King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:657;Page:6621] 
1. 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Labour—Dunedin North) 
on behalf of  
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers; if so why? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) 
 on behalf of the  
Prime Minister 
: 
 Yes; because they are talented people working hard for New Zealand. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Does he believe that in all matters his Minister of Finance has followed that part of the  
Cabinet Manual 
 that reads: “… Ministers are expected to act lawfully and to behave in a way that upholds and is seen to uphold the highest ethical standards.”? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Yes and I understand that the Minister of Finance gets the same accommodation allowance as about a hundred other members of Parliament. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Does he believe that it is ethical for the Minister of Finance to undertake legal manoeuvres that happen to increase his family trust’s receipts from the taxpayer at the same time as the Minister of Finance requires restraint in every other aspect of Government expenditure? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I understand that the Minister of Finance has explained many times publicly that he accepts that there was a perception problem and that is why he paid the money back and now receives the same allowance as about a hundred other members of Parliament. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Does he believe that it is now time for the Minister of Finance to release his family trust deed with appropriate deletions to protect the privacy of others? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: No. The Minister of Finance receives the same housing allowance as about a hundred other members of Parliament and that member could ask the same question of those hundred other members of Parliament should he so wish. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: What is the precise pecuniary interest that must be met before it is permissible to lease a home from a family trust for use as a ministerial residence—is it a personal pecuniary interest test or a familial pecuniary interest test? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: As the Minister of Finance has said many times he accepts that there was a perception problem with the arrangements. He kept to all the rules but he paid the money back. What else can he do? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was very precise. It had no extra material in it. It asked which of two tests should be used. That question was not addressed. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I would ask the Hon Bill English whether he could focus on the test that is applied because the question was specifically about that. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister has no ministerial responsibility for that in his capacity as Prime Minister. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: It is a long-established tradition in the Westminster system that in fact Prime Ministers have responsibility for everything that each of their Ministers has responsibility for including the things that they are responsible for themselves. Prime Ministers can transfer primary questions but you know as well as I do Mr Speaker that in the House of Commons and in this Parliament Prime Ministers can be asked questions that relate to conservation to economics and to social welfare. They are the Prime Minister and therefore they have to answer. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The dilemma I face is—I take it that the honourable Minister is still arguing that there is no ministerial responsibility for that issue. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I can answer the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister is happy to answer the question? I thank the Minister. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The member is asking for a legal opinion. The Prime Minister has been advised that the Minister of Finance took legal advice—legal advice that was available to every member of Parliament about the declaration of pecuniary interests. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Mr Speaker I am very happy to reword the question if you would like in order that it falls within the Standing Orders. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thought the member was seeking to ask a further supplementary question. Was he on a point of order then? 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: No I am offering to rephrase the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I believe that the Minister answered the question. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: If he has answered it that is fine. What then does the Prime Minister make of this document headed “Travel Accommodation Attendance and Communications Services Available to Members of the Executive”? It is dated 26 May this year which is proof that it was signed by Mr John Key. It states on page 3 under paragraph (c) concerning the principle that expenditure must be properly documented and supported with tax invoices and receipts: “Members of the Executive must be open in the use of public resources and disclose any conflict of interest in utilising entitlements whether that conflict is pecuniary personal familial or as the result of any associations.”? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: It can only re-state what the Minister of Finance has said many times. He agreed that there was a perception of an interest in the arrangements and that is why he paid the money back. What else can he do? 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Was the test by which Mr English was judged the test that I have just read out or some other test? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The Minister of Finance kept to all the rules. He accepted there was a perception of conflict and paid the money back. The Minister of Finance receives the same accommodation allowance as a hundred other members of Parliament. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Tena koe Mr Speaker. Kia ora tatou. Does the Prime Minister have confidence that the Minister for Land Information will accept the recommendation of the New Zealand Geographic Board that Whanganui City should be spelt with an “h” which is consistent with the history the heritage the culture the language and the people of Whanganui and what will be the process to enact this decision? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: It is my understanding that the Minister for Land Information who is a considered Minister will look at the board’s findings and make any inquiries he sees fit before making his decision. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: I seek leave to table two documents. One is the  
Executive Travel Accommodation Attendance and Communications Services Determination 2009 
 and the second is the details thereof. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We should put leave for one document at a time. Are they two associated documents? 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: They are. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those two documents. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.