12. Question No. 12—ForestryTODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty) to the Minister of ForestryQuestion No. 12—Forestry12. TODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty) to the Minister of Forestry: Does he stand by all his statements policies and actions?Hon SHANE JONES (Minister of Forestry): Āe.Todd Muller: At his media briefing yesterday when he said that If tweaks are required to the policy settings that are driving pasture to forests then they would be considered" what tweaks does he have in mind?Hon SHANE JONES: Before one tweaks one has to have facts—Hon Dr Nick Smith: Tweaks by a twit.Hon SHANE JONES: —and facts are informed by science. So once we've taken the right level—did I hear something from a fugitive? Thank you very much.Todd Muller: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. What on earth was that?SPEAKER: Is that a supplementary question?Todd Muller: No it's a point of order. Sorry Mr Speaker I'm still recovering. I put a very simple question and he did not address it.SPEAKER: Well I actually think at least the first part of the flow did address the question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. One of the reasons why my colleague wasn't able to end his answer was that he was being abused by a member of the Opposition over there. That member knows what he said and yet his colleague who wasn't given the opportunity to get his question answered is not blaming him; he's blaming my colleague over here and that's wrong.SPEAKER: Right what I want now is every person who interjected during that point of order to stand up. [Members stand up] There's at least one from this side as well. Right we'll carry on.Todd Muller: Does he really think he does himself any credit—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Mr Robertson. Thank you. Just behave yourself. I mightn't be able to hear very well but I can see.Todd Muller: May I start again Mr Speaker?SPEAKER: Yes you may.Todd Muller: Does he really think he does himself any credit or add to a sensible conversation on climate change and land use change by calling farmers involved in 50 Shades of Green "partisan foes"?Hon SHANE JONES: I think the member has raised a very good point. Language should be moderate but if people want to represent rural New Zealand I don't think it's reasonable that they should be a proxy for my competence on the other side of the House. ANZ puts up with National Party valets on their board. I don't see why I should tolerate it in forestry.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Rather than ask you to rule on this now I'd ask you to have a look at the Hansard and consider whether or not the comment that's just been made by the Hon Shane Jones is a contravention of the Standing Orders and whether or not the person who is clearly identified in that albeit veiled comment has been wronged by the privilege the member is claiming.SPEAKER: I will have a look at it. I must say on first blush it didn't go nearly as far as many comments I've heard from both sides of the House about political opponents and former political opponents.Todd Muller: Is he concerned that the regulatory impact statement for the zero carbon bill assumes 20 percent of New Zealand pasture land is converted to forestry?Hon SHANE JONES: I would advise the House that over the last 20 years 150000 hectares—60 percent of which was forest land—has been converted to dairy; the remainder from low-productivity farming land into high-productivity dairy land. Land-use redistribution is a common feature of our modern economy. Now in the case of whether or not large areas of rural New Zealand are disappearing into trees I think that the exaggeration will be conquered by the facts."