Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 25 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5561. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
4. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by all his statements in relation to Kim Dotcom and the inquiry into the actions of the Government Communications Security Bureau? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. I stand by my full statements in the context in which they were given. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement that he first heard of Kim Dotcom on 19 January 2012 the day before the police raids on Dotcom’s residence? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes. 
David Shearer 
: Is he expecting us to believe that that was the first time he had heard of Kim Dotcom given that there was an extradition order for Kim Dotcom from the highest authorities in the US that his Ministers—Minister Williamson Minister Power and Minister Coleman—had dealt with him that the New Zealand Police the Solicitor-General Crown Law and the US had given substantial assistance up to that raid that the media had been reporting on him and that his own agency the Government Communications Security Bureau had been investigating him? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: That is the truth. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement when he said he did not know about the ministerial certificate Bill English signed on 16 August as Acting Prime Minister and is he therefore telling the House that Mr English did not ring him and tell him did not brief him on it when he returned sat through an entire Cabinet and did not mention it to him and told him about it only after the press conference yesterday? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: In relation to all the earlier points yes except that the latter point is incorrect. My agency informed me about the last point. The reason for that of course is that the ministerial certificate was simply a certificate around a suppression order that was—[ 
Interruption 
]—oh Jesus—granted by an application of the court. The reason why that would not be an extraordinary item is that it is quite normal for the activities of the Government Communications Security Bureau and SIS not to be entered into the public domain for good public interest reasons. 
David Shearer 
: In light of that and in light of the seriousness the situation is in now does he have confidence in his Acting Prime Minister at the time Bill English? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes. It has been a longstanding practice for Government Communications Security Bureau and SIS activities not to be in the public domain for good public interest. That was the policy that Helen Clark followed—that was exactly the policy that Helen Clark followed—and the ministerial certificate simply does that. It does not do anything else. 
David Shearer 
: Does the ministerial certificate relate to information that if released publicly would prejudice the relationship between the New Zealand and the US Governments? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No. The ministerial certificate was in relation to an application by Paul Davison QC to have the involvement of the Government Communications Security Bureau released into the public domain. It was deemed that that was not in the public interest. 
David Shearer 
: Is he suggesting as he did yesterday that the Government Communications Security Bureau made a mistake because it did not know the status of Kim Dotcom’s residency when in fact—this photo will jog the Prime Minister’s memory—he put on a fireworks display that was the biggest in New Zealand’s history? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: All I can say to the member is that I would caution him as I would caution every other New Zealander to wait until they see Paul Neazor’s report which might make it quite clear how such a situation like this could have taken place. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement that as a Minister he did not take any responsibility for the actions of the Government Communications Security Bureau “because I wasn’t aware of the fact that the operation was taking place. It didn’t require ministerial sign-off.”? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I am responsible for the direction and priorities of my agencies; I do not get involved in operational matters. I would note that the  
Cabinet Manual 
 says that Ministers should not be involved in their departments’ day-to-day operations. 
David Shearer 
: Who is ultimately responsible for the actions of the Government Communications Security Bureau? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I am responsible. That is why on Monday 17 September when my agency came to me and said that it believed that it may have acted unlawfully I immediately set about and started an inquiry rightfully so.