Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNorman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 07 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17566. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to thePrime Minister: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes.Dr Russel Norman: Is it acceptable for Ministers to attend events known as the Cabinet club where a few private donors pay thousands of dollars to the National Party for access to those Ministers?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Other than the fact that the member is making some assumptions on the last bit absolutely it is. TheCabinet Manualmakes it quite clear and has done for a very long period of time that it is actually totally appropriate for Ministers to go and attend these types of events. They are free to speak about their portfolios. What they cannot do is accept additional payment themselves unless they have my approval for doing that. It has been so much of a longstanding thing that I could if members wanted me to table an address to the New Zealand Labour Party fund-raising dinner by Michael Cullen which interestingly enough was actually delivered by the person who has been asking all the questions in this area Trevor Mallard.Dr Russel Norman: Does it corrupt our democracy for Ministers to grant access to individuals on the proviso that they donate thousands of dollars to the National Party?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I really think that member needs to recognise that his high horse went lame when he parked it up at the Dotcom mansion. But if he wants to carry on down this track just make sure he tells New Zealanders he has never met Phillip Mills he has never spoken about green growth and he will never be part of the Labour-Greens Government because boy is that hypocrisy coming into the House with that.Dr Russel Norman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a pretty direct question—a politically loaded question I give you that. The Minister—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am going to ask the member to start his point of order again because I could not hear it and this time I demand silence from the Government side.Dr Russel Norman: Thank you Mr Speaker. It is a very simple point of order. The question was quite direct. It was a political question I give you that but it was a direct question. The Minister made no attempt to answer it.Mr SPEAKER: I thought the Prime Minister made an attempt to answer it that certainly satisfied many in the House. It may not have satisfied the member but it was certainly a very political question that was asked.Dr Russel Norman: How many Cabinet club events have his Ministers attended in this term of Parliament?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not have that information with me but it would not matter what that number was because theCabinet Manual is quite clear. It is absolutely thoroughly appropriate for Ministers to do that. They go in their capacity as an MP or a member of the party but they can absolutely go to those events. They can absolutely talk about areas of their portfolio and take questions. There is nothing wrong with that. It will not matter how many times Mr Norman gets on his feet and tries to claim something different; he is actually fundamentally wrong and he needs to go and read theCabinet Manual.Dr Russel Norman: So is the Prime Minister saying that it is acceptable in his Government for Ministers to engage in a cash-for-access scheme whereby members of the Cabinet club pay thousands of dollars to the National Party in order to get access to Ministers of the Crown?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Absolutely not but it is quite acceptable for Ministers to go in their capacity as MPs to a fundraising event and talk about their portfolios. That has been happening for a very very long period of time across parliaments. I could give you an example where for instance a political party ran an event it charged $500 and you could go with the leader and have an opportunity to pick your key MP and discuss “important issues”. I could show you an example of a political party that asked people to pay $1250 to have an opportunity for a one-on-one meeting of your choice on a subject of your choice with any MP or senior party official. I could give you examples where fund-raising dinners were done and held by a Deputy Prime Minister and released on public websites. They all come from the Labour Party and if you really want me to stay on my feet I can continue to do so—Mr SPEAKER: No; thank you for the invitation. The answer has been long enough.Dr Russel Norman: When the Prime Minister attended the Cabinet club luncheon in Dunedin on 3 September 2009 how much money was paid to the National Party in exchange?Mr SPEAKER: The Prime Minister has no responsibility as Prime Minister for the fund-raising of his political party.Dr Russel Norman: When the Prime Minister attended the Cabinet club luncheon in Dunedin on 3 September 2009 who was present and what was discussed with the Prime Minister at that exclusive event?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I do not have those—Hon Bill English: 25000.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No there were not 25000; there should not have been! I know that 25000 wanted to get in. I am sorry; the place was not that big. I do not have those details. If the member wants to put that down in writing to my office I can give them to him. But I can exclude two people. Kim Dotcom was not there because he was too busy having the leader—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That answer is now sufficient.Dr Russel Norman: I seek leave to table the diary from Michael Woodhouse describing the Prime Minister’s Cabinet club luncheon on 3 September 2009. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will put the leave. It is for the House to decide. Leave is sought to table the diary of the Prime Minister on that particular day. Is there any objection to that being tabled? Is there any objection? [Interruption] The source was Michael Woodhouse. That means it is from the Prime Minister’s—I am putting the leave. You can deny it if you want. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.