Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:621;Page:16518] 
4.  
Dr DON BRASH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: What new information does she need in order to decide whether Hon John Tamihere has misled the New Zealand public over his acceptance of a golden handshake and to remove his ministerial warrant? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 John Tamihere no longer holds a ministerial warrant. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Did the Hon John Tamihere mislead her and the New Zealand public when he took a golden handshake from the Waipareira Trust despite earlier assurances that he would not; if so why has she left his ministerial portfolios open when it is clear that he should have been sacked anyway? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As I said earlier Mr Tamihere advised the House today that he had accepted the ex gratia payment although he had said that he would not. He said that he regretted not advising me and I have said that I regret that as well. I consider his resignation today as an honourable course of action. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Why was the Prime Minister unable to make a political decision that John Tamihere should no longer have a seat at her Cabinet table given the— 
Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I apologise to— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I know the point the member is going to make. [ 
Interruption 
] The member very nearly was asked to leave; I am on my feet and there will be no comments at all. I always give a warning and I gave a warning to his own side earlier on. I am warning members that there will be no comments during questions or members will be leaving. Members have a right to ask their questions in silence. This is a democracy. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Are the warnings now one per side? It used to be that there was a warning and the next time the recipient was kicked out or asked by you to leave the Chamber—I think that is the appropriate way to express it. When you have given a warning to the other side the warning has been to the whole House. It now appears that once you have warned the Opposition the Government gets another run at it and then it gets a different warning. Is that the new rule? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No it is not. I apologise because I did not do the right thing on this occasion. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Why was the Prime Minister unable to make a political decision that the Hon John Tamihere should lose his seat at her Cabinet table given the undisputed fact that he took a golden handshake after he had told her and the New Zealand public that he would not? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Like all fair-minded New Zealanders I suspended judgment pending a full examination of the facts. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Having regard to her frequent use of the word “honour” and the clear understanding of most people that Mr Tamihere jumped before he was pushed how does honour come into it? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Honour comes into it in that in the statement set out today Mr Tamihere has expressed regret and he has resigned from Cabinet. We now await full establishment of the facts by Douglas White QC and I expect the Serious Fraud Office report to go on for some time after that. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Is it not clear that while there are a number of things still in debate and contention that the Douglas White QC report will investigate there is no doubt at all that Mr Tamihere said he would not accept an ex gratia payment but did so? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: That is what he has told the House today and he has resigned his portfolios. 
Rodney Hide 
: What does the Prime Minister think would be the appropriate course for Mr John Tamihere to follow if his personal statement today was found to be substantially incorrect? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am sure that members take great care when they draft ministerial statements. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How many of her colleagues on the Maori Affairs Committee informed her of the evidence of a former lawyer for the Waipareira Trust who made allegations before the select committee about 32 forged cheques involving the Waipareira Trust? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I do not have any awareness of the matter the member is just raising. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Would she expect that members of her Government on the select committee would if they heard such a serious allegation being made by a person of that level of knowledge—being a lawyer for the Waipareira Trust—come and tell her what they had heard at the select committee that day? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It is very rarely that any members come to tell me what was said at a select committee. Who knows what they thought of what was said. I can only listen to what the member is saying but it is the first time I have heard it.