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?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister)
: The review of New Zealand’s commitment to Afghanistan will be considered by Cabinet in the next 2 weeks, and any announcements will be made following that consideration.
Keith Locke
: Does the Prime Minister agree with New Zealand Brigadier Tim Brewer who said that our provincial reconstruction team is “making a difference”; if so, what will happen to New Zealand’s civil aid programmes in Bamian if our team pulls out?
Hon BILL ENGLISH
: I can assure the member that views such as the brigadier’s will be taken into account.
Keith Locke
: Does the Prime Minister agree that by contrast with our provincial reconstruction team, an SAS unit is likely to be deployed with US combat forces, which seem to be losing support among the Afghan people, partly because their operations are causing so many civilian casualties?
Hon BILL ENGLISH
: Again, I reiterate that the Government is taking into account a range of opinions and considerations as it reviews our involvement in Afghanistan.
Keith Locke
: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Up until now I have not raised a point of order about whether or not the Prime Minister has answered the question properly, because I thought I would let him answer one or two questions. But I have asked him three questions and I have heard no specific answers, or reference to the provincial reconstruction team or the SAS. He has just talked about a review. At least at some point he should answer the questions.
Mr SPEAKER
: In fairness, the member asked his primary question in relation to whether New Zealand will withdraw the provincial reconstruction team, and send a deployment of the SAS. The Acting Prime Minister gave a perfectly good answer to that. He said that Cabinet will consider the matter in due course and will make a public announcement. That was a very informative answer. I believe that kind of answer is absolutely a perfectly proper answer. I think it is unreasonable what the member is saying. I think the member finally sought an opinion from the Minister about the value of certain activities, and about how people perceived the performance of American forces in Afghanistan. The member cannot expect a precise answer. The member cannot expect an answer that he might wish to hear from the Minister. He has a couple of further supplementaries, and I invite him to pursue the matter.
Dr Kennedy Graham
: In advance of any decision made within the next few weeks, would any potential deployment of SAS forces in Afghanistan operate under the same mandate as the provincial reconstruction team or a different mandate; if it were different, what mandate would it be, and what legal basis would it rest on?
Hon BILL ENGLISH
: In the first place, those are hypothetical questions. The Government understands that this is a complex and serious issue, and there will be plenty of opportunities to debate whatever decision the Government makes. I think that the member has raised the issue before of the legal basis of having any New Zealand personnel operating in Afghanistan, and the Government has satisfied itself that there is an adequate legal basis.
Keith Locke
: What is the Prime Minister doing to investigate recent detailed claims in the media that in 2002 our SAS could have contravened the Geneva Convention by handing over Afghan prisoners to US forces without sufficient regard to their possible mistreatment in US jurisdiction?
Hon BILL ENGLISH
: The Prime Minister has been looking into that matter. He has been advised that in 2004 and 2005 the previous Government conveyed through diplomatic and defence channels to the US our expectations in writing that detainees are to be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law. The Prime Minister also notes that the current US administration under President Obama has placed an emphasis on the non-use of torture and on the humane treatment of detainees, as is evidenced by the decision to close its detention facility in Guantanamo Bay. The SAS acted in good faith in 2002 in entrusting detainees to the US.
Keith Locke
: I seek leave to table an article from the
Taranaki Daily News
, entitled “Six weeks in Afghanistan”, on Brigadier Tim Brewer’s tour
—
Mr SPEAKER
: The member is seriously seeking leave to table a press article?
Keith Locke
: It is relevant to my question, because I did
—
Mr SPEAKER
: All right; I will put it to the House. Leave is sought to table that press article. Is there any objection? There is objection.