Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeShearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9430. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) to thePrime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes.David Shearer: Does he stand by his statement that “We’ve done as good a job as we can in the conditions we’ve got to try and help low-income New Zealanders.”; if so does he think power bills going up by six times the rate of inflation will help low-income families?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes. I think it is worth recalling the track record of this Government which has seen power prices go up by about 20 percent in our time in office compared with the 72 percent increase under Labour. But I have no doubt that the little Labour elves will be trying to dream something up to back up their—David Shearer: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. He did answer the question when he said yes. I do not think he needed to go on.Mr SPEAKER: He did and I certainly agree with that and on that basis we will call a supplementary question.David Shearer: Given that he has been in power now for more than 4½ years can he guarantee to consumers that electricity prices will not increase further as a result of the asset sales programme given that power prices have gone up by six times more than inflation?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not believe that the mixed-ownership model programme will have any influence on the prices that consumers pay. It is actually not true that State-owned enterprises offer cheaper prices than private companies. The most recent information I have shows that Contact Energy the largest privately owned company has the lowest national weighted average price for electricity of any retailer.David Shearer: Given that electricity prices increased more rapidly than in our competitor countries over the last 4 years at a time when electricity demand is flat does he think the electricity market is working for the benefit of hard-working New Zealanders?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It is certainly working a lot better than it was. Let us face facts. Prices went up by 72 percent under Labour. This Government has actually reformed the electricity sector with some very significant moves including closing Whirinaki and including virtual swaps that have taken place. The truth is that on Monday to get in the paper David Shearer said he would keep power prices down. He has got no clue how to do that. The little Labour elves are trying to work out how to make that happen and it will not.David Shearer: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The only person without a clue as we found out yesterday is the Prime Minister.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not a point of order. It is not a point of order but I invite the member to ask a supplementary question.David Shearer: Has his Minister for Social Development told him that requests to Work and Income for grants to pay for electricity and for gas tripled in the 2-year period; if so does he intend to take any action to bring down electricity prices for ordinary hard-working New Zealanders?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Firstly the Government has taken action and that is why the rate of power increases is going up slower under a National Government than under a Labour Government. Secondly the Government in very difficult economic times has provided tremendous support for at-risk New Zealanders and will continue to do so.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Twenty-four hours after first being asked how many phone calls he made to Ian Fletcher prior to his appointment as the Government Communications Security Bureau head what is his answer?Mr SPEAKER: The right honourable Prime Minister as far as it relates to the primary question.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The same answer I gave yesterday: I do not have that information with me. If the member wants to put it down in writing my office will provide it to him.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Any Prime Minister would realise after yesterday’s answer that that was never going to be satisfactory.Twenty-four hours later he turns up here and he does not know the answer to a very critically serious question. That is just a cover-up.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The difficulty with the situation here is that it was a very general primary question. Many Speakers have ruled that it is inappropriate to demand an exacting answer to a supplementary question that follows a very general primary question. The Prime Minister has given you what I think is a satisfactory course of action—for you to put down a more specific question at the next question time.Hon Trevor Mallard: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The difference between one and two which is the question here I think—whether there was one phone call made to Mr Fletcher by the Prime Minister or two—is not really exacting. I mean it is 100 percent different. Anyone would remember whether they made one or two phone calls.Mr SPEAKER: I appreciate the comment the member is making. It is for the Prime Minister to determine how he has decided to answer the question and he has answered it in the way that he has. That has addressed the question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why does the Prime Minister not treat this House seriously and get his staff to trawl through his phone records for the period prior to Mr Ian Fletcher’s appointment and come to this House and answer frankly openly and properly the way former Prime Ministers have done?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member has two options: put it down as a primary question and I will give him the answer or put it down in writing and my office will give him the answer.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Given his previous statements about intelligence matters did the SIS tell him about the residency application of a man by the name of Kim Vestor when he met with them on 12 October 2010 one day before the SIS strangely blocked the man’s application?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I seek leave to table an affidavit of Grant Kenneth Wormald for first defendant in relation to minutes 28 September 2012 in the Kim Dotcom case.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that affidavit. Is there any objection? Is it a matter that has been before the courts and then been released by the courts or does it breach any—Grant Robertson: Released.Mr SPEAKER: It has been released I am assured. I therefore put the leave. Leave is sought to table that affidavit. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be so tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.