5. Regional Economic Development—Business Investment and Investment in Regional RoadingHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentRegional Economic Development—Business Investment and Investment in Regional Roading5. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: Does he think there will be a greater or lesser level of investment in New Zealand's regions in the next few years when he takes into account investment by the Provincial Growth Fund other Government investments such as road transport funding and private sector investment both domestic and foreign?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Minister for Regional Economic Development: There will be a much greater level of investment in the regions.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Why does he think an increase to the regional roading improvements funding class of around $35 million a year more than National proposed makes up for a $5 billion withdrawal of investment from the State highway network the lifeblood of the regions?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The member just admitted that it was double what they were giving it for a start and then if you look at the level of added investment arising from the regional fund and put in by private business it'll be much better than it is right now.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he think provincial drivers paying higher petrol taxes in part to fund trams in Auckland will regard him as the region's champion?SPEAKER: Order! No responsibility. Further question? [Interruption] Hon Paul Goldsmith: Isn't it true that when it comes to defending the regions from big business—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! No sorry. I am going to interrupt. I'm sure that the Hon Gerry Brownlee is not really inviting me to take the ultimate sanction with him but his repeated interjections have caused his party now the loss of four supplementary questions. My suggestion is that he listen to his colleague's question and being an experienced member who's had experience in Opposition before—and I say from being on the receiving end has done it very well—gives some advice to his colleagues about how to ask questions that are in order. A starting point is that the question has to address something for which the Minister has parliamentary responsibility.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would simply point out that the Hon Shane Jones has repeatedly stood up in question time and day after day described himself as the provincial champion. To simply ask him: Does he think that still stands?" seems perfectly in line with all the questioning that has been allowed in the House so far.SPEAKER: No. There's a difference between a question and an answer and the member is aware of that. Is there a further supplementary question?Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think the issue we have is—a very serious point of order—that you are taking a finely tuned very minute approach to questions and you're effectively saying in relation to the answers that you don't have responsibility for them. That makes it incredibly difficult and frankly unequal for the Opposition.SPEAKER: Well I suggest the member go back and listen to the tape.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Isn't it true that when it comes to defending the regions from big business he is a tiger but when it comes to defending the regions from his own Government he's a pussycat?SPEAKER: Order! I'm assuming that we're going to have a repeat of the right honourable gentleman asking leave to answer an out-of-order question. If it is—[Interruption]. No no; I'm ruling it out of order.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Can I seek the House's indulgence and leave to answer that question?SPEAKER: Leave has been requested to answer an out-of-order question. Is there any objection? There appears to be none.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Mr Speaker thank you very much. Can I just say here are the facts: in the next three years while State highway funding reduces by $500 million or 11 percent funding for regional or local roads improvements and maintenance increases by $1.2 billion or 26 percent far outweighing—Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I'm of course listening very carefully to the answer being given on Mr Jones' behalf by the Deputy Prime Minister but it might help him if the question—although it be out of order—was asked again because that answer bears no resemblance to anything that could be considered addressing the question.SPEAKER: No the question's not going to be asked again. We're not going to compound it. But one of the things that—[Interruption] No—can the member let me finish? One of the things that members have to learn is that when things are so badly out of order there will be quite liberal interpretations of the answer and a bit of time given to the member to actually get to an answer. But I suggest that he could get to it pretty soon.Hon Simon Bridges: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would just ask you Mr Speaker—we've had "tiger" "pussycat" and I think the word you ruled out for me was "gutting". I think these are words commonly used—there is commonly colour in questions; there has been for decades in Parliament. I just do want to understand so we do get it right what this position that you're staking out today is so we can understand.SPEAKER: I'm going to make it very clear to the member that all of those expressions are quite acceptable in debate and have been in the Parliament for a long time—[Interruption] Order! I will stand up just to make absolutely clear the seriousness with which I'm taking this. Debate is different from questions. During debate there are lots of words and lots of approaches and irony is allowed. During questions they are not. The tightest part of the parliamentary rule book about what members are allowed to say is in questions. Probably the next is in answers and then debate is quite a lot broader. That's always been the case. Therefore I do ask especially front-bench members on both sides and I will say that the Deputy Prime Minister as well as Mr Goldsmith have been developing—in the Deputy Prime Minister's case over 30 years—a habit of being out of order in their questions and I am beginning to believe that they know they do. If they are that is very disorderly and will have serious consequences.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Right—finishing the answer.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: For the benefit of the National Party David Attenborough: a tiger."