Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hide Rodney: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20222] 
3.  
RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Did she confirm for the  
Sunday Star-Times 
 that it was correct in asserting the Police Commissioner Peter Doone told the officer: “That won’t be necessary”; if not what did she confirm for them? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 The substance of its story—that the commissioner had intervened—was confirmed in the official reports that were before me. I am confident that I would have drawn the paper’s attention to the fact that what was said by Commissioner Doone was contested. 
Rodney Hide 
: Who are we to believe: the  
Sunday Star-Times 
 
which told the court that the Prime Minister confirmed to it that Peter Doone had said “that won’t be necessary” or the Prime Minister who tells this House that she did not confirm it for the paper? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am confident that I drew the paper’s attention to the fact that what the commissioner said was contested. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Can I put it to the Prime Minister that many people believe that the  
Sunday Star-Times  
and its lawyers are sitting on tapes of conversations with the Prime Minister that would show her statements to this House to be utterly false; and can I challenge her to allow the release of those tapes? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As I have told the House notes from the journalist were made available to my lawyer. I do not have any evidence that tapes exist. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Is it not the position now that the Fairfax newspaper has said that it published the statement “That won’t be necessary.” because the Prime Minister confirmed that that statement was true and that the Prime Minister has told the House that she made no such statement; and if there are transcripts as the Fairfax newspaper says there are is she not now in the position where an overseas newspaper can blackmail the Prime Minister of New Zealand at any time in the future by threatening to release those transcripts—is that not undesirable and should she not insist that the transcript be released so that the public is not in the position of thinking that an overseas newspaper is possibly blackmailing her? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As I have said I am confident that I drew the newspaper’s attention to the fact that the facts were contested. 
Rodney Hide 
: In light of the Prime Minister’s repeated statements to this House and to the public of New Zealand that she is confident will she request Fairfax and the  
Sunday Star-Times  
to publish the transcripts they hold or is she not prepared to do that because she does not have that confidence? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I do have confidence that I drew their attention to the fact that the facts were contested. As the member knows various litigation is being threatened and it is not appropriate for me to take any further action. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My specific question was quite clear. I asked the Prime Minister whether she was prepared to request that the  
Sunday Star-Times  
and Fairfax publish the transcripts. In no way did the Prime Minister address that. She could stand up in the House and say: “Look I am quite happy that the  
Sunday Star-Times  
publish the transcript in full because of my confidence.” That was what my question concerned. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. The Prime Minister did address the question. She addressed the question of whether the transcript should be released. She may not have given the answer the member wanted to that question but it was addressed. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: Could the Prime Minister confirm that when the Fairfax newspaper revealed she was the source it broke one of the core principles of a free press—that the name of a confidential source is not released unless that source has lied—and if that is the case is the explanation that the Fairfax newspapers say she misled them or are we in a position where the Fairfax newspapers in this country do not give a hoot about the principles of journalism; and can she imagine them doing that with regard to John Howard? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It is my understanding that the  
Sunday Star-Times  
lawyers placed no such qualification on their decision to seek a subpoena. 
Dr Don Brash 
: Why did the Prime Minister confirm to the  
Sunday Star-Times  
that Mr Doone said “That won’t be necessary.” when she had both the Police Complaints Authority report and the Robinson report stating that no such words were used? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The fact that I had both those reports before me strengthens my confidence that I would have drawn the newspaper’s attention to the fact that what Police Commissioner Doone said when he intervened and inhibited a constable from doing his duty was contested.