Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:672;Page:18331] 
8. 
DAVID SHEARER (Labour—Mt Albert) 
 to the  
Minister of Defence 
: Does he agree with all of the statements made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on that Minister’s use of RNZAF aircraft to travel to Vanuatu in February of this year? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP (Minister of Defence) 
: 
 Yes. 
David Shearer 
: Does he agree with his colleague’s remarks that the $75000 costing is a Labour Party figure and bears no relation to reality or will he acknowledge to the House that the costing is derived from New Zealand Defence Force figures? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: The Minister indicated in fact that $75000 was not actually far away from the price. Can I inform the House that the fuel cost for these aircraft was in fact approximately $61000 and there are of course some additional maintenance costs. 
David Shearer 
: I seek leave to table an Official Information Act answer requested by Chris Hipkins and delivered on 14 April 2010 which sets out the costings of all the aircraft of the RNZAF and which makes that $75000 very conservative. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Would the member mind just making clear where this document is from? 
David Shearer 
: From the New Zealand Defence Force. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
David Shearer 
: Did he ask his colleague Murray McCully to consider an alternative to using the Boeing 757 to fly to Vanuatu; if so what response did he receive? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: As the Minister has said—on a number of occasions in fact—he was able to provide services to other Pacific Island leaders. Actually this is very similar to the use of the 757 by the previous Prime Minister Helen Clark— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This member has taken quite a lot of advice to draft tight questions and this was a very tight question. This is not the flick at the end of an answer because the question has not yet been addressed. The member might need to repeat it to make it clear to you what it was. I am not sure that the Minister heard what it was but he certainly has not started to address it yet. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will allow the member to repeat his question so that the House can be absolutely certain. 
David Shearer 
: Did he ask his colleague Murray McCully to consider an alternative to using the Boeing 757 to fly to Vanuatu; if so what response did he receive? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: It was very clear that this was the most efficient way to get to Vanuatu and that was fully understood by me. It was not dissimilar to the situation when the previous Prime Minister— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The question asked whether the Minister asked his colleague whether he had considered an alternative. The Minister has direct responsibility for the Minister’s own actions and it is within the capability of the Minister to answer that question. I think it is a reasonable question. So the question was repeated and asked whether the Minister asked his colleague whether he had considered alternative flight possibilities. That is a fair question and the House does deserve an answer. 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: As I indicated the answer is clearly yes because it was then explained to me why it was not appropriate. In fact it was very similar to the previous Prime Minister’s use of the 757. Can I say that the previous Prime Minister Helen Clark used a 757 to go from Auckland to Apia where she also took Pacific Island leaders and other Ministers on that Pacific Islands Forum trip. That is extremely similar to the current situation. Of course Vanuatu does not have the regularity of air services that Samoa and Auckland do have. 
David Shearer 
: From the Minister’s answer was political blogger Cameron Slater correct yesterday when he wrote that Mr McCully turned up over 2 hours late for his departure— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister has absolutely no responsibility for what the blogger Cameron Slater may or may not say. That is totally irrelevant to the Minister. I will allow the member to reword his question though because I do not want to deprive him. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I respectfully suggest that if you were to judge the question after you have heard it instead of hearing only the beginning of it you might come to a different view. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thank the member for his advice. I invite the honourable member to reword his question to make it very clearly within the Standing Orders. 
David Shearer 
: Was political blogger Cameron Slater correct when he wrote that Mr McCully turned up over 2 hours late for his departure to Vanuatu— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister is not responsible for whether the blogger Cameron Slater was correct. The member can ask opinions but he cannot be that specific about it. He cannot ask whether someone for whom the Minister has no responsibility whatsoever is correct. But I will give the member another chance because—[ 
Interruption 
] It is only reasonable. I am requiring him to come within the Standing Orders and I do not want to deprive him of the question. 
David Shearer 
: Is the—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am on my feet. The member will resume his seat. I want to hear this question because I have to be able to judge whether it is within the Standing Orders. 
David Shearer 
: Has the Minister seen reports that Cameron Slater has stated that Mr McCully was over 2 hours late for his flight to Vanuatu because of a heated exchange he had with the Minister of Defence? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: All I can say in response to that is that Mr Cameron Slater is woefully misinformed—not that I actually normally read his blog apparently unlike Mr Shearer. 
David Shearer 
: Was the Minister aware when he authorised the flights including the return flight from Vanuatu that commercial flights at a fraction of the price were available including flights that would have enabled Mr McCully to return to New Zealand in less than 6 hours for around $2000 or $3000? 
Hon Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: It is my clear understanding that that would have meant that the Minister of Foreign Affairs would not have been able to meet Prime Minister Julia Gillard. That is obviously a pretty important thing.