Goff Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Goff Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:670;Page:17251] 
2. 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Minister for the Rugby World Cup 
: What advice has he the Government or Rugby New Zealand 2011 been given on Christchurch’s ability to host Rugby World Cup matches later this year? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister for the Rugby World Cup 
: In the early part of this week Vbase the Christchurch City Council company responsible for operating AMI Stadium received an assessment from engineers of the work required to restore the stadium to a standard capable of hosting test matches. At the same time reports were received by the Government on the current state of hotel accommodation in Christchurch and on the likely state of hotel accommodation in September of this year. Those reports are being discussed by the Minister for the Rugby World Cup officials from the International Rugby Board Vbase executives and New Zealand Rugby Union representatives in Christchurch this afternoon. It would serve the public interest to allow the Minister to complete his discussions with other stakeholders before providing more information on those reports. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: What recommendation has the Government or Rugby New Zealand 2011 made to the International Rugby Board about the ability of Christchurch to host these matches? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I do not know whether any recommendation has been made. All I know again is that the discussions are continuing currently and that it would best serve the public interest for those discussions to have the opportunity to be completed. I point out to the Leader of the Opposition that I think there has been an announcement that a news conference will be held around 3 o’clock this afternoon in Christchurch at which point no doubt the Minister will further update the media on the discussions. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: When the Prime Minister said earlier this week that it was the International Rugby Board’s call but in the end they look to the Government does he expect the International Rugby Board’s decision to reflect the view of the Government? Is the Prime Minister correct? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The Prime Minister is always correct. The International Rugby Board is the owner of the tournament and of course it has been working alongside the Government and other stakeholders. As the member may be aware the International Rugby Board officials have flown overnight to arrive in Christchurch for the meeting that is occurring right now. Once again I think we should wait until the meeting has been completed. I understand there is a media briefing afterwards and at that point the Minister will no doubt update discussions. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Has the Prime Minister received any advice of the International Rugby Board’s likely decision; if so on what date did his office receive that advice? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: It is my understanding that the discussions are continuing right now and I presume that that is why the International Rugby Board officials have flown overnight to have those discussions this afternoon with the Minister Vbase the New Zealand Rugby Union and Rugby New Zealand 2011. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was very specific. It asked whether the Prime Minister had received advice on the International Rugby Board’s likely decision; if so on what date. I do not believe that the Minister actually answered that specific and very straightforward question. It is a yes or no answer. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister in his answer said the International Rugby Board officials have come here and are having discussions right now. Unless the Minister wishes to clarify that point any further it would seem that he has made it clear to the House that the officials are here now to discuss the matter so they can hardly have made up their mind yet. The Hon Steven Joyce may be able to assist. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: That is exactly the point I was making. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Is he aware of the Prime Minister’s view of the preliminary decision of the International Rugby Board which is to be announced at 3 o’clock? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I think everybody on that side of the House is trying to get ahead of themselves. The point is that the discussions are currently taking place. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Mr Speaker—[ 
Interruption 
]  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition I say to the shadow Leader of the House that he is very experienced and he knows that that kind of interjection is unacceptable. He will not make further such interjections. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Did the engineering reports that he received on the AMI Stadium indicate that the stadium would by the due date be able to hold those games? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am not aware. I presume that the Minister has seen the assessment now because he is in Christchurch having meetings with Vbase. I understand that the assessment discussed the work required to restore the AMI Stadium and I assume that it would also include the timetable that it would take to do so. But again those discussions are continuing this afternoon and there will be a media briefing at 3 o’clock. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Has the Minister received advice that following the earthquake accommodation and other infrastructure in Christchurch is capable of meeting the needs of the thousands of rugby fans who would come to the city to watch those games? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The advice received indicated a significant level of uncertainty as to the exact level of accommodation available at this time. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: If Christchurch is deemed unable to host the games will he be pressing for as many games as possible that were to be held at the AMI Stadium to be held within the Canterbury region and in the South Island? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am not privy to the approach that is being taken or the discussions that are taking place at this point or indeed whether those issues will be addressed at 3 o’clock this afternoon when the media briefing takes place. I think we have to just wait and see. It is not a long time between now and 3 o’clock; it is currently 40 minutes and 30 seconds away. We should get some information then. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Do the discussions that are allegedly currently occurring in Christchurch involve the Prime Minister by way of phone conference? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am not aware that they do. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I refer back to the earlier point of order by my colleague Trevor Mallard. The difficulty I have with the answers to those questions is that the acting Minister was unable to answer any one of them supposedly because he did not have any of the advice. Does that mean it is appropriate to transfer a question to another Minister who does not have the information? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: In all sincerity I say to the honourable member that if he reflects on the questions asked and the answers given it may just be that he is about an hour early in asking his questions. There may be no answer to them yet. That is what any I think reasonable person would take from the answers given. If members believe that some other plot is going on somewhere I cannot help with that as Speaker of the House. Questions were asked and I believe the answers under the circumstances were reasonable. To suggest otherwise is I think not being reasonable. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With regard to the ruling that you have just made if you reflect on the questions that I have asked you will see that they are questions where the information is available because reports have been received. That is why I made the point that I did. It cannot possibly be correct that we do not know what is in the reports because those reports were received— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Now we are debating the substance of the issue which we are not going to do. Let me just point out to the member that he was asserting in his questions that the Prime Minister had had some pre-discussion advice from the International Rugby Board and that he would somehow know what the International Rugby Board was going to decide. That was the implication in the questions asked. The Minister pointed out that that was not his understanding of the situation and that is where the matter has to lie. Members were pursuing a certain line of questioning and the Minister answered the questions. Given the facts of the matter—as the Minister described to the House there will be a press conference shortly to advise on some of these matters—it does not seem unreasonable if there is a meeting going on right now. I do not intend to take the time of the House to litigate it further. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will hear the Hon Trevor Mallard briefly but it had better be a good point of order. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: It is a good point of order. I think there were two specific quotes from the Leader of the Opposition. One was from the Prime Minister which indicated that— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Can I first check with the member what issue of order he seeks to address. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: The issue of order goes to the answers given and whether they are likely to lead to disorder— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No that is not a valid point of order. It is not a valid point of order. The Speaker determines whether a question has been answered. It is my assessment that the questions were answered in a reasonable manner given the facts of the matter. That is the end of that. That is not an issue of order to be debated further by way of point of order. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will hear the member in case I have made a mistake. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I know this is getting dangerous. The problem we have is that we are aware that a decision has been made and the Minister— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is not a point of order. The member is treading on very dangerous ground. Any further deviation from the Standing Orders and the member will be leaving the House because that is not a point of order. It is irrelevant what members might understand or think they understand about what decisions may or may not have been made. It is absolutely irrelevant to the order of this House. The member has questioned the acting Minister and the Minister answered and that is the end of the matter for question time.