Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:629;Page:1223] 
5.  
RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
: Is he satisfied that the taxpayer is getting value for money from the ministry’s overseas posts; if so why? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Minister of Foreign Affairs) 
: 
 The answer is yes. The ministry’s planning and operations are subject to rigorous internal scrutiny and annual external audit. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: You never said that in Opposition. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Oh he does not miss much does he? We can see why he did not last 5 seconds as deputy leader. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: What a poodle! Come on poodle. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I can tell the member who looks like a poodle. He should have a look in the mirror; he will see who looks like a poodle—a French one. Can I start again Madam Speaker? The answer is yes. The ministry’s planning and operations are subject to rigorous internal scrutiny and annual external audit. Audit New Zealand has assessed the ministry’s financial management control environment as being excellent. Our overseas posts are making commendable progress towards achieving the ministry’s stated objectives. 
Rodney Hide 
: Does he believe that the taxpayer got value for money from the chef employed from New Zealand to cook full-time for the current deputy secretary Derek Leask at his residence when he was the ambassador in Brussels or is that just one of the many baubles of office that this Minister is now in favour of? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I have to say that seeing that all this happened prior to my obtaining this office I have no knowledge of it. If the questioner puts down a written question I will find out whether it is true—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Hon Annette King 
: Somebody’s been cooking for him. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: —knowing fully that somebody has been cooking for him for a long time and it is obvious. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That was unnecessary. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Does the Minister regard the priority given by publicly funded broadcaster TVNZ to allegations of financial mismanagement at the ministry post in Taipei as justifiable given that these allegations have already been proven to be unfounded? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I made it very clear at the time to TVNZ as to what we believed the facts were that we had followed the same rigorous administrative standards in Taipei and that the New Zealand Government and public could expect that our representation overseas would carry on in that manner. The member can be assured that the matters raised have been fully investigated by the ministry as TVNZ was told. But as usual TVNZ is on a headhunting venture and is being helped by Rodney Hide. 
Heather Roy 
: How can the taxpayer have any confidence in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spending when Taipei office administrator Rowan Tautari has blown the whistle on over-budget expenditure questionable purchases and a failure to adhere to foreign affairs guidelines—or has the Minister’s own niece got it wrong? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: My niece got a job in Taipei 5 years ago I understand and the events about which the member speaks happened under my predecessor. Having said that the investigation in Taipei has demonstrated that nothing untoward did in fact happen. Notwithstanding that we do encourage anyone in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade wherever he or she might be around the world who has a concern to promptly raise it. This issue was raised and it was investigated. There is nothing to be further accountable for in respect of this issue. 
Rodney Hide 
: Given the Minister’s commitment to good spending of taxpayers’ dollars does he believe in principle that the taxpayer should be funding chefs to cook for foreign affairs officials at their residences each and every day in Brussels and Paris or does he think that is a waste of taxpayers’ money? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I would like to find out for myself the facts on that matter. 
Rodney Hide 
: You’re the Minister! 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Yes but I do not know every event to do with dining unlike the member himself. I might add that if the member puts forward a written question I am happy to answer it. On the issue that was originally raised as to whether taxpayers are getting value for money let me say that they were getting no value for money at all when this document was put out by the ACT party last year during the campaign proper. 
Hon Annette King 
: Who paid for it? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: It was paid for by the taxpayer—a parliamentary crest. A total disaster. 
Hon Annette King 
: When was it published? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: This was published in 2005 in the election campaign period and was all paid for by the taxpayer. It states what ACT brings to Parliament—well apparently— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. You will recall that on past occasions when Ministers have not been able to answer a simple question like this the right honourable gentleman himself would have required them to reflect on the fact that they had the salary they had the cars they had the offices and they should know the answer. I see that in this case there is a degree of confusion. I suspect it would be a good idea if one of the people from the Government who is responsible for him was to take him out the back and tell him what the question was and we could get him back later to give us the answer. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Speaking to the point of order I say that was the kind of desolate arrogance that the National Party is becoming famous for. Apparently a Minister is meant to know the dining habits of everyone wherever he or she might be in the world. I have given the members opposite a chance to have an answer if they put the question down in writing. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Madam Speaker— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No it is all right; I do not need any further assistance. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: It was a fair point of order. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Yes it was a fair point of order. The Minister is responsible for matters relating to his foreign affairs vote. He is not responsible for the spending on publicity of other political parties. That part of the Minister’s answer was out of order. The other part was perfectly in order. He in fact as he said addressed that question. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. We get into a disorderly situation when a Minister comes into the House and is asked a straightforward question stands up reads the pre-prepared answer in which he says everything was above board there was no problem here and it was all fine then is confronted with a situation that on the face of it looks pretty shonky and says perhaps it was not all fine. So which part is right? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry Mr Brownlee; please be seated. That is not a point of order. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My point of order is that the issue that was raised was whether the taxpayer was getting value for money and that is why I used the ACT example by way of analogy. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Thank you for that explanation but it was a long long bow and I do not think it was a valid one in this instance. 
Rodney Hide 
: I seek the leave of the House to table a letter and two memos that were prepared by Rowan Tautari on 10 November 2005. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I seek leave to table an advertisement from the  
Dominion Post 
 of 15 September 2005 which was under the name of the ACT party—and what a waste of time it was. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.