Wong Pansy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Wong Pansy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19644] 
12.  
PANSY WONG (National) 
 to the  
Minister for Transport Safety 
: When was Land Transport New Zealand first alerted to claims of licensing fraud in the Asian community and on what date did they begin formal investigation of these claims? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Transport) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister for Transport Safety 
: I am advised that the relevant dates are 11 February 2005 and 11 February 2005. 
Pansy Wong 
: Can the Minister confirm that Land Transport New Zealand received various claims about licensing fraud as early as July 2003 as outlined in a letter from a group of registered driving instructors who raised concerns through letters and meetings about the ability of some communities to sell international licences and fix practical test results and about interpreters illegally assisting applicants; and can the Minister confirm that no serious and wide investigation was undertaken until 23 March 2005 as reported in the  
New Zealand Herald 
? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The answer to the latter part of the member’s question is no she is wrong. I gave the date in my answer to her main question not as 23 March but as 11 February. As to the first part of the member’s question Land Transport New Zealand advises that it evaluates all such claims and I imagine they investigate those that show the most promise. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: How was the alleged driver licensing fraud detected? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Land Transport New Zealand advises that it was alerted to the alleged fraud by a driver licensing applicant. As is standard practice all such claims are taken seriously and on this occasion an investigation was initiated immediately. 
Peter Brown 
: Will the Minister give the House an assurance that the Government will address the driver licensing fraud issue that all New Zealanders involved will be severely dealt with and that any Asians involved will be sent packing back where they came from? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The answers to the three assurances sought are as follows. I am very happy to assert not only that the Government will investigate promising complaints but also that it already has and that two arrests have been made. How complaints are dealt with is a matter for the police and the courts. As to the question of whether Asians should be sent back home I would like to make the comment that I do not believe for a minute either that this abuse is the strict preserve of Asians or that the majority of Asians have anything to do with it and I resent the member’s implications. 
Pansy Wong 
: Does the Minister still stand by his answer to my written question of 15 December 2004 that Land Transport New Zealand does not monitor ethnic newspapers for advertisements because the organisation does not have staff who have the ability to translate and monitor ethnic publications; and is that why advertisements offering learner drivers guaranteed fair passes on theory tests and their choice of preferred testing official continued to appear in newspapers as recently as Friday 31 March 2005 at the time when Land Transport New Zealand was supposed to be investigating these scams? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I can confirm the written answers given earlier. I would further comment that I doubt that Land Transport New Zealand buys and reads all English newspapers either frankly. Given public attention to such advertisements as might appear in a Chinese language newspaper I do not think there will be many more but I have no doubt that if there are there will be no shortage of people wanting to tell us all about it. 
Pansy Wong 
: I seek the leave of the House to table three documents. The first is a letter detailing complaints made since 2003 on matters including international students offering driving lessons the sale of international licences and related problems of the current licensing system. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Pansy Wong 
: The second is a driving instructor’s advertisement offering guaranteed passes on theory tests as well as a choice of one’s preferred testing officer dated 31 March 2005. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Pansy Wong 
: The third comprises three driving instructors’ advertisements offering guaranteed passes on theory tests passes on the first go a choice of one’s testing officer and testing route and weekend tests all dated 31 March 2005. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.