8. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Did he read the letter from the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society dated 3 December 2009 alerting him to the fact that the Minister of Agriculture had asked applicants for a water conservation order on the Hurunui River to freeze their application; if so, when?
Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) Link to this
Yes; I read the letter after the member raised the issue in the House on 30 March.
Does the Prime Minister consider that when a major non-governmental organisation points out that it has serious concerns about the conduct of a Minister in his Government, and, moreover, when the answer a Minister has given to a written question is incorrect, taking action in 4 months is fast enough?
I believe that the Minister addressed that issue by making his personal statement in the House today.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question was about the Prime Minister’s behaviour. It was about whether he was acting with sufficient alacrity—whether 4 months was fast enough.
Mr SPEAKERThe member has further supplementary questions. I think it would be a bit pedantic for me to ask for a more precise answer to that question.
Does he agree that the contents of the letter and the Minister’s personal statement today contradict the Minister’s answer to written question No. 14809 that he had not discussed the water conservation order process on the Hurunui River with any party; if so, will he ask the Minister to formally correct the answer?
No, only I would note that the Minister gave some clarification and some basic principle around what he was talking about when he gave that answer to that question, and I think gave some context to it.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question asked whether he would ask the Minister to correct the answer.
I am almost moved to caution the member for implying in his question something that the Minister has already given a personal explanation to clarify, and that cannot now be disputed any further. Given the events that have taken place, I think the Prime Minister’s answer was reasonable.
Has the Prime Minister looked at the written question to the Minister of Agriculture that is the subject of this debate, which states: “Has he discussed an appeal on the … report on a Water Conservation Order application … with any party …?”, to which the Minister’s answer was, clearly, “No.”? Has he actually looked at that question?
When the Prime Minister met with Gerry Brownlee and David Carter on 23 November last year to discuss—and I quote from the file note—“how to advance economic development through irrigation development”, did David Carter declare at that meeting his interest in the Hurunui region?
Hon David CarterI raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Earlier I made a personal explanation. I do not have a personal interest in any further development of the Hurunui water project.
There is no need to have a debate on that matter. What the Minister has said is absolutely correct. He made a personal explanation to the House in which he told the House he has no personal interest in that matter, and that cannot be disputed now in the House.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. What the Minister actually just said in his point of order and in his personal explanation was that he has no personal interest in further development in that region. When you repeated it, you said he has no personal interest in the region. He clearly has an interest in the region. He said in his personal explanation that he has no interest in further development of irrigation in the region. My question is about his current interest in the region.
I hear the honourable member, and, indeed, if the question relates to the existing consent, then that is fine. I invite the member to repeat his question.
When the Prime Minister met with Gerry Brownlee and David Carter on 23 November 2009 to discuss—and I quote from the file note—“how to advance economic development through irrigation development”, did David Carter declare his interest in the Hurunui region?
When he met with Gerry Brownlee and David Carter on 23 November 2009 to discuss “how to advance economic development through irrigation development”, did David Carter indicate that he had spoken to the applicants for the water conservation order to suggest that they freeze it?
No, but I have no issues with the Minister actually trying to involve parties in discussions in order to avoid lengthy litigation.
Is it not the case that he is having a lower standard for potential conflicts of interest in this case because he and his Government have an explicit agenda to promote irrigation in Canterbury?
No. It is the case that the member is making things up about the Minister because he cannot win the argument about the environment.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister, by alleging that I am making things up, is alleging that I am lying. I am not making things up. I am not lying.