Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 16 June 2004. Volume:618;Page:13627. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
2.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: How many staff work for the New Zealand Immigration Service and is he satisfied they are doing a competent job? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 As at 31 May 2004 the total number of staff employed at the New Zealand Immigration Service was 870 including temporary employees or 855 fulltime-equivalents. Those staff are involved in a range of duties including assessing visa and permit applications refugee status determinations providing information on immigration issues and policy and border investigations work. As to the second part of the member’s question generally yes. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given that answer has the Minister specifically considered contracting TVNZ to find illegal immigrants still residing in this country given that it took TVNZ only 2 hours yesterday to find Saied Ghanbari a person who was part of yesterday’s question time and a man this Minister describes as “New Zealand’s most wanted illegal immigrant who has been in hiding for 18 months”? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes my initial thoughts were to contract the services of Television One to the investigation and border branch of the New Zealand Immigration Service. But the reality is that although this person is illegally in New Zealand he is clearly being hidden and protected either by family or communities or both. We are asking him to come forward so that he leaves voluntarily. If he will not do that we will send him packing on a plane. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What are the issues the Minister is considering in relation to a review of the Immigration Act? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Department of Labour is scoping areas of possible amendment to the Immigration Act. Major areas initially identified for attention include the appropriateness and effectiveness of current deportation and removal processes including the number of appeal rights and how long they all take; provisions to enable greater information matching and sharing that could assist immigration investigations; and the security risk certificate provisions once the Ahmed Zaoui case has been resolved. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: What excuses has the Minister accepted from the immigration department for its being unable to locate that illegal immigrant over the last 18 months although that is its specific job and although Television One was able to do it within a couple of hours? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: We have had very full and frank discussions with officials about this matter. I think it is fair to say that the Immigration Service has spoken to this person this morning. The reality is though that if this person continues to be hidden by either family or the community and does not bring himself forward there are difficulties. This problem has been around for ages. But the reality is that once he is located he will be sent packing. 
Keith Locke 
: If the Immigration Service is doing such a competent job why is it enrolling police to do roadside checks for overstayers which will only lead to racial targeting and will undermine the cooperation between migrant communities and the police that is needed to solve real crimes? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The police are doing no such thing. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How can it be that the New Zealand Immigration Service with a current budget of $135 million and a forward budget of $157 million could not pick up its most wanted illegal immigrant when extensive information regarding this very man and his whereabouts has been with the Inland Revenue Department—which he was consulting to do his bookkeeping—with the New Zealand Police and at the Immigration Service’s disposal for more than 18 months; why is he tolerating this absurd incompetence has he found the 14 Tongan rugby players yet and why does he not just resign? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: In relation to the Tongan rugby players we have found the fullback but the wingers are being a bit elusive! As far as the first issue is concerned it is pretty obvious that the person concerned would prefer the opportunity to speak in confidence to a television programme seeking the opportunity to give his side of the story than to speak to immigration officials because he knows that when he speaks to immigration officials in person he will be sent home. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: If this is the way his department searches for its most wanted illegal immigrant how does it search for the other 1900-plus who are illegally here? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Well by and large the service does a good job. For example last month 47 people were located and sent home. That member well knows that the reality is that a lot of effort goes in but if people are being protected and hidden it is very very difficult to find them. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Is the Minister telling me that a whole township the size of for example Ashburton is somehow being hidden and protected in New Zealand and that his department is nevertheless doing a competent job or is he telling me that he has no idea what he is talking about? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No I am not saying that a town the size of Ashburton is being hidden and protected. As the member knows people do spread out across the country. This problem has been around for a long time—even when that member was Treasurer.