Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:12371] 
4.  
KEITH LOCKE (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Customs 
: Does the Government have any plans to require all United States citizens visiting New Zealand to be photographed and fingerprinted; if not why not? 
Hon RICK BARKER (Minister of Customs) 
:  
No because it is not considered necessary in the New Zealand context. 
Keith Locke 
: Why is the Minister not opposing the fingerprinting of New Zealanders entering the United States when he knows that most New Zealanders see fingerprinting as being something one does to people who are accused of a crime not to law-abiding New Zealanders? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: What the United States decides to do about its border security measures is for the United States. What New Zealand decides to do about its border security measures is for New Zealand and we respect each other’s position. 
Keith Locke 
: Why is the Government appearing to do the bidding of the Bush administration by putting a chip in our passports containing either fingerprint details or facial recognition characteristics or both? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That does not relate to what is happening in this House or to the Minister so the question is out of order. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Did the Minister or his officials have any discussion with representatives of the United States Government about the implications of the changes that that Government is proposing for entry into the United States; if so what advice did his officials give or what comments did they make to the United States? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: Normally passport documentation is governed by a number of international conventions. New Zealand is working through those international agencies to establish a new set of criteria. One of the issues for the modern era is that people are assuming other identities and we want like other countries to be certain that a person who presents himself or herself at the border is the person he or she actually claims to be. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I might have been a bit tough on Mr Locke. I would like to give him the opportunity to restate his question and I want him to relate it to the Minister’s responsibilities. 
Keith Locke 
: Why is the Minister in the action of putting a chip in our passports appearing to do the bidding of the Bush administration in that those chips will contain fingerprint details and possibly facial characteristic details? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Hon Rick Barker may answer in so far as it relates to his portfolio. 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: The passports are subject to international agreements. The international agreement is changing in terms of what is required in a passport. New Zealand will follow the international trend because we want New Zealanders to have passports that are acceptable across other borders. 
Keith Locke 
: Could the Minister elaborate which international agreements he is talking about? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Would the member please restate the question; the Minister can then make a comment. Would the member please ask the question in relation to the question that was originally asked. 
Keith Locke 
: Could the Minister explain which international agreements he is talking about and could he also guarantee that the Bush administration will not misuse the data—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have said that every member in this House is entitled to ask a question under our democracy and to ask it in silence. The Minister is not responsible for what the Bush administration does in the way that the member phrased his question. The first part of the member’s question was in order and may be answered. 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: I thank you Mr Speaker for not making me responsible for the Bush administration. I do not have all the details with me but I will supply the member with a written answer within the next 12 hours.