Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:615;Page:11429] 
8.  
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Minister for Land Information 
: Does he consider that he enjoys the full confidence of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues; if not why not? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE (Minister for Land Information) 
: 
 Yes. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Have either the Prime Minister or his Cabinet colleagues had any discussions or meetings with him since his statement over the weekend that it is a matter of when rather than if he joins a new Maori political party; if so what was the specific nature of those discussions? 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: That is not the responsibility of the Minister of lands. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: He is answering only in his capacity as Minister of lands. That is not his responsibility. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Does he not answer a question in Parliament as a member of Cabinet? Does he not have some collective responsibility to the Cabinet’s aims and is he not a Labour member in that Cabinet who is talking about jumping out of Cabinet or the waka into some other party? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member should know from the Standing Orders that the answer is no. The only person who can answer on behalf of Cabinet is the Prime Minister or a person deputed to answer. The Minister is entitled to answer only in relation to his portfolios. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have ruled on the point of order. I hope the member is not challenging that with his point of order. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: No I am pleading with you now to accept that I did get it wrong. Can I rephrase the question? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. The member should have known that particular one. He can have another question. Please be seated. 
Heather Roy 
: As Minister for Land Information what did he mean when he said: “When for me ain’t right now.” in response to questions about a new Maori party and will he rule out once and for all joining another political party? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: He is answering as Minister for Land Information. He did not make his comments as Minister for Land Information. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have ruled. 
Rodney Hide 
: I appreciate that. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Maybe you could give some guidance as to the situation when a Minister is out speaking in New Zealand. My understanding of the rule was that they spoke as a Minister 24/7. My colleague Heather Roy specifically said “As Minister for Land Information” when he said such and such. How can that possibly be ruled out of order? If it is a Minister could say anything and then walk back into this House and say:“Oh when I said that I wasn’t speaking as a Minister.” 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is a matter for the general debate or other debates but during question time questions are addressed to Ministers who have a particular portfolio or to the Prime Minister who has overall responsibility. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: As Minister for Land Information does he believe his position would be compromised if a perception arose that he was about to exit the Labour Party to join a new Maori party? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is in relation to his position of Minister for Land Information. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: Yes. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Can he confirm that since he believes that his position would be compromised should such a perception take hold in this country he would resign well ahead of any announcement that he was about to join a new Maori party? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: He may only answer that in his capacity as Minister for Land Information. 
Hon JOHN TAMIHERE 
: I am not prepared to answer on a hypothetical question. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: What is hypothetical about that? [ 
Interruption 
] No I want to tease this out with him. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will not have any further comment on this matter. I have ruled that the Minister can answer as Minister for Land Information. That question was very very barely in order. The Minister commented however and that is the end of that particular matter. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not accept that that question was barely in order. The question asked him whether if in future he decided to leave the Labour Party he would resign his ministerial warrant first in advance of that. He has already told us that he believes he would be compromised if that perception took hold. I could have asked him whether he regrets making that statement because his position clearly is now compromised. A reasonable answer from him surely would be to address the question rather than to say he refuses to answer. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: The member has now changed his point of order. His original point of order on this question was not hypothetical. His question that included the word “if” was about as hypothetical as one could be on the face of it before another word was said after that. On that basis the Minister is quite justified in saying he will not answer a hypothetical question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Members can ask hypothetical questions but Ministers do not need to respond to the hypotheses. That is the risk they run by asking for an opinion. 
John Key 
: I seek leave to table the  
Timaru Herald  
article stating John Tamihere clearly states that superannuation is not sustainable. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that article. Is there any objection? There is.