Hughes Gareth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hughes Gareth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:678;Page:1381] 
9. 
GARETH HUGHES (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Conservation 
: How many adult Maui’s dolphins are estimated to be alive today and can she guarantee that on her watch no more Maui’s dolphins will die of human-induced causes? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Conservation) 
: 
 Earlier this month I released new figures from a study conducted over the past two summers that estimates 55 Maui’s dolphins remain. The actual figures are calculated as being between 48 and 69 with a 95 percent confidence factor. No one can guarantee what the member asked for in the second part of his question. We all take the plight of these indigenous dolphins very seriously which is why we have announced immediate steps to help protect these mammals but I cannot control nor guarantee what other humans will do. 
Gareth Hughes 
: Can the Minister of Conservation confirm that the proposed extension to the marine mammal sanctuary will only put restrictions on seismic surveys and will not prevent the use of trawl nets set nets or drift nets or seabed mining? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON 
: I cannot give such a guarantee because at this stage it is only a proposal and it does have to go through its proper process.  
Gareth Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was whether the proposal contains this point not whether the Minister will decide after submissions on the proposal have been heard. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon KATE WILKINSON 
: I thought the question asked whether I could guarantee— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The Leader of the House knows better than to interject when a point of order is being heard. Clearly there is confusion over the question asked. I invite Gareth Hughes to repeat his supplementary question.  
Gareth Hughes 
: Can the Minister of Conservation confirm that the proposed extension to the marine mammal sanctuary will only put restrictions on seismic surveys and will not prevent the use of trawl nets drift nets or set nets or seabed mining? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON 
: As the member will know the proposals also include proposals under the fisheries regime that do include a proposal relating to set-net banning.  
Gareth Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Again the question was on the Minister’s proposal that she has gone to the public with to be submitted on not on what the Minister for Primary Industries has also gone out on.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The Minister I think answered that but pointed out that in other proposals in front of the Government the issues the member included in his question are actually being addressed. That seemed to be the Minister’s answer to me. The House must not be pulled up with every answer being challenged under a point of order. Members cannot expect to get exactly the answer they want when they ask a question. Often there are a range of answers to a question and a range of ways of answering a question. I invite members to listen. Just as I ask Ministers to listen to questions I want members to listen to the answers from Ministers. It should not take the Speaker to explain why in fact the Minister has answered the question.  
Gareth Hughes 
: Why will the Minister of Conservation not use her powers under the Marine Mammals Protection Act to implement a prohibition on the use of trawl nets drift nets and set nets throughout the entire marine mammal sanctuary in order to protect the remaining 55 Maui’s dolphins? 
Hon KATE WILKINSON 
: What we are trying to do here is do everything we can to put in place measures to protect what are critically endangered creatures. We are going through a proper process as quickly as possible. To be honest with this House I do not want to waste a couple of years in judicial review hearings because the process was not done properly or because of political pressure to take shortcuts.