9. Local Government Minister—Correspondence with Whakatāne District CouncilJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Local GovernmentLocal Government Minister—Correspondence with Whakatāne District Council9. JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Local Government: Does she stand by all her answers to written questions?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Local Government): Yes especially when those questions are coherent well-thought-out—and even those that have been disguised as spam as with the questions I've received from that member.Jami-Lee Ross: Does she stand by her answer to written question No. 15106 where she said she had received no correspondence from the Whakatāne District Council between 26 October and 28 November 2017?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Yes.Jami-Lee Ross: How then can it be that she responded to correspondence from the Whakatāne District Council from her own BlackBerry work device on 16 November 2017?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Before Christmas I attended a rural provincial zone meeting and had a number of conversations. A number of conversations can drive responses to questions.Jami-Lee Ross: How does the Minister reconcile her answer given today with the fact that she responded to written correspondence from her BlackBerry work device to the Whakatāne District Council on 16 November 2017?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: If I recall the conversation that I had which may have preceded any correspondence it was an invitation to a zone meeting in Whakatāne.Jami-Lee Ross: If the Whakatāne District Council can't have confidence in her then how can any other council trust a word she says?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: I have not received any correspondence from the Whakatāne council expressing their lack of confidence in any engagement that they have had with me.Jami-Lee Ross: I seek leave to table correspondence from the mayor's office of the Whakatāne District Council and a reply from the Hon Nanaia Mahuta on 16 November signed off by her BlackBerry work device authorised by Nanaia Mahuta Parliament Buildings Wellington.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to those documents being tabled? There appears to be none. They will be tabled.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.Raymond Huo: What action has the Minister taken after advice given in relation to written question No. 20456?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: In relation to that written question it is evident from the engagements that I've had with the local government sector that they are pressured with existing costs that they are facing. On that basis and as a matter of course in relation to our coalition agreement I will be leading an inquiry into the funding of local government and it will cover a number of matters. I intend that that matter will be considered by Cabinet in March and then we can engage with local government about a way forward on matters that have been vexing them over the past nine years when that Opposition did nothing about it.Raymond Huo: When will the funding inquiry get under way?Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: As I said previously I propose to consult with coalition partners and take a paper to Cabinet so that a decision can be made on how we approach the inquiry the substantial terms of reference and the matters that will be considered and then we will engage with the local government sector on some very serious issues.