Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is subject to correctionTurei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 23 October 2013. Volume:694;Page:14180. Text is subject to correction.]3.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to thePrime Minister: Has he checked his files yet regarding whether Hon John Banks declared a potential conflict of interest in relation to the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill while still a Minister; if so was any conflict declared?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes and no.Metiria Turei: Does the Prime Minister consider that John Banks while a Minister is his Government acted in strict accordance with theCabinet Manualregarding the declaration of conflict of interest given that no such conflict of interest concerning the Skycity bill was declared by John Banks?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes and I do not believe that there was a conflict.Metiria Turei: Does the Prime Minister not agree that a Minister who is the subject of court evidence given by someone involved in a multimillion-dollar deal that requires that Minister’s vote in the House to pass has a conflict of interest; if so does that conflict of interest remain once that person is no longer a Minister?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I do not believe there was a conflict of interest any more than there would be a conflict of interest—if we want to follow the member’s logic—where Labour would be voting on employment legislation when we know that the unions actually have a vote in the Labour membership. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have called Metiria Turei for a supplementary question.Metiria Turei: Did the Prime Minister discuss any potential conflict of interest in relation to the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill with Skycity Chief Executive Nigel Morrison when he was hanging out with him at the opening of the new Skycity bar in Auckland last week?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No and I am pleased that the member looked at theHerald on Sunday where I was photographed at that particular opening with many other people.Metiria Turei: Is the Prime Minister concerned by reports of yet another conflict of interest concerning the bill where National MP and Commerce Committee member Sam Lotu-Iiga sat silently by while his electorate chair misinformed the select committee about the Catholic Church’s position on the Skycity bill; if not—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The question is addressed to the Prime Minister who has no responsibility either for what occurred at a select committee or for a member of the caucus. It is a question the member is asking of the Prime Minister as a Minister. I will give the opportunity for the member to rephrase that question.Metiria Turei: Has the Prime Minister seen the reports and is he concerned by the reports of yet another conflict of interest concerning a National MP who sat on the Commerce Committee silently while his electorate secretary gave misinformation to the committee about the Catholic Church’s position on the Skycity bill; if he is not concerned why not?Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I believe that what the member has just asked is essentially the same question that you have just ruled on. It gets to the point where we would have to for example have members of the Labour Party recusing themselves from select committees if one of the unions was appearing or if Greenpeace was appearing the Green Party would have to leave the select committee. Members are expected to exercise a degree of discretion in these matters. I do not think that there has been anything wrong with this and the question in itself is out of order.Metiria Turei: I would just remind the member and I also say this for your consideration Mr Speaker that my question concerned whether the Prime Minister had seen any reports or had any concern about any such reports. He does have responsibility for that.Mr SPEAKER: The difficulty that the member has and she has tried to abide by the Standing Orders is that the Prime Minister does not have responsibility. The member is not going to make the grade in asking the question by trying to rephrase it. I will not rule the question out; I will give the member effectively another shot at another question.Metiria Turei: Thank you very much Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Very generous. [Interruption] Order!Metiria Turei: Has the Prime Minister had any discussions with Cabinet regarding the Catholic Church’s position being misrepresented by Sam Lotu-Iiga’s electorate chairperson while Sam Lotu-Iiga was on that committee; if so did any member of his Cabinet express any concerns regarding the misrepresentation of the Catholic Church’s position?Mr SPEAKER: The Rt Hon Prime Minister as far as he has a responsibility.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I have not had any discussions with Cabinet. In relation to reports yes I have seen one report which came from Trevor Mallard. It said that the member is not on top of her job and I agree with Trevor Mallard. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If that last comment from the Prime Minister could in any way be construed as being in and related to the question then every part of the member’s primary and supplementary questions should have been allowed in by the licence you gave the Prime Minister.Mr SPEAKER: The member raises quite a valid point on this occasion. The answer from the Prime Minister was not helpful to the order of the House but at the end of the day he was actually responding to an interjection that came from the Opposition side of the House.Metiria Turei: Will the Prime Minister require all members of his Cabinet or his Government to declare any personal or financial conflict of interest that they may have in voting for the Skycity bill and make those declarations public?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Cabinet Ministers already follow rules in relation to conflicts of interest. They work with the Cabinet Office to ensure that they follow the rules and in my experience of seeing them in action they follow those rules closely.Metiria Turei: Has the Prime Minister discussed with his Cabinet any concerns about the fact that the New Zealand International Convention Centre Bill may get through only because of votes from John Banks who has an undeclared conflict of interest and Sam Lotu-Iiga who kept silent over his electorate chair misrepresenting the views of the Catholic Church to the Commerce Committee?Mr SPEAKER: If the right honourable Prime Minister could answer the first part of that question.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I think the member is wrong. In fact I think the member is out to lunch.Mr SPEAKER: No it is not in order for the Prime Minister to answer that last part of the answer in that way. Would he stand withdraw and apologise for that.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I withdraw and apologise.