Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 26 June 2014. Volume:699;Page:18943. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (NZ First)to the Minister of Internal Affairs: On what basis was the recall and cancellation of New Zealand Passport LN138690 undertaken?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery)on behalf of theMinister of Internal Affairs: I do not believe it is in the public interest to discuss individual passport matters in this House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can the Minister confirm whether Mr Anthony Fullman’s passport and advice to me was withdrawn at the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the basis that Mr Fullman had been involved in plotting a coup against the Fiji regime; if so what evidence was given to the Department of Internal Affairs justifying that action?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There are any number of reasons why a passport may be withdrawn but it does not change the fact that I do not believe that it is in the public interest to discuss individual people’s passports in this House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Did the Minister of Internal Affairs and his department receive advice from the SIS on this matter and what steps if any did they take to validate that advice?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There are any number of reasons why a passport may be withdrawn—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We are about to hear the same answer for the third time. With respect this information was brought to me by the person in question. He wants justice and this is the place to get it.Mr SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. We will now allow the Minister to complete his answer.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There are any number of reasons why a person may have their passport withdrawn. There are a number of avenues by which a passport may be returned or reissued to a person. But I do not believe it is in the public interest to answer questions about individual passports in this House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That for the third time is the same answer. The reality of course is whether the department’s and the Minister’s actions were legal or illegal. The illegality has been requested of me to be brought before this Parliament—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have heard enough. I would invite the member to look at Speaker’s ruling 173/1 which clearly says that on a matter like this a Minister is perfectly entitled to respond the way he has by saying that it is not in the public interest for this information to be discussed in this House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Were there others in addition to Mr Fullman who received grievous treatment from the department—which acted illegally—only to be later judged innocent by Justice McGechan?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There are a number of reasons why any person might lose their passport permanently or for a period of time and they do have the right to go to the High Court to have that tested. I do not believe it is appropriate for individual passports and details thereof to be discussed in this House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Well does the Minister believe that the ministerial and departmental actions should be an instrument for oppression and harassment against law-abiding residents legally in this country; and when will the department pay those wronged innocent parties compensation first of all and give them an apology?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The member asks questions that are not best answered by the Minister of Internal Affairs and I would go on to further say that all individuals in this country have a recourse to the courts when they believe they have been mistreated.