9. Conservation Department—Advocacy RoleJAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister of ConservationConservation Department—Advocacy Role9. JAN LOGIE (Green) to the Minister of Conservation: What action is she taking to restore the Department of Conservation's advocacy role to protect our wildlife and its habitats and why?Hon EUGENIE SAGE (Minister of Conservation): I will be instructing the Department of Conservation (DOC) to implement its statutory responsibilities to advocate for nature and to develop a robust advocacy strategy which includes better communication with stakeholders.Jan Logie: How did the previous National Government undermine DOC's role as nature's primary defender?Mr SPEAKER: Sorry can the member repeat the question just so I can—?Jan Logie: What evidence has the Minister seen that shows DOC's role as nature's primary—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Part of the problem I have is that Amy Adams twice interjected: once the first time and then the second time. What I'm going to do is ask the member to ask the question as she originally asked it so I will then make a judgment as to whether it's within the Standing Orders or not.Jan Logie: How did the previous National Government undermine DOC's role as nature's primary defender?Mr SPEAKER: My view is that that is something that the Minister has no responsibility for.Jan Logie: May I rephrase that?Mr SPEAKER: No.Jan Logie: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I guess I have a question of consistency and leniency to the Opposition on a previous similar issue.Mr SPEAKER: It might seem a little bit unfair and I can understand the member's point of view there but I think the difference is that in this particular case members who are supporting the Government have quite a lot more resources and quite a lot more opportunity to be properly prepared. The member herself has had much more experience in recent years asking supplementary questions than Mr Bridges has and therefore I was treating him a little more like I would a newer member.Jan Logie: What evidence has the Minister seen that shows DOC's role as nature's primary defender has been undermined?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Political pressure and funding cuts by the last National Government significantly undermined DOC's role. We have seen a major reduction—Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The answer was simply from the very start descending into political attack and I don't think that should be allowed.Mr SPEAKER: My view is that it was a pretty gentle comment and I just ask the member not to be quite so sensitive. Eugenie Sage—[Interruption] Order!Hon EUGENIE SAGE: May I finish answering the question?Mr SPEAKER: Yes I think you were part-way through when you were interrupted.Hon EUGENIE SAGE: Yes thank you. National's funding cuts reduced the number of planning staff by 40 percent. National virtually halved the amount of funding. That meant that the department didn't submit on a number of applications such as the Ruataniwha Dam despite the significant number of threatened species that were affected by that dam.Jan Logie: Why is restoring DOC's advocacy role so important?Hon EUGENIE SAGE: We know that when DOC invests fully in the Resource Management Act process there are better outcomes for both conservation and the environment. An example of that is Project Mokihinui where the department made strong submissions and appealed to the Environment Court. Meridian withdrew its dam proposal and that land is now being investigated for addition to Kahurangi National Park.