Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20320] 
12.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Does he have confidence in the New Zealand Immigration Service; if so why? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 Generally yes because by and large it is a hard-working and conscientious service. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can I take it from the Minister that if he has confidence in the department then he is the one who is responsible for the bungling and the mess-up in allowing into this country a whole lot of people who are thoroughly undesirable and who could imperil our security? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No. 
Hon Murray McCully 
: Can the Minister confirm that when the Prime Minister reassured the House on Tuesday as to the “extensive checks” that had been undertaken by immigration officials following Mr Peters’ allegations she was acting on the advice of the Minister of Immigration; if so can that Minister advise the House whether the Prime Minister gave him any feedback as to the quality of his advice? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Prime Minister and I have been in regular discussion on this matter. I always find the advice from the Prime Minister particularly useful. 
Dianne Yates 
: Is the Minister aware of any possible consequences resulting from the public naming of individuals in immigration cases? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes. I now know that as I had warned earlier in the week the lawyer of one of the individuals whose permit has been revoked is now advocating for his client to stay in the country on the basis that the publicity surrounding him would place him in danger if he leaves New Zealand. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: If that is the Minister’s conclusion then how does he explain that before the man was even named he had been to McLeod and Associates Ahmed Zaoui’s lawyers to seek refugee status but they have dropped him like a hot scone because they could see he would damage their hopeless public relations case in respect of Ahmed Zaoui—which is why he went to the second lawyer—the one we saw on TV last night; and why is he insisting upon putting on a display like “Comical Ali” the former information Minister of Iraq and why does he insist on making that “Comical Ali” look like a Privy Council judge? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: There are several questions there. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: As I understand it that person has now gone to another lawyer. It is a free county; he can go to any lawyer that he likes to. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can I ask the Minister again whether he could put his junior colleague right with respect to this man who went to see McLeod and Associates Ahmed Zaoui’s lawyers having known from abroad about Ahmed Zaoui’s favourable treatment in this country and so how can he draw the conclusion that—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: The member speaking is to be heard in silence. Would the member please leave. 
Hon Matt Robson withdrew from the Chamber. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I would be obliged if the member could start again. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Could the Minister inform his colleague from Hamilton that the sequence of events does not admit her allegation—namely that Winston Peters is to blame for this man seeking refugee status—given that before he was even named in this Parliament he was already seeking refugee status through McLeod and Associates the lawyers for Ahmed Zaoui? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I stand absolutely by my statement that naming the person and making it public adds to the weight of that case. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table evidence of Mr al-Khashali going to see McLeod and Associates—the people who have got $2 million out of the New Zealand taxpayer for a terrorist. 
Document not tabled.