2. Overseas Ownership of New Zealand Property—Exemption for Te Ārai DevelopmentCLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First) to the Minister of ForestryOverseas Ownership of New Zealand Property—Exemption for Te Ārai Development2. CLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First) to the Minister of Forestry: What reports has he received about the effect of the changes to the Overseas Investment Act 2005 on forestry and other regional land?Hon SHANE JONES (Minister of Forestry): I can do no better than to quote the Whanganui-based director of forest owners management services: bloody good news". These changes as they pertain to forest land and forest resource simplify the application process vastly reduce the costs associated with forest investors wandering through that process and I'm told it'll be a boost to grow us at a greater pace to achieve the billion tree outcome.Clayton Mitchell: Does the Minister consider these changes to be positive towards the billion trees strategy?Hon SHANE JONES: There are a limited range of sources of capital in terms of funding this nation-building project. There is core funding coming out of the Crown; there is funding coming out of entities such as the Superannuation Fund in the event that they are so inclined; and then there is the source of international capital. Our Government made a choice to simplify the process so we could tap into international capital subject to rules and regulations that will be covered off by environmental legislation. This is positive for the billion trees strategy.Clayton Mitchell: Are there specific concerns related to former Crown forestry land?Hon SHANE JONES: Yes. Former Crown forestry land was given back. I'm aware as the Minister of Forestry of a range of Māori hapū and Treaty settlement assets and on one such block of land I have been lobbied by parties associated with that Crown forest land located in Mangawhai-Te Ārai.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could the Minister possibly help us all by telling us who was the concerned local citizen that contacted him and lobbied him on behalf of the local iwi and developers?Hon SHANE JONES: I did attend a meeting at the Tara Iti golf course. That land was previously Crown forest land. Present at that meeting were members from the Te Uri o Hau hapū Mr John Darby and the US billionaire Mr Ric Kayne. I'm disappointed that the latter's name has been traduced by the Opposition in the House. I had never heard of the man's name until I was encouraged to meet him by the former Prime Minister the Rt Hon John Key.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Amongst all those people that the Minister mentioned was it Sir John Key who was the local citizen that lobbied him?Hon SHANE JONES: After I received my warrant in October I was the Minister of Forestry and quickly grew to be as dubbed by Gerry Brownlee the champion of the country. It was in that capacity that—and I quite enjoy the company of the former Prime Minister which may reduce my prospects for career development given the nature of the current Prime Minister but having said that I took his call. I didn't think there was anything improper with meeting with those parties one billionaire and if it was good enough for him to encourage me to meet with them listen to them about their concerns that's what I'm paid to do. The other side of the House might find more information if they look closer to home.Hon David Parker: So let me get this straight: is the—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Question.Hon David Parker: Is the Minister saying that after all the spurious and defamatory accusations levelled against me and the Government by the Opposition the Rt Hon Sir John Key had been making representations on behalf of Te Ārai for help before I even knew about it?Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My point of order is simply this. Mr Parker is not asking a question; he is asking for a clarification. Further he is making an allegation in his question and in actual fact the only responsibility that the regional development Minister and forestry Minister might have in these circumstances would be for his own actions which would be his interactions with the Hon David Parker that led to the extraordinary exclusion attempt in the recent Overseas Investment Amendment Bill a bill which is currently before a select committee. Who lobbied who is of no concern to anybody in this House. It's the actions—[Interruption] Rt Hon Winston Peters: Speaking to the point of order—SPEAKER: No no we'll let him finish first. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well what this House concerns itself with is potential for corrupt practice and that is the essence of what is at stake here. This sort of question—this self-justifying sort of question—does not do anything to improve the integrity of this House. SPEAKER: Before I—I very rarely correct the honourable member on technical matters. The bill is currently before the House. It's out of select committee. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Speaking to the point of order the first thing is that the member when making his point of order was in grave danger of impugning his own former leader with the language he used. But the reason why Mr Parker is asking the question is because like me and my colleagues we are filled with so much incredulity as to the answer that's been given by the Minister. SPEAKER: I think the question did start off with a question. I think it was something like "Have I got it right?" or similar words and a set of facts were put there. I think we were getting close to the end of it and I don't want to cause disruption by having it all again but if the member can just bring it to a conclusion very quickly. Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You made it very clear at the start of question time that the leader of the National Party could ask a question but not make a statement. I hope that the same rule will be applied here because I know that it's a matter of self-defence that we're seeing in this question but it should simply be a question. SPEAKER: And there was a very clear question: "Have I got it right?" and then a set of facts. It wasn't the addition of a set of facts after a question had been completed as the Leader of the Opposition did and he did it again and I didn't pull him up on it. Hon David Parker: Just concluding the question in effect did the Rt Hon Sir John Key former leader of the National Party make representations on behalf of Te Ārai for help before I even knew about it? SPEAKER: Well I think what we've got absolutely clear now is there is no area of responsibility because this Minister has no responsibility for when that member knew about it. Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I find that a very narrow ruling given the aspersions that have been directed at me sir. The Minister has—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Hon David Parker: The Minister has responsibility for forestry matters including relating to the forestry land to which this relates and I've asked him whether he received—you know have I got it right—representations from the Rt Hon Sir John Key on that issue and I sir suggest that's a question that's in order. SPEAKER: Well the first part of the question certainly was in order and the vast majority of the summary was in order but the member asked the Hon Shane Jones to make a judgment as to the timing of that member's knowledge and it is my view that he does not have responsibility for that. Hon David Parker: Could I just rephrase the final part of that then sir because it's a—SPEAKER: No you can ask a new question. Hon David Parker: OK. Is the Minister saying that after all the spurious and defamatory accusations levelled against me and the Government by the Opposition and their proxies the Rt Hon Sir John Key the former National Party leader had been making representations on behalf of Te Ārai for help before 6 March? Hon SHANE JONES: I concede this to be a part of my job. When a former Prime Minister who I've got quite a bit of time for rightly or wrongly suggested encouraged me to make contact with a fine investor in my view—Mr Ric Kayne—and associated parties I had no qualms in doing that whatsoever. Now that meeting to the best of my recollection took place not long after the chief of the hapū Te Uri o Hau Mr Russell Kemp died. I cannot recollect when Mr Key first made contact to me but it was after that I was made a Minister sir. SPEAKER: I am going to ask the Minister now to—and I know we can't insist on yes or no things. Was it before 6 March? That was the question.Hon SHANE JONES: The contact with the former Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key most certainly took place prior to 6 March and to the best of my memory I met at the Tara Iti golf course with the hapū with the billionaire from America—a fine man—and Mr Darby.Hon Gerry Brownlee: To the Minister for Regional Development—SPEAKER: No—forestry.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Forestry—sorry. Did he at any time make representations to Cabinet colleagues about the potential for the exclusion of this property from the Overseas Investment Act?Hon SHANE JONES: If I could answer it in this fashion: the Te Uri o Hau land was land that was transferred by Doug Graham and the Jim Bolger regime. I heard very clearly the concerns of that hapū that this compensatory land was suffering a further penalty as our Government moved to exercise article 1 Treaty sovereign powers. That is without a doubt and I made my concerns about compensatory Treaty land known to Mr Parker. That is not the only block of Māori land that people have referred to me that is caught up with our universal and blanket ban.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Was he aware at the time of his representations to Mr Parker that the iwi had already disposed of more than 75 percent of their interests in the originally settled land?Hon SHANE JONES: I do not recall the Rt Hon John Key referring to me that information."