Baldock Larry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Baldock Larry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:19748] 
11.  
LARRY BALDOCK (United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Conservation 
: Is he satisfied that the Department of Conservation engages in adequate public consultation when considering new marine reserve proposals; if so why? 
Hon RICK BARKER (Minister for Courts) 
 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Conservation 
: Yes because independent audits of the last two formal marine reserve applications received by the Minister have confirmed that thorough consultation was undertaken. The significant number of submissions received on marine reserve applications also suggest that the department is doing a good job in ensuring that the community is aware of the proposals and their implications. 
Larry Baldock 
: What is the current status of the promised independent review which is being carried out by Mr Simon Berry of the Department of Conservation’s consultation processes with regard to the Aotea Marine Reserve and when will the Minister publish findings of that inquiry? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: The review is almost complete. I do not have a precise date with me but I would certainly like to forward that to the member after I take some advice on it. 
Dave Hereora 
: What improvements have been sought by marine interest groups to the way that marine reserve proposals have been identified and advanced? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: All the sectors say that they want a strategic approach to the establishment of marine reserves and other marine protected areas. Recreational fishers commercial fishers conservation groups and iwi all want a structured regional approach and to be involved in the early stages of planning. The Ministry of Fisheries and the Department of Conservation have just finished consultation on a marine protected area policy and an implementation plan that will do exactly that. 
Larry Baldock 
: How does the Minister reconcile the statement by Mr Warwick Murray the Department of Conservation’s communications relationship manager in a letter to Scott McIndoe concerning Mr Berry’s findings: “Mr Berry’s report states that the Director-General of Conservation has substantially complied with the procedural requirements of the Act and fairly and appropriately carried out his responsibilities.” with the statements made by Mr Merv McGee chairperson of the Ngati Rehua trust board who told me today that the whole process of consultation was a farce and that the Department of Conservation had no regard for tangata whenua rights; and who did Mr Berry consult when he was carrying out that independent review? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: I cannot confirm the comments made to that member today but I can confirm that the Department of Conservation takes tangata whenua rights seriously and does seriously consult tangata whenua. 
Larry Baldock 
: Can the Minister confirm after his visit to Great Barrier Island last Friday that residents and Ngati Rehua hapu of Ngati Wai remain opposed to the Aotea Marine Reserve and that they still consider they will suffer undue adverse effects and that just one of those objections according to the Minister’s reply to my questions in the House several weeks ago is sufficient for the marine reserve proposal to stop in its tracks; and therefore when will the Minister call a halt to that proposal and abandon it? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: That marine reserve application is going through a process and yes it is correct that if it can be demonstrated that there is undue effect on any one of a number of categories then the proposal will not proceed. This process is still under way and we should await the outcome. 
Larry Baldock 
: What consultation has the Minister’s department engaged in with the Catlins community regarding the proposed marine reserve at Nugget Point and will he consider the local community’s proposal for a marine management model similar to theFiordland Marine Guardians model as an alternative to a full marine reserve; if not why not or will they experience the same appalling treatment from his department as the residents of Great Barrier Island have experienced? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: The department and the Minister will take seriously all submissions from the Nugget Point people. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. How is it possible for the Minister to stand up to answer a question as the Minister and to say that he cannot speak for the Minister of Conservation? That is his job; that is why he is here answering the questions. What sort of answer was that? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The Minister addressed the question. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I say to Mr Hide that I have ruled on that. I listened carefully to the question and to the answer. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I ask you to give some thought and advice to this House about what the breadth of a Minister’s responsibility is when he or she is standing in for another Minister because we see Ministers sort of ducking away. Can they just say that they do not know anything about that and that they cannot speak on behalf of a Minister because if that is the case question time will become an even bigger farce. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I considered the Minister’s answer as I considered the question. The Minister addressed the question. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. You may have considered the Minister to have addressed the question but he surely cannot begin his answer with “I cannot speak for another Minister …”. 
Hon Rick Barker 
: I never said that. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Oh yes the Minister did. With respect the Minister is required to do just that—that is why he is standing in. All we are asking him to do is to tell a tosser to go home and leave our reserves alone. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Can the Minister confirm that if Labour and the Greens are working together after the election the new Marine Reserves Bill will be passed with appropriate amendments based on the submissions we have heard ending 3 years of stalling on this issue and enabling marine reserves to proceed with better provisions for consultation than exist under the present outdated Act? 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I ask you to consider how that question could possibly be in order. I know that if a National or an ACT member had asked it it certainly would not have been. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: The question asks the Minister whether it is the Government’s policy intention to proceed with the bill after the election if it has sufficient support. It seems to me that that is within the Minister’s power to answer. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Members are perfectly entitled to ask hypothetical questions and have done on previous occasions. 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: It is the Government’s intention to pursue passing that bill through Parliament and of course as always we welcome the support of the Greens for our legislation. 
Larry Baldock 
: Does the Minister consider that the previous question asked by Jeanette Fitzsimons is one of the best reasons New Zealanders should vote for United Future so that there will not be that outcome she predicted? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The Minister has no responsibility for that. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I like your direction about ruling out I think it was Mr Baldock’s question because you ruled in that hypothetical questions could be asked. The idea of people voting for United Future—I mean how hypothetical does that get for that poodle party? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order.