Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 15 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4379. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
3. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. 
David Shearer 
: Why does he have confidence in Steven Joyce when his new ministry has approved companies bringing in hundreds of foreign workers while New Zealanders are leaving New Zealand because they cannot find a job? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Well the Prime Minister I can assure him has a great deal more confidence in Mr Joyce than that member has in Mr Cunliffe. 
David Shearer 
: Why does he have confidence in Steven Joyce who has overseen a skills exodus from the regions over the last year with 2200 people leaving Northland 4800 leaving Waikato and 4000 leaving the Bay of Plenty—all heading for Australia? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Mr Joyce is working with other Ministers on the Business Growth Agenda which is all about turning round the destruction of this economy and its export capacity by that previous Government. 
David Shearer 
: How can he have confidence in Steven Joyce who devised the roads of national significance about which the Ashburton Mayor Angus McKay said: “We are frustrated that the Government appears to have chosen to focus their expenditure on city motorways at the expense of the rural areas that generate a significant proportion of income for the country.”; and will he direct the Minister of Transport to give the rural areas a fair go? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The Government stands by the roads of national significance and would be keen to hear from the Labour Party just which roads of national significance it is against. Can I say that the Prime Minister asked the Minister of Finance who represents the area with the two largest roading networks in New Zealand—Southland District and Clutha District—and he is very happy with the Government’s contribution to rural roading. 
David Shearer 
: How can he have confidence in the Minister of Finance when he is increasing Government debt by billions of dollars to pay for marginal motorways that have a lower economic benefit than regional roads? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The Prime Minister does have confidence in the Minister of Finance and I am keen to hear from the Opposition which roading projects it is against because it objects—just one. 
Hon Steven Joyce 
: Just one. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Yes just one. 
Hon John Banks 
: Does the Prime Minister have confidence that all his Ministers have no confidence that he will be Leader of the Opposition in 3 months? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Ah yes. I think the answer is yes. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! A point of order has been called. Order! 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I think you might have been distracted during the question. It was a question about an area in which none of the Ministers has responsibility. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have to confess the noise was such that I could not hear the question myself at all. In fact it does appear that the question was out of order. I apologise to the House that I did not hear that and deal with it at the time. But given that I am not going to invite the member to repeat his question. I think I have got to accept that I am responsible for that mishap in the House and I will try to make sure it does not happen again. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How can the Prime Minister have confidence in the Minister for Land Information given his inaction over the unauthorised purchase of four farms by May Wang—the same May Wang who failed the good-character test to buy the 16 other Crafar farms? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The Prime Minister does have confidence in the Minister for Land Information. As I understand he is overseeing the Overseas Investment Office which is dealing with those matters.