Hon DARREN HUGHES (Senior Whip—Labour) Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I apologise to Jeanette Fitzsimons. I am raising it about the requirement for Ministers to answer questions. Obviously, when Ministers are outside Wellington or outside the parliamentary complex, another Minister answers on behalf of the absent Minister. We saw that with Mr Power answering for Mr Finlayson. But two questions are set down for the Prime Minister, one of which is about to be asked. The Prime Minister is in Copperfields having a cup of coffee, not in the debating chamber―
Mr SPEAKERThe member will sit down immediately. The member knows he cannot, by way of a point of order, make any reference to a member’s absence from the House. It is simply not acceptable practice at all, and I ask him not to do that sort of thing. The member knows better than to do that. [ Interruption] I am on my feet, and someone will be leaving this Chamber very soon unless there is some silence.