11. Question No. 11—JusticeHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of JusticeQuestion No. 11—Justice11. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Yes.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Was it appropriate conduct of the Minister of Justice to personally denigrate Gerry Morris and ridicule his family in Parliament the day after the journalist wrote an article critical of Government policy?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: That did not happen.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Did he during a phone call—SPEAKER: Order! Order! There's one point I want to ask. Is this in relation to the Minister's responsibility as Minister of Justice?Hon Dr Nick Smith: Speaking to the point of order Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Just a yes or a no. That's all I need.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Yes it is—absolutely.SPEAKER: Right. OK. Carry on then.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Did he during a phone call to Mark Mitchell on 23 August disclose personal justice information about journalist Gerry Morris as stated in a witness statement by Mr Mitchell released yesterday?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Where did he get the personal and private justice information about Gerry Morris that he disclosed in a phone call that he initiated to Mark Mitchell on 23 August?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Information was passed to my office including from my colleague Greg O'Connor and I passed that information on to Mr Mitchell.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Did Greg O'Connor provide him with personal and private information about journalist Gerry Morris after that journalist wrote an article critical of Government policy?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does he agree with the decision of the Advertising Standards Authority on his complaint that concluded my statements on the evidence were—and I quote—a truthful presentation" of the facts?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: No. What the Advertising Standards Authority concluded was that somebody who writes a statement that is untrue and that is not factual has a defence of claiming that it is true if they believe it to be so. I think Lewis Carroll would be very impressed with the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Why did he yesterday attack the Advertising Standards Authority saying its decision was undemocratic rather than appealing the decision?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Because their decision was incompetent was ridiculous and was undemocratic.SPEAKER: Question No. 12—[Interruption] No—Raymond Huo.Raymond Huo: Thank you Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Civil Defence and asks: what actions has he recently taken to help educate Kiwis on preparing—SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! What I have indicated is that if we have that sort of incident after the final National Party question it will be taken forward—the negative questions will be taken forward. That will be the case. Start again please.Raymond Huo: Thank you Mr Speaker. My question is to the—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Apologies Mr Speaker. I have a point of order relevant to the previous question—if I could put the point of order?SPEAKER: Right well now that I have interrupted you can interrupt—yes.Hon Dr Nick Smith: My apologies. I seek leave of the House to table the decision of the Advertising Standards Authority and the witness statements that were released yesterday.SPEAKER: Where were they released?Hon Dr Nick Smith: Oh the importance of the—SPEAKER: No were they released on a website?Hon Andrew Little: On the website.Hon Dr Nick Smith: No the information—SPEAKER: I've had an assurance from the Minister of Justice that they're on the Advertising Standards Authority's website.Hon Dr Nick Smith: No there is important jurisdiction here Mr Speaker; I just ask you to hear me out. The full witness statements are not. It is the witness statements that are critical to the question and that's why I seek the leave of the House. I can assure you the documents I'm seeking leave for are not publicly available.SPEAKER: OK I accept the member knows fully the consequences of that assurance. I'm not going to put the decision because the decisions are made public by way of the website. I accept the member's assurance that the witness statement is not available on the website and on that basis I seek the leave of the House for it to be tabled. Is there any objection? There is objection.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That member sought leave of the House for the judgment which is already on the website and then imputed that in the judgment was the witness statement which it's not. He misled the House and that's why I said no.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Well let me be very clear—SPEAKER: No no—I put something clearly to the House which did not involve this statement. I rephrased the member's leave and the member still objected so it's been put and it can't be put twice."