Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:641;Page:11212] 
8.  
GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) 
 to the  
Minister of State Services 
: Did Dr Mark Prebble keep file notes of his discussions or interactions with Mr Hugh Logan regarding Madeleine Setchell; if so were these given to Iain Rennie when he was compiling the briefing on Ministry for the Environment employment issues that she released on 20 July? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of State Services) 
: 
 I have not asked Dr Prebble whether he kept file notes on his discussions or interactions with Mr Logan as the facts pertaining to Ms Setchell are subject to an independent investigation by Mr Don Hunn and that investigation must be allowed to take its course. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Does the Minister stand by her statement to the House that she has regular fortnightly meetings with the State Services Commissioner or his representative; if so does it concern her that this matter was not raised with her at the two meetings she would have had with the commissioner or his representative between 28 May and 1 July? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I stand by my statement that I meet on a regular basis every fortnight unless something happens with the State Services Commissioner and his executive team. All I can affirm to this House is that I did not hear anything of this matter before the date that I have already informed this House of. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Does the Minister expect us to believe that she has no concern about the fact that although she had meetings at least twice with the State Services Commissioner or his representative during a period when the State Services Commissioner Mr Logan Mr Rennie Mr Hurring from David Benson-Pope’s office David Benson-Pope himself numerous staff from inside the Ministry for the Environment numerous staff in the Beehive and most certainly the Leader of the Opposition’s office all knew about this issue somehow the State Services Commissioner managed not to bother to mention it to her? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I stand by what I have said because those are the facts. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Does the Minister stand by her statement to the House: “in order to maintain a relationship of confidence between the Minister and chief executive the Minister is entitled to expect to be informed in advance of any issues or difficulties relating to the agency.”; and if she still believes in her statement made to the House can she still express confidence in Dr Prebble who apparently kept her in the dark for 5 weeks? 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Tell the truth. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I take exception to the comments made by Nick Smith and I request that he be asked to withdraw and apologise. But also Madam Speaker yesterday we had to listen to a long-winded point of order from the National Party about interjections from the Government side of the House when questions were being asked and I have to tell you that Nick Smith has been making those sorts of nasty interjections across the House for month and months. Then the Opposition wonders why there is retaliation. I think that either it stops here or you will continue to see the sort of interaction that you do not like and that you try to stop in this House. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. The member has taken exception. I did not hear the precise nature of the comment but exception has been taken. I ask the member to withdraw and apologise. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The three words I used were “Tell the truth.” During the course of the last fortnight. I have heard Mr Goff almost systematically on the end of Government Ministers’ answers to the House say: “Tell the truth Mr Key. Tell the truth.” The Minister who has taken offence has talked about retaliation. I have to say I have listened constantly to that phrase from Government members without interjecting for 2 weeks I use it once and she gets all prickly. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member has made his point. The member of course could have objected but he did not. The matter has now been dealt with. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I asked a question then the Minister took a very lengthy point of order. I wonder whether I can re-ask the question so the House can follow— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No the Minister responded and I just did not hear the response. I ask her to repeat the answer. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The answers to the questions—and there were two questions—are yes; and yes. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Which of the following possibilities does she think is most likely: first that file notes were not kept by Dr Prebble second that file notes were kept but were not passed on to Iain Rennie who was preparing a report for the Minister or third that file notes were kept but that they deliberately omitted any reference to ministerial involvement in the Madeleine Setchell matter in order to protect David Benson-Pope and quite possibly other Labour Ministers as well as him? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I will wait for the facts to be established by Mr Don Hunn. I do not intend to be engaged in the sort of kangaroo court that Mr Brownlee would like to engage in for nothing other than political purposes. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Now that the Minister has told the House that she had no fewer than two meetings with the State Services Commissioner during a period when almost everybody in this complex knew about this matter except apparently her can she tell us whether it is now standard practice for senior public servants to no longer keep file notes or alert Government Ministers on matters of significant political interest such as the Madeleine Setchell matter or Air New Zealand’s flying of Aussie troops to Iraq; and is that because the Labour Government would rather there was not a paper trail and particularly perhaps because the Minister of Foreign Affairs would be happy there was no paper trail to involve him in such matters? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No; and no.