Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:610;Page:7554] 
2.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Has she seen the report by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security on whether Mr Zaoui is a national security risk and what did she do if anything to ensure the Refugee Status Appeals Authority suspended its decision until such time as security measures were cleared up? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 There has not yet been a report by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security on Mr Zaoui. The Director of Security has issued a security risk certificate. I have made a preliminary decision to rely on it. Mr Zaoui has exercised his right to have it reviewed by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. That review is occurring now. I have no power to suspend any Refugee Status Appeals Authority hearing or decision. In fact the Immigration Act is explicit that this is the only immigration process that is not suspended when a security risk certificate is issued. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can the Minister tell the country how many countries with a significant or majority Muslim population are closer to Algeria than New Zealand is and what criteria will she use to assess whether suspected terrorist Ahmed Zaoui is allowed to remain in New Zealand? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I cannot answer the first part of that question. As to the second part of the question relating to the process from here on in it does not come back to me until the inspector-general has reviewed whether the certificate was properly issued. At that point I have 3 days to make a final decision on whether I will rely on the security risk certificate. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Do the Minister and her colleagues not find it unusual that in all this world with all those Muslim countries why on earth Mr Ahmed Zaoui if he is as innocent as some of her colleagues and apologists would have us believe would come all the way to the South Pole virtually via New Zealand to find sanctuary in a supposedly Christian country that is not Muslim? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I have made this point abundantly clear on more than one occasion. It is not for the Minister of Immigration to determine matters of refugee status. My only interest in this matter is the question of New Zealand’s national security. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Is the Minister telling us that the Government has no say whatsoever as to whether a suspected terrorist should come to this country—it has cost us probably in excess of $90000 already— 
John Key 
: More than that. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: —more than that but at a bare minimum which is about 20 cataract operations for ordinary New Zealanders who cannot get them; is the Government telling us that it has no say whatsoever as to whether a suspected terrorist should stay here? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: The individual concerned has been granted refugee status. A security risk certificate has been made in respect of him. That is now the subject of a review. Once the review is complete if the certificate is upheld then I make a decision about whether to rely on the security risk certificate. If I do Mr Zaoui will be deported.