Mark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMark Ron: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 December 2014. Volume:702;Page:1325. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.RON MARK (NZ First)to the Minister of Defence: Does he stand by all his statements regarding a potential deployment of combat troops to Iraq?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Defence):Yes in so far as they have been accurately reported and not conveniently misinterpreted.Ron Mark: If no decision has been made to deploy troops why would combat troops from the One Battalion First Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment have been told by their superiors to expect to deploy at the end of February or at the beginning of March?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There has been no decision to deploy to Iraq. There has been no instruction to the military around any deployment to Iraq. I am not responsible for what various army commanders might say to their troops.Ron Mark: If as he says no decision to deploy troops has been made when does he expect that that decision will be made?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Well a question that asks “When does someone expect to make a decision about something they haven’t made a decision about?” is not a question at all.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With the greatest respect it is your decision as to whether the question is adequate not the decision of the Minister of Defence. He should be asked to answer the question.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Speaking to the point of order how can I answer a question about making a decision about a decision that has not been made? It is ridiculous.Mr SPEAKER: The question I allowed; the question was then addressed by the Minister. Does the member have further supplementary questions?Ron Mark: If no decisions have been made Minister why then is the army moving all communications regarding the Iraqi deployment to secure networks and deleting orders previously sent? Is it just covering the tracks for the Minister?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I know that the army has its own communications systems that it uses—in fact it is asking the Government at the moment to spend a lot more money giving it new systems so that it can be even better networked. As for the actual keystroke operations day to day I cannot answer about that. All I know is there is no Government decision and there has been no Government instruction to prepare for deployment to Iraq.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Taking your advice previously I specifically kept this question short and I specifically asked around what is currently happening in the army moving communications to secure networks and instructing officers to delete—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I invite the member to in the future try to get his questions even shorter; I think that would help. But in this case if the member goes back and studies the question he has asked about the movement of information to securer networks etc. that question was addressed by the Minister.Hon Phil Goff: What is the full extent of planning and preparation being undertaken now with soldiers in New Zealand for potential deployment to Iraq?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: There is no training being undertaken for potential deployment to Iraq but the member will know from his own time as Minister of Defence that the New Zealand military always trains for the contingency. They may be asked to do anything.Hon Phil Goff: If the Minister’s answer to the House just now is correct why did his spokesperson say on 2 December that the Defence Force has begun “some training and preparation on a contingency basis” and go on to say “This is required to ensure that there is a suitable time to build an effective level of capability should the Government decide to deploy.”?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: As I have said before the military has about 100 personnel based in the Middle East at any time.Hon Member: Just tell us.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: I just answered you by saying that the military do train for—Hon Phil Goff: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question is not about wider deployment in the Middle East; it is about Iraq. That is what the Minister’s spokesperson was talking about.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Allow the Minister to finish. It was about contingency arrangements that are under way as I understood the question. I call the Hon Gerry Brownlee to complete the answer.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: If the question is about a deployment to Iraq there is no decision to deploy to Iraq; therefore the question cannot stand.Ron Mark: An easy one. Does the Minister think it is fairer on the troops their families and their extended families to confirm they are deploying to Iraq before Christmas or is he going to hang out and wait until after Christmas?Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The Government has made it very clear that it is not sending combat troops to Iraq. It has further said that there will be a small group of personnel looking at the possibility only of capacity-building in potentially Iraq. But there is no decision. We have received no reports. And even though Mr Mark might think he knows everything because he has got a few mates from his days when he was a storeman in the army he is just not right.Ron Mark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I apologise. Is this a point of order?Ron Mark: Yes just a point of order. I just would like—Mr SPEAKER: What is the point of order?Ron Mark: My point of order is that I have been inaccurately described.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member can resume his seat. [Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat.