Curran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCurran Clare: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 03 December 2013. Volume:695;Page:15131. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South) to thePrime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that “We were never going to use legislation because we knew right from the get go that people wouldn’t vote for that”?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes in the context that I made it in relation to the question I was asked.Clare Curran: If as he says he knew from the get-go that he was not going to use legislation why did his Government’s discussion document include three options to do just that?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Because if the member saw all the statements I made that was in relation to a period post that point. What is true is that the retail service providers wrote to the Government and suggested a recommended price along with potentially seeking agreement from Chorus. That would have required legislation but what became apparent because the parties could not reach an agreement was that from that point on there was never any chance of legislation.Clare Curran: How can he credibly deny that he was not intending to overrule the Commerce Commission when the Chorus Chief Executive Officer Mark Ratcliffe has publicly said that legislation appeared to be an option until last Thursday?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It potentially was an option when it wrote at the time—not Chorus because it would not agree with it—but from that point on it became pretty obvious that legislation was not possible because what was clear was that other political parties would not support that.Clare Curran: How can he say that “No one anticipated … the magnitude of the fall.” in the wholesale copper price when at the time of the Chorus demerger Goldman Sachs forecast a price of $8.47 a month which is lower than the ultimate Commerce Commission price of $10.92?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well it is relatively easy. I relied on two experts in this area. The first person said: “the people of New Zealand who are receiving broadband servicesnow will find that their existing copper services will actually go up in price when they are waiting for fibre.”Hon Steven Joyce: Who was that?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: That statement was made in 2011 by Clare Curran. Then I relied on another muppet who said: “The average New Zealander will pay at least $5 more a month for the same service they are currently getting on their copper phone line.”Hon Steven Joyce: Who was that?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: That statement was made by that muppet in 2011 called—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Clare Curran: Can he not see that it is his Government’s inept handling of this issue that has created false expectations for Chorus of an inappropriate overrule of the Commerce Commission and that this and his comments that Chorus would go broke are responsible for the current uncertainty around Chorus and the roll-out of the ultra-fast broadband?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: A few things—firstly the member is deliberately misleading the House. I said that it could go broke—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Prime Minister cannot accuse a member of deliberately misleading the House. He can start his answer again.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member has misled the House because the statement was “could go broke” and actually that is reflected if you look at the share price reduction in how severe analysts believe the situation is. Secondly everybody including the member thought at the time that the price would either stay the same or go up. But let me say this. The Government is firstly committed to ultra-fast broadband. Secondly the Government is committed to finding a way through this current situation. Thirdly the Government’s view is that Chorus needs to play its part but the Government is likely if there is a substantial hole as referenced by the information the Government may or may not receive from its independent inquiry to then go and speak to Crown Fibre Holdings to ask it to look at what options might be available. That could include moving some of the money around in the existing contract all of which may be possible to ensure that ultra-fast broadband is built on time for New Zealanders.Clare Curran: I seek leave to table the tape of the Prime Minister saying that Chorus could go broke which appeared on Television New Zealand.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Is this a transcript that is well available to members if they want?Clare Curran: No it is not. It is a tape.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member needs to go and look at her ownHansard. I said it would—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not speaking to the point of order. Leave has been sought to table this particular tape. I am going to put the leave and the House will decide. Leave is sought to table it. Is there any objection? It can be tabled.Recording by leave laid on the Table of the House.Clare Curran: I seek leave to table a report by Goldman Sachs dated 28 November 2011 and titledTelecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd—Life after Chorus.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table this particular report by Goldman Sachs. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Earlier today you were invited by the Prime Minister to consider whether the Leader of the Opposition hadmisled the House in respect of forestry statistics. Given that the Prime Minister has said that there were no reports of impending decrease in the copper price the Goldman Sachs report should be viewed by you also when assessing that earlier point of order because the same issue arises.Mr SPEAKER: I thank the member for his very valuable advice. As I have said I will give further consideration to the point raised by the Hon David Cunliffe.