Points of Order — Minister’s Comments—Law and Order Committee

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I seek some advice from you as to what remedies are available to members of the Law and Order Committee. Today, a statement made by the Associate Minister of Health Damien O’Connor to an addictions conference in Wellington indicated that the minimum drinking age will not be put back up to 20. He told the conference that the political reality is that New Zealand is stuck with the drinking age of 18. This matter is still in consideration before the Law and Order Committee, which has not yet reported back to the House. Further, this is a member’s bill and a conscience issue. It was an extraordinarily pre-emptive statement for the Minister to make in a public forum, and I ask your advice about what remedies are available to those of us, and the public, who have spent weeks and weeks on submissions and hearing evidence on this bill.

It is quite in order for members to make public statements on matters that are before select committees. Obviously, if they are members of those select committees, there would be an issue. [Interruption] I have clarified that it is a matter of debate for members. The Minister is not a member of a select committee, as I understand it, and he is entitled to make any statement he so wishes. It is a matter of debate as to what happens after that.

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The question remains as to whether the Minister was speaking in his capacity as Associate Minister of Health and this is now the Government position on this bill, or whether it does, in fact, remain a conscience issue.

This is not a matter for the Speaker. This is a matter of debate.