Dyson Ruth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Dyson Ruth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:655;Page:4578] 
6.  
Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What was the process she followed when appointing Christine Rankin as a Families Commissioner? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 The process included but was not limited to calling for expressions of interest pre-appointment document checks and submitting papers to the appointments and honours committee. It went to Cabinet it went to caucus pre-appointment checks were completed and the appointment document was sent—just as it was for Bruce Pilbrow. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Did Christine Rankin discuss her  
Investigate 
 interview with the Chief Families Commissioner Jan Pryor as she was clearly instructed to in the Minister’s letter to her outlining a no-surprises clause; if she did was it done at the earliest opportunity or was Jan Pryor unpleasantly surprised? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: It is my understanding that she discussed the interview with the Chief Families Commissioner prior to giving it. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: What would actively campaigning on section 59 look like to the Minister: would it look like a 4-page spread in a magazine campaigning against the law or would it look more like being a trustee of an organisation that advocates views on section 59 that directly contradict the views of the Government? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I looked up the definition of “campaigning” and it says “a vigorous concerted effort to accomplish a purpose”. I suppose my own interpretation would be that I do not expect her to be holding a megaphone. 
Hekia Parata 
: Tena koe Mr Speaker. What are the important issues facing New Zealand families that the Government would like the Families Commission to focus on? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Let us start with what they are not: reports that parents working long hours report feeling tired and stressed or research I have seen that shows that children value their relationship with their grandparents or—a particular favourite that some colleagues might listen to—research that shows that men are less likely than women to talk about their relationship problems. These were commissioned by the previous Chief Families Commissioner who now sits on the Opposition benches and I do not think they add much value to New Zealand families. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Does the Minister believe the comments reported in the  
New Zealand Herald  
yesterday by the Family and Children Trust spokeswoman Bev Adair that one Ms Rankin was the trust’s chief executive and two she would definitely take part in the section 59 referendum campaign; if the comments are accurate would that constitute a conflict of interest and has the Minister determined whether they are accurate? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The Opposition’s obsession with Ms Rankin’s appointment is curious to say the least. Let us be quite clear: her involvement with the Family and Children Trust was included in the press release we put out announcing her appointment to the job. So there are no secrets and no surprises about her attachment to that particular trust. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question had a specific point which was whether the comments alluded to in the  
New Zealand Herald  
would constitute a conflict of interest if they were accurate and whether the Minister had determined that they were accurate. That question was not addressed. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The question did specifically relate to comments made in the  
New Zealand Herald 
. I invite the Hon Paula Bennett to respond to that. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I think the Prime Minister and I have been very clear on what we expect of Ms Rankin as far as her appointment is concerned. We have made that clear. I am not going to make comments about someone else’s comments in the newspaper or be responsible for them.