Pettis Jill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Pettis Jill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:641;Page:10812] 
2.  
JILL PETTIS (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Defence 
: Has he received any reports on New Zealand committing troops to Iraq? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Defence) 
: 
 Yes in fact three. I saw a report on Television One on 29 July 2007 in which the Leader of the Opposition John Key said: “We’ve made it quite clear we won’t be going to Iraq. We wouldn’t have sent troops to Iraq.” But then there was the report on TV3 on 28 May 2007 where in answer to John Campbell’s question: “Would you send troops to Iraq?” Mr Key answered: “Well no not now.” Finally there were two reports in the  
Rodney Times 
 in February and March 2003 in which the same Mr John Key and Dr Smith said that New Zealand would commit troops to the war. Either Mr Key has a defective memory or simply he is not telling the truth to disguise his poor judgment and yet another flip-flop. 
Jill Pettis 
: Would the Minister advise of any further reports he has seen on this matter? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I have seen a report in the  
Rodney Times 
 from February 2003 that quotes Mr Key as saying that he would be prepared to commit any support requested by the United States for a war against Iraq including SAS and combat troops. [ 
Interruption 
] I tell Mr Key to take a point of order and I will table the report to show he has not been telling the truth. He is also quoted in March as saying: “I know it may not be a popular decision but at the end of the day we have to look to the future and that isn’t with some Franco-German coalition.” In March 2003 the  
Rodney Times 
 further reported that both Mr Key and Dr Smith believed: “New Zealand troops should be alongside their British and United States allies as they continue their invasion of Iraq.” Both claimed according to the chief reporter that New Zealand is shirking its responsibility to its traditional allies. That does not stack up with his subsequent claims that he would not have committed troops to Iraq and he knows it. 
Keith Locke 
: Could the Minister tell the House how New Zealand would now be placed if it had sent combat troops to Iraq back in 2003? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: New Zealanders were not by a large majority in favour of participating in the coalition of the willing and supported the Labour-led Government’s decision not to participate in that war. I think that about 90 percent of New Zealanders are very relieved that that decision was on the judgment of a Labour-led Government and that National was not in power to exercise Mr Key’s very poor judgment. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table an article from this morning’s Melbourne 
 Age 
 headed “Invasion will stand condemned” by Richard Woolcott. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table an article from the  
Middle East News 
 of June headed “Iraqi refugee catastrophe”. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Would the Minister be interested in knowing Mr Key’s position and that of the National Party on the Boer War the Crimean War the First World War the Second World War and perhaps Korea Viet Nam or any other conflict in the past or— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The Minister has no responsibility for what the Opposition Party says. 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I seek leave of the House to table articles from the 
 Rodney Times  
on 11 February the  
Rodney Times 
 on 25 March and transcripts from both Television One and TV3 which point out the absolutely contradictory stances of John Key. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I should make it clear that if Mr Brownlee seeks leave to ask the question he sought to ask before the Government certainly would have no objection. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order.