Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20052] 
9.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Has she received a copy of the report by former army engineer George Butcher; if so does she have any concerns with its findings? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Deputy Prime Minister) 
 on behalf of the 
 Prime Minister 
: The Prime Minister advises that her office has been sent a copy by a member of the public. She has not personally seen that. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why has the Prime Minister allowed a member of her caucus to stop the tabling of this report in Parliament despite the understood constraints that it go to members only as happened yesterday; does she remember herself saying these words: “It is an issue of National having lost touch with its traditional constituency. These people were persecuted by the Labour Department. They have constantly sought some relief from the Government and they never had it.” and when does she intend to show some leadership and direct the Minister of Defence to make this report public? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: There are three questions there. I will deal with the second and third. On the third matter the Prime Minister has no intention of ordering the Minister of Defence to act in breach of a court order. Secondly the Berrymans were offered some $150000 in January 2001 and that offer is still on the table. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Prime Minister understand that the court order was made in favour of the Army which sought suppression; why does she not direct the Minister of Defence to start telling the Army to behave in a responsible way and give these people some justice which is what she promised on the campaign trail in 1998 but apparently does not wish to go forward with now? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: On the second part of that question as I said an offer is still on the table for compensation of $150000. I have also been advised that in terms of the legal costs of the occupational safety and health case and the High Court appeal the Berrymans’ legal costs were settled by agreement the difference being only some $2500 approximately. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: What farm can one buy of the size the Berrymans once had for $150000 in this country; when will she start showing some leadership and tell the Minister of Defence to get the Army to stop behaving in this most despotic way when she promised this couple justice; and when will she show some leadership in this country? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The coroner’s inquest decision stands. The appropriate act by the Berrymans is to seek to overturn that. Speaking as Attorney-General I am advised that there is no new information in the report that would enable the Solicitor-General to exercise his discretion. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table the Butcher report with the constraints on its publication as agreed with the Clerk yesterday so that it will go only to 120 members of Parliament. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. It will not be tabled. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table an article dated 28 April 1998 from the  
Daily News 
 outlining Helen Clark’s visit to the Berrymans’ farm whilst on the campaign trail and all the promises she made. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection. There is objection. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table the  
Dominion Post  
editorial of 29 March 2005 in which Harry Duynhoven describes the Berrymans as having had “a [expletive deleted] raw deal”. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. It will not be tabled.