English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:607;Page:4534] 
3.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she believe her comment that a Gore presidency in the United States would have had a different consequence for Iraq was an appropriate statement for her to make and what benefit does she think this view of United States domestic politics will have for the New Zealand - United States relationship? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes and neither here nor there. Leaders can occasionally make a difference as the National Party is contemplating at the moment. 
Hon Bill English 
: Has the Government changed its policy from staying close to our friends and allies despite differences over the war to an approach where the New Zealand Government is trying to distance itself from those friends and allies now that the war is on television? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The Government is clear that it has not supported this war. We are waiting to hear what Mr English’s position is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Putting aside the Government’s position in respect of this war in Iraq does the Prime Minister think it is wise for her to think off the top of her head and to give vent to her mind on matters on which she is thoroughly unqualified to speak? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I would assert a little more expertise on foreign policy than the member. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: How does the Prime Minister reconcile her statement on Sunday: “I don’t think that September 11 under a Gore presidency would have had this consequence for Iraq” with her armchair generalship yesterday by publicly contradicting General Tommy Franks’ claim that the allies are on time and with her statement to Parliament in February: “We have stepped up our promotion of free-trade negotiations with the United States”—or should that be Syria? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I cannot see any link between the statements. Further I point out to the member that Mr Howard was reported only yesterday in the  
Sydney Morning Herald 
 as conceding that the United States’ belief on going into the war that the show of overwhelming coalition force would inspire a popular uprising against Saddam Hussein was misguided. The fact that Mr Howard is in negotiations for a free-trade agreement does not stop him from telling the truth as he sees it about what is happening. 
Keith Locke 
: Why did the Prime Minister not express confidence in the Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader whose anti-war stance both before and since the election has been much more evident than that of Al Gore and other Democrats and does the Prime Minister agree that her anti-war stand is enhancing New Zealand’s relationships with the many millions of Americans who are against Bush’s war? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Ralph Nader’s position on these issues is well known. For the record I say that this country values its relationship with the United States and we are determined that this difference of opinion will not harm that relationship. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Is the Prime Minister aware of any interest in or notice taken of her comments by the United States media? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I cannot say that I have had any reports drawn to my attention of my comments in the United States media at all. 
Hon Bill English 
: Does the Prime Minister intend to revert to her previous policy of not criticising the US in any way or will she continue to make comments about the war as if she were some kind of foreign correspondent—and continue to offend our friends and allies? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Yesterday when the Leader of the Opposition was challenged to give a single anti-American statement by the Prime Minister he could not give one because there has not been one. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Is the Prime Minister aware that her public comments made yesterday opposing the war effort against the Saddam Hussein regime are heralded in today’s issue of the  
ArabNews 
; and are we to conclude it is now her intention to substitute a free-trade agreement with the USA for a free-trade agreement with Syria? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am aware that Agence-France Presse picked up some of the comments from the press conference yesterday—statements I might say of the bleedingly obvious. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: I seek leave to table today’s issue of the  
ArabNews 
 heralding Helen Clark’s comments. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There is.