Sage Eugenie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSage Eugenie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 24 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13604. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.EUGENIE SAGE (Green) to theMinister of Conservation: When was he made aware that the Department of Conservation was preparing a submission thatwould address the potential effect of the proposed nutrient limits of the Tukituki Catchment Proposal?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister of Conservation): On Monday 29 July I was advised that submissions closed that Friday that the Department of Conservation was “evaluating the project” and that there was a preliminary view that there was insufficient information on the nutrient management. I asked for more information and a copy of the submission and received that on Wednesday 31 July.Eugenie Sage: Given the Minister’s answer and the fact that the department’s weekly report of 29 July clearly stated that the Department of Conservation intended to submit on the nutrient limits how does he explain his comment that he had no idea that the submission existed until last week?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I can only quote Doris Johnston the Deputy Director-General of Conservation and she said this: “He never saw the draft submission that everyone’s been talking about. It was never provided to his office. It was an internal working draft by [Department of Conservation] staff …”. I think that is pretty clear.Eugenie Sage: I seek leave to table part of the report from the Minister’s office titled “Weekly Report: 29 July 2013” which shows that the Minister was briefed on the submission and it included nutrient issues.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular document a ministerial update. Is there any objection? There is none. It will be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Eugenie Sage: Is it not a fact that once he knew the Department of Conservation intended to make a submission that went against his Government’s irrigation agenda he raised concerns which resulted in that submission being stopped dead in its tracks?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: That is absolutely not true. Again I quote Doris Johnston the Deputy Director-General of Conservation who was very well respected under the previous Government in that role. She said this: “The Minister did not play any role in my decision making. He never told me his view.” So how could it be possible for them to have drawn any conclusion about my view? I simply asked for a full briefing and a copy of the submission.Eugenie Sage: Does the Minister really expect the public to believe that the Department of Conservation’s U-turn on its proposed submission on water-quality rules in the Tukituki catchment within 48 hours of him being alerted to the issue had nothing to do with him?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes I do. Can I quote directly from an email from a senior Department of Conservation planning manager who said this before the submission was finalised: “I’m a bit concerned that from a manager’s perspective the issue about whether we should be involved in the plan change.” That is there were senior managers in the Department of Conservation who did not agree with the draft submission.Eugenie Sage: Is it not the case that this review of the submission process that he wants is a sideshow and an attempt to distract from the real issue which is his political interference with the Department of Conservation’s submission?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I have said that the Department of Conservation should review the process around the Tukituki submission. The reason is this. This is a major project and the first I knew of the issue of the submission was just 5 days before. I would note that there is actually a Labour Cabinet minute that said that when submissions are made in the resource consent process there should be a better process than what the Department of Conservation followed in this case. That is why it is being reviewed and I think there are some lessons to learn from the Tukituki submission process.