Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:649;Page:18066] 
5.  
RON MARK (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: How long will police have to wait to be equipped with Tasers following today’s decision by the Commissioner of Police to introduce them as a tactical weapon option? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Police) 
: 
 Madam Speaker— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Hang on; he’s got to consult all MPs first! 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Well he certainly would not bother to consult that member. I am glad that Chester Borrows actually had the sense to put out a statement saying National does support the use of Tasers after the disgraceful behaviour of Gerry Brownlee yesterday. I have been advised by the Commissioner of Police that the Taser used during the trial will be reissued to the four trial districts as soon as they are retrofitted with the cameras and the appropriate refresher training is undertaken. He has also advised that New Zealand Police will made a Budget bid for the next financial year in order to equip the remaining eight districts with Tasers. 
Ron Mark 
: Can the Minister confirm that the police initially looked at the Taser back in 2000 following the fatal shooting of Steven Wallace that they announced a trial in February 2006 that that trial commenced in September 2006 and was concluded in August 2007 and that the commissioner has today on 29 August 2008 a year after the trial ended given the OK to Tasers; and does she feel that that is an acceptable time line for the introduction of a device that will save the lives of police officers and offenders alike? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I have no difficulty with the time line and the time that the commissioner took to make that decision. It is a very serious decision that has been made by New Zealand Police and to the commissioner’s credit he wanted to ensure that he got it right for New Zealanders. He also wanted to ensure that he had information on best international practice and he made the effort to look at other countries and other jurisdictions to see how the Taser worked including obtaining input from the Canadians in June and from the Home Office late in June around its trials. I think he did the right thing. 
Martin Gallagher 
: Why did the Minister issue the ministerial statement yesterday? 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Ha ha! 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I hope “Mr Blowhard” over there listens. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Well Madam Speaker before I even start to answer we get that barracking from the member. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Interjections do get responses both of which are on occasions inappropriate. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: At the Law and Order Committee on 2 July I advised that the Commissioner of Police would be keen to seek Parliament’s view on the Taser issue and that he would be providing me with advice in July. The commissioner provided me with that advice in late July— 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Then you waited till yesterday. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
:—and 27August was selected some weeks ago as the date for the ministerial statement. The Commissioner of Police confirmed that on Radio New Zealand National today and I can only assume that Gerry Brownlee with his interjection doubts the commissioner’s word. 
Keith Locke 
: How can the introduction of the Taser be a matter for the police rather than the Government to decide on when New Zealand’s introduction of the Taser which the Commissioner of the Police has announced today will put the Government in breach of the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment given that the United Nations Committee Against Torture has decided that Tasers are an instrument of torture and are to be ruled out in international law? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: It would very much depend on how a Taser was used. I can assure the member that because an evaluation and trial has taken place because work has been done in relation to how Tasers would be deployed and because safeguards have been put in place and transparency has been assured I believe that what the police in New Zealand have done is the right thing. They have made a decision to protect the public and the police. I believe that most New Zealanders support that decision. 
Keith Locke 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My question revolved around the use of Tasers being contrary to the UN convention against torture. The Minister has not answered that question. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I said it depends on how Tasers are used. To say that the police will use the Taser as an instrument of torture is a nonsense. 
Ron Mark 
: Can the Minister confirm that despite the 8 years the Taser has been under consideration according to the announcement of the police today no budget has been formulated approved or allocated for the general purchase of Tasers and that it will be at least a further 12 months before districts like Christchurch—recently reported to be the most violent city in New Zealand—receive Tasers; and does she believe that that is acceptable? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The New Zealand Police has no exemption from any Budget process that is available to departments. It must follow the rules. If the Commissioner of Police wishes to introduce Tasers to other districts earlier than he proposes he will need to reprioritise his spending. 
Ron Mark 
: Would it not be easier recognising just how urgently these devices are needed in the interests of protecting our men and women in the police force and of saving offenders’ lives for the Government itself to make a decision to provide appropriate funding now so that the police can place an immediate order with the aim of getting these things issued to front-line officers in a far more expeditious manner? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: If the Commissioner of Police wishes to make an out-of-Budget bid he is entitled to do so. That does not mean the Government will agree to it. The Government would tell him first of all to look to his own resources if that is his first priority. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table an item from  
CBS 
News 
 where the United Nations Committee Against Torture says the use of Tasers provoking extreme pain constitutes a form of torture. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table a second document pointing out that five Americans have died since the beginning of this month— 
Document not tabled.