4. Todd Barclay—Southland Electorate Office Allegations Ministerial ConductRON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Prime MinisterTodd Barclay—Southland Electorate Office Allegations Ministerial Conduct4. RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements on the Clutha-Southland electorate office issue even if facts known to him make doing so extraordinarily difficult?Mr SPEAKER: In so far as there is prime ministerial responsibility the right honourable Prime Minister.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH (Prime Minister): As I advised the member yesterday in response to the same question I have no ministerial responsibility for that issue.Richard Prosser: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This issue has been canvassed quite heavily over the last couple of weeks. I draw your attention to Speaker's ruling 171/2 which does begin by saying: Ministers can be questioned only on matters for which they have [ministerial] responsibility." However it also says: "If they have made statements that impinge on those responsibilities they can be questioned on them regardless of the capacity in which the statements are made."Mr SPEAKER: I am not sure what the point of order is apart from reading out a particular Speaker's ruling. We have traversed this issue a lot over the last couple of weeks. It is now for the Prime Minister to decide where prime ministerial responsibility lies. Statements have been made as the member of Parliament as the leader of the caucus as the leader of the National Party and potentially as the Prime Minister. It has been both in the House and outside so I am going to leave it for the Prime Minister to make his call as to whether he is answering in a prime ministerial capacity.Ron Mark: If he said yesterday "I agree that is what the Cabinet Manual says." over Ministers having ministerial responsibility in a personal capacity 24/7 how could Mr Joyce when answering for him possibly say "I doubt that any member would have been listening to that [tape] in their ministerial capacity."?Mr SPEAKER: The right honourable Prime Minister—in so far as there may be prime ministerial responsibility.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: The member is trying to make it all sound complicated but it is not. I simply have no ministerial responsibility and that was reflected in the answer that Steven Joyce gave on my behalf.Ron Mark: If he said yesterday "I agree that is what the Cabinet Manual says." is he aware of any Minister current or former being approached by police in relation to the recordings allegedly made by Mr Barclay?Mr SPEAKER: Again in so far as there may be prime ministerial responsibility the right honourable Prime Minister.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: Because this matter is subject to police investigation I have no comment or ability to influence whether the police approach anyone or whether they would tell me that they had. In fact they almost certainly should not.Richard Prosser: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Without wanting to go over the same ground I draw your attention to Speaker's ruling 175/1—Mr SPEAKER: No I do not need the member to draw my attention to that Speaker's ruling. We are covering the same ground. I told him earlier it is for the Prime Minister—he is the only one who knows in what capacity he has made various comments.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Just a minute—I just need to deal with something. If the member is attempting now to relitigate the ground that I am just covering I will take a very dim view of it and possibly be asking the member to leave the Chamber.Ron Mark: No not at all. It is in relation to that answer the Prime Minister gave and I am seeking your clarification. Is the Prime Minister by that answer saying he is not responsible for his Ministers?Mr SPEAKER: No I do not think the Prime Minister is saying that at all. The Prime Minister addressed the question that was asked. It was a very convoluted question; the Prime Minister addressed it.Ron Mark: Are he and his Ministers aware that covering up an illegal act in the hope that it would go away could make him and other Ministers an accessory after the fact to an offence a party to the commission of an offence and potentially open to a charge of perverting the course of justice?Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member cannot make that sort of imputation about a member in the House.Ron Mark: Speaking to the point of order—Mr SPEAKER: No I do not need assistance. On this occasion the member has not made an allegation; he has simply asked the Prime Minister to address the question. The question in my mind is in order and it will be addressed. The right honourable Prime Minister in so far as there is prime ministerial responsibility.Rt Hon BILL ENGLISH: I reject the member's assertions and I think any matters related to potential offences are really matters for the police not for the House.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. As you correctly pointed out I did not make an assertion. I asked him whether he is aware of the potential for those Ministers to have broken the law.Mr SPEAKER: The Prime Minister then addressed that question. The question has been addressed—not to the satisfaction of the member but I doubt it was ever going to be addressed to the satisfaction of the member. Does the member wish to have a further supplementary?"