Murray McCully MP
National Party Foreign Affairs Spokesman

9 October 2007

Peters’ office knew about Air NZ flights

Helen Clark’s Foreign Minister must explain why he told Parliament neither he nor his office received reports on the Air NZ flights to Kuwait when emails reveal his office got the information, says National Party Foreign Affairs spokesman Murray McCully.

The revelation is contained in an email released under the Official Information Act from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade chief executive Simon Murdoch to Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet head Maarten Wevers on 16 August.

It says: ‘I think the position cd be summarised as follows; Mr Peters never saw nor was told about the CTAG report by either MFAT secondee in his Office. The document did get there (ie it was “receipted” – ie signed off) but not read.’

“Just a couple of hours earlier, Mr Peters was telling the House: ‘To the best of everyone’s recollections, there were no communications to the Minister of Foreign Affairs or to his office. Otherwise, this issue would never have arisen in the first place.’

“Mr Peters must now explain why he assured the House that his office had not received this material, when an email from the chief executives of MFAT and DPMC just a few hours later makes it clear that this statement was 100% wrong.

“Mr Peters must have been aware of the significance of the question, which I had to ask him five times before receiving his assurance.”

Mr McCully says Mr Peters must also explain why high-level security reports are receipted but not read by his office.

“These emails reveal an utter shambles. We have the astonishing situation where Mr Peters’ officials can’t be bothered reading threat assessments.

“And the emails show an official in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet read the same threat assessment, but failed to pass it on to the Prime Minister.

“The Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister have some explaining to do.”

ENDS

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