Points of Order

GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) Link to this

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. We have had a couple of minutes now to think about the ruling you brought back to the House at the start of the afternoon. The unanswered part for us though remains as to whether the question that led to this ruling would, by the ruling, be in order. That was the question from Dr Nick Smith to Dover Samuels in which he was asking the Minister to comment on a report and, indeed, on quotes from that report, made by the Minister himself, but apparently in a different capacity. It seems that we should get an answer to that because the frustration that came from the rejection of that question on the day led to Dr Smith being out of the House for an extended period of time. After thinking about your ruling, it would appear that Dr Smith’s question was, in fact, in order.

Madam SPEAKER Link to this

That question, as I recall it—and I am happy to look at it again—was on a different issue relating to the capacity in which the question was being answered. But, as I said, I am happy to look at that for you. But my understanding was that a whole lot of questions were around quotations as well, and that is what I was addressing there. So I will look at that for you.

GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) Link to this

We would appreciate you coming back to the House with that.

Madam SPEAKER Link to this

Yes I will certainly do that; no problems at all.