Mark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 19 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:8325. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his statements?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister): Yes.Ron Mark: Does he stand by his statement that he “thinks it is right to leave people primarily in these graveyards in Malaysia” when the Australian Government has decided to repatriate 39 deceased soldiers primarily from Malaysia?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I would be a bit hesitant to venture further explanation of the Prime Minister’s view on that matter other than to say that it has been considered as I understand it a number of times. One would expect that we are capable of making our own judgment about it. These are our fallen soldiers not Australia’s.Ron Mark: Why does the Government now repatriate the remains of soldiers who die overseas?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I am not exactly sure just where the member is trying to get to.Hon Member: Just answer the question.Hon BILL ENGLISH: As has already been pointed out previous Governments have made particular decisions about the extent of repatriation and the current Government of course does. We are in somewhat different circumstances now than we were in the Malaysian and Vietnamese campaign.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question to the Prime Minister was about soldiers being repatriated now like from Afghanistan. Could I put the question again to help the Minister?Mr SPEAKER: Order! I refer the member to Speaker’s rulings 191/3 and 191/4. If the member wants specific answers to supplementary questions then it is difficult to get that when he starts with such a general primary question.Ron Mark: Why can the Government not bring back the bodies of those soldiers not buried in Commonwealth war graves whose families have requested that?Hon BILL ENGLISH: I have not been party to that particular discussion with those families and in fairness to them I think it would be better if we were able to answer that question in the full knowledge of what exchanges have been taking place. I would be reluctant to make assertions without the knowledge of those exchanges.Ron Mark: Given that he has refused to allow those remains to be repatriated how can the Prime Minister guarantee that a soldier’s grave by a motorway or under an overhead rail bridge will be respected in the future and remain accessible to the family as they are in the Commonwealth war graves?Hon BILL ENGLISH: Again the member seems to be referring to particular circumstances. Out of respect for the families and with the seriousness of the issue for the individuals concerned I would prefer to answer his question if and when I have a better understanding of what exchanges have gone on about those issues.Hon Phil Goff: Why should the wishes of the families who have lost their loved ones who are now buried in Malaysia not be regarded as a paramount consideration when firstly the RSA supports their case for repatriation if they wish and secondly the Australians are in the process of repatriating those bodies next year and these bodies are not in a Commonwealth war graves cemetery—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Bring the question to a conclusion.Hon BILL ENGLISH: Of course their families’ wishes would be of concern. I imagine that when the member was Minister of Defence and turned down—Hon Gerry Brownlee: 2007.Hon BILL ENGLISH: —these ideas in 2007 I presume—[Interruption] I assume the member as Minister of Defence took the families’ wishes into account when he “refused to repatriate the bodies”. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I suggest that if Mr Brownlee and Mr Goff wish to continue the conversation they take it outside the Chamber. Question No. 4 Eugenie Sage. [Interruption] Order! I will not give another warning to Mr Goff.