1. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
When he raised human rights with the Chinese delegation last week did he raise the right to freedom of opinion and expression; if not, why not?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister) Link to this
No, because the main focus of the discussions was on trade and economic relations between New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China.
Does he stand by his statement on Morning Report that MPs should be allowed to protest only silently, and is silent protest the kind of freedom of expression that he would have liked to discuss with the Chinese delegation?
Yes, the Prime Minister stands by his comments. Of course MPs have the right to protest. Equally, visitors to the Parliament of New Zealand have a right to conduct themselves in and out of the building with dignity.
Yes, and the member has the right at any stage to speak his point of view. I think the incident that we are referring to here amounted to slightly more than the member’s just speaking.
In reference to his first answer, if the Prime Minister did not raise freedom of expression in his discussions with the Chinese Vice-President, then what human rights issues specifically were raised with the Chinese Vice-President?
I cannot answer that question, because I was not at the meeting. But I can confirm that human rights are raised regularly with the Chinese Government, at both ministerial and official level.
Keith LockeIs he aware that the Chinese Government has imprisoned Tibetans for raising their own national flag, and will he uphold the right of New Zealanders to fly that same flag, even when the sight of it upsets a visiting Chinese dignitary?
Anyone in New Zealand is free to fly that flag, and, from what I saw of the recent visit, it was flown on many occasions.
Hon Rodney HideHas the Prime Minister seen Television New Zealand’s extended footage on its web page, which, at 18 seconds in, shows the Green co-leader Russel Norman clearly elbowing a Chinese official, and the Green co-leader assaulting the official before the scuffle over the flag took place?
I have seen the footage, and it does show the co-leader of the Green Party shuffling a bit with the Chinese security. I think he was trying to prevent them getting in front of him. I think it also showed something else that has not really been referred to, and that is that when, it looks like, a Chinese official went to take the flag from Russel Norman, the New Zealand Diplomatic Protection Squad protected the New Zealand member of Parliament from those security. I have to say, though, that as a whole it is a picture of an event that we would not like to see occur to our Prime Minister in a foreign country, and I do not think we should see it occur to any visitor to New Zealand.
Sue KedgleyCan he explain why his Government is protesting vigorously against the Fijian Government because it is crushing democracy and human rights there, but is rolling out the red carpet to the Chinese Government, which is doing the same and even worse in China and Tibet?
The New Zealand Government deals with each of those countries on their own merits, relative to the history that we have with them. The New Zealand Government has clear views on how human rights should be exercised in Fiji, and equally clear views on how they should be exercised in China.
Has the New Zealand Government received an apology from the Chinese Communist Party Government for using physical force against a member of the New Zealand Parliament in the parliamentary grounds?