10. KEITH LOCKE (Green) to the Minister responsible for the GCSB: Does the GCSB’s satellite facility at Waihopai provide intelligence for use by the United States Government?

Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) : on behalf of the Minister responsible for the GCSB: In accordance with the longstanding practice of successive Prime Ministers, the Prime Minister is not prepared to discuss operational matters relating to the GCSB.

Keith Locke: Is it his opinion that the acquittal of three peace workers yesterday at the Waihopai trial represented disquiet over anything that aids the US war effort in Iraq; if not, why not?

Mr SPEAKER: Does the Minister feel comfortable answering that question? It was a pretty marginal question.

Hon BILL ENGLISH: I simply repeat the previous answer: the Prime Minister is not prepared to discuss any matters relating to the GCSB.

Keith Locke: Does he take out of yesterday’s not guilty verdict an implication that it was the spy base, not the defendants, undertaking illegal activity by aiding the illegal American war—

Mr SPEAKER: I ask the honourable member how that can possibly be a matter for ministerial responsibility. The Minister responsible for the GCSB has no responsibility for the decisions of the courts. There is no ministerial responsibility whatsoever for the decision of a court. I will allow the member to rephrase his question to bring it within the Minister’s responsibility.

Keith Locke: Is it the Minister’s opinion—

Hon Gerry Brownlee: No, he won’t give it.

Keith Locke: I am trying to read the question. Is it the Minister’s opinion that there was an implication in the verdict at the trial yesterday relating to the Waihopai station that it was perhaps involved in illegal activity in aiding the illegal war in Iraq?

Mr SPEAKER: I fail to see how the Minister has any responsibility for that supplementary question. I cannot allow it because it is not a valid question in the area of the Minister responsible for the GCSB. He should not be answering questions with respect to opinions about the outcome of court matters. That has nothing to do with his responsibilities. If the member has a further supplementary question—

Keith Locke: I have a supplementary question. First, I will just explain in relation to your point—

Mr SPEAKER: Is this a point of order?

Keith Locke: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. At the trial, evidence was raised in relation to the GCSB’s operations at Waihopai. It is relevant to the Minister’s responsibility for that agency.

Mr SPEAKER: To save wasting further time of the House, I hear what the member is saying. If there has been evidence presented about the base that the Minister is responsible for then that is another matter, but the member must remember—and I am on my feet—that the Minister is not responsible for the outcome of any court case. That is not the Minister’s responsibility.

Keith Locke: What is his response to evidence presented at the trial showing that the Waihopai spy base intercepted communications to aid the war in Iraq, even as New Zealand was opposing that same war?

Hon BILL ENGLISH: In accordance with a longstanding practice, the Prime Minister is not prepared to discuss operational matters relating to the GCSB.

Keith Locke: Will he give an assurance that the GCSB collected no intelligence in response to an American request in early 2003 for information about United Nations Security Council members leading up to the United Nations Security Council vote on the Iraq war?

Hon BILL ENGLISH: I simply repeat the answer to the earlier question.

Keith Locke: What was the Government’s total expenditure on the Waihopai spy base in the last financial year?

Mr SPEAKER: The dilemma we have now is that that supplementary question is strung a long way from the substantive question. To expect the Minister to have that information at his fingertips based on the substantive question—if the Minister has the information, I do not want to deprive the House. I invite the Hon Bill English to answer if he has any information that he wishes to impart. He is indicating that he does not have that information.

Keith Locke: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Would the Minister assure the House that he will provide that information to the House?

Mr SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. I am trying to help the honourable member, but that is not a point of order. The member has one further supplementary question, should he wish to use it.

Keith Locke: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I have heard it in this House before that if Ministers do not happen to have the information with them, they can give an assurance to the House that they will provide it at a later point.

Mr SPEAKER: I am sorry, but that is not a point of order. The member still has a couple of supplementary questions available and he can ask them if he wishes.

Keith Locke: Will the Minister provide to the House, at a later date, the total Government expenditure on the Waihopai spy base in the last financial year?

Hon BILL ENGLISH: As I have reiterated a number of times, the Prime Minister is not prepared to discuss operational matters relating to the GCSB.

Keith Locke: I seek leave to table a memorandum by United States national security agency officer Frank Kozar calling for a surge of interceptions against United Nations Security Council members opposed to the war. It is dated 31 January 2003.

Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.