English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:607;Page:5034] 
2.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Will she retract and apologise for her comments about the United States and the war in Iraq; if not why not? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 The Government has expressed a principled and consistent position on the war and is backed by most New Zealanders in so doing. With regard to comments of mine to which offence has been taken I have apologised for the offence that was taken. I am moving on and I suggest the member do likewise—as most of his caucus would like him to do. 
Hon Bill English 
: Has the United States administration accepted her apology for her inappropriate comments; if so how was that conveyed to the New Zealand Government? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have not asked anybody to accept anything. I have had a message conveyed. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I ask the Prime Minister in respect of her remarks yesterday when she said “I meant what I said” what did she mean? Was it first that September 11 under Democrat Al Gore would not have had this consequence for Iraq or second “I leave it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to convey it”—that is the apology—“as they see fit” or third in respect of whether she stood by her comments on 1 April “Yes my comments about a Gore presidency were appropriate and neither here nor there.”; in which of those three statements is she standing by what she said? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I repeat: my statements were matters of opinion which were interpreted by some as offensive and I have apologised for the offence that was taken. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Is the real reason that the Prime Minister feels she cannot retract her present inadequate apology that it has already been reported by the  
CBS News 
 the New York  
Newsday 
 Asia Pacific Media Services the  
South China Morning Post 
 Brunei online  
The Statesman 
 the 
 Guardian 
 the  
Sydney Morning Herald 
 Agence France-Presse and the Pakistan paper  
The Nation; 
 and has she ever been so well reported before? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It sounds like far more profile than the member will ever have. 
Keith Locke 
: Is the Prime Minister aware of an apology from the German President Johannes Rau after he attacked George Bush for claiming in Mr Rau’s words “a sign from God to liberate another people” and Mr Rau continued “Nowhere does the Bible call for crusades.”? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: No I am not. But I am aware that in recent weeks many harsh things have been said. I think it is important now that everybody moves on and looks to the rebuilding of Iraq. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Prime Minister confirm that she issued the instructions to apologise for the offence taken because John Wood and/or Fred Benson told her that the US required her to apologise? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Absolutely not. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Whilst fully understanding her desire to “move on” as she puts it why does she not in the interests of a fulsome apology admit that she was plain wrong about her statements? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As I have said the statements were matters of opinion. I regret that offence was taken from them. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Would it not help us all to move on if the Prime Minister was to now admit that the reality is that there are two apologies: the apology she gives in this House apologising if others are offended and the second apology her grovelling abasement apology in Washington; and if she was to table that apology would that not enable us all to move on? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: There was no “if” about it. Offence was taken and I apologised for the fact that it was. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I did not ask a question about whether offence had been taken. The question I asked was whether there were two apologies and would it not be a good idea if the Prime Minister were to admit that? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That may have been the question asked and if it was the Prime Minister addressed it in her answer. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In respect of her remarks about the war not going according to plan and the comments about Al Gore and whether he should have been the President could she tell us now whether she is still of the same opinion—yes or no? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Those are matters of opinion that I will not be repeating. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is the only warning today and the member is very lucky—very lucky. 
Hon Bill English 
: Does the Prime Minister stand by her statement “I’m really quite puzzled as to why offence would be taken”; and if she stands by that statement why does she stand by it? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I was puzzled but on reflection I accept that in the middle of a war with feelings running high something said somewhere some time is almost bound to cause offence.