Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Lotu-Iiga Peseta Sam: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:665;Page:12975] 
2. 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) 
 to the  
Minister for Communications and Information Technology 
: What decision has he made regarding the regulation of mobile phone termination rates? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Communications and Information Technology) 
: 
 This morning I announced my decision to accept the Commerce Commission’s recommendation to regulate mobile termination rates. Under the Telecommunications Act I am required to make the decision that best promotes competition for the long-term benefit of users of telecommunications services. After extensive consultation and analysis of submissions I believe that this decision will provide for more competition leading to more choice and better prices for consumers. 
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga 
: What do these changes mean for consumers? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The Commerce Commission will shortly begin its legislative process to set prices and other non-price terms that mobile carriers must offer. Once that has gone through competition for consumers will be increased in the mobile marketplace which will assist over time to achieve lower prices for consumers than would have occurred otherwise. 
Clare Curran 
: Given his logical decision to regulate on mobile termination rates what is the basis of his illogical decision to give a regulatory free pass to the coming new fibre network for 10 years? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am not sure how that relates to the primary question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well at least the primary question was included in the further question asked but I accept that the further question asked went beyond the scope of the primary question. If the Minister does not have the information to answer it it is perfectly reasonable to say that because it did— 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Cop out. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If the Minister does not have— 
Hon Members 
: Welcome back Shane. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have no idea what happened then and I apologise to the House for that. But I ask whether the Minister has the relevant information. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I think the reality is that mobile termination rates and ultra-fast broadband are not in the scope of the same question but if the member would like to repeat the supplementary question I would be happy to have a crack at an answer for it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If the member wishes to repeat the question she may but I stress that it should be within the scope of the primary question. 
Clare Curran 
: Given his logical decision to regulate on mobile termination rates what is the basis of his illogical decision to give a regulatory free pass to the coming new fibre network for 10 years? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Having listened to the question again—and I gave it the benefit of the doubt first time round—I say that the member cannot include in her question a claim that some decision was illogical. That is outside the Standing Orders and given that the subject matter is way beyond the primary question to do with mobile termination rates I cannot expect the Minister to answer that. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Quite often in this House members provide descriptions of policies or ministerial actions in questions that are not ruled out of order. I seek your guidance and submit to you that oftentimes words used by members of the Opposition are harsher than whether something is logical or illogical. In this case— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do not need to hear this further. Had the question been absolutely within the scope of the primary question I would not have objected; I would have let the Minister deal with it. But given that the subject matter of that part of the question was way outside the primary question I felt that it went beyond what is reasonable and that is why I have ruled it out. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry to bother the Speaker further but that goes precisely to the matter at issue that my colleague has asked about which is whether the use of regulation which the Minister has upheld in his— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No the member will resume his seat. The member is now starting to debate the issue and he cannot do that by way of point of order. I have ruled the question out. It was clear from the way the Minister tried to answer the question that the question bore a very marginal relationship to the primary question asked. I invited the member to repeat the question to see whether she could bring it further within the scope of the primary question. She did not. She repeated the part of the question that really is outside the Standing Orders and that is why I have ruled it out.