Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 05 June 2013. Volume:690;Page:10729. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) to thePrime Minister: Has he recently taken steps to ensure that his confidence in all his Ministers is rightly placed?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): No. I have confidence in all of my Ministers. They retain my confidence unless I have reason to lose that confidence.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can he confirm that the Kitteridge report was classified information at the time it was leaked and caught by section 78 of the Crimes Act?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I do not believe I am in a position to confirm that. It may well be correct but I would need to check it.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why is the Prime Minister dismissing as “an indiscreet comment” a leak to a journalist who wrote on 9 April—and I am using the very words of that article that that journalist wrote—“The revelations are contained in the report prepared by Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Kitteridge and seen by Fairfax Media.”?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I thought the reference I made yesterday that the member was referring to—I may be wrong—was in relation to another detailed leak or a leak from the Intelligence and Security Committee meeting. I am pretty sure that was actually the reference the member made yesterday. I may be wrong. If that was the case the member might like to know that the committee clerk wrote to all members after that leak emerged and reminded them of their obligations and to be careful.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why is the Prime Minister dismissing a most serious leak as “an indiscreet comment”—not to do with anything other than the matter of the leak I am referring to—when the leak to the journalist was of a full report which enabled the journalist to describe key details such as the 71-page length of the report the recommendation of “an immediate overhaul of the law” criticism of a former Government Communications Security Bureau deputy director under-resourcing of the Government Communications Security Bureau deputy director’s office culture problems at the agency and many other very substantial issues all in a long report by that journalist?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: As I say I can go back and check yesterday’sHansard. I may be incorrect or talking at cross-purposes but the member is talking about the leak of the Kitteridge report. That is a serious matter subject to an inquiry by David Henry. When that inquiry is complete the report is finalised and I have had an opportunity to read it and digest it it will be released. That was not actually the reference that the member was talking to yesterday from memory. It was about another leak that came from the Intelligence and Security Committee which I think at the time actually was an indiscreet comment as opposed to a leak. I may be wrong but that is my understanding.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why when there is an inexplicable connection between one Minister’s phone calls and information leaks exclusively to one journalist is he showing such little interest in these phone records?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I thank the member for playing super-sleuth but maybe he would like to do what I am doing and that is wait for the David Henry report.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not obliged to wait for the David Henry report. I am obliged to do my job as an Opposition member and ask questions. My point is that the Prime Minister—Hon Dr Nick Smith: It’d be sensible to wait.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Do not get excited chaps.Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the member wants to make a point of order he will concentrate—Rt Hon Winston Peters: Yes well my point of order is that I am asking questions legitimately of the Prime Minister about a certain Minister’s phone calls and the coincidence not pure serendipity of information by way of an exclusive leak to one journalist which everybody in the press gallery knows about. I am entitled to ask that question and not be fobbed off by being told to wait until some other later report may come out.Mr SPEAKER: As I recall the question it certainly had an opinion that was delivered within the question that was the opinion of the member and the Prime Minister adequately addressed that question. The member can ask a further supplementary question.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why when affected parties shown the Kitteridge report had their phones removed were escorted into the room and were kept under constant surveillance because they were seeing classified information caught by section 78 of the Crimes Act is he now covering up the leak which involves a serious crime punishable by 3 years in prison?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member is just being ludicrous. We have commissioned a report. David Henry is writing the report. I do not have the report. The report in the fullness of time will be received will be read and will be released. There is no more that I could do as Prime Minister. Some time ago that member said: “I deal in the facts.” Well so do I. When I have the facts I will share them.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You can see what is going on here. The Prime Minister—[Interruption] Oh do not worry.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! It is a point of order—well I hope it is a point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Yes exactly. I recognise a hysterical laugh when I hear one. The plain fact is that I am entitled to ask the Prime Minister about a certain Minister’s phone calls and the connection between that Minister and exclusive leaks that are covered by the Crimes Act. I am entitled to ask the Prime Minister whether he regards that leak as a crime and instead I am being told to wait around when we all know there is a leak so we know that a crime has been committed—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have heard sufficient. I have heard sufficient. [Interruption] I have heard sufficient. [Interruption] I have heard sufficient. The member is entitled to ask the question and the Prime Minister is expected to answer it and he has done so. The member now has one further supplementary question if he desires it.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Tell me Prime Minister: have you spoken to the Hon Peter Dunne about his phone records and the pure connection by dates of exclusive leaks shortly after those phone calls and other communications that are a crime under the Crimes Act because the information is classified?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No because if I did that I would be doing the job of David Henry. I am not the person responsible for the inquiry.