Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRobertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 29 May 2014. Volume:699;Page:18484. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) to theMinister of Justice: Does she agree with SuzanneSnively from Transparency International that there is “an awful lot of complacency” about corruption in New Zealand?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Justice): New Zealand has been named by Transparency International as being one of the least corrupt countries in the world for 8 years in a row. I agree with the reported comments. I also agree with the view thatcorruption requires dishonest intent or fraudulent conduct similar to that of a trusted employee who steals from their employer.Grant Robertson: Does she think that this complacency is made worse by a Government Minister on a taxpayer-funded visit to China manipulating her programme to include the two directors of her husband’s company which happens to be a major donor to the National Party into three events on that trip and there not being any real sanction for that behaviour from the Prime Minister?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I do not agree with that question and the answer is no.Grant Robertson: How does a Government contribute to reducing complacency about corruption when it has a Minister who advocates for friends using ministerial letterhead a Minister who seeks to intervene with the police on behalf of a donor to the National Party a Minister who orchestrated taxpayer-funded visits to her husband’s company and is propped up by someone who has been described by Crown Law as having manipulated and engineered donations to avoid declaring them?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: That last reference is to a matter that is before the court and that member should know that that is quite out of order.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Come on Rocky have another go.Grant Robertson: Try this one Gerry. Noting her own ministry’s fact sheet on bribery and corruption which lists abuse of one’s position of power as a form of corruption is she concerned that two Government Ministers bullied the Māori Party into not changing its vote on the paid parental leave bill last night despite—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will hear from Gerry Brownlee before I rule but those sorts of allegations bring this whole House into disrepute.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Mr Te Ururoa Flavell has very generously put out a statement making clear the circumstances that led to the confusion last night. I think for Mr Robertson to make those allegations here is completely out of order. It is somewhat typical but completely out of order.Mr SPEAKER: And I am ruling the question out of order.Grant Robertson: How is it consistent with a Government that says it wants to reduce corruption and increase transparency when its Ministers are prepared to tell a Māori Party MP they have to vote against a bill—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I ruled the earlier question out of order; I am doing the same on that one.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! In case I need to remind the House this is a point of order. It will be heard in silence.Grant Robertson: I would ask why it is that I am unable to ask a question that is legitimately to the Minister of Justice about the question of corruption and bribery—and I quoted from a Ministry of Justice fact sheet which describes that as abuse of one’s position of power—and I am not allowed to ask questions about Ministers who bullied somebody—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. The reason it was ruled out of order was the imputation that was contained in both questions. That is the end of the matter.