1. Intelligence and Security—Russian Intelligence Activity in New ZealandHon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSIntelligence and Security—Russian Intelligence Activity in New Zealand1. Hon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her statements and actions?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Deputy Prime Minister) on behalf of the Prime Minister: Yes in their context.Hon Judith Collins: When she said in Parliament yesterday The Minister of Foreign Affairs made it clear that the action the Government has taken was on the advice of the NZSIS" "who also acted in conjunction with our Five Eyes partners in the advice they provided this Government." which particular Five Eyes partners advised the NZSIS on this matter?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: First of all the statement that we reacted on the advice of the NZSIS is totally correct; that the NZSIS at the time and Foreign Affairs too had intimated that Five Eyes partners understood New Zealand's situation as being possibly different to their own because of the character shape and size of the Russian embassy in this country—that was as clear as daylight. So those statements are totally correct.Hon Judith Collins: When she told Radio New Zealand yesterday that following SIS advice there were "no Russians who qualified for expulsion" but then said "I've now asked MFAT … to advise me on whether there are people who should be the subject of visa exclusions for New Zealand" how does she reconcile that with the statement of her Foreign Affairs Minister yesterday "we don't take knee-jerk reactions on this side of the House;"?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Very very very easily. The reality is and if I can go through this very slowly the NZSIS statement was as to those within the Russian embassy but the NZSIS went on to say that of course there are possible intelligence agents outside of that embassy—in effect that's what they were saying—and we have taken action against them in the past and will continue to do so. That's a clear distinction that is not being understood by that member.Hon Judith Collins: Which criteria will be used to determine which Russian citizens should be subject to travel sanctions? SPEAKER: "Criterion" but go on.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: First of all not the same perhaps criteria that was in place in 2014 where there was a visa ban against certain Russians but they were never told. So in short if they were coming out of Siberia—if Ivan decided to come out of Siberia to New Zealand he only found that he was on the list when he made an application for a visa. How would that help anybody—but just be a tokenistic measure?Hon Judith Collins: When she was provided advice that there were no Russian "undeclared intelligence officers" operating in New Zealand what criteria was followed in reaching that determination?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well first of all as any Minister in charge of our security services would know there are certain actions and protocols and procedures which we cannot disclose as Ministers otherwise we subvert the very security that we seek to enhance in our country. I'd ask that member and her colleagues for the first time for a long time to show some responsibility.Hon Judith Collins: Does she really believe that there are no Russian spies gathering intelligence in New Zealand?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I think the Prime Minister and her Foreign Minister made it very clear yesterday that we admitted the possibility to the second category and that's why we said so with of course the authority of the NZSIS. But then again we don't lose our diary or geographical maps on the way to—SPEAKER: Order!"