Dunne Peter: Ministerial Statements — Iraq—New Zealand Assistance 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Dunne Peter: Ministerial Statements — Iraq—New Zealand Assistance 
[Sitting date: 10 June 2003. Volume:609;Page:6045. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 United Future supports the announcements made in respect of additional deployments to Afghanistan and the deployment of personnel to Iraq for the very simple reason that they are the right decisions to make at this time. They are right because they deal with an appalling humanitarian crisis now enveloping Iraq; they are right because they build on this country’s commitments made in the wake of Operation Enduring Freedom being launched to rebuilding the nation of Afghanistan; and they are right because now that the Iraq war is over the world has come in behind the view that every nation regardless of the stand it took in that conflict has a duty to ensure the peaceful reconstruction of Iraq. 
I say to those personnel who will be going to Iraq and to Afghanistan that they do go with the blessing of this Parliament. They go as New Zealand forces and New Zealand personnel not as the representative of a particular Government. This is not a political decision; this is a decision for New Zealanders and it deserves to be seen in that light. Every day—just as recently as the weekend for example—examples are brought to our attention of the risks that they will face. It could just as easily have been New Zealand personnel who were attacked in Kabul at the weekend and not the German personnel. The risks we see in southern Iraq still will be the risks that our forces will face when they are there. I do not believe that anyone in this House whatever his or her political differences would wish to minimise the significance of the risk and the courage that those people will be required to display and therefore give them their best wishes for the deployment and the mission they are about to undertake in each instance. 
I observe with some wry amusement the various reactions to this announcement. The reaction of the speaker who preceded me was utterly predictable and I will give him the charity of no further comment. But I find that those who now say that in attempting to send personnel to Iraq in particular New Zealand is somehow currying favour with traditional friends and allies when those same people a few weeks ago were saying that we should be working alongside those same friends and allies in the conflict is an irony a little too great to bear. The bottom line—and I support this absolutely—is that we should have been making this assistance available right from the conclusion of the war. I am delighted that it has now happened but the reality of those who now say that we are just currying favour—those who said at the time the decision was made to stand aside from the conflict that we should be in there alongside our friends and allies—I think detracts from the sanctity of the decision that has been made. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: It’s politics. 
Hon PETER DUNNE 
: Oh! “It’s politics.” says the member opposite. This is actually about the country’s national interest. It is a much bigger decision than the interests of some political parties. These forces and personnel have a right to go abroad confident that they represent the goodwill of all New Zealanders. That is what this Parliament is expressing and that is why I am pleased to support the announcement that was made yesterday.