Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 22 October 2013. Volume:694;Page:14050. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Leader of the Opposition) to thePrime Minister: Why did he accept the resignation of the Hon John Banks as a Minister on 16 October 2013?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Because I agreed with the Hon John Banks that the court case would be a distraction for the Government if he was to continue as a Minister.Hon David Cunliffe: Does he stand by his statement that “to make a contribution you have to have integrity and to have integrity there has to be a directness and fullness in your answers.”; if so how did John Banks meet that test?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: In answer to the first part of the question yes.Hon David Cunliffe: Why did the Prime Minister refuse to even read the police report when Mr Banks had taken a helicopter ride to the most expensive mansion in his own electorate to meet with a nearly 7-foot-tall German—whose wife he described as the most beautiful woman in the world—and from whom he solicited donations which he then said he had mysteriously forgotten?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think it is worth recalling the situation. The police looked at it and decided there was no case to answer. I accepted the member at his word and I continue to accept him at his word.Hon David Cunliffe: Will he now tell New Zealand the reasons for Richard Worth’s resignation which he has hitherto refused to give?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No.Hon David Cunliffe: Will he reinstate the Hon John Banks as a Minister in his Government if he is cleared of the charges he is currently facing in court?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes.Hon David Cunliffe: Will he reinstate the Hon Peter Dunne as a Minister in his Government if he is cleared by the Privileges Committee inquiry?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Quite possibly.Hon David Cunliffe: Has the Prime Minister received any advice on the viability of his Government’s proposed Resource Management Act reforms should theMāori Party and Peter Dunne not support them?Mr SPEAKER: Order! No I am sorry—looking at that question it is not in any way related to the original primary question. I will allow the member another question.Hon David Cunliffe: I will amend it slightly. Has the Prime Minister received any advice on the viability of the Government’s proposed Resource Management Act reforms should the Hon John Banks not be available to vote for it and theMāori Party and Peter Dunne not support it?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well firstly Mr Banks is quite able to vote as he will be voting on other things that we have been indicating. Secondly we are a minority Government and like any minority Government we need to work to build a majority as we go along. We are in discussions with our partners about whether we can get support for the Resource Management Act legislation. We might possibly be able to do that.Hon David Cunliffe: Does the Prime Minister now face “the prospect of being held to ransom by potentially unreliable political allies as each attempts to extract their pound of flesh from the new dynamic.” which is a quote from his good self?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well we are a minority Government and so when we go to—Grant Robertson: And getting more minority by the day.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well it is actually not changing funnily enough. We are a minority Government and as we go about our desire to pass legislation we have to build a parliamentary majority. But if anyone is going to be held to ransom it could easily be David Cunliffe by the Greens who are clearly opposed to the Skycity deal even if Labour is now not opposed to the Skycity deal.Metiria Turei: Can the Prime Minister confirm whether he received written advice from John Banks while John Banks was still a Minister of his Government concerning a conflict of interest over the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill and the fact that the Skycity Chief Executive Officer Nigel Morrison was to give evidence affecting him in court; if not does he believe that a conflict of interest exists?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I would need to check that but conflicts of interest are generally managed by the Cabinet Office so I would need to check whether it has anything.