Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeShearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 15 May 2013. Volume:690;Page:9933. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) to thePrime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes.David Shearer: Does he stand by his statement as to the question of whether the MMP review was dead in the water when he answered: “As far as I’m concerned yeah.”; if so what does he say to the 1.27 million New Zealanders who voted to keep MMP on the law he passed requiring a review of MMP and to the over 5000 New Zealanders who submitted to that review?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: In answer to the first part of the question yes.David Shearer: Is he aware that the last communication the Government sent to Labour on this issue said: “It hoped to progress a collaborative process for considering and responding to the commission’s recommendations.”; if so how is unilaterally ending the process in any way collaborative?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No because that matter was handled by the Minister of Justice but what I can say is that the very helpful chart that she has put out indicates that right across Parliament there is a range of different views; there is clearly no consensus. Just because Labour and the Greens think something is good does not mean it should be rammed through—although we do know that the way Labour handles electoral law is just to ram the Electoral Finance Act down its throat because it suited them—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is quite a sufficient answer. [Interruption] Order!David Shearer: Has he received advice on which of the commission’s recommendations on MMP National opposes; if so which recommendations are they?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I cannot recall any particular advice; it may have been the case. What I can say is that National does not support—not that I have prime ministerial responsibility for this—a lowering of the threshold from 5 percent to 4 percent. The reason is that as soon as you went to 4 percent the argument would be put up that it should be dropped to 3 percent. As soon as you do that in my view you get a very unstable democracy.David Shearer: Did the Government have any discussion with John Banks or with any representatives of the ACT Party before deciding to kill off the review’s recommendations; if so was it over a cup of tea?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I did not. If any other member of the Government did you would have to direct the question to them.David Shearer: Further to his comments on the casino deal is acquisition of land owned by TVNZ part of the deal?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: That is a matter ultimately for the parties which is clearly Skycity as the member will know. In terms of what the status of that is and whether there is a willing buyer or a willing seller is a matter for the parties not for me.David Shearer: So is the Prime Minister saying that the land is for sale and Skycity will be purchasing it or not?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Minister advises me that apparently Television New Zealand is interested in engaging in discussions with Skycity but I am not involved in that.David Shearer: In that case why then as of yesterday has TVNZ still not been approached about the sale of that land which is essential for building the Skycity convention centre?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member would need to direct that question to Skycity. I am not the one holding negotiations.