Robertson GrantHon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): I am very pleased to rise to respond to that filibuster from Simon O'Connor. The reason I know that that's what it was is because he decided to devote his call to criticising a provision that the National Government passed in the Budget in May. That's where the accommodation supplement provision comes from.I think we have reached the point where the National Party's desperation in order to try to keep the debate going with their repetitive calls has finally jumped the shark. Mr O'Connor has begun criticising his own type. We have heard rumours about that I might add over here. But in this particular example Mr O'Connor can just be satisfied that on this particular issue we have accepted the wisdom of the previous Government on that matter.Can I say to Joanne Hayes that she's wrong; she is completely wrong. The people in the circumstances that she raised those who live with their family members are still fully entitled to the winter energy payment. So they can go to Christmas as Joanne Hayes said absolutely happy that that problem she raised is not actually—Hon Maggie Barry: What about residential facilities rest homes hospitals?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: That's been answered before Maggie Barry. That's been answered before by my colleague Stuart Nash.Hon Maggie Barry: No not to our satisfaction.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No clearly. But the point here is that prolonging the debate by just asking questions that people already know the answers to isn't actually a way of adding new material to the debate and we come to Mr Hudson's point. I think he also knows that indeed there's no point in looking into a piece of legislation to try to find a different meaning than the words that are written on the page. So the words that are written on the page say that the entitlement is with the person. It stays with the person. Nothing changes in that. So there's no hidden meaning in the language. It's exactly as it's written in there.Hon Member: What if there's more than one person both single?Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No it stays with each individual person. Now there are already rules within the Ministry of Social Development system about whether or not people are in couples. Those rules apply just the same for this payment as they do for any other payment. So there's no difference whatsoever in that matter.Simeon Brown talked at some length about indexation. There's no point in just coming up with different forms of indexation. That's actually just the same argument and that was dealt with by my colleague Stuart Nash—that that is not proposed for this. Just mentioning a different kind of indexation does not actually focus on this.The other point which the Hon Amy Adams raised with us was about when the payments would be made. I think I might have misled her by saying I thought I'd responded to that; I responded to another point of hers. Again it is paid with the normal instalments of benefits and New Zealand superannuation: for main benefits that is one week in arrears and for superannuation that is fortnightly based on the previous fortnight.So it's clear to me that the questions we're getting now are simply ones where people are reading out parts of the bill and not making a point. I don't believe—Brett Hudson: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. It's not for the Minister in the chair to determine the relevancy of statements made in the Chamber—or repetition. That is only for you to determine. [Interruption]The CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Points of order should be heard in silence members. Thank you for the point of order. You cannot also stand up on a point of order just to interrupt someone that is making a debating point that you don't like. I'll invite the Minister to continue his speech.Chris Penk: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson.The CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Is it a—Chris Penk: It's a fresh point of order; merely that the Minister did helpfully give a response to the contribution that I've made but he said—The CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): No that's not a point of order. Sit down.Chris Penk: He misidentified me—The CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): E noho. Kia ora.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: Erica Stanford will need to remind me. What was her one again? Don't stand up. Just tell me.Erica Stanford: I wanted to know if you were to leave and go overseas if you'd have to transfer your entitlement to your partner.Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: No. The answer is no. If you go overseas with the entitlement and you're a couple and it's assessed as a couple you don't.