Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19118] 
10.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: Were there any police cars in the vicinity of Forrest Hill North Shore at approximately 1350 hours on 20 December 2004 that were able to respond to any urgent request for back-up assistance in the area but did not do so; if so for what reason did they not respond? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Police 
: I am advised by the police that two traffic patrols were attending a serious vehicle crash in Forrest Hill Road from 1.17 p.m. to 2.56 p.m. I have asked the police to check the event log around the area and the time that the member has asked about and they advise me that a preliminary check has not identified any request for back-up assistance in the area at that time. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Would the Minister be concerned to hear that on the date and time in question a call was made over the police radio requesting back-up for an incident involving suspicious persons believed to be armed and that that call was ignored by an officer in a traffic patrol car within a kilometre of the incident who was instead content to continue to write out a traffic ticket for a former policeman who heard the conversation over the police radio; and is that not just further proof of the Minister’s ring-fencing traffic patrol cars in order to ignore emergencies? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: No it is not further proof. I do not know whether the allegations are correct but of course if the member provides me with the specifics I can have them checked out for him. In terms of firearm incidents I can advise that there was an alleged firearm incident that was attended. It turned out to be somebody practising with a BB pistol at the back of a Liquor King outlet and maybe that is the event he is mistaking this for. 
Hon Richard Prebble 
: I wonder whether the Minister would be prepared to short-cut this question and tell the House whether there is any evidence that any of the people responsible for this lamentable failure to respond to an urgent call that may or may not have happened was one Mr Jim Peron. 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I have no evidence to that effect. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why does the Minister have no knowledge of that incident in view of the fact that if a call is made for urgent assistance regardless of how it turned out all those within the vicinity—in this case within 1 kilometre of the event—should urgently go about assisting the police in that matter? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I have reported to the member that the police have no record of such a call for back-up assistance being made. Now if the member wants me to check it out and if he is genuine about his concern I am more than happy to do that but I cannot work on the basis of simple allegations and no facts. The member should provide me with the facts and I will check them. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Notwithstanding the Minister of Police’s past record of never wanting to get involved in any police operation I seek leave to table a letter from the former policeman in question and a copy of the traffic ticket setting out the time and place of the event. That is my evidence; what is his? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave has been sought to table those documents. Is there any objection? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I have a question Madam Speaker before I agree to the tabling. Is there anything in the documents— 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: No—would the Minister please sit down. We have to rule on it as leave has been sought. If members object to it then they should object; if they agree they should stay silent. I will put the leave again. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.