Mitchell Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMitchell Mark: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 05 March 2014. Volume:696;Page:16330. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.MARK MITCHELL (National—Rodney) to theMinister for Communications and Information Technology: How is the Government’s Information and Communication Technology programme improving New Zealanders’ access to improved technology and better connectivity?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Communications and Information Technology): This Government’s information and communications technology programme is about enhancing New Zealand’s ability to excel in an increasingly digital world. We are doing this through initiatives like our ultra-fast and rural broadband initiatives the roll-out of 4G cellular spectrum and supporting the growth of the information and communications technology sector. The modern infrastructure network we are delivering will provide businesses and individuals alike with a vibrant competitive platform for innovation and growth. New Zealand has a highly talented and successful information and communications technology sector and our role is to support it to be innovative and create competitive offerings not to start from the ideological belief that Governments can do everything better than the private sector and should dictate it all.Mark Mitchell: Are there approaches to information and communications technology policy the Government has considered and rejected?Hon AMY ADAMS: I can confirm that the Government will not be taking advice on the creation of its future information and communications technology initiatives from Kim Dotcom. We will not be supporting a Kiwi tax on the Kiwi net. We will not be establishing Kiwi Google. We will not be dictating how much bandwidth each Kiwi gets to use. One thing we definitely will not be doing is forwarding our draft policies to Labour for it to peer review.Mr SPEAKER: Supplementary question Grant Robertson. [Interruption] Oh I apologise—Mark Mitchell. I apologise. I apologise to both members for such an insulting comment.Mark Mitchell: Apology accepted Mr Speaker. What recent reports has the Minister seen on potential funding sources for information and communications technology initiatives?Hon AMY ADAMS: This morning I saw a report in which an internet tax funding option was described by Vodafone New Zealand chief executive Russell Stanners as “crazy and outrageous” and by Telecom as concerning. Mr Stanners went on to say that those behind it “should just go the whole hog and nationalise everything.” The funding initiative he referred to of course was the Kiwi con internet tax from information and communications technology supremo “Kiwi” Curran. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! All members have a right to ask a supplementary question.Clare Curran: They certainly do. [Interruption]Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I wonder whether the Minister for Social Development who was interjecting and is now continuing to talk might like to show some leadership to the rest of them and make them shut up for a minute. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am giving the supplementary question to Clare Curran and I certainly want to hear the question so I require silence from this side of the House.Clare Curran: Given the Minister has been in the role for 27 months and has not announced anything substantive when should the information and communications technology sector expect to see any new ideas from her?Hon AMY ADAMS: Well I certainly reject the allegation in that question but I can tell the member that when we do announce our ideas they will be ours and not Mr Dotcom’s.Chris Hipkins: I seek leave to table a briefing from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority sent to Hekia Parata’s office which was sent to the Labour Party this morning. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will put the leave. [Interruption] Order! Leave is sought to table this particular document. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Chris Hipkins: I seek leave to table a further briefing from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to Hekia Parata’s office which was sent to the Labour Party last month.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am just going to check whether there is any further information the member needs to table.Chris Hipkins: No that is sufficient.Mr SPEAKER: That is enough. I will put the leave. Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is none. It will be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Clare Curran: I seek leave to table an email meant for my office mistakenly sent from Amy Adams’ office to a member of the public.Mr SPEAKER: I guess we have started on a bit of a pattern here. I have to put the leave. Leave is sought. Is there any objection? There is none. It can also be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Kris Faafoi: I seek leave—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: I am waiting for the point of order.Kris Faafoi: I am waiting for some quiet.Mr SPEAKER: Well if the member does not want to carry on we will move on. If the member—Kris Faafoi: Yes I do. I seek leave to table correspondence from the Department of Corrections to theDominion Post which was mistakenly sent to Labour.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that information. Is there—there is objection.