Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Brash Don: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:633;Page:4538] 
2.  
Dr DON BRASH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she have any plans to further investigate the matters that Dr Noel Ingram QC was unable to resolve in his report; if not why not? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 No. More than enough money has been spent—a view Dr Brash would normally endorse. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Does she agree with the statement made yesterday by her former adviser and biographer Dr Brian Edwards: “The Taito Phillip Field thing stinks. It really stinks. I hope I don’t lose any clients over making that comment.”; if so will she support a select committee inquiry in order to restore some semblance of faith in the institution of Parliament? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Dr Brash of course blocked Mr Field giving a statement to the House in which he expressed his regret for what had happened. I am sure that no matter how hard up Dr Edwards is he will not be taking on Dr Brash because he cannot be helped. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is the Prime Minister aware that that member and his colleagues have just refused to give leave for the House to express its concern at the findings of the Ingram report and to reaffirm its commitment to the principle of not accepting any consideration from constituents on whose behalf members advocate; and given the refusal of the National Party to allow the House to express its view on these matters or in fact to allow Mr Field to make a statement and perhaps accept some responsibility for what he has done what further purpose does she think would be achieved by a further inquiry? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Yes I do— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I would ask you to think carefully about that question. This is an issue that clearly has people well exercised on their various party lines. Quite clearly the dead hand of Michael Cullen was all over the motion that the Greens sought leave to move in the House today. The other question of course is why a member would want to make a personal explanation when apparently he has done nothing wrong—because there has been no investigation. I ask you Madam Speaker what possible authority or responsibility the Prime Minister can have for the National Party’s decision to avoid being complicit in these cover-ups. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member for his comments. Looking at the question I see that it is a broad one. The Prime Minister does have responsibility for matters that are raised so I ask the Prime Minister to address the question. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Indeed I understand that the National Party did block that motion. I further understand that Dr Brash told the leader of the Green Party he would support it and was overruled by Mr Brownlee. Who is the leader of the National Party? 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I never knew I was that good! Now that Labour members have released all the pent-up tension they must be feeling from the pressure they are getting for the corrupt behaviour of Mr Field I ask whether there has ever been a clearer demonstration that the Greens are in the pocket of the Labour Party than that particular little revelation from the Prime Minister. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. I ask the right honourable Prime Minister to address the question please. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I take offence at the view of Gerry Brownlee that anybody else would have written my motion. I wrote every word of it myself last night and this morning. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No. Has the right honourable Prime Minister finished addressing the question? She has. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Why is the Prime Minister so opposed to any further inquiry; is it because any further inquiry will make Mr Field’s continued presence in this Parliament untenable or is it because she is protecting three other Labour members of this House whose actions in the Field affair are yet to be accounted for? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: No it is for neither of the above. It is because—[ 
Interruption 
] I would like to address the member’s question. The reason for not wanting a further inquiry is that the member has had his punishment and is no longer a Minister. The member has suffered humiliation as a result of the report. The member has accepted that he needs to change the way he works as a member of Parliament. Further the member wished to apologise to Parliament today and that was blocked by the National Party. 
Darien Fenton 
: Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Minimum Wage and Remuneration Amendment Bill currently in my name on the Order Paper would address some of the issues raised in the Ingram report; and has she seen any reports on reactions of others to the bill? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I can indeed confirm that the member’s bill would address the issue of minimum rates of pay for contracts of service. I understand that the National Party is not prepared to support it which raises the question of whether its members are genuine at all in their pursuit of this issue—I suspect not. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Can I just note that those members at the back who are winding up the barracking by waving their arms may not be with us for too much longer in question time. So I give you a warning. 
Heather Roy 
: In light of the Prime Minister’s answer to the primary question is she aware of any further allegations swirling around Taito Phillip Field’s receiving financial considerations in return for political favours that were not covered in the Ingram report; and are those swirling allegations not the real reason that Mr Field has not been returned to his ministerial portfolio? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: No and no. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Why when Dr Ingram has stated: “If the allegations in relation to further Thai labour on Mr Field’s house in Samoa are to be resolved it would be necessary for an authority with appropriate powers of investigation to inquire further.” does she continue to refuse to allow any investigation that would resolve these issues and clear the name of this Parliament? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The member is well aware of Dr Ingram’s view expressed in the report that having further powers of inquiry would not necessarily get to the truth of the matter. I further note that it is a bit rich for Dr Brash to be worrying about what the workers were paid when he does not support having a minimum wage minimum statutory holidays paid parental leave or any protection for workers. There is one word for that and it starts with “h”. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Does the Prime Minister accept that the public are entitled to know the truth about the very serious allegations levelled against Taito Phillip Field; if so why is she determined to deny the public the chance to get to the bottom of the matter? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: If the member had taken the time to read the report as thoroughly as I have he would have found out everything he wanted and needed to know about the matter. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Can the Prime Minister confirm her earlier statement that the Ingram report demonstrated a need to change the practice of lafo involving members of Parliament and can she tell the House what instructions she has issued to date as a consequence? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The Ingram report suggested that the Prime Minister might like to get further guidance from the Cabinet Office on the practice of lafo. I have asked for precisely such guidance.