Henare Peeni; Collins Judith; Brownlee GerryHon PEENI HENARE (Labour): Any Government that makes the decision to deploy New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel does not make those decisions lightly. It's always made with a clear decision-making framework and a clear rationale. I can speak with experience with this particular matter. In my time as the former defence Minister my colleagues and I made the decision—and it was the right decision—after the fall of Kabul to evacuate. In those circumstances in August 2021 the rationale was quite clear. Then again of course the conflict in Ukraine where we as a Government at the time decided that we would train we would also supply and we would also focus on humanitarian support in that conflict. With that having been said with respect to humanitarian support there is the urging of this side of the House for this Government to never turn their back on the need for humanitarian support across the wider Middle East during this time.The Labour Party has made their position clear: that we should not be involved in this conflict. There's no UN resolution in favour of such actions and there are countries in Europe and Scandinavia that are against joining this conflict. We have to be very mindful about getting involved in such conflicts and I don't believe that the Government have made a clear case for it. The New Zealand reputation is respected worldwide. This however cannot be taken for granted and neither should the New Zealand support. The Government need to have a clear answer for New Zealanders who share in this belief that we should not be getting involved. With that having been said I acknowledge that there are many of our NZDF personnel who are deployed right around the world and we wish them safety and all the best in those deployments. My questions to the Minister will continue to flesh out that rationale and making sure that this Government makes a very clear case for this particular deployment. With that having been said my first question to the Minister is: given the Minister's ministerial statement and I quote Cabinet's 23 January decision to deploy six New Zealand Defence Force personnel to support any future military action against Houthi targets in Yemen and the Red Sea as part of coalition efforts to uphold maritime security in the Red Sea." My first series of questions to the Minister is: how long is this deployment intended for? Is it costed and when can the families of these personnel expect them home; sooner or later?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): Thank you very much. Very happy to advise the member in the House that the deployment will be finishing before or on 31 July this year so that's when after that I'd expect families will be able to see their loved ones again and the costing is around $500000 and that's being paid for within NZDF baselines. Hon PEENI HENARE (Labour): In light of those answers the Minister in media statements today also said that "we are going to need money in the future." Does this send an indication to New Zealanders and indeed to the House that further NZDF deployments in the Middle East will be in the pipeline in the future?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): No the member should not take it as being that. What he should take it as is being that the New Zealand Defence Force has been left in a very difficult position after six—well actually the last three years of neglect and that clearly promises that were made by a previous Minister himself to Defence around capital funding have not been complied with. So it is outrageous that this debate is being used to attack Defence on funding when in fact he's left Defence in the position that they are. I'm really proud of what Defence has been able to do with what they have and clearly the economy was left in a state pretty similar to what Defence was. Hon PEENI HENARE (Labour): Given that the Minister raised that particular matter is the Minister now then committing to all of the capital projects that this Government—the Labour Government in its time—committed to in the past six years? A second to that the other question that this House has is: what were the other options that the Cabinet Minister presented to Cabinet for consideration with respect to the US and the UK's bombing of Yemen? SPEAKER: Might I just say at this point that while this exchange is free flowing it is related entirely to the ministerial statement and all commentary from both sides should relate to that ministerial statement.Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): Well I'm sorry but there was so much noise coming from the other side that I actually missed the last part of the member's question that might have actually related to the statement. SPEAKER: We'll hold the time and you could ask the question again. Hon PEENI HENARE (Labour): Thank you. My question was: what other options did the Minister present to Cabinet for consideration with respect and response to the US and the UK's bombing of Yemen?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): I'm sorry it was in relation to what? Hon PEENI HENARE (Labour): What other options—Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): Options. Hon PEENI HENARE (Labour): What other options might the Minister have presented to her colleagues? Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): Oh right. Well there are two options: one was to deploy a number of personnel and the second was to deploy six so those were the options and Cabinet agreed. Hon PEENI HENARE (Labour): In the Minister's statement she talked with respect to adding hugely inflationary costs to New Zealanders. My question to the Minister is: what evidence does the Minister have to suggest that attacks in the Red Sea and Panama Canal are indeed adding to inflation and cost of New Zealanders and if that is the case when can New Zealanders expect a relief in the cost of living that currently impacts this country?SPEAKER: That's slightly wide at the end.Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): Sorry but the member clearly wasn't listening to the statement I just read out. I didn't actually make that statement. I'm happy to remind him that 15 percent of world trade goes through there and if anyone really wants to know what happens when our shipping lanes and our supply chains are interrupted just think back to what happened to New Zealanders and to their lack of buying power when we had the COVID-19 situation. Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: That contradicts Nicola Willis; she said it was all our fault.SPEAKER: Well hang on—good on you.Hon PEENI HENARE (Labour): Just to remind the Minister in her own statement today she clearly sets out that this means higher costs for New Zealanders which is the thrust of my question. My final question to the Minister with respect to this statement is: given the challenges that she even pointed out in the line of questioning that I've presented to her given the challenges to the New Zealand Defence Force does the Minister think that this is indeed the priority for the Defence Force?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Defence): Yes thank you for that question. Yes can I just tell the member and the House that the Defence Force are delighted to be trusted to undertake this deployment that the morale seems to be improving they are getting to do the work that they came to Defence to do and they are so happy that they've got a Minister who's on their side. The country is coming back on track. [Interruption]SPEAKER: It was all going so well."