Goff Breached Coroner Ruling
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman
Minister
of Defence
5 May 2013 Media
Statement
Goff Breached Coroner Ruling
Labour MP, Phil Goff, has breached a
Coroner's suppression order relating to the non-combat death
of a soldier in Afghanistan says Defence Minister, Dr
Jonathan Coleman.
"Mr Goff has tonight publicly
released pages from a Court of Inquiry report into the death
of a soldier in Afghanistan that is subject to a
Coroner’s Court suppression order. He needs to explain why
he's attached these pages to a press release in defiance of
the Coroner's explicit instruction,” said Dr
Coleman.
"Goff claims I have refused to release the
report; what he's forgotten is that to do so is
illegal."
"What's more his claim that Crib 19
troops of the NZ PRT in Afghanistan were inadequately
trained is not correct. The fact is that all the training
could not be completed in New Zealand prior to departure,
and the remainder was completed in theatre prior to starting
their operational roles."
"Presumably there will
be consequences for such a flagrant breech of a
suppression ruling,” said Dr
Coleman.
ENDS