Smith NickHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson): I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I just seek a little bit of indulgence from the committee for a point of order to table some documents. There have been Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs) tabled Mr Chairman that you have ruled out as out of scope around the very serious issue of potential foreign interference in elections on which the select committee is currently doing an inquiry. I seek the leave of the House to table relevant documents to that to reinforce the seriousness with which the House and the select committee is taking that issue. To be specific I seek leave—and Mr Chairman would you prefer me just to do it as one motion of leave? They're all select committee documents that are relevant to the questions that have been raised in the SOPs and I think open disclosure would be best for the committee. So would you prefer I do it as one motion or five separate?CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): The member will have to describe each paper.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes I'll describe it in one motion taken. The first document I wish to seek leave on is the transcript of the Electoral Commission's engagement with the Justice Committee on the issues of foreign interference in elections as it relates to the select committee's inquiry into the 2016 local election and the 2017 election.The second document—CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Just on that is that available to the public already and is it still subject to privilege in front of that?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The first document was in public session but people would not necessarily have been able to get copies of the transcript that was recorded by the Clerk's Office. So the advantage for the public in being able to have access to this transcript is they can see quite openly and transparently exactly the discussion that occurred last November between the select committee and the Electoral Commission on this issue that led to the extension of the inquiry. That's the first document.CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): I'm going to take some advice just very quickly.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. The committee is in control of its own destiny.CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Yeah and we are in committee so I'm taking some advice on whether or not the committee can actually make one a decision on that which should be made by the House and whether or not the documents before the select committee are available to be released anyway. Given—[Interruption]—just one additional point—that it would seem to me that it's not necessarily immediately important for the committee to hear—considering that I've just ruled out of scope the Supplementary Order Papers—that the member is now seeking to add further information for the committee which it's not going to discuss. So I'm kind of thinking that it would be more helpful for me to actually seek further information and guidance from Mr Speaker and from the Clerk's Office but if you've got anything else to add?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The reason it has some public importance is I think the whole House realises that the issue of the interference potentially of overseas countries is a very serious issue and that we've had a substantive debate on an instruction to the House in the committee stage about whether we could debate those SOPs. Some may interpret that as Parliament's not interested in the issue. The purpose of tabling the documents is to make plain that Parliament on all sides of the House is taking this issue very seriously and that there is a proper inquiry before the Justice Committee.CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): I'm not doubting the importance of the information; I'm wondering whether or not this is the right process for that information to be released—Hon Dr NICK SMITH: But that's ultimately a choice Mr Chairman for the committee as to whether it wishes to grant leave. It has been common practice for my period in the House that members can seek leave to table documents during a committee stage of a bill. When we have three SOPs that have been tabled albeit ruled out of scope on the issue of the Local Electoral Matters Bill and the inquiry is about local electoral matters I think it's appropriate for there to be public disclosure of the work that's going on in the select committee about this issue.Rt Hon David Carter: Speaking to the point of order—CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): I'm just going to take some advice sorry.Rt Hon David Carter: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. Just trying to assist you Mr Chairman but if you look at Standing Order 377 the first thing I think was of concern to you is whether a document can be tabled at the committee stages: 377(1) A member may table a document by leave of the House or a committee of the whole House." I think the second thing is then my advice to you as Chair is to consider whether the information is publicly available is frivolously being tabled. You need to take that into account before you decide whether to put the leave. My experience in this is if in doubt put the leave—let the committee decide whether the papers are relevant. I only offer that as guidance to you sir.CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): Just one question to the Hon Dr Nick Smith: is this information already publicly available?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Mr Chairman you've only given me the opportunity to refer to the first document. It may be appropriate for me to refer to the other documents and to explain the relative status of them. The first document that I am wishing to release is the actual transcript that was had in public session. The transcript has not been publicly released but the discussion occurred in public session so it's not like the committee was in private. Does the Chairman wish me to go through each of the documents and explain their status?CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): I'm going to put the leave for that first document. Leave is sought for the release of that document. Is there any objection? There is objection."