Key prepared to block tour of Zimbabwe

Prime Minister John Key has signalled that he is prepared to order the Black Caps not to tour Zimbabwe.

His initiative reflects a change of policy after National voted against a bid to halt the cricketers' last visit there in 2005.

Key told TV3's Sunrise programme yesterday that the players "shouldn't pack their bags" and said at a later press conference he was "deeply sceptical" that the tour would proceed.

"I'm getting some advice but if we send our cricket team to Zimbabwe we threaten their personal security and safety. We threaten the risk that they might get cholera, and we are sending them to a regime that we don't support," Key said.

Asked whether the Government would go as far as taking away the players' passports, Key said he was considering all options.

The New Zealand cricket team is scheduled to play three one-day internationals in Zimbabwe in July under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) future tours programme.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) risks a multi-million dollar fine, which goes to the host country, if it refuses to take part in the tour unless there are valid security grounds, or the Black Caps are prevented from leaving the country by the Government.

Both National and Labour opposed a bill introduced by the late Green MP Rod Donald in 2005 to stop the last Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe, which went ahead after the then Labour government refused to intervene.

Parliament refused Donald leave to introduce it, although it did vote by 110 to 10 to call on NZC to abandon the tour. ACT and the Maori Party voted against the motion, saying New Zealand was being inconsistent in its response to other countries with poor human rights records.

Key said yesterday that "NZC has already made it clear that if the Government didn't want the team to go they wouldn't go."

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said he was seeking clarification on the Government's position.

"We're still assessing the situation and obviously there are numerous threads there," Vaughan said.

"We'll be looking to understand the Government's position first and foremost, also the ICC task force are reporting back on Zimbabwe to the ICC conference [in June].

"[A government ban] would certainly take any decision away from me," he said.

Key also suggested he would personally speak to the ICC about the tour.

"What you're dealing with here is that if the NZC doesn't go to Zimbabwe then there is potentially a fine from the ICC. Well, if the ICC wants to fine New Zealand for not sending its players to a country where our players would be unsafe, they could contract a Third World disease, might not return, and support a regime we don't support, I am happy to have that discussion with the ICC myself."

Labour leader Phil Goff said that while he did not support the tour, he did not support actions to force the players to stay home, such as passing a law to stop them or removing passports.

- © Fairfax NZ News