Walker Holly: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWalker Holly: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 15 May 2013. Volume:690;Page:9941. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.HOLLY WALKER (Green) to theMinister of Justice: Did she receive a response from the National Party following her request for party views on the Electoral Commission’s recommendations for changes to MMP; if so what was that response?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Justice): Yes this morning I have publicly released a summary of all party responses. As the member will now know the National Party did not agree with key changes suggested by the Electoral Commission.Holly Walker: Given the Minister’s own stated preference to adopt the recommendations as a package and the fact that the Green Party had committed to vote for legislation doing that is the only reason she could not get 61 votes that her own party blocked it?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: It is wonderful that the member thinks she can read my mind but I do not think I have ever stated that. I have said that if there should be change then generally it is better to have all the changes together unlike under the royal commission response in 1986 from the then Labour Government when it did nothing on it for many years and it was a National Government that had to bring it through.Holly Walker: Is the real reason she will not introduce legislation that the National Government needs the hugely unpopular one-seat threshold in place to keep John Banks and Peter Dunne on side?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I think the member does not realise that the member she has just referred to is actually an electorate MP. I know that that is not something that is known of in the Green Party but actually it carries quite a sway in the electorate.Holly Walker: In her view is writing one letter to political parties 5 months after the MMP review report came out a genuine attempt to get cross-party agreement or was that just window dressing given that her Government never intended to do anything?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: To the first part of the question yes.Hon Lianne Dalziel: What did she mean when she said in her letter to David Shearer “… I hope to progress a collaborative process for considering and responding to the Commission’s recommendations.” when in fact she meant “Unless everyone agrees with the National Party we won’t respond to anything.”?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: That is a highly political question really. The member is trying to—[Interruption] And I think it deserves a response. Quite frankly what it does not mean is that we will put forward only two proposals which is what that member’s party decided to do which just happened to suit it. And no it actually meant that if parties could come back with some form of consensus then I would be happy to progress it. There is not consensus. It is not going anywhere.Hon Lianne Dalziel: I seek leave that the Electoral (Adjustment of Thresholds) Amendment Bill in my name be introduced and set down for first reading next sitting day.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is so sought. Is there any objection? There is.Holly Walker: Does she stand by her statement on Radio New Zealand National this morning that she would prefer to see all the changes implemented together; if so given that the Green and Labour parties have now both publicly committed to support suchlegislation will she now introduce it to the House to implement the changes in time for the next election?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Again the member has taken a little bit of what I have said and not the rest of it. If I were supporting change then obviously I would want to see—it is always best to have all of the changes brought forward together. But surely that member can count: Labour and the Greens is not 61.Holly Walker: I seek leave to table a letter dated 25 March 2013 from the Minister to the Green Party co-leaders seeking feedback on the MMP review’s recommendations.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that letter. Is there any objection? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Holly Walker: I seek leave to table the Green Party’s response to that letter stating that the Green Party would vote for legislation to implement the changes as a package.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table the response. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.