Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNorman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 14 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17815. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to thePrime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government’s policies?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes in particular our policies that support racial harmony every day of the year and the policies that support the rule of law particularly when it comes to extradition.Dr Russel Norman: Is it a measure of the success of 5½ years of his economic and social policies when new census data shows that the income gap between Auckland’s poorest and richest communities has widened?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Government rejects the view that income inequality is widening in New Zealand.Dr Russel Norman: Is it a measure of the success of his economic and social policies when the census data shows that the incomes of those living in South Auckland have fallen significantly over the last 7 years while incomes in wealthier areas have risen by thousands of dollars?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It is a measure of success when the Government will have returned the books back to surplus after inheriting a complete and utter mess from the previous Government having to endure the global financial crisis and of course standing behind the people of Christchurch. It is not a measure of success when you have to take to the country and all of its citizens and make them suffer some form of inconvenience and cost which has been the case from the Australian Budget because that Government inherited a Labor-Greens Government and its policies.Dr Russel Norman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a very specific question. The Prime Minister failed to address anything to do with income inequality.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The question started with “Is it a measure of success” and what the Prime Minister then did was talk about how he would measure success.Dr Russel Norman: Is it a measure of success of his economic and social policies when census data—actual census data—reveals that a whole South Auckland community’s incomes have actually gone backwards by up to 20 percent in real terms over the last 7 years?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It is a measure of success when the Government having inherited the economic mess that was delivered to it in 2008 managed to support policies like Working for Families for the least well-off New Zealanders in the most difficult times.Dr Russel Norman: Is it a measure of success of his economic and social policies when in the New Zealand that we live in the richest 1 percent of New Zealanders nowown 16 percent of all the wealth in the country while half of all New Zealanders own just 5 percent of the wealth?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It is a measure of success when the National-led Government over the last 5½ years could turn round the absolute mess we inherited from the previous Labour Government its large spending policies and the inefficiencies it had built into the economy while at the same time standing behind Christchurch making sure that there was over $15 billion there to support the people of Christchurch maintaining Working for Families and accommodation supplements and building a more efficient and effective New Zealand. Tomorrow I think New Zealanders will reflect on the success of this National Government and contrast it with what can only be described as the real mess that Tony Abbott had to inherit in Australia after a Labor-Greens Government.Dr Russel Norman: Is it a measure of success of his economic and social policies when the NBR Rich List shows that the total wealth of New Zealand’s hundred or so richest individuals has soared by 50 percent since National took over as the Government while working New Zealanders are still waiting for a real pay rise?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It is a real measure of success when 1500 people a week are leaving welfare for work when 84000 jobs are created when we have one of the fastest-growing economies in the OECD and when we are exporting to parts of the world at record levels. One thing that can be taken from the member’s questions and it is something that runs through both the Green Party and the Labour Party is that those parties are not ambitious for New Zealanders to do well.Dr Russel Norman: Is it a measure of success of his 5½ years of economic and social policies when middle-class families have been hit with a 20 percent increase in electricity prices and on top of that they are facing a 34 percent increase in median house prices?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: At one level it probably is a measure of success when power prices have gone up by only 20 percent given that they went up by 72 percent under the previous Labour Government. The one thing we do know is that if Labour and the Greens were to become the Government power prices would rise by much more than that because of the expense of the emissions trading scheme and because of the electricity reforms the members want to undertake. I am so much looking forward to making sure that New Zealanders understand exactly how much extra they will have to pay per week under those kinds of policies while they are in the dole queue because that is where they will be when enough jobs have been destroyed under those people.Dr Russel Norman: Is it not actually a measure of the failure of his 5½ years of economic and social policies when the facts show that the wealthy are better off the middle classes are struggling to get on top of their bills and the poor are falling further behind under this Government?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The facts actually show quite a different picture but what the facts also show is that after 5½ years of good economic leadership by the Government and a huge amount of hard work by New Zealanders this country is on track to be back in surplus—one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. I think that there are many many Australians who will look across the Tasman today and say “Oh the lucky country over there. It’s called New Zealand.”Dr Russel Norman: Is the Prime Minister seriously trying to claim that the census data that has been released very recently which shows that the poorest communities in South Auckland have gone back by about 20 percent while the richest communities are thousands of dollars richer is simply false?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: What I am saying is that I do not accept the interpretation of that data as presented by the member.Dr Russel Norman: After nearly 6 years in Government—6 long years in Government—is it not time to accept the evidence that shows that his policies have made the poor poorer the richer richer and that everyone else is struggling to get by and that it is time to stop blaming someone else for his own failures?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Far from blaming anyone for failures the Government is actually very proud of its record of supporting the least well-off New Zealanders supporting New Zealanders right through the recession and rebuilding things. All I can say is that I really hope that when the member was out at the Dotcom mansion drinking champagne—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Dr Russel Norman: Is the Prime Minister proudest of the fact that he increased the wealth of the hundred or so richest people in the country by 50 percent or is he proudest of the fact that he drove down the income of people in South Auckland by 20 percent in real terms—i.e. you made the rich richer and the poor poorer?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I reject the assertions in the member’s argument but I am proudest of the fact that I did not go grovelling to the Dotcom mansion to a man who supports a “racist day” and a man who wanted a favour from the member in Government to make sure that Mr Dotcom was not extradited from—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I raise my point of order under Standing Order 383 around the content of replies. The Prime Minister in the answers to two of Russel Norman’s questions strayed well beyond his responsibilities and you did not pull him up. He then strayed beyond his responsibilities and you did pull him up and then in the next answer he did exactly the same thing that you sat him down for. That is actually challenging your ruling. You have told members on this side of the House when we do that that we will be out and you have thrown people out.Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! What I do is listen very carefully to the question as well and in that last particular question there was a lot of political loading with the Prime Minister driving up the wealth of the richest hundred and driving down the situation of the poorest 20 percent. [Interruption] Order! So it was in my interpretation a political question and that gave the Prime Minister a fair amount of licence. That is the way I interpreted that situation.Tracey Martin: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can I just seek clarification from you either now or later. The Prime Minister I believe just accused Russel Norman of going to somebody’s mansion to gain something and previously—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order and it must be heard in silence.Tracey Martin: Previously you actually—I believe it was yesterday—stood up and quite clearly made a ruling that to impugn somebody’s reputation in such a way was not appropriate in this House. So I am not sure how there is a difference between accusing one group of people of taking something and another group of people taking something. It appears to be a double standard. [Interruption]Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. There was an interjection. I do not know where it came from but it was down that quarter—[Interruption] Order! I am on my feet. If we are going to have a repetition of yesterday with people interjecting when I am on my feet someone will have to leave. The interjection was completely unnecessary and was not satisfactory. I require that member who said it to stand withdraw and apologise.David Bennett: I withdraw and apologise.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I think the person who raised that point of order Tracey Martin misses the point. The question was asked of the Prime Minister—forgive my repeating of it because it is a mangling of the English—“What was he most proudest of?”. He then gave an answer saying what he was most proudest of—it should have been “most proud of” but that is the Australianisation of our parliamentary language. In that event there was nothing at all—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order.Hon Gerry Brownlee:—unparliamentary in the way in which he gave the answer. He is very proud that he has not grovelled to Dotcom.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The last part of the Prime Minister’s answer made a suggestion to the member asking the question. If he is offended by that then he should immediately take a point of order and say that he is offended by that. [Interruption] Well I am on my feet. I am on my feet if the member had not noticed. That is the proper procedure so I accept now that we will allow Russel Norman—if he raises a point of order that he is offended then I will be asking somebody to withdraw that last part.Dr Russel Norman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I take offence at the Prime Minister’s comment.Mr SPEAKER: Order! In that case the member—[Interruption] Order! No I will deal with this first. I will deal with this first. Dr Russel Norman has taken offence at the last part of the Prime Minister’s answer. I therefore ask the Prime Minister to stand and withdraw that part of his answer.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I withdraw.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It does raise a question about how Russel Norman can be offended by something the Prime Minister did not do.Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not the point. The point—[Interruption] Order! The point is a member has been offended in this House by a comment that was made. Quite frequently members take offence at a comment and I am surprised they do but that is not for me to determine. If a member takes offence I will require the member who offended that member to withdraw.Hon Trevor Mallard: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There are two points. The first is that and I find myself in—Mr SPEAKER: Can the member just get to his two points of order.Hon Trevor Mallard: I find myself in the unusual position of defending the Prime Minister and disagreeing with Russel Norman. The Standing Orders and Speakers’ rulings are very clear that if offence is taken it must be taken immediately at the first opportunity. It was not. These things are not able to backdated. The second point is that you are still the arbiter of whether it is reasonable for someone to take offence. Otherwise people could say they were offended by things that are entirely unobjectionable. I think it goes too far for you to say that if someone is offended you will require withdrawal.Mr SPEAKER: Order! There will be—Gareth Hughes: Point of order.Mr SPEAKER: No I will hear from the member if it is necessary. There will be on some occasions a situation where I cannot see any possibility of offence and I will not bother. But in this case let us face it some members are more sensitive than others about comments that are thrown around this House. It should have been raised immediately but I accept there was a bit of hurly-burly and there were interjections around points of order. I will decide when to accept it.Hon David Cunliffe: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would invite you to have a look at the tape of question No. 1 in the interests of good order in the House. Severalthings strike me listening to the exchange that has followed. The first is that there were several repeat offences as my colleague Mr Robertson has said that were not pulled up by your good self. The second is that in the last answer the Prime Minister went on at some length in a conversation that was personal that was derogatory and that was out of order and he was allowed to continue. What I would submit for your consideration is that your leniency to the Prime Minister has encouraged the kind of disorder from the Government benches that is now undermining your standing in this House—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member is now getting into very dangerous ground where he is effectively suggesting bias in the way I am interpreting the rules. I always review theHansard after question time. I look very carefully at the way I have handled it. I accept the invitation raised by the member. I will be doing it later on this afternoon.Dr Russel Norman: Is the Prime Minister proud of the fact that under his Government the richest 1 percent of New Zealanders now own 16 percent of all wealth in the country while half of New Zealand owns just 5 percent of the wealth?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I cannot verify the facts but I am pretty sure that one of that 1 percent is Kim Dotcom.