Points of Order — Speaker’s Rulings—Ministerial Responsibility, Clarification

Point of order, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just in relation to the ruling that you just gave about when an administration started and finished, I just wanted to check my understanding of it, because you did say, in one of those rulings, that an administration was essential between elections, but then, later, you said that current Ministers would be responsible for things not just from the last election but actually from the election before, which—from the 2017 election.

So is it per Parliament or is it essentially between a change between, say, a National-led Government to a Labour-led Government? Because that would mean the difference between three years, six years, or nine years.

Yes, as I mentioned in the ruling, current Ministers are responsible for actions taken since 2017, at the beginning of the 52nd Parliament.

Point of order, Mr Speaker. I just wonder if we could clarify a little further on that, where the particular portfolio has changed from one party to another even though there has been no change of administration.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: What? How would that work?

I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking for the clarification.

💬 Hon Gerry Brownlee: Well, I could come up with a whole pile of hypotheticals—

Order! Two things: points of order—speaking to them are held in silence, and I’m on my feet, so I really would like to answer the point of order. That doesn’t matter. As Speaker Carter said, you’re responsible for the portfolio and what happens in that time.