Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 09 February 2012. Volume:677;Page:265. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
12. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he still have confidence in all his Ministers? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
 on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Has anything happened since yesterday to shake the Prime Minister’s confidence in the Minister for Whanau Ora in light of reports that Whanau Ora money has gone for example to Northland television stations in Whangarei and also to a performing arts programme? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: No and if the member wants to know more details about those things he should set a question down to the Minister responsible. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can I ask the Prime Minister who is meant to be responsible for all these things why is money going to fund a Maori TV station in Northland when there is already huge public funding and there are quota systems in place for Maori Television and Television New Zealand? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I do not have the details of those allegations. I suggest that the member puts questions down to the Minister for Whanau Ora to get factual answers. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Again to the Prime Minister who is in charge of these things with respect to the 150 organisations that have received grants in the last financial year can the public be confident that in each and every case public accountability requirements are being met? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I am not aware of the full extent of the 150 grants the member claims have been given over that time. He should ask questions of the Minister for Whanau Ora to get details. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I have tolerated that ending to the question three times now. It is not for him to tell me whom the questions should go to; it is for you. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not the way to raise a point of order—to be critical of another member. A point of order relates to order in the House. The principle the member was pursuing was fair enough. He is concerned about the answer being given. But the response from the Minister is perfectly reasonable. If the member wants to ask questions about Whanau Ora the best chance of getting detailed answers is to address questions to the Minister responsible. When the primary question asks whether the Prime Minister still has confidence in all his Ministers it is just not reasonable to expect even were the Prime Minister able to be here today that the Prime Minister could have that kind of detailed information. The member is certainly entitled to ask questions about that—absolutely entitled to—and is absolutely entitled to get answers about it. I will do all I can to support the member getting answers in this area of his concern but the primary question has to be consistent with achieving the obtaining of those answers. I have promised the member I will do all I can to assist him getting answers but the primary question must facilitate that process. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Point of clarification then. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is no such thing as a point of clarification. I will assume this is a point of order. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. What I want to request of you is whether or not it is for any member of this House to decide whom he would like to ask a question of or is that a right that is to be circumvented as well? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We do not need to take this any further. It is the Government’s absolute right to decide who should answer questions. Now the member knows that if he puts down a question asking: “Does the Prime Minister have confidence in all his Ministers?” the Prime Minister must answer that question. We all know that. But the dilemma then is that if the member wants to ask questions that need detailed information from a particular portfolio to answer them rather than matters relating to confidence in a Minister then it is not going to work. That is the dilemma the House is in. I want to do all I can to assist if I think the issue the member is seeking to pursue is a perfectly valid issue. The member should be able to obtain the answers in this House to his questions but he has to follow the Standing Orders to be able to access those answers and I will do all I can to make sure that can happen.