Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNorman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 03 December 2013. Volume:695;Page:15113. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to thePrime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements on Government policy?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes in the context they were made in.Dr Russel Norman: Does he stand by his reported statement on asset sales that “the sales process could be delayed if market conditions were unsuitable.”; if so what would constitute unsuitable conditions to pursue the sale of Genesis Energy?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes; any vendor always reserves the right to not take an asset to market. One would assume that the conditions would be ones that would see a poor price received by the Crown.Dr Russel Norman: Does he agree with Brian Gaynor of Milford Asset Management that there is not a “hope in hell” of the Genesis sale going ahead and that “Unless things change dramatically for Mighty River Power and Meridian it won’t happen.”? And if he does not agree why not?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I do not agree with Brian Gaynor but I do agree with David Hay who thinks there is not a hope in hell of him getting a fair trial from the Greens.Kevin Hague: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It would be appreciated if you could prevent the Prime Minister from including extraneous material—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will certainly do my best to assist members asking supplementary questions. In that particular case the member asked two questions within the one supplementary question. The Prime Minister very adequately addressed the first one.Dr Russel Norman: Does he agree with the statement by William Curtayne of Milford Asset Management on the odds of the Genesis sale going ahead when he said: “It depends on the Government’s desperation to get rid of it. There is always a price for an asset. If they want to take a big haircut they will likely be able to sell it”? And if he does not agree why not?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No. What I can tell the member is that the Government has received around about $4 billion so far for the assets it has brought to the market. We know that the member does not like the mixed-ownership programme. We know that he wants New Zealanders to have democracy and to vote on that but when it comes to democracy in the Green Party he is trying to stamp it out.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In the last question time we had in relation to Mr Joyce you made a ruling about the continuous inclusion in answers by Ministers of material that was not relevant to the question—that is under Standing Order 383/2—and you noted yourself that that would lead to disorder in the House. We have now had two answers from the Prime Minister today that have done that. There will be disorder and I ask you to bring him into line.Mr SPEAKER: When I made a ruling on the Thursday of the last sitting week it was with regard to a Minister immediately starting an answer with an attack on the person who was asking the question. I referred to Speaker’s ruling 176/3 and pointed out that that in itself leads to disorder. In this particular case the question was asked ithad political connotations and I think the Prime Minister addressed it and equally with a political flick back. That is part of this political exchange.Dr Russel Norman: Does he agree with the recentDominion Post editorial that said: “The Government’s asset sales programme has been an unmitigated disaster—so disastrous it borders on economic vandalism. Valuable assets built up over generations have been hocked off at firesale prices to a handful of investors because Mr Key’s Government could not bear to admit now was not the right time to sell.”?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No what I do believe is that the Government has brought to market companies that have generated $4 billion approximately in assets. We will see those companies operating better and we will have a better oversight when it comes to those companies. If the member does not like it he should rise to the challenge I issued to him last week and buy them back. He would have to borrow the money. Or in the case of that member he would print the money. If he wants to get—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That answer now is quite sufficiently long.Dr Russel Norman: Does he agree with the editorial in theMarlborough Expressthat “[No] voter should disregard those referendum papers when they arrive in the mail … Even if assets-sales opponents can’t make themselves heeded they can make themselves heard … This being the case—whatever they think—it is far far better to speak up.” and to have your voice?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: As I seriously made the point before the member wants to parade around the country using taxpayers’ money to make New Zealanders go and vote on something that was the major campaign plank of this Government and its election result with a record number in 2011. The member has just gone out today and in a press release called me a Muldoonist and he is running around snuffing out any chance of a tilt at leadership. Well that is Muldoonist if you ask me.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That is four questions and four replies and they all repeat the first second and third mistake in the end—the Prime Minister abusing a questioner who is legitimately going about their business. When are you going to throw him out?Mr SPEAKER: When I determine that it is necessary to do so. [Interruption] Order! Otherwise there may be some people leaving the Chamber early. That was a question that again had a political loading and if members ask questions with political loading they are likely to get an answer back with some political overtones.Dr Russel Norman: In light of the growing consensus from the business world from the media and from the public that asset sales have failed are an economic disaster and should be stopped will he cancel his plans to sell Genesis Energy?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I just do not agree with the proposition of the member. We know he does not like the programme and we know he wants to go and print money or borrow more money—that is the way the Green Party’s economic policy works. But normal New Zealanders do not want more debt on the balance sheet; they want better-performing assets and they want a stock market that has more variety. This is a member who wants New Zealanders to invest their KiwiSaver accounts in Australian electricity companies but is not prepared to have them invested in New Zealand ones.