Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeShearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 19 November 2013. Volume:695;Page:14905. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.DAVID SHEARER (Labour—Mt Albert) to theMinister of Foreign Affairs: Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s statement with regard to his conversation with the British Prime Minister the Rt Hon David Cameron about Sri Lanka that: “I just sort of said to him ‘where do you think it’s all going?’ I mean like us I mean I think everybody is now really focused on what’s the next steps going forward”?Hon MURRAY McCULLY (Minister of Foreign Affairs): The member is of course quoting the Prime Minister out of context by omitting his immediately preceding sentence. Asked whether Prime Minister Cameron had raised with him the question of an inquiry in Sri Lanka the Prime Minister commenced his answer with “No he didn’t raise it.” Quoted in context the Prime Minister’s answer is clear unambiguous and of course correct.David Shearer: Was the Prime Minister or the New Zealand Government ever asked by David Cameron to support his position to promote an independent inquiry intohuman rights abuses and war crimes in Sri Lanka and why did the Government choose not to support it if that was the case?Hon MURRAY McCULLY: I was not present for the meeting that the Prime Minister held with Prime Minister Cameron but I can make clear the Government’s position on this matter. As the member will know what happened in Sri Lanka particularly in the period leading up to the cessation of the conflict about 4 years ago was nothing short of a major human tragedy. It is also a fact that the United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka having investigated those matters found very significant and serious fault on both sides. The Government believes that there should be a process to hold those responsible to account just as it believes that there should also be a process for achieving reconciliation and also devolution in the north where elections in September provide the opportunity to devolve power to the chief minister and his Tamil-led party.David Shearer: In light of this answer will the Government support an independent inquiry at the Human Rights Council meeting in March as the UK Prime Minister David Cameron is proposing?Hon MURRAY McCULLY: The Government believes that there should be accountability and an independent inquiry through some mechanism whether it is one sponsored by the Human Rights Council or otherwise appointed. Certainly it is a good way forward. With regard to the UK prospect of a resolution at the Human Rights Council depending on the actual wording contained in the resolution we may well support it.David Shearer: Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s comment about PresidentRajapaksa that “Domestically he’s extremely popular and that’s because people do now feel safe” or does he believe the reports of the United Nations Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who say exactly the opposite that the Sri Lankan Government has not investigated nor stopped human rights abuses and that Tamils in the north certainly do not feel safe?Hon MURRAY McCULLY: I think the Prime Minister was very accurately reflecting the results of the elections in Sri Lanka which demonstrated that President Rajapaksa’s Government must have been popular to have achieved such a significant election victory. It is also true to say that the elections held in September in the north demonstrate that there is a significant desire for Tamil autonomy in that province. They won 30 of the 38 seats and the chief minister is a significant figure and a former judge in the Tamil-led party there. Both the statements that the member has quoted are therefore correct.David Shearer: Given that we have received an elephant in exchange for the human rights of the people in Sri Lanka can we expect him to bring home a bear from Russia in exchange for the rights of gay athletes at Russia’s Winter Olympics?Hon MURRAY McCULLY: The question of an elephant for Auckland Zoo is one that Auckland Zoo has been pursuing for over 2 years. If the member kept in touch with his constituency he may well have known that. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member asked a question. The Minister now has every right to answer that question and he is attempting to do so but the level of interjection coming from my left-hand side is making it very difficult for me to hear that answer.Hon MURRAY McCULLY: As I have already indicated in an earlier answer the Government regards the events that occurred a few years ago in Sri Lanka as nothing short of a major human tragedy. We therefore believe that these are matters that should be appropriately taken up with the Sri Lankan Government that accountability should be pursued that devolution—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I will not warn a member again on my left-hand side. I have got to my feet on the second occasion now asking members to give the Minister a fair go. I cannot carry on doing that. I will be asking a member to leave the Chamber.Hon MURRAY McCULLY: I will repeat. The Government regards what occurred in Sri Lanka as nothing short of a major human tragedy. We believe that those responsible should be held to account and also that devolution should occur to benefit the people in the north of Sri Lanka. We do not believe that these matters should be trivialised in the manner that that member wishes to.