McCully Murray: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
McCully Murray: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:628;Page:744] 
12. GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
 on behalf of the  
Hon MURRAY McCULLY (National—East Coast Bays) 
 to the  
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
: Does he have confidence in all of the foreign policies of the Government? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Minister of Foreign Affairs) 
: 
 The answer is yes. Not only is that a condition of the supply and confidence agreement with the Government but I have successfully represented this country and the Government at several international meetings over the last month. By my actions I have demonstrated our commitment. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: What negotiating stance will New Zealand be taking in relation to the Convention on Biological Diversity with regard to trade in genetic resources and how does that stance relate to the development of New Zealand’s domestic law in that area? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: That issue is at a putative stage and is in the hands of one of my colleagues the name of whom the member should know if he is going to be a foreign affairs spokesperson. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Why does it appear that the Minister is not aware that the briefing to the incoming Minister of Foreign Affairs states specifically on page 49 that officials still require decisions on New Zealand’s position in respect of those negotiations and raises concerns that international negotiations may get ahead of New Zealand’s domestic policy; is he unaware because he has not actually read the ministerial briefing papers or can he answer the question? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I think I answered the question by saying that this issue was at its putative stages and of course one has to understand what the word “putative” means and that is where I lost the member—all of which characteristics are in the emails I have regarding the National Party’s internal workings. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The last part of the answer was not relevant. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: He aha te tunga o Aotearoa mo te ahua tino rangatiratanga o ngatangata whenua o te ao a ikorero Te Manatu Aorere o Aotearoa ki a wai? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
What is New Zealand’s position towards indigenous peoples of the world and their right to self-determination and who did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand consult? 
]  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I tell my learned colleague the questioner that there is a tremendous number of issues on which the Government has to consult in respect of indigenous people around the world. Whenever and however the Government is to be able to do it in the end those matters will go to Cabinet and there will be Maori affairs input if it is appropriate. But perhaps the best answer is this: in consulting the indigenous people the Government appointed one as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Did the Minister tell the  
South China Morning Post 
 that in carrying out New Zealand’s foreign policy he was able to rely on his reservoir of personal contacts in Asia including the Prime Minister of Singapore who retired 15 years ago; that Prime Minister’s successor whose name the Minister could not recall; leading members of the Government of the Philippines whom the Minister described to the paper as “Filipinos I have met”; members of the Malaysian Government whose names he could not recall; and his very very good friend the former chief executive of Hong Kong of whom the Minister said to the newspaper: “His name just temporarily escapes me.”? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I have no difficulty in demonstrating the duplicity and deceit in that article. Firstly there have been two successors to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew—that is the first fact that that correspondent got wrong. Secondly TungChee-hwa was not the chief executive at the time that article was written—another baseless deceit on that newspaper’s part. If the newspaper wants to engage in that sort of chronological nonsense then no doubt it will keep referring such matters to the National Party. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Should New Zealanders be concerned that not only our domestic media but now it would seem the international media have it in for this Minister? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: The fact is that what we saw post the decision to appoint a new Minister of Foreign Affairs was New Zealand journalists frequently appearing in overseas magazines then their editors back here saying: “Wow this is terrible; look at what they’re saying in overseas magazines!”—all those articles having been written by the meerkats of the press gallery. 
Peter Brown 
: Noting the House’s interest in the Minister’s portfolio and indeed in the Minister himself will he enlighten the House as to whether the reports in the  
New Zealand Herald  
written by its correspondent accurately reflect the Minister’s meetings at APEC in Korea and the East Asia Summit in Malaysia; if not how do they not? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: That is a very good case in point. The  
New Zealand Herald  
correspondent at no time was at any meeting about which she wrote. Even though she was told the story was a fabrication or bovine scatology she stood by “her sources”. Then she repeated the fabrication yesterday in the  
New Zealand Herald  
by saying two things in the article—that Mr Peters had sought to defuse tensions when no such thing occurred at all and that I had described myself there as the “new boy on the block” which I demonstrably was not because that was Taro Aso the Foreign Minister of Japan who was appointed after me. But right there are three demonstrable examples of an experienced journalist making it up as she goes along then having her colleagues defend what is a tissue of lies. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Why does the Minister think this particular journalist has it in for him? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: We are getting a bit broad of the primary question. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I asked a question like that because you had allowed that ridiculous question from Peter Brown and you got the ravings of the Minister. Surely we can now just find out what it is and if it is personal we can leave it at that. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No. I allowed that question because in the supplementary questions issues had been raised about articles; that is why that question was permitted. But I will ask the Minister to reply as members seem to wish to hear the answer. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: The answer to that question is to be found in 3 years of emails of the National Party’s internal workings where the  
New Zealand Herald 
 is concerned. [ 
Interruption 
] Oh I know what those members are thinking: they are wondering whether I have one telephone book full of those emails or 10. Well I have to tell those members that in all this excitement I myself clean forgot to count them. But given that this is the most damaging information seen in the Western World and could blow their political heads clean off they have to ask themselves this question: “Do you feel lucky?”. Well do ya punks? 
Gerry Brownlee 
: We have no objection to the Minister tabling that material—but of course we do not expect ever to see it. Can the Minister confirm that following his public offer to the National Party of a briefing on foreign affairs matters made some 2 months ago and subsequent letters and phone calls to his office requesting such a briefing he has not made a time for such a briefing because he himself has not read the briefing papers to the incoming Minister? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I hasten to defend my ministry by saying that the fact is its officials are waiting to set a time with Mr McCully when he will turn up at Parliament instead of spending all his time writing on his website about the Minister of Foreign Affairs travelling first-class which I never have and do not now. In contrast when he was the Minister of Tourism he travelled nothing but first-class. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The question should be answered. The Minister can address questions as he will—I accept that—but for goodness’ sake all we are asking him is how soon will he know enough about foreign affairs to be able to give us a briefing. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: The point is my ministry awaits a time and destination to fully apprise Mr McCully. But I have told officials that that might take 6 months of intense work 8 hours a day so they are looking for a time of suitable mutual engagement. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I think the Minister addressed the question.