Bond Ria: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBond Ria: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 September 2015. Volume:708;Page:6537. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.RIA BOND (NZ First) to the Minister for Communications: Does she stand by all her statements?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Communications): Yes in the context in which they were given.Ria Bond: Does she stand by her statement yesterday on broadband speed that “So the residents of Southland should be very grateful that at least this Government is addressing it something the Labour failed to do?”Hon AMY ADAMS: Yes.Ria Bond: If rural broadband speeds have tripled as the Minister said yesterday has the member of Parliament for Invercargill raised constituents’ concerns with her about internet services and Ms Dowie’s own concerns about officially reported broadband performance; if not why not?Hon AMY ADAMS: I cannot recall every item of constituent correspondence that I have had from colleagues but I know that the member for Invercargill like most members wants to see better broadband rolled out in their communities because members understand the fundamental importance of connectivity in all our communities and they understand that New Zealand’s thirst for connectivity is growing exponentially which is exciting and which is why this Government has spent $2 billion on improving that very connectivity.Ria Bond: I seek leave to table a letter written by Ms Dowie to Venture Southlanddated 25 June 2015 in which she outlines concerns—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I have just been advised by interjection that it is available on the internet. [Interruption] Order!Ria Bond: It is not publicly—Mr SPEAKER: Is the member saying it is not available on the internet?Ria Bond: As far as I am aware Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Sorry I cannot hear the member.Ria Bond: As far as I am aware it is not in the public domain.Hon AMY ADAMS: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The same member yesterday tabled a report from Venture Southland and assured us it was not readily available. It is readily available on the internet and that letter is a part of it.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! This is a point of order.Ron Mark: Thank you Mr Speaker. I am struggling because what you just—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is a point of order.Ron Mark: Thank you. What you just said is that during a point of order you were advised by an interjection—Mr SPEAKER: That is right.Ron Mark: —which is against the Standing Orders—Mr SPEAKER: It is. [Interruption]. I do not need the member to assist in that way. It certainly is against the Standing Orders but the point is that there has been one other occasion when I was assured that the document was not freely available. I put the leave it was tabled and I subsequently found out it was very easily available. So I think the member who is seeking leave needs to be very very clear that if she stands in this House and seeks leave to table a document I will be asking whether it is freely available. It is her responsibility to have ascertained whether it is freely available and I warn all members in this case that the risk of then misleading this Parliament is serious. I invite the member Ria Bond to request to table the document again but I will be asking whether she has done the homework to find out whether it is available.Ria Bond: Has she seen a letter from her colleague Todd Barclay drafted on 1 July in which he raises concerns regarding her $300 million Rural Broadband Initiative in which he stated—Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know that in times past it has been very difficult when—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I have the point of order quickly.Ron Mark: We cannot hear because of the level of interjection and we seek your protection—Mr SPEAKER: Thank you. Well then if you could assist by giving some lessons to your members about asking supplementary questions and keeping them short that would assist. [Interruption] Order! I did not hear the interjection which is possibly just as well. I invite the member Ria Bond to ask her supplementary question keep it concise and I expect silence from my right-hand side whilst the question is being asked.Ria Bond: Has she seen a letter from her colleague Todd Barclay dated 1 July in which he raises concerns regarding her $300 million Rural Broadband Initiative in which he stated that it is not an effective solution?Hon AMY ADAMS: Yes I have seen the letter and I do not believe that that member’s categorisation of it is correct at all. What he is doing is supporting the pitch for a new solution under phase two of the Rural Broadband Initiative and making the point that providers in his electorate want better connectivity. This Government agrees and that is what we are doing. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Again the level of interjection coming from members on my right-hand side is to cease.