English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:607;Page:4405] 
1. Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she have confidence in all her Ministers; if so why? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes because they are all hard-working and conscientious Ministers. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why has she stepped into the energy portfolio set up a new committee headed by Dr Cullen and cut right across 3½ years of work by the Hon Pete Hodgson; how does this show that she has confidence in him? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have full confidence in the Minister of Energy. The member might have noticed however that there has not been a great deal of new generation attempted in this country in recent years. We are asking some fundamental issues about a market model with short-term not long-term horizons. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How can the Prime Minister have confidence in a Minister of Immigration who seems to discover what is going on within her portfolio about a week after everybody else has found out each scandal—the media and members of Parliament; and given that recent embarrassment in respect of her ministerial performance why has the Prime Minister not sacked her? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I also have full confidence in the Minister of Immigration. I am waiting for one of the member’s scandals to stick. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Why does she not believe that the Minister of Energy Pete Hodgson could satisfactorily chair the new committee that has been established; and in response to the substantive question is she implying that he is responsible for the lack of investment in generation over the term of this Government? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The answer to the latter question is: certainly not. The Minister has done his very best to make a flawed inherited model work. With regard to the committee it is an infrastructure committee; it is looking at not only energy but also transport and water issues. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Prime Minister think the circumstances surrounding the Japanese school Columbus in Auckland are scandalous; and further the fact that 20000 overstayers have failed to leave this country is scandalous or is it the case with her ministries that anything goes? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: If the current Minister of Education is to be damned by that so is that member who was the Deputy Prime Minister when the school was established. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why has the Prime Minister decided to intervene in the energy market now in a way that creates maximum uncertainty by saying that she will change the market but not saying how or when? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have not decided to intervene in the energy market now. What I am doing is looking at a flawed model inherited from the former Government. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Will the Prime Minister be surprised to learn that neither the—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There will be no comment during question time. That is a rule and that applies to Mr Brownlee. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You have just decided to give me the flick for an interjection by referring to me by name. I take it that for the rest of the day and for the rest of the time this Parliament is convened if members of the Government do the same similarly they will be named. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Yes they will be. 
Rodney Hide 
: Why does the Hon Parekura Horomia enjoy the Prime Minister’s confidence given that his executive secretary Gail Parata attended a Te Puni Kokiri capacity-building training wananga at which Maori Sportscasting International taught attendees how to avoid the Inland Revenue Department by being paid under the counter through TAB accounts or does she think that teaching people to dodge tax is a legitimate use of a $10000 Te Puni Kokiri grant? 
Hon Chris Carter 
: You could have taken that seminar. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have said to members that they are not to interject during question time. I tell Mr Chris Carter that he has had his last warning. 
Rodney Hide 
: Do you want me to answer that interjection? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No if the member wants to stay in the House he had better not. Carry on. 
Rodney Hide 
: I had actually finished. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think in fairness to Mr Hide we will let him start again. This time I am not amused and will be seriously intervening on any interjecting member. Please ask the question. 
Rodney Hide 
: Why does the Hon Parekura Horomia enjoy the Prime Minister’s confidence given that his executive secretary Gail Parata attended a Te Puni Kokiri capacity-building training wananga at which Maori Sportscasting International taught attendees how to avoid the Inland Revenue Department by being paid under the counter through their TAB accounts or does she think that teaching people to dodge tax is a legitimate use of a $10000 Te Puni Kokiri grant? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I know nothing of Miss Parata’s activities. However the member has been exposed in this House for certain activities in that respect in Fiji. 
Ron Mark 
: How could the Prime Minister possibly have confidence in a Minister of Defence who having ordered an inquiry into certain matters that included the dysfunctionalism of the Defence Force back in August-September 2001 who despite having received various draft reports for his perusal over the ensuing year after that and who finally having received the final report on 30 September 2002 has only just today—26 March 2003—seen fit to release it for public review? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am entirely satisfied with the process the Minister has followed. As people know since the new defence hierarchy was put in place a lot of the problems have become historic and we have been able to proceed then to look at the Hunn report in a new light.