Goff Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGoff Phil: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 27 August 2013. Volume:693;Page:13101. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.Hon PHIL GOFF (Labour—Mt Roskill) to theMinister of Foreign Affairs: What advice was New Zealand given in New York last night on the likely response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria?Hon TIM GROSER (Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs)on behalf of theMinister of Foreign Affairs: We are receiving updates from a range of posts around the world including obviously New York which convey the perspectives of a range of countries about possible responses to a clearly abhorrent act. We have repeatedly said that the United Nations Security Council needs to show leadership on Syria and needs to show it now.Hon Phil Goff: Has New Zealand given any commitment to the United States or any other country as to what action it might take in the event of a military strike against Syria; if so what?Hon TIM GROSER: No.Hon Phil Goff: Is New Zealand supporting Ban Ki-moon’s position that no decision on a strike should be taken against Syria until such time as the United Nations weapons inspection team has completed its task?Hon TIM GROSER: Clearly the report of the inspectors will be a crucial ingredient in any serious response but we are not given the seriousness of this nature taking a position on a hypothetical question at this stage.Hon Phil Goff: What direct approach if any has New Zealand made to permanent Security Council members—in particular Russia and China—urging them not to veto any appropriate collective action that might otherwise be supported by the vast majority on that council?Hon TIM GROSER: Our representatives have taken a number of steps with a number of Governments including those Governments to convey our position on that. Once again it comes down to the central matter: it is time for the Security Council to show leadership and the Security Council should unite behind that position.Hon Phil Goff: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was not about some country; it was specifically about permanent Security Council members—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I ask the member to repeat his question from the start.Hon Phil Goff: What direct approach if any has New Zealand taken to permanent Security Council members Russia and China urging them not to veto collective action that has widespread support from other members of the council?Hon TIM GROSER: I believe I answered that very clearly in the answer I have just given. I said “including” those countries.Hon Phil Goff: How would a military strike against Syria help secure the chemical weapons—the hundreds of tonnes of chemical weapons—that are stockpiled there rather than increase the prospect of those chemical weapons falling into the hands of people who might use them or being used by elements of the regime in retaliation for the strike?Hon TIM GROSER: Clearly that is a huge and legitimate question and we can be certain that the strategic thinkers who are considering the range of options will have that at the forefront of their attention.Hon Phil Goff: What lessons can be learnt from Iraq where 10 years after the military invasion of Iraq by the United States more than a thousand Iraqi people a month are still being killed or for that matter Libya where after the air strikes against Libya the conditions there today range somewhere between anarchy and chaos?Hon TIM GROSER: I am sure many lessons can be learnt from these situations. But as the member would be well aware having served as our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade every situation has its specific characteristics. Some lessons will be generally applicable across different conflicts but each has to be looked atsuigeneris.