Hodgson Pete: Immigration Bill — In Committee 
Hodgson Pete: Immigration Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6748] 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Labour—Dunedin North) 
: 
 Time is almost up so I do not think I will begin a speech. I might just tell a story. We are talking about refugees so I will tell a story about a couple of guys from West Africa. They got into trouble with their President because the President in their view had overturned a mayoral election in a major city so they started a general strike. The local cops and the special cops came after them. They fled to a neighbouring country. They got on board a ship to go to Europe or so they hoped and one of them was imprisoned and tortured in the meantime and escaped through a roof. But the ship never went to Europe. It went via the Philippines and Australia to Port Chalmers in Dunedin where they passed a note out through their little prison within the ship to a watersider who gave it to the  
Otago Daily Times 
. It was reported in the newspaper and then my phone started ringing. After a couple of days I got them off the ship which is just as well because it was due to go on to Korea Alaska and who knows where after that. They had been on this thing for about 3 or 4 months. 
They stayed at home with us for 4 years so we got a bit of an insight into what being a refugee looks like. They waited 22 months for their first interview under the New Zealand system. That is just a matter of fact. They were accorded refugee status and if you like I will tell members the rest of the story after dinner. 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Eric Roy) 
: The Hon Pete Hodgson has roughly 3½ minutes left to speak and we look forward to hearing some more of the narrative. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Thank you Mr Chairman for your request that I complete the story and I will be happy to do so. So these two refugees from a West African nation having spent some years at our place then went on to make their way in the world. One of them went to Australia. He became a bank manager and in fact he was appointed as a bank manager about 3 months ago. He was married about 4 months ago in Melbourne and I was his best man. The other one stayed in Dunedin. He ended up as a caregiver of intellectually handicapped folk and in that role he is particularly able. He is just very good at his job. He married a woman from the same West African nation but that is another story. They have a child aged 17 months and that is another story as well but she was out at our home on Sunday. She is a delightful child but she wrecked the place and then went home again. I suppose the point of the story is that I and I am sure many other members have firsthand knowledge of refugees. 
I do not wish to finish the story on a bad note but it is a matter of fact that when I was trying to get them off the ship one weekend in early January 1997 I was trying to get hold of the necessary folk from the Immigration Service and I put to officials some questions to which I already had answers and I caught out an official misleading me. I said: “I’ve now caught you out. Now you have to help me.” I give no names and no pack drill; it is just what happened. As it happened we were lucky enough to find a French-speaking police officer who interviewed these guys put the right questions to them in terms of our international obligations and on that basis their lives were able to be restarted in New Zealand. 
So that will do for the story. It is a story that finishes with great success if indeed it has finished at all. It is a story about how New Zealand finally did gather round these guys and make them welcome and it is a story about how they have made their way in life and are now contributing back to society. Refugees and issues around refugees are like that. Those issues are not straightforward. It is hard stuff and it is hard stuff for all manner of reasons. I think every member of the House will have come across a refugee and will have gained some idea of the torment or difficulties they have moved through and the strength of purpose they have had to show. 
Of course the other side of the story is that from time to time people who claim refugee status do so spuriously and from time to time they try to rort our system and take advantage of us. Somehow we need law that has the wisdom to tell the difference between one type of refugee and another and that is not straightforward. I know that too from personal experience. So there is the end of my story. My story is a happy one and it is a story that I am sure this Committee will enjoy. 
But now I will resume my seat and we will come to the difficult issues around Part 5 and some of those will be opposed by members on this side of the Chamber for reasons that my colleagues I hope will explain. Thank you.