Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRobertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 30 May 2013. Volume:690;Page:10584. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Leader—Labour) to theMinister of Justice: How many expressions of interest or nominations for the position of Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner were received by the Ministry of Justice after the advertised deadline of 13 October 2012?Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General) on behalf of theMinister of Justice: The member is still regrettably wrong in his assertion that there was an advertised deadline. The Ministry of Justice does not determine any deadline or closing date for a ministerial appointment. Any advertised dates either in public advertisements or in the letters the Minister sent seeking nominations are for administrative purposes only. The Ministry of Justice acts in a purely administrative support role at the Minister’s direction to support the Minister’s process and timetable.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was the same answer that the Minister of Justice gave yesterday to this question. At that point you ruled that that was an unhelpful answer which I agreed with and you gave us additional supplementary questions. Will you be doing that now?Mr SPEAKER: No on this occasion I will not be. The member still has supplementary questions. That was an answer that was far more clear as to the reason. The Attorney-General clearly explained what he thought was a reasonable difference between the advertised deadline which I have a copy of in front of me and the reasonswhy he did not think that was the Minister’s deadline. It has been addressed adequately. The member certainly has some additional supplementary questions anyway.Grant Robertson: Why was Jackie Blue’s expression of interest for the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner position treated differently from the expressions of interest from other members of the public?Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: I think it is important to say that there were various ways in which expressions of interest could be received. There was the advertisement and the reference to the Ministry of Justice website—I think that is what the member is perhaps fixated on—and the Minister wrote to support parties so there were various ways. What at the end of the day the Minister is guided by are the statutory requirements set out in section 29 of the Crown Entities Act 2004 and the relevant sections of the Human Rights Act 1993. The Minister also received guidance on relevant UN resolutions as to the appointment to this particular kind of position.Grant Robertson: In light of that answer how is it in line with those processes that the Minister has outlined for the Minister to withhold the name of one of the members of the appointment panel for a position such as this—a person who looks after the human rights of New Zealanders? Do not New Zealanders deserve to know that and why would you withhold that name?Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: Because she respects the requirements of the Privacy Act. There are certain requirements under the Human Rights Act the Crown Entities Act and the Paris principles as to the way in which these interviews should be conducted. It is a very senior position; I am surprised the Opposition is treating this as a matter of frivolity.