Points of Order — Parliamentary Press Gallery—Access to Parliamentary Complex Tabling of Documents—Description of Documents 
Points of Order — Parliamentary Press Gallery—Access to Parliamentary Complex Tabling of Documents—Description of Documents 
[Volume:654;Page:2913] 
Wednesday 6 May 2009 
Mr Speaker 
 took the Chair at 2 p.m. 
Prayers 
. 
Points of Order 
Parliamentary Press Gallery—Access to Parliamentary Complex 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I want to raise a matter with you that is of very serious concern—certainly to Government members—and that is the way in which the tiled area between the Beehive and Parliament House is becoming increasingly congested on sitting days as the media gather there in very large numbers. They appear to be somewhat constrained to one end and appear to have very little respect for the fact that the House actually starts sitting at 2 o’clock and that there is a requirement for Ministers to be given a clear passage to get to the House to answer questions on any given day. 
I wonder whether you might consider having a discussion—not a heavy-handed one but perhaps a gentle reminder—with those who run the press gallery that they might have some consideration for that particular activity of the media. In many cases if the media phoned up Ministers’ offices prior to that time they would get exactly what they want in plenty of time. There is no desire to avoid the media; it is just a very inconvenient time each day to approach Ministers. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 This is a problem that has I think worsened in recent times. Unfortunately it appears that the area for the media is more restricted as a result of the change in the route of the Speaker’s parade. I wonder whether it might be possible for your parade to be re-routed through the Legislative Council Chamber or the Grand Hall and come into the Chamber the other way so that the public could still see the parade but it would not interfere with the very important holding to account of the Government by the fourth estate. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thank the honourable member for his contribution. The issue of free access to the Chamber for members is important. I will certainly draw to the attention of the appropriate people that members need unimpeded access to the Chamber. 
Tabling of Documents—Description of Documents 
Hon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip—Labour) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Yesterday during question time the Minister of Finance was granted leave to table information that he said was advice that he had complied with the State Sector Act with regard to the employment of purchase advisers by the Government. The document that was initially tabled made no reference at all to the State Sector Act. I have checked with the Table Office again today and the document that was initially tabled continues to be the only document that the Minister of Finance has made available. You gave an undertaking to look at the  
Hansard 
. I have had a chance to do that now. It is very clear that the Minister said that the Government had complied with the State Sector Act and that he would table advice to show that. The tabled document does not contain the words “State Sector Act” in any way. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I checked and watched the proceedings on the replay on television. As I saw the situation the Minister sought leave to table the document that he had that contained the advice. What advice might have been in that document is another matter; what the Minister might have said in answer to a question is another matter. The Minister sought leave to table a document; he tabled that document. As far as that process is concerned that is the end of the matter. 
Hon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip—Labour) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Thank you for that advice. I want to contrast your ruling just now with the approach you took last week in respect of the Leader of the Opposition seeking leave to table an extract from community newspapers in Auckland when you were very very clear that the Leader of the Opposition would have to do that. You asked him to be very specific about what he was tabling and you made quite a point of saying he would have to comply. It seems as though the Minister of Finance— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat. I have ruled on this matter. If the member wants to go down that track I would advise that he does not do so because the Leader of the Opposition sought leave to table all the front pages of all the regional newspapers in Auckland. [ 
Interruption 
] There will not be interjections. He did not specify the dates. That was drawn to my attention and that is why these matters should be dealt with sensibly. The Minister of Finance sought leave to table the advice he had. He tabled that advice and as far as I am concerned that is the end of the matter. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: As long as the member is not questioning my ruling I will hear a point of order but I warn him that if he is questioning my ruling he will not have the opportunity to ask his question today. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I ask you to elucidate on your ruling. Are you in fact setting a precedent for the House that for all future tabling of documents the date is required? If you are setting such a precedent I think it will be regarded as a very new ruling— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat. For goodness’ sake as Speaker I have tried to give the House the opportunity to receive more information on documents where tabling is sought. I believe that is in the interests of the House. I have done it for the benefit of members so that they can make a judgment with the best available information. On this occasion the Minister sought leave to table a document that contained advice and the House gave permission for that document to be tabled. As far as that procedure is concerned that is the end of the matter because members knew what that document was—it was advice to do with the issues that had been covered by the Minister. I believe that was a fair representation of the document. All I am asking members to do is give a reasonable description of any document they seek leave to table. That is the end of the matter. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat. If the member is questioning my ruling I invite him to think about it. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am inviting you to give a further ruling and in it to carefully consider the role of the Speaker in the protection of the House. The House is its own being and it is up to the House to make decisions based on the information that it is given. Mr Speaker I would like you to consider carefully and to come back with a further ruling as to whether it is the role of the Speaker to protect either the Government or the Opposition—and we have had two cases that you have gone to—or whether members are in fact able to make yes or no judgments based on what they are told by the members concerned. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member is testing my patience very severely. The member should not have such a short memory. He will recollect that during a previous term members could not even describe a document before their microphones were cut off and the House was expected to make a decision on the tabling of it. I have changed that procedure in the interests of all members so that members can make more sensible decisions about the documents being described. I have ruled on the matter; I believe that the procedure was complied with yesterday and that is the end of the matter.