Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:670;Page:16582] 
4. 
KEITH LOCKE (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
: Why is he not calling for the immediate resignation of Hosni Mubarak as Egypt’s President? 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY (Minister of Foreign Affairs) 
: 
 Decisions about the future of Egypt are for the people of Egypt to determine. President Mubarak has announced he will stand down in September and it is clear that a transition in Egypt’s leadership is under way. Along with Governments of many other countries the New Zealand Government has called for that transition to be orderly and non-violent and for the end result to reflect the democratic wishes of the people of Egypt. 
Keith Locke 
: Does the Minister agree with the Nobel Peace Prize winner and democracy leader Mohammed ElBaradei that “Mubarak is a symbol of an outgoing regime … If he doesn’t leave the regime would retrench and then come back … with vengeance.”? 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY 
: The Government of New Zealand believes that decisions about the future of Egypt are for the people of Egypt to make. As I noted in my primary answer President Mubarak has announced his intention to stand down in September of this year commencing a transition process that the New Zealand Government hopes will be orderly and non-violent and will result in a situation that reflects the wishes of the people of Egypt. 
Keith Locke 
: If as the Minister says the decisions are to be made by the people of Egypt why is the Government not listening to the people of Egypt who are demonstrating in their hundreds of thousands—for example today? Is the Government’s reluctance to say that Mubarak should stand down now because the Government is reluctant to take a different foreign policy position from that of the United States Government? 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY 
: The Government of New Zealand is aware that Egypt is a Sovereign nation. Therefore it is for the people of Egypt to determine their future. I note the demonstrations that the member refers to. I also note that a transition has commenced which the New Zealand Government welcomes. 
Keith Locke 
: Does the Minister agree with John Key who said on  
Breakfast 
 that Mubarak had provided stability for Egypt and should a New Zealand Prime Minister be supporting a stability enforced by 30 years of suppressing all dissent? 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY 
: I have read the Prime Minister’s comments very carefully. Clearly he was reflecting on the long history of conflict in the Middle East and the constant risk of that conflict sparking other tensions around the world. The Prime Minister gave appropriate credit to President Mubarak for his role in achieving and maintaining peace between Egypt and Israel. The fact that that peace has held for over 30 years is indeed a significant achievement for which the Prime Minister quite rightly gave President Mubarak credit. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table a document from the Hindu newspaper of 8 February 2011 quoting the Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed ElBaradei calling for Mubarak to go. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.