O'Rourke Denis: Immigration Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeO'Rourke Denis: Immigration Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 11 June 2013. Volume:691;Page:10951. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]DENIS O’ROURKE (NZ First):New Zealand cannot afford to be seen as a soft touch by would-be people-smugglers or illegal immigrants. We accept that there is in fact a risk that mass arrivals are possible as they have been in Australia. We agree with Labour that that risk is small but we still must be prepared for it. New Zealand First has a strict regime approach to the whole issue of immigration which we think is currently too lax in too many ways. We are especially concerned in respect of all cases of illegal entry and more especially again if New Zealand is faced with illegal mass arrivals however remote the possibility may be. But notwithstanding New Zealand First’s hard-line approach we are committed to meeting New Zealand’s international obligations under the United Nations’ quota programme providing for properly processed entry into New Zealand. But illegal immigration puts strain on our ability to meet those obligations and illegal arrivals must not be rewarded at the expense of those who follow a correct process.The Immigration Amendment Bill as it is assumes that the New Zealand authorities have the capacity and facilities required to deal with a mass arrival as defined in the bill and this means that the relevant Government departments and agencies must have the facilities to set up one or more centres for illegal refugees soon after their arrival. We do not feel that there is any guarantee that such systems or plans are in place and the bill in its present form places no expectations on the authorities to develop them. We do not feel that the current facility Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre fits that bill either. So New Zealand First therefore deplores the failure of the Government to support Winston Peters’ Supplementary Order Paper 219 which would ensure that proper systems are in place to deal with mass arrivals—as defined—as they happen and if or when they happen and which specifically requires the Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections with the authority of the Prime Minister within 24 hours of the issue of a mass arrival warrant to provide facilities for the secure detention of a mass arrivals group. This does not mean a prison. It means suitable good-quality humanitarian accommodation but which is secure. So I think we see that quite differently from Labour.New Zealand First therefore cannot support Supplementary Order Paper 239 in the name of Peter Dunne or 243 in the name of Jan Logie nor Supplementary Order Papers 244 and 247 in the name of Darien Fenton. All of those we feel would have us adopt a soft approach to the whole issue of illegal mass arrivals. Peter Dunne would have us believe also that 30 people or fewer are not a mass arrival and most New Zealanders we think would disagree with that. But we can support and will support Darien Fenton’s Supplementary Order Paper 246 in relation to the provision of health serviceswhich we would certainly wish to see. Parties in this House should set aside their differences and do what is in the national interest rather than playing politics. Protecting our national borders is paramount protecting the integrity of our immigration system is paramount and New Zealand’s international reputation is also paramount. So assuming Winston Peters’ Supplementary Order Paper 219 is not passed because of Government opposition New Zealand First will be obliged to vote against the bill.