11. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Minister responsible for Ministerial Services
Does he stand by his statements in relation to the purchase of 34 BMWs by Ministerial Services, including one with heated seats, that “Yeah I don’t know what’s in Dunedin” and “It’s beyond me, it’s not my car anyway”?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Minister responsible for Ministerial Services) Link to this
No, and the reason is that that was not my statement. I have a copy of the transcript and it states: “That’s what I said. I don’t know why it’s in Dunedin.”
Mr SPEAKERNo, no. When I call a member to ask a supplementary question, the microphone is open and there will not be that kind of interjection. But, then, the House should be more orderly.
As Minister responsible for Ministerial Services, is he responsible for the 2010-11 budget of Ministerial Services, as Gerry Brownlee told the House in February?
Is it correct that the decision to replace the VIP transport fleet was put to him, as Minister responsible for Ministerial Services, four times through March and April 2009 as part of the statement of intent process, and that as Minister responsible he signed off on those documents on each occasion?
I seek leave to table a Department of Internal Affairs briefing note of 18 February 2011 that lists the four occasions on which the Minister signed off the statement of intent.
I say—and it is very much to the Labour front bench on this occasion—that points of order will be heard in silence. I will not predict when I will evict the first person for abusing that, but I will not tolerate it further. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Did I see objection? No, there is no objection.
Can he see why, given that he is the Minister responsible for the VIP transport fleet, he was told about the fleet replacement, and he signed it off four times, perhaps people might expect just a little bit more responsibility than his channelling of Bart Simpson with his: “I didn’t do it. No one saw me do it. It’s not my car anyway.”, routine?
The statement of intent does not say what he says; it says that they “may” replace the fleet. There was no proposal that was given to me. In relation to the add-on extras commented on in the papers yesterday, none of those were brought to my attention. The decisions were made by Ministerial Services, with no reference to me or any Minister.
Hon Trevor MallardYes. It depends. [ Interruption] It depends on the circumstances. I was not responsible for this particular instance, because it was not brought to my attention, and there was no reason for it to be.
Can he assure the House that there will now be no further additional expense to the taxpayer as a result of the decision of the Minister of Finance—communicated to the media—to refuse to use the Dunedin-based BMW, given that his other option is his self-drive ministerial car, which is likely residing, along with its owner, in Karori, Wellington?
The decision to buy a heated seat for the car was made by Ministerial Services, without reference to me. At the point at which it was brought to my attention, when I was answering a parliamentary question, my office rang Ministerial Services and asked whether it was possible to remove that extra, because it was not wanted by the Government. The answer that was given was that the cars had been ordered—under the Labour contract, I might add—and were on the water.
Are members going deaf? The point of order was called very clearly, and members know that they must cease interjecting. The problem is so many members are interjecting that I would have half the House out if I were to evict the offending members. But I would ask members to respect the Standing Orders of the House.
My question asked the Minister whether he could assure the House that there would not be any additional expense as a result of the Minister of Finance’s decision not—
I think the member’s question was so coloured that he was kind of lucky he got the detailed answer that he did. If members want to get straight answers, they have to ask pretty straight questions. The member heard a very good example of that today where one of his colleagues asked a set of very straight questions and got some pretty straight answers. But if members dress their questions up with cleverness, they will get clever answers. They should not seek my help as Speaker, if they do not get the answer they might be looking for.