Young Jonathan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeYoung Jonathan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 25 June 2014. Volume:699;Page:18865. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth)to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What reports has he received on likely future support for oil and gas development in New Zealand?Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Energy and Resources):I have seen several reports this very morning about an upbeat and confident attitude to oil and gas development and its future under this Government. By way of contrast yesterday I saw reports within hours of each other by the same person emphatically ruling out and then ruling in future Taranaki oil and gas activity. Then this morning I saw a report ruling out future oil and gas activity in Taranaki despite what his leader had just said. David Carter should reign in his new candidate—Grant Robertson: Point of order Mr Speaker—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister should not bring the Speaker into the debate. And anyway I will hear from Grant Robertson.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Previous Speakers have ruled—particularly on Government questions and this is a Government primary question here—that the Minister should be talking about things that he has responsibility for and he is not doing that.Mr SPEAKER: No—[Interruption] Order! The question was certainly in order and accepted but the answer is seriously close to breaching the Speakers’ rulings and I refer the member to Speaker’s rulings 154/2A and 154/2B which in effect say that it is not in order to put a question down that is simply a means of then commenting on any comments made by the Opposition. I invite the member to ask his supplementary question but I will be listening very carefully to it and the answer.Jonathan Young: What are the implications for the Taranaki region if the oil and gas sector does not continue to be supported by the Government?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: Flip-flops on policy do no good for business certainty but fortunately this Government knows its policy positions and knows that oil and gas ensures that Taranaki has the highest GDP per capita in New Zealand. Average salaries from oil and gas are twice the national average and the region has the lowest unemployment in New Zealand. We do not have renegade candidates saying—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Jonathan Young: What are the implications for New Zealand if oil and gas sector development is brought to a standstill?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: It would be very bad. Oil and gas is New Zealand’s fourth-largest commodity merchandise export earner. It employs thousands of people and brings in nearly $1 billion in royalties and taxes a year providing for schools hospitals and other infrastructure. So it is very clear that we cannot have people out there like Tāmati Coffey this morning saying the sorts of things he—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. For the second time during this question Mr Bridges has strayed well outside the Standing Orders and has defied your ruling. You have told us on this side of the House consistently that if we defy rulings we get thrown out. He just did that—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is very close to also coming—[Interruption] Order! I listened very closely to both answers and the member is right. Towards the end of the answer Mr Bridges strayed into material that was not going to help the order of this House. I on both occasions immediately ceased the Minister’s answers. But prior to that his answer was adhering to the Standing Orders and Speakers’ rulings—prior to that.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: A fresh point of order Grant Robertson?Grant Robertson: Yes. You ruled after the primary answer that Mr Bridges gave that he should not stray into material for which he is not responsible saying that it would lead to disorder in the House. He then did that again. That is in defiance of your ruling. You have ejected someone from this side of the House today for exactly the same crime.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is wrong and I invite him afterwards to have a look at the Hansard. Both questions were quite in order. One was on the implications for the oil and gas industry. We listened to that and when the Minister then strayed into something to do with an Opposition party’s policy I shut it down immediately. The second question was around implications for the New Zealand economy. Again it was answered quite in order until the Minister strayed and the moment he strayed I rose to my feet and stopped that answer—[Interruption] Order! I cannot continue with the points of order when the member is going to continue to talk above me. The member may well shake his head but there is a certain decorum required in this House that when I am on my feet members should cease interjecting and that applies to all members in this House.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Just to be clear can a Minister be asked for an opinion that relates to his portfolio and then go ahead and give the information to the House indicating who actually supplied him with the information that causes him concern?Mr SPEAKER: It is a matter of my ruling on the occasion but it is not appropriate for any Minister. He may well be aware of alternative policies which he can mention but then to lead the answer into blatant criticism of the Opposition policy is not a responsibility of any Minister in this House.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: A further point of order?Hon Annette King: No it is a new point of order. During the point of order when my colleague was on his feet and there was meant to be complete silence otherwise people would be kicked out the Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee interjected very loudly with: “Sit down.” So I wondered whether you heard that and whether you would be taking action.Mr SPEAKER: I did not hear that but—[Interruption] Order! I did not hear that—Clare Curran: Selective memory.Mr SPEAKER: The same comment I have just made applies to Clare Curran. I did not hear it but there have been numerous occasions when I have been on my feet and members from both sides of the House have continued to talk. I have asked for it to cease. I will continue to ask for it to cease but in this particular case I did not hear the interjection and I am not proposing to ask Mr Brownlee to leave the Chamber.Brendan Horan: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You said you were listening very closely. Prior to that question did you hear the Minister refer to a candidate’s sexuality? I did and I found it outrageous.Mr SPEAKER: No I did not hear such an interjection but if the member did and he takes offence we will take the matter from there.David Shearer: Why did the Minister jump the gun when he announced the major commercial discovery of West Coast oil by Mosman Oil and Gas the company when the company said it was not even at the stage of economic assessment?Hon SIMON BRIDGES: No I have not jumped the gun. I stand by everything I said—unlike Tāmati Coffey who today has been saying the precise opposite to that of his leader David Cunliffe.