2. Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Is he satisfied that all his Ministers are consulting appropriately with the community; if so, why?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) Link to this
The Prime Minister is satisfied that Ministers are consulting communities where appropriate.
Did the Prime Minister give an undertaking to Grey Power that if the organisation had problems meeting with Ministers, he or his deputy would arrange the meetings; if so, why was such an assurance necessary?
Not being party to the discussion, even on behalf of the Prime Minister, I cannot give that answer, but I can tell the member that both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister have met with that organisation a number of times already.
Has the Prime Minister seen the latest Grey Power lobby report, which outlines its members’ impromptu meeting with Dr Nick Smith after unsuccessfully trying to get an official meeting with him, and which describes Dr Smith’s reaction to seeing them as: “His face reddened and, with his head down … he took to his heals and was last seen hurrying away in the distance.”; and does this behaviour meet the standard he expects from his Ministers?
Mr SPEAKERKnowing a number of the members of the Grey Power executive, including one who is a constituent of mine, I can say that they are sometimes prone to colourful descriptions of their interactions with politicians. But I can assure the member that Grey Power has ready access to the Government, and that it has used that access influentially.
Is Paula Bennett an example of a Minister who needs the Deputy Prime Minister’s assistance to arrange a meeting with Grey Power after it had contacted her twice by email, only for her to break her promise to follow up its request for a meeting; if so, did the Prime Minister’s deputy give Ms Bennett a tutorial on how to meaningfully consult important lobby groups?
The most enjoyable part of the Grey Power discussions is its references to the previous Government. I understand that Ms Bennett, like many Ministers, has met with Grey Power, which found the meeting quite satisfactory.
Will the Prime Minister ask his deputy to provide Ms Bennett with a quick lesson on how to treat members of the public with respect and courtesy, after her dismissive behaviour towards Grey Power at a recent meeting, which it described as leaving “a sour taste in our mouths as we … had received the old-fashioned ‘brush off’ and had wasted our time meeting with her.”?
The Prime Minister asks his deputy to carry out a number of tasks, but Grey Power, like other groups, will find that National Ministers will be straightforward with it about what can and cannot be done—unlike former Labour Ministers, who always agreed with Grey Power in the room but never did anything once they had left.
Has the Prime Minister seen the most recent Grey Power report of its meeting with Paula Bennett, where it states that “she was either not interested in the elderly or did not know what we were talking about”, and that “she should shape up to her obligations rather than be so dismissive.”; if so, what action will he take to ensure that she does not behave like that in the future?
I simply do not agree with that report. I advise the member that National Ministers, in a time of fiscal constraint, are straightforward with lobby groups—unlike former Labour Ministers, who promised the world, always agreed with lobby groups, and did nothing.
Does the following quote from the Grey Power report, describing its meeting with Paula Bennett, meet the Prime Minister’s expectations of appropriate ministerial behaviour—[ Interruption] Gerry Brownlee should listen to this: “It appears she thinks that a loud laugh will solve all questions put to her and this meeting was a complete waste of her time. Well, it certainly was a waste of ours.”?
The Government and its Ministers have met with Grey Power on a number of occasions in the short time since National became the Government. I expect we will continue our open and robust relationship with lobby groups—unlike former Labour Ministers, who either agreed with everything Grey Power said or threatened to take its money away if it disagreed with the Government.
I seek leave to table the Grey Power lobby report, which contains every comment I have read in this House today, and which does not match up—