KEITH LOCKE (Green) : I move, That the House take note of a matter of urgent public importance. That matter is the commitment by the Government of special forces to Afghanistan. The Green Party is strongly opposed to the Governments decision to send the SAS back to Afghanistan. We do not want our soldiers fighting and dying in an unjustifiable war that is not helping the Afghan people. It is very important that we have this debate today, because we as a Parliament should always debate the sending of New Zealand combat troops overseas to participate in foreign military conflicts. We should never lightly risk the lives of our soldiers, and we should never lightly participate in armed conflicts, which inevitably result in much death and destruction and have a huge impact on the lives of local people.
6. KEITH LOCKE (Green) to the Prime Minister: Will he be withdrawing New Zealand’s successful provincial reconstruction team from Afghanistan, and instead sending a deployment of the New Zealand Special Air Service; if so, why?
Any decision on whether New Zealand Special Forces should return to Afghanistan must be postponed pending an inquiry into whether there was mistreatment of prisoners the NZ Special Air Service (SAS) handed over to American forces in an earlier deployment, said Green Party MP Keith Locke.
KEITH LOCKE (Green): I wish to speak on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's budget and explain some matters that the Government should be paying particular attention to. There are too few Governments on this planet that treat matters of peace and human rights with the attention they deserve.
Our view is that if enough pressure goes on the Chinese government during the Olympic period we might be able to give some extra leverage to the many millions of Chinese trying to achieve greater freedoms. This Bill, going through at this time, is a betrayal of the international movement pressing for greater democracy in China.
Reports that Colombian Green Party politician Ingrid Betancourt, along with three American citizens, has been rescued from FARC militia after six years in captivity have been greeted with enthusiasm by the New Zealand Green Party.
Ms Betancourt was the presidential candidate for the Colombian Green Party in 2002.
Green Party Police Spokesperson Keith Locke wants the Police Commissioner to review the way his officers are using pepper spray.
“It is apparent to me that pepper spray was inappropriately used in three separate cases that have come to public attention over the past month,” Mr Locke says.
Green Party Human Rights Spokesperson Keith Locke is calling for the Government to withdraw the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill, currently before Parliament, in the light of the forthcoming Law Commission review of the 2002 Terrorism Suppression
This is an important debate, with the Police for the first time considering charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act against several New Zealanders.
This has 'brought the debate home'.