Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:620;Page:15802] 
1.  
RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Chairperson of the Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Committee 
: Does he stand by his statement on 14 September that Nanaia Mahuta’s submission “was received outside the parameters set by the committee” and was an exception made for this submission to be heard? 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Chairperson of the Fisheries and Other Sea-related Legislation Committee) 
: 
 Yes and no. 
Rodney Hide 
: Was it correct when the Speaker summarised the member’s answer by saying on 14 September that Nanaia Mahuta was not going to be heard; if it is not correct why does he think the Speaker would understand whether Nanaia Mahuta was going to be heard? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: In so far as the member could relate this to his responsibilities as chairman of the committee he may answer. 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
:  
Hansard 
 shows that in response to my answer “It did not meet the criteria.” the Speaker said: “The member said that it was not going to be heard. He said it did not meet the criteria.” 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is very good to have  
Hansard 
 read back but I actually asked a question. I did not want Mr Fairbrother to read the  
Hansard 
 which I have in my hand. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Repeat the question please. 
Rodney Hide 
: Was it correct when the Speaker said in summarising the chairman’s answer that Nanaia Mahuta was not going to be heard and then she was and how does he think the Speaker would have any idea whether Nanaia Mahuta was going to be heard? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That was a slightly different question from the original one but the member may answer. 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
: At the time the Speaker made that comment he was correct. I have no idea how the Speaker’s mind works and that is why I am here and he is up there. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: On what basis did the chairperson decide that she should be heard? 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
: The assigning of the last group of oral submissions was delegated by the committee to the independent specialist adviser. They were heard on 4 October and included Nanaia Mahuta. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: If Nanaia Mahuta’s submission was to use the chairman’s words “received outside the parameters set by the committee” why was it heard? 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
: The committee resolved to let the independent specialist adviser call other submitters not selected by the committee and those submitters were to be heard on 4 October. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am struggling with that answer. It is clearly for the committee to decide who is to be heard. We came to the House and asked Mr Fairbrother whether she would be heard and on what date. He explained that her submission was outside the criteria and in the magical way that your mind works Mr Speaker you knew that she was not to be heard and you said that and that was told to the House. I understand that situations change and people can later on think it is better to hear a submission than not hear it but the very idea that this was not a decision of the committee of which that member is the chairman has to be preposterous and out of order. It is for the committee to decide who will be heard not some independent body even if it is appointed by that committee. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The question of whether the committee should have delegated that decision is a fair question but that is a matter for the committee. There is nothing further for me to judge on this particular point of order. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is a new point of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It had better be new because— 
Rodney Hide 
: It is very new. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It had better be. 
Rodney Hide 
: You said that the question of whether it should have been delegated is a fair question. Does that mean that a committee could delegate anything or are there some parameters that apply? When there have been so many thousands of submissions the very idea that the decision as to who will appear and who will not—particularly when one submitter is a Labour Party MP and she gets chosen over all the other people that do not get chosen—gets delegated seems to me odd. Is it possible for a committee to delegate anything? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is a hypothetical question.