Call for transparency over Rocket Lab payloads

Teanau Tuiono, a Manawatu-based first term list MP, is his party’s spokesman on security and intelligence. At No.5 on the Green Party list, he is highly likely to be re-elected based on current polling. Picture supplied

The Green Party wants more transparency and more public knowledge about Rocket Lab operations at Māhia.

MP Teanau Tuiono says the party has concerns about what payloads American military, security and intelligence agencies may be putting into space, and what responsibility might flow on to New Zealand.

“We need more transparency, so we know what the process is and how these things got to be authorised in the first place,” Mr Tuiono said while in Gisborne.

He has held discussions with various ministers.

“The Government haven’t done anything, to be honest.”

The Green Party wants a regulatory framework, transparency and a ministerial advisory group.

Mr Tuiono said what constituted national interest was critical because that was the criteria used to stop things getting launched.

“How is something going up for the American military in line with our national interests?”

Transparency in national law would allow the public to know what was going up into space and “allow the country to walk the talk” in terms of the values the country was known for.

Mr Tuiono said there was much geo-political tension in the Pacific region between the US and China.

China was a major trading partner.

New Zealand was not a part of the trilateral security pact AUKUS (Australia/UK/USA), but there were attempts to make the country a second-tier member.

That would violate the country’s independent foreign policy, its commitment to regionalism and its desire to trade with everyone.

“That is what Rocket Lab has pushed us into, which is no good thing.”