Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNorman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9206. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to thePrime Minister: Who in his Government had access to the Rebecca Kitteridge report into the Government Communications Security Bureau before it was publicly released; and did the Prime Minister or any of his Ministers or their offices leak the report?Mr SPEAKER: Before I call the Minister my office has been advised that the answer will be longer than normal to give the detail.Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister): The report by Rebecca Kitteridge was initially provided to the Prime Minister and his office on 22 March. The paper was circulated under strict Cabinet security procedures to members of the Cabinet committee on domestic and external security—and the membership of that is available on the Cabinet Office website—of senior Ministers. Copies of the report were received by the directors secretaries or chief executives of the following agencies or organisations: the Government Communications Security Bureau the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Crown Law the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service the intelligence coordination group within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the State Services Commission. In addition 11 other senior officials within these agencies were given the report. Two other Ministers received it: the Hon Peter Dunne consistent with his membership of the coalition and the Hon Maurice Williamson in his capacity as Minister of Customs. The Prime Minister can give a categorical assurance that neither he nor his office leaked the report. He does not believe for a moment that his Ministers or their offices leaked thereport either. Earlier today in China the Prime Minister informed the media that he had asked his chief executive at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to speak with the State Services Commissioner to provide some advice about a potential inquiry into the leak. That advice is likely to be received upon the Prime Minister’s return to New Zealand.Dr Russel Norman: Thank you for the answer. Was the timing of the leak part of a communication strategy to divert attention from his inappropriate involvement—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Order! I invite the member to start his question again.Dr Russel Norman: Thank you Mr Speaker. Was the timing of the leak part of a communication strategy to divert attention from his inappropriate involvement in the appointment of Ian Fletcher and to have other Ministers front questions in Parliament?Hon BILL ENGLISH: No the member’s assertion is ridiculous. He should understand if he regards himself as potentially a member of any Government in the future that no Prime Minister would treat matters of national security in that fashion and I would hope that as a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee he will not treat matters of national security in that fashion.Dr Russel Norman: Is the reason he is so confident the Kitteridge report appendices have not been leaked that he knows what was and was not leaked because he knows who leaked it?Hon BILL ENGLISH: No I think I answered the question yesterday about the appendices. I simply said on behalf of the Prime Minister that they do not appear to have been leaked because they have not appeared in the newspapers. They may be sitting in a shoebox under someone’s bed but we cannot know whether they have been leaked until they appear in public.Dr Russel Norman: Is the Prime Minister too relaxed when it comes to protecting the fundamental freedoms and rights of citizens and does he think they will be able to relax when the law is changed as he is proposing to allow the Government Communications Security Bureau to spy on every phone call every email every conversation and every meeting that a New Zealander has?Hon BILL ENGLISH: No. In fact I think the extent to which the Prime Minister has gone to ensure that the law is complied with despite the fact that everyone assumed it had been legal for the Government Communications Security Bureau to conduct these activities for decades tells you how seriously he does take these issues. I might point out to the member and for general interest that in fact the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service which to most New Zealanders will not be distinguishable from the Government Communications Security Bureau has full legal rights to spy on all New Zealanders at any time subject to warrants etc. So if people think that New Zealanders cannot be put under surveillance by Government security agencies they are wrong. The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service can do that.