question. I accept that the Minister is responsible for the Serious Fraud Office and that it is his responsibility. But the question actually asks something entirely different which I do not believe is strictly the Minister’s responsibility. I will allow the member to continue with his supplementary questions but he must address them in a way for which the Minister is responsible.Hon David Parker: Speaking to the point of order if the Minister responsible for the Serious Fraud Office is not responsible for the undermining of the Serious Fraud Office or for issues that might do so could you tell me whom I would ask questions to?Mr SPEAKER: The question asked is about whether the allegations are true. I do not see how the Minister could possibly be responsible for responding to that. [Interruption] Order! We are now getting to the stage where the member is prolonging this discussion and effectively disputing a ruling I have given. I am inviting the member to continue his supplementary questions provided they clearly have ministerial responsibility.Hon David Parker: Does the Minister believe it is proper and in the public interest for persons under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office to pay others to actively undermine and smear the Serious Fraud Office and its director?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Well I have absolutely no responsibility for the actions of people who are not under the purview of the Serious Fraud Office. My responsibility is to ensure that the Serious Fraud Office has the resources and tools to discharge its responsibilities independently and effectively and I am satisfied it did so then and does now.Hon David Parker: What steps has the Minister taken to ascertain whether these serious allegations about people being paid to undermine the Serious Fraud Office are true?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: None. What I have done is sought an assurance that the Serious Fraud Office has discharged its responsibilities fairly and independently and I have received that assurance.Hon David Parker: Would attempts to intimidate a witness as referred to in paragraph 185 of the Chisholm report undermine the operation of the Serious Fraud Office and be illegal; if so what is he doing about that?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: It would if it were true but my understanding is that the inquiry found that there was absolutely no evidence that any attempts to undermine witnesses had any impact on the Serious Fraud Office’s decisions subsequently taken.Hon David Parker: Given the allegations in the Sunday Star-Times why is he putting the interests of people like Slater Graham and Hotchin ahead of his responsibility as Minister responsible for the Serious Fraud Office to the 16000 New Zealanders who between them lost half a billion dollars some of them losing all of their life savings?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: Well I do not have any interest in the activities of Messrs Slater and Carrick and Odgers. I am certainly not interested in emails that might have been circulating around in mid-2011. Since then the All Blacks have won a world cup Osama bin Laden has been taken out Prince George has been born National has won two elections and Labour has had four leaders. I think it is time to move on.