12. Question No. 12—Foreign AffairsTEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Associate Minister of Foreign AffairsQuestion No. 12—Foreign Affairs12. TEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs: What work is he doing with our Pacific neighbours through the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme to protect the ocean?Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO (Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs): New Zealand joined all Pacific leaders endorsing a statement of our shared commitment to strong regional action on ocean issues and shared stewardship of the Pacific Ocean. As part of New Zealand's wider support for Pacific Ocean issues we partner with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to deliver on a range of projects many of which address ocean sustainability. In addition to core funding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is supporting SPREP to become a member of Oil Spill Response Ltd a non-governmental provider of oil spill readiness and response services and to provide these services in the Pacific. The ministry also provides funding to SPREP to address ocean acidification enabling SPREP to do a regional vulnerability analysis on ocean acidification develop practical adaptation action and build awareness and capacity in the region.Teanau Tuiono: What actions is New Zealand taking to support its commitment to the Vemööre Declaration of November 2020 which specifies key environmental protection actions such as the expansion of Pacific marine protected areas?Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: The high level of the Vemööre Declaration was drafted by the SPREP and the Government of New Caledonia and was adopted on 26 November 2020. The declaration describes regional priorities for biodiversity conservation and is intended to be drawn on to present a Pacific voice at significant international environmental events. It highlights the urgent need for transformative action and sets out commitments to address the root causes of biodiversity loss. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with SPREP and the Pacific community to take such action in the Pacific region. Teanau Tuiono: Does he support stopping New Zealand fishing companies bottom trawling in the international waters of the South Pacific?Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: I think the issues raised by the member fall outside my ministerial delegation and I would need to put that in writing to the Minister responsible which falls under the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.Teanau Tuiono: Does he support a moratorium on seabed mining in the Pacific as called for by States such as Vanuatu Fiji and Papua New Guinea?Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: Again the same question falls outside my delegation and I invite the member to write to the responsible Minister.Teanau Tuiono: During our national Seaweek what can New Zealand learn from Pacific States which have an historic record of strong protection of precious ecosystems when New Zealand only protects 0.4 percent of our own ocean area?Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: That's a good question. And the Pacific is—[Interruption] It is a good question. SPEAKER: No no. Order! Order! I think there may have been a comment there which is not an appropriate reflection on the member opposite. I don't want to get into a debate about that but I am going to ask people on both sides of the House to control their behaviour.Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: Because of their laughter sir can I ask the questioner to repeat his question? SPEAKER: Sure.Teanau Tuiono: During our national Seaweek what can New Zealand learn from Pacific States which have a historic record of strong protection of precious ecosystems when New Zealand only protects 0.4 percent of our own ocean area?Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: I did say it's a good question because the role that we now play in the region becomes critical in amplifying the voices of the Pacific. Different Governments of the past did not have the same sight that we currently have into the Pacific so we are learning from the Pacific. In terms of protecting ocean acidification this Government has invested into the SPREP to make sure that we're helping islands like Tokelau Kiribati and Fiji to provide the growth of mangroves that protect our environment but also to restore reef confidence in those regions. The Pacific has all these long-term plans but it requires resources and I think the leadership role that New Zealand has played more recently is inviting Australia and other stakeholders to participate in putting resources in the region.Teanau Tuiono: Would he support a parliamentary delegation to the Pacific made up of Pacific Island MPs especially the multitudes of us outside of the Labour Party to build capability fa'amolemole e te Minita?SPEAKER: I think that might be a question better addressed to me. The member can answer it. The answer to the question is yes but—Aupito William Sio.Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: Can we ask him to repeat the question?SPEAKER: No I'm not. I think we've heard from—around the room there is general support for a delegation to the Pacific at the appropriate time. We don't—no the member doesn't need to answer the question.Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: Mr Speaker I—SPEAKER: No. Unless the Minister is going to offer funding for it it's not his responsibility.Hon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO: I was going to say Mr Speaker that you have sufficient funding to be able to.SPEAKER: Right. OK. I think while there is a reasonable degree of humour in the House I do want to reflect on a series of interjections that were made early in that question and during the previous one. I think some of them were—many of them were out of order. Some of them were verging on the unfortunate and certainly not appropriate. I accept that some of the answers that the Minister gave were relatively long and he was reading them. I will say that some of the questions were also quite technical and called for specific facts and dates and were replied in that way and therefore there was some flexibility. But what members—especially Mr Bennett through his repeated interjections—have drawn to my attention is the report of the Standing Orders Committee from last year as to reading in the House and I am going to now ask my—I will myself and my deputies my deputy and my assistants pay particular attention to any member who reads during the remainder of the sitting block.