Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:678;Page:805] 
4. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by all his recent statements? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes especially the one I said to my wife when I told her I loved her. 
David Shearer 
: Supplementary—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I want to hear the supplementary question. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I am on my feet. Ministers would be wise to recollect that if they include material in their answers they can be questioned on it. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement yesterday in relation to the disestablishment of a consul position in the New Zealand embassy in Cairo that no decisions have been made yet? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes and that is why we are going through a consultation process. 
David Shearer 
: Does the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade structure disestablish the position of consul in the Cairo embassy? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: That is yet to be determined. 
David Shearer 
: I seek to table a document part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade change document of 23 February this year which shows that the position in the Cairo embassy is now no longer there. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
David Shearer 
: Why is he not being upfront with New Zealanders and acknowledging that the role of consul in Cairo as with other similar positions overseas is being disestablished meaning that New Zealanders in difficulty will not have the guarantee of one of their own citizens protecting their interests? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I think it is very important that the member understands what is happening. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has put out there as he is well and truly or should be aware a document that looks at a proposed new structure. No final decisions have yet been made. The member knows that. 
David Shearer 
: Should there be a New Zealander on the ground in Cairo to perform consular duties currently undertaken by Barbara Welton or should New Zealanders be satisfied with an 0800 number patched through to Wellington? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: There will certainly be people on the ground in Cairo. For instance the ambassador will be there. We are not looking to close that operation. Secondly we do fly people in all the time. The member will be aware if one just looks at Africa for instance how sparsely we are represented there and we fly people around those environments. When it comes to 0800 numbers Australia and Canada use 0800 numbers. The reason for that is it is so much more convenient for people to be able to get one source from which support can then be dispatched. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Have the events in Algeria in recent days involving a trained skilled and courageous diplomat caused the Prime Minister to have any change of heart over making such diplomats redundant and in some cases replacing them with National Party hacks? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I reject the latter part of the member’s question. In terms of the former the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is going through a consultation process at the moment. What is true is that there will be changes—we do not know what those changes are yet—but it is also true that there needs to be a modernisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 
David Shearer 
: Will the jobs currently performed by the consul in Cairo continue to be performed by a New Zealander as he said was his expectation yesterday? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: It is my expectation that the ambassador would be a New Zealander. 
David Shearer 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! This is a point of order. 
David Shearer 
: That was a very straight question. I actually specifically asked whether the current jobs will be performed by the consul in Cairo not by the ambassador. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: That is not the question you asked. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: That is not the question you asked. Straighten yourself up. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I say to the Leader of the House that the Speaker does not need to be straightening himself up. It is a point of order being considered. 
Hon Gerry Brownlee 
: You always look pristine. My apologies. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Goodness me we had better try to—[ 
Interruption 
] What I will do is invite the member to repeat his question because there is some dispute over the question and I did not hear that bit of it clearly myself. 
David Shearer 
: Will the jobs currently performed by the consul in Cairo continue to be performed by a New Zealander as he said was his expectation yesterday? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: That is yet to be determined by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. But as I said yesterday it is my expectation that New Zealanders will get the representation that they need.