Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Locke Keith: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:607;Page:4336] 
11.  
KEITH LOCKE (Green) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Is New Zealand one of the countries the White House says refuse to be named but are providing intelligence support for the war against Iraq? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Deputy Prime Minister) 
 on behalf of the 
 Prime Minister 
: No. 
Keith Locke 
: How can we be assured that information from the Waihopai satellite communications interception station is not helping the US war effort in Iraq when a US congressional document states explicitly that Waihopai which it calls part of the five-nation Echelon network is being used for the war in Afghanistan? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: It is not the Government’s practice to comment on specific intelligence matters but I can tell the member that the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security has affirmed that New Zealand retains sovereign control over its intelligence collection capabilities. 
Simon Power 
: In the light of the Prime Minister’s comments that New Zealand will not provide any peacekeeping support in Iraq at the conclusion of the present military action can she identify exactly what support she will provide and under what specific conditions? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The substantive question was about intelligence capability not about Iraq. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. I was distracted momentarily. I think the member may have raised a valid point of order. Will the member restate the question? 
Simon Power 
: In the light of her previous comments what specific support will she provide and under what specific conditions given the current conflict in Iraq? He was asked about intelligence support. It is about any other support. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: We are referring to questions of intelligence support. I reaffirm that it is not the Government’s practice to comment on specific intelligence matters. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: As has been revealed in many US publications why will this Government not admit that it is possible that Operation Decapitation in Baghdad which was triggered by an intercepted telephone conversation could have been a result of the Waihopai eavesdropping as suggested by Mr Locke; or is it a position of a continuing stance of one position in public and a different position in private? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: As I said the Government does not comment on specific intelligence matters but I suspect that the conversation from Mr Saddam Hussein was not to a New Zealander. 
Keith Locke 
: In reference to the Prime Minister’s comment that we have sovereign control over the Waihopai system how can the Prime Minister assure us that we know exactly the implications of all the key words and key phone numbers that the United States National Security Agency uses to filter the information coming into Waihopai? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The comment was made not by the Prime Minister but by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security who has an overall independent stance in supervising these matters. Equally of course there is a statutory committee on which a number of members of the House serve which has oversight of security and intelligence matters. 
Ron Mark 
: Is the Minister telling the House that any intelligence that our Orion may glean in the course of its duties and operations in the Gulf that affects the deployment of the coalition forces in the Gulf would not be handed to the coalition forces in the Gulf? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is a little wide of the original question. The Minister may comment. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The important point to note of course is that command of Operation Enduring Freedom is separated from command of the coalition forces in Iraq; there are two separate command structures operating. That is very important—there are a number of countries including Canada France and New Zealand who are involved in Operation Enduring Freedom in the area. 
Keith Locke 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table a US congressional document dated 11 July 2002 which explains Waihopai’s use. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.