Hide Rodney: Appointments — Deputy Speaker Assistant Speakers 
Hide Rodney: Appointments — Deputy Speaker Assistant Speakers 
[Volume:628;Page:22] 
RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
: 
 I rise to support Ross Robertson in this role. I should add that Ross Robertson is a very well-behaved member of Parliament and an excellent Assistant Speaker. Now without Jonathan Hunt he probably knows the Standing Orders better than anyone else here in Parliament. 
I know that he would not behave like Winston Peters behaves. I was at the meeting with Don Brash and I know for a fact that the allegation that Mr Peters has made is totally false. There was no suggestion at that meeting that the National Party would have Mr Peters as Minister of Foreign Affairs. In fact Mr Peters wanted an offer to be put on the table that Mr Brash resolutely refused to put on the table. What was very clear from that meeting is that Mr Peters decided to support a Labour Government. That is the fact of the matter. He decided to go for the baubles of office and to support the Labour Government. It may well be that Mr Peters is now embarrassed about that as he well may be. He may be unable to explain it to the people of Tauranga he may well be unable to explain it to his own members of Parliament and he may well be unable to explain it to the president of his own party Doug Woolerton. But he should not bring that embarrassment to this House and try to reinvent the history of what happened at a meeting. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I was prepared to let this debate go on for a fair while in the interests of open democracy but a second rant that is the same as the first does not address the issue which you so appositely put to me that I should do. I wish you would do that to this member now before he bores us all witless. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The question of relevance is equally applicable in this instance. Has the member concluded? 
RODNEY HIDE 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Allegations were made against me by the Rt Hon Winston Peters—[ 
Interruption 
] There we go. Are New Zealand First members going to be allowed to interrupt on a point of order after a warning? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Are you speaking to a point of order Mr Hide? 
RODNEY HIDE 
: Yes. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry I thought you were continuing your speech. Please continue. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: The point of order is that allegations were made by Winston Peters against me in terms of spending that were totally unfounded. Allegations were made about a meeting that I attended and Mr Peters made that point. I am allowed under the rules of debate to respond to those allegations. I think it is very unparliamentary for Mr Peters just because we are pointing out the truth to say in responding to what we said—[ 
Interruption 
] There he goes. I am raising a point of order Madam Speaker. I have been constantly interrupted by Ron Mark I am now being interrupted by Winston Peters and I do not see any protection from the Chair. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. He has made his point of order in full. I remind members that we would not have these points of order if all members were relevant and stuck to the motion that is before the House. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: We rise to support Ross Robertson. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Nearly a royal “we”. 
RODNEY HIDE 
: It is a very very royal “we”. I say to Mr Peters that this is just the start of what is to come. He will be held to account for the decisions that he has made in becoming the Minister of Foreign Affairs.