Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:14596] 
2.  
Dr DON BRASH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: What specific actions does she expect the Maori Language Commission to take in order to win the Government’s confidence in light of her statement to the House yesterday: “whether the Government has confidence in the commission obviously depends on how it handles matters.”? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 The commission chair met with the Minister of Maori Affairs earlier today and the chair issued a statement that the chief executive’s comments were inappropriate. He said that the board is taking the matter seriously; it will be considering the issue further at its meeting next week. A proper process is being followed. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Is she aware that in addition to the comments that she quoted in her answer to my first question Dr Patu Hohepa also said that Mr Piripi’s right to express his own views as a private citizen should be upheld in almost direct repudiation of her own statements yesterday and does she see that as the type of response she said she would require in order to have confidence in the commission? [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is one warning a day. There will be no comment while questions are being asked. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Even the requirements of the  
Public Service Code of Conduct 
 make it clear that there is a balance to be struck between the rights of free speech and the appropriate behaviour for a public servant. I am satisfied that Dr Hohepa has said that the comments were inappropriate that the commission is taking the matter seriously and that it will be considering it further at its full meeting next week. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Notwithstanding the impropriety of Haami Piripi’s actions as the chief executive of the Maori Language Commission what degree of gall or double standards is she expected to deal with in these questions given that the primary questioner left the Reserve Bank and then stood for the National Party? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: On reflection that question is not in order. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Point of order— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Would the member just repeat the question so that I can hear it. I did not hear the last part. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Notwithstanding the total impropriety of Haami Piripi’s actions as chief executive of the Maori Language Commission what degree of gall or double standards does she expect to deal with at question time given that the primary questioner resigned from the Reserve Bank and then stood for Parliament for the National Party? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Prime Minister has no responsibility for any gall on the part of anybody. The question needs to be rephrased if it is to be in order. I have asked the member to do so and I will give him one final opportunity. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In respect of the impropriety of Haami Piripi’s actions does the Prime Minister know of others involved at key levels of the civil service who clearly held a political view latent and submerged though it may have been but known to many others and who are now in Parliament? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As I prepared to come to the House today I did consider that it would be appropriate to say at some point that the Government does not require all appointees to positions made pursuant to statute to agree with it all the time which explains why for so long it put up with Dr Brash and his attacks on Government policy in many areas. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
] The outgoing Government may bay but it will have to listen. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Will the member please be seated. My patience is running a little thin. I want to hear the point of order in silence. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: It is simply this: surely the Prime Minister’s answer attacked the credibility and the integrity of a member of this House. If you are to allow that to stand Mr Speaker that will set a new standard for how we all deal with each other. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: No what the Prime Minister was pointing out was that the previous Governor of the Reserve Bank was frequently prone to making speeches on a whole range of matters of Government policy outside his competence and probably on areas that still remain outside his competence. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I listened to the comment. It was not complimentary but it was not unparliamentary. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That member will stand withdraw and apologise and he is very lucky to still be here in the Chamber. 
John Key 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Does she have any concerns over Mr Piripi’s attacks on the ACT party and Don Brash on the  
Agenda 
 programme or does she just get concerned when her Government’s policies are attacked rather than the principle of the matter? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Yesterday when the member’s colleague Mr Hide read out a list of inappropriate comments by Mr Piripi I did indeed suggest that he should add to those reference to the Leader of the Opposition by Mr Piripi that I consider to have been completely inappropriate. If there were references to other political parties I also consider that inappropriate. My point has been that people in a position like Mr Piripi’s have to act appropriately. They must gain the confidence of all members of the House and that is why it is important that the commission takes the matter seriously. 
Metiria Turei 
: Does the Government intend to advise Labour and National Party members who are also Maori public servants in Government departments such as for example Te Puni Kokiri that they put their employment at risk if they are ever publicly seen to attend party functions—or is this a case of one rule for the old parties and another for the Maori Party? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Many public servants belong to political parties as is their right as citizens. I draw the member’s attention to the  
Public Service Code of Conduct 
 which points out and I quote: “Generally public servants have the same rights of free speech and independence in the conduct of their private affairs as other members of the public. However they also have a duty not to compromise their employer or their Minister by public criticism of or comment on Government policy. Public servants should ensure that their contribution to any public debate or discussion on such matters is appropriate to the position they hold and is compatible with the need to maintain a politically neutral Public Service. Public servants occupying senior positions or working closely with Ministers need to exercise particular care in this regard.” 
Dr Don Brash 
: Why does she continue to remain silent over the actions the board should take with regard to Mr Haami Piripi when in the case of Mr Kit Richards who sent a private email from his home computer she and her fellow Ministers demanded that he be sacked from day one and why does her Government have two different standards for two different classes of New Zealanders? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As has been pointed out on many occasions Mr Richards was part of an organised campaign to overturn a Government decision that affected the company for which he worked. I know there are none so deaf as those who do not want to hear and that applies to the Leader of the Opposition. 
Rodney Hide 
: Would it have been OK for Mr Haami Piripi to have paid someone to make a submission on the bill just like the Ministry of Health officials paid Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) to make submissions to a select committee or is the real issue that it is OK for civil servants to be politically active as long as they support the policies that Helen Clark supports? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The Ministry of Health did not pay ASH to make submissions to a select committee. Going back over many years Governments of all shades have funded ASH on a contractual basis to promote public health issues. Some questions have been raised in the last couple of years about those contracts and guidelines are being prepared for such contracts in the future.