Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTurei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 05 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14311. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to theMinister for Economic Development: Did his office withhold information about the harm caused by the SkyCity convention centre deal because it was considered sensitive by SkyCity; if so why?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development): No. As the member knows a huge amount of material relating to the Government’s negotiations with Skycity has been released. On 8 July I released the Cabinet papers the regulatory impact statement and material relating to social harm from Government agencies. On 17 July I released a larger amount of material relating to the negotiations all the briefings to various Ministers for Economic Development and emails between officials. As is appropriate when releasing information provided in confidence to the Government Skycity was consulted about some of the material proposed for release. My office made it clear that the Government’s preference was to release as much information as possible and only material genuinely commercially sensitive would be withheld.Metiria Turei: Why did his office agree after consulting with Skycity in July to redact documents and withhold advice about gambling harm arising from the convention centre deal?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The member is simply incorrect. That was not the case. In fact if you look through the correspondence that Mr Fisher from theNew Zealand Herald has released it says that my office is saying at various times to officials: “Looking for more material to release.” “Why so much withheld?” “Re-cut to release more not less.” “Provide more information.” and so on. That was all prior to the big release on 17 July.Metiria Turei: I seek leave to table a page from the Official Information Act request dated 12 July which says that the second tranche of information—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member has to state only what the material is and the source and she has done that. Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there anyone opposed to that course of action?Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I have not had an opportunity to describe it. I can do so now if that would be helpful.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It would be useful for members of the House to have a little bit more information about the document because I am unclear as to what it is.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am sorry. I thought that the member had made the comment and was then about to embellish it and I wanted to have her desist from that. If I was a little bit trigger-happy I apologise but leave has been granted.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member made it abundantly clear what the document was.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is what I thought.Hon Gerry Brownlee: It is not appropriate for members to then read the contents of the document.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is exactly the point I have made. Members know the rules. [Interruption] No. I have dealt with it. If the member has another supplementary question she should now progress with it.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can you clarify as to whether leave has been sought—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave has been granted.Metiria Turei: What reasons did Skycity give to the Minister or to his officials for wanting information withheld about gambling harm from the casino operation and was one of those reasons commercial sensitivity?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Just for the member’s benefit to clarify what I thought I had already said in a previous answer nothing directly related to harm or harm minimisation was withheld at Skycity’s request. The Skycity-related material that was withheld relates solely to information that was provided in confidence and would have the potential to unreasonably prejudice Skycity’s commercial position. It was not in relation to harm or harm minimisation.Metiria Turei: I seek leave to table a second document from the same package of information dated 7 July describing how substantially more material on harm minimisation would have been released but for the commercial sensitivity provisions.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: And what was the origin of that sorry?Metiria Turei: The origin of this document is the Official Information Act.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: An Official Information Act request. Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there anyone opposed to that course of action? It appears not. Leave is granted.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Metiria Turei: Was he deliberately misleading the House when he said on 10 July 2013 that “my understanding is we have released most of the information that we have … I think particularly the key elements in relation to potential harm have been released and are also very adequately traversed in the regulatory impact statement.” when in fact the papers now show that but for commercial sensitivity from Skycity there would be substantially more material released?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: No the member is wrong. Can I point out to her that the two items that she has tabled relate to correspondence that I understand are from the period around 8 July. There was a subsequent further release of information on 17 July—a larger amount of information. Again I will restate that I have sought to release every single piece of information I possibly can and have withheld only anything in relation to commercial sensitivity.Metiria Turei: Is it not the case that Skycity and the Minister have conspired to keep harm minimisation information secret because neither wants the public to know how much Skycity relies on problem gamblers to fuel its profits?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: No. The member can ask the question six times if she likes but the answer remains the same. She is simply wrong and she is once again seeing conspiracies where there are none.Metiria Turei: Given that we—Maggie Barry: Tell us about your housing policy.Metiria Turei: OK. What an opportunity. [Interruption] I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well the member should not be distracted.Metiria Turei: It is very difficult to focus when there is this kind of chatter from behind so perhaps—Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I am on my feet. [Interruption] Order! I am on my feet. If the member responds to an interjection she has to take the consequences. I gave her the floor and she now has it for her supplementary question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The problem is that the questioner is trying to put the question but there is a barrage of an uncultivated uncultured voice from behind her. It is a very raucous voice. It may be suitable for TV but not for Parliament.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have to say that I agree with the member and I have put up with it from both sides from the very first point of question time today. I for one would certainly appreciate more decorum from all members around the asking of questions.Metiria Turei: Given that we now know that he and Skycity wanted harm minimisation information kept secret because of the extent—Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member is starting with a supposition that is in direct contradiction of every answer that I have given today. Surely she could just ask the question.Metiria Turei: The question I am asking is directly related to the information that I have tabled and the evidence that I have presented to the House which has been accepted for tabling in this House regardless of Mr Joyce’s answers.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes. Look I think we are getting into some difficulty and I am just trying to put my hand on the Speaker’s ruling that says that a supplementary question should not start with the word “given”. The Clerk will give it to me but it is I think about page 164—Grant Robertson: Point of order Mr Speaker.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: No I am on my feet. That has been a longstanding principle of questions in this House. If it has been relaxed of late the consequence is pretty evident today. No member can actually say “given”. It is Standing Order 170(5) and I ask members to have a look at it. [Interruption] Standing Order 170(5). It has long been the tradition of this House that supplementary questions should not start with the word “given”. A supplementary question is in itself that. It is a question; it is not a statement of fact.Hon Trevor Mallard: 170(5) of the Standing Orders has nothing to do with that at all.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry 170(8)—170(8).Hon Trevor Mallard: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There is no 170(8) in the Standing Orders.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER:Speaker’s ruling 170/8. I am sorry—Speaker’s ruling 170/8.Metiria Turei: Will the Minister now release all the information he and his office have relating to the harm caused by the Skycity convention centre deal given that we now know that he and Skycity wanted harm minimisation information kept secret in part because of the extent to which problem gambling contributes to Skycity profits; if he will not release that information why not?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well given that I already have released the information how many more times would the member like me to release the same information? If I was her I would read the information that is there. It has all been released. The only thing that has been withheld is in relation to anything that would unreasonably prejudice Skycity’s commercial position.Hon David Parker: I seek leave to table a report of the Prime Minister’s comments this morning which reports that consideration was being given to the Government to all options including taking an equity stake in Chorus.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry the source of that?Hon David Parker: Yes it is from interest.co.nz.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: So it is a public website. No it is a public document.