Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Question No. 6 to Minister 
Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Question No. 6 to Minister 
[Volume:628;Page:523] 
2.  
Dr DON BRASH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she have confidence in her Minister for Social Development and Employment; if so why? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes because he is a hard-working and conscientious Minister. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Does she regard it as an acceptable standard of conduct for the Hon David Benson-Pope to circulate material to the media that deliberately misrepresented the police report into accusations that he had assaulted pupils; if not what advice does she have for the Minister? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The matter could have been handled better and advice will be forthcoming to the Minister.  
Dr Don Brash 
: Why should the public have any confidence in the Hon David Benson-Pope when his own office leaked part of the police report to the  
Herald on Sunday 
 which stated in a story that Mr Benson-Pope had declined an interview; or does she think that is acceptable behaviour since it is clearly modelled on her own conduct in the case of former Police Commissioner Peter Doone? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It is for Mr Benson-Pope to decide how he handles that matter.  
Dr Don Brash 
: Why should the public have any confidence in the Hon David Benson-Pope when he told Parliament on 12 May this year that he “refuted” allegations that he had ever tied a student’s hands yet the police said there was “sufficient evidence to say that this incident did occur”; does she not see that her Minister for Social Development and Employment now has zero credibility with the media and the public? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The member might want to refer to the legal advice offered by Mr Benson-Pope’s lawyer on Morning Report this morning. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Why has she allowed the Hon David Benson-Pope to get away with misleading the media when she declined to accept such conduct from the Hon Lianne Dalziel and dismissed her from her portfolio? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have dealt directly with the matter of the misleading of the media by referring the staff member concerned to Ministerial Services. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Is it not a bit rich for the Prime Minister to criticise Rongo Wetere for the early release of the audit report into the wananga when one of her own Ministers did exactly the same thing when his office selectively and deliberately leaked parts of a police report and even suggested that the leak came from the police? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: To the best of my knowledge no one has ever breached an Auditor-General’s embargo before. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Can the Prime Minister recall saying on 28 June 2000 that the then Minister of Maori Affairs Dover Samuels had to be sacked from his portfolio because he could not be effective while “allegations controversy and public debate swirl around him.” and how can she maintain David Benson-Pope in his Cabinet position while allegations controversy and public debate swirl around him? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Both matters were referred to the police for full investigation. The reality is that both Ministers referred to are Ministers today.