5. Question No. 5—Prime MinisterHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 5—Prime Minister5. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes. Hon Paula Bennett: Can serious offenders such as murderers have a licence to manufacture cannabis under this Government's medicinal cannabis scheme? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I haven't brought the details with me into the House around some of the criteria around the production of medicinal cannabis. Hon Gerry Brownlee: The Prime Minister passed the law. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the member wishes to bring specific details in a question on notice either to me or to the Minister in charge of this area we would be more than happy to answer the question. SPEAKER: I'm just going to ask Mr Brownlee to be a little quieter with his interjections especially when they are a reflection on this House. Hon Paula Bennett: Under proposals put forward by this Government so long as other licence holder criteria are met can active gang members have a licence to grow cannabis under the proposed medicinal cannabis scheme? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I really question why the member would feel uncomfortable putting on notice this question because I would be more than happy to discuss with the member the regulatory criteria set down for the production of medicinal cannabis. But the member will appreciate that I haven't brought the detail with me; I would be loath to give her misinformation and I would rather make sure that I was speaking to fact rather than my recall on this matter. Hon Paula Bennett: Can convicted serious offenders who meet all other licence holder criteria apply for and hold a licence to manufacture cannabis while they are in jail doing their time? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I'm not going to get into a speculative discussion here on principle. This is a serious matter on which actually most members in this House support the production of medicinal cannabis. This is not a particularly political issue. This is a matter of substance. I would rather ensure that I gave the member the correct information around the regulatory framework. I'm much better placed to do that if I have the documentation in front of me. Hon Dr David Clark: Would the Prime Minister be surprised to learn that the proposals for consultation rule out people with criminal convictions being the licence holder for growing operations but that the proposals do allow for people who have had troubled pasts to participate as employees to make a meaningful contribution to society through the contribution of their skills? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No I wouldn't be by that detail but I equally know that members on that side of the House are attempting to make a political point on a matter of substance that actually I would have thought that both sides of this House wanted a medicinal cannabis regime that works. If the member has identified an issue within the law that they believe undermines a robust medicinal cannabis regulatory framework that is something I'm sure we would be very willing to engage with the member on. Hon Paula Bennett: Is the Prime Minister aware that in the Government's consultation document around the medicinal cannabis scheme that they are proposing there are only two areas where they would be unable to be licensed which is if they have not had a previous licence issued under the Misuse of Drugs Act revoked or if they have the capacity to comply with the conditions of the licence for an offence against the misuse and a crime involving dishonesty but they could be murderers they could be currently in jail—SPEAKER: Order! That question is ruled out—Speaker's ruling 175/4. Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Perhaps you could help us by saying what aspect of that question caused it to be ruled out. SPEAKER: Well has the member read Speaker's ruling 175/4? Hon Gerry Brownlee: Yes I have. SPEAKER: Does he want to read it to the House and show he understands it? Hon Gerry Brownlee: Yes I will if you would like me to. SPEAKER: Yes. Hon Gerry Brownlee: OK. What are we looking—tell me what you're referring to. SPEAKER: Speaker's ruling 175/4. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Speaker's ruling 175/4—just a moment. It takes me a wee while to count that far. SPEAKER: Get the member's shoes off; he'll get there quicker. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Thank you for that comment in this friendly Parliament Mr Speaker. Speaker's ruling 175/4—and we're reading here—says does not allow another member to answer a question on behalf of a member of whom the question is asked." So how does that fit—Speaker's ruling 175/4? SPEAKER: Speaker's ruling 175/4. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Yes I've got page—oh I've got page 176. There you go. Well I'll tell you what: one of the great Labour leaders always used to say "One a day and you learn something". Speaker's ruling 174/4: "I have not actually ruled out [supplementary questions containing irony]"—SPEAKER: Speaker's ruling 175/4. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Oh it's Speaker's ruling 175/5 now? It was Speaker's ruling 174/4 before. SPEAKER: It'll always be Speaker's ruling 175/4. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well Hansard will check us on that. "It is irregular to preface a supplementary question with the words 'Is the Minister aware' "—well in that case why did you accept the questions from David Clark and from Winston Peters and from Chris Hipkins? SPEAKER: Order! Those are not the words that David Clark used. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Then what were the words that were—are they just the words? So you can go and ask the question of a Prime Minister or another Minister about something that may be assumed—because that of course was what Winston Peters did. SPEAKER: Right. Now if the member is not capable of finishing and making clear why that question was ruled out then—Hon Gerry Brownlee: No I'm asking you. SPEAKER: Sorry? Hon Gerry Brownlee: I was asking you why that was ruled out. SPEAKER: Why the question was ruled out? It was ruled out because it was a clear breach of Speaker's ruling 175/4 as the member became aware as soon as he started reading it."