Walker Holly: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWalker Holly: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 13 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17744. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.HOLLY WALKER (Green) to thePrime Minister: Did he discuss matters relating to his official prime ministerial role when he attended a fundraising dinner at the Museum Hotel in September last year?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): No because I did not attend a fund-raising dinner at the Museum Hotel in September last year.Holly Walker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance. In the situation where a question has been accepted by the Clerk’s Office with authentication as worded is it appropriate for the Prime Minister to then question the factual basis—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do not need assistance. The question was asked; the Prime Minister answered it.Holly Walker: Does he see a problem with the Prime Minister being a drawcard at fund-raising events that explicitly charge for entry at a price that ordinary New Zealanders—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I suspect that this is a question that I am going to rule out of order because it is heading in the exact direction of what we had last week. But I could not hear it well enough to rule at this stage. I invite the member to ask it again but if she is implying that members of this Parliament are being induced to offer favours by collecting money that question may well be ruled out of order.Holly Walker: Does he see a problem with the Prime Minister being the drawcard for an event that explicitly charges for entry at a price that ordinary New Zealanders could not possibly afford?Mr SPEAKER: I will allow that.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I wear a number of hats. One of them is as Prime Minister but equally I can attend fund-raising events which I do for numerous causes and charities and also for the National Party. When I do that I am quite free to do that acting as a member of the National Party and a member of Parliament. TheCabinet Manual makes that quite clear. One thing I am sure of though is that I have never gone to a fund-raising event that includes Kim Dotcom. He is too busy organising his—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Holly Walker: Does he stand by his own statement that “being Prime Minister is really a 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year job” or does he now wish to add that National Party fund-raising events are the exception to this rule?Mr SPEAKER: The right honourable Prime Minister—either of those questions.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Of course in one context it is a 24/7 job but theCabinet Manual makes it quite clear that Ministers and the Prime Minister can go to these types of events. I can assure the member for the good order of the House that on Saturday night I will be taking my wife out for dinner and I will be going as a loving husband not as Prime Minister.Holly Walker: Has his chief of staff WayneEagleson ever accompanied him to a National Party fund-raising dinner in a work capacity; if so what was the work-related purpose for that visit?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Wayne Eagleson my chief of staff operates in a number of capacities. One is as chief of staff to me as Prime Minister; the other is to me as leader of the National Party. His pay is actually split for that reason. Therefore he is quite entitled and free to come to these events. I do know though that he does not go with Russel Norman up to the Dotcom mansion and he would never go to—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption]Grant Robertson:Thanks to the Attorney-General for that interjection. In light of the Prime Minister’s answer I seek leave to table a document entitled “Chinese National Party donor emerges as biggest shareholder in Dotcom’s Mega”.Mr SPEAKER: The source of that document?Grant Robertson: It is theNational Business Review but it was—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is now trifling with the Chair and will resume his seat.Brendan Horan: Has he had any discussions at fund-raising dinners about public funding being used as a personal slush fund by the individual with responsibility for administering such a fund and what would he think of an individual who did use public funding for that use?Mr SPEAKER: In as far as there is ministerial responsibility—I am struggling to find it but I will allow it. I hope the Prime Minister can assist.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I have not and I would be very very surprised if they did. If they did that person might need to amend their pecuniary interests as Winston Peters did in 2007 and as David Shearer did in 2012 and as 12 members of this House did in 2012.