Lees-Galloway Iain: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Lees-Galloway Iain: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 22 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4631. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
12. 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: What assurances if any has he and the Minister of Defence received about the safety of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 I have received assurances that our provincial reconstruction team is well trained has the best available equipment for the operating area in accordance with the judgment of the New Zealand Defence Force and has a full range of enabling support from our International Security Assistance Force partners. Having said that Governments past and present have been advised that Afghanistan poses risks and it is a very volatile environment. 
Iain Lees-Galloway 
: What additional efforts have been made to secure mine-resistant vehicles other than the request made to lease such vehicles from the United States? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: It is possibly worth putting a bit of context around what I think the member is asking. Back after the death of Tim O’Donnell a review was done about safety equipment and what might be best used. The Defence Force as I understand it in theatre had some discussions with the Americans about possible use of mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles. Those vehicles as it turned out were not available but post doing that there was a full review done of what would be the best equipment for our men and women in Afghanistan. They looked at amongst other things light armoured vehicles mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles and potentially other vehicles as well. The decision was made that on balance of all risks involved the best equipment was the light armoured vehicles for the conditions our men and women would face. 
Iain Lees-Galloway 
: Will the New Zealand provincial reconstruction team be required to carry out patrols in Baghlan Province without the use of mine-resistant vehicles given that American troops need special permission to use Humvees because of their vulnerability to improvised explosive devices? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: That is an operational matter for the New Zealand Defence Force. I will leave it to answer that. All I can say is that in whatever duties that are undertaken by our men and women in Afghanistan they do so with the New Zealand Defence Force making sure that it takes into consideration at all times providing the maximum safety and security it can within the context of a war zone. I would also make the point that at no time since we have been the Government has there ever been a request from the New Zealand Defence Force for equipment for our people in Afghanistan that has been declined. 
Richard Prosser 
: Can the Government give an assurance to the public that an emergency exit plan is in place for our forces in Afghanistan? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I am not sure I understand fully what the member means by an emergency exit plan. What I can give the member an assurance of is that the New Zealand Defence Force will be looking at the transition process as we look to leave Afghanistan very carefully. It will work on making sure that we provide the safest exit for our people but I would just simply hasten to add that it is a dangerous environment and represents one of the more dangerous parts of the operation of the provincial reconstruction team since we have been there in 2003. 
Richard Prosser 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was about an emergency exit plan not about the plan for the existing exit. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Prime Minister in his answer said he was not sure what the member meant by an emergency exit plan if I heard the Prime Minister correctly. If he is not sure what the member means he cannot answer further. Unfortunately the member does not have any more supplementary questions today but it would have warranted a further supplementary question under normal circumstances. 
Iain Lees-Galloway 
: Why did he announce 2 weeks ago that the New Zealand provincial reconstruction team would commence patrolling in Baghlan Province signalling that intention to opposing forces when he did not have what the Minister of Defence calls a clear understanding of the roles defence personnel would be doing? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I reject that proposition.