Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19557] 
6.  
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she still stand by her statement in December last year that: “I’ve always expressed my confidence that John Tamihere would return to the Cabinet at some point”; if not why not? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 In the past I have expressed my confidence that Mr Tamihere would return to Cabinet at some point. I am unable to say that today. To return in the future he would have to rebuild the confidence of his colleagues and clearly he has a lot of work to do. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Could she confirm that much of her reticence about Mr Tamihere’s returning to Cabinet is due to his reported statement that when it comes to the leadership of the Labour Party out of 51 in the current caucus 10 would back him to the hilt and 15 say they would; and if that is not the reason what is her reason? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I assure the member that I am not quaking in my boots. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. We went through Rodney Hide’s question earlier question No. 2 and got no answers from the Prime Minister about the allegations made in Mr Tamihere’s article. The only thing she was able to say for sure was that Dr Cullen is not the duplicitous character he was portrayed as by Mr Tamihere. I asked the Prime Minister whether Mr Tamihere’s claim to have the numbers is one of the reasons he is not coming back into Cabinet and if it is not the reason then what were the reasons. Surely at some point that should be outlined to the House. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The Prime Minister addressed the question. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. How can an answer that— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Are you challenging my ruling? 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I would not be on my feet if I were not. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I have already ruled on the point of order. The member may not like the answer but given the question he got an answer that addressed the question. Can we now please move on. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Can you tell us how the Prime Minister’s answer was consistent with the requirements of Standing Order 370 in all its parts? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The answer was consistent with that Standing Order. It does not have to satisfy the member; it merely has to address the question. Can we now please move on. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why is it that John Tamihere has to be duplicitous a liar a tosser a weirdo a smarmer or be without substance before he is allowed back into the Labour Party Cabinet? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: He does not have to be any of those things. He does have to be a team player. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Is it true or does she agree with Mr Tamihere’s comments about the Government: “In this outfit it’s all ‘rosy’ on the outside not the inside.” and is it also true that when Mr Tamihere used to make a contribution in Cabinet on Cabinet papers and say: “Hang on.” she would say: “You want to be difficult again do you?”; and is that the reason why she relishes this opportunity to keep him out of Cabinet? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The statements quoted by the member are not true and I can say to the House that one Labour back-bencher under stress means that Labour is far more united than the National caucus any day of the week. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Will she indicate to the House whether she thinks it would be difficult regardless of any apology Mr Tamihere might like to make for him to sit in a Cabinet with Mr Maharey whom he described as “smarmy” but with “no substance” or with Mr Carter whom he described as a “tosser”? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: For a member of the Labour caucus to be in Cabinet he or she must have the confidence of colleagues because they elect the person to that position. If that were the case in the National Party there is no way Mr Brownlee would be in because one of his colleagues described him as “useless as tits on a bull”. 
Judith Collins 
: I seek leave of the House to table the latest copy of  
Investigate 
 magazine with these words on the cover: “TAMIHERE comes clean”. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection. There is. It will not be tabled.