Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 16 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9344. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to thePrime Minister: Does he believe that he has met the requirements of theCabinet Manual to behave in a way that upholds and is seen to uphold the highest ethical standards in his ministerial capacity his political capacity and his personal capacity; if so why?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes because I have.Rt Hon Winston Peters: How was he upholding theCabinet Manual on 24 September last year regarding the Government Communications Security Bureau when he said “I’ve never had advice in the four years that I’ve been minister that they’ve in any way ever acted unlawfully” despite saying last week that he was told about illegal spying in July 2012?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Because the statement I made on 24 September was correct.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Was the Prime Minister told in July of 2012 that there had been illegal spying—yes or no?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Not the way the member defines it no.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My language has been plain and simple and to the point. There is no way one can misconstrue the first and the last question. How can he possibly get up and get away with saying “Not the way the member defines it.”? How else could I define it? I am asking him whether he was told in July 2012 of illegal spying. How do you define that? It is as plain as daylight.Mr SPEAKER: And the Prime Minister in my mind addressed that question quite emphatically saying “No not in the way the member is defining it.”Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Could I have your ruling? How would you define the question I just asked?Mr SPEAKER: No. That is not a point of order now. You are now disputing—what the member can do is continue with his supplementary questions.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We have limited supplementary questions in this House. That is not a satisfactory ruling—that we can count on supplementary questions when you know that that number is limited.Mr SPEAKER: On this occasion I will allocate an additional supplementary question to the member.Rt Hon Winston Peters: What is the difficulty with the question “Was he was told about illegal spying in July 2012?” that he cannot answer?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I have answered it. As I have made clear publicly what was raised in July was a flag about the issues of the operability between the SIS and the Government Communications Security Bureau legislation. I was advised that there was legal work that had to be done and was ongoing but it was unresolved. In fact actually in terms of legal opinions it is still not resolved today. But there was a decision reached by the Solicitor-General in March 2013.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that it took him a full week to disclose a phone call he made to Ian Fletcher about the Government Communications Security Bureau jobgiven that he knew Mr Fletcher’s phone number despite not having seen him for many many years and given that he had dinner with Mr Fletcher on at least two occasions—John Hayes: Conspiracy.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Well actually a conspiracy is when two or more—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! If the member could just concentrate on his question now please.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Well Mr Speaker all I am hearing is a barrage over here.Mr SPEAKER: I accept that interjections are not helpful. Would the member please continue.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that it took him—[Interruption] Oh you sensitive chaps.Mr SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given that it took him a full week to disclose the phone call he made to Ian Fletcher about the Government Communications Security Bureau given that he knew Mr Fletcher’s number despite not having seen him for years and given that he had dinner with Mr Fletcher on at least two occasions did he make more than one phone call to Mr Fletcher prior to his appointment to the Government Communications Security Bureau?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I did not have dinner with Ian Fletcher on two occasions.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: My question asked whether he made more than one phone call to Mr Fletcher—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The difficulty was that there was quite a lot else added to the question but if the Prime Minister could please address the last part of the question which was whether he made more than one phone call that would help the order of the House.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not have that information with me. If the member wants to put it down in writing I am happy to get it for him.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With respect what is the use of question time when the Prime Minister can give that sort of answer? He was asked whether he made more than one phone call prior to the appointment and he cannot remember.Mr SPEAKER: The Prime Minister answered that he did not have that information with him. That is a perfectly satisfactory answer to that question. Does the member wish to ask his additional supplementary question?Rt Hon Winston Peters: How was he upholding theCabinet Manual when he told the House that the first he knew of the Government Communications Security Bureau spying on Kim Dotcom was 17 September 2012 when in fact he had been told on 29 February 2012 and made a quip to staff about it?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I refute the premise that the member is basing that question on.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Supplementary question Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: No. Order! The member has now used not only his entitlement but also the additional supplementary question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: No I have got five.Mr SPEAKER: No he has four today and I have given you one extra. That comes to five and you have used five supplementary questions. Question No. 4 the Hon Phil Heatley.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. By my calculation—and your clerk can tell me whether it is right or wrong—having given me one extra and I had only four written down here that makes five. I have not got to ask the fourth one yet.Mr SPEAKER: My clerk is on the phone. He has said you had had four questions I gave you another one which came to five and you have asked five in total. [Interruption] He has asked five questions. We are moving on to question No. 4.