Peters Winston: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 28 October 2014. Volume:701;Page:252. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First)to the Prime Minister: Is he committed to an open and transparent Government?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):Yes.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Consistent with an open and transparent Government when will the Prime Minister assure the public that at no time did his staff provide inappropriate services to the National Party whilst employed at the public expense?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: That would be a matter for the party but I do not have any advice or any evidence to support the idea that they have done anything other than act totally professionally.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am asking the Prime Minister about his staff. That is not a matter for the National Party. It is to do with his staff for whom he is responsible.Mr SPEAKER: The difficulty I have with the question that has been asked and the answer that has been given is that it is asking now for a level of specificity that cannot be expected to be given by the Prime Minister in light of the very open and general question that was asked in the first place.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question asked whether consistent with open and transparent Government—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have heard the question. [Interruption] Order! Resume your seat. I have already ruled in respect of the first supplementary question that in light of the generality of the primary question the question has been addressed by the Prime Minister. The way forward is to continue to ask further supplementary questions but not to question the Speaker on the adequacy of the answer that has been given. I invite the member if he wishes to to ask further supplementary questions.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not contesting your ruling on the adequacy—Mr SPEAKER: Then I will hear the fresh point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: My point was that the Prime Minister’s answer was that it was a National Party matter. In my supplementary question if you look at it I am asking for an assurance about his staff so it cannot be a National Party matter—or is he condemned by his own statement?Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You would have to consider the entire answer in which the Prime Minister said that he expected them to maintain professional standards at all times.Mr SPEAKER: The way forward is the advice that I have given to the member. If he has further supplementary questions he should ask them.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Consistent with an open and transparent Government when will the Prime Minister advise the public of all the facts pertaining to Mr Jason Ede’s services to the National Party whilst employed at the public’s expense?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: When questions are appropriately asked they will be appropriately answered.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Consistent with an open and transparent Government when will the Prime Minister give the public all the facts about—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The difficulty I have is that it was only during about question No. 3 when a Government member again asked a supplementary question without leading with a question word. We cannot have one rule for Mr Peters—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Yes but he knows better. He’s been here a long time.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I accept the right honourable gentleman should know better but equally Mr David Bennett has been a member of this House for some time as well.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Consistent with an open and transparent Government when will the Prime Minister give the public all the facts about his staff’s services to the National Party’s Jo de Joux whilst employed at the public’s expense?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I have not seen any advice that would confirm that the National Party has done anything other than spend taxpayers’ money appropriately and legally.Hon Dr Nick Smith: What did Brendan Horan say? Look at your own house.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is it not a fact—well actually we were exonerated turkey.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! That is a good lesson to that quarter of the House of what happens when you get an interjection through a question. Would the right honourable gentleman simply ask his supplementary question?Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is Jo de Joux a National Party campaign manager deeply implicated in improperly acquiring services from his office’s staff?Mr SPEAKER: I invite the Prime Minister if he wishes to answer but I cannot see any prime ministerial responsibility in that question. I will leave it for the Prime Minister to answer it.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I have no authority for that and I refute the proposition.