Points of Order — Questions for Written Answer—Replies

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I am seeking your help to resolve my problem of not being able to get my question for written answer No. 8465 answered by either the Minister of Immigration or the Minister for Tertiary Education. The question relates to a—

💬 Madam SPEAKER: Would the member please write to me and I can address the issue. That applies to all members in the House. If members have difficulties with questions, would they please write to me—that is the correct procedure—and I will deal with the issues as best I can.

I seek leave to table the subject of my written question to which I could not get an answer from either Minister. It is a sample from a postcard campaign, directed to the Hon David Cunliffe, Minister of Immigration, conducted by the Massey University Students Association.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I am a little concerned by your ruling that Mrs Wong is unable to pursue the issue of two Ministers dodging an answer to a question by each referring it to the other, when it should be the right of all members of Parliament to get information from the Government. It should also be their right to raise a point of order in Parliament. Otherwise, we could easily get into the situation whereby Ministers routinely decide not to answer questions in the 5-day period and simply wait until the member asking the question writes a letter to you, you make some inquiries, and you suggest that the Ministers had better get a bit of a shift along, at which point they may then decide to provide an answer. I think it is a good discipline on Ministers to have to put up with members periodically questioning, through the mechanism of points of order in the House, why Ministers have not answered questions.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: I thank the member. Of course, all members can raise matters; I am merely pointing out what is the correct procedure to do so. If the member would please contact me with all the details, then I will attend to the issue as quickly as I can.