Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 27 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:8237. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
3. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by all his statements? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. In particular I stand by the statement that the Opposition spokesman on education Mr Hipkins is making so little progress against Hekia Parata that he has taken to pulling his hair out. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
David Shearer 
: Which is correct: that the revenue from asset sales “could easily be $5 billion to $7 billion” as he said yesterday or that the numbers will “move around and may need to be revised downward” as his finance Minister conceded yesterday? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Both of them are potentially correct and they are not incompatible. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement “We’re delivering on our election promise so we can free up between $5 billion and $7 billion” given that Solid Energy is now considered worthless? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes but of course that is subject to the Supreme Court ruling which we will hear at 3 o’clock. 
David Shearer 
: As someone who has worked for an investment bank does he think it is a smart idea to sell a State-owned energy company when electricity demand is projected to be flat for at least a decade? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: It is not for me to give investment advice to New Zealanders—[ 
Interruption 
] Well I know that the Prime Minister in Labour’s term got herself in trouble with securities law but I do not intend to. It is not for me to give investment advice but what I can say is this. If we go and have a look at the mixed-ownership model and we go right back to when National started promoting that policy we see that it led to us in 2011 undertaking a scoping study. That scoping study really did the work of what the mixed-ownership model companies would be much more subjected to which is external analysis external directors continual disclosure to the NZX and a capacity to have a better understanding of what is going on with the company. In my opinion if the member is asking me whether that would make those companies stronger and therefore more likely to succeed the answer to that is “Definitely.” 
David Shearer 
: Has he contemplated cancelling his mixed-ownership model programme? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No but I will let you know at 3 o’clock this afternoon. 
Brendan Horan 
: Does he stand by his words in the Prime Minister’s statement on 29 January that he would continue to support KiwiRail’s Turnaround Plan given that the near-fatal Morningside crossing accident would not have happened if track maintenance workers were still employed instead of having been laid off under KiwiRail’s Turnaround Plan? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes I stand by that statement. Secondly I would really urge the member who is relatively new to Parliament to be extremely careful about making statements that could prove to be very incorrect and extremely upsetting for families. The member has a responsibility as a member of Parliament to get his facts right and I am not entirely convinced that they are. 
David Shearer 
: What advice has he received about legislative change should the Supreme Court ruling be adverse to the Government’s mixed-ownership model programme? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I have not had any advice. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given that the Skycity expansion is the biggest single event in his ministry as tourism Minister and the biggest single event in Auckland at this present time— 
Hon Craig Foss 
: The World Cup. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: —at this present time—which sees him go with officials armed with taxpayer resources and money to a meeting with Skycity with no pre-meeting record no meeting record no post-meeting record and no contact with Skycity to find out whether it has a record is it fair or unfair in those circumstances for the average New Zealand person to think that you as Minister are flat-out lying? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Please address it to the Minister not to the Speaker. 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Seeing as the member did not ask me a question I am not going to answer it. It started with “Given” buddy! 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You know that I asked him a question. I set up the circumstances and asked him whether it was in the circumstances his lack of— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Can the member please resume his seat. I listened very carefully to the question and at the end of the question there was something about “is it fair”. I think if just that part of the question was given to the Prime Minister the member would have more chance of his answering to the member’s satisfaction. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I will say it slowly. Given that the Skycity expansion is the biggest single event in his term as the Minister— 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Starting a question with “Given” is a statement. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We have heard—[ 
Interruption 
] I am trying to assist the member on this occasion. It was a very lengthy question. We have all heard the “Given”. If the member could now just get to the question which is “Is it fair?” I will try to elicit a response for the member. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: My question very simply is: is it fair or unfair for the public of New Zealand to conclude after this denial in respect of no pre-meeting actual meeting or post-meeting record of either party that he as Prime Minister is flat-out lying? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! That is a very— 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: The member has not indicated which meeting he is talking about. I cannot answer that question. 
David Shearer 
: If there is an adverse decision by the Supreme Court today will he rule out cancelling the mixed-ownership programme? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: It would be extremely imprudent of me to make a comment when we are 35 minutes away from a Supreme Court ruling. If I were to answer that question what would happen is the muppets on the other side would jump up and down saying I was trying to run in front of the Supreme Court and I do not intend to do that.