Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to MembersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBrownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members[Sitting date: 11 October 2007. Volume:642;Page:12293. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) to theMinister of Justice: Does he stand by his statements that “the Government is reviewing the rules relating to Parliamentary expenditure” and “The Electoral Finance Bill needs to align with the review of Parliamentary expenditure”; if so why?Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Justice): Yes; because it is and it does.Gerry Brownlee: What does the Minister mean by “aligning” the Electoral Finance Bill with the parliamentary rules on expenditure and in particular does he mean that the definition of what constitutes an election advertisement should be the same for ordinary members of the public as it is for MPs; if not why not?Hon MARK BURTON: What I meant by “aligned” was ensuring that the differentiation is clear so that there is no confusion about legitimately incurred expenditure made by an MP going about his or her duties on the one hand and on the other hand in the case of the Electoral Finance Bill a party a candidate or a third party engaging in electoral activity. That is what that particular reference in a set of questions and answers relating to a press release referred to—not to the subject matter the member referred to.Gerry Brownlee: Is it then Government policy that political parties represented in Parliament should be able to publish election pledge cards or similar material using taxpayers’ money right up to the election but that the cost of such material being produced by non-members of Parliament would be an electoral expense but not for the political party using taxpayers’ money?Hon MARK BURTON: As I said in the first answer it is the Government’s intention that material produced by members of Parliament such as the member producing an electorate newsletter for his constituencies to inform them about his work is legitimate and is covered—actually by different legislation which is not my responsibility—whereas those activities that are part of an election campaign whether by a candidate a party or a third party are covered by the provisions of the Electoral Finance Bill.Gerry Brownlee: Is it Government policy that in an election year candidates who are sitting MPs can freely produce material of an election-type nature and have it paid for by the taxpayer and not have it count towards election expenses yet anybody contesting that view is caught by the Electoral Finance Act and cannot produce such material without it being taken into the spending cap; and if it is different for MPs compared with non-MPs where is the level playing field?Hon MARK BURTON: As I said in reply to the member’s second question this is about defining and differentiating between—Hon Dr Nick Smith: It’s about cheating and saving your own bacon.Hon MARK BURTON: Oh for goodness’ sake! I wish that Dr Smith just for once in one question could be quiet. This is about differentiating between the legitimate and proper business of a member of Parliament or a party going about their proper business as a member of Parliament or as a parliamentary party and those who are candidates parties or third parties in an electoral process.Gerry Brownlee: Can the Minister confirm that if the Labour Party produces a pledge card in 2008 that pledge card can be paid for by taxpayers’ money distributed throughout the country to the letterboxes of the nation but not get caught by the spending cap that will be imposed by the Electoral Finance Bill but that if somebody else who is not in Parliament went through the same exercise—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Surely a member should be required to assemble his thoughts before he gets up opens his mouth and just talks and talks. That is precisely what his offence is and he has got away with it for far too long.Madam SPEAKER: I understand the point of order and we can all hope that such an activity would take place by all members in this House. But I have noticed today—whether it is because it is Thursday I do not know—that supplementary questions and answers are becoming increasingly longer. I ask the member to please ask his question as succinctly as he can.Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It is my understanding that if a member wants to make a personal explanation he or she should seek leave to do so.Madam SPEAKER: The member knows that that was not a point of order so let us proceed.Gerry Brownlee: Can the Minister confirm that if the Labour Party produces a pledge card in 2008 distributes it around the nation and pays for it with taxpayer funding that will not be caught by the Electoral Finance Act but that if another party not represented in Parliament produces a similar pledge card then it would be caught by the Electoral Finance Act and that material would be part of its spending cap?Hon MARK BURTON: I can confirm that the current provision of the Electoral Act 1993 is continued in this legislation. It clearly offered—Hon Bill English: It is?Hon MARK BURTON: For goodness’ sake! Mr English should read it. If one reads clauses 80 and 81 of the bill one will find the precise provisions. The provisions of the Electoral Act are carried over. Those legitimate matters conducted by parties and MPs going about their proper parliamentary business are not covered by this legislation but the business of candidates parties and third parties in campaigns is.