Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:661;Page:9537] 
8. 
Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Conservation 
: When will she release the expanded review concerning mining in the conservation estate repeatedly referred to by the Prime Minister in his post-Cabinet conference of 15 March 2010 and reported by the media? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
on behalf of the  
Minister of Conservation 
: Soon. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This might be one for your further consideration. I know that it is general practice for any Minister to be able to answer on behalf of any other Minister but generally it has been the practice of Governments that where there is a conflict between portfolios the Minister for one of the conflicting portfolios does not act for the Minister for the other conflicting portfolio. I ask you to consider that matter for a later report. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Thank you. I will consider it but at this stage the Government has the prerogative to determine who answers questions. I take the point on board. 
Hon David Parker 
: Is the Minister of Conservation reluctant to clarify the expanded terms of reference which were repeatedly referred to by the Prime Minister on Monday because they do not exist? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: A joint paper from the Minister of Conservation and the Minister of Energy and Resources will be released publicly. When Cabinet has finished its work on the paper it will be put into the public domain for comment. Until that time I make no comment. 
Hon David Parker 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was about the expanded terms of reference which no Minister seems to be willing to comment upon. I thought it would be appropriate to ask the Minister to actually answer the question that I had asked. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The Minister is speaking—[ 
Interruption 
] I am speaking. The Minister is speaking on behalf of another Minister and possibly does not have all that information. You asked a broad statement and I am comfortable with his response. 
Hon David Parker 
: Is the real reason the Minister of Conservation cannot release the discussion document or the mythical revised terms of reference that the discussion document on opening up national parks in the Coromandel to mining was thought too hot to handle and the Prime Minister wants to do further polling before taking his decision? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: That question if it was a question was loaded with all sorts of supposition and innuendo fell well short of Standing Order 372 and should have been knocked out. All I will tell the member is that a public discussion document is coming and when it comes he will be one of the first to know about it. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If a member believes that a question should have been knocked out because it was out of order that member either takes a point of order at the time or leaves it; to do otherwise is a reflection on you because it is your job to rule out questions. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Thank you. I accepted the question. The political innuendo that the member brought in was responded to in a way that I think was appropriate. 
Hon David Parker 
: How can New Zealanders have confidence that the Minister of Conservation will appropriately protect national parks and other schedule 4 areas when it is clear that the principles behind the review are being made up on the fly? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: That member has got it completely wrong. Questions loaded with that sort of supposition will not be treated seriously by anyone let alone by this Minister. 
Hon David Parker 
: Why then will the Minister not answer my simple question as to when the revised terms of reference referred to repeatedly by the Prime Minister on Monday will be released? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: That question was answered. It was answered by the Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of the Prime Minister it was answered earlier this afternoon on behalf of the Minister of Conservation and I answer it again: soon. 
Hon David Parker 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We have the same problem. In response to questions about the terms of reference from the Greens and me today and yesterday the Minister chooses to reply in respect of the discussion document. They are two different documents. He knows that and he should answer the question that was asked. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The Minister indicated that there have been a number of similar responses to this— 
Hon David Parker 
: None of which answered it. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member may not agree with what the Minister said. The question was about the release of the document and the Minister twice answered “soon”. The Minister has responded with that time frame. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question I have is about the use of the word “soon”. The question was on notice; it was not a supplementary question. The use of the word “soon” is not I think an acceptable answer— 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member— 
Dr Russel Norman 
: —in the light of the fact that the question was on notice. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Sit down; I am standing. It may not be acceptable from the member’s point of view but “soon” reflects a time frame of shortly or whenever that may happen. The Minister remember is answering the question on behalf of someone else and I have accepted that answer. 
Hon George Hawkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. When you were talking National backbenchers were yelling out “Sit down!”. I find that unworthy of them and not good parliamentary practice. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. Members know that when points of order are being raised they are heard in silence. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Could you assist me? Could you help me with the definition of the word “soon”? Is it a week or is it a month? 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: No. I am not entering into the debate. The Minister made a statement I have accepted that statement and that is the end of the matter.