John Key

Wellington, May 4 NZPA - Security around next year's Rugby World Cup could limit the Government's ability to keep elite troops in Afghanistan, Prime Minister John Key has said.

Mr Key said while he was in Kabul visiting New Zealand troops he would consider extending the SAS deployment, but he did not commit to allowing it to remain.

"We need to wait and see," he told reporters.

"We've got a lot of domestic commitments with the Rugby World Cup and all sorts of other things."

Mr Key said the SAS preference would be to have a smaller contingent to stay longer.

There about 70 SAS soldiers in Afghanistan and the deployment is due to end in March next year.

Labour Party leader Phil Goff today criticised Mr Key for saying he would consider extending the deployment.

"I think he's had a discussion with senior generals, they have made the suggestion and he has said 'yes, we'll go along with that'," Mr Goff said.

"I think that's wrong, New Zealand has to make its own decisions in these matters, we shouldn't allow others to tell us what we as a country should be doing."

New Zealand's other commitment is a Provincial Reconstruction Team of about 140 personnel operating in Bamiyan Province, which Mr Key also visited.

Mr Goff said he supported that continuing for as long as it was needed.

Senior ministers were today reluctant to comment on whether the deployment would be prolonged until they had heard Mr Key's report on his trip.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said the Government had always made it clear there would be a "staging out" of New Zealand troops.

"The prime minister has been over there getting the situation on the ground and he'll be briefing me fully when he gets back," Dr Mapp said.

Mr Key travelled with the Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, and they would have discussed the situation "in considerable detail".

Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Mr Key would have his own view on whether the troops should remain, based on his assessment on the ground.

"We'll look at the prime minister's report when he gets back and no doubt have some discussions over the next few days," he said.

"Currently the SAS is on a mandate of being there until March of next year but the prime minister's visit gives us a chance to look at what the future requirements are."