6. Provincial Growth Fund—Westport Waste to Energy ProjectHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) to the Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentProvincial Growth Fund—Westport Waste to Energy Project6. Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: Does his ministry consult with other ministries in preparing recommendations on projects to be funded from his $1 billion Provincial Growth Fund?Hon SHANE JONES (Minister for Regional Economic Development): To the best of my knowledge yes.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Did he receive the same advice from officials on the proposed $250 million waste to energy plant on the West Coast as the previous Government did; if not what was different?Hon SHANE JONES: Obviously a review is being held but I can assure the House that the advice that I have received points out that the last Government under the Leader of the Opposition allocated money after an active investigation was initiated against the person we are all talking about.Hon Gerry Brownlee: If his claim is correct then why did he need to add $350000 in funding for the feasibility study announced last week?Hon SHANE JONES: Results to date show approximately $50000 has already been allocated under the watch of the current Leader of the Opposition. Money that was approved last week is currently on ice until a review has been held but unfortunately that taxpayer dough handed over in 2017 has gone.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Can the Minister confirm that in fact the money he talks of in 2017 was paid to the local authority—I can't recall the proper name of the development arrangements out at Westport—and the new money however that was to accompany that has hooked itself on to the local authority and has now been funded when previously they had been rejected (1) because the project doesn't stack up and (2) because of the concern over the people who were behind that project?Hon SHANE JONES: I can confirm that money was definitely handed over and it was handed over by the last Government after an investigation was initiated against the person in question. The answer to that question lies to the member's side in the last Minister who obviously tried to get away with it or was not in charge of his portfolio.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was asking the Minister to confirm that the money that he speaks of was paid to a West Coast local authority development agency not to the company that has now been provided with the grant that he announced last Friday. Further I'd make the point Mr Speaker that if he is saying that the investigation is ongoing—SPEAKER: No no.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well he may be misleading the House.SPEAKER: Well the member knows how to take that up.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I realise that but in the first instance we bring it up with you.SPEAKER: No you don't.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Oh yes you do. You're very good at this judicial stuff.SPEAKER: Because if you do Mr Brownlee you can't bring it up the other way.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well that might be just as well too.SPEAKER: Yeah I think so.Hon Gerry Brownlee: So can I say simply—simply say—that if the investigation was concluded why is the Serious Fraud Office still investigating?SPEAKER: OK. The essence of the member's question I think was whether the question that he asked was addressed and I'm ruling that it was.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the Minister as to whether with his extensive political and ministerial experience or that of his colleagues he has ever seen the culprit of a fiscal misadventure pot himself?Hon SHANE JONES: Mr Speaker.SPEAKER: Oh I don't—no no no. [Interruption] Sit down.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Does the Minister have confidence in the capability of his officials to access proper credentials of applicants against their ability to deliver on projects funded from his $1 billion Provincial Growth Fund and can he point to one commercial venture in the world similar to the one proposed for Westport?Hon SHANE JONES: There are many questions tied up there. Obviously we have a governance structure that I have absolute confidence in but I have to say in April 2017 money was paid by the last regime to the company not local government.Hon Simon Bridges: Show us.Hon SHANE JONES: Rest assured I'll do more than show you buddy.