Personal Explanations — Trevor Mallard—Statement Made About Hon Dr Nick Smith

I seek the leave of the House under Standing Order 343 to make a personal explanation in respect of the statement made by Mr Trevor Mallard on nationwide TV—the Close Up programme—that I was personally responsible for the $20 million bail-out in respect of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: Leave is sought to make a personal statement. Is there any objection? There is objection.

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. We have now got ourselves into a particularly difficult situation. One of the rights, or conventions—and, indeed, accepted as a right—of this House is that when members believe they been wronged, they can have the opportunity to put the record right.

An honourable member—in this case, Nick Smith—has now asked for that to be done. In my 18 years here, I cannot recall a person who wanted to make a position clear, when there has been a reflection on him or her publicly, being prevented from doing so in this House. I do recall a couple of occasions when leave was refused, but advice was taken, and the member who refused the leave reflected and allowed it to happen. I suggest that it might be well advised for the House to allow Nick Smith, if he were allowed to seek leave again, to make his statement.

If the suggestion made is, indeed, followed, then in the interests of making progress and of allowing the member to make his comment—with the assurance that it will be made strictly in accordance with the Standing Orders—I do not think there will be a problem.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: The member has sought leave to make a personal statement. Is there any objection? There is no objection.

On Monday evening on Close Up, the Minister of Education said in response to a question from Susan Wood as to who should be held responsible for the mess in the wānanga and the $20 million bail-out that it was me, Nick Smith.

I wish to make it absolutely plain to the House that I have never held any responsibility for the portfolio of tertiary education or for the wānanga. I have dealt with no ministerial correspondence and no Cabinet papers. I have never had responsibility for any of the vote. I find it extraordinary that the Minister went on to say that I was responsible for developing a funding system. I was not responsible for developing any funding system in any of the responsibilities I held during my 3 years as a Minister of the Crown. I seek the leave of the House to table the ministerial delegations and responsibilities held during the time that I was a Minister of the Crown.

Document not tabled.