11. Environment Minister—Freshwater Management and Marine Protected AreasHon DAVID PARKER (Labour) to the Minister for the EnvironmentEnvironment Minister—Freshwater Management and Marine Protected AreasHon DAVID PARKER (Labour): My question is to the former deputy leader of the National Party and—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will now stand and deliver his question the correct way.11. Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) to the Minister for the Environment: Does he believe that he has control of his environment portfolio given the Kermadec sanctuary legislation he is responsible for is becalmed and his proposed standard for swimmable rivers has been condemned by freshwater scientists and environmentalists as well as the recreational users of the rivers and lakes that have been deteriorating under his watch?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment): I am happy to be judged on results. I have successfully concluded 10 marine reserves under this Government and three previously. All the key stakeholders on fresh water acknowledge that this Government is doing more than any Government has in advancing reforms to deliver better water quality. The controversy is that some extreme Greens want impractical policies that simply will not work. Hon David Parker: Does he agree with Forest and Bird that his swimmable standard excludes a large number of local rivers that Kiwis actually swim in or with fresh water scientist Mike Joy who has said his Government has shifted the goal posts" and "tried to pull a 'swifty' on the people of New Zealand"?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: In respect of Kevin Hague's comments at the weekend I would love to take members of this House to some of the streams that he said should be monitored for swimming in Wellington because they are actually underground pipes and I am not sure you can swim in those. Secondly the swimmable standard that our Government has set applies to lakes that are more than 40 centimetres deep and lakes but—hello hello—90 percent of the smaller waterways actually flow into those and will have to have improved water quality for the policy to be delivered. Thirdly regional councils are able to identify smaller water bodies set standards for them and improve them.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is just a matter of courtesy I seek to raise but I am watching the Minister there and he is so carried away that he is being absolutely rude in the extreme to his colleague sitting next to him. There are photographs coming in to me to show how rude he is. He should show some manners and give her the space that she deserves. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Well that is not a point of order that is relevant at all. Hon David Parker: Does he accept that his swimmable—Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I take offence at the allegation that has been made by Mr Peters and I think he should be asked to withdraw and apologise.Mr SPEAKER: I ask the member therefore to—and the member is not meant to be using his cellphone to take photographs in this House either. The member stands withdraws and apologises.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I withdraw. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: And apologise—[Interruption] Order! And apologise. Rt Hon Winston Peters: Like Mr Finlayson did?Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will stand withdraw and apologise.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. When I raised an objection and said I was offended by Mr Finlayson's comment you did not require him to withdraw and apologise—and he did not.Mr SPEAKER: I did not; that is absolutely right and it is not a point of order. I judge it on the occasion and based on the interjection that is made or the accusation that is made and that is my prerogative. The member will resume his seat.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Pardon?Mr SPEAKER: The member will sit down when I am on my feet. I thank the member. I make those judgments based on the level of order or disorder in the House and I make them on a case-by-case basis and that is at the discretion of the Speaker.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Mr SPEAKER: Point of order. Is it a fresh point of order?Rt Hon Winston Peters: Yes it is a very fresh point of order—fresh as the morning dew. I seek leave to table two photographs relating to—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not even prepared to consider it any longer. The member will resume his seat immediately. He is very lucky to be staying here.Hon David Parker: Does he accept his swimmable standard has no rule for slime or nutrients and that his underlying wadeable standard allows pollution to cause more slime and algal blooms in rivers that he is now calling swimmable?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I would note that when we came to Government there were no rules about nutrients or about algae and the new national policy statement specifically put rules and new requirements on both.Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was very specific—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not sure whether it has been addressed. I will give the member the benefit of the doubt but I do not want interjections—loudly—from Dr David Clark throughout the question or the answer.Hon David Parker: Does he accept his swimmable standard has no rule for slime or nutrients and that his underlying wadeable standard allows pollution to cause more slime growth and algal blooms in the rivers that he is now calling swimmable?Mr SPEAKER: There are two questions there.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: No the 90 percent clean rivers and lakes by 2040 policy specifically refers to algae concentrations. Furthermore the new website specifically provides information in that regard and I remind the member that when we came to Government there were absolutely no limits on algae or nutrients at a national level and we put them in place.Hon David Parker: Does he agree that his credibility hit rock bottom when his fake swimmable standard was exposed as a scam that would make Bernie Madoff blush?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: If it was a scam it was a scam by the previous Labour Government because the 540 E. coli limit for swimmability was set by Marian Hobbs in 2003.Andrew Bayly: Could the Minister please outline which marine protected areas he has successfully concluded?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Akaroa Antipodes Island the Bounty Islands Campbell Island Hautai in South Westland Hikurangi in Kaikōura Kahurangi Pōhatu Punakaiki Te Angiangi in Hawke's Bay Te Tapuwae in the East Coast Waiau Glacier in the Haast and I have also been supporting the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the creation of the Ross Sea Marine Reserve—the largest marine protected area that our Government has ever created."