Key John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Key John: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:647;Page:16050] 
2.  
JOHN KEY (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does she have confidence in all of her Ministers; if so why? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes; because they are all hard-working and conscientious. 
John Key 
: Well I suggest she watches TV tonight. What does it say about the competence of Mr Cunliffe that when he was told in April 2007 that there were serious allegations regarding the head of the Immigration Service breaching the department’s own rules to benefit her family he decided to do nothing to protect the integrity of New Zealand’s residency process? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am advised that Mr Cunliffe was advised in general terms of the issue. It was of course a matter for the chief executive. 
John Key 
: What does it say about the competence of Mr Cosgrove that when he was told in December 2007 that there were serious allegations regarding the head of the Immigration Service breaching the department’s own rules to benefit her family he also decided to do nothing to protect the integrity of New Zealand’s residency process? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Mr Cosgrove was also briefed in general terms and was told that it was an employment matter being dealt with by the chief executive. 
John Key 
: If the public is to believe that neither Minister was fully briefed about the serious misconduct issues within the Immigration Service what does it say about their competence that they failed to ask further questions despite being partly briefed about matters that surely must ring alarm bells with any Minister of any competence? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Ministers expect chief executives to deal with staff issues. Ministers get into trouble when they start interfering with them. 
John Key 
: Does the Prime Minister expect New Zealanders to believe that both Ministers Cunliffe and Cosgrove knew and were briefed about the many examples of serious misconduct including bribery conflict of interest and theft and that both chose to do nothing about what was going on in the New Zealand Immigration Service because simply it was an employment matter? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The member has now broadened his question beyond Ms Thompson to wider issues within the Pacific division of the department. I can say that neither Minister was briefed about the Buddle Findlay report on that matter. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In terms of parliamentary accountability and reporting to Parliament what should a Minister do: take the advice of the National Party that one should not interfere with ministerial appointments or staff matters à la Benson Pope or that now on immigration matters Mr Cunliffe should do so; which of those two totally opposite positions should a Minister take? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I thank the member for his question because it points out the utter flip-flop in the attitude of the National Party on this issue. Clearly the right advice is not to interfere in staffing matters. 
John Key 
: Well is the Prime Minister telling us that she expects the New Zealand public to believe that two young Ministers looking to make their name in her Cabinet were briefed about highly irregular actions from the head of the Immigration Service Mary Anne Thompson and chose to do absolutely nothing about it; and is the reason why she thinks the public should believe that the same reason they should believe her when she says that despite the head of her department—a woman who was briefing her on a daily basis—applying for a job and then withdrawing the application she the Prime Minister who is known for her love of gossip did not ask why? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have much more sense than the member when it comes to standing well apart from staffing matters. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Did the Prime Minister take any comfort on this matter from the fact that the first prime ministerial appointment in respect of the person in question was actually made by one Jenny Shipley when the National Party was in Government? [ 
Interruption 
] I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. There has been a tirade of comment from my right over there that could be put to rest by my explaining that when the person in question worked for me she had been working for the department for well over a year. That of course is the truth; some members do not like it. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: If members ask a question they are entitled to be able to hear the reply. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Indeed I inherited Ms Thompson from Mrs Shipley as indeed the Labour Government inherited Ms Thompson after she had been through Te Puni Kokiri under the National Government and Treasury under the National Government and had ended up in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 
John Key 
: Why if this was an employment matter solely are there now four inquiries under way since this matter has come into the public domain? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Because the Government is tired of being blind-sided and I state for the record— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: If the level of noise does not come down then we will have to have the answer in silence. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The Government is tired of being blind-sided around the issues of Ms Thompson and the Immigration Service of hearing that doubt was raised about the qualifications but that the matter was not adequately investigated and of hearing about Buddle Findlay reports that were never brought to our attention. Indeed as recently as this morning on the radio I had yet another allegation put that I had never heard of. That is why the Cabinet has determined that a full and independent inquiry by the Auditor-General is appropriate. 
John Key 
: Does the Prime Minister have confidence in Phil Goff who not only thinks that it is time for a change but who is publicly telling people on Alt TV that the Prime Minister’s leadership is “toast”? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: As the member is the fifth leader of the National Party I have dealt with I would say there are rather more loyalty issues over there including one from the person sitting next to him. 
John Key 
: Is the Prime Minister in any way concerned that according to Phil Goff Phil Goff is the future and the Prime Minister is the past? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Given that the Labour Party has had one leader in 15 years and National has had five I would not be raising issues of loyalty if I were Mr Key. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I have a document known as  
Ka Awatea 
 the flagship of Winston Peters’ time as Minister of Maori Affairs which was authored by one Dr Mary Anne Thompson. I seek leave to table that document. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.