Statement to Parliament on Israel and Lebanon

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The ACT party rises to join with the Prime Minister in deploring the loss of life in the Middle East, and especially the four UN peacekeepers. But we do not endorse the Prime Minister's statement.

In particular, we take issue with the Prime Minister's repetition of the statement of "disproportionate violence".

I can do no better than to refer to page B3 of today's "New Zealand Herald", where Dominic Lawson, writing for the Independent, states:

"What is the proportionate response to a terrorist organisation which repeatedly sends rockets packed with ball bearings to cause maximum civilian casualties in your main domestic tourist resort? And what do you do if that organisation, backed by Iran and Syria, also has two ministers in the Government of the country from which they are sending those rockets?"

I ask New Zealanders and this Parliament to consider what New Zealand's response would be if we had to confront a neighbour right on our borders who would commit such atrocities, and whether we would stand idly by and talk about a "proportionate" response.

I say to this House and to New Zealand that until Hezbollah stops the violence and recognises the State of Israel's right to exist, then we cannot expect peace. Our focus should be on achieving that peace, not on repeating propaganda.

ENDS