GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I want to raise with you a very serious point of order, from National’s perspective.
This morning we attempted to lodge an oral question to the Minister of State Services, David Parker. That question asked whether he stood by all the statements and responses given on his behalf by the Hon Trevor Mallard to oral question No. 6 last week, and if he did not, why he did not. The Clerk’s Office advised us that the Prime Minister had determined that all matters relating to Erin Leigh and Clare Curran were to be referred to the Minister of Justice, the Hon Annette King, for a response. The Clerk’s Office further suggested that the question was unacceptable unless it was reworded, and suggested that it should be reworded to say: “Does she stand by all responses given on behalf of the Minister of State Services, the Hon Trevor Mallard, to oral question No. 6 on 22 November 2007; if not, why not?”.
The suggestion that Annette King might be able to answer a question about whether Mr Parker accepts that answers given to the House by Mr Mallard were, in fact, statements that she or he could stand by makes quite a nonsense of the question process. Although we accept that the Government can choose to have anybody answer a particular question, this question is unique to the Minister of State Services and to circumstances that relate specifically to his involvement in that ministry and the issue that is at hand. We are really concerned, in that while we would say there was a case to be made that the Hon David Parker should not be involved in receiving the report on the investigation into whether he was properly acting when he made a suggestion to the ministry that Clare Curran should be employed, Ministers surely have to be accountable to this House not only for their actions but also for their responses and statements in this House to this House. In this case, all we were asking was for that particular Minister to confirm remarks that had been made on his behalf. If we are not able to ask a simple question like that, then that, I think, seriously attacks the concept of Ministers being accountable to this House.
Madam Speaker, I would like you to consider the appropriateness of the action of the Office of the Clerk in accepting a direction from the Prime Minister that this question to Mr Parker was somehow unacceptable.
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) Link to this
The member raises a very important point in this context. I think that what needs to be clearly put on record is that the Prime Minister has delegated to the Hon Annette King responsibility for those matters within the state services portfolio. Of course, where a matter is delegated to another Minister, a question on that matter must be addressed to that Minister. The reason for that is obvious, and I think the member himself alluded to it near the end of his statement—that is, that the matters clearly involve actions that occurred during the time that the Hon David Parker was the Minister for the Environment; now that he is the Minister of State Services, it is not appropriate that he have ministerial responsibility in relation to those matters. It must be delegated to another Minister, to avoid any implication at all that, wearing one hat, he is judging his actions when he was wearing a previous hat.
GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) Link to this
That sounds all very high and mighty and very fine, but the reality is that, on behalf of David Parker, the Hon Trevor Mallard stood in this House and, speaking as the Minister of State Services, seriously besmirched the character of a contractor to the Ministry for the Environment. Madam Speaker, we were not asking for the Minister to judge himself; we were not asking for the Minister to make any comments about the facts of the particular circumstance that led to this inquiry; we were simply asking the Minister whether he stood by the statements that were made on his behalf, and I think that is the fine point that needs to be considered by yourself.
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) Link to this
Of course, at the time that that question was asked of the Minister of State Services, with Trevor Mallard answering on his behalf, the delegation had not occurred. That delegation has now occurred, and the question on this matter can quite properly be put down to the Hon Annette King.
Madam SPEAKER