Collins Judith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Collins Judith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:632;Page:3767] 
7.  
JUDITH COLLINS (National—Clevedon) 
 to the  
Minister of Veterans’ Affairs 
: Has he received the joint working-group’s report on Agent Orange; if he has when did he receive it? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of State Services) 
 on behalf of  
the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs 
: Ministers Goff and Barker received the report on 28 April. 
Judith Collins 
: Does the Minister stand by the assurance he gave me on 6 April that he would release the report unedited by the Government; and if he does why has he not released the report by now? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The Ministers are considering the recommendations of the report and that is obviously their first priority. But I can assure the member that the report will be released in full and unedited. 
Judith Collins 
: Why did the Minister refuse to tell the Social Services Committee last Wednesday whether he would release the report within the next 12 months and would he now like to take this opportunity to table the report? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No he would not like to take the opportunity to table the report because the Ministers intend to consider the recommendations of that report. It is a priority for the Ministers but due consideration must be given. The report will be released in full and unedited at a suitable time. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: On the subject of reports into Agent Orange is the Minister aware that in 1996 New Zealand First secured an agreement with the National Party to fully investigate the effects of Agent Orange on the children of Viet Nam veterans that by 1999 that investigation had been totally corrupted by the National Party with the Reeves report which concluded our troops have never been sprayed—which was a shameful lie—and that there is a word for that starting with “h”? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: It is my understanding that was the case. I presume the member feels that there is a word for that which starts with “h” in that now there is considerable concern from the Opposition about the release of this report and action being taken. 
Judith Collins 
: Can he understand that veterans might feel less than satisfied with the answer the Minister gave about when the report would be released when the former Minister opposed the Health Committee’s inquiry into Agent Orange his own department’s McLeod inquiry said that Agent Orange did not happen and therefore did not matter and now after weeks of holding the report the Minister last week could not say whether he would release it in the next 12 months when that Minister knows that the report is highly critical of his own department? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I do not consider that 6 weeks since the Minister received the report is a very long time—after all it took the select committee 13 months for its inquiry. It has been 6 weeks since it was received and they need time to be able to examine it and for recommendations to be looked at. That is what the Ministers are doing and it will be released in due course. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: There are no more supplementary questions. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: There are now. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: There are now? Thank you. Supplementary question the Rt Hon Winston Peters. 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Sit down Bill. I’m talking. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Come on! Both of you sit down please. I am on my feet. We will not have those exchanges across the House. It is treating the House with disrespect. The member was on his feet to make a point of order I presume. Is that correct? 
Hon Bill English 
: Yes. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would you please proceed. 
Hon Bill English 
: There was no exchange; there was simply a statement by Mr Peters. You have given the House quite a misleading impression of what happened. Can you now explain what is happening with the allocation of supplementary questions. The member rose to ask one and you said that there are no more supplementary questions for New Zealand First. He said: “There are now.” and then you took the call. That has to be explained. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Members of course are entitled amongst themselves to transfer supplementary questions. I would ask however that if they do so they inform the Speaker first. There is nothing wrong with the practice. I was not informed. I was assured it had been transferred and that means presumably it has come off one of the Labour Party’s supplementary questions. 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Can you just clarify this point. Members are all aware that questions are regularly reallocated among members within a party. Do I take it that what has happened here is that the Labour Party has allocated Winston Peters one of its supplementary questions and the New Zealand First quota has been used up? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is correct. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I do not know why you even entertain those points of order because arrangements here whether they be for one question or more are of no moment to any other party at all. Members of the ACT party have been away for about 6 months—in the army and dancing—and National members have been asking all their questions and we have never raised a point of order. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: It is a point of order Madam Speaker with respect. We have never protested about that. We have never wasted Parliament’s time raising a point of order. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member will be heard in silence. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Exactly! Every chance they get to try to interrupt the questioning of New Zealand First they have taken. They simply cannot take it. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That was not a legitimate point of order. I have already on more than occasion explained this practice. I have no intention of explaining it again. All I ask is that the whips do keep the Speaker informed of the transfer of questions. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In addition to the way this matter was handled by the National Party in 1999 when it produced a totally discredited report does the Minister also remember—[ 
Interruption 
] See here we go again. 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It is not just long-standing practice but also a Standing Order that the question must begin with a question word. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: And I wish all members actually did it. 
Hon Bill English 
: And that is a legitimate point of order. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Yes it is a legitimate point of order and I shall make sure it is enforced with all questions in the future from all parties. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. If a person is in his or her first sentence how could you make such a ruling that the person has not started with a question? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member did not have a question— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: It is pretty logical. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would you please proceed with your question. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Having regard to the way this matter was handled in 1999 does the Minister remember Geoff Braybrooke—a Labour member—bringing two members’ bills to the House under a National Government that it promptly voted down and is there an “h” word for that? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I believe that is the case. 
Hon Bill English 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I could pick up on the very technical point that he started again without a question word but the more important point is that the current Minister can have no responsibility for the actions of a Parliament that is now about three Parliaments ago. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I do not know whether that was a responsibility; I think it was asking—[ 
Interruption 
] I am sorry but would you please repeat the question and make it a question this time please Mr Peters. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Minister remember—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: If members wish to remain in the House they will be quiet to the end. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: —with regard to National’s actions when it was governing all on its lonesome—with the help of Tau in 1999—that Geoff Braybrooke brought two members’ bills to this House that that National Government promptly voted down; is there an “h” word for that? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I ask all members in future to desist from using that term—“h” word. It is unparliamentary. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I believe that is the case. 
Hone Harawira 
:Tena koe Madam Speaker; tena tatou te Whare. He aha ona mahi kia whakatikangia nga rereketanga o nga utu penihana e utua ana i raro i Te Ture Penihana o te tau 1954 mo nga hoia i whara me nga utunga i raro i Te Kaporeihana Awhina Hunga Whara mo nga morehu hoia i hoki mai i Vietnam 60 pai heneti o ratou he Maori? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
What actions will he be taking to address the differences in pension payments and compensation available for injured soldiers under the War Pensions Act 1954 compared with accident compensation—differences that clearly disadvantage Viet Nam veterans nearly 60 percent of whom are Maori? 
]  
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Unfortunately I am unable to answer that question at this time but I am certain that if the member puts it down as a question to the Minister he will answer it. 
Judith Collins 
: Can the Minister please confirm to the House whether the joint working-group’s report on Agent Orange will be released within the next 12 months? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The Minister is not prepared to name the date or time the report is to be released. It will be released in due course.