Hughes Gareth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHughes Gareth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 16 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9356. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.GARETH HUGHES (Green) to theMinister of Energy and Resources: Will he recommend returning the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill to the select committee so that the public can have a say on the so-called “Anadarko Amendment”; if not why not?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Energy and Resources): As I told the member last week in question time no. Supplementary Order Paper 205 was robustly debated in the House last week and voted on and Green members for example took many calls in the Committee of the whole House and made their views very well known.Gareth Hughes: Why then is the Minister rushing ahead to pass the so-called “Anadarko amendment” into law given that a recent poll out today shows that 79 percent of New Zealanders and over 60 percent of National Party voters want the amendment to be withdrawn completely or at least sent back to a select committee hearing?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Well I note that it was a Greenpeace poll and what is very clear is that if you ask a certain question mischaracterising the law you get a certain answer. Actually if it characterised the law correctly I am sure it would find that the law is very popular among many New Zealanders.Gareth Hughes: Are the Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer Peter Williams QC New Zealander of the Year Anne Salmond and over 36000 New Zealanders who have signed a petition in the last few days all unreasonable to be asking for public consultation on this amendment?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: They are clearly wrong in their legal interpretation.Gareth Hughes: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not feel the question was addressed. The question was whether these New Zealanders are—Mr SPEAKER: I think the question was very adequately addressed.Brendan Horan: Given that a Horizon Research poll in the last week has found that 79 percent of New Zealanders oppose criminalising protest at sea is he not ashamed that he is muzzling the people of Tauranga who would make submissions if the select committee process went ahead?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: As I have made very clear this HorizonPoll was commissioned by Greenpeace. It asked a certain question; it got a certain answer.Gareth Hughes: Can he guarantee that we will not see a Gulf of Mexico - sized oil spill in New Zealand; if not is it not deep-sea oil drilling rather than peaceful protest the dangerous and reckless activity he should be stopping?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: If the member was right perhaps he could have focused on that in some of his speeches instead of the sideshows the Green Party members did focus on. The reality is we have very robust processes—Hon Member: Just answer the question.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Well I am answering his question. If he would sit down—Gareth Hughes: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think that was entirely unfair of the Minister to start off with an attack. He did not attempt to address the question whatsoever.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister is moving to it. The question was whether he can guarantee etc. The Minister should answer the question.Hon SIMON BRIDGES: There are very robust processes and regulations coming through this bill in fact that make me very confident that we will not see that sort of disaster.