12. Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media Minister—Contact with Radio New ZealandMELISSA LEE (National) to the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital MediaBroadcasting Communications and Digital Media Minister—Contact with Radio New ZealandMELISSA LEE (National): I seek leave to have this question held over until the Minister is able to answer.SPEAKER: Is the member seeking for it to be an additional question next week?MELISSA LEE: Yes.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that? Yes there is. Does the member want to proceed with the question?12. MELISSA LEE (National) to the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media: Does she stand by all her statements and actions regarding her meeting with Carol Hirschfeld on 5 December last year?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education) on behalf of the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media: On behalf of the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media clearly I made a mistake in viewing my breakfast meeting with Carol Hirschfeld as an informal meeting. As soon as I realised I corrected the record and I've apologised. I stand by my other statements and actions.Melissa Lee: Who asked the Leader of the House to provide her with advice that she could call Richard Griffin about his recalled select committee appearance?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Leader of the House offered that advice in his discussions with me about the matter.Melissa Lee: Does she agree with the statement given today by Richard Griffin that she wanted him to write a letter to the chair of the select committee which could ensure that there wasn't a public hearing involving Radio New Zealand?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated in my answer earlier in the week my primary concern was ensuring that the record was corrected as quickly as possible and that was what my message to Mr Griffin was designed to achieve.Melissa Lee: Does she accept that on the second occasion her office phoned Radio New Zealand the purpose of the call was not to tell RNZ the select committee had been misled as she claimed to media on 27 March?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The phone call to Radio New Zealand on the second occasion had a number of purposes. It was clear during that meeting that it was stressed to Radio New Zealand once again that there was an inconsistency in what they had been saying with the facts.MELISSA LEE: Does she believe that Mr Griffin's recollection of events was an accurate portrayal of what occurred?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: That is a matter for Mr Griffin.Melissa Lee: Which part of Mr Griffin's recollection of events was not accurate?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I'm not going to provide a blow-by-blow commentary on everything Mr Griffin said particularly as I was not at the meeting where he said them.Melissa Lee: Did her staff call Mr Griffin on 22 March and tell him that there was an oral question in the House that the issue of the 5 December meeting may arise and that they expected there would be no comment from Radio New Zealand?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I can answer clearly to the first part of the question: yes. I'm not in a position to answer to the second part of the question.Melissa Lee: On what date was the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's office first made aware that the Leader of the House was providing her or had provided her with advice?SPEAKER: Order! I'm going to ask the member to rephrase it to include the responsibility for the Minister. It might be When did she or her office first make aware" but the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media does not have a general responsibility for the information flow to the Prime Minister or her office.Melissa Lee: On what date was the Minister or her office advised of the fact that the Prime Minister or the Prime Minister's office was first made aware that the Leader of the House was providing her or had provided her with advice?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I'm not sure on what date the Minister's office was informed. The Minister was aware on the day that the Leader of the House provided her with the advice that the Leader of the House had done so because she received it and she has also subsequently been advised by the Leader of the House that he informed the Prime Minister of that advice on the same day."