Hodgson Pete: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hodgson Pete: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:657;Page:6337] 
12.  
Hon PETE HODGSON (Labour—Dunedin North) 
 to the  
Minister responsible for Ministerial Services 
: What conditions must be met before it is permissible to lease a home from a family trust for use as a ministerial residence? 
Hon JOHN KEY (Minister responsible for Ministerial Services) 
: 
 I refer the member to the answer given on my behalf last week. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: As Gerry Brownlee on behalf of the Minister advised the House last Thursday that it “would depend entirely on the structure of the trust” whether a Minister who had no pecuniary interest in a trust but who might otherwise control the trust was entitled to Ministerial Services funding for a residence owned by the trust what is the structure of the trust in the case of the Hon Bill English? 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: I am not aware of the structure of the trust but I am aware that Bill English has no pecuniary interest in it. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Does the Hon Bill English have the right under the trust deed to appoint the trustees that control the trust to control the date of distribution of trust assets or to control which discretionary beneficiaries receive those assets? 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: I am not aware of the answer to that question but I am aware that the test is that there be no pecuniary interest. The Hon Bill English has no pecuniary interest in the trust. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: Is the Minister aware that the Auditor-General investigated two specific cases concerning ministerial housing in 2001 and as a consequence provided a general report and recommendations to Parliament on the rules and entitlements surrounding such housing; if so will he now ask the Auditor-General to review how those recommendations have been implemented and to investigate this current case to ensure that an independent view is available to the House as to whether taxpayer funds are being appropriately spent? 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes and no. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Noting the Minister’s assurance that the Minister of Finance has no pecuniary interest in his trust but noting also that the House was advised that the issue of control depended entirely on the structure of the trust as opposed to whether there is pecuniary interest will the Minister ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the structure of the trust passes the test that was set in the House on Thursday? 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: As is so often the case with that member he makes assertions that are not necessarily correct. But I can assure the member that the test is quite clear: does the Minister have a pecuniary interest? In this case the member does not. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Does he know whether his Deputy Prime Minister altered the trust deed to obtain a green light legally regarding his pecuniary interests even though he remains one of the two people who effectively control the trust? 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: I do not know that but I do know that the Minister had to satisfy a test about whether he had a pecuniary interest. I am quite satisfied that he has no pecuniary interest. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: In the light of his certainty that all is well with the Hon Bill English’s residence will he advise his colleague to release the trust deed in the interest of transparency or must the public take the Hon Bill English at his word? 
Hon JOHN KEY 
: No because it is not his deed. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Mr Speaker— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There are no further supplementary questions. The full allocation has now been utilised. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: We are one down on question No. 10. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No all supplementary questions have been utilised.