Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:614;Page:10586] 
12.  
KEITH LOCKE (Green) 
 to the  
Minister in charge of the NZ Security Intelligence Service 
: Will the Government be holding an inquiry into the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service’s handling of the Zaoui case in light of the loss of part of a videotape interview and the subsequent discovery of an audio tape of the interview with Mr Zaoui; if not why not? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Acting Minister in charge of the NZ Security Intelligence Service) 
: 
 The Rt Hon Helen Clark will be receiving a full briefing on this issue when she returns from overseas and no further comment will be made until she has had that briefing. 
Keith Locke 
: Does the Minister accept that the credibility of the Security Intelligence Service has been seriously dented by the lost and found audio tapes and the fact that Mr Zaoui was interviewed and videotaped without his knowledge and consent and without his lawyer being allowed to be present? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: As I said no further comment will be made until the Prime Minister on her return has received a full briefing. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Can the Acting Prime Minister assure the House there will be no governmental interference in the role of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Justice Greig in his review of the national security certificate issued in respect of Ahmed Zaoui? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Absolutely and I welcome the member’s support for that when the Government is under so much pressure from a number of quarters asking it to intervene in that process. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why are we going to so much trouble and so much expense—probably now $200000—in this case of a person who left Malaysia and falsified his entry into this country in terms of documentation; how many Muslim countries did he bypass on the way to a supposedly Christian country? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I think the answer to the latter part of the question is one if I have my geography right— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Algeria to here. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I thought the member said from Malaysia to New Zealand— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: That was the last one. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Or rather a lot from Algeria. Whether or not the member likes it New Zealand is a country of the rule of law and the process will be followed without Government interference. 
Keith Locke 
: Given that Parliament is not allowed to scrutinise adequately the SIS what steps is she taking as the responsible Minister to make sure the SIS is not so careless or devious with the use of its videotapes audio tapes and who knows what else? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I do not accept the member’s accusation of deviousness. Certainly there appears to have been some carelessness but as I said the Prime Minister will be receiving a full briefing when she returns from overseas late this evening. 
Keith Locke 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In replying to three of these questions the Minister answering for the Prime Minister has said that he cannot answer the question because the Prime Minister will get a full briefing when she returns. This question was on the Order Paper. Surely the Minister should have been briefed to act as the Prime Minister and answer the questions adequately. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No because the answer the Minister gave was very specific that there will be a full briefing when the Prime Minister returns. I presume after that briefing questions can be raised with her. The member has a final supplementary question if he wants one. 
Keith Locke 
: Does the Minister agree that the inspector-general should consider Mr Zaoui’s rights particularly in the light of Cabinet papers establishing the inspector-general’s position which explicitly state that his role shall be to ensure that the activities of the SIS “are consistent with human rights”? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The Government will not comment on the way in which the inspector-general undertakes his statutory duties.