Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 14 June 2012. Volume:680;Page:2986. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
4. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour—New Lynn) 
 to the  
Minister for Economic Development 
: Does he stand by his statement that “the Auditor-General’s process will not impact on the Government’s negotiations with SkyCity”; if so why? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development) 
: 
 Yes I do stand by that statement because there is no practical reason they cannot continue in parallel. I do appreciate that the member always wants to slow everything down when it comes to jobs and growth but we want to progress things as much as is practicable. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Has the convention centre tender process fully complied with Treasury’s  
Guidelines for Contracting with Non-Government Organisations for Services Sought by the Crown 
 with the Auditor-General’s  
Procurement guidance for public entities 
 and in particular with the requirements for “Clear ethical standards which address conflicts of interest and promote required standards of public sector conduct minimising exposure to the risk of litigation and meeting the overriding considerations of openness lawfulness and integrity.”? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I thank the member for the speech. I have no concerns about the process. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Can he confirm that the earlier decision in 2001 was carried under the signature not of the then Minister Mark Burton but in fact of the then chair of the Casino Control Authority his very close colleague the Hon Judith Collins and can he further confirm that that decision—I am sure that the Minister will be pleased to say—involved no change in the law? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Actually my understanding is the decision was signed by the acting chair at the time P J Dew on behalf of the Government of the day and the Casino Control Authority. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Oh a technicality. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Oh it is a technicality now says the member. Oh it is a little technicality now! Having decided that he would raise it it is a technicality. I appreciate that Labour is now embarrassed not only that it allowed Skycity to build— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The Minister’s answer was fine to that point but he was embarking on a speech himself at that point. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Has any other party been offered a change in the law in any other commercial relationship in which he his office or his ministry have been or are involved? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I have no idea what the member is referring to. What I can say in relation to the casino law is that it was changed after that decision the Labour Government made so it not only allowed it to occur but it then pulled the ladder up— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The Minister should be responsive when the Speaker gets to his feet. The Minister answered the question. He said he was unaware of any such circumstance and the rest was all superfluous. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave to table Treasury’s 2009  
Guidelines for Contracting with Non-Government Organisations for Services Sought by the Crown 
. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave to table the Controller and Auditor-General’s 2008 good-practice guide 
 Procurement guidance for public entities 
.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave to table a 2010 email from the office of the Hon Gerry Brownlee advising the makers of the  
Hobbit  
films before the public was allowed to know that the so-called positive developments in industrial laws would soon be announced by the Government. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave to table a 2011 Buddle Findlay report providing information about Steven Joyce’s offer of a long-term 10-year regulatory holiday for Telecom New Zealand. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I seek leave to table a 2011 Journalism Media and Democracy Research Centre report which discusses the shady Government loan to MediaWorks a company that Mr Joyce owned until recently. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! A point of order is being considered and I understand the member is seeking leave to table a document that contains certain words. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Scott Simpson 
: Has he seen any reports endorsing convention centre deals in return for gambling concessions including extra machines? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: In fact I have and as I rise I would say that the member opposite has just illustrated all the things that he does not want to do to create jobs in New Zealand. But I have seen a report from 2004 stating: “Here in New Zealand it has been pleasing to see continuing investment in the quality of our tourism infrastructure. In Auckland Sky City has pumped $140 million into its new Convention Centre”. This of course was in reaction to Skycity’s 2001 deal with the Government of the day that resulted in 230 extra gaming machines in return for Skycity’s current convention centre. I let the members draw their own conclusions about the relationship between 2001 and today. But it might help to note that the quote was from a former Labour Prime Minister one Helen Clark.