gone well ahead and we fully funded population growth and inflation.
My
My question is to the Prime
On
On behalf of the PM, yes, because they are competent and hard
working and especially my deputy. Who's
Can't with you. The Rt Hon Winston Peters. Does he agree with the
Cabinet manual that ministers
should,
influence officials or involve themselves in matters that are
not their
themselves in matters that are not
would he do if a minister did just
agree with the Cabinet Manual. If the new standard
of Government includes being more transparent and
accountable, does that include
accountable, does that include
ministers not intervening in
organisational
organisational and administrative decisions that are not their
relationship with ministers and their departments. I'd expect that a
relationship with ministers and chief executive runs their
chief executive runs their
departments and ministers and
such are providing vision and giving the
policy direction but as it is a
very close relationship, there are
times when I'm sure it gets close.
close relationship, there are times when I'm sure it gets close. If SOEs
administer that they would,
appropriate for a minister to email a general manager
opposing the organisations decision
organisations decision to release organisations decision to release
organisations decision to release
would have to see the details of would have to see the details of
that to make any judgement. Point of
that to make any judgement. Point of
that to make any judgement. Point of order. I seek leave to
table a summary of emails from the Minister
of Transport's office
challenging KiwiRail's decision to release
information. Leave is sought to
table that series of
emails, is there any objection to it being
there any objection to it being
tabled. What on earth was his Transport Minister trying to achieve
when his office emailed a general
manager of KiwiRail trying to step
in and prevent the official
correspondence unit from releasing
correspondence unit from releasing
but it sounds to me like the minister is doing their job and you
have some
have some email from an official that might be doing
something else. We'd have to have a look at it
to see if there is anything in it. If
the first answer to the first
question was that there was
respect for the Cabinet Manual,
and if he has said that Alfred Ngaro's
comments
has said that Alfred Ngaro's
have to say about Simon Bridges' office deliberately trying
to influence officials behind
closed doors, covertly and secretly
not to release information that is owed to
the public of this
release information that is owed to
behalf of the PM, I really would have to see the details.
The member's been around for a long
time, made a
lot of allegations over a lot of years and most of them
actually haven't stacked up so
I'd be surprised in this one does. Point
of order. Order! Point of order. I'm
asking the minister for a reply
given the Cabinet Manual
provisions which she says she understands. I
have listened to the
question, it was a very long question,
I've listened to the answer. The question
has been addressed. I beg your
said the question has been addressed. Point of order.
I raised a point of order on
the basis of some clarity around the Cabinet
Manual and the answer she gave was a
verbal attack upon me but not
the Cabinet Manual. Go back and look
at the question. The question
was hardly in order when I
look at Standing Order 380. I was very
generous to the member in
letting it stand and I have said now on
two occasions, and I don't intend to
have to repeat it, the
question has been addressed. Point of order. If
it is a fresh point of order if
not... It is a fresh point
of order. New Zealand First does not
expect any special conditions in respect
to questions. If the question was
not in order, why
Because I'd be ruling out just about Because I'd be ruling out just about
every supplement question
the member ever asked.
every supplement question the member ever asked. Point
of order, speaker. This is a bint of order and
it will be heard
This is a bint of order and it will
will be heard in silence. What degree of order do
you expect to maintain in the House when you, of
all people, given your background,
all people, given your background,
make a statement
all people, given your background,
Order! Over time the breadth of questions, the amount
of additional questions, the amount of additional
wording that is put into
questions has expanded. It is over to me
whether I allow it to happen and I
have been relatively generous
not only with the member but with
all members, accepting this
is a debating Chamber where
politics will play its part. The essence of the
member's point of order is was his
question
question satisfactorily addressed. The member obviously doesn't think
it was. I am not surprised by that
but it is my decision
that it was. We now move to Question No. 12.
My
My question is to the Minister for
Budget announcements has the Government
Government made regarding investment into
Government made regarding investment
Budget
Budget 2017 will invest an extra