Hague Kevin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hague Kevin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:678;Page:1281] 
1. 
KEVIN HAGUE (Green) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by the answers given on his behalf to all my questions in the House on Thursday 22 March? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Acting Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. 
Kevin Hague 
: Given his answers that no further independent inquiry was needed into matters to do with ACC and that the Prime Minister had conducted his own investigation what was the nature of his private investigation and what evidence did this investigation consider? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: The answer given on the previous day in the House was that the Prime Minister had considered this matter along with Dr Nick Smith in relation to the  
Cabinet Manual 
 and the responsibilities of Ministers when it comes to conflicts of interest. 
Kevin Hague 
: Did the Prime Minister’s private investigation ascertain whether his previous Minister Nick Smith had intervened in any other ACC claims besides Ms Pullar’s? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: On behalf of the Prime Minister I cannot answer that question. What I can say is that the matter related to the former Minister’s handling of the case as it related to requirements in the  
Cabinet Manual 
. That was the Prime Minister’s primary investigation and ultimately the Minister paid a very high price for the decision that they both agreed on. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think you might have clicked at the point that I did—as the Minister said “On behalf of the Prime Minister”. I think he might have meant that because he was answering on behalf of the Prime Minister he could not answer the first part of the question. It is relatively important because otherwise the Prime Minister is on record as saying that he did not look into or he did not know about the other private matters. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I appreciate the intervention from the member. If the Hon Gerry Brownlee wished to clarify that he is welcome to do so but he does not have to.  
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: For the sake of clarity the second part of that question can be answered on the part of the Prime Minister but I am not in a position to answer on the Prime Minister’s behalf on the first part of it. 
Kevin Hague 
: Did the Prime Minister’s private investigation consider the 45-point list of serious legislation guideline and code breaches by ACC raised by Bronwyn Pullar? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I am not able to answer that question on behalf of the Prime Minister. 
Kevin Hague 
: Did the Prime Minister’s private investigation look into who had leaked Bronwyn Pullar’s name to the media and whether this leak originated in a Government Minister’s office or from ACC itself? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member keeps referring to the Prime Minister’s private investigation. From the answers that were given relating to the primary question that is here today—answers given to all questions asked by that member in the House on 22 March—I think that is an interesting sort of leap for him to take. But in answer to the question I am not able to answer that on behalf of the Prime Minister. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We have a slight difficulty there in that the Minister sought a point of order that was not really a point of order because the member asked a question and the Minister has now answered the question in so far as he says he is not able to answer the question. But the member is entitled to ask his questions. He made it clear in his first supplementary question that the Prime Minister had made reference to an investigation in his previous answers and the member is entitled to ask questions. Whether the Minister can answer them is another matter of course while acting on behalf of the Prime Minister. But that was not an appropriate point of order.  
Grant Robertson 
: Has the Prime Minister asked the Minister for ACC as part of his investigation who she believes leaked the information about Bronwyn Pullar to the media? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: No. 
Kevin Hague 
: Did the Prime Minister’s private investigation determine when the ACC chair John Judge first learnt about the massive breach of confidentiality that had occurred the potential involvement of the then Minister and the very serious claims Miss Pullar was making about failure of good process? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: There are a number of questions inside the member’s question that I think conflate a number of different points along the way in this particular story. What I can confirm is that investigations were made into the propriety of the reference written by Dr Smith. It did not meet the standards that were set and expected and therefore the Minister has resigned.  
Kevin Hague 
: Given his response to these questions today and the fact that neither the Privacy Commissioner’s inquiry nor the police inquiry can possibly consider any of them will he not support calls for an independent investigation into these wider matters or does he have another reason for trying to prevent these matters from being independently investigated?  
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: There is no attempt at all to hide anything in these cases and I resent the member’s implication that that is what is happening.