the previous forecast. Wages are forecast to grow by more
average over the next two years.
Question
Question No.7.
My
My question is to the Minister of
Why didn't he condemn the
the Russian Government for the nerve agent attack
in Salisbury in his
in his written statement issued on
in his written statement
all. Sadly the member is mistaken. I did. The statement on 6
September was issued after my return from
Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru as
an immediate
immediate means of expressing support for the UK. The NZ
Government's position is clear
as emphasised in subsequent comments
to the media. We have consistently
supported the United
Kingdom in supported the United Kingdom
in condemning the use of chemical
condemning the use of chemical
weapons in Salisbury. The
moment their emerged clear
evidence attributing the attack to Russia.
their emerged clear evidence attributing the attack to Russia. Is
it usual practice for the Government
to release a holding statement
on an area of important
international significance, then follow it up
with a further statement
but not proactively release that
statement until after questions had been
asked by the media almost 24 hours
later as the PM
by the media almost 24 hours later
member is again mistaken. The reality is I was flying back
overnight from Nauru, awaiting an
impending speech by PM May in the
British House of Commons and
we already had a clear idea
of what we thought it was going to be
about but impending
thought it was going to be about but we didn't have her speech. And being
like a
we didn't have her speech. And being
usually wait for the facts before we beat our gums off. Why
then, following his statement, did it
take an appeal from a
British minister for New Zealand to join other allies
to actually condemn Russia for
the nerve agent attacks in
Salisbury before his Government did
nerve agent attacks in Salisbury
I think the member's mistaken because I have
here no...
Members your college is mistaken and shouting out everyday... Dr
Smith. Well, he might be
a doctor to you...
No, no, no, be seated. Now, the Deputy PM knows
that that's disorderly. Both the comment and
the reply to me. He will withdraw
and apologise. I withdraw and
apologise, sir, but there are some doctors that
make you well and some make
you sick. Order!
make you well and some make you
just about to award some bonus questions to the
member's side and he just lost them. The Deputy
PM will withdraw
will withdraw and apologise unreservedly. I
unreservedly. I unreservedly withdraw and apologise. OK. The
reason... Order! I'm asking
a question. The member will resume his
seat. The member has one last chance
to withdraw in the appropriate form.
I withdraw and apologise. Thank you.
Can I answer the
question. Yes. Thank you very much.
I am indebted to you. The
member's mistaken because on this date
the High Commissioner for the UK,
Laura Clark, on 7 September,
was saying this in a
Clark, on 7 September, was saying
Zealand's clear and unequivocal support for conclusions of UK
investigation and condemnation of
Russia's use of
investigation and condemnation of
It's all there. Does he realise that since becoming Foreign Minister he's
not once criticised Russia in this
House before today
for anything, and why's
The member's getting more mistaken as the questions proceed.
13 March, the PM's office
as the questions proceed. 13 March,
Foreign Minister's office has a mention of Russia in that
press
No, no, no, then 16 March the PM and Deputy
No, no, no, then 16 March the PM and No,
No, no, no, then 16 March the PM and Deputy PM joint
statement also mentioned Russia. Now, 22
March, again mention of Russia three times.
Then
again mention of Russia three times.
statement was a criticism of what had gone on. 29 March again, the PM
had gone on. 29 March again, the PM
and Deputy PM again
mentioned Russia. And then, on the 6th we
put out the other statement which got
the grateful acknowledgement from
the British High Commissioner. To
the Minister, does he now
accept that the Russian Government was
responsible for the downing
of flight MH370, the about of
emails from the US democratic party,
interference with the 2016
US presidential election, the poisoning
presidential election, the poisoning
of people on British soil, the
funding
of people on British soil, the
movements and, oh, some political parties around the world
and will he condemn them for these
parties around the world and will he
no, the member can't answer the question.
no, the member can't answer the
does not flow from the original questions. A whole list
of other events unrelated to
the primary question. Point of order.
Does the question. Point of order. Does the
member want
question. Point of order. Does the
point of order. A point of order. You are right that the
primary question was very clear, the
question was very clear, the
minister since then has spoken to a
number of statements he believed the
Government has made that he
is part of that actually come to
all of these issues. I believe it
is within order. Can I seek an assurance from
the Deputy PM that the statements
he was referring to do not
relate, or not all of them related
to the
statements that were in the question are pretty wide. Some of
them would be within the ambit of a New
Zealand Foreign Minister and
some are clearly not. For example... I
just want clarification that the Deputy
PM, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, ran through a list of statements
that he had issued, some
of them with the PM. Were those related
to the Salisbury matter or
other
to Salisbury. A point of order. Perhaps we could
have those papers tabled because
tabled because it is quite clear that some of those are matters
tabled because it is quite clear
referred to occurred before Salisbury. Speaking to the
point of order, these have been
in the public domain since they were released on
the very day. Now get off your
backside and go get them yourself.
Right. Does the member have another
Question
Question No.8.
My
My question is to the Minister of Energy and
My question is to the
What recent announcements has
has she made about the review of electricity
prices in New
about the review of electricity
A
A point of order, the Hon Gerry Brownlee. It