Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:608;Page:5243] 
2.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Is the New Zealand Immigration Service conducting inquiries into improper false or fraudulent immigration incidents; if so how many? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Associate Minister of Immigration) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Immigration 
: Yes of course the New Zealand Immigration Service conducts inquiries into improper false or fraudulent immigration incidents and such inquiries are initiated on an ongoing basis. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That Minister has had 4 hours in which to answer the question “how many?”. The question is patently and clearly on today’s Order Paper. Why do I have to get up now to elicit on a supplementary question information that he has had 4 hours to glean prepare and bring down to this House? That is my point of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister did address the question. He indicated there were a number of incidents. It is not for me to say whether that is a satisfactory answer. He did address the question. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I ask the Minister why he wasted 4 hours on not answering my question; if he does not know the number why does he not tell this House and having said that could he clarify what he meant in respect of his answer given that the principal Minister on 29 April in response to a written question said: “The NZIS pursues all incidents of possible fraud brought to its attention that merit investigation.” and that it took an insightfully humiliating  
Assignment  
programme investigation to alert her to the need to investigate openly advertised immigration scams in Auckland? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I understand there are two questions there. With regard to the first question as of today I am unable to specify exactly how many investigations are under way. I am however advised that as of 31 March this year there were approximately 300 investigations into immigration fraud under way and there were 14 investigations under way into allegations against Immigration Service staff. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I feared that that would be exactly what would happen. The Minister having had as the Rt Hon Winston Peters said 4 hours in which to answer the question clearly did have the information that he was asked for. He knew how many incidents were being investigated as at 31 March and he went on to say that he did not have an exact number for today—but we are only 1 month on from then. The issue is that when a question is put down for oral answer Ministers withhold the answer and then seek to have the Opposition waste another supplementary question to get the information asked for in the primary question. That is a hopeless situation—[ 
Interruption 
] If the Leader of the House wants to interject while I am on my feet I think that is unparliamentary. It is a hopeless situation when Ministers are asked a question on notice have the information and then refuse to hand it out in their primary answer so that it has to be wheedled out of them at a later date. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: When the Minister answered the original question he could have given that number in the answer. The question was asked in two parts however. The member asked another part of the question and the Minister addressed that particular part. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: With regard to the second part of the question there are many allegations of improper practice made on a daily basis. Each of those has to be thoroughly investigated before we can make any claims. That process will continue as the service is determined to make sure there are no corrupt practices under way at any stage. Investigations will be undertaken where they are deemed necessary. 
Luamanuvao Winnie Laban 
: What has this current Government done to improve the processes for investigating fraudulent immigration incidents? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: In 2001 the New Zealand Immigration Service established a fraud investigations unit. That unit and the investigation systems were created by the Labour-led Government. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Did the Minister’s second answer include the plethora of scams I have brought before Parliament including the Fernridge Institute of Training which is running a sham establishment founded to ensure that the owners of the company have a steady source of cheap labour in this country the death of a Japanese national at the rogue Columbus Academy the investigation into exploited Ukrainian farm workers in an approved scheme openly advertised immigration scams as the  
Assignment 
 programme proved and so-called refugees who can live here for months on end at a cost of millions of dollars to New Zealand taxpayers who finance their health care social welfare benefits housing and legal aid costs—does his answer include all those people as well? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: As I said there are over 300 investigations under way. With regard to the Fernridge Institute of Training the Department of Labour is continuing to investigate the allegations of improper immigration and employment practices by that training organisation. A labour inspector is examining wage records held by the Fernridge Institute of Training to determine whether the students have received their minimum legal entitlements.