Groser Tim: General Debate 
Groser Tim: General Debate 
[Volume:665;Page:12990] 
Hon TIM GROSER (Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs) 
: 
 I like other members on the Government side of the House will focus on New Zealand’s place in the world today reflecting on the tragic news that we all heard this morning. I join the many eloquent statements that have been made by members on all sides of this House in extending my deepest sympathy to the family of the late Lieutenant O’Donnell and to his friends. I remind them that the wishes of New Zealanders right around the country are to be beside them and I also do not forget the obvious grave concerns of the families of the two injured soldiers news of whose recovery we await with keen interest. I think that in this country there is a very strong appreciation of the role of our armed forces and of the invaluable part that they play in defending New Zealand’s role in the world. I think there is particularly strong support for what I call the quasi-political role that some of our soldiers play probably better than any other soldiers in the world in supporting stability and peace and in working closely in very complicated political and social situations particularly in the South Pacific. They obviously put themselves on the line. 
I was very much struck by a comment that Mr Anderton made and I associate myself strongly with it. He reminded us that the gravest responsibility that anyone who has the privilege of being a Minister in any Cabinet has is to take part in a collective decision to send our New Zealand citizens abroad to potentially risk their lives in the defence of our values and interests. I strongly associate myself with Mr Anderton’s comment and I know that that was very much in the minds of our Ministers just as I am sure that it was when he had the privilege of being a Cabinet Minister himself. I am sure that it will always continue to be the case. 
Unfortunately we live in a world where the conflict of ideas still has the capacity to erupt into almost mindless violence. Like many others I can see enormous progress being made in terms of limiting the competition amongst nation States in the last 30 or 40 years through elaborate understandings involving disarmament closer trading agreements and diplomacy. In 1989 when the great dividing barrier in Europe finally fell we thought we might be able to put the clash of nation States behind us at least substantially. Although we have to acknowledge that there are one or two trouble spots like Korea where that traditional threat still exists the new menace of international terrorism has arisen to threaten us in our homes in our own countries or when we are visiting other countries. It is a threat against the very basis of civilisation. 
Unfortunately although I strongly associate myself with those who believe that armed force can never be the final answer to the threat posed by international terrorism it is regrettably part of the final answer. We just cannot escape that. Clearly we will be relying on social change change in attitudes better education and better development opportunities to deal with the roots of international terrorism. I see it as the death rattle of those who are resisting modernity. But at the end of the day we simply could not tolerate without response a situation where a country was being used as a training base for international terrorists who then turned the very forces of globalisation against people in New York. I think that although it is a very grave issue to commit our people to a collective response to that situation it was an appropriate decision of the previous Government and I think it was an appropriate decision of this Government to continue that contribution. 
Obviously we all look forward to a day when that contribution will not be necessary: when the Afghan people as the Prime Minister has said publicly today from Vanuatu can look after their own security. That huge challenge faces the people of Afghanistan. In the meantime we are trying to make a contribution there and although New Zealanders are obviously deeply concerned about the safety and welfare of the New Zealanders who are involved in that collective effort I think now is the time to stand behind our people on the front line. I strongly support their efforts.