Amended answers to Oral Questions — Question No. 4 to Minister, 6 September

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. On reading my response to question No. 4 in Hansard yesterday, I feel it is appropriate for me to clarify to the House the following. In answering—

💬 Madam SPEAKER: It is a point of order. You have to move.

Sorry, I am moving that I make a clarification of a response to—[Interruption]

💬 Madam SPEAKER: You are seeking leave. Sorry.

I seek leave to make a clarifying statement.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: The Minister is seeking leave. Is there any objection? There is no objection.

💬 Gerry Brownlee: He’s trying to do what?

💬 Madam SPEAKER: He is seeking leave, as he said, to clarify an answer he gave.

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. If the member is asking for leave to correct a wrong answer, then that is what he should ask for, and he might get it.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: I heard him starting when I interrupted him. I am sorry. Would the Minister now please proceed.

On reading my response to question No.—

Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith: Point of order!

Madam Speaker, should I proceed?

Yes. Leave was sought. I asked whether there was any objection. There was no objection. Then you took a point of order. [Interruption]

💬 Gerry Brownlee: But we’ve got a point of order!

No, I am sorry. Then, as I recall events, a point of order was taken. I clarified that point of order. Then I was proceeding to ask the Minister to make his statement. If there is any other point of order, I am pleased to hear it.

Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker.

💬 Hon David Cunliffe: If it may assist, I am happy to put—

I have called Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith.

Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith: If the Minister believes he gave the House false information yesterday that needs correcting, then he should seek leave to correct an answer he gave the House yesterday. He should not try to fudge what he is seeking. I do not think he has made it clear, and it is unfair to allow him to proceed if he has not made clear the leave he is seeking.

Happy to do so?

I seek leave to correct an answer from yesterday.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: Is there any objection? There is no objection.

On reading my response to question No. 4 in Hansard yesterday, I feel it is appropriate for me to correct for the House the following. In answering the first supplementary question, I inadvertently confused two positions in the department. The director of the Pacific division is a “she”, not a “he”. The group manager of service international, to whom she reports, is a “he”. It was the latter, not the former, who recalled attempting to pass the information on to the then Associate Minister’s private secretary on 9 June 2005, not 10 May 2005 as I therefore implied. Finally, I also note that Dr Smith’s first supplementary question contained an apparent inaccuracy—

💬 Madam SPEAKER: No, that is not your statement.

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I wonder what mechanism is available to the House to make sure the Minister corrects his other false answers to the House, because if that was incorrect yesterday, answers previously given have been incorrect, as well.

💬 Madam SPEAKER: As the member knows, that is not a point of order.