Buster Hyman
24th Nov 2003, 05:31
By Louise Dodson
Chief Political Correspondent Canberra
November 24, 2003
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was frisked at Sydney Airport for explosives in an incident that has embarrassed the Australian Government.
Despite having a NZ security officer with her, Miss Clark was pulled out of a queue on October 28 and given a body scan with a new explosives detection device to make sure she was not a bomb-carrying terrorist, The Age has learned.
Senior Australian Government sources said the incident was an embarrassment. It was not regarded as the right way to treat the leader of Australia's close ally, they said.
"You won't be surprised to hear the New Zealand Prime Minister was not found to be carrying any explosives," a spokesman for Transport Minister John Anderson said.
The Government sources said: "It was a bit silly to frisk the New Zealand Prime Minister. We would expect her to be recognised by airport security staff."
A senior adviser to Miss Clark said the NZ security officer accompanying his Prime Minister was "a bit upset" that she was being scanned for explosives.
The Australian officials were told who she was, Miss Clark's senior adviser Mike Munro said.
This did not stop them. They decided to continue the scan and even sent the results to a laboratory for testing.
Miss Clark is believed not to have made a fuss and her advisers were diplomatic about the incident.
But Labor foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd has called for an apology for Miss Clark from Mr Howard and criticised her treatment by the airport staff.
"Surely Helen Clark, having been identified, should have been extended the courtesy due to the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Had John Howard been subjected to this he would have had a pink fit - if it was in New Zealand or anywhere else," Mr Rudd said.
Mr Munro said the security officials did not at first recognise Miss Clark, who was on her way to Dubai for a meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Mr Munro, along with her security guard, was with Miss Clark when the incident occurred.
She had just gone through a metal detector. Mr Munro was having his laptop checked through an X-ray machine. Miss Clark was then pulled out of the line.
"It was an extra security check," Mr Munro said. "She knows that security checks are a fact of life in air travel. We're all equals when it comes to security; no one is exempt."
Mr Anderson's spokesman defended the decision to go ahead with the screening.
"It was very brief - it took 30 seconds in all. It is a routine involving a wand wiped over a person's clothing and hands to detect whether they are carrying explosives," he said.
He confirmed that the Australian officials did not recognise Miss Clark, but said during the scanning it was pointed out to them who she was.
The screening by the new explosives detection technology was done on a strictly random basis, he said.
"It doesn't matter who you are - whether you are a first-class passenger, whether you are a business-class passenger or whether you are a VIP - if your number comes up, you're screened," he said.
Miss Clark's response was an example to all airline passengers suffering security screening tests.
"At a time when some passengers scream abuse at our security staff the fact that (a) the Prime Minister of New Zealand is randomly selected for explosives security screening and delayed while it occurred and (b) accepted it, is a lesson for all our passengers," Mr Anderson's spokesman said.
:D :E :ok:
There is a God & it isn't her!!!!
Honestly, just another storm in a tea cup. If she's not going through VIP areas, then why shouldn't she be subjeted to scrutiny. Credit to her for accepting the check too.
Geez that Kevin Rudd whines a lot! He could get a job with DJ!;)
Chief Political Correspondent Canberra
November 24, 2003
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was frisked at Sydney Airport for explosives in an incident that has embarrassed the Australian Government.
Despite having a NZ security officer with her, Miss Clark was pulled out of a queue on October 28 and given a body scan with a new explosives detection device to make sure she was not a bomb-carrying terrorist, The Age has learned.
Senior Australian Government sources said the incident was an embarrassment. It was not regarded as the right way to treat the leader of Australia's close ally, they said.
"You won't be surprised to hear the New Zealand Prime Minister was not found to be carrying any explosives," a spokesman for Transport Minister John Anderson said.
The Government sources said: "It was a bit silly to frisk the New Zealand Prime Minister. We would expect her to be recognised by airport security staff."
A senior adviser to Miss Clark said the NZ security officer accompanying his Prime Minister was "a bit upset" that she was being scanned for explosives.
The Australian officials were told who she was, Miss Clark's senior adviser Mike Munro said.
This did not stop them. They decided to continue the scan and even sent the results to a laboratory for testing.
Miss Clark is believed not to have made a fuss and her advisers were diplomatic about the incident.
But Labor foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd has called for an apology for Miss Clark from Mr Howard and criticised her treatment by the airport staff.
"Surely Helen Clark, having been identified, should have been extended the courtesy due to the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Had John Howard been subjected to this he would have had a pink fit - if it was in New Zealand or anywhere else," Mr Rudd said.
Mr Munro said the security officials did not at first recognise Miss Clark, who was on her way to Dubai for a meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Mr Munro, along with her security guard, was with Miss Clark when the incident occurred.
She had just gone through a metal detector. Mr Munro was having his laptop checked through an X-ray machine. Miss Clark was then pulled out of the line.
"It was an extra security check," Mr Munro said. "She knows that security checks are a fact of life in air travel. We're all equals when it comes to security; no one is exempt."
Mr Anderson's spokesman defended the decision to go ahead with the screening.
"It was very brief - it took 30 seconds in all. It is a routine involving a wand wiped over a person's clothing and hands to detect whether they are carrying explosives," he said.
He confirmed that the Australian officials did not recognise Miss Clark, but said during the scanning it was pointed out to them who she was.
The screening by the new explosives detection technology was done on a strictly random basis, he said.
"It doesn't matter who you are - whether you are a first-class passenger, whether you are a business-class passenger or whether you are a VIP - if your number comes up, you're screened," he said.
Miss Clark's response was an example to all airline passengers suffering security screening tests.
"At a time when some passengers scream abuse at our security staff the fact that (a) the Prime Minister of New Zealand is randomly selected for explosives security screening and delayed while it occurred and (b) accepted it, is a lesson for all our passengers," Mr Anderson's spokesman said.
:D :E :ok:
There is a God & it isn't her!!!!
Honestly, just another storm in a tea cup. If she's not going through VIP areas, then why shouldn't she be subjeted to scrutiny. Credit to her for accepting the check too.
Geez that Kevin Rudd whines a lot! He could get a job with DJ!;)