Hodgson Pete: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hodgson Pete: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:657;Page:6634] 
11.  
Hon PETE HODGSON (Labour—Dunedin North) 
 to the  
Minister responsible for Ministerial Services 
: How is a Minister’s primary place of residence determined? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister responsible for Ministerial Services 
: The primary place of residence for all members of Parliament including Ministers is determined by the Speaker. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: Why does Ministerial Services not provide an official residence or pay any housing allowance to the Hon Peter Dunne the Hon Chris Finlayson or the Hon Heather Roy? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Because it has been determined that their primary place of residence is Wellington. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: What information did Ministerial Services receive to persuade it that the Hon Bill English complied with the criteria of the Auditor-General relating to the primary place of residence of an MP including the criterion regarding “the locations where the MP spends most of” his or her “non-parliamentary time;”? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I assume that Ministerial Services used the same criteria that it used to determine where for example the Hon Pete Hodgson spent most of his time when he was an MP from Dunedin but was resident in Wellington. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: Supplementary question— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am afraid that I have already been quite generous to the honourable member because there was no provision for supplementary questions from the Progressive party today and there certainly is not provision for a second question. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry if it was not communicated to you but the Labour Party has given an extra supplementary question to the Progressive party today. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: But that question has already been used. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: He has had only one. We have given him two supplementary questions. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: He has been given two supplementary questions? I beg the honourable member’s pardon. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: What information did Ministerial Services receive to persuade it that the Hon Bill English complied with the criteria of the Auditor-General relating to the primary place of residence of an MP including the criterion regarding “the locations where the MP’s current spouse or partner and family live and where other dependent family members usually live (including where they spend most time work or attend school);”? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I imagine Ministerial Services relied on the determination made by the Speaker in the same way it would have relied on that determination when that member was living in Vogel House but had a home in Addington or when Mr Goff had a home in Wellington but was living in a ministerial house in Wellington while he had a home in Auckland or in the case of any number of Labour Ministers who were in exactly the same position. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: What precise pecuniary interest test must be met before it is permissible to lease a home from a family trust for use as a ministerial residence: a personal pecuniary interest test or a familial pecuniary interest test? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I call the honourable Minister I say that this primary question is about primary place of residence not about matters to do with pecuniary interests. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is only if a primary place of residence decision has been taken in a certain way that this question becomes relevant. The two supplementary questions asked by my colleague the Hon Jim Anderton make it relevant. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The dilemma is that the primary question is so precise: “How is a Minister’s primary place of residence determined?”. Trying to stretch that question to issues of pecuniary interest is stretching things a fair way. I will give the member another chance to try to bring his supplementary question a bit closer to the primary question. 
Hon Pete Hodgson 
: In the event of a Minister’s primary place of residence being not in Wellington what precise pecuniary interest test must be met before it is permissible to lease a home from a family trust for use as a ministerial residence: a personal pecuniary interest test or a familial pecuniary interest test? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I can elucidate no more on that question than the Prime Minister has in the past 2 days. 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: I seek leave to table part 2 “Issues of Eligibility for Allowances Based on Residence” of the Auditor-General’s  
Parliamentary Salaries Allowances and Other Entitlements: Final Report 
 of July 2001. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document  by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I wonder whether you would make it clear to the House as Speaker that it is the Speaker’s role to make such determinations not the Auditor-General’s role. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It is not strictly a point of order but the member is correct that the Speaker actually makes those determinations.