Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:632;Page:4491] 
8.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Justice 
: What is the latest estimate of costs to the Legal Services Agency Crown Law Office and the Ministry of Justice relating to the Ahmed Zaoui case? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House)  
on behalf of the 
 Minister of Justice 
: Some of these numbers do not lie within the ministerial responsibility of the Minister but he has tried to obtain the figures for the member. In terms of legal aid to the end of June the total was $483744 in legal aid for Mr Zaoui. The Ministry of Justice also administers the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. For the year ended 30 June 2006 that office had incurred roughly $357000 in costs relating to the case. The Minister is advised by the Attorney-General that Crown Law costs to date are $1.273 million. The Minister is also advised that the court costs total is somewhere around $252000. That makes a grand total roughly speaking of about $2.4 million. 
Peter Brown 
: Noting those figures and that the review has been deferred delayed or postponed has the Minister estimated what the likely final costs to those agencies will be and has he any advice as to when the rescheduled hearing will take place? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: On the last point I understand that the rescheduled hearing is likely to take place early next year. I have no estimate of the final cost but it looks as though it would be at least enough to keep the Overlander running for another couple of years. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table a tabulation of the four sets of legal proceedings involving Ahmed Zaoui all of which the Government has lost or has substantively lost and has wasted over $2 million of taxpayers’ money on. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those documents. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table a tabulation of the sets of proceedings that the Government has won in the Ahmed Zaoui legal series. It is a paper with nothing on it. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection to that? There is objection. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table the Refugee Status Appeals Authority decision of 1 August 2003 which if the Government had accepted and gone along with it would have saved about $2 million of taxpayers’ money. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? Yes there is objection. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table a set of tax tables that show what Ahmed Zaoui would be paying in tax if he had been allowed his freedom and to take up a position in Islamic studies at a New Zealand university. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I seek leave to table an equally blank document showing the costs that New Zealand would have incurred had Mr Zaoui returned to Algeria when the amnesty was declared. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table the Amnesty International report of last month that explains how people in detention in Algeria today are tortured by the security forces and the police. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister aware of the assertions that the office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security is not adequately resourced; and can he therefore advise whether this issue will be taken care of in order that in January next year when the review is held it will be fair efficient and as transparent as is possibly allowed and effectively will make a final decision? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I am not aware of those claims. I am aware of claims from Mr Zaoui’s lawyers that delays are entirely the fault of the Crown. That those claims are disingenuous to put it mildly needs to be put on the record I think. 
Peter Brown 
: Can the Minister give the House an assurance that the office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security will in its review take proper and detailed cognisance of the judgments made in France Belgium and Switzerland that impacted on Mr Zaoui? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: No I cannot give that assurance because how the inspector-general deals with the inquiry he is undertaking is entirely a matter for him. It would be quite inappropriate for me to make any comment in that respect.