Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:610;Page:7914] 
12.  
PETER BROWN (Senior Whip—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: What steps has she taken to ensure that all immigrants who apply for a permit under the Immigration Act 1987 disclose any past present or intended activities related to the provision of sexual services? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 The amendment to the Immigration Act contained in section 19 of the Prostitution Reform Act took effect on 28 June this year. It states that no permit may be granted “on the basis” that the person has provided or intends to provide commercial sexual services and that is being enforced. If the member or any of his colleagues has come across anyone on a temporary permit who is providing commercial sexual services then I would be grateful for the details because that would be grounds for revoking the permit and removing the individual from New Zealand—something that could not have happened before the amendment took effect. 
Peter Brown 
: Noting that answer can the Minister confirm that the Asian syndicate or syndicates that are endeavouring to establish brothels in this country are not in breach of section 19 of the Prostitution Reform Act? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I am unaware of the matter that the member raises and if he would like to address the issue to me I will have it investigated. 
Gordon Copeland 
: Does the Minister agree that given the minimal police involvement with the prostitution industry under the new law trafficking and sex-slave activity will probably now be drawn to the police’s attention only when these young women are admitted to hospital or die; if not why not? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: No to the contrary and I would like to acknowledge that it was the member himself who raised the original question in the House that led to some investigation into amendments to the Prostitution Reform Bill as it was. As I said in my original answer under the law as it was if we discovered somebody working on an open work permit in a massage parlour—ergo a brothel—we would not have been able to cancel the permit and remove that person from New Zealand. We can do that now. 
Gordon Copeland 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not sure whether the Minister did address my question. I was talking about the situation since the new law came into being and the fact that the police are no longer involved in the sex industry and therefore it is unlikely unless someone is admitted to hospital or dies that the police will find out about sex slaves. I do not believe that question was addressed. 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I did say “No” at the outset because it will not be less likely. The people who investigate those who are breaching permits are in fact the Immigration Service. It has more powers than it has ever had thanks to that member. 
Peter Brown 
: Does the Minister accept that by inserting section 19 into the Prostitution Reform Act—and I recognise it was her initiative—there is huge responsibility to comprehensively police it and if she does recognise that as a responsibility can she tell us what she is doing to police it? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I can tell that member that I was in Auckland last week launching the advance passenger screening system which uses the advance passenger processing system and that the head of border and investigations of the New Zealand Immigration Service was very complimentary about a law change that has given them some real teeth.