5. KEITH LOCKE (Green) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Will he make public any decision for or against the deployment of the New Zealand Special Air Service to Afghanistan as soon as a decision is reached; if not, why not?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) Link to this
If such a decision was made, the Government would follow the precedent set by the announcements of previous deployments of the SAS.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do not think the question was really addressed. I was not asking for specific details of any possible SAS deployment, which often is kept secret; I was asking whether a Cabinet decision for or against would be made public—as is normal in respect of most decisions—so that we can discuss it.
Mr SPEAKERThe Minister in answering the question spoke of following the standard procedure in that situation. The member does have a further supplementary question with which to dig deeper into that, but I believe that the Minister answered the question; maybe he did not answer it quite in the way that the member wanted, but he does have a further supplementary question with which to dig further into that answer.
Will the Prime Minister consider giving more civil aid to Afghanistan, instead of sending special forces to be engaged in United States - led operations, which seem only to drive more Afghans into the arms of the extremist Taliban?
The Government, as the Prime Minister has said, is doing a review of its involvement in Afghanistan. The Government may be interested in propositions about civil aid, but it will also review its military involvement in Afghanistan.
Dr Kennedy Graham Link to this
Is there any statutory authority that requires the Government to keep confidential from the New Zealand public the details of overseas deployments of the SAS; if so, what is it?
As far as I am aware, there is no statutorily defined process. We understand the public interest in such a decision. If a decision is made to deploy the SAS, the Government will be as open as it can be, while maintaining the safety and security of any deployment.
Does the Prime Minister agree that it would not reflect well on New Zealand if our SAS was involved in American-led combat operations, which often cause significant civilian casualties?
Those are matters that the Government will take into account in its review of its involvement in Afghanistan.
To what extent will the Prime Minister take into account the growing unpopularity of the war, when polls in Australia, Britain, and Canada show that a majority of the voters in those countries want their troops withdrawn from Afghanistan?
I think the member can be assured that the Government is aware of the full military and political complexity of involvement in Afghanistan, and will take those factors into account.
I seek leave to table a description of a Populus ITV News poll from Great Britain, dated 14 July 2009, showing that 59 percent of British people want their soldiers to be brought home.
I seek leave to table an Angus Reid Strategies national public opinion poll from Canada showing that 51 percent of Canadians want Canadian troops withdrawn from Afghanistan.
I seek leave to table an EKOS poll, dated 16 July 2009, showing that 54 percent of Canadians oppose their troops being in Afghanistan.
I seek leave to table an Essential Research poll from Australia showing that 50 percent of Australians want Australian troops withdrawn from Afghanistan.