Norman Russel: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNorman Russel: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 24 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1840. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement “Just passing everything by the barest of majorities isn’t the right way to govern a country”; if so why?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Yes in the context it was given. This comment was made when National had a provisional majority to govern alone following the election in September. It referred to the fact that I intended to work with other parties where possible and I do that.Dr Russel Norman: If the Prime Minister thinks passing legislation with bare majorities is not the right way to govern how is sending troops to Iraq with no majority the right way to govern?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think the member is quite incorrect actually. The authority and responsibility for making decisions to deploy Defence Force personnel is one that rests with the executive. It always has and that is why Helen Clark chose to send our SAS forces in a combat role to Afghanistan not only without a parliamentary vote—she did not actually have the courtesy to tell the country they were going.Dr Russel Norman: Does the Prime Minister accept that sending troops into a combat zone is part of the functionality of a Government and is part of governing a country; if so how can sending troops to Iraq with no majority be the right way to govern a country?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Government makes decisions on behalf of the people of New Zealand and it puts those to a test. I remember in 2011 when the entire election was dominated by the mixed-ownership model. Despite the fact that we had the single-biggest result prior to the 2014 election of a parliamentary party under MMP and despite the fact that the Labour Party and the Green Party Opposition got an absolute trouncing the member still did not want to accept the word of the people. The problem with Russel Norman and the Green Party is they want to accept the word of the people only when it suits their argument. When the people believe in something different from them all of a sudden they are the idiots. It is a very sad way to treat the people of New Zealand Mr Norman.Dr Russel Norman: If the Prime Minister wishes to test this decision he has made to send troops to Iraq against the will of the people as represented by the 120 members in this Parliament why does he not put a motion on the floor of this Parliament and we will see whether he has a majority?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: As I have said so often before the convention is not that and that was not the case when Helen Clark made the very numerous decisions that she did. In the end we test these things every 3 years. But I will say this. We all understand the domestic risks from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). We understand those risks and we understand those risks from New Zealanders. I just look forward to the political leaders who have spoken in opposition today being the ones who come forward if something goes wrong to those New Zealanders. It will be very different boy.Dr Russel Norman: Is it not just a simple truth that the decision the Prime Minister has made today to send troops to Iraq has actually put New Zealanders at more risk?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Quite the opposite. A stronger ISIL is one that has more outreach more resources and more capability to actually inflict pain torture and kill New Zealanders.Dr Russel Norman: When he said that sending troops to Iraq was the price we paid for being part of the club what exactly did he mean?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I meant that New Zealand for a very very long period of time has worked with other countries to provide support to other countries because in return New Zealanders get support. There are 62 nations actually that are part of the coalition effort and we help each other in a variety of different fields in support. That is why Governments make these decisions because they know in my view that they are strongest when good nations get together to stand up to bad and evil forces. That is something the member does not know because he has not been in Government but any party that has knows that.Dr Russel Norman: Is it not actually the case that the club he was referring to was the “Five Eyes” club; if that is not the case then why did he not correct the interpretation which was widespread throughout the New Zealand media for more than a month that the club he was actually referring to was the “Five Eyes” club not the 60-odd nations he is now referring to?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: That is quite incorrect. Actually a number of people asked my office because I was overseas at the time and my media team made it quite clear what I was talking about. It is a shame the member will not get a chance to talk about those matters because he is persona non grata when it comes to the Intelligence and Security Committee.