O'Rourke Denis: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
O'Rourke Denis: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 12 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8382. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
7. 
DENIS O’ROURKE (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Is the Government planning to reduce the numbers in the Immigration New Zealand Parent Category? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 No. There is a cap of around 5000 places per year for the parent category which is about the same as it was under the New Zealand First - Labour Government. To ensure the best return for New Zealand from this policy— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know that this member has been here about 5 minutes but there was no such thing as a New Zealand First - Labour Government. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am sorry I cannot even hear the point of order. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I know that this member has been in this House for about 5 minutes but there never was a New Zealand First - Labour Government. You know that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And that is not a point of order. The member can continue his answer. 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: To ensure the best return for New Zealand from this policy last year we made changes to give priority to migrants who can make a real contribution to New Zealand which we expect to lead to significant savings for the taxpayer and contribute to the Government’s Business Growth Agenda. 
Denis O’Rourke 
: In the 2011-12 immigration statistics why were parent category immigrants from China more than 120 percent of Chinese skilled immigrants when every other country did not exceed 24 percent of parents to skilled immigrants? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: This Government is colour-blind and not designed to favour any nationality over another. We are interested in how these people can contribute to New Zealand not— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question is very exact. It asks for an explanation— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And the member is attempting to answer it. Would the member please allow the question to be answered so that I can listen to the quality of the answer. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Well I hope you are looking out for an answer on the percentages. That is what we are interested in. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Then we will hear the answer from the Minister. 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: Everybody who came in under those categories qualified to do so. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Seeing as you leapt to his defence in the answer which part of that reply was the answer to the question that was asked? 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: The question asked about why a particular percentage of a group got through the gate. The answer was because they qualified. You cannot get a better answer than that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Does the member have further supplementary questions? 
Denis O’Rourke 
: I seek leave to table two graphs prepared by the Parliamentary Library one showing the proportion of parent category immigrants against skilled immigrants for 2011-12 for the main immigrant countries and the other the strong upward trend in parent category immigration from China to 2011-12. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those two graphs. Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none. They may be tabled. 









Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Denis O’Rourke 
: Is it fair that one country gets a disproportionate share of the parent category? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: I repeat the answer to the previous question: this Government has policies that those people who came in under the parent category qualified for. But I do note that the centre of gravity provisions that were supported by the previous Government with whom the New Zealand First Party had a confidence and supply agreement— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You know it is going to lead to disorder if this member tries to strangle the conversation by deviating off the path to another administration and then misdescribing that administration as well. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister is— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why does he not just answer the question? That is your priority. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will resume his seat. The Minister is attempting to answer the question. If there is any more interruption we will simply move to the next question. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Can I invite you to consider that ruling? All it is is an invitation for the Minister to avoid answering the question again. All he has to do if he does not like a question is— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I have heard quite enough from the member. I listened to the question. I thought the Minister was attempting to give a genuine answer. It was interrupted by a point of order. I want to hear that answer completed and then we can judge whether the question has been adequately addressed. 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: Everybody who has come in under the parent category criteria that currently exist did so because they met those criteria. But I note that previous— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The questioner asked whether it is fair. That is the question and deviating from the answer will not do. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do not recall that being the question at all. I think the easiest way and we are going to move forward is that I will give the member a chance to re-ask the question. I then want the Minister to answer it without interruption from any other member of the House. 
Denis O’Rourke 
: The question was is it fair that one country gets a disproportionate share of the parent category? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: This is not about one country over another. This is about skilled migrants and their parents who can make a meaningful economic contribution to this country being accepted under the categories that exist. But in respect of China which the member has asked I note that the previous criteria put in place by the previous Government had centre of gravity provisions that would favour Chinese parents over other countries. That has been changed. 
Brendan Horan 
: Is the Minister concerned that in countries with a one child per family policy such as China a greater proportion of grandparents from that country migrate to New Zealand? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: I may be concerned if the centre of gravity provisions that applied under the previous Government were still in place but in fact they have been changed. 
Denis O’Rourke 
: Within the parent category is it true that parents from every other country are disadvantaged because parents from China fill up more than half of the category? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: No. 
Denis O’Rourke 
: Can the Minister give an assurance that the proportion of parent category immigrants from any country will not exceed the number of skilled immigrants from that country in the future? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: Well I could give the member an assurance that the cap that is in place for the parent category is very unlikely to be exceeded in the foreseeable future and that everybody who comes in under that category will do so because they meet the criteria. 
Denis O’Rourke 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I still do not know whether or not the Minister will give an assurance. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister very adequately addressed the question that was put. Is there a further— 
Denis O’Rourke 
: The question— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! [ 
Interruption 
] Order! The member will resume his seat. I listened to the question. I believe that the Minister very adequately addressed it. It may not be to the member’s satisfaction. He can try further supplementary questions if he wants. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: What does the Minister find so difficult about answering simple questions as to fairness— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! That is not a question that is in order because that is questioning whether the Minister has addressed the question. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I haven’t finished yet. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am telling you at this stage that question is not in order. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! The member will resume his seat. I will give the member one more chance to ask a supplementary question that is in order. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I fail to see how Mr Peters’ question can be out of order. It was a perfectly reasonable question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. I ruled. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: It may be helpful to point out Mr Speaker that questions that are put to Ministers cannot contain ironic expressions. That question started with one. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is right. Anyway if the Rt Hon Winston Peters wishes to ask a supplementary question I have given him one opportunity. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I will make it simple for him and you. The question is: has the Minister been provisioned by his department officials sufficiently so that he can come to this House and answer questions as to fairness and percentages with accuracy? Yes or no? 
Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE 
: The member’s question presumes that percentages are a driver of fairness. I do not accept that. Fairness is about the meeting of the criteria for the parent category and I am satisfied that all people who have come in under that category have been treated fairly and that they qualified.