Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 06 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17478. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Leader of the Opposition) to thePrime Minister: Has Hon Judith Collins failed to meet the “high standards” he expects from Ministers; if so how?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): No. Over the almost 6 years Judith Collins has been a Minister she has made a significant contribution to the Government and the people of New Zealand and the portfolios that she has held. The House will be aware that in her recent actions in respect of Oravida she put herself in a situation where a perception of a conflict of interest has arisen. The Minister accepts this and she has apologised.Hon David Cunliffe: Does the Prime Minister remember giving Judith Collins a final warning about misleading by omission; if so on what basis did he give that final warning?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: It was in relation to the Oravida situation. I said there was other particular information. I have not seen any particular information come out although I am waiting for the secret donors of David Cunliffe to come out.Hon David Cunliffe: Does the Prime Minister consider that Judith Collins misled the media with her comments about Television One journalist Katie Bradford; if so why is she still a Minister?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: If the member is trying to relate that to the other issue as I said that was in relation to Oravida. In relation to the comments that the Minister made about Katie Bradford she has apologised for that. She herself has admitted that she overreached.Hon David Cunliffe: Was the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office aware of all the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advice and briefings relating to Judith Collins and Oravida when it provided him with advice on her conflict of interest?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am confident that the office is aware of all the pertinent information on the advice that it relayed to me.Hon David Cunliffe: When therefore did he first become aware of the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade briefings which said that Judith Collins appeared at Oravida in China “To increase the profile of a successful importer and distributor ofNew Zealand products into China.”—i.e. an official function and not a private function?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Firstly I do not have those details with me but I am happy if the member wants to ask me in writing for that. But what is actually quite interesting about the documents that the member is reading from is in fact that laced all the way through them—and not only in relation to the very busy schedule that the Minister had in relation to the justice portfolio—it was quite clear that this was a private dinner and that was all the way through the emails long before this issue ever came into the public domain. The one thing I do know is that lifting the profile of companies is very important. And Shane Jones believes in that; the Labour Party does not. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon David Cunliffe: Why is the Prime Minister holding this Minister the Minister of Justice and a trained lawyer to a lower standard than he has held the Hon Maurice Williamson when that Minister amongst other things has publicly countermanded his decision about Mr Williamson?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am not. I think it will be quite clear to everyone. In the case of Mr Williamson he breached paragraph 4.14 of theCabinet Manual. As I said in relation to Ms Collins she had a particular issue where the accumulation of events could have led to a perception of conflict of interest. But let us be honest about this: if your making a mistake means you are gone that leader should have been gone a hell—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] When I rise to my feet the Prime Minister should resume his seat. [Interruption] Order! It would be a shame if some Ministers had to leave the House so early in this new session.Hon David Cunliffe: Why then was the Prime Minister willing to sack Maurice Williamson Phil Heatley Peter Dunne and John Banks but not Judith Collins? What is it about the Minister of Justice that he will not touch—is it her fund-raising ability or is it her influence in the caucus?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: One thing that the member might want to learn if he wants to be an efficient leader is that actually every case is considered on a case by case basis. This Government has set high standards and yes where Ministers have not met the standards they have gone. But then again when he does not meet the standards people go as well. It is called Shane Jones. He has gone from Labour—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon David Cunliffe: In light of that answer can the Prime Minister tell the House why he has said that the rules of theCabinet Manualhave now become guidelines?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well actually to be honest I was paraphrasing Helen Clark.