First Session, Forty-seventh Parliament, 2002-2003 Parliamentary Debates (HANSARD) Wednesday, 25 June 2003 WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND Published under the authority of the House of Representatives—2003 ISSN 0114-992 X WEDNESDAY, 25 JUNE 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS SPEAKER’S RULINGS— Independent—Disclosure of Correspondence with Speaker .............................6543 TABLING OF DOCUMENTS— Prostitution Reform Bill.....................................................................................6543 MOTIONS— Dr John Hood.....................................................................................................6543 SPEAKER’S RULINGS— Responses to Oral Questions .............................................................................6544 QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER— Questions to Ministers— Myanmar—Aung San Suu Kyi.....................................................................6544 Foreshore and Seabed—Crown Ownership..................................................6545 Immigration—Cost to Taxpayers..................................................................6549 Justice, Associate Minister—Confidence .....................................................6551 Hazardous Substances—Regulation .............................................................6553 Genetic Modification—Sheep, PPL Therapeutics, Waikato.........................6553 Foreshore and Seabed—Crown Ownership..................................................6554 Whaling—International Whaling Commission ............................................6556 Defence Force—Attrition .............................................................................6557 Painted Apple Moth—Aerial Spraying Campaign .......................................6558 Māori Affairs, Minister—Media Coaching ..................................................6559 Question No. 12 to Convenor .......................................................................6560 Agriculture—Agricultural Emissions Research Funding .............................6560 VOTING— Correction ..........................................................................................................6561 GENERAL DEBATES ..........................................................................................6561 AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM SITE EMPOWERING BILL— First Reading......................................................................................................6579 PROSTITUTION REFORM BILL— Procedure ...........................................................................................................6585 Third Reading ....................................................................................................6585 BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE ................................................................................6608 SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENTS (ENHANCED PROTECTION) AMENDMENT BILL— Second Reading .................................................................................................6609 25 Jun 2003 Speaker’s Rulings 6543 WEDNESDAY, 25 JUNE 2003 Mr Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m. Prayers. SPEAKER’S RULINGS Independent—Disclosure of Correspondence with Speaker Mr SPEAKER: A report has appeared in the Independent newspaper today concerning a matter of privilege that has been raised with me and that is currently under consideration. Members are at liberty to release copies of their correspondence with the Speaker if they wish. Speakers have deprecated the practice in the past, but this is certainly not the first time that it has occurred. However, I would remind members and news media that the disclosure of such correspondence is not a proceeding in Parliament, and is not protected by parliamentary privilege. This was pointed out as long ago as 1988, see Hansard, Volume 489, page 4436. There is one further aspect of the public disclosure of the fact that a matter of privilege has been raised that I want to deal with. Where an allegation is made against a member of Parliament, Standing Order 392 requires that the member be given notice of the allegation. The member has an opportunity to respond and is advised of the outcome of any consideration of the matter. Where a non-member is involved, there is no requirement that that person be advised of the allegation, and up till now the practice has not been to advise him or her of the result of the complaint. Whether there should be an obligation to inform other persons is a matter for the Standing Orders Committee to consider, but I have decided that where a member publicly releases details of a complaint of privilege involving another person it is only fair that the Speaker should advise that other person of the outcome of the complaint. I will in future follow this course. TABLING OF DOCUMENTS Prostitution Reform Bill LARRY BALDOCK (United Future): I seek leave of the House to table this petition, which unfortunately cannot meet the requirements, but does contain the signatures of 4,624 individuals who are urging this Parliament to reject the Prostitution Reform Bill. Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House. MOTIONS Dr John Hood PANSY WONG (NZ National): I move, That this House congratulates Dr John Hood on his appointment to the position of Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, the first outsider to hold this position in the university’s 900-year history; notes that Dr Hood has made a considerable contribution to New Zealand in both business and academia, particularly through his current role as Vice-Chancellor of Auckland University and as a result of his chairmanship of the Knowledge Wave Conference in which he has prompted a national dialogue on the future direction of our country; recognises that Dr Hood is a New Zealander who shows a real passion for and commitment to his country; and wishes him well. Motion agreed to. 6544 Speaker’s Rulings 25 Jun 2003 SPEAKER’S RULINGS Responses to Oral Questions Mr SPEAKER: Before I call questions for oral answer, I undertook on Thursday to give consideration to the situation where a Minister promises to get back to a member with information in response to an oral question. In these circumstances the Minister has made a promise that should be honoured as soon as possible. This is the same as following up on a written reply—see Speaker’s ruling 130/2. I am not going to try to define what is a reasonable time in terms of providing the following information, as each case will vary. Members who do not get a follow-up reply should approach the Minister first. They can raise the matter with me if they feel the Minister has not responded within a reasonable time, but I want to warn members that I will not entertain complaints about whether the answer is satisfactory. Whether members are happy with a reply or unhappy with it is not a matter of concern to me. I will regard as a very serious waste of my time, and the time of the House, any attempt to raise the adequacy of a follow-up reply. QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS Myanmar—Aung San Suu Kyi 1. GRAHAM KELLY (NZ Labour) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: What actions has he taken to protest at the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi by Myanmar’s military Government? Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade): Last week I joined Ministers from other countries at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh in condemning the actions of the military Government in Myanmar and demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. I also met directly Myanmar Foreign Minister, U Win Aung. I rejected his explanation that Aung San Suu Kyi was being held for her own safety, especially since the attack launched on her convoy on 30 May appears to have been orchestrated by the regime itself. I called not only for her immediate release but also for the release of an estimated 1,200 other political prisoners held by the military regime. Graham Kelly: Does New Zealand provide development assistance aid to Myanmar, and would that be withheld to place pressure on the regime? Hon PHIL GOFF: New Zealand has not developed a bilateral aid programme with Myanmar despite extensive poverty in that country because of the nature of the military regime. Some assistance, however, is provided multilaterally through ASEAN programmes and also directly to non-governmental organisations. But I indicated to Myanmar’s Foreign Minister that New Zealand would not engage more extensively with development assistance without clear progress towards the restoration of democracy, of which at present there is no evidence. Hon Brian Donnelly: What actions has he taken to protest the genocide of the Karen people by Myanmar’s military Government? Hon PHIL GOFF: This Government has consistently opposed all human rights abuses by the military regime against particular minority groups, but also, of course, the suspension of the democratic process and then the refusal over 13 years to recognise the democratic election result, which would have seen Aung San Suu Kyi as Prime Minister. Keith Locke: Will the Government be backing the strong actions by the United States against the Burmese regime and join it in implementing strong sanctions, 25 Jun 2003 Questions for Oral Answer 6545 including denying visas to members of the regime, freezing their financial assets, opposing loans to the regime, banning investments in Burma and remittances to leaders of the Burmese regime, and limiting trade with Burma? Hon PHIL GOFF: Normally, before New Zealand institutes sanctions it must have a UN mandate for doing so. That does not, however, stop us from informally implementing