Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 07 February 2012. Volume:677;Page:83. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
2. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by his statement “National will deliver a strong stable government—and build a stronger economy with less debt and more jobs”? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. 
David Shearer 
: Does he take seriously the question of whether the Maori Party will continue to be bound to his Government for confidence and supply; and if so is he confident that they will? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes I am confident they will. 
David Shearer 
: Has he discussed with Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia her comments in relation to section 9 of the State-Owned Enterprises Act that she is “not one prone to idle threats”; and if so what was the result of that discussion? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No not specifically in relation to that comment but I think what the co-leader of the Maori Party was saying is that they take that issue seriously. The Government is going through a 2-week consultation process and I am very confident we will come out with an elegant solution at the end of it. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In the negotiations for the formation of the Government did the Maori Party raise that issue in those discussions—yes or no? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement of this morning that “they are bound with us for confidence and supply which is effectively the Budget and the mixed-ownership stuff doesn’t flow through the Budget”? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes I do insomuch that they are not bound by the mixed-ownership model legislation which will fall outside of the Budget. 
David Shearer 
: Did he read the Government’s Budget papers which show that the next 5 years’ capital budgets rely on the sale of public assets? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes and that is probably one of the reasons why we have 59 MPs and the Labour Party has very few. And that is because New Zealanders want less debt more productive assets and an economy that is going to function not a load more debt as Phil Goff was promising and I have no doubt David Shearer is as well. 
David Shearer 
: How will he make a Treaty clause apply just to the Crown’s share of the State-owned enterprises when the actions of the privatised State-owned enterprises will affect both the Crown and private shareholders alike? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: The Treaty is a compact between the Crown and Maori and what the Government will be aiming to do is to spell out that very clearly in the section that will then apply to the mixed-ownership model. 
David Shearer 
: Does he accept that his determination to push ahead with asset sales is creating instability in his Government? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Not in the slightest. I accept what it will do is deliver a country that has less debt than it would under Labour a Government that will deliver for New Zealanders something to invest in other than failed finance companies—which were overseen by the previous Labour Government—entities that will deliver well. I say to that member the same thing I used to say to Phil Goff: “If you don’t like the mixed-ownership model put up your policy to buy back the bit of Air New Zealand we don’t own.”  
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I ask the Prime Minister if the Maori Party campaigned against asset sales and if United Future was committed to ensuring that water was regarded as a strategic asset then where does he get his majority from to make the assertions he is making around the country of having public support? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I call the right honourable Prime Minister obviously he is not responsible for what either the Maori Party or ACT campaigned on. But the latter part of the question can be answered. 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: As part of the confidence and supply agreements put together between National ACT and United Future we secured support for the mixed-ownership legislation. That is 61; that is a majority.