Hughes Gareth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHughes Gareth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 27 August 2013. Volume:693;Page:12944. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.GARETH HUGHES (Green) to theMinister for Communications and Information Technology: Has she finished working through how the findings and recommendations of the Australian parliamentary inquiry into digital product prices may relate to New Zealand; if so will she be taking any action?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Communications and Information Technology): Along with my colleague Minister Foss we are continuing to work through the findings and recommendations of the Australian parliamentary inquiry. I recognise that this is an issue of similar concern in New Zealand and accordingly I have directed my officials to work with their Australian counterparts so that advice can be informed by what response the Australian Government is likely to take to that review. It is important to note that these recommendations are still under active consideration by the Australian Government which is currently in caretaker mode prior to the election.Gareth Hughes: Does the Minister think it is fair that a recent survey of 100 common hardware and software products found that New Zealand consumers are paying on average 46 percent more than shoppers in the United States and that for example some laptops cost as much as three times more for New Zealanders than Americans?Hon AMY ADAMS: As far as I am aware the survey the member refers to is his own. But actually I am aware that there is a significant differential between the pricing of a number of digital products in New Zealand compared with what they can be purchased for in the US. This can be as little as 2 percent—for example on theiPhoto foriPad product—or it can range up to more than 100 percent. So clearly there is a differential between what a similar product costs in New Zealand and in the US. That is an issue that the Australian committee has found cannot be entirely reconciled by differences in the cost bases supplying those products and that is why it is an issue that I have directed my officials to continue to look at.Gareth Hughes: I seek leave to table a survey of 100 products prepared by my office which shows a 46 percent average higher cost charged by Kiwis.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table such a survey. Is there any objection? Yes there is.Gareth Hughes: Does she think it is acceptable for companies to be charging consumers with geographic pricing and for them to have to pay a premium like the more than $1000 for AdobeFrameMaker just because they are downloading it in Wellington and not Washington?Hon AMY ADAMS: What I think we have to be careful of is getting into the space of whether it is the role of Governments to tell businesses what they can and should charge for their products and how they should market them. So these are issues that have to be looked at with some caution. I would just point out that even within the Australian Parliament already there are notes of caution about how realistic it is for Governments to try to regulate and tell private businesses how they should sell their products and for what price. It is something that you would have to approach very carefully.Gareth Hughes: Given that it is such a large cost for Kiwi businesses and Kiwi consumers would the Minister support a Commerce Committee inquiry into inflated IT prices for Kiwi consumers?Hon AMY ADAMS: Well that is obviously a matter for the committee to work through and not one that I would want to prejudge. But I imagine the committee would want to carefully consider whether a New Zealand inquiry replicating the Australian one would add further to the debate. But if it felt that that was necessary I am sure it is something that it will work through.Gareth Hughes: I seek leave to table a letter from myself to the Commerce Committee requesting such an inquiry.Mr SPEAKER: No. If any members are interested in that I am sure they can get hold of it.