9. HEKIA PARATA (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
What is the Government doing to develop Memorial Park in Wellington?
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage) Link to this
The Government is committed to developing Memorial Park, but we need to ensure the design for the park will be one that meets the needs of the country, the city, and the local community. Planning work is under way to tidy up the site in the interim. Work is required because the previous administration provided no detailed costings for its preferred option, and made no provision in Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage for ongoing maintenance of the work. This is yet another example of the previous Government’s phantasmagoria that was not properly costed.
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON Link to this
The previous Government allocated money for the project in 2003, but took no account of increased costs or the passage of time while taking 5 years to flounder about on the issue. No detailed costings were provided and no provision was made in Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage for ongoing maintenance of the work.
Hon Annette KingHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON Link to this
I say to the member for Rongotai who is chirping away, that I see she voiced concerns about the future of the park, which took me by surprise, given that no one in Rongotai has heard anything from her since the election. One can only assume she is busy on her mayoralty campaign and, as mayor, she will be grateful that this Government—
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I am surprised that you have allowed that answer, because that Minister has no responsibility for me. He certainly would not ever be my campaign manager for any campaign, because he cannot get his facts straight. The first person to become the Mayor of Wellington will be him, because he will not be here.
Mr SPEAKERI have allowed the member to redress the situation that has occurred, but members should just settle down a bit and come to the next supplementary question.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. During Annette King’s point of order, before she made any controversial comments at all, there was barracking from at least three separate—[ Interruption]—there it is again. There was barracking from at least three separate National members. I think it is very important, if we are to have some of the decorum that you wish to have in this House, that people do not barrack during points of order.
Hon Gerry Brownlee Link to this
I think the speaker system lets us down, but the point is that it would be relevant if the Hon Annette King had called to the attention of the House a point of order. Rather than doing that, she simply announced she was not standing for the Wellington mayoralty.
Things did get disorderly there, but we should go back quite a few paces. There was a lot of interjection while the Minister was answering the question. The Minister picked up on that interjection and maybe in his answer he took his response to the interjections a little further than he should have. The Hon Annette King got to her feet on a point of order and there was noise. That was why I got to my feet to quieten the House down so that we could hear the point the honourable member was making. It is highly debatable whether that was a real point of order, but I allowed it because I felt there was some transgression by the honourable Minister. I think the House has now settled down and I do not think there is any point in pursuing this further. The Hon Trevor Mallard makes a perfectly good point that the House should hear points of order in silence. I like the place being robust; I like this House being passionate because people believe in what they are doing here; but when the noise level gets so loud it is hard to hear, and that has been the case today.
Grant RobertsonWhen will the Minister honour New Zealand servicemen and servicewomen and their families and get on with implementing the design for Memorial Park, which is well advanced, or is he just more interested in playing petty political games?
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON Link to this
The member obviously did not hear the answer to the first question. I am keen to get on with development. But I must say that I am surprised that the member, who is Labour’s associate arts spokesman—at least until Judith returns at the end of the month—had the temerity to ask me a question on the subject, because I saw a report last week in which he was criticising me over the Memorial Park issue, yet I understand, if we are talking about petty politics, that when he was the candidate for Wellington Central, he argued in favour of the school having some say but was overruled by the previous leader of the Labour Party.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do not see any relevance in the end of that answer from Mr Finlayson.
The member will resume his seat. I say to the honourable member very politely that when he builds into his question an allegation of a Minister playing petty political games, he will get a political dump in an answer. The solution to the problem lies in the member’s own hands, in the way he asks the question. If he asks a straight question, I will not let the Minister dump on him politically. But if he asks a political question, then he will get a political dump.
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON Link to this
Unlike the previous elitist Government, this Government is not ignoring local community groups and is not ignoring the well-being of the children who attend Mt Cook School. That is why I—[ Interruption] I do wish the Labour Opposition would listen carefully. That is why I have spoken with representatives of the school about the children becoming guardians of the park and how that might actually work. Next week I am going to meet with a community group to ensure that the interests of the people of Wellington are not trampled on or ignored, as that previous elitist Government did.
I say to the honourable Minister that in the interests of good order in the House I have just pointed out that where a straight question is asked, as Hekia Parata asked, there is no need for a political broadside at the other side of the House. I do not consider that was helpful to good order. In fact, I invite the member to reflect on how the way he went about answering that question assisted the good order of the House.
Hon Rick BarkerWill the Minister put aside history and pay due respect to the veteran community and those who are memorialised by the National War Memorial and announce to the country when plans and money are being put aside for the completion of a war memorial that is long overdue?
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON Link to this
Of course respect will be shown, and that is why the job will be done properly. We are not going to go on in some half-baked way, like the previous Government did.